AmbioPub Date : 2025-07-10DOI: 10.1007/s13280-025-02219-4
Deborah J Pain, Rhys E Green, Niels Kanstrup, Rafael Mateo
{"title":"EU regulation: An unprecedented opportunity to protect children's and wildlife health from the toxic effects of lead ammunition.","authors":"Deborah J Pain, Rhys E Green, Niels Kanstrup, Rafael Mateo","doi":"10.1007/s13280-025-02219-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02219-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Lead is highly toxic to humans and other animals; thus, many uses have been restricted. One exception is lead ammunition, which remains a source of dietary exposure to humans and wildlife. In February 2025, the European Commission published draft regulations for habitat-wide lead ammunition restrictions to protect wildlife and human, particularly children's, health. These require approval under EU processes. Under EU regulation, Maximum Levels (MLs) for lead have been set for most marketed meats to protect human health, but, surprisingly, no ML has been set for lead in game meat: Here we describe research that supports the urgent need for this. We recommend both approval of the proposed EU ban on lead ammunition use and the setting of MLs for lead in game meat as a complementary measure to aid monitoring and encourage transition to lead-free ammunition globally. These long-overdue measures would protect both children's and wildlife health.</p>","PeriodicalId":461,"journal":{"name":"Ambio","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144599024","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AmbioPub Date : 2025-07-10DOI: 10.1007/s13280-025-02207-8
Niina Pietarinen, Mireia Pecurul-Botines, Maria Brockhaus
{"title":"Politics of delay hinder the implementation of EU Forest Strategy in Finland.","authors":"Niina Pietarinen, Mireia Pecurul-Botines, Maria Brockhaus","doi":"10.1007/s13280-025-02207-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02207-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study analyses potential barriers to the implementation of the New EU Forest Strategy 2030 (EUFS) in Finland. When the EUFS was published in 2021, emphasising environmental outcomes and forests as carbon sinks, the timber-oriented countries were cautious of the strategy. While the EUFS is not a legally binding document, it comes with legally binding forest-related regulation. To shed light on a Member State's response to these policy developments, policy documents and interview data was analysed through a critical institutional policy analysis lens, using policy transfer and policy delay frameworks. \"All talk, little action\" was the most prominent strategy in delaying implementation of the EUFS, partly legitimized by concerns that Nordic forestry expertise and needs are sidelined in the EU, and by emphasising private property rights and national sovereignty. This research demonstrates that national priorities can override international climate and biodiversity commitments, highlighting a critical gap between formal commitments and real-world practices.</p>","PeriodicalId":461,"journal":{"name":"Ambio","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144599025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Online citizen dialogue on biodiversity conservation and citizen participation: A cross-cultural deliberation between Taiwan and Japan.","authors":"Hidenori Nakamura, Wei-Lin Chen, Fuki Ueno, Satoru Sugita","doi":"10.1007/s13280-025-02209-6","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02209-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study empirically explored the possibility of nurturing and cultivating reflexivity capacity at the small-group level through cross-cultural online citizen dialogue on biodiversity conservation and citizens' role using a method of reflecting, connecting Taiwan and Japan. The study found that cross-cultural dialogue improved self-awareness of cultural inheritance as a hindering and promoting factor for sustainability transformation in one's own cultural community. The dialogue also expanded the perceived boundary of collaboration measured by trust score/ratio. It also brought about the positive change in self-reported attitude toward dialogue with a person holding different views, and of urgency/significance self-assessment of sustainability transformation issues, that is, biodiversity conservation and citizen participation. The institutionalization of cross-cultural citizen dialogue in collective decision-making processes, such as those of the United Nations, and reflexivity capacity building, both at the small-group and population levels through citizen dialogue connecting different cultural groups, are suggested for sustainability transformation.</p>","PeriodicalId":461,"journal":{"name":"Ambio","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144590149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AmbioPub Date : 2025-07-03DOI: 10.1007/s13280-025-02211-y
Tal Hocherman, Tamar Trop, Andrea Ghermandi
{"title":"Time lags in environmental governance: A critical review.","authors":"Tal Hocherman, Tamar Trop, Andrea Ghermandi","doi":"10.1007/s13280-025-02211-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02211-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>While time lags play a critical role in environmental governance, research on their causes and impacts has largely been sector-specific, hindering the emergence of a cross-disciplinary body of knowledge. Here, we utilize a novel framework-the temporal Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response, to synthesize the scientific literature on time lags across a wide range of environmental challenges. The framework facilitates the categorization and analysis of lags both within the ecological system and societal responses. A full-text analysis of 101 studies reveals common themes-such as long ecosystem lags, and shared response lags mechanisms across a range of environmental issues. We further explore how time lag analysis complements sustainability transitions research, highlighting the ways in which ecological lags influence the dynamics of socio-technical transitions, underscoring the importance of encompassing both ecological and social system dynamics. One key insight from this analysis is the importance of decoupling response lags from ecosystem lags to promote sustainability.</p>","PeriodicalId":461,"journal":{"name":"Ambio","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144558731","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AmbioPub Date : 2025-06-25DOI: 10.1007/s13280-025-02201-0
Dominik Kaim, Carlos Bautista, Michael Leitner, Franz Schug, Nuria Selva, Volker C Radeloff
{"title":"Impact of the wildland-urban interface on large carnivore damage in the Polish Carpathians.","authors":"Dominik Kaim, Carlos Bautista, Michael Leitner, Franz Schug, Nuria Selva, Volker C Radeloff","doi":"10.1007/s13280-025-02201-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02201-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Large carnivore populations are recovering across Europe, likely influencing human-wildlife interactions in the areas where both human and carnivore activity overlap, like wildland-urban interface (WUI). We analyzed over 3500 cases of damage caused by brown bears, wolves, and lynx in the Polish Carpathians (2010-2017) to identify spatial and temporal hot spots and their determinants. Wolf damage was associated with sheep density and historical WUI, while bear damage correlated with permanent bear occurrence and historical WUI. Contemporary WUI showed a negative relationship with damage occurrences. Incident-level analysis revealed that forest cover was a key factor for both species, while wolf damage was linked to sheep density and bear damage to proximity to buildings (reflecting beehive locations). Our findings emphasize the need to integrate current landscape characteristics with land use legacies to develop proactive, site-specific policies that mitigate carnivore impacts and promote resilient coexistence.</p>","PeriodicalId":461,"journal":{"name":"Ambio","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AmbioPub Date : 2025-06-25DOI: 10.1007/s13280-025-02199-5
Diego Brizuela-Torres, Yves Zinngrebe, Mark Rounsevell, Calum Brown
{"title":"Thirty years of drivers and patterns of land-use change across the Amazon biome.","authors":"Diego Brizuela-Torres, Yves Zinngrebe, Mark Rounsevell, Calum Brown","doi":"10.1007/s13280-025-02199-5","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02199-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Amazon biome is crucial for achieving global biodiversity and climate targets but is severely threatened by deforestation and land-use change. While direct deforestation drivers have been analysed, their interactions with socio-economic and land-use dynamics, and the effects of policy interventions remain poorly understood, partly due to limited long-term data. To address this, we present and provide a pan-Amazonian dataset of potential deforestation drivers for the period 1990-2020 and assess their main trends, emergent land-use archetypes, and links to socio-economic dynamics. Our findings reveal a general commoditization of deforestation frontiers-i.e. expansion of export-oriented crops and extractive activities, with regional particularities and different degrees of commoditization. Understanding large-scale patterns of land-use change is key to support policies that effectively address the shifting interactions between deforestation, land-use change, and socio-economic dynamics. These include agricultural and extractive industries' expansion, migration and armed conflicts in the Amazon, and other frontiers of the Global South.</p>","PeriodicalId":461,"journal":{"name":"Ambio","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144482738","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AmbioPub Date : 2025-06-19DOI: 10.1007/s13280-025-02208-7
Alejandro Bortolus, Chad L Hewitt, Veli Mitova, Evangelina Schwindt, Temitope O Sogbanmu, Emelda E Chukwu, Remco Heesen, Ricardo Kaufer, Hannah Rubin, Mike D Schneider, Anne Schwenkenbecher, Helena Slanickova, Katie Woolaston, Li-An Yu
{"title":"Knowledge brokers at the science-policy interface: Insights from biosecurity and environmental management.","authors":"Alejandro Bortolus, Chad L Hewitt, Veli Mitova, Evangelina Schwindt, Temitope O Sogbanmu, Emelda E Chukwu, Remco Heesen, Ricardo Kaufer, Hannah Rubin, Mike D Schneider, Anne Schwenkenbecher, Helena Slanickova, Katie Woolaston, Li-An Yu","doi":"10.1007/s13280-025-02208-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02208-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Determining appropriate mechanisms for transferring and translating research into policy has become a major concern for researchers (knowledge producers) and policymakers (knowledge users) worldwide. This has led to the emergence of a new function of brokering between researchers and policymakers, and a new type of agent called Knowledge Broker. Understanding these complex multi-agent interactions is critical for an efficient knowledge brokering practice during any given policymaking process. Here, we present (1) the current diversity of knowledge broker groups working in the field of biosecurity and environmental management; (2) the incentives linking the different agents involved in the process (knowledge producers, knowledge brokers and knowledge users); and (3) the gaps, needs and challenges to better understand this social ecosystem. We also propose alternatives aimed at improving transparency and efficiency, including future scenarios where the role of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies may become predominant in knowledge-brokering activities.</p>","PeriodicalId":461,"journal":{"name":"Ambio","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144324086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AmbioPub Date : 2025-06-18DOI: 10.1007/s13280-025-02205-w
Hana Trollman, Sandeep Jagtap, Sonia D Tamakloe, Frank Trollman
{"title":"Foraging supply chains: Investigating disaster for improved food provisioning.","authors":"Hana Trollman, Sandeep Jagtap, Sonia D Tamakloe, Frank Trollman","doi":"10.1007/s13280-025-02205-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02205-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Disasters such as COVID-19 and the Russia-Ukraine war are drawing attention to the provisioning of food during crises. The main concern has been quickly establishing a stable food supply. However, climate change and public health concerns are shifting attention to the critical gap in identifying the minimal considerations that would adequately address ecological disaster food provisioning. A meta-ethnography of 16 disasters in 12 different countries is employed to identify the activities and their supporting strategies that provide benefits to existing actors within food networks. Analysis suggests that public health, resilience, and sustainability stand to benefit from the identified practices. A conceptual model of an ecologically embedded minimum viable ecosystem for disaster food provisioning is proposed. Exemplar applications are provided for Tigray, Gaza, and Ukraine. The findings may be applied to disaster settings for the development of policy for culturally sensitive, equitable, and nutritious food provisioning strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":461,"journal":{"name":"Ambio","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144324085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AmbioPub Date : 2025-06-14DOI: 10.1007/s13280-025-02203-y
Laila Mendy, Mikael Karlsson
{"title":"Coping with an antagonistic climate: Researchers' perspectives.","authors":"Laila Mendy, Mikael Karlsson","doi":"10.1007/s13280-025-02203-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02203-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Swedish researchers face an antagonistic climate of denial, scepticism, and distrust. Despite Sweden's reputation as a climate forerunner, our interviews with 30 researchers show problems for conducting climate research in the country. Researchers use diverse communication and public engagement strategies, but often risk increasing exposure to problematic criticism and damage to their reputations. Interviewees considered themselves largely trusted, but reported attacks towards themselves and their research results. Anticipated misuse and unfounded criticism of research showed to be a decision factor for publishing. Threats and harassment have led to researchers self-censoring, avoiding media, or disengaging from public engagement. The societal implementation of research is disrupted by claims against researchers' trustworthiness. This article suggests that researchers should be provided training, funding, and time to manage public engagement. Research institutions should take seriously the risks to their staff. Researchers should consider how different communication choices may affect their perceived trustworthiness to key audiences.</p>","PeriodicalId":461,"journal":{"name":"Ambio","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144293160","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
AmbioPub Date : 2025-06-12DOI: 10.1007/s13280-025-02206-9
Monique de Jager, Nelleke H Buitendijk, J M Hans Baveco, Menno Hornman, Helmut Kruckenberg, Andrea Kölzsch, Sander Moonen, Bart A Nolet
{"title":"A multi-species model for goose management: Competition and facilitation drive space use of foraging geese.","authors":"Monique de Jager, Nelleke H Buitendijk, J M Hans Baveco, Menno Hornman, Helmut Kruckenberg, Andrea Kölzsch, Sander Moonen, Bart A Nolet","doi":"10.1007/s13280-025-02206-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-025-02206-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Human-wildlife conflicts are generally tackled using single-species studies and ensuing management solutions, ignoring species interactions that may moderate or augment these issues. We investigate the effects of interactions between four goose species foraging in the province of Friesland, the Netherlands, on species distributions, energetics, and consequent economic costs of agricultural damages and management, using an individual-based model. In Friesland, geese are allowed to graze on (semi-)natural grasslands and selected agricultural grasslands (accommodation areas), while they are scared off other agricultural grasslands (scaring areas). We show that interspecific competition and facilitation drive spatial redistribution of goose species. With increasing population sizes, most species are forced to increase foraging in the scaring areas, leading to more scaring events and more additional foraging to compensate for energy spent on fleeing behaviour. Our modelling results underline that careful consideration should be given to how management may affect the spatial distribution of foraging geese.</p>","PeriodicalId":461,"journal":{"name":"Ambio","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2025-06-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144273886","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}