Environmental Management最新文献

{"title":"Long-term Evaluation of Machine Learning Based Methods for Air Emission Monitoring","authors":"Minxing Si,&nbsp;Brett M. Wiens,&nbsp;Ke Du","doi":"10.1007/s00267-024-02057-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00267-024-02057-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Machine learning (ML) techniques have been researched and used in various environmental monitoring applications. Few studies have reported the long-term evaluation of such applications. Discussions regarding the risks and regulatory frameworks of ML applications in environmental monitoring have been rare. We monitored the performance of six predictive models developed using ML and statistical methods for 28 months. The six models used to predict NO_x emissions were developed using six different algorithms. The model developed with a moderate complexity algorithm, adaptive boosting, had the best performance in long-term monitoring, with a root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.48 kg/hr in the 28-month monitoring period, and passed two of the three relative accuracy test audits. High complexity models based on gradient boosting and neural network algorithms had the best training performance, with a minimum RMSE of 0.23 kg/hr and 0.26 kg/hr, but also had the worst RMSE scores, of 0.51 kg/hr and 0.57 kg/hr, during the monitoring period. In addition, all six models failed all three relative accuracy test audits. The following problems were observed: (1) Complex ML models tended to have overfitting problems, thus indicating the importance of the trade-off between model accuracy and complexity. (2) Model input sensor drift or out of high-frequency ranges from the training data resulted in inaccurate predictions or an accuracy lower than the minimum allowed by regulators. (3) Existing regulatory frameworks must be modernized to keep pace with current machine learning practices. Some statistical tests are unsuitable for applications developed by using ML methods.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":543,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Management","volume":"75 3","pages":"680 - 693"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142338799","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Assessing the Implications of Deforestation and Climate Change on Rural Livelihood in Ghana: a Multidimensional Analysis and Solution-Based Approach","authors":"Richard Kwame Adom,&nbsp;Memory Reid,&nbsp;Gbenga Abayomi Afuye,&nbsp;Mulala Danny Simatele","doi":"10.1007/s00267-024-02053-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00267-024-02053-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The Ashanti region in Ghana, abundant in natural resources such as forests and vegetation biomes, significantly supports the livelihoods of a significant portion of the population. The sustainable management of forest resources remains a significant challenge to achieving environmental and economic growth and poverty alleviation. The study aims to identify the drivers of deforestation and assess its impact on the livelihoods of the poor and vulnerable communities in the Ashanti region. The study utilized qualitative and space-based data to examine the patterns of vegetation cover and deforestation from 2000 to 2020. The results revealed moderate to sparse vegetation in Ashanti from 2002, 2005, 2011, 2015, 2017, and 2018, with no vegetation in the northcentral part, attributed to climate change, agricultural practices, government policies, and deforestation-related disasters. The study found a significant correlation (<i>R</i>² = 0.8197) between years and deforestation areas, especially in 2018 at around 16,000 Sqkm, indicating an exponential increase with severe implications for sustainable livelihoods. Much of these changes were reflected in 2020 with a high peak of deforestation towards the southeastern parts of the region. Additionally, the results show that the poor groups are not passive actors but are actively involved in identifying systems and processes through which to build their adaptive capacity and resilience to environmental and climate change-induced changes. The findings provide evidence-based and all-inclusive approaches that would encourage vulnerable and marginalized groups to participate in the co-production and co-creation of policies and strategies. This outcome is geared towards transformative and sustainable communities while ensuring efficient and effective response and recovery capacities of deforested lands.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":543,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Management","volume":"74 6","pages":"1124 - 1144"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00267-024-02053-6.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142338797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Framework for Estimating Economic Impacts of Ecological Restoration","authors":"Catherine Cullinane Thomas,&nbsp;Christopher Huber,&nbsp;Kristin E. Skrabis,&nbsp;Timothy B. Hoelzle","doi":"10.1007/s00267-024-02040-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00267-024-02040-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Ecological restoration projects are designed to improve natural and cultural resources. Spending on restoration also stimulates economic impacts to the restoration economy through the creation or support of jobs and business activity. This paper presents accessible methods for quantifying the economic impacts supported by restoration spending and is written to be a guide and toolbox for an interdisciplinary audience of restoration practitioners and economists. Measuring the economic impacts of restoration can be challenging due to lacking or limited data. The complex, collaborative, and heterogeneous nature of restoration projects can make it difficult to clearly track costs, contributing to limited availability and inconsistency in restoration cost data. And business classification systems, such as the North American Industrial Classification System (NAICS), do not include restoration-sectors that consistently describe the patterns of restoration spending. The aims of this paper are to (1) provide restoration practitioners and program managers with a clear understanding of the application of economic impact analyses to restoration, (2) provide a framework for collecting project cost data for economic impact analyses, and (3) provide modeling best practices and an example application of the framework.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":543,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Management","volume":"74 6","pages":"1239 - 1259"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00267-024-02040-x.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142338796","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Plant Translocations in France: Identifying Gaps between Knowledge, Practice and Perception by Conservation Actors","authors":"Margaux Julien,&nbsp;Juliette Ducrettet,&nbsp;Mohamed Diallo,&nbsp;Eric Imbert,&nbsp;Bruno Colas,&nbsp;Bertrand Schatz","doi":"10.1007/s00267-024-02055-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00267-024-02055-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>In the current context of global changes, threatened flora is declining and homogenising at the expense of rare and protected species. Among conservation biology and ecological restoration techniques, plant translocation is one of the recommendations increasingly used. However, translocation remains risky and is recommended as a last resort to conserve protected flora in land use planning. Furthermore, it raises ethical questions partly linked to genetic processes. In this context, we studied how plant translocations are perceived by conservation actors in France, including their genetic aspects. The analysis of translocation perception complements that of feedback on concrete translocation operations and allows us to provide a qualitative assessment of current practices. We have adopted an interdisciplinary approach to survey different types of actors in nature conservation, involved or not in at least one stage of translocation operations (preparation, implementation and monitoring). Three main types of translocation perception divide our sample quite strongly (50% favourable/ 45% unfavourable/ 5% undecided). Surprisingly, their professional activity or the level of involvement in such an operation have no influence on their opinion on translocation, nor on the proposals of alternative measures. Only 15% of the actors involved in translocations used genetic data at least once. To conclude, it would be necessary to promote the sharing of feedback from past experiences. This would allow an up-to-date list of species unacceptable for translocation. Comparing the results of different protocols and implementation conditions for the same species or group should improve overall translocation success rates.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":543,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Management","volume":"74 6","pages":"1160 - 1172"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142338800","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"The Critical Social Processes for Standardising the Ecological Monitoring of Australian Landscapes","authors":"Hitje-Aikaterini Grypma,&nbsp;Douglas K. Bardsley,&nbsp;Ben Sparrow","doi":"10.1007/s00267-024-02049-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00267-024-02049-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>For a long time, ecological monitoring across Australia has utilised a wide variety of different methodologies resulting in data that is difficult to analyse across place or time. In response to these limitations, a new systematic approach to ecological monitoring has been developed in collaboration between the Terrestrial Ecosystem Research Network and the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water - the Ecological Monitoring System Australia (EMSA). A qualitative approach involving focus groups and semi-structured interviews was undertaken to review perceptions of the introduction of the EMSA protocols amongst Natural Resource Management practitioners and other key stakeholders. We found that environmental management stakeholders recognise there will be many advantages from the standardisation of ecological monitoring. However, key concerns emerged regarding the capacity needed to implement the standard protocols, the utility of the resultant data for regional projects, and the scope for adaptive co-management under the EMSA. Stakeholders emphasised the need for autonomy and flexibility, so their participation in protocol development can facilitate regional adoption of the standards. Respondents’ concerns about a perceived lack of genuine consultation and acknowledgement of feedback revealed the importance of clear communication at all stages of an environmental management project aiming to standardise practices. Our findings indicate that reflexivity will be vital to address the complexity involved in standardisation of ecological monitoring. Formal processes of social learning will need to be integrated into environmental management approaches to account for the increasing complexity of socio-ecological systems as they are challenged by global change.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":543,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Management","volume":"74 6","pages":"1145 - 1159"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00267-024-02049-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142338801","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Fit for Strategic Purpose? The Quality of Strategic Environmental Assessment Guidelines in Three East African Nations","authors":"Amani G. Rweyendela","doi":"10.1007/s00267-024-02052-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00267-024-02052-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>High-quality strategic environmental assessment (SEA) guidelines are essential for ensuring effective SEA implementation. However, empirical studies appraising the quality of existing guidelines are scarce, particularly in Africa. This paper evaluates the quality of national SEA guidelines in Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, focusing on their potential to support strategic thinking and practice. Data were drawn from guideline documents and analysed using content analysis against best practice, strategic criteria. The analysis reveals that while guidelines share some commonalities, they differ in scope, specificity and strategic orientation. They all incorporate important guiding principles, but only partially address other best practice criteria. Notably, they offer inconsistent guidance on structuring the assessment process and engaging decision windows, which may limit their practical usefulness. The findings highlight opportunities for improving future guideline development, revision and updates. This research and policy recommendations will benefit practitioners, policy-makers and other stakeholders in the case countries and similar jurisdictions.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":543,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Management","volume":"74 6","pages":"1260 - 1273"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142338798","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"What Future for Protected Areas? Analysing the Mismatch between South Africa’s Pre-existing Protected areas System and the Declared vision in Contemporary Conservation Policy","authors":"R. C. Alberts,&nbsp;F. P. Retief,&nbsp;A. J. Bond,&nbsp;C. Roos,&nbsp;D. P. Cilliers","doi":"10.1007/s00267-024-02051-8","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00267-024-02051-8","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Designation of protected areas has enjoyed global application as a means of biodiversity conservation for over 100 years. National conservation policy is essential as a means of protecting biodiversity, but is contingent on, amongst others, changing values and international drivers, and remains dynamic in many countries. As conservation policies evolve, the role of pre-existing protected areas within broader strategies for conservation can become unclear, with consequences both for the ability of the conservation policies to achieve their stated goals, and also for biodiversity outcomes within a nation. In order to map evolving inconsistencies between conservation policy and the role of protected areas within it, we develop a conceptual conservation policy framework synthesised from different policy orientations reported in the literature. Using South Africa as a case study, the conceptualisation is used to characterise the policy goals for protected areas in the recently adopted conservation policy, and the pre-existing protected areas system which remains on the statute books. The results indicate that the conceptual conservation policy framework can be used identify misalignment between policy and practice, and has enabled a mismatch to be identified between South Africa’s pre-existing protected areas system and its contemporary conservation policy, which suggests that the management of protected areas is likely to significantly change towards greater access and monetisation at the expense of their intrinsic value.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":543,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Management","volume":"74 6","pages":"1274 - 1286"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00267-024-02051-8.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142278452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the Feasibility and Effectiveness of Removing the Globally Invasive Eastern Mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki from Lotic Environments","authors":"Eleni Kalogianni,&nbsp;Nicholas Koutsikos,&nbsp;Evangelia Smeti,&nbsp;Yiannis Kapakos,&nbsp;Leonidas Vardakas","doi":"10.1007/s00267-024-02054-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00267-024-02054-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Effective control measures for small-bodied invasive alien species (IAS) in lotic environments are essential for preserving native biodiversity and ecosystem health. This study integrates modeling and field-based removal data to assess the efficacy of electrofishing in controlling populations of the globally invasive Eastern mosquitofish <i>Gambusia holbrooki</i> across four lowland headwater streams in southern Greece over a one-year period. Results indicated significant reductions in mosquitofish post-removal abundance, although natural recruitment persisted, leading to population suppression rather than eradication. Indeed, our pre-removal population viability analysis suggested a temporary suppression of mosquitofish populations, influenced by factors such as the species’ life history and reproductive traits. Furthermore, our study suggests modifications of physical control methods expected to enhance effectiveness. Specifically, the narrow implementation timeframe of the removal actions highlights the need for multiple removal campaigns in consecutive years and for long-term population monitoring, thus aligning with past research. The timing of removal efforts is also critical as it must exploit seasonal variability in fish eradication susceptibility, by its implementation within the best “window of opportunity”. Finally, addressing knowledge gaps in the ecological impacts of IAS control methods as well as exploration of novel control and monitoring technologies, are also vital for informed management strategies. This study, by proposing modifications to fish removal planning and methodology, contributes to ongoing efforts for optimal IAS control, particularly in regions where such management approaches are underutilized.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":543,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Management","volume":"75 3","pages":"477 - 489"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142278450","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"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":"Multistakeholder Initiatives and Sustainability? A Governance Analysis using the German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO) as a Case Study","authors":"Daniel Schuster,&nbsp;Ivo Mossig","doi":"10.1007/s00267-024-02050-9","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00267-024-02050-9","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper examines the Multistakeholder initiative (MSI) “German Initiative on Sustainable Cocoa (GISCO)”. MSIs represent arenas in which heterogeneous actors from governments, businesses and civil society come together to achieve sustainability goals that they cannot achieve otherwise. The self-defined goals of GISCO are first, to improve the living conditions of cocoa farmers and their families; second, to conserve and protect natural resources and biodiversity; and third, to increase the share of sustainably produced cocoa. Although all stakeholder groups share these goals, they have different agendas and conflicting interests. Despite numerous case studies, no theoretical basis has been established on the functioning and success of negotiations in MSIs. Therefore, the question arises as to how the governance of an MSI can be captured empirically to explain (un)achieved outcomes of the collaboration. The contribution of this paper is the development of a theoretical framework and its application to the case study. Minutes of 84 meetings and 18 qualitative expert interviews were analyzed by social network analysis and qualitative content analysis using MaxQDA to identify (a) influential actors, (b) collaboration structures and (c) processes as well as (d) topics discussed to explain (not) achieved outcomes regarding the self-defined goals. The results provide detailed insight into the governance of an MSI. The MSI helps members to extend their individual networks and to learn from each other, but quickly reaches its limits in achieving the self-imposed common goals. One reason for this is the lack of representation of actors from the Global South, despite addressing environmental and living conditions there in two out of the three GISCO goals. Furthermore, it is shown that the structures and processes of decision-making within the MSI are designed in such a way that a lack of hierarchical directives, sanctions and other decision-making mechanisms makes negotiation-based compromises difficult. Consequently, the power of each stakeholder group to use their veto right to delay or prevent the changes required to achieve common goals cannot be overcome.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":543,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Management","volume":"75 3","pages":"490 - 504"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00267-024-02050-9.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142278451","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Does Perceived Nuisance Abundance of Water Plants Match with Willingness-to-Pay for Removal? Contrasts Among Different User Categories","authors":"Jan E. Vermaat,&nbsp;Kirstine Thiemer,&nbsp;Bart Immerzeel,&nbsp;Susanne C. Schneider,&nbsp;Keneilwe Sebola,&nbsp;Julie Coetzee,&nbsp;Antonella Petruzzella,&nbsp;Samuel N. Motitsoe,&nbsp;Mathieu Baldo,&nbsp;Benjamin Misteli,&nbsp;Gabrielle Thiébaut,&nbsp;Sabine Hilt,&nbsp;Jan Köhler,&nbsp;Sarah Faye Harpenslager","doi":"10.1007/s00267-024-02046-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s00267-024-02046-5","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Dense beds of water plants can be perceived as nuisance, but this perception, however, may not be similar for different user categories, and this may affect their willingness-to-pay (WTP) for plant removal. A questionnaire survey was used to test this for residents and visitors and find underlying socio-cultural or economic drivers. We studied five cases where nuisance water plant growth is managed: the rivers Otra (Norway) and Spree (Germany), and the lakes Kemnade (Germany), Grand-Lieu (France), and Hartbeespoort Dam (South Africa). We used a different payment vehicle for residents (annual household tax) and visitors (tourist tax). The survey included questions on days spent on specific types of activity per year, the importance attached to different functions and activities, overall environmental attitude, perception of the plants, socio-demographic respondent characteristics and WTP for increased plant removal. We observed no increase in WTP for increased removal in most sites. The two most important drivers of variation in current WTP were income, and whether respondents were engaged in boating and angling and thus perceived the plants negatively. Variation in WTP among sites was considerable, and mainly related to the mixture of activities among respondents. Differences between residents and visitors were less important than those among sites. Our observations bear importance for water management: information on differences in experienced nuisance among user categories and the frequency of use by these categories is useful as guidance for the design and implementation of any plant removal plan.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":543,"journal":{"name":"Environmental Management","volume":"75 3","pages":"464 - 476"},"PeriodicalIF":2.7,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00267-024-02046-5.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142249960","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"环境科学与生态学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}