Environmental Sustainability

This work is part of the French CNRS ECLIPSE program « Impact anthropique sur l'érosion des sols et la sédimentation dans les zones humides associées durant l'Holocène ». It aims to reconstitute the evolution of human impact on soil erosion at various periods via the study of Holocene sedimentary archives. In this framework the Choisille catchment (288 km²; elevation: 50

SummaryEnvironmental scientists and managers increasingly recognize that socio-cultural evaluations expand the understanding of human–nature relationships. Here, user groups’ perceptions of the benefits from and threats to nature were analysed in Tierra del Fuego National Park, Argentina. We hypothesized that the different relationships of users to this place would lead to significantly different valuations among local Ushuaia residents (n = 122), Argentine nationals (n = 147) and international tourists (n = 294). All users perceived a broad spectrum of benefits. The three groups assessed intrinsic and relational values more highly than instrumental benefits, and significant differences included a higher mean valuation of benefits by Argentine visitors. Overall, threats were less perceived than benefits, and significant differences included a higher mean threat assessment by Ushuaia residents. To explain these relationships, we found that mean valuations of benefits and threats were...

O governo brasileiro tem investido e deveria investir ainda mais em infraestrutura de transporte. De acordo com as leis ambientais, esse tipo de empreendimento exige um estudo de impacto ambiental (EIA). No entanto, o EIA é uma medida reguladora aplicada pós-projeto, o que permite limitadas mudanças no projeto. Para aumentar a viabilidade ambiental, as alterações deveriam ser feitas nas etapas iniciais do projeto no contexto do planejamento estratégico regional ou nacional. Para o setor de transportes, o Plano Nacional de Logística e Transporte (PNLT) recomenda objetivos, metas e planos para ampliação da infraestrutura do Brasil no futuro. Nós avaliamos a abordagem dos aspectos ambientais como apresentada nos três relatórios do PNLT de 2007, 2009 e 2012. O primeiro relatório (2007) resumiu a trajetória do planejamento de transportes no Brasil, desde o período da ditadura militar nos anos 1970, mostrando a necessidade de considerar os impactos ambientais dos projetos de transporte e ...

This study aimed to assess the biotic state of integrity of the urban waterbodies of Daloa. The sampling was carried out seasonally using a kick net and Van Veen on twelve stations. A total of 12718 individuals of 136 taxa belonging to 14 Orders and 59 Families were collected. Among these collected individuals 1988 belong to the complex Ephemeropters, Trichopters, Coleopters distributed on 17 families and 42 taxa. The most represented are the Coleopters (27 taxa), then Ephemeropters (12 taxa) and finally Trichopters (5 taxa). The Order of the Coleopters counts 7 families, Epheméropters (6 families) and Trichopters (3 families). Any Plecopters was sampled and the ETC index calculated showed that urban hydro systems of Daloa is relatively poor quality but among them the pond at station 5 in a better state of integrity.

Human land use threatens global biodiversity and compromises multiple ecosystem functions critical to food production. Whether crop yield-related ecosystem services can be maintained by few abundant species or rely on high richness remains unclear. Using a global database from 89 crop systems, we partition the relative importance of abundance and species richness for pollination, biological pest control and final yields in the context of on-going land-use change. Pollinator and enemy richness directly supported ecosystem services independent of abundance. Up to 50% of the negative effects of landscape simplification on ecosystem services was due to richness losses of service-providing organisms, with negative consequences for crop yields. Maintaining the biodiversity of ecosystem service providers is therefore vital to sustain the flow of key agroecosystem benefits to society.

This paper presents a critical reflection of the evaluation of learning processes in organizations. Based on learning and evaluation theories and concepts we discuss qualitative and quantitative evaluation processes, and its relationship to short training sessions to foster sustainable development. Short training sessions solve barriers for learning, and support informal learning. Reasons for paying more attention to informal learning are given. Historical cases, like the Dutch cleaner production case, show the role of learning and communication in the process of first and second change towards sustainable development. The NIDO Corporate Social Responsibility case, focusing on system innovation, show that traditional ways of quantitative performance measures, often required by stakeholder, don’t support the lengthy internal qualitative learning process. Cases on different forms of appearance of Microtraining, short training sessions, show improved communication, which might contribu...