Institutions to sustain ecological and social systems

Summary The foundation for a sustainable future is the continuation of ecological processes and functions across landscapes dominated by human activity; whether hunter-gathering, agriculture, pastoralism, suburban living, commercial and industrial centres or wilderness recreation. However, actions to sustain ecological systems, flows and functions must be integrated across the human dimensions of regional landscapes. Such regions encompass natural areas, human living places and a mosaic of other land uses. Institutional change is required to develop new organizational forms, adjust policies and develop adaptive capacity to demonstrate restoration and maintenance of all forms of social, economic and ecological capital. No matter where on the globe, future sustainability will depend on the system of resource governance that mediates the relationship between the society and the economy and, in contrast, the continuation of ecosystem functional processes. The present article examines the forms of capital, social and institutional change that need to be considered to make progress towards sustainable futures. The discussion further considers the spatial management context in which these interweaved social, ecological and economic processes take place.
Key words ecological, forms of capital, governance, institutions, landscape, social.     

A Strategic Interaction Model of Punishment Favoring Contagion of Honest Behavior

The punishment effect on social behavior is analyzed within the strategic interaction framework of Cellular Automata and computational Evolutionary Game Theory. A new game, called Social Honesty (SH), is proposed. The SH game is analyzed in spatial configurations. Probabilistic punishment is used as a dishonesty deterrence mechanism. In order to capture the intrinsic uncertainty of social environments, payoffs are described as random variables. New dynamics, with a new relation between punishment probability and punishment severity, are revealed. Punishment probability proves to be more important than punishment severity in guiding convergence towards honesty as predominant behavior. This result is confirmed by empirical evidence and reported experiments. Critical values and transition intervals for punishment probability and severity are identified and analyzed. Clusters of honest or dishonest players emerge spontaneously from the very first rounds of interaction and are determinant for the future dynamics and outcomes.     

Altruism, Altruistic Punishment and Social Investment

The concept of altruism is used in very different forms by computer scientists,economists, philosophers, social scientists, psychologists and biologists. Yet, in order to be useful in social simulations, the concept "altruism" requires a more precise meaning. A quantitative formulation is proposed here, based on the cost/benefit analysis of the altruist and of society at large. This formulation is applied in the analysis of the social dynamic working of behaviors that have been called "altruistic punishments", using the agent based computer model Sociodynamica. The simulations suggest that "altruistic punishment" on its own cannot maintain altruistic behaviors. "Altruistic behavior" is sustainable in the long term only if these behaviors trigger synergetic forces in society that eventually make them produce benefits to most individuals. The simulations suggest however that "altruistic punishment" may work as a "social investment", and is thus better called "decentralized social punishment". This behavior is very efficient in enforcing social norms. The efficiency of decentralized social punishment in enforcing norms was dependent on the type of labor structured of the virtual society. I conclude that what is called "altruistic punishment" emerges as a type of social investment that can evolve either through individual and/or group selection, as a successful device for changing or enforcing norms in a society. Social simulations will help us in better understanding the underlying dynamic working of such devices.     

Explaining Corporal Punishment of Children: A Cross-Cultural Study

Corporal punishment of children is a frequent child-training technique in many societies in the ethnographic record. In other societies it is infrequent or rare. Using a worldwide sample of largely preindustrial societies in this article, we test previous and new theories that might explain the variation. Our multiple regression analyses indicate that frequent corporal punishment of children is predicted by higher levels of social stratification and political integration, and long-term use of an alien currency. These findings are consistent with our theory that societies are likely to practice corporal punishment to prepare children for living in a society with native or imposed (e.g., colonial) power inequality. In addition, corporal punishment appears more likely in societies in which nonrelative caretakers help raise children. And in nonpacified societies, undemocratic political decision making and a culture of violence also predict corporal punishment of children.     

New Directions for Understanding the Spatial Resilience of Social–Ecological Systems

The concept of spatial resilience has brought a new focus on the influence of multi-scale processes on the dynamics of ecosystems. Initial ideas about spatial resilience focused on coral reefs and emphasized escalating anthropogenic disturbances across the broader seascape. This perspective resonated with a new awareness of global drivers of change, such as growth in international trade and shifts in climate, and the need to respond by scaling up governance and management. We review recent trends and emerging ideas in spatial resilience, using coral reefs and dependent communities as exemplars of multi-scale social–ecological systems. Despite recent advances, management and governance of ecosystems remain spatially fragmented and constrained to small scales. Temporally, many interventions still miss or ignore warning signals and struggle to cope with history, politics, long-term cumulative pressures, feedbacks, and sudden surprises. Significant recent progress has been made in understanding the relevance of spatial and temporal scale, heterogeneity, networks, the importance of place, and multi-scale governance. Emerging themes include better integration of ecology and conservation with social and economic science, and incorporating temporal dynamics in spatial analyses. A better understanding of the multi-scale spatial and temporal processes that drive the resilience of linked social-ecosystems will help address the widespread mismatch between the scales of ongoing ecological change and effective long-term governance of land- and seascapes.     

基于城市群的流域生态补偿机制研究——以长江流域为例

跨较大空间范围流域内的城市群因地理区位、自然资源禀赋和社会经济结构等要素相似而使城市群内流域生态补偿机制的设计具有相似性,但不同城市群的流域生态补偿机制设计却因上述要素的不同而存在较大差异。而且,仅研究单个城市生态系统及其协作管理不能从根本上解决区域(包括城市群中流域、流域中城市群)生态环境问题。从城市群视角出发,研究区域协调发展能够提高城市间合作程度和政策制定的协调度,并为流域生态环境治理和生态系统服务供求平衡研究提供了一条新思路。以长江流域为例,研究典型城市群的流域生态补偿机制,对比不同城市群与城市群之间生态补偿机制设计的异同,形成基于城市群的长江流域生态补偿机制设计创新。为创新基于城市群的流域生态补偿长效机制和协调流域城市群生态环境保护体制提供政策建议。     

基于社会公平正义的城市公园绿地空间配置供需关系——以上海徐汇区为例

从社会维度的视角分析评价生态系统所提供的各种效用,必然涉及供需双方。在提供城市公共服务的过程中,城市公园绿地的空间配置会潜在地影响社会效益享用的平等与有效性,是具有显著空间属性的社会资源。研究同时关注城市公园绿地与居住人口(使用者)的空间布局特征,提出基于社会公平正义的生态系统服务供需关系的研究框架,从"地域平等"、"社会公平"与"社会正义"3个层次评估城市公园绿地的空间配置对于社会服务有效供给能力的影响,进而关联使用者需求空间特征分析供需匹配关系。研究构建基于社会公平正义的6个指标反映城市公园绿地社会服务供需状况,并选取上海徐汇区进行实证研究。研究结果表明:(1)徐汇区城市公园绿地存在供需空间不匹配状况,尤其是口袋公园层面存在较大缺口;(2)空间布局均好性较高,地域平等性较好;(3)人均享有绿地资源水平还有待提高,社会公平性不足;(4)进一步地在社会正义层面,评价结果显示过去进行城市公园绿地空间布局决策时并没有特别关注老年人、青少年群体,各个空间单元差距较大,且这两类使用人群密度较高的空间单元在这两个指标上往往低于平均水平,社会正义性亟待提高。研究为实现城市公园绿地空间的社会效益均衡、高效、可持续发展提供了有益的探索。     

Identifying key factors,actors and relevant scales in landscape and conservation planning,management and decision making: Promoting effective citizen involvement

The paper analyses the current limitations of the constraints of decision and action processes in land-use, resource management and conservation policies and approaches, identifying their main factors, proposing alternative strategies to solve the present gaps and limitations. It identifies the need for a new paradigmatic approach based on innovative forms of involvement, commitment and individual and community rewarding systems. This approach is developed based on the characterization of the main drivers of land-use, resource management and conservation policies, namely α-perceptions (immediate and primary satisfaction) and k-perceptions (more mediate and complex consideration of satisfaction, implying long-term perceptions and collective benefits beyond the individual interests). It also analyses the effects of the introduction of new forms of income and incentives (such as trade-offs and payments for environmental services) or management approaches such as Ecological-Based Management or the use of Nature-Based Solutions. The main axioms and instruments necessary to build such a new paradigmatic approach (namely trade-offs, accountability and contractualization) are described. On this basis, it is possible to present a concept for an innovative institutional and social culture and a governance system aimed at an effective land-use, resource management and conservation policies. This governance concept is described and its sustaining individual, social and institutional drivers enunciated.     

Subtypes of Batterers in Treatment: Empirical Support for a Distinction between Type I,Type II and Type III

This study explores the existence of different types of batterers in a sample of 266 men who had been court referred for intimate partner violence. The data collected in the assessment that have been used to perform a hierarchical and a two-step cluster analysis fall into three areas: aggression towards the partner, general aggression and presence of psychopathology and personality traits, more specifically, alcohol use, borderline and antisocial personality traits, psychopathy traits, state anger and trait anger, anger expression and control, anger, hostility, and, finally, impulsivity. The results show a typology consisting of 3 types of batterers on the basis of violence level and psychopathology: low (65%), moderate (27.8%) and high (7.1%). This study provides empirical support for the development of batterer typologies. These typologies will help achieve early detection of different types of batterers, allowing us to tailor interventions on the basis of the needs of each of the types.     

E.E.G. and Personality Factors in Baby Batterers

Out of 35 parents who battered their children eight had an abnormal E.E.G. All of these were found to be psychopathic, of low intelligence, and to be persistent batterers. The presence of an abnormal E.E.G. strongly suggests that some baby batterers are more closely related to those who commit acts of violence and that taken as a whole they are not a homogenous group about whom it is safe to generalize. The possibility of a separate subgroup among baby batterers, therefore, needs close attention.     

A spatial exploring model for urban land ecological security based on a modified artificial bee colony algorithm

Urban land ecological security plays an important role in alleviating human–land conflicts and in coordinating the development of natural and human resources and the environment. However, the subject of the present urban land ecological security is poorly studied. Given the circumstances, this paper presents a spatial exploring model for urban land ecological security (ULESM) based on the modified artificial bee colony algorithm (MABCA). The paper improves ABCA with a spatial grid, designed a grid-based ABCA calculation framework, ABCA's data structure, information-sharing mechanism and position selection strategy, introduces the model of spatial coupling and coordination degree for urban ecological security, and achieves spatial detection of ecologically hazardous areas. Taking Guangzhou as an example, this paper simulated the hazardous regions of the urban ecological land (assumed area: 50% of total area of Guangzhou), yielding favorable results. The results show that the ULESM based on MABCA exhibits an excellent global search and a rapid global-convergence speed, preventing a bee colony from being trapped in a local optimum. It can also effectively detect regions with urban land ecological hazards and provide intelligence-aided methods for decision making in urban ecological security and spatial planning     

Selective battering of the family pet

Abstract

We examined the attitudes, perceptions and behaviors of both pet-abusing and non-pet-abusing perpetrators of family violence. Using data collected from victims residing at domestic violence shelters, results indicated that relative to their non-pet-abusing counterparts, pet-abusing batterers tend to less often show affection toward their pets, more often communicate with their pets only through commands and threats, more often view companion animals as property, are more likely to scapegoat their pets, and are more likely to have unrealistic expectations about their pets, more frequently punish their pets, and are more sensitive to stressful life events—particularly those perceived to be caused by the pet. We also queried respondents about batterers' past history with pets, the frequency and type of abuse inflicted on animals, the number of batterers who hunt, the frequency with which children witnessed abuse of the family pet, the impact of animal guardianship on decisions to remain with or return to the batterer, and where companion animals ended up when victims fled the batterer.     

1995-2015年武汉城市湖泊景观生态安全格局演化

以1995、2005、2015年3期遥感影像为数据源,通过景观指数和GIS空间分析方法研究武汉中心城区湖泊系统景观格局的演化特征,进而构建湖泊景观生态安全评价模型,以揭示武汉中心城区湖泊系统景观生态安全格局演变规律,并探讨其驱动因素。研究结果表明：（1）近20年来武汉中心城区湖泊系统总面积呈现不断下降趋势,1995-2005年以年均2.4%的速率缩减了28.95 km²,2005-2015年以年均1.8%的速率缩减了17.47 km²。（2）研究期湖泊系统的斑块密度、分维数呈现不断降低趋势,这表明武汉中心城区湖泊破碎化程度在不断降低,湖泊形状趋于简化;而连接度呈现不断增加趋势,湖泊分布集聚趋势不断加强,空间结构趋于紧凑集中。（3）武汉城市湖泊系统总体景观生态安全呈现不断恶化趋势,而次级湖泊水系景观生态安全呈现不同的演化特征。城市建成区的迅速扩展、湖泊由农业生产对象转化为可利用发展用地、房地产事业成为支柱产业是湖泊系统遭填占最主要的动力,直接危害了其景观生态安全,而市民环境意识提高引发湖泊保护倡议和实践,对湖泊景观生态安全产生着积极影响。对湖泊景观生态安全格局演变特征及驱动因素的研究,可以为武汉制定行之有效的生态管理政策和环境治理措施提供重要支撑。     

京津冀特大城市群生态安全格局时空演变特征及其影响因素

京津冀特大城市群的快速发展显著提升了地区生活水平,但也对生态环境造成了负面影响。以2000—2015年京津冀城市群面板数据为研究样本,建立"压力-状态-响应(PSR)"城市群生态安全协同会诊指标体系,采用TOPSIS和灰色关联组合方法计量其生态安全综合指数(Comprehensive Index of Ecological Security,CIES),运用因子分析法提取关键因素,并通过多元线性回归方法计算上述因素对生态安全的影响程度。结果表明:(1)京津冀城市群生态安全指数已经达到了预警状态,呈现"北高南低,西高东低"的空间格局,亟需建立三地协同联防联控的生态安全防治机制;(2)2000—2015年京津冀城市群的生态安全指数呈小幅波动状态,规划与政策对城市群生态安全指数具有显著影响效应;(3)13地市生态安全指数的演变趋势存在显著的差异,承德、廊坊仍呈下降趋势;(4)城镇化、社会发展以及技术进步对京津冀城市群生态安全具有显著的正相关性,开发水平、经济发展以及生态病理度则呈负相关性。由此,需要划定并严守城市群生态保护红线,控制空间开发强度与速度,以遏制生态恶化;完善并落实京津冀城市群协同发展的规划体系与相应的配套政策支撑体系,以保障城市群生态安全稳定提升;控制经济发展速度,提升社会发展水平,构建城市群一体化社会服务保障体系;提升生态技术研发水平,加大生态空间保护与修复,以降低生态安全风险,保障城市群生态安全格局。     

城市生态韧性时空变化及情景模拟研究——以杭州市为例

从韧性的特征角度研究城市生态韧性水平的变化机制,探究城市防范化解生态风险能力的时空差异,以此明确城市分区生态治理的重要任务,是实现韧性城市生态风险防控的有利途径。从抵抗力、适应力和恢复力3个方面构建了城市生态韧性评估模型,并以杭州为例,评估了其1995—2015年城市生态韧性时空变化格局,再者利用空间自相关模型对2015年杭州生态韧性分区管理模式进行了探究。最后,基于FLUS模型模拟了2035年基准和创新创业导向的两种情景下的城市土地利用空间格局,并评估了不同城市发展情景下的生态韧性水平空间分布情况。基于以上研究得到以下结论:(1)1995—2005年,生态韧性低值区域向东北和东南方向扩张,而生态韧性高值水平区域明显减少。2005—2015年,杭州西北部和西部原本存在的中等韧性水平区域也转为低等水平。(2)2015年,城市东北区域呈现低韧性水平-高排污企业密度的集聚分布,说明该区域环境生态风险防范化解能力比较低,需要加大环境监测和生态治理的资金投入,严防重大环境污染事件的发生。(3)创新创业导向的"创新天堂"城市发展情景比基准情景下2035年杭州整体生态韧性水平更高,主要影响因素在于前...     

Advancing understanding of the complex nature of urban systems

Cities and urbanized regions are complex, dynamic, and highly integrated systems linking social, ecological, and technical infrastructure domains in ways that create deep challenges for good governance, policymaking, and planning. The combination of impacts from climate change in cities, air pollution, rapid population growth, multiple sources of development pressure and overall urban system complexity make it difficult for decision-makers to develop and guide development trajectories along more livable, equitable, and at the same time, more resilient pathways. Advancing urban sustainability and resilience agendas requires expanding the scope of inter- and trans-disciplinarity approaches, moving beyond the historically separate social–ecological and socio-technical approaches to jointly study social–ecological–technical infrastructure systems in cities. We take urban complexity as a given and suggest that in both research and practice we need to better capture and understand feedbacks, interdependencies, and non-linearities which create uncertainties and challenge the efficacy of governance practices to achieve normative goals for society. Here, we explore new methods, tools, and approaches to advance our understanding of urban system complexity through a series of journal special issue articles that examine urban structure–function relationships, urban sustainability transitions, green space availability, social–ecological memory, functional traits, and urban land use scenarios.     

The Production of Urban Space by Violence and its Aftermath in Jakarta and Kota Ambon,Indonesia

Violence has an enormous potential impact on the production of urban space. This article presents an analysis of how violence has made an impact on Indonesian cities since 1998. Using case material from communal violence in Kota Ambon, and lynching and vigilantism in Jakarta, the article addresses the question what impact did violence have on the spatial restructuring of some Indonesian cities and, conversely, – assuming that the people who used violence are slowly relinquishing its use – what impact does the restoration of law and order have on urban space? How enduring are some of the underlying, historical patterns of violence and do many of them still exist, hidden under the surface, today?     

Negotiating Dangerous Fields: Pragmatic Strategies for Fieldwork amid Violence and Terror

As anthropology turns toward the cultural issues of the 21 st century, more and more ethnographic fieldwork is and will continue to be conducted in regions fraught with conflict, instability, and terror. Despite a growing literature that seeks to develop new theories and perspectives for the study of violence, little mention is made of the practical matters of survival in perilous field sites and how the anthropologist's experience of violence in the field should be considered. What is needed is a pragmatic strategy for dealing with threats to the safety, security, and well-being of anthropologists and informants who work amid the menace of violence. Drawing on my own fieldwork in Haiti, I suggest the adoption of new tactics for ethnographic research and survival in dangerous fields—strategies that challenge the conventional ethics of the discipline, reconfigure the relationship between anthropologist and informant, and compel innovation in negotiating the exchange of data under hazardous circumstances. [Keywords: fieldwork, violence, methodology, ethics, Haiti]     

Physical spousal violence against women in India: some risk factors

Domestic spousal violence against women in developing countries like India, is now beginning to be recognized as a widespread health problem impeding development. This study aimed to explore the risk and protective factors for lifetime spousal physical violence. A cross-sectional household survey was carried out in rural, urban and urban-slum areas across seven sites in India, among women aged 15-49 years, living with a child less than 18 years of age. The sample was selected using the probability proportionate to size method. Trained field workers administered a structured questionnaire to elicit information on spousal physical violence. The main hypothesized variables were social support, witnessed father beating mother and experience of harsh physical violence during childhood, alcohol abuse by spouse and socioeconomic variables. The outcome variables included three physical violence behaviours of hit, kick and beat. Odds ratios were calculated for risk and protective factors of violence using logistic regression. Of 9938 women surveyed, 26% reported experiencing spousal physical violence during the lifetime of their marriage. Adjusted odds ratios calculated using multiple logistic regression analysis suggest that women whose husbands regularly consumed alcohol (OR 5.6; 95% CI 4.7-6.6); who experienced dowry harassment (OR 3.2; 95% CI 2.7-3.8); had reported experiencing harsh physical punishment during childhood (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4-1.8) and had witnessed their fathers beat their mothers (OR 1.9; 95% CI 1.6-2.1), were at increased risk of spousal physical violence (beat, hit and kick). Higher socioeconomic status and good social support acted as protective buffers against spousal physical violence. The findings provide compelling evidence of the potential risk factors for spousal physical violence, which in turn could help in planning interventions.     

基于空间优先级的快速城市化地区绿色基础设施网络构建——以南京市浦口区为例

绿色基础设施是一个由自然区域和其他开放空间相互联系的网络。在城市空间极为有限的情况下,如何有效构建城市绿色基础设施网络并识别那些具关键性景观生态功能的网络要素显得极为重要。为了给城市绿色基础设施网络的建设和管理提供新的建模与分析理念,以快速城市化的南京市浦口区为例,采用MSPA方法并结合景观连通性指数,遴选出了对维持景观连通性贡献最大的生境斑块作为绿色基础设施网络的网络中心,进而采用最小路径方法构建了研究区潜在的绿色基础设施网络,并尝试利用空间句法分析,基于结构优化视角对绿色基础设施网络进行优先级的识别,从而使绿色基础设施网络的构建更科学。研究结果可为快速城市化地区绿色基础设施网络的构建提供一种研究思路与方法,对绿色基础设施网络要素的优先级评价也具有一定的借鉴意义。