Uncertainty, ecology, sustainability and policy

Using an Australian focus to explore theoretical and policy issues of wider concern, this article examines linkages between public policy and the science of ecology. This is done within the broader framework of sustainability, emphasizing the problem of decision making in the face of uncertainty. Insights from the ecological, risk, sustainability and policy literatures are used. The sustainability-uncertainty problem is characterized, and the adequacy of existing policy support techniques and approaches noted, particularly the precautionary principle. The problem is further defined using the notion of ignorance. The treatment of ignorance and uncertainty in ecology is discussed. We suggest that the science of ecology has had a limited influence on policy formulation and discuss the basis of this using biodiversity conservation and ecosystem management as examples. We conclude by considering challenges for handling risk, uncertainty and ignorance in ecological science for policy formulation. We emphasize the need for improved communication between the science and policy communities, greater recognition of the limits of quantitative techniques in addressing uncertainty, and contingency planning.     

Evaluation of the sustainability of contrasted pig farming systems: economy

The aim of this paper is to present an efficient tool for evaluating the economy part of the sustainability of pig farming systems. The selected tool IDEA was tested on a sample of farms from 15 contrasted systems in Europe. A statistical analysis was carried out to check the capacity of the indicators to illustrate the variability of the population and to analyze which of these indicators contributed the most towards it. The scores obtained for the farms were consistent with the reality of pig production; the variable distribution showed an important variability of the sample. The principal component analysis and cluster analysis separated the sample into five subgroups, in which the six main indicators significantly differed, which underlines the robustness of the tool. The IDEA method was proven to be easily comprehensible, requiring few initial variables and with an efficient benchmarking system; all six indicators contributed to fully describe a varied and contrasted population.     

Understanding eco-complexity and promoting ecology of sustainability: Beijing EcoSummit 2007 Review

EcoSummit 2007 was successfully held in Beijing in May 22–27 with a theme of “Ecological complexity and sustainability: the opportunities and challenges of ecology faced by 21st century”. More than 1,400 delegates from over 70 countries and regions and 28 international/regional ecology-related organizations initiated or co-sponsored the summit. 13 plenary keynote speeches, 49 symposiums and 20 organized oral sessions were arranged. A Beijing Ecological Declaration has been adopted and disseminated world-wide with an accompanied title of “A World Role for Ecology: The Key to Life”. The summit shows that global ecological security, regional ecosystem service, and local human ecological health are becoming the three priority issues in the frontiers of world ecology. Ecology, a kind of natural philosophy, system science, engineering instrument and natural aesthetics in dealing with the relationship between Man and Nature, should be and must become the scientific basis for institutional reform, industrial transition, social/economic management and overall decision making. The ultimate goal of understanding, simplification and transformation of complexity is to regulate, conserve and construct a sustainable “Earth Village”.     

The current and potential role of urban metabolism studies to analyze the role of food in urban sustainability

Food supply chains are essential for urban sustainability. To reflect on the state of knowledge on urban food flows in urban metabolism research, and the actual and potential role of urban metabolism studies to tackle food sustainability in cities, we systematically review scientific research on food from an urban metabolism perspective and apply statistical and thematic analyses. The analysis of 89 studies provides insights as to the relation between food supply and (environmental and social dimensions of) urban sustainability. First, food is an important contributor to urban environmental impacts, if a consumption-based approach is adopted. Secondly, the social impacts of urban food supply remain scarcely studied in urban metabolism research, but emerging results on public health, malnutrition, and food waste appear promising. In parallel, we find that the findings of the studies fail to engage with debates present in the broader literature, such as that of food justice. Our analysis shows that most studies focus on large cities in high-income, data-rich countries. This limits our understanding of global urban food supply. Existing studies use innovative mixed-methods to produce robust accounts of urban food flows in data-scarce contexts; expanding these accounts is necessary to get a better understanding of how urban food supply and its diverse impacts in terms of environmental and social sustainability may vary across cities, a necessary step for the urban metabolism literature to contribute to current debates around food sustainability and justice.     

景观可持续性与景观可持续性科学

人类活动已经剧烈地改变了自然环境,全球气候变化、生物多样性丧失、环境污染等种种迹象表明当今世界正处在一个不可持续的运行轨迹上,实现可持续发展成为21世纪人类面临的巨大挑战。景观是理解与塑造人类社会和环境关系最具操作性的尺度,也是提供景观服务,实现人类福祉最重要的场所。景观可持续性研究对于人类具有重要意义。景观可持续性是指特定景观所具有的、能够长期而稳定地提供景观服务、维护和改善本区域人类福祉的综合能力。景观可持续性具有跨学科、多维度特征,强调景观弹性和可再生能力;景观服务是景观可持续性研究中的重要概念,它是连接自然资本与人类福祉的关键桥梁,也是将景观可持续性与景观生态学紧密联系在一起的纽带。格局-过程-设计新范式的产生是景观可持续性研究的新发展。在景观可持续性快速发展的同时,聚焦于景观和区域尺度的景观可持续性科学应运而生。景观可持续性科学以景观格局、景观服务、人类福祉三者之间的动态关系为主要研究内容,充分融合了景观生态学空间显示方法、可持续性指标体系和GISRS等方法技术,其理论框架和研究方法体系正在逐步形成和完善之中。景观可持续性科学是可持续性科学的重要组成部分,虽然处于刚刚起步阶段,它必将成为未来十多年可持续性科学的研究热点。     

认识生态复杂性弘扬可持续生态科学——2007北京世界生态高峰会

“第三届世界生态高峰会（EcoSummit2007）”于2007年5月22-27日在中国北京成功举行,主题为“生态复杂性与可持续发展：21世纪生态学的机遇和挑战”。来自70余个国家的1400余名世界生态精英和28个生态学相关国际组织的首脑参加了这次峰会,会议邀请了13位生态学与可持续发展领域前沿的国际著名科学家和学科带头人做大会主题报告,组织了49场专题学术讨论会、20场口头学术报告分会。会议发表了推进全球生态建设、弘扬可持续生态科学的《北京生态宣言》,认为生态学是认识世界、改善环境、美化生活和决策管理的强力工具。作为人类认识自然、改造环境的自然哲学、系统科学、工程技术和自然美学,生态学应该也必须成为体制改革、产业转型、社会管理和政府决策的科学基础。认识、简化和转化复杂性的最终目的是要调控、保育和营建地球村的可持续性。     

Evaluating sustainability impacts of critical mineral extractions: Integration of life cycle sustainability assessment and SDGs frameworks

The extraction of critical minerals used in clean technologies has profound impacts on sustainable development goals (SDGs). Life cycle sustainability assessment (LCSA) is used to evaluate the sustainability impacts of products and services, but few frameworks exist to support SDGs assessment for the “green minerals” extraction. Here, we propose a mining-specific framework identifying linkages between LCSA and SDGs, along with a process to integrate methods and data. As a proof of concept, we assess the LCSA performance and local-community level SDG impacts of a nickel mining project in Indonesia. Integrating remote sensing, media sources, stakeholder's data, and expert opinion, we find that LCSA encompasses all 17 goals but only a subset of targets and indicators. The study highlights the need to incorporate indigenous people's perspectives in both LCSA and SDG assessments, and points to priority areas for improving life cycle sustainability and SDG outcomes: fighting corruption, protecting cultural heritage, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. We suggest that this framework can inform corporate social responsibility activities, as well as consumer choices for low-carbon technologies.     

Changing perspectives on biodiversity conservation: from species protection to regional sustainability

Biodiversity is the basis for ecosystem goods and services that provide for human survival and prosperity. With a rapidly increasing human population and its demands for natural resources, landscapes are being fragmented, habitats are being destroyed, and biodiversity is declining. How can biodiversity be effectively conserved in the face of increasing human pressures? In this paper, Ⅰ review changing perspectives on biodiversity conservation, and discuss their relevance to the practice of biodiversity conservation. The major points include The notion of balance of nature is a myth rather than a scientific concept; the theory of island biogeography is useful heuristically but flawed practically; the SLOSS debate is intriguing in theory but irrelevant in reality; the concept of minimum viable population and population viability analysis are useful, but technically inefficient and conceptually inadequate; metapopulation theory is mathematically elegant but ecologically oversimplistic; and integrative perspectives and approaches for biodiversity conservation are needed that incorporate insights from landscape ecology and sustainability science. Ⅰ further discuss some key principles for regional conservation planning, and argue that the long-term success of biodiversity conservation in any region will ultimately depend on the economic and social sustainability of that region. Both research and practice in biodiversity conservation, therefore, need to adopt a broader perspective of sustainability.     

Eco-physiological characteristic of some common caprellid species in the Possjet Bay (the Japan Sea)

Parameters of equations relating wet and dry body weight to length have been calculated for four species of caprellids from the Japan Sea (Possjet Bay), specifically Caprella cristibrachium, C. kroyeri, C. penantis, and C. bispinosa. A common equation was obtained for oxygen consumption rate in relation to body weight. It was shown that within the Order Amphipoda the metabolic rate of caprellids is 1.5 times lower than that of gammarids. The differences in the fecundity of gravid females of four species and females of one species in the spring and summer, respectively, are shown. At the same time the relationship between number of eggs per female and wet body weight of female is approximated by one equation. The equation obtained shows that caprellids represent an ecologically homogeneous group.     

Promoting regional sustainability by eco-province construction in China: A critical assessment

The regional level has been recognized as a good scale for implementing actions towards sustainable development (SD). An important pathway to improve regional sustainability is to locally carry out long-term ecological planning. In order to reduce environmental impacts from fast economic growth, several eastern provinces of China began Ecological Province Construction (EPC) at the end of 1990s. This paper presented a case for analyzing the progress of EPC in China via both qualitative and quantitative methods. We studied Shandong Eco-province Construction (SEPC) and evaluated its outcomes with its pre-set indicators in 2003–2010. A further evaluation with eco-efficiency and de-linking indices was conducted. The results indicated the pre-set indicators could not effectively reflect of the ecological province construction. It was recommended to introduce an evaluated framework combined with eco-efficiency and de-linking indices to indicate ecological planning at the regional scale.     

Development of ecology in Japan,with special reference to the role of Kinji Imanishi

The development of ecology in Japan, especially after the Meiji Restoration (1868), is briefly reviewed. Pioneering studies of Hiratsuka, on the calorimetric budget of a silkworm population, and Motomura, on the relation between numbers of species and individuals in biotic communities, are noteworthy. A critical examination of his role in ecology in Japan reveals Kinji Imanishi to have played pivotal roles in leading Japanese population ecologists to realize the importance of dispersal in population regulation, and leading to the worldwide revival of field primatology. Although Imanishi's later (popular) writings, in which he completely negated the role of competion and natural selection, have justifiably drawn much criticism, his earlier critique of the competition-Almighty paradigms may be re-evaluated in the light of recent discussions on interspecific competition and community equilibrium.     

Role of input self-sufficiency in the economic and environmental sustainability of specialised dairy farms

Increasing input self-sufficiency is often viewed as a target to improve sustainability of dairy farms. However, few studies have specifically analysed input self-sufficiency, by including several technical inputs and without only focussing on animal feeding, in order to explore its impact on farm sustainability. To address this gap, our work has three objectives as follows: (1) identifying the structural characteristics required by specialised dairy farms located in the grassland area to be self-sufficient; (2) analysing the relationships between input self-sufficiency, environmental and economic sustainability; and (3) studying how the farms react to a decrease in milk price according to their self-sufficiency degree. Based on farm accounting databases, we categorised 335 Walloon specialised conventional dairy farms into four classes according to their level of input self-sufficiency. To this end, we used as proxy the indicator of economic autonomy – that is, the ratio between costs of inputs related to animal production, crop production and energy use and the total gross product. Classes were then compared using multiple comparison tests and canonical discriminant analysis. A total of 30 organic farms – among which 63% had a high level of economic autonomy – were considered separately and compared with the most autonomous class. We showed that a high degree of economic autonomy is associated, in conventional farms, with a high proportion of permanent grassland in the agricultural area. The most autonomous farms used less input – especially animal feeding – for a same output level, and therefore combined good environmental and economic performances. Our results also underlined that, in a situation of decrease in milk price, the least autonomous farms had more latitude to decrease their input-related costs without decreasing milk production. Their incomes per work unit were, therefore, less impacted by falling prices, but remained lower than those of more autonomous farms. In such a situation, organic farms kept stable incomes, because of a slighter decrease in organic milk price. Our results pave the way to study the role of increasing input self-sufficiency in the transition of dairy farming systems towards sustainability. Further research is required to study a wide range of systems and agro-ecological contexts, as well as to consider the evolution of farm sustainability in the long term.     

Reflecting the importance of human needs fulfilment in absolute sustainability assessments: Development of a sharing principle

Absolute environmental sustainability assessments (AESAs) evaluate whether the environmental impact of a product system is within its share of a safe operating space as determined by biophysical sustainability limits such as the planetary boundaries (PBs). The choice of sharing principle has significant influence on the result of an AESA, and any studies call for further research on how to share the safe operating space in an operational way that relates to the product's contribution to the welfare of the user. In this study, we develop the “Fulfilment of Human Needs” (FHN) principle as a sharing principle that operationalizes sufficientarianism (making sure everyone gets enough). The FHN principle is tested on two case studies (a food item and a textile) against four of the PBs: climate change, land-system change, water use, and nitrogen cycling. The operationalization of the FHN principle is slightly different between the PBs; the starting point for climate change is the average consumption pattern in countries classified as “most sustainable,” while for the other three PBs the status quo impact in the most sustainable countries is used. To operationalize the FHN principle on the product level, each consumption category is downscaled according to objective sources that determine the value delivered to the users. We demonstrate that, compared to other previously applied sharing principles, the FHN principle supports a stronger relation to the importance to the users of the delivered outcome.     

Wetlands, livelihoods and sustainability in Tanzania

Wetlands in Tanzania are among the world's most biologically productive ecosystems and are rich in species diversity. Wetlands support family livelihoods through crop production, grazing pastures and direct resource extractions. Ecologically, wetlands are instrumental in water storage, filtration, flood control and toxic retention and are also important habitat for biodiversity both flora and fauna. The last 30 years have witnessed rapid degradation of wetlands which threatens livelihoods; disturbs ecological settings and leads into unsustainable development. In this study, an attempt has been made to describe the livelihoods and sustainability issues of the Bahi Wetlands in Central Tanzania. This is a semi-arid area and therefore the wetland plays a key role socio-economically and environmentally. Data were collected from 200 households in Ngaiti and Kitalalo villages using structured and semi-structured questionnaires. There were also focused groups interviews, key informants and Participatory Rural Appraisal methods. Findings show Bahi Wetlands to play a significant role in livelihoods, cultural and ecological functions. However, the sustainability of the wetlands is threatened by over-cultivation, overgrazing and over-extraction of natural resources directly. Livelihood diversifications through credit provision, improved extension services and strengthened local institutions, are recommended. Wetlands policy and laws should be developed and enforced.     

Social sustainability in the supply chain: Construct development and measurement validation

Research on social sustainability in developing countries has recently gained importance for both academics and practitioners. Studies in the supply chain management field take either a supplier or a manufacturer perspective that address predominantly corporate social responsibility (CSR) issues referring to the internal stakeholders. Our research integrates the literature on supplier, manufacturer, and customer responsibility and proposes the concept of supply chain social sustainability (SCSS) that refers to addressing social issues within the overall (upstream and downstream) supply chain. Furthermore, we develop and empirically validate scales for measuring SCSS using in-depth interviews and a survey in the Indian manufacturing industry. Our results suggest that SCSS consists of six underlying dimensions, namely equity, safety, health and welfare, philanthropy, ethics, human rights, in a 20-item valid and reliable scale. We discuss the implications of the findings for research and practice and suggest future research avenues.     

可持续性科学研究热点及其知识基础——以Sustainability Science载文数据为例

以Sustainability Science 2006—2015年间刊载的论文为基础数据,应用Cite Space软件,采取文献共被引分析、关键词共现分析、突现词分析等方法对可持续性科学研究现状进行可视化分析。研究发现,Sustainability Science载文质量和国际影响力逐年上升;日、美、德、澳、加5国及东京大学、联合国大学、亚利桑那州立大学、茨城大学、京都大学、大阪大学、中国科学院等研究机构发文量位居前列,具有较强的研究实力。Komiyama H、Lang D J、Miller T R、Talwar S、Clark W S等是期刊载文引用较多的作者,显示了这些学者在可持续性科学领域的权威性。可持续性科学研究主要聚焦"可持续性"、"气候变化"、"概念框架"、"管治"、"脆弱性"、"适应性"、"恢复力"等热点问题。可持续性科学研究的知识基础主要包括"学科发展"、"跨学科研究"、"规划机制"、"灾害管控"、"信息管理"、"海岛环境"、"沿海脆弱性评估"、"土地利用"和"生态景观"等研究领域。     

Sharing the safe operating space: Exploring ethical allocation principles to operationalize the planetary boundaries and assess absolute sustainability at individual and industrial sector levels

In the light of increasing human pressures on the Earth system, the issue of sharing in the face of scarcity is more pressing than ever. The planetary boundary framework identifies and quantifies nine environmental boundaries and corresponding human pressures. However, when aiming to make the concept operational for decision support it is unclear how this safe operating space (SOS) within each of the planetary boundaries should be shared. This study proposes a two‐step approach, where the operating space is first downscaled to the individual level using ethical allocation principles and next scaled up to a higher organizational level using different upscaling methods. For the downscaling, three allocation principles are demonstrated: egalitarian (equal per capita); grandfathering (proportional to current share of the total impacts); and ability to pay (proportional to economic activity). For upscaling from the individual level final consumption expenditure is used as a proxy for the priority that the individual gives to the product or sector. In an alternative upscaling approach, an additional upscaling factor is based on the eco‐efficiency (ratio between turnover and environmental impact) of the product or sector. A demonstration of the method's application is given by applying the framework to two of the planetary boundaries, climate change and biogeochemical flows, with the Danish, Indian and global dairy sectors as cases. It is demonstrated how the choices of allocation and upscaling approaches influence the results differently in the three cases. The developed framework is shown to support an informed and transparent selection of allocation principles and upscaling methods and it provides a step toward standardization of distributing the SOS in absolute environmental sustainability assessments.     

森林资源可持续状况评价方法

为了准确、快速地评估森林经营单位的森林资源可持续状况,提出了森林资源可持续状况的评价指标、评价方法和评价结果分级。森林资源可持续状况评价指标包括森林资源质量状况、森林资源利用状况和森林受干扰状况3个方面共28个评价指标。通过参照技术规定、查阅专业用表和使用经验数值等3种方法确定评价指标的基准值;根据基准值把评价指标测定值分级为"好"、"中"、"差"3个等级,并分别赋值1.0、0.62和0.38。利用专家咨询法或层次分析法,根据森林经营单位的主要经营目标和森林主导功能,确定森林资源质量状况评价指标的权重。根据评价指标的实测值、赋值和权重,计算森林资源质量状况指数、森林资源利用状况指数和森林受干扰状况指数,进而计算森林资源可持续状况指数。根据森林资源可持续状况指数值的大小,将森林经营单位的森林资源可持续状况划分为优、良、中和差四个等级。     

Developing the concept of sustainable fisheries

We are approaching the limits to World fish yields, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to sustain the stocks in the face of allocative disputes between fisheries and competing water uses. A new strategy is needed to integrate aquatic ecosystem management into the larger context of Environmentally Sustainable Development. This will need to span jurisdictions and interest sectors in long-range environment-economy planning. It is suggested that this process is impossible within conventional government infrastructures, and that a new movement is needed, involving multi-sector, independent public participation.Based on a Working Paper for the U.N. Seminar on Ecosystems Approach to Water Management. Oslo, Norway, May 1991.