A model of the science–practice–policy interface in participatory land-use planning: lessons from Laos

An essential task of participatory action-research is to help close the policy implementation gap that leads to large discrepancies between policy frameworks and local practices. Too often, official regulations, laws and decrees fail to translate into concrete action on the ground. Loose institutional linkages between research, extension and local communities are often blamed as the main culprits for this gap. In turn, many stakeholders call for enhanced participation as a way to bring together scientists, development practitioners and local communities in negotiating competing claims for natural resources and designing realistic pathways towards sustainable development. Despite such general consensus about the value of participation, the latter cannot be decreed nor imposed. Participation is an emerging quality of collective-action and social-learning processes. In this paper, the experience of participatory land-use planning conducted in Laos serves to illustrate a model of the science–practice–policy interface that was developed to facilitate the interactions between three groups of stakeholders, i.e. scientists, planners and villagers, in designing future landscapes. Emphasis was put on developing an approach that is generic and adaptive enough to be applied nationally while engaging local communities in context-sensitive negotiations. The set of tools and methods developed through action-research contributed to enhanced communication and participation from initial consultation and cooperation stages towards collective decision-making and action. Both the activity of landscape design and the resulting patterns can be improved by incorporating landscape science in strategic multi-stakeholder negotiations.     

Multifunctionality at what scale? A landscape multifunctionality assessment for the European Union under conditions of land use change

Context

The provision of multiple ecosystem services (ES) within a landscape is commonly referred to as landscape multifunctionality. Modifying landscapes to increase multifunctionality and reduce trade-offs with concurrent services bears the potential to enhance sustainability in human-dominated landscapes. Assessing landscape multifunctionality is thus crucial for land management and planning, but lack of a clear definition and operationalization of multifunctionality impedes comparisons of different study results.

Objectives

We want to address how elements of the study design affect results of multifunctionality assessments. Furthermore, we want to quantify future multifunctionality in the European Union (EU) and indicate the role of land use change and land use diversity on multifunctionality.

Methods

We analyzed diverging scenarios depicting land use change in the EU between 2000 and 2040 for their effects on landscape multifunctionality. We tested different multifunctionality indicators at various spatial scales based on the modelling of 12 ES and biodiversity indicators.

Results

Particularly the analysis scale determines the interpretation of landscape multifunctionality. Coldspots identified by different indicators are in higher agreement than hotspots. We could not confirm links between land use diversity and landscape multifunctionality. While, at EU scale, multifunctionality slightly increases in future scenarios, agricultural intensification and (peri-)urban growth pose large threats to multifunctional landscapes.

Conclusions

The choice of indicator and analysis scale strongly determine possible interpretations of the results. Rather than focusing on the impacts of land use change on multifunctionality, it is recommended to base land use policy on the impacts of location-specific change on ES supply and demands.

     

Woody species composition of chestnut stands in the Northern Apennines: the result of 200 years of changes in land use

Chestnut stands (orchards and coppices) are among the most typical elements of the southern European mountain landscape and a protected habitat (9260 Castanea sativa woods) according to the European Union (Directive 92/43/EEC). As an anthropogenic landscape, they require specific measures to address preservation or to guide their evolutionary trend. In the Northern Apennines, a landscape multiscalar-multitemporal approach was adopted to highlight factors that have acted on the evolution of this habitat and which still might affect either its preservation or its evolutionary dynamics. Using a diachronic GIS-approach, we analyzed old cadastral maps (drawn up 200 years ago), and aerial photographs. Both the present distribution pattern of the woody species and the incidence of important chestnut diseases were also surveyed. The factors explaining the current extent and species composition of the local chestnut forests confirm their status as an anthropogenic habitat. The present landscape distribution of chestnut woods is heavily linked to past human settlements. Chestnut blight and ink disease are more an indirect reason for past felling activities than an actual direct cause of damage to trees, because of the hypovirulence spread and the limited incidence of the ink disease. Vegetation dynamics of abandoned chestnut forests evolved only partly towards deciduous Beech and Hop Hornbeam stands, thus suggesting both the possibility of a recovery of this cultivation and the need for new criteria for its management.     

‘Just green enough’ in urban renewal: A multifunctional and pragmatic approach in realizing multiscale urban green space optimization in built-up residential areas

Urban green spaces (UGSs) play an essential role in sustainable urban development and are closely related to public health and human well-being. Previous studies seldom consider the relationships between spatial patterns and equity for the heterogeneity of built-up residential types in the city, not to mention how to place the pragmatic design strategies to explore green injustice for vulnerable neighborhoods. To address this gap, our study adopts a cascade of three methodological stages: 1) applying an urban morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) to compare urban UGS patterns and the UGS-adapted Gini coefficient to measure the spatial equity of UGS distributions in three local built-up areas, 2) employing the minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model to determine the location of the newly added UGSs and adopting the ‘just green enough’ strategy into the redistribution of UGSs for the marginal neighborhood and at the same time to avoid inequality associated with green gentrification, and 3) exploring an integrated design and implementation method for the newly added UGSs that can accommodate both normal conditions and the possibility of future pandemics. The results indicate that there is a strong correlation between socioeconomic status and the distributional justice of UGSs among built-up types, while disadvantaged people living in the densest residential neighborhoods have lower UGS provisions. This paper demonstrates a multifunctional and pragmatic approach for realizing multiscale UGS optimization by exploring it at the subdivision and neighborhood scales. This implication can also help guide decision-makers and planners to understand the complex interplay between social vulnerabilities, gentrification, and urban greening, thus formulating effective policies and hands-on strategies to address green injustice that are not only crucial for this study region but also of great significance for developing countries in the Global South.     

Implications of shared edge length between land cover types for landscape quality: the case of Midwestern US, 1940–1998

The north-central region of Indiana in the Midwestern United States was covered by deciduous forest, but was largely cleared for agriculture during the 1800s. The landscape has experienced tremendous change due to forest restoration, urban expansion, and reservoir construction since the early 1900s. At the same time, ecological health and environmental quality have been dramatically degraded in the region. We used simple landscape indices, such as land proportion, TE, and Shared Edge Length (SEL) between any two classes, to examine changes in the spatial patterning of six land cover types, including agriculture, grassland, closed-canopy forest, open-canopy forest, urban, and water, using aerial photographs dating from 1940 to 1998. The landscape’s domination by agriculture did not change (65% in 1940 and 57% in 1998), but there were net gains in area for closed-canopy forest (79%), urban (256%), and water (125%). Several landscape indices did not change much but SEL between closed-canopy forest and urban increased over seven fold, and SEL between water and urban increased over eight fold from 1940 to 1998. More forestlands and water bodies were exposed to human activities. The clumped pattern of forest, water, and urban in a landscape can be ecologically detrimental and should be considered in future land-use decisions.     

The use of a GIS in assessing the impacts of sea level rise on nature conservation along the Dutch coast: 1990–2090

The Dutch coastline is expected to change considerably during the next 100 years. Erosion will prevail, although accretion will occur locally.To establish a new policy for coastal defence management an integrated policy analysis study was performed. Major dune functions (nature conservation, recreation, public drinking water supply, housing and industry) have been inventarized by using a Geographic Information System.This study reports on the part of the analysis which takes nature conservation interests into account. Evaluation of nature interests has been based on the criteria: rarity and diversity of plant species c.q. vegetation types, succession stage, and completeness. This results in a classification of nature into five classes, based on abiotic as well as biotic characteristics of the landscape. Losses of nature interests were studied due to: loss of land because of shoreline retreat, to remodelling of the foredune ridge, and to changes of the dune groundwater level.An evaluation is given of the methods used to assess ecological impacts.Ideas are presented for further research on the prediction of ecological impacts and on coastline management which combines traditional coastal defence with nature conservation.     

A Call For Improving Winter Windbreak Design for Lowbush Blueberry Production in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean Region of Québec,Canada

Wind exposure may reduce the snowpack and increase frost damage to lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium angustifolium Ait.). Farmers in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region (Québec) have therefore installed natural windbreaks to maintain a deep snow cover. We verified the efficiency of 39 windbreaks distributed over two farms. Over two consecutive years, snow depth was measured along transects established perpendicular to these windbreaks. In the first summer, frost damage and yields were assessed at each point where snow depth had been measured. We found large fluctuations in snow depth along most transects, with deeper snow occurring within 20 m on either side of windbreaks. Relative snow depth distribution was correlated between years on 19 transects. On one farm, one third of total transect length was below the recognized critical depth of 30 cm. On this farm, the proportion of damaged stems, the mean length of stem damage and the damaged-to-total stem length decreased exponentially with increasing snow depth. Likewise, the number of fruits per stem decreased exponentially with the length of stem damage and increased linearly with snow depth. Given current trends in climate change, our results serve as a timely call for improving winter windbreak design in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region.     

A molecular detection and identification method for papaya mealybug （Paracoccus marginatus）, the first recorded invasive pest in Fujian province of China北大核心CSCD

【Objective】Paracoccus marginatus Williams and Granara de Willink is an invasive pest with strong diffusion and fecundity. It has caused serious damage to the papaya industry in Central America, Florida (USA), Guam (USA) and India. Pa. marginatus was first discovered in Fujian Province (Fuzhou and Zhangzhou) in 2017, showing great potential risks to papaya and other fruit crops, as well as flower industry in Fujian province. Because of the small body size and similar morphological characteristics, the morphological identification of mealybugs was inefficient. Rapid molecular identification of different species could be achieved through the use of DNA barcoding technology. Therefore, a technology for rapid molecular identification of Pa. marginatus was established based on the species-specific PCR method. 【Methods】A species-specific PCR method based on ribosomal DNA-28S gene fragment (28S rDNA) was exploited to establish one technology for rapid detection and identification of Pa. marginatus. The additional 10 species of mealybugs (Phenacoccus solenopsis, Dysmicoccus boninsis, Nipaecoccus viridis, Phenacoccus solani, Pseudococcus comstocki, Pseudococcus cryptus, Planococcus lilacinus, Pseudococcus odermatti, Planococcus minor and Phenacoccus madeirensi) were collected in the fields as the contrast. In order to ensure the uniqueness of the source of DNA, the DNA templates were all extracted from one single female adult of these 11 species of mealybugs, respectively. 28S rDNA of the 11 species was amplified by a pair of universal primers (S3660/A335). The obtained partial fragments of 28S rDNA were sequenced. And the phylogenetic tree was established by using a Neighbor-joining (NJ) method. According to the obtained 28S rDNA gene partial sequence of the 11 species and 28S rDNA gene sequences of Paracoccus galzerae in GeneBank database, the sequence alignment and analysis were performed on DNAMAN. 28S rDNA species-specific primers (28S-ParF/ 28S-MarR) for Pa. marginatus were designed by selecting the sites with large differences in the sequence. And then, the specific effects, versatility and sensitivity of the specific primers were examined. 【Results】The comparative results showed that the similarity between Pa. marginatus and Paracoccus marginatus isolate S3-668, KP692333 in the GenBank database was 100%. It was also indicated that the mealybugs were identified as Pa. marginatus by molecular identification. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that Pa. marginatus from Fuzhou and Zhangzhou was clustered in a clade. And that combined with Paracoccus galzerae (inter-species genetic distance is 0.058) to form a clade of the genus Paracoccus. The results of specificity tests showed that all Pa. marginatus specimens could be detected positively and a 446 bp fragment of the 28S rDNA of Pa. marginatus was obtained by the species-specific primers, while there was no cross reactions with other 10 species of mealybugs. The species-specific primers not only had a stable amplification effect on female adults, but also were proved to be applicable for the 2nd instar nymphs and the 3rd instar nymphs. Pa. marginatus from three different regions (Fuzhou and Zhangzhou in Fujian province, Jinghong in Yunnan province) and six different host plants (Carica papaya, Solanum melongena, Plumeria rubra, Solanum tuberosum, Tithonia diversifolia and Duranta erecta) was also successfully detected by the species-specific primers.【Conclusion】Molecular identification of Pa. marginatus first reported in Fujian province was carried out based on 28S rDNA molecular markers. It was proved by experiments that the 28S rDNA species-specific primers had ideal and stable specificity for Pa. marginatus and could be used to identify Pa. marginatus accurately. A rapid molecular detection technique for Pa. marginatus was established based on the species-specific PCR method. The technology has the characteristics of accuracy, rapidity, sensitivity and simplicity. Our present results indicated that the rapid detection technique should be useful in quarantine at ports, in pest detection and in monitoring during transportation of papaya and other fruit tree seedlings, as well as flowers. However, in view of the fact that no other mealybugs of the genus Paracoccus has been reported in China, this study can provide a reference for the molecular identification for the closely related species of Pa. marginatus. © 2019 Journal of Fruit Science     

Tree Fruit Growing—Research and Production in Germany: A Statistical and Bibliometric Analysis of the Period 1950–2010

Germany is one of the leading European countries in tree fruit growing and the fruit produced has an actual production value of 794?million?€. Six decades, from 1950 to 2010, of fruit production and internationally relevant scientific output for fruit crops—apple, pear, cherry, plum, apricot, and peach—were analysed in this study. Bibliographic and bibliometric analyses were based on the Science Citation Index^?. Data were compared and discussed in the European and global context. The German annual per capita consumption of fruit amounts to 125.5?kg/a originating from commercial intensive fruit growing, including 71.8?kg/a of fresh fruit, 48.3?kg/a of citrus and tropical fruit, 3.8?kg/a nut fruit, and 1.6?kg/a dry fruit. Approximately 25?kg per annum and inhabitant has to be added to the total fruit consumption, since a conspicuous amount of fruit originates from meadow orchards and house gardens. Nevertheless, Germany’s self-supply with fruit is a low 22.4%. Within the EU (2009/2010), Germany ranks fourth in apple production, tenth in pear production, fifth in cherry production, sixth in plum production, and 15th in the production of apricots and peaches. Based on the number of international scientific articles published in Germany, fruit crops can be ranked in descending order: apples, cherries, pears, plums, peaches and apricots. Relating the scientific output over the last six decades to the production data of the same country nowadays achieved, we obtain an indicator for the scientific impact on the crop production. On a worldwide comparison Germany ranks tenth for apple, sixth for pears, 21st for cherries, 17th for plums and first for apricots and peaches. With regard to the absolute output of scientific original articles Germany ranks fourth worldwide for apples, eighth for pears, second for cherries, fifth for plums, ninth for apricots and 14th for peaches, indicating that research on tree fruit growing in Germany supports the economic competitiveness of its production regions with highly specialized knowledge.     

Suburban habitats and their role for birds in the urban–rural habitat network: points of local invasion and extinction?

Suburban habitats in naturally forested areas present a conundrum in the urban–rural habitat network. Typically, these habitats contain less than half of the native woodland bird species that would exist at these sites if they were not developed. They also contain more total bird species than if these sites were left in a natural state. This apparent contradiction raises the question of “How do suburban habitats function in the urban–rural habitat network?” In this study, we analyze bird distributions on three rural-to-urban gradients in different ecoregions of the United States: Oxford, Ohio; Saint Paul, Minnesota; and Palo Alto, California. All three gradients exhibit similar patterns of extinction of native species followed by invasion of common species and subsequent biotic homogenization with urbanization. This patterning suggests that suburban land uses, those represented by the intermediate levels of development on the gradients, are a point of extirpation for woodland birds as well as an entry point for invasive species into urban systems. Furthermore, there are consistent patterns in the functional characteristics of the bird communities that also shift with intensifying urbanization, providing insight on the possible mechanisms of homogenization and community structure in urban ecosystems including an increase in the number of broods per year, a shift in nesting strategies, a decrease in insectivorous individuals, an increase in granivorous individuals, and a decrease in territoriality. Consequently, it appears that there are specific traits that drive the shift in community composition in response to urban and suburban land use. These results have significant implications for improving understanding of the mechanisms of suburban community ecology and conserving birds in urban habitat networks.     

Dendroctonus micans populations on Picea pungens in the center of a non-outbreak region contain few pathogens,parasites or predators: A new threat for urban forests?

In reviewing the occurrence of the bark beetle Dendroctonus micans in the Czech Republic over the past 100 years, we found that D. micans has been detected at 80 localities with elevations ranging from 158 to 1350 m a.s.l. During 2011–2012, we recorded three local outbreaks on Picea pungens, two of which involved isolated trees in urban areas between houses (always on sites <1 ha). From these locally abundant populations, 125 adults, 5 pupae, and 73 larvae of D. micans were obtained and dissected. Among these dissected specimens, nematodes in the hemolymph were detected in only 5 adults and 11 larvae. No other parasites or pathogens were found in the D. micans specimens. Low numbers of the beetle Rhizophagus grandis, which is a specific predator of D. micans, were detected, and none contained parasites or pathogens. Locally D. micans could constitute a new limited threat to urban trees, including P. pungens, in the Czech Republic and Central Europe. Special attention should be given to solitary P. pungens trees; if D. micans is detected on these trees, defensive measures must be taken to protect uninfested trees in the vicinity.