scholarly journals Are Humans a Cooperative Species? Challenges & Opportunities for Teaching the Evolution of Human Prosociality

2021 ◽  
Vol 83 (6) ◽  
pp. 356-361
Author(s):  
Susan Hanisch ◽  
Dustin Eirdosh
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Small Groups ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Classroom Activity ◽  
Classroom Intervention ◽  
Shared Resources ◽  
Biology Teachers ◽  
Sustainable Resource Use ◽  
Human Capacity

Evolutionary anthropologists commonly describe humans as a highly cooperative species, based on our evolved socio-cognitive capacities. However, students and the general public may not necessarily share this view about our species. At the same time, fostering our ability to cooperate is considered a key foundation for achieving sustainable development, and students’ understanding of the conditions that enable or hinder cooperation is therefore an important learning goal in sustainability education. In this article, we describe a small classroom activity that explored students’ and preservice biology teachers’ preconceptions about the human capacity to cooperate around shared resources in comparison to the capacity of our closest relative, the chimpanzee. Results indicate that students and teachers had limited knowledge about the evolved human capacity for cooperation around shared resources in small groups, most often viewing chimpanzees as more capable of cooperation and sustainable resource use. Based on the results of this classroom intervention, we highlight important learning opportunities for educators in biology on teaching human evolution and human behavior, particularly as related to current challenges of sustainable development.

Conceptual development of the resource-based approach

2018 ◽  
pp. 81-90
Author(s):  
Peter Knoepfel
Keyword(s):  
Public Policy ◽  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Big Data ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Conceptual Development ◽  
Civil Law ◽  
Institutional Conditions ◽  
Sustainable Resource Use ◽  
Definition Of

This chapter contains an in-depth definition of the aforementioned resource-based approach to public policy resources, which is usually used for analysing the institutional conditions for sustainable resource use in connection with the postulate of sustainable development. It exploits the concept of institutional resource regimes (IRR) rooted in constitutional and civil law, which is illustrated by the analysis of the governance of the resource ‘public documentary information’ (big data) conducted by Olgiati Pelet.

Managing Ecosystems for Women's Health and Sustainable Development

2001 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 207-222
Author(s):  
Ratna M. Sudarshan
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Natural Resource Management ◽  
Natural Resource ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Ecosystem Health ◽  
Activity Patterns ◽  
Gender Issues ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Sustainable Resource Use

This paper examines gender issues in natural resource management, based on the experience of mining in the Kumaon, Uttaranchal. The method of analysis followed attempts a breakdown of activity patterns and responsibilities by gender. This is used to identify who gains and who loses with different patterns of resource use. It is observed that women's protests against mining in this area make the point that the disruption of traditional livelihoods has weakened the ecosys tem. Some general observations on appropriate interventions for sustainable resource use and development are derived from this. It is argued that local communities as well as policy makers need much more information and education on the implications of ecosystem health for communities.

scholarly journals Conservation and sustainable resource use in the Hadejia–Jama'are Valley, Nigeria

Oryx ◽  
1996 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 131-142 ◽  
Author(s):  
William M. Adams ◽  
David H. L. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Environmental Sustainability ◽  
Wildlife Conservation ◽  
Regional Scale ◽  
Critical Element ◽  
Wetland Birds ◽  
Sustainable Resource Use ◽  
Development Goals

Sustainable development is increasingly being seen as a legitimate, and locally critical, element in wildlife conservation. However, relatively few studies of projects attempt to combine conservation and development goals. The Hadejia—Nguru Wetland Conservation Project in Nigeria grew out of a concern for wildlife (particularly wetland birds), but has expanded to address issues of environmental sustainability and economic development at both the local and the regional scale. This paper assesses the achievements of the project's approach.

scholarly journals Emergent sustainability in open property regimes

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (51) ◽  
pp. 12859-12867 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Moritz ◽  
Roy Behnke ◽  
Christine M. Beitl ◽  
Rebecca Bliege Bird ◽  
Rafael Morais Chiaravalloti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Open Access ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Common Pool Resources ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Common Pool ◽  
Social Ecological Systems ◽  
Social Ecological ◽  
Sustainable Resource Use ◽  
The Commons ◽  
Property Regimes

Current theoretical models of the commons assert that common-pool resources can only be managed sustainably with clearly defined boundaries around both communities and the resources that they use. In these theoretical models, open access inevitably leads to a tragedy of the commons. However, in many open-access systems, use of common-pool resources seems to be sustainable over the long term (i.e., current resource use does not threaten use of common-pool resources for future generations). Here, we outline the conditions that support sustainable resource use in open property regimes. We use the conceptual framework of complex adaptive systems to explain how processes within and couplings between human and natural systems can lead to the emergence of efficient, equitable, and sustainable resource use. We illustrate these dynamics in eight case studies of different social–ecological systems, including mobile pastoralism, marine and freshwater fisheries, swidden agriculture, and desert foraging. Our theoretical framework identifies eight conditions that are critical for the emergence of sustainable use of common-pool resources in open property regimes. In addition, we explain how changes in boundary conditions may push open property regimes to either common property regimes or a tragedy of the commons. Our theoretical model of emergent sustainability helps us to understand the diversity and dynamics of property regimes across a wide range of social–ecological systems and explains the enigma of open access without a tragedy. We recommend that policy interventions in such self-organizing systems should focus on managing the conditions that are critical for the emergence and persistence of sustainability.

scholarly journals The Use of Pigeon Pea (Cajanus cajan) for Drought Mitigation in Nigeria

2013 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 6-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.E. Emefiene ◽  
A.B. Salaudeen ◽  
A.Y. Yaroson
Keyword(s):  
Resource Use ◽  
Cajanus Cajan ◽  
Climate Change Mitigation ◽  
Soil Improvement ◽  
Pigeon Pea ◽  
Widespread Adoption ◽  
Sustainable Resource Use ◽  
Drought Mitigation ◽  
The Tropics ◽  
Change Mitigation

Drought poses one of the most important environmental constraints to plant survival and productivity and by implication-food insecurity in the tropics. Pigeon pea (Cajanus cajan) has the potential of fertilizing the soil thereby improving agricultural production and ensure green environmental and ecosystem stability. Despite the ability of the plant to improve soil fertility and promote greening environment, it has not attracted adequate awareness as a soil improvement plant. This paper highlights the information on the plant in order to intensify awareness for its widespread adoption to achieve the much desired sustainable resource use for greening our economy and environmental management. The successful widespread adoption of the plant will translate to effective drought, desertification and sustainable climate change mitigation approach in Nigeria.

scholarly journals Lifelong Inclusive Education Service System in the Context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. p120
Author(s):  
Feng -Xia ◽  
Yongfen -Gu ◽  
Meixian -Huang
Keyword(s):  
Sustainable Development ◽  
Inclusive Education ◽  
Learning Opportunities ◽  
Macroscopic System ◽  
2030 Agenda ◽  
The People ◽  
Education Service ◽  
Output Efficiency ◽  
New Perspective ◽  
Future Education

Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which is issued by the United Nations in 2015, put forward 17 goals for sustainable development to promote worldwide peace and freedom. Among the 17 goals, one goes to the education vision, stating that “Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all”. This goal further and clearly describes the features of the future education: lifelong, inclusive, fair and high-quality. To make the dream true, every country should rethink the present education service and make reforms based on the national situation. In this context, this paper discusses the direction, construction, objects and layout of a lifelong inclusive education service suitable for present China’s national conditions, in hope of contributing Chinese wisdom to the “Community of shared future for mankind”. It is suggested in this paper that we should give priority to the construction and perfection of the macroscopic system and operating mechanisms for the lifelong inclusive education service in consideration of input and output efficiency; that we should update our mind and think of the education from a new perspective, that is, regard the lifelong inclusive education service as part of public service for all the people; that we should provide suitable education service for all students, regardless of age, race, disability, gender and wealth; that we should design and implement the educational projects reasonably and scientifically in order to better realize the goal.

scholarly journals “Real-time” genetic monitoring of a commercial fishery on the doorstep of an MPA reveals unique insights into the interaction between coastal and migratory forms of the Atlantic cod

2017 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 1093-1104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torild Johansen ◽  
Jon-Ivar Westgaard ◽  
Bjørghild B Seliussen ◽  
Kjell Nedreaas ◽  
Geir Dahle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Real Time ◽  
Marine Protected Areas ◽  
Resource Use ◽  
Atlantic Cod ◽  
Genetic Monitoring ◽  
Nucleotide Polymorphisms ◽  
Single Nucleotide ◽  
Commercial Harvest ◽  
Sustainable Resource Use ◽  
Spawning Areas

Abstract With the decline of many of the world’s fisheries, increased regulation, including marine protected areas (MPA), forms an increasingly important role in promoting sustainable resource use. Here, we present a novel “real-time” genetic monitoring programme used to protect the depleted Norwegian coastal cod stock (NCC) in an MPA during the spawning season, while a fishery targeted at the sustainable Northeast Arctic cod stock (NEAC) operates immediately outside. In the period 2009–2016, >6800 cod from the fishery were genotyped with the PanI locus that is discriminatory between these two stocks. The estimated fraction of NEAC increased during the study period until 2014; however, it did not exceed 70% for any sustained period. Therefore, the MPA remained closed for commercial harvest. Genetic analysis of eggs revealed a distinctly lower fraction of NEAC than in the catch from the adult stock, both immediately outside and within the MPA itself. We suggest that this discrepancy is likely to reflect differences in spawning areas used by NCC and NEAC. Estimated fractions of NEAC/NCC using PanI, otolith classification, and 39 single nucleotide polymorphisms were similar, thus validating the use of PanI to estimate NEAC/NCC composition.

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