scholarly journals Statistical Tools Driven Science Policy Interface for Strengthening Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dr. Prachi Ugle

In lieu of ever so evolving landscapes, there is a constant pressure on biodiversity and the myriad of ecosystem services it offers. In order to strengthen science policy interface for biodiversity and ecosystem services for conservation of human well-being, nexus between biodiversity and conservation and sustainable development varied statistical tools are applied. Science policy interface with the Science Based Target Initiative is a evolving landscapes in ecosystem based restoration framework. Aligning it with statistical tools further adds to dynamics for ecosystem management. The statistical tool includes : Good Quality of Life (GQL) = Human Wellbeing and factor is under pressure and indicated as P* - Percentage of undernourished populace ; Nature Contributions to People (NCP) = Ecosystem Goods Services - impacted where in two factors are considered – being at risk, not at risk, unknown level of risk extinction.

Conservation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 73-81
Author(s):  
André Derek Mader ◽  
Brian Alan Johnson ◽  
Yuki Ohashi ◽  
Isabella Fenstermaker

Biodiversity knowledge is communicated by scientists to policymakers at the biodiversity “science-policy interface” (SPI). Although the biodiversity SPI is the subject of a growing body of literature, gaps in our understanding include the efficacy of mechanisms to bridge the interface, the quality of information exchanged between science and policy, and the inclusivity of stakeholders involved. To improve this understanding, we surveyed an important but under-studied group—biodiversity policymakers and scientific advisors representing their respective countries in negotiations of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) and the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). We found that a wide variety of SPI mechanisms were being used. Overall, they were considered to be sufficiently effective, improving over time, and supplied with information of adequate quality. Most respondents, however, agreed that key actors were still missing from the biodiversity SPI.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 517-517
Author(s):  
Sarah Dobiszewski ◽  
Leslie Mahler ◽  
Ingrid Lofgren

Abstract Objectives To assess the diet quality of people with Parkinson's Disease (PwPD) using two assessment tools: Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015 and the Dietary Screening Tool (DST). HEI-2015 and DST scores were compared for alignment to explore associations between HEI-2015 and DST total scores and sub-scores. Methods This secondary data analysis utilized a total of 28 participants from two studies examining PwPD and their informal caregivers. Dietary data was collected with two 24-hour recalls using the multiple pass method and entered into the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDSR). SAS Version 9.4 was used to compute HEI-2015 scores to assess diet quality. The HEI-2015 score is a total of 100 points and is based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans for 2015–2020. Total HEI-2015 scores and 13 component scores were interpreted using the graded approach (grades A-F). Radar graphs provide a visual representation. Participants also completed the DST. The DST is a 25-item questionnaire used to identify dietary patterns and assess nutritional risk. Total scores were categorized into at risk <60, possibly risk 60–75, and not at risk >75. Sub-scores were calculated with point classifications for specific food categories. These sub-scores were divided into tertials of recommended intakes less than 50%, 50–80% and 80–100%, and compared for alignment between DST sub-scores and HEI-2015 sub-scores by assessing total number of pairs per category. Results The mean total score was 59.4 ± 28.6 for DST and 58.7 ± 22.2 for HEI-2015. HEI-2015 scores fell into grades of A (n = 0) B (n = 3) C (n = 3) D (n = 7) F (n = 14). PwPD who were categorized at risk from the DST scores (n = 18) received an HEI grade of D/F. PwPD who were at possible risk (n = 7) received a grade of B/C/D. PwPD who were not at risk (n = 3) received a grade of B/C/D for sub-scores, vegetable intake had a 50% alignment in scores, fat/sugar 43% alignment, whole grains and dairy 46% alignment and fruit 39% alignment. Conclusions There appeared to be partial alignment between the total HEI-2015 scores and DST nutritional risk scores. Sub-scores differ 50% of the time. Due to differences between the assessment tools, more research is needed to validate the DST in PwPD as this can be a less taxing assessment compared with 24-hour recalls. Funding Sources There was no external funding for this study.


2014 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-34
Author(s):  
Wiwin Wiarsih

Angka kematian ibu ditentukasn oleh tingkat kesejahteraan individu wanita hamil dalam keluarga. Kondisi ini akan menentukan tingkat kesehtan dan perkembangan anak sebagai satu faktor yang menentukan kesehatan dan menjadi satu indicator dari keejahteraan suatu Negara. Penyebab utama tingginya angka kematian ibu di Negara-negara berkembang adalah belum optimalnya penanganan kasus-kasus berisiko. Penatalaksanaan kasus-kasus berisiko dilakukan terlambat karena kurangnya kesadaran klien untuk mengatasi masalah-masalah kesehatannya, kurangnya informasi, kurangnya jangkauan pelayanan kesehata, dan kurang berkualitasnya sumber daya manusia khususnya pada petugas pelayan kesehatan. Wanita hamil adalah salah satu populasi yang seharusnya diberikan perhatian lebh karena setiap wanita hamil mempunyai kesempatan yang sama untuk mendapatkan penanganan masalah-masalah kesehatan. Faktor-faktor risiko memungkinkanseorang wanita hamil menjadi berisiko tinggi untuk mempunyai masalah-masalah kesehatan, termasuk status sosial ekonomi dan sosio demografi, stress dan gaya hidup, dan praktek kesehatan personal. Untuk menurunkan pengaruh label atau stigma “risiko’ dalam masyarakat adalah suatu tantangan untuk profesi kesehatan mengembangkan pendekatan yang efektif dalam pelayanan kesehatan sehingga akan didapatkab suatu hasil yang optimal. The level of individual well being in a family determines the maternal mortality rate. This condition will determine the level of child health and development as an important determinant of health that is an indicator of well being in a country. The main cause of high levels of of maternal mortality in developing countries as a lack of case management of the “at risk’ individual or population; management of “at risk” cases is too late. This is because of lack awareness of “at risk” client in overcoming the problems, lack of information, lack of access to health services, and lack of quality of human resource especially of health care every pregnant woman has the same probability of developing problems. The risk factors enable of pregnant women to become hig risk to have the health problems including socioeconomic status, sociodemographic status, life style and life events, and personal health practices. To decrease the impact of the “at risk” label or stigma in the community, a challenge for the health professional is to develop partnership and multisectoral approach with community so that an optimal outcome will be attained.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-72
Author(s):  
Vera Takácsné Zajacz ◽  
Kinga M Szilágyi

Abstract The increasing urbanization process of the last decades has resulted in negative impacts and changes in the quality of the urban environment, as reflected in mortality and morbidity data (Páldy, 2018). The quality of the environment, the urban climate, the increased frequency and duration of extreme weather events, ultimately threaten human well-being. To design and build liveable cities, the quality of the urban environment must be improved, and improving micro- or local climate is an important factor in this. Increasing the proportion and quality of biologically active surfaces, i.e. the ecosystem services provided by green spaces, is one of the most effective tools for urban conditioning and enhancing human well-being. Determining the proportions of the green area, the design of vegetation, the choice of pavements and microarchitectures all determine the microclimate of an open-space. This has been confirmed by a large body of research and implemented work, but it is also important for designers to make a preliminary prediction of the impact of any intervention on the climatic conditions of the design site. These predictions will help cost-effective designing to determine which intervention will result in climate change. This research uses two specific examples to examine the effectiveness of each landscape designing tool and to show which designing tool produces what and how much climatic impact. For these studies, we used a climate modeling program (ENVI-MET), which runs simulations to infer the climate modifying effects of landscape planning tools. In the course of the research, we have shown that the local climate of hospital gardens could be significantly influenced by favorable, environmental-friend paving, a higher green cover ratio, and a well-developed and sufficiently dense tree canopy, and various water features.


2000 ◽  
Vol 2000 ◽  
pp. 131-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. L Chamberlain ◽  
S. A. Edwards ◽  
J. E. L Day

The general well-being of growing pigs is known to be affected by both the quantity/quality of stockperson input invested and the complexity of their housing environment (Pearce et. al., 1989). However, the nature of the interactions which exist between these two factors is still largely unknown. The aim of this experiment was to investigate the separate and interactive effects of handling and environmental enrichment on the welfare and performance of growing pigs.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 3701 ◽  
Author(s):  
Markus Leibenath ◽  
Markus Kurth ◽  
Gerd Lintz

Responding to the UN programme “The Economics of Ecosystems and Biodiversity” (TEEB), TEEB-DE (2012–2018) was a science–policy interface (SPI) set up in Germany with the objective of mobilising scientific expertise for a better consideration of biodiversity and ecosystem services in political and corporate decision-making. The aim of this paper is to contribute to an assessment of TEEB-DE by analysing its objectives, structure, processes and outputs. The analysis is guided by a theoretical framework that takes credibility, relevance and legitimacy (CRELE) as normative criteria for examining SPIs. Methodologically, the paper relies on a fine-grained analysis of published documents and interviews with key figures of TEEB-DE. The results allow for a preliminary assessment of TEEB-DE in regard to CRELE and illuminate how its conceptual foundation—namely the ecosystem services concept—was discussed in the public realm. We also consider a number of trade-offs which the coordinators of TEEB-DE had to negotiate. In conclusion, we identify some proposals for designing future SPIs in the domain of biodiversity and nature conservation in Germany such as paying greater attention to policy windows, broadening the thematic scope beyond economics and providing better opportunities for debate and contestation.


Land ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patrycia Brzoska ◽  
Aiga Spāģe

Cities have a wide variety of green infrastructure types, such as parks and gardens. These structures can provide important ecosystem services (ES) with a major impact on human well-being. With respect to urban planning, special consideration must be given to such green infrastructure types when implementing measures to maintain and enhance the quality of life. Therefore, generating knowledge on the urban ES of differently scaled green infrastructure types is important. This systematic literature review provides an overview of existing studies which have explicitly investigated the urban ES of differently spatial-scaled green infrastructure types. By reviewing 76 publications, we confirm rising academic interest in this topic. The most frequently assessed urban ES belong to the category Regulating and Maintenance. Only a few have considered individual small structures such as green roofs or single gardens; green spaces are often aggregated into one, mostly city-wide, object of investigation, with resulting oversimplifications. Moreover, generalizing methods are mostly applied. Simultaneously, many studies have applied methods to evaluate location-specific primary data. More research is needed on small-scale structures, in particular to consider site-, and thus location-specific, parameters in order to successfully implement the ES concept into urban planning and to obtain realistic results for ES assessments.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (6) ◽  
pp. 677
Author(s):  
Gabriela Elena Baciu ◽  
Carmen Elena Dobrotă ◽  
Ecaterina Nicoleta Apostol

Among the many types of terrestrial ecosystems, forests have some of the highest levels of biodiversity; they also have many interdependent economic, ecological and social functions and provide ecosystem services. They supply a range of tangible, marketable goods, as well as a variety of nonmarketable and intangible services derived from various forest functions. These translate into social, cultural, health and scientific benefits for people’s quality of life. However, because they cannot be traded on a market, nonmarketable and intangible services are often perceived as free, inexhaustible and, as a result, underestimated. The human–nature interaction has affected both nature (via resource consumption) and society (via development of human welfare and well-being). Decision-makers, both public and private, often manage natural capital for multiple aims. In recent years it has been found that the single, individual approach estimating the value for these goods and services is not able to provide information that generates and supports decisions and policies in complex areas of current relevance such as the constant loss of biodiversity, climate change and global warming in close connection with the need for social development and ensuring an acceptable level of well-being for the greatest part of humanity. An integrated assessment with advanced techniques and methods using a pluralist framework of a heterogeneous set of values is considered a better approach to the valuation of such complex nature of the ecosystem goods and services. This assessment should take into account both costs and benefits trade-off issues among the multiple uses of ecosystem goods and/or services, especially the relationships between them and how they influence or determine the economic, social and cultural development of society. It should also consider the estimation of the complex inverse effect, from society to nature, whose goods and services can be diminished to exhaustion by the extensive and intensive anthropization of natural ecosystems with major impact on the number and quality of goods and services provided by ecosystems. Research has shown that applying an integrative assessment approach that utilizes tools developed by sustainability sciences could be an important component of future environmental policy making.


Author(s):  
Andreja Tutundžić

The quality of life and human well-being is often perceived differently, dependable on individuals and groups, as well as within contrasting socio-political circumstances, varying from the many concepts such as respecting the living standard based primarily on income to the benefits that society receives from ecosystems. From the early beginnings as a professional discipline, landscape architecture has been respecting the quality of life and human well-being to a great extent, as a subject of professional interest and accordingly, through approaches used to address it. While those goals are mostly the same, the engagement in the scope and complexity of the discipline is significantly increasing over the years, but still targeting the traditional paradigm - to contribute to the improvement of the living conditions and quality of life. However, the majority of the projects are predominantly dealing with urban areas and the life of the urban population related to the upper- and middle-class social groups. Contrary to the above considerations, there is a layer of social groups of those who are forced to leave their homes in the times of crises, either caused by natural disasters, but even more of those seeking sanctuary due to the political turbulences and wars. The consequences of those tragic events can be found within different communities, including refugee camps or transitional settlements. Those places bring poor living conditions, lack of space, and numerous environmental problems, where even just the provisioning and supporting categories of ecosystem services are dependable on the input of external factors while regulating and cultural categories seems to be almost out of question. This paper describes the results of the “e-scape. Transitional settlement” Project, organized by the Department of Landscape Design and Ecosystem Management at American University in Beirut, in collaboration with the International Federation of Landscape Architecture. The goal of the project was to contribute to the improvement of the living conditions in the transitional settlements including the provision of even elementary ecosystem services in, at least, a bit greater extent. The additional intention was to broaden a methodology and guidelines of landscape architectural interventions within settlements resulting from conflict and natural disasters.


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