scholarly journals Shifting Baselines to Thresholds: Reframing Exploitation in the Marine Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lane M. Atmore ◽  
Magie Aiken ◽  
Fabricio Furni
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Evolution ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Ecosystem Change ◽  
Human Society ◽  
The Past ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
Practical Research

Current research on anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems often relies on the concept of a “baseline,” which aims to describe ecosystems prior to human contact. Recent research is increasingly showing that humans have been involved in marine ecosystems for much longer than previously understood. We propose a theoretical framework oriented around a system of “thresholds” referring to system-wide changes in human culture, ecosystem dynamics, and molecular evolution. The concept of the threshold allows conceptual space to account for the fluid nature of ecosystems throughout time while providing a critical framework for understanding drivers of ecosystem change. We highlight practical research approaches for exploring thresholds in the past and provide key insights for future adaptation to a changing world. To ensure ecological and societal goals for the future are met, it is critical that research efforts are contextualized into a framework that incorporates human society as integral to ecology and evolution.

scholarly journals A network-based approach to deciphering a dynamic microbiome’s response to a subtle perturbation

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Grace Tzun-Wen Shaw ◽  
An-Chi Liu ◽  
Chieh-Yin Weng ◽  
Yi-Chun Chen ◽  
Cheng-Yu Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Ecosystem Functioning ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Environmental Research ◽  
Human Society ◽  
The Past ◽  
Environmental Perturbations ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Occurrence Patterns

Abstract Over the past decades, one main issue that has emerged in ecological and environmental research is how losses in biodiversity influence ecosystem dynamics and functioning, and consequently human society. Although biodiversity is a common indicator of ecosystem functioning, it is difficult to measure biodiversity in microbial communities exposed to subtle or chronic environmental perturbations. Consequently, there is a need for alternative bioindicators to detect, measure, and monitor gradual changes in microbial communities against these slight, chronic, and continuous perturbations. In this study, microbial networks before and after subtle perturbations by adding S. acidaminiphila showed diverse topological niches and 4-node motifs in which microbes with co-occurrence patterns played the central roles in regulating and adjusting the intertwined relationships among microorganisms in response to the subtle environmental changes. This study demonstrates that microbial networks are a good bioindicator for chronic perturbation and should be applied in a variety of ecological investigations.

Late Holocene ecosystem change and disturbance dynamics in central European mountain forests

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niina Kuosmanen ◽  
Petr Kuneš ◽  
Karen Halsall ◽  
Helena Svitavska Svobodova ◽  
Jana Beranova ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Human Activity ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Ecosystem Dynamics ◽  
Ecosystem Change ◽  
Anthropogenic Activity ◽  
Climate Data ◽  
Disturbance Dynamics ◽  
The Past

<p>Investigating past changes in temperate mountain spruce forest ecosystems and the processes behind them can provide valuable information for understanding present and future ecosystem dynamics. To assess the late Holocene ecosystem change and disturbance history in mountain spruce forests, we sampled four small forest hollows from the High Tatra mountains in Slovakia.  </p><p>We use pollen analysis to reconstruct changes in forest composition over the last circa 5000 cal. yr BP. Fire history is analysed using macroscopic charcoal counts and charcoal area measurements. As disturbance is one of the key factors shaping mountain forest dynamics, the analysed pollen records will be processed with a new method quantifying disturbance based on plant ecological indices (Kuneš et al. 2019). These indices for disturbance will be attributed to pollen taxa and then disturbance frequency and severity for the whole community will be calculated. We assess the role of climate and human impact as potential drivers on the past forest and disturbance dynamics. The climate variable will be constructed from modelled climate data for the last 4000 years and for the past 1000 years we will use climate reconstruction from the tree-ring records from the region. We use human indicator pollen taxa as the variable for human influence on ecosystem dynamics, and to indicate human activity in the region.</p><p>Preliminary results demonstrate opening of the landscape circa 800-500 cal. yr BP in connection with a change in the disturbance regime as indicated by the disturbance indices. The presence of human indicator pollen taxa in all small hollow records suggest landscape opening in connection with anthropogenic activity in the region. In addition, the charcoal records demonstrate periods of fire, which coincide with the opening of landscape and it is plausible that change in the fire regime is connected to the intensified human activity in the region. These results will be discussed further in the presentation in the light of climate data and further data analysis.</p><p>Reference:</p><p>Kuneš, P. Abraham, V. & Herben, T. 2019. Changing disturbance-diversity relationships in temperate ecosystems over the past 12 000 years. Journal of Ecology 107:1678–1688.</p>

scholarly journals WebRTC - Realtime Communication for the Open Web Platform

Queue ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-93
Author(s):  
Niklas Blum ◽  
Serge Lachapelle ◽  
Harald Alvestrand
Keyword(s):  
High Speed ◽  
Network Access ◽  
The Past ◽  
Human Contact ◽  
High Speed Network ◽  
The World ◽  
Web Platform

In this time of pandemic, the world has turned to Internet-based, RTC (realtime communication) as never before. The number of RTC products has, over the past decade, exploded in large part because of cheaper high-speed network access and more powerful devices, but also because of an open, royalty-free platform called WebRTC. WebRTC is growing from enabling useful experiences to being essential in allowing billions to continue their work and education, and keep vital human contact during a pandemic. The opportunities and impact that lie ahead for WebRTC are intriguing indeed.

Anthropogenic impacts on marine ecosystems in Antarctica

2011 ◽  
Vol 1223 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard B. Aronson ◽  
Sven Thatje ◽  
James B. McClintock ◽  
Kevin A. Hughes
Keyword(s):  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Marine Ecosystems

Fire, people and ecosystem change in Pleistocene Australia

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (8) ◽  
pp. 643 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher N. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Ecosystem Change ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Cascading Effects ◽  
Continental Scale ◽  
The Past ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

Since the 1960s, Australian scientists have speculated on the impact of human arrival on fire regimes in Australia, and on the relationship of landscape fire to extinction of the Pleistocene megafauna of Australia. These speculations have produced a series of contrasting hypotheses that can now be tested using evidence collected over the past two decades. In the present paper, I summarise those hypotheses and review that evidence. The main conclusions of this are that (1) the effects of people on fire regimes in the Pleistocene were modest at the continental scale, and difficult to distinguish from climatic controls on fire, (2) the arrival of people triggered extinction of Australia’s megafauna, but fire had little or no role in the extinction of those animals, which was probably due primarily to hunting and (3) megafaunal extinction is likely to have caused a cascade of changes that included increased fire, but only in some environments. We do not yet understand what environmental factors controlled the strength and nature of cascading effects of megafaunal extinction. This is an important topic for future research.

scholarly journals Using the past to contextualize anthropogenic impacts on the present and future distribution of an endemic Caribbean mammal

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 500-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.M. Gibson ◽  
A.M. Mychajliw ◽  
Y. Leon ◽  
E. Rupp ◽  
E.A. Hadly
Keyword(s):  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
The Past

Environmental Assessment in Marine Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction: Practice and Prospects

2017 ◽  
Vol 111 ◽  
pp. 252-255
Author(s):  
Robin Warner
Keyword(s):  
Human Activity ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
Marine Pollution ◽  
Scientific Research ◽  
Marine Ecosystems ◽  
Marine Resources ◽  
Governance Structures ◽  
National Jurisdiction ◽  
Marine Areas

Knowledge of the threats posed to the oceans by human activity has expanded beyond marine pollution to encompass recognition of the risks posed to vulnerable marine ecosystems (VMEs) by overfishing, destructive fisheries practices, and invasive exploitation of living and nonliving marine resources. However, with the still-developing state of marine scientific research, the majority of activities at sea continue to occur with limited knowledge of their impacts on the marine environment. In this climate of uncertainty, environmental assessment assumes heightened importance. While governance structures will generally exist to facilitate environmental assessment in marine areas within national jurisdiction, these structures are still developing for marine areas beyond national jurisdiction (ABNJ).

scholarly journals Social Media Contexts Moderate Perceptions of Animals

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Riddle ◽  
Jill R D MacKay
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Free Text ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Rapid Rise ◽  
The Past ◽  
Social Media Site ◽  
The Social ◽  
Human Perceptions ◽  
New Space

The rapid rise of social media in the past decade represents a new space where animals are represented in human society, and this may influence human perceptions. In this study, 211 participants (49% female) between the ages of 18 to 44 were recruited to an online survey where they viewed mock-up pages from a social media site. All participants saw the same image of an animal, but were randomly assigned to a positive or negative narrative condition. When participants were presented with the critical narrative they perceived the animal to be more stressed (χ2=13.99, p<0.001). Participants expressed reservations in face of a narrative they disagreed with in free text comments. Overall, this study found evidence to suggest that people moderate their discussions on human-animal interactions based on the social network they are in, but these relationships are complex and require further research.

Leisure Activities in Marine Environments

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Professor John Swarbrooke
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Marine Environment ◽  
Leisure Activities ◽  
Risk Level ◽  
Marine Environments ◽  
Coastal Tourism ◽  
The Past ◽  
Made In

In recent years we have seen a veritable ‘explosion’ in the use of the sea for a growing variety of marine leisure activities. This is now a truly global phenomenon that can be seen from Iceland to South Africa, Australia to Florida. Activities in the sea have always been part of coastal tourism, from paddling and swimming to sailing and diving to angling and boat trips. However, in the past decade or two we have seen the invention of new activities and the developments of variations on traditional marine activities. We now have coasteering, wild swimming, paddle-boarding, RIB and banana boats and sea kayaking, all giving tourists further opportunities to get pleasure from the marine environment. Many of these activities also reflect a change in marine leisure with an increase in active rather than passive activities and an increase in adventure activities. This has, inevitably, increased the risk level of sea-based leisure activities in some ways. Several of the more adventurous new activities also involve travelling further from land or to less developed areas of coast, increasing the risk further. Interestingly, it appears that many tourists become ‘hooked’ on some sea-based leisure activities once they have experienced them on vacation. From that point onwards their desire to continue to participate in an activity will often influence their choice of vacation destination. The innovative developments we have seen in terms of sea-based leisure activities have led to a huge increase in participation in marine leisure activities. This has been stimulated by, and reflected in, the investment made in equipment and infrastructure for such activities by governments, commercial operators, and hotels and resorts.

HISTORICAL HERITAGE AS A MEANS OF MORAL TRAINING OF SOCIAL TEACHERS

2021 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 180-187
Author(s):  
І.R. Halitova ◽  
◽  
N.O. Atemkulova ◽  
G.K. Shirinbayeva ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
The Other ◽  
Human Society ◽  
The Past ◽  
Moral Training ◽  
Literary Heritage ◽  
The Rich ◽  
Historical Heritage ◽  
Social Side ◽  
The One ◽  
Social Pedagogue

The introduction of socio-pedagogical ideas into the historical and literary heritage enriches the content of training, makes it possible to enrich their practical skills through familiarity with historical experience, on the one hand, on the other hand, it enriches the inner world of social teachers as specialists, connecting the feeling and consciousness, thereby creating conditions for successful effective activities. In human society, various types of contradictions have always appeared at any time, but at the same time , methods and ways to eliminate them have been invented. Unfortunately, we have recently become interested in foreign technologies of training and education, their ideas, and have lost sight of the rich experience of the past, which includes methods and methods of social education of children and youth. The problem is that it is necessary to identify them and use them in practice. The activity of a social pedagogue , in particular, is associated with rehabilitation, socialization and other types of work among children, youth and adults. The history of social pedagogy spiritually enriches future specialists on the one hand, and on the other, helps to accumulate the experience of the past in order to use them in solving modern problems. Literary and historical materials concerning the social side of the life of the Kazakh people in this regard is important and essential.

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