bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
On the Environmental and Socio-economic Impact of the Jonglei Canal Project, Southern Sudan
Authors: el Moghraby A. I. , el Sammani M.O. 
Published: August 2009

The Jonglei Canal Project should be weighed against its socio-economic impacts as well as environmental considerations. If taken in a short- or long-term cost-benefit perspective, the Project we think is a justified undertaking.One might argue: ‘let everything well alone; change is another word for disaster’. We are not contending that the Jonglei Canal Project, if duly completed, would not bring about a new mode of life for both Man and domestic and other animals. We are contending that the new mode will be a more satisfactory on than that which exists at present. Sudan aims at the transformation of traditional communities to better social and economic horizons, and not the intentional destruction of the traditional way of life. Many overlook the fact that the Nilotes are already changing, and that it is beyond the powers of the political and social systems to confine them to the past.Nevertheless there are indications that ecologists and environmentalists are far from agreed among themselves as to whether the Jonglei canal is, on balance, a good or a bad idea. But in any case we would like to stress in conclusion that the Jonglei Canal Project is being executed at a relatively fortunate time in Man's history of awareness of the way in which he should be using his natural resources.
Principles of New Park-area Planning as Applied to the Wrangell-St Elias Region of Alaska
Authors: Wright R. Gerald 
Published: August 2009

In an era of increasing land-use demands, it is getting ever-more-difficult to set aside lands for parks or equivalent units where protection rather than (multiple) use of the resource is the goal. Developing a sufficient justification for establishing an area of parkland is directly related to the proper use of well-recognized ecological principles—particularly to the fact that the area included should encompass a unique or nationally significant resource (Polunin & Eidsvik, 1979).This paper discusses four basic criteria that were used to evaluate potential boundary and resource-management alternatives for a seven-million-ha region in south-central Alaska, much of which was eventually included in the Wrangell-St Elias National Park and Preserve. The necessity or basing the planning decisions on sound data cannot be overemphasized. The paper discusses the different data-types used in the planning process. It was the feeling of all involved in the planning process that more was known about the natural and social resources of the new Alaskan parks than had been known about any other new areas that had been added to the system. The need for good data is particularly acute when the establishment of the parks involves considerable controversy and opposition, as was the case here.
A Solar-Hydrogen Energy System for Environmental Compatibility
Authors: Bockris John O'M. , Veziroglu T. Nejat 
Published: August 2009

Our Biosphere, the only one known to exist, is under attack by various factors. Major culprits amongst these include fossil-fuel-produced air pollution, acidic precipitation (acid rains), and CO2. As we run out of petroleum and natural gas, the question becomes: what should the new energy-system be, so that the damage to The Biosphere and life can be stopped? In view of the rapid depletion of the main energy sources of the present, the fluid fossil-fuels, this paper analyses the various primary energy-options (such as coal, breeder reactors, fusion reactors, and solar energy), and also considers such possible energy-carriers as synthetic fossil-fuels and hydrogen. In this analysis, the environmental effects of various options are considered both qualitatively and quantitatively.It is concluded that the Hydrogen Energy-system is the most efficient and economical energy-system possible, and that it results in the environmentally most compatible and permanent energy-system when coupled with solar energy as the primary energy-source. It is important now that this information be disseminated among the public in general, and environmentalists in particular, so that the implementation of the solar-hydrogen economy can be started without delay, in order to minimize any further damage to The Biosphere and its living components.
Fire Management in Coastal Sage-scrub, Southern California, USA
Authors: Malanson George P. 
Published: August 2009

Wildland fire management directly affects the forces of natural selection to which plant taxa become adapted. Changes in a fire regime will often result in changes in the relative abundance of particular species, and may cause the extinction of some of them. Life-history characteristics are important indicators of adaptation to recurrent disturbance, such as may be produced by fire. The incorporation of these characteristics in a computer simulation allows of the projection of species abundance under different fire regimes.Through prescribed burning and fire suppression, fire interval and fire intensity can be controlled to some extent. The fire intensity for given sets of fuel, site, and meteoro-logical conditions, representing given fire-intervals, is calculated with the use of a fire behaviour computer simulation. These results are incorporated in computer simulation of the demographic competition of the five dominant shrub species of coastal sage-scrub in the Santa Monica Mountains of southern California:Artemisia californica, Encelia californica, Eriogonum cinereum, Salvia leucophylla, andS. mellifera. The model incorporates resprouting proportions, seedling establishment, and growth, and assumes survivorship rates in simulating scramble competition for space. Foliar cover-values of the five species are projected for nine different fire regimes. Short fire-intervals of the order of 10–20 years, such as might occur under a regime of prescribed burning, may eliminate or greatly reduce some species, whereas longer intervals allow the maintenance of a more diverse community especially of shrubs. Fixed and variable interval-lengths do not produce appreciably different results.This study suggests that prescribed burning at 10–20 years' intervals should not be used indiscriminately to reduce wildland fire hazard in southern California. The fire intervals that will reduce the hazard, may eliminate some dominant native shrub species. A ‘natural’ fire regime which would maintain the natural vegetation while constituting only a minimum hazard to homesites may, unfortunately, be mutually exclusive goals in the coastal sage-scrub of southern California.
Fishermen and ‘The Tragedy of the Commons’
Authors: Berkes Fikret 
Published: August 2009

Fish populations are classical examples of commonproperty resources and tend to decline over time. According to the conventional wisdom, they decline through a process popularly known as ‘the tragedy of the commons’, whereby selfish users are locked into a deterministic mechanism in which they are both the villains and the victims. However, the commons paradigm is notthemodel of reality forallfisheries. There are many sustainable fisheries, and detailed studies of some of them indicate that they do not fit the commons paradigm because there are factors which violate some of the hidden assumptions of the commons paradigm.In many community-based and small-scale fisheries, there are unwritten regulations or customary laws that prevent individuals from maximizing their private gains at the expense of community interests. Far from being owned by no one and freely open to any user, many of the fish stocks of the world are under claims of ownership by communities of fishermen who exercise use-rights and who control access to the resource. As seen in examples from Oceania and North America's west coast, open-access and common property conditions were created, and the ‘tragedy’ started only after the destruction of such traditional marine tenure systems.
Environmental Influences on the Development of Traditional Conservation in the South Pacific Region
Authors: Chapman Margaret D. 
Published: August 2009

There is an urgent need for improved understanding of conservation attitudes in the Third World because of the increasing rate of resource depletion that is now occurring in the countries involved. Although conservation practices by traditional societies in the Third World have received much attention from research workers, the fact that some practices are intentional and others inadvertent has been largely ignored. However, it is the motivation for these intentional conservation measures and the environmental influences on the people who apply them, which is crucial to understanding variations in conservation behaviour among traditional societies.Traditional conservation in the South Pacific was based on a complex system of resource-use taboos which prevented overexploitation in the limited island environment. These taboos contributed to the achievement during pre- European times of what appears from historical accounts to have been a state of relative equilibrium between island populations and their resources.Predictability and extremeness are two environmental factors which are thought to affect the development of conservational behaviour. Both these factors were examined in the light of traditional conservation in the South Pacific. Droughts and hurricanes are the two main sources of environmental unpredictability in the South Pacific, although the islands vary considerably in the degree to which they are affected by them. It was concluded that a distinction between real and perceived environmental predictability was necessary before one could fully understand the influence of predictability upon the development of conservational behaviour in the South Pacific.
Conservation of Polar Bear Pass, Bathurst Island, and the Emerging Comprehensive Conservation Policy for Northern Canada
Authors: Fenge Terry 
Published: August 2009

During 1975 to 1984, a particularly divisive debate accompanied proposals to conserve Polar Bear Pass, NWT. Virtually all interests that participated in the debate supported a more comprehensive approach towards conservation of natural areas than had hitherto prevailed, and criticized the ad hoc manner in which conservation proposals were being handled by the Federal Government of Canada.Chastened by the experience with Polar Bear Pass, and suffering land-use allocation problems in many locations, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development responded with a Northern Land-use Planning Policy (Diand, 1981a, 1981b), and is now developing a comprehensive conservation policy.Future conservation reserves in northern Canada are likely to be established as a result of regional land-use planning. It is important, however, that conservation of natural areas in both Territories support northern political development and devolution of resource management authority to northern governments, and settlement of landclaims made by native peoples.
Does Mankind Really Bear a Responsibility to the Environment?
Authors: Cloudsley-Thompson John L. 
Published: August 2009

Economic considerations cannot be invoked to justify long-term protection of the environment. The appeal to posterity, as Goethe pointed out, springs from ‘the pure, strong feeling of the existence of something imperishable; something that will, in the end, be gratified by finding the minority turn into a majority’. There is nothing new in the paradox expounded in the opening paragraphs of this account: Goethe also wrote that there is nothing worth thinking but it has been thought before; we must only try to think it again. In answer to the question, ‘What is your duty?’ he replied, ‘the claims of the day’.We should not expect to find a logical reason in the future for doing what seems right now. We should do what appears to be our duty in relation to the environment, as in all else, just because it seems right to do so, and in deference to future generations. We may not be justified in believing that there can be objective vindication of our subjective feelings; but this should never allow us to close our ears to the whispering of our inner conscience. There is much that is true which cannot be assessed, yet it is on the strength of truths such as these that actions have sometimes to be based: to ignore the future would make nonsense of the present.
Stress Tolerance of Ecosystems
Authors: Jernelöv Arne , Rosenberg Rutger 
Published: August 2009

It is conventionally argued that a stable ecosystem, namely one with high species-diversity and high constancy in physical parameters, is less sensitive to additional stress than a system with varying physical parameters and low species-diversity. By this logic, the Baltic would be more susceptible to additional stress, such as that of pollution, than the North Sea.Examples of irreparable damage to some of the most stable ecosystems in the world, such as coral reefs and tropical rain-forests, suggest, on the contrary, that these systems are more vulnerable than low-diversity ecosystems, such as a brackish-water zone in the mouth of a river or a coniferous forest in a temperate region.Studies of stress tolerance in estuaries showed that the species already living under stress, such as that of reduced and changing salinities, were more tolerant to pollution than species in a less fluctuating environment. This adaptability to environmental changes seems to be characteristic of ecosystems with a low degree of individual specialization and high genetic diversity (i.e. a large number of alleles). Following this conclusion, we question the underlying assumptions in the statement that for example the Baltic Sea, which can be regarded as a large estuary, is an area particularly susceptible to stress; purely marine ecosystems are probably more sensitive.Ecosystem stress-tolerance should be made a top priority in ecological research; this is a necessity inter alia for future localization of industries, in order to minimize their effects on the environment.
The Effects of the Wood-boring Isopod Sphaeroma terebrans on the Mangrove Communities of Florida
Authors: Rehm Andrew E. 
Published: August 2009

Investigations conducted along the west coast of Florida from Tampa to Cape Sable have shown that mangroves are confined to the upper portion of the intertidal zone by the wood-boring isopod, Sphaeroma terebrans Bate. As a result of this activity, mangroves are unable to become established throughout the intertidal zone and to extend shorelines in their usual manner.The attack on mangroves is most severe from Marco to Cape Sable, and is probably the single most important factor responsible for the erosion that is currently occurring along this section of coastline. Throughout its length, tides, temperature, and salinity, appear to influence the severity of the attack on mangroves by S. terebrans.Mangrove-dominated estuaries from Tampa to Cape Sable serve as nursery areas and feeding grounds for several commercially important marine fishes and Crustacea. The continual loss of mangroves as a result of S. terebrans activity, erosion, and human interference, may well decrease the extent to which these vital estuaries can be used as nurseries by commercially important species.
The Role of Scientists in Achieving a Better Environment
Authors: Malone Thomas F. 
Published: August 2009

Roles or expressions of attitude which scientists should play or display in achieving a better environment for Man and Nature need to include (1) a positive and optimistic viewpoint, (2) a proper perspective in time-dimensions, (3) identification of major developments that have profoundly influenced our view of ourselves as humans, (4) development of a rational conceptual framework within which to arrange the activities required to influence the human environment (involving the four basic processes of energy provision, materials-cycling, life-cycling, and information leading to decision-making), (5) relating of these four basic processes to linking Man far more propitiously than latterly to his environment, (6) effective interaction among disciplines and concomitant advising of decision-makers, (7) developing sophisticated insight into the array of societal issues that confront mankind, and (8) tackling the set of environmental hazards that are particularly critical in developing countries.The paper ends with an appeal to all ‘to reaffirm a robust faith in the destiny of Man.’
Surface-mine Rehabilitation in the American West
Authors: Cook C. Wayne 
Published: August 2009

The rehabilitation plan for a surface-mined area should be in detail and prepared as part of the mining plan. The area to be disturbed should be identified as to its vegetation-types and potential for rapid and complete restoration. The rehabilitation plan should show, by means of topographic maps or three-dimensional maps prepared before the advent of mining, the general lay of the terrain and the reconfiguration after mining. Such maps will indicate how soil-slope regulations are being met, how aesthetic acceptability can be evaluated, and how ecological response-units for revegetation can be characterized.In order to prepare a detailed revegetation plan before mining, the following maps and information are needed: (1) a topographic map, (2) a soil-series map, (3) a vegetation-cover map, and details concerning (4) the wildlife that inhabits the area, (5) the prevailing climatic conditions such as wind and the amount and form of precipitation, and (6) the character of each geological stratum that lies above the coal-seams or whatever is to be mined—including its structure, depth, and possible toxicity.The detailed revegetation plan should identify where the topsoil or other plant-growth medium will be obtained, so that it can be stockpiled to be redistributed over the spoil material. Fine sandy loams, silty clay soils, and soils that are high in toxic elements or low in organic matter, should be avoided. It is recommended that topsoil material be redistributed over the spoil material to a minimum depth of 18 to 24 inches (457 to 610 mm), in order to furnish adequate depth for root concentration and for storage of reserve moisture following the spring snow-melt. The seedbed should be firm and free from competitive weeds. On harsh sites, water-holding basins or contour trenches should be constructed.The method of seeding should include either drilling or broadcasting the seed, with due provisions for seed coverage by soil, and the addition of fertilizers and mulches where appropriate. The selection of species should include both native and introduced species that are adapted to the site. A wide diversity of life-forms and species should be included, to ensure stabilization of the area and furnish the wildlife habitat requirements. The season of seeding should be the period prior to the incidence of the most dependable precipitation in the area. The quantities of different seeds in the mixture and the overall amount employed will vary from site to site and with the method of planting. Generally speaking, poorer sites require more seed than favourable sites, and broadcasting requires about twice as much seed as does drilling.Direct on-site costs for reclamation may vary from $250 to as much as $2,750 per acre (0.405 ha), depending upon saving and distributing the topsoil, shaping the overburden, seed-bed preparation, planting, fertilization, drainage control, mulching, and irrigation.
The Extent and Location of Nature Conservation Areas
Authors: Helliwell D. R. 
Published: August 2009

This paper reviews very briefly the main factors of relevance in determining the optimal distribution of nature conservation areas within a region or country. Whilst much will depend on the existing location of areas of high conservation value, the selection of an appropriate strategy for nature conservation within a region will also depend on the likely effects of isolation between conservation areas—which, in turn, will depend to some extent on the types of plants and animals that are to be conserved.Considering a number of alternative patterns of conservation areas, it is concluded that patterns which combine a minimum of fragmentation with extensive regional coverage are likely to be preferred to more fragmented patterns involving the same total area of land.
Restoration of Seagrasses: With Economic Analysis
Authors: Thorhaug Anitra , Austin C. Bruce 
Published: August 2009

The technique of restoration of populations of land plants is an old one that is well understood by scientists, agronomists, forestry experts, and the general public. However, only recently has attention been turned to restoring underwater areas with socalled seagrasses. From 1947 onwards, attempts have been made to restore suitable marine areas by using important species; however, only very recently (from August 1973) have large-scale restoration projects been undertaken.The efforts that have been made to replant various seagrass species by different techniques are reviewed, but only two seagrasses, Zostera noltii and Thalassia testudinum, have been restored on a large scale. Both of these can be restored successfully; however, the seeding method of Thalassia appears to be the most practical operation of all, and the most potentially valuable for future research into large-scale restoration, as it allows flexibility of location and of depth of transplantation, and involves the minimum of damage to the donor site. It also ensures the most rapid regrowth, besides being in the long run the most economical method yet devised of restoring a seagrass community. An economic model (see Technical Appendix to this paper) and analysis for restoration costs are given and finally a wide range of uses of restoration of such beds of seagrasses are enumerated.
The International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC) of UNEP
Authors: Kucherenko Alexander I. , Huismans Jan W. 
Published: August 2009

Until recently there has been no international register or international network linking national registers for the exchange of information on, and for, chemical hazard assessment and control. The International Register of Potentially Toxic Chemicals (IRPTC) was established by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1976 and is now in full operation.The objectives assigned to the Register concern the establishment of a global network of contributing partners through which it can develop its data-bank containing relevant information for an assessment of environmental hazards caused by chemicals, and disseminate this information to decision-making bodies, national authorities, international organizations and other institutions, and to the scientific community that is concerned with the evaluation and control of chemicals in the environment.The IRPTC operations involve preparation of data profiles for chemicals, the development of a computerized data storage and retrieval system, a query–response service, and the publication of a 4-monthly Register Index, a periodical Bulletin, and other documents. These contain information on chemicals, international and national activities related to issues of chemical safety, and also legislative and regulatory measures for protection of the health of humans and of the environment from the noxious effects of chemicals.