Ecocycles (E-Journal - European Ecocycles Society)
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Disease resistance in plants: The road to phytoalexins and beyond
Full text linkThis paper summarizes the views of the authors on the roles specific metabolites play in the resistance of plants against bacterial and fungal diseases. Pesticidal specific plant metabolites may be synthesized in plant tissues constitutively (phytoanticipins) or in response to microbial infections (phytoalexins). This paper identifies certain key steps in the discovery of phytoalexins and touches upon the current state of phytoalexin research
Women, the silent champions: Time to close the gender gap in biodiversity
Full text linkThe paper tries to identify the common links between gender equality and sustainable agriculture, with special focus on biodiversity in the developing countries mentioned above and call attention to the issues that affect women more than men, and thus should be given pronounced attention
Equestrian tourism and horse breeding in Hungary and Slovenia – environmental sustainability and conservation of cultural heritage: a strategic approach
Full text linkHistorically, horse-breeding and riding has been an integral part of Hungarian and Slovenian culture for over a thousand years. In a broader sense, the equestrian sector includes all related activities, without which the efficient operation of the sector is unthinkable. Examples include infrastructure development, fodder production, veterinary services, the institutional system operating in the sector (public and non-governmental organizations, etc.). In the narrower sense, the equestrian industry is the sum of all areas where the horse is the main driver of its operation. This includes all areas of horse-related activities, such as all-inclusive education, use of horses in organic agriculture, horse breeding, equestrian tourism, horse racing, traditional historic horse-events, equestrian therapy, recreational riding and horseback riding are key elements. A feasibility study was carried out in the Hungarian – Slovenian border region to explore the possibilities for joint cross-boundary development of horse-based tourism. Hungary's and Slovenia’s contemporary natural qualities provide excellent opportunities for equestrian tourism. The starting point for formulating cross-boundary equestrian programme is that the mutually reinforcing, complex and holistic development of each sub-area can only produce results. We have identified the strategic goals of equestrian tourist destination development: a) people-centred and long-term profitable development; b) improvement of tourism reception conditions; c) attraction development, including target-group oriented special programmes; d) human resource development and equestrian education; e) PR and marketing; f) regulatory interventions / measures, which can be effective if they work closely with businesses, NGOs and the public sector (municipalities, government agencies), including conservation of horse-related material and intangible cultural heritage
Environmental attitudes of Hungarian students and the prospects for environmental education
Full text linkThe efficiency of primary education is of fundamental importance in environmental education. The aim of this survey was to evaluate the environmental attitudes of young teenagers in Hungary, learning their preferences regarding plants and animals, their reasoning, and opinions about conservation. Therefore, a complex questionnaire containing 11 open questions and 5 closed questions were completed in 2016 for students between the age of 13 and 14 years. This age group was selected based on the curriculum suited the best to this type of investigation and the already advanced level of knowledge for the student. Printed questionnaires were provided to the student attending to primary schools personally, and they were asked to fill them in their class supervised by their teachers to minimalize external influences. There were 744 students living in 92 settlements of different sizes who have filled the questionnaires in 2017. These questionnaires were grouped according to the student’ gender, settlement sizes (six categories), and type of home (detached house, apartment building, or prefabricated panel building). Here we report the first results after assessing the questionnaires. According to their preferences toward plants or animals, the great majority of the responders (91.3%) favored animals, and there was no difference between boys and girls in this respect. The size of the settlements and the type of the students’ home did not influence animal preference. These results suggest that teachers should particularly focus on plants in their biology and environmental education programs. When students were asked about their favorite plants, almost 80 percent of them gave priority to local plant species, especially flowers (73.1%). More than three-quarters (77%) of the families of the students asked have at least one pet or domestic animal, and almost two-thirds (64.4%) of them wish to have even more - although 71.1% of them live in apartment buildings or prefabricated panel buildings. Students meet animals most often (52.8%) locally, and domestic mammals are those animals that the highest proportion (41.8%) of them encounter. More than half (54%) of the children go outdoors/make an excursion at least once in a month, but 11 percent of them have no such experiences. When asked about conservation, 77.7% of the children stated that they would save all of the living creatures, and 12.1% chose to save only the useful ones. This information may help in focusing on special areas for environmental education or developing new strategies and tools for it
Current thinking on sustainable human habitat: the Findhorn Ecovillage case
Full text linkSince 1996, the UN-Habitat Best Practice Unit and its network of partners have helped identify, evaluate, document and disseminate close to 5,000 proven solutions from over 140 countries to the world’s common social, economic and environmental problems. These success stories are contained in a searchable and regularly updated database known as the Best Practices Database. Best practices can be defined as initiatives which make outstanding contributions to improving the quality of life in cities and communities around the world
Experimented methods to moderate the impact of climate change in Auroville
Full text linkThe city of Auroville was founded in 1968 on the Coromandel Coast of South India. It has gone through exemplary landscape rejuvenation during the past decades. The once heavily eroded area has become a green biosphere. Conscious water management, reforestation, coastal protection, sustainable agriculture, a holistic urban plan and the use of alternative energy have been thoroughly researched and implemented in Auroville.
Recent natural disasters have highlighted that the rehabilitated landscape and the conscious town planning of Auroville can offer certain protection from the impact of climate change. Auroville and its bioregion have experienced several natural disasters. A tsunami hit the coast in 2004, Hurricane Thane struck in 2012, a flood occurred in 2015, and a severe drought occurred in 2017. Over the last two decades, sea level rise and the disappearance of the coastline have been significant, as well as the intrusion of the seawater into the groundwater. Throughout these events Auroville environment remained noticeably more safe and healthy than its surrounding bioregions. Decades of cooperative projects with the villages in the bioregion have enabled Auroville to quickly act after disasters, avoiding aggravated situations such as outbreaks of epidemics. The achievements of Auroville can be a good example for cities of the Coromandel Coast and around the world
Sustainable development deficit in Europe: modelling, ranking, and classification of countries
Full text linkThe paper focuses on evaluation of progress of European and neighbouring countries in sustainable development using the system of environmental, social and economic indicators. The task of the research is to identify the problem (deficit) points of countries from the sustainable development point of view. The system of indices which characterize deficit in different sustainable development dimensions has been evaluated. The ranking of European and some neighbouring countries on sustainability problems level has been developed. The counties under consideration have been classified on significance and nature of their sustainable development problems. It is shown that the level of sustainable development is not related with the level of economic development, some of the most economically developed European countries have deep sustainability problems and, in contrast, it is possible to reach good progress toward sustainable development despite economic difficulties
Recent advances and future trends in zebrafish bioassays for aquatic ecotoxicology
Full text linkZebrafish (Danio rerio), a cyprinid teleost, has become an ideal model species for aquatic ecotoxicology due to the broad spectra of methodologies that have been developed since the 1980s. The zebrafish has many advantages as a model organism e.g. small size, ex utero development of the embryo, short reproductive cycle, and transparent embryos. In addition, the zebrafish shares a high degree of homology with the human genome. It has become a powerful model organism for genetics, development, environmental toxicology, several human diseases and pharmacology. Zebrafish bioassays can be used for environmental monitoring including pollutant evaluations, such as toxic heavy metals, endocrine disruptors, and organic pollutants. The large number of transparent embryos gained from zebrafish females, in vitro and rapid embryonic development and ready-to-use methods of biotechnology enables us to use mostly automatized high-throughput screening not only in pharmaceutical drug development protocols but in aquatic ecotoxicology as well
EU policies: New opportunities for aquaponics
Full text linkAquaponics is a modern and sustainable food production technology. This paper reviews different policies relevant to aquaponics in order to create a clear picture on how aquaponics can contribute to achieving European goals and how the policies and strategies can provide support and opportunities for this sector. Because aquaponics falls into fish as well as plant production relevant policies are the Common Agriculture Policy and the Common Fisheries Policy, the European Union (EU) Food Safety and Nutrition Policy, and the EU Environmental Policy. Goals of these policies that are related to aquaponics include promoting innovation, increasing competitiveness and sustainability, improving access to space and water, welfare of fish, prevention of waste, and promoting resource-efficiency and low-carbon economy. Aquaponics contributes to achieving these goals by minimising water and nutrient use, utilising areas unfit for other food production systems, facilitating local food production and thus providing new business opportunities. The EU provides various frameworks for financial support for the different components of aquaponics, resulting in a range of opportunities for the newcomer as well as the already established aquaponics entrepreneurs. Financial support mostly targets research projects, while the sector also needs assistance in the commercial development