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Environmental stewardship: A systematic scoping review
No full textEnvironmental stewardship is a term describing both the philosophy and the actions required to protect, restore, and sustainably use natural resources for the future benefit of the environment and society. In this paper, we review the environmental science literature to map the types of practical actions that are identified as ‘environmental stewardship’ using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines for scoping reviews. We specifically mapped: 1) the type of actions and outcomes targeting the natural environment that have been categorized as environmental stewardship, 2) the main actors, and the underlying factors influencing their environmental stewardship actions, and 3) the methods used to mobilize environmental stewardship actions once these factors are known. From the 77 selected articles, we found the term environmental stewardship encompassed a multitude of different actions, undertaken by a range of actors and addressing an array of issues that impact biodiversity on the land and in the water. These stewardship actions were conducted on both privately-owned and publicly managed lands and waterways, and across rural and urban landscapes. Despite many studies identifying characteristics and underlying behavioral factors that predicted actors’ participation in stewardship actions, there were few studies formally evaluating interventions to increase stewardship. Our review highlighted the term environmental stewardship is not embraced by all and is viewed by some as being inconsistent with aspects of indigenous worldviews. A better understanding of the concept of environmental stewardship and continued practical research into its practice is fundamental to empowering people to demand and enact environmental stewardship as well as for evaluating the success of their actions
Agent-based trust and reputation model in smart IoT environments
Get PDFThe Internet of Things (IoT) enables smart devices to connect, share and exchange data with each other through the internet. Since an IoT environment is open and dynamic, IoT participants may need to collaborate with unknown entities with no proven track record. To ensure successful collaboration among these entities, it is important to establish a mechanism that ensures all entities operate in a trustworthy manner. We present a trust and reputation model that can be used to select the best service provider in an IoT environment. Our proposed model, IoT-CADM (Comprehensive Agent-based Decision-making Model for IoT) is an agent-based decentralised trust and reputation model that can be used to select the best service provider for a particular service based on multi-context quality of service. IoT-CADM is developed using a smart multi-agent IoT environment where information about entities is collected and evaluated using a trust and reputation algorithm. We evaluated the performance of the proposed model against some other well-known models in a simulated smart factory supply chain system. Our experimental results showed that the proposed IoT-CADM achieved the best performance
Phosphorus fertiliser is associated with reduced grass grub (Costelytra giveni) fitness in Epichloë endophyte-infected meadow fescue and perennial ryegrass
Get PDFBACKGROUND: Fertiliser applications are well-established tools in pasture-based agricultural landscapes. This study focuses on the impact of phosphorus (P) fertiliser on grass grub (Costelytra giveni), a major pasture pest. This research investigates the interplay between P, plant growth, and grass grub fitness in Epichloë endophyte-infected perennial ryegrass (Epichloë sp. LpTG-3 strain AR37) and meadow fescue infected with E. uncinata (strain MaxR; AR1017), alongside their endophyte-free counterparts. In a glasshouse trial, plants were grown in P-enriched soil with varying Olsen P levels (9, 18, 28 or 78 mg L¯¹), and grass grubs were introduced. Their survival and weight gain, and plant performance were measured. In a bioassay, grass grubs were placed in specimen vials with P-enriched soils (Olsen P levels 9, 18, 28 and 78 mg L¯¹) and provided with identical plant material to assess their diet consumption and weight gain.
RESULTS: In the glasshouse trial, results highlighted a notable decrease in the survival of grass grub on plants infected with MaxR endophyte, but not with AR37, as well as increasing soil Olsen P levels in both plant species. While grass grub decreased plant performance at the low Olsen P level (9 mg L¯¹), this effect diminished with increasing P. Likewise, results from the bioassay showed a decrease in diet consumption with increasing soil Olsen P levels. In both trials increasing Olsen P levels correlated with diminished grass grub performance, revealing a nuanced relationship between soil fertility and pest dynamics.
CONCLUSION: The study underscores the pivotal role of selected Epichloë endophyte–grass associations in mitigating grass grub damage across varying phosphorus levels. This study highlights the potential to integrate P applications for sustainable pest control against grass grub. Further field trials are required to validate these findings
Modulating acidity and bioactivities of sauerkraut with Proprionibacterium freudenreichii : A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Food Innovation at Lincoln University
No full textHealth and nutrition are inextricably connected, and as consumer demand for health promoting products grows, the food industry is responding with the development of functional foods. Synthetic vitamins are commonly supplemented to maintain good health, particularly Vitamin B12, as it is an essential micronutrient obtained exclusively through the consumption of animal derived foods. This leaves vegans and plant based eaters at risk of deficiency. Studies have shown that Propionibacterium freudenreichii can be successfully co-fermented with Latic acid bacteria (LAB) to produce B12 in grain based substrates. In this study P. freudenreichii was inoculated into a traditional sauerkraut fermentation, resulting in synthesis of B12 at promising levels. Acidity was also modulated when compared with sauerkraut produced by spontaneous LAB fermentation, highlighting the potential for the wider organopleptic appeal of sauerkraut
Māori prosperity through agrifood innovation: Success stories in Aotearoa New Zealand's food and fibre sector
No full textWe will discuss mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge) from a recent survey asking Māori which plants, vegetables, and rākau rongoā (medicinal plants) are significant to them, and some of their current uses today. We will explain the significant role that insects play in Māori culture as food, medicine, and cultural narratives. Finally, we'll discuss how revitalising potential future food sources like insects benefits from Indigenous knowledge and the care that should be taken when integrating it into Western science
The biological control of the red clover casebearer in New Zealand : A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Lincoln University
No full textBiocontrol of insect pests represents an important aspect of sustainable crop management that has potential to reduce the current reliance on chemical control measures. However, often the potential of all forms of biocontrol is undermined in contemporary productive systems and their resulting landscapes.
In New Zealand seed three species of clover feeding moths of the Coleophora genus have seriously hindered red and white clover seed production during the last 100 years in New Zealand. From the 1920s until the 1960s two species of white clover casebearer (Coleophora mayrella and C. alcyonipennella) caused varying levels of seed yield reduction in white clover seed crops. During the 1960s efforts were made by government science agencies to establish parasitoid wasps of these species. This programme was highly successful, resulting in the total suppression of clover casebearer seed pests in New Zealand, until the arrival of the red clover casebearer (C. deauratella) during 2016. This pest quickly spread throughout the country’s clover growing regions, leading to yield reductions.
This thesis explores the arthropod community of red clover seed crops under a main theme of ‘the biocontrol of the red clover casebearer’. The experiments employed are varied, although typically with a major aim being exploring the function of species within the red clover seed crop ecosystem. Three species of parasitoid wasp were able to successfully use C. deauratella as a host; Bracon variegator, Pteramalus puparum and Eupelmus (Macroneura) messene. The red clover casebearer was clearly undergoing remission as a pest and only two damaging populations of this pest could be located. The predominant parasitoid, B. variegator, had a field parasitism incidence of up to 75% on C. deauratella, but despite this these two populations of the pest persisted.
Over the course of these experiments it was noted that a fungal growth was leading to mortality of C. deauratella larvae. From infected C. deauratella cases a potentially entomopathogenic strain of Fusarium pseudograminearum was isolated and identified through PCR sequencing.
It is still uncertain how C. deauratella is being regulated in New Zealand red clover seed crops. The role of parasitoid wasps, a potential fungal pathogen and other unknown biocontrol agents is yet to be determined
Critical coastal values impacted by marine bioinvasions: What the public value about marine and coastal areas and what is at stake?
No full textUnderstanding values of coastal areas that the public hold, and which values would potentially be impacted by non-indigenous marine species (NIMS) and subsequent management actions, are necessary to predict social responses to marine biosecurity interventions. With that in mind, we used survey data from a representative sample of the New Zealand population (n = 1001) to spatially identify the public’s values of coastal areas, and societal ‘hotspots’, which are either value-rich or vulnerable to the impacts of NIMS and/or management actions, and examined socio-demographic patterns in the public’s valuation of beaches and coastal areas. We used three different value categorisations to capture the large spectrum of public values in this dynamic context. Three value indices (i.e., intensity, richness, and diversity of values) were adopted for each categorisation. Our findings highlight the highly multidimensional characteristics of the values people held for marine and coastal areas; a large part of which were unrepresented using ecosystem service approaches. Moreover, the identified societal ‘hotspots’ were spatially different using different value categorisations and different value indices. These outcomes suggest a need for a comprehensive societal value typology that ensures that the public is heard, and that the identified values are accurate and meaningful. The public valuation of beach and coastal areas was different among gender, educational backgrounds, respondents’ residential city sizes, and the relative location between respondents’ hometown and their favourite beaches. The recognition of these demographic patterns can inform marine biosecurity risk and intervention communication strategies
How the internet is revolutionizing sustainable agriculture in Asia
No full textInternet access and use vary greatly across regions and countries. In 2023, the internet penetration rate, defined as the ratio of the number of internet users to the total population, was 65.9% in Asia and the Pacific but as high as 90.5% in European countries. Within Asia, internet penetration rates are relatively high in countries such as the Republic of Korea (97%), Japan (93.3%), and Singapore (92%). In contrast, countries like the Republic of China (PRC) (69.8%), India (59.5%), and Pakistan (50.9%) have comparatively lower internet penetration rates (Statista 2023). Globally, the internet penetration rate in rural areas has increased from 42.6% in 2020 to 50.4% in 2023, yet it still lags behind that of urban areas (ITU 2024).
Despite the relatively lower internet penetration rate in rural areas, the rapid expansion of internet use has significantly transformed and advanced the sustainability of agricultural production. Internet use fosters a more sustainable future for agriculture through two principal pathways: farm management and farm performance
Effectiveness of blood flow training during a taper phase in basketball players
No full textIntroduction: Blood flow restriction (BFR) training, shown to enhance muscular strength and hypertrophy, has been studied for its potential in aiding various groups, including older people and recovering athletes. It’s effectiveness, however, in maintaining or enhancing performance among highly trained athletes during a taper phase at a season’s end remains undecided. This study aimed to explore if BFR could help maintain athletic performance in a taper phase where the aim was to reduce the external load, but maintain intensity, in basketball players.
Methods: The study involved 17 experienced basketball players divided into two groups: a placebo group (n = 8, 22 ± 2.1 years mean ± SD) and a BFR group (n = 9, 21.1 ± 1.5 years). Typically, their training schedule included strength training 3 days/week, alongside 2 team training sessions, 2 individual skill sessions, and 1 competitive basketball game per week. For the studys taper period, players adhered to this weekly routine but reduced the volume of lifting while either maintaining (placebo) or reducing (BFR) lifting intensity. For 4 weeks during the taper the BFR group exercised with 60% arterial occlusion pressure at an intensity of 25-30% of their one-repetition max (1RM), while the placebo group completed their normal taper training at an intensity of 80% of their 1RM wearing BFR cuffs which were only inflated to 20% arterial occlusion pressure. Additional metrics, such as arterial oxygen saturation, heart rate, rate of perceived exertion, and average bar velocity, were also monitored during the training sessions.
Results: Compared to the placebo group, the BFR group increased sprint performance over 5m (-1.4 ± 1.5% mean ± 95% CI, p = 0.032), 10m (-1.1 ± 0.5%, p = 0.0003), and 20m (-0.3 ± 0.5%, p = 0.223). Compared to the placebo group improve-ments were also observed in the BFR group in their barbell back squat (9.6 ± 8.0%, p = 0.013), trap bar deadlift (1.3 ± 5.5%, p = 0.427), barbell bench press (4.5 ± 4.8%, p = 0.106) and barbell prone row (3.3 ± 5.1%, p = 0.199). Counter-movement jump performance also improved in the BFR compared to placebo participants (1.1 ± 0.8%, p = 0.035).
Conclusion: Implementing BFR to maintain exercise intensity while reducing overall work volume has shown to not only be effective in sustaining performance levels during a taper phase, but this type of training can actually increase performance in many cases. This information can be used to develop targeted interventions throughout a macrocycle in different phases of the season and may be useful in team sports where players must peak a number of times throughout the season
Finding nori—Understanding key factors driving US consumers’ commitment for sea-vegetable products
No full textThe trend toward sustainable and healthy food consumption has stimulated widespread debate. US consumers demand healthy and sustainable food options and are increasingly interested in alternative proteins such as macro-algae, also known as sea-vegetables. The present study is built on the responses of an online survey aiming to explore US consumers’ commitment towards varying sea-vegetable-based products. Affordability, sustainability, taste, environmental friendliness, and health benefits, as well as product novelty and versatility, were the factors under investigation. All factors were found to be equally strong predictors for sea-vegetable product commitment. Best-practice recommendations for US food marketers and agricultural producers are also provided