1,721,057 research outputs found
Dynamics of biogeochemical properties in temperate coastal areas of freshwater influence: Lessons from the Northern Adriatic Sea (Gulf of Trieste)
No full textHigh spatial and temporal variabilities of biogeochemical properties are prominent features of regions
under freshwater influence as a result of multiple factors. Understanding the ecological functioning of
these ecosystems, which provide important services for humans, is challenging since it requires adequate
observational strategies and efforts.
Multi-years (1999e2006) continuous observations in the northernmost part of the Adriatic Sea (Gulf
of Trieste) allowed us to compute a climatological description of seasonal dynamics of biogeochemical
properties for three relevant sites: a coastal area directly influenced by a river, an off-shore area located
in the centre of the Gulf and a coastal area located far from potential source of external nutrients.
The analysis of the climatologies provides a quantitative corroboration of the conceptual scheme for
biogeochemical and ecological seasonal dynamics of temperate coastal areas under freshwater influence
already proposed in literature, highlighting the role of river input, lateral transport, stratification regime
and interaction with bottom environment as driving factors.
While all areas follow a common pattern of succession of ecological processes, spatial variability
accounts for a significant decrease of the absolute trophic state, and for a phase delay in biogeochemical
dynamics. Results show that spatial heterogeneity is an inherent structural feature of coastal ecosystems,
suggesting that the evaluation of the quality status of coastal ecosystems should be made by using
different reference terms for different sub-areas
Natural parks and sustainable development: a theoretical study
Full text linkWe Analyse the role of natural parks in Europe in mediating among diverging interests on the use of natural resources. Using standard economic concepts, we highlight that natural parks provide different types of goods and act as place-based institutions for sustainable developmen
Long-term changes in a Mediterranean marine ecosystem
Full text linkIn the Mediterranean Sea, structured and standardized monitoring programs of marine
resources were set only in the last decades, so the analysis of changes in marine
communities over longer time scale has to rely on other sources. In this work, we
used seven decades (1945–2014) of disaggregated landings statistics for the Northern
Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean) to infer changes in the ecosystem. Analysis of landings
composition was enriched with the application of a suite of ecological indicators (e.g.,
trophodynamic indicators, such as the primary production required to sustain the
catches—PPR; size-based indicators, such as the large species indicator—LSI; other
indicators, such as the elasmobranchs-bony fish ratio—E/B ratio). Indicators were further
compared with main ecosystem drivers, i.e., fishing capacity, nutrient loads and climate
change. Species most vulnerable to fishing (i.e., elasmobranchs and large-sized species)
dramatically declined at the beginning of the industrialization of fishery that occurred
right afterwards World War II, as can be inferred by the negative drop of LSI and
E/B ratio in the mid-1950s. However, until the mid-1980s landings and PPR increased
due to improvements in fishing activities (e.g., the introduction of more efficient fishing
gears) increasing fishing capacity, high productivity of the ecosystem. Overall, the effects
of fishing were buffered by an increase in productivity in the period of high nutrient
discharge (up to mid-1980s), while significant changes in fish community structure were
already occurring. From the mid-1980s, a reduction in nutrient load caused a decline
in productivity but the food-web structure was already modified and unable to support,
or recover from, such unbalanced situation, resulting in the collapse of landings. This
collapse is coherent with alternative stable states hypothesis, typical of complex real
systems, that implies drastic interventions that go beyond fisheries management and
include regulation of nutrient release for recovery. The work highlights that, despite poor
capabilities to track species dynamics, landings and applied indicators might help to
shed light on the long-term dynamics of marine communities, thus contributing to place
current situation in an historical framework with potential for supporting management
Recent changes in the marine ecosystems of the northern Adriatic Sea
No full textThis review of studies on long term series on river discharges, oceanographic features, plankton, fish and
benthic compartments, collected since the 1970s revealed significant changes of mechanisms and trophic
structures in the northern Adriatic ecosystems. A gradual increase of eutrophication pressure occurred
during the 1970s until the mid 1980s, followed by a reversal of the trend, particularly marked in the
2000s. This trend was ascribed to the combination of a reduction of the anthropogenic impact, mainly
due to a substantial decrease of the phosphorus loads, and of climatic modifications, resulting in
a decline of atmospheric precipitations and, consequently, of the runoff in the northern Adriatic Sea.
Significant decreases of the phytoplankton abundances were observed after the mid 1980s, concurrently
with changes in the species composition of the communities, with an evident shift toward smaller cells
or organism sizes. Moreover, changes in the zooplankton community were also observed. A decrease of
demersal fishes, top predators and small pelagic fishes was ascribed to both overfishing and a demise of
eutrophication.
Macrozoobenthic communities slowly recovered in the last two decades after the anoxia events of the
1970s and 1980s.
An increasing number of non-autochthonous species has been recorded in the last decades moreover
the increasing seawater temperature facilitated the spreading of thermophilic specie
The ‘Position’ of Social Sciences in Sustainability Issue. The Emblematic Case of Energy Transition
Full text linkThe paper aims to illustrate the different roles that social sciences can play in the study of the energy transition, intended as an emblematic case of human systems sustainability. To this end, a scheme is developed that frames the relative position of the social sciences with respect to other disciplines (metaframe). Secondly, socialization is identified as a charismatic category capable of providing an original, typically sociological contribution to the hesitant energy and environmental transition (masterframe)
Framing Sustainability
No full textSince the promulgation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, adopted by the member states of the United Nations in 2015, the concept of sustainability has become pervasive in society. Most social organizations, businesses, institutions, political forces, associations, movements recognize themselves around the idea that sustainability is a goal to be hit. Businesses and public bodies are directing their social and environmental balance sheets, their development programs and plans on the basis of the indications that come from the thematic objectives set by the United Nations. No development strategy could therefore disregard sustainability objectives. Paradoxically, the major limitation of the concept of sustainability lies precisely here
The Law of Sustainability
No full textInasmuch as keeping the world sustainable requires continuous commitments and substantial changes in human behavior, law is, and should be, a central concern for any sustainability-oriented initiative
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
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