87 research outputs found
On the natural capital and ecosystem services of soils
No full textIn their paper, a framework for the evaluation of the natural capital and ecosystem services of soils, Dominati et al., 2010 E. Dominati, M. Patterson and A. Mackay, A framework for classifying and quantifying the natural capital and ecosystem services of soils, Ecol. Econ. 69 (2010), pp. 1858–1868. Article | PDF (750 K) | View Record in Scopus | Cited By in Scopus (2)Dominati et al. (2010) address the important issue of recognizing the fundamental role of soils within the ecosystems approach (Anon, 2000). Given that conservation organizations and National Governments are adopting the ecosystems approach, as a way of placing value on nature's services to humanity for decision making purposes and policy development, it is critical that frameworks accurately reflect the contributions of all the components of the ecosystem to return a true value; and that we develop the debate on how best to achieve this. Dominati et al. (2010) rightly point out that below ground soil resources are often overlooked, and there is much overlapping terminology between the disciplines of soils, ecology and economics, which can result in confusion over where soils lie within the ecosystems approach
Developing an economic policy model to insure growth in small rural southern black towns: case study of Eatonville, Florida, 1977
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Using microscope observations of thin sections to estimate soil permeability with the Kozeny–Carman equation
No full textOn the Definition of the Natural Capital of Soils: A Framework for Description, Evaluation, and Monitoring
No full textThe unknown consequences and potential impacts of mankind’s ability to destroy, alter, or
manipulate ecosystems on a vast scale drives our need to better understand the earth system.
A fundamental challenge for soil science in the 21st century is to understand the role of
soil processes in relation to the function of the earth system. Th e rationale for developing a
defi nition of soil natural capital stems from the premise that we value ‘things’ based on their
perceived value to human well-being. As a consequence, ignorance of the value of a resource,
or system, may lead to its neglect and omission from decision making. Th erefore, there is a
need to develop a defi nition of soil natural capital, fi tting within a broad framework, which
can be used to assess soil ecosystem services that contribute to the function of the earth
system. Th ough various defi nitions of soil natural capital have been proposed, mostly in the
agricultural context, it still remains a nebulous and ill-defi ned term. Th e objective of this paper
is to develop an embracing defi nition of soil ‘natural capital’ focusing on (i) mass, (ii) energy,
and (iii) organization/entropy. Mass is further subdivided into solid, liquid and gas phases,
and organization into physicochemical, biotic, and spatiotemporal structure. We diff erentiate
between two aspects of capital, the quantity and the quality. As a result of our defi nition, soil
moisture, temperature, and structure emerge as valuable stocks, alongside the more traditionally
viewed stocks such as inorganic (mineralogy, texture) and organic materials (OM content). We
go on to demonstrate how natural capital fi ts within the ecosystem services framework, and
how using integrated valuation and process based models it can be evaluated. Finally we discuss
measurement and monitoring needs that fi t with this vision of evaluation
Fernando Picó. One Frenchman, Four Revolutions: General Ferrand and the Peoples of the Caribbean. Markus Wiener, 2011.
No full textFernando Picó, One Frenchman, Four Revolutions: General Ferrand and the Peoples of the Caribbean (Princeton, NJ: Markus Wiener, 2011).
Word Count: 2,689
The book One Frenchman, Four Revolutions: General Ferrand and the Peoples of the Caribbean by Fernando Picó delves into the life of General Jean-Louis Ferrand and its connection to the four revolutions unfolding in the Caribbean between 1803 and 1808. Employing an intriguing literary technique, Picó initiates the narrative with the general\u27s death, paving the way to explore the events surrounding the political landscape of the time. Drawing inspiration from Voltaire, the author employs a methodology that reflects the influence of the Enlightenment thinker, emphasizing the geopolitical significance of the Caribbean within the context of the Atlantic Revolution. Picó scrutinizes Ferrand\u27s administration in a revolutionary world, shedding light on overlooked aspects that have been overshadowed and mischaracterized, particularly concerning French and Haitian intervention in Dominican society. The book contributes to Caribbean historiography by offering a comprehensive examination of the era and providing a valuable toolbox for diverse historical perspectives. The author subtly engages with the omission of elements related to the Haitian indigenist project, indirectly favoring a Hispanist stance. While the work is tailored for a more specialized audience, it serves as a notable addition to Caribbean historical scholarship, encouraging varied approaches to historical research
ChemInform Abstract: Definition of the Natural Capital of Soils: A Framework for Description, Evaluation, and Monitoring
No full textImaging of hill-slope soil moisture wetting patterns in a semi-arid oak savanna catchment using time-lapse electromagnetic induction
No full textSoil moisture (θ) is a fundamental hydrological state variable and its spatial pattern is important for understanding hydrological processes. Determination of small catchment-scale soil moisture status and distribution at intermediate scales (0.01–1 km2) is challenging. Primarily because multi-point measurements using sensors are often impractical, while remote sensing resolution is often too coarse. Geophysical methods, e.g. electromagnetic induction (EMI), offer potential for bridging this gap. Our objective was to test the use of time-lapse EMI surveys to separate the influences of ‘static’ soil variables, e.g. texture/mineralogy, from ‘dynamic’, e.g. changes in soil moisture. A novel differencing approach is used for estimating relative changes in soil moisture, subtracting the bulk soil electrical conductivity (ECa) of the driest seasonal soil map, named the residual ECa, from the ECa collected during subsequent wetting. This approach allows us to remove the effects of spatially distributed mineral electrical surface charge (ECs) and other factors, and improve estimation of water content. Comparing results with TDR determined soil moisture, we improve the correlation from r2 = 0.28 to r2 = 0.48. ECa measurements are observed to be correlated in time (r2 > 0.7), but fall into two distinct groups, corresponding to times before and after the onset of stream flow, supporting the concept of preferred soil moisture states. Catchment wetness index predicts areas of convergence resulting in overland flow and stream flow. However, the spatial pattern of soil moisture does not mirror the wetness index, as others have found. We contend that the use of time-lapse EMI imaging provides important insight into the distribution and dynamics of catchment-scale changes in soil moisture, but acknowledge its limitations of requiring moisture dependent contrast of ECa, which will not occur in some soils
Soil water repellency and pH soil change under tropical pine plantations compared with native tropical forest
No full textIn temperate climates, soil water repellency (SWR) has been documented to develop with land-use change from native forest to pine plantations. In the tropics a sparse evidence base has been documented for the observation of SWR, but no investigation has been conducted to determine the consequences of changing land-use from native forest to pine plantations with regard to SWR. In our research we broaden the evidence base for tropical SWR by comparing the SWR behavior of seven tropical pine plantations in Trinidad with co-located native forest. We found that SWR occurred under both pine and native forest, but was more persistent and less heterogeneous under pine. The SWR was water content dependent with a threshold ~0.2 m3m-3, it showed a linear dependence with litter depth, and it was also found to be higher in more acidic soils. The forest floor pH, contrary to convention for temperate climates, was observed to increase under some pine plantations, as compared with native tropical forest. This only occurred in the very acidic tropical soils (pH<4), but may have important biogeochemical consequences with regard to soil and water quality
Faculty agency and the internationalization of higher education: A case study of one university in Pakistan
No full textThis dissertation describes how faculty use their agency to make meaningful decisions in their careers within the context of internationalization. The author uses a faculty agency framework that positions internationalization as a sociocultural structure that influences faculty members’ identities and the organizational contexts in which they work, shaping how they use strategic actions and perspectives to navigate their daily work lives and career goals. The study uses a private university in Pakistan as a case study, with document analysis, interviews, and teaching observations as the primary data collection methods. The author finds faculty members’ agency behaviors can be organized into three interrelated and overlapping categories in response to internationalization: localized behaviors, aspiring behaviors, and internationalized behaviors. Each of these agency responses impact faculty members’ teaching and research responsibilities separately. Findings from this research can be used to understand how to uncover and contextualize faculty members agency within larger global social forces and help administrators and others provide better support to faculty within the context of organizational goals.This work is embargoed by the author and will not be publicly available until 2027-05-31.2027-05-3
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