Below is a sampling of selected articles from our research databases on some notable environmental issues and policies.
Selected Articles on Social-Ecological Systems & Sustainability
Approaching a state shift in Earth's biosphereLocalized ecological systems are known to shift abruptly and irreversibly from one state to another when they are forced across critical thresholds. Here we review evidence that the global ecosystem as a whole can react in the same way and is approaching a planetary-scale critical transition as a result of human influence. The plausibility of a planetary-scale 'tipping point' highlights the need to improve biological forecasting by detecting early warning signs of critical transitions on global as well as local scales, and by detecting feedbacks that promote such transitions. It is also necessary to address root causes of how humans are forcing biological changes.
Comparison of Frameworks for Analyzing Social-ecological SystemsIn this paper we compare 10 established frameworks for analyzing social-ecological systems. We limited ourselves to frameworks that were explicitly designed to be used by a wider community of researchers and practitioners. Although all these frameworks seem to have emerged from the need for concepts that permit structured, interdisciplinary reasoning about complex problems in social-ecological systems, they differ significantly with respect to contextual and structural criteria, such as conceptualization of the ecological and social systems and their interrelation. It appears that three main criteria suffice to produce a classification of frameworks that may be used as a decision tree when choosing a framework for analysis. These criteria are (i) whether a framework conceptualizes the relationship between the social and ecological systems as being uni- or bidirectional; (ii) whether it takes an anthropocentric or an ecocentric perspective on the ecological system; and (iii) whether it is an action-oriented or an analysis-oriented framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Conceptualizing the circular economy: An analysis of 114 definitionsHighlights: First comprehensive and systematic analysis of circular economy (CE) definitions in the current scholarly and practitioner discourse; 114 definitions examined; some definitions mistake CE as recycling, link to sustainable development (particularly social equity) weak; Variety of understandings can result in CE concept eventually collapsing or ending up in conceptual deadlock.
Dilemmas in a General Theory of PlanningThe search for scientific bases for confronting problems of social policy is bound to fail, because of the nature of these problems. They are "wicked" problems, whereas science has developed to deal with "tame" problems. Policy problems cannot be definitively described. Moreover, in a pluralistic society there is nothing like the undisputable public good; there is no objective definition of equity; policies that respond to social problems cannot be meaningfully correct or false; and it makes no sense to talk about "optimal solutions" to social problems unless severe qualifications are imposed first. Even worse, there are no "solutions" in the sense of definitive and objective answers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
The integration of biodiversity into One HealthRomanelli, C., Cooper, H. D., & de Souza Dias, B. F. (2014). The integration of biodiversity into One Health. Revue Scientifique et Technique (International Office of Epizootics), 33(2), 487–496. https://doi.org/10.20506/rst.33.2.2291
Leverage Points: Places to Intervene in a SystemThis article proposes twelve leverage points to intervene in a system. It published by the Sustainability Institute and written by Donella Meadows, a scientist and system analyst.
The Macroecology of SustainabilityBurger, J. R., Allen, C. D., Brown, J. H., Burnside, W. R., Davidson, A. D., Fristoe, T. S., Hamilton, M. J., Mercado-Silva, N., Nekola, J. C., Okie, J. G., & Zuo, W. (2012). The Macroecology of Sustainability. PLoS Biology, 10(6), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001345
Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspectiveBratman, G. N., Anderson, C. B., Berman, M. G., Cochran, B., de Vries, S., Flanders, J., Folke, C., Frumkin, H., Gross, J. J., Hartig, T., Kahn, P. H., Jr, Kuo, M., Lawler, J. J., Levin, P. S., Lindahl, T., Meyer-Lindenberg, A., Mitchell, R., Ouyang, Z., Roe, J., … Daily, G. C. (2019). Nature and mental health: An ecosystem service perspective. Science Advances, 5(7), eaax0903. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aax0903
Quantifying human well‐being for sustainability research and policyYang, W., Mckinnon, M. C., & Turner, W. R. (2015). Quantifying human well‐being for sustainability research and policy. Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, 1(4), 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1890/EHS15-0004.1
Regime shifts occur disproportionately faster in larger ecosystemsLittle is known about how the speed of ecosystem collapse depends on ecosystem size. Here, Cooper, Willcock et al. analyse empirical data and models finding that although regime shift duration increases with ecosystem size, this relationship saturates and even large ecosystems can collapse in a few decades.
Resilience and Stability of Ecological SystemsHolling, C. S. (1973). Resilience and Stability of Ecological Systems. Annual Review of Ecology & Systematics, 4, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.es.04.110173.000245
Science for managing ecosystem services: Beyond the Millennium Ecosystem AssessmentCarpenter, S. R., Mooney, H. A., Agard, J., Capistrano, D., DeFries, R. S., DÃaz, S., Dietz, T., Duraiappah, A. K., Oteng-Yeboah, A., Pereira, H. M., Perrings, C., Reid, W. V., Sarukhan, J., Scholes, R. J., & Whyte, A. (2009). Science for managing ecosystem services: Beyond the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 106(5), 1305–1312. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0808772106
Special Issue of Ecology & Society on Social Ecological SystemsLinks to articles in this special edition of Ecology & Society, including "A framework for analyzing, comparing, and diagnosing social-ecological systems," "Social-ecological system framework: initial changes and continuing challenges," and "A diagnostic procedure for applying the social-ecological systems framework in diverse cases"
System Dynamics Modeling for Agricultural and Natural Resource Management Issues: Review of Some Past Cases and Forecasting Future RolesSystem dynamics (SD) methodology is uniquely suited to investigate AGNR given their inherently complex behaviors. In this paper, we review applications of SD to AGNR and discuss the potential contributions and roles of SD in addressing emergent problems of the 21st century. We identified numerous SD cases applied to water, soil, food systems, and smallholder issues. More importantly, several case studies are shown illustrating the tradeoffs between short-term and long-term strategies and the pitfalls of relying on quick fixes to AGNR problems (known as “fixes that backfire” and “shifting the burden”, well-known, commonly occurring, systemic structures—or archetypes—observed across numerous management situations [Senge, P.M. The Fifth Discipline, 1st ed.; Doubleday: New York, NY, USA, 1990.]). We conclude that common attempts to alleviate AGNR problems, across continents and regardless of the type of resources involved, have suffered from reliance on short-term management strategies
Contribution of green infrastructure to the implementation of green economy in the context of sustainable development.The green term, as the concurrence of opinion between infrastructure and economy, has the ability to integrate natural resources and environmental services into the national income and wealth account. However, the mutual effects of green infrastructure (GI) and green economy (GE) are not always clear. This study aims to develop the influences of GI criteria into the implementation of GE in the context of sustainable development (SD) through using novel hybrid methods: the decision‐making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) method was used to examine the efficiency and interrelationship among GI criteria; the analytical network process (ANP) was used to prioritize GI criteria based on their influences on three GE indicators; and the remaining two stages applied the hybridization and integration methods, with MATLAB software, to finalize the results. Results from the hybridization method showed that the weights of the GI criteria differed based on three GE indicators. Affordability is a prime GI criteria at 61% based on the socio‐economic indicator. However, this prime weight was at 43% based on the eco‐environment indicator, and at 32% based on resource efficiency plus 31% based on socio‐environment indicator. The final results were finalized with integration method, which demonstrated the contribution GI criteria made to GE implementation. The highest weight percentages appertained to affordability (61%) and resource efficiency (21%), while the minority weight of 18% went to the rest of the GI criteria. Primarily, the affordability and resource efficiency categories were found to empower green infrastructure for the implementation of green economy in the SD context.
Exploring green infrastructure benefits at house and neighborhood scale: case study of Illinois, USA.Recently, the green infrastructure (GI) concept has been adopted by many cities for stormwater management even though doubt still remains as to whether it can be fully embedded into planning and design. As many researchers have stated, GI planning has been discussed as offering a number of broad benefits in ecological, economic, and social spheres. The aim of this study is to examine the benefits of GI which can be used at various ranges of scale to support the principles of low impact development (LID). Case studies of two different scales, site scale and neighborhood scale, have shown ecological, social, and economic benefits of GI. The projects include GI elements and LID strategies such as green roof, rain barrels, porous pavement, rain garden, gravel grass, vegetated swales, and retention basins. The result indicates that GI elements are effective in detaining stormwater and reducing the amount of runoff. Native prairie grasses, sedges, and plantings also improved habitat value and led to a noticeable increase in birds, bees, and butterflies. The GI project provided outdoor activities, promoted social interaction, and showed a positive effect on economic spheres as well. Quantification of these benefits is important for landscape architects, planners, and policy makers because it can provide better strategies for GI planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
How do heat and flood risk drive residential green infrastructure implementation in Phoenix, Arizona?Green infrastructure is an increasingly popular strategy to simultaneously address challenges associated with urbanization and global environmental change, including increased flooding and rising temperatures. While many cities aim to expand green infrastructure to deliver ecosystem services, their impacts will be limited without significant uptake on private property. Most studies and programs to date focus on public land, so little is known about what would motivate private residents to implement green infrastructure. This study addresses this gap, combining household survey and spatial data from the Phoenix metropolitan region in Arizona by examining what factors predict green infrastructure implementation, with a particular focus on flooding and heat risks. The results suggest that residents are generally aware of their relative exposure to these hazards, but their risk perceptions do not translate into increased implementation of green infrastructure. Prior experience of flood damage is a predictor of stormwater infrastructure implementation, but experience with heat did not impact planting vegetation to mitigate the effects of extreme temperatures. Instead, the decision to implement green infrastructure is likely constrained by limited capacity based on income and homeownership, which can impede people’s ability to make management decisions on private residential property. More research is needed to unpack the seemingly complex factors that shape residents’ decisions to implement green infrastructure on their property.
The iCASS Platform: Nine principles for landscape conservation designHighlights: Design can be an adaptation pathway for landscape conservation; Landscape conservation design is a collaborative approach to decision-making; The iCASS Platform is a set of attributes and principles; The iCASS Platform can facilitate landscape conservation design.
Neighbourhood character affects the spatial extent and magnitude of the functional footprint of urban green infrastructure.Context: Urban densification has been argued to increase the contrast between built up and open green space. This contrast may offer a starting point for assessing the extent and magnitude of the positive influences urban green infrastructure is expected to have on its surroundings. Objectives: Drawing on insights from landscape ecology and urban geography, this exploratory study investigates how the combined properties of green and grey urban infrastructures determine the influence of urban green infrastructure on the overall quality of the urban landscape. Methods: This article uses distance rise-or-decay functions to describe how receptive different land uses are to the influence of neighbouring green spaces, and does this based on integrated information on urban morphology, land surface temperature and habitat use by breeding birds. Results: Our results show how green space has a non-linear and declining cooling influence on adjacent urban land uses, extending up to 300–400 m in densely built up areas and up to 500 m in low density areas. Further, we found a statistically significant declining impact of green space on bird species richness up to 500 m outside its boundaries. Conclusions: Our focus on land use combinations and interrelations paves the way for a number of new joint landscape level assessments of direct and indirect accessibility to different ecosystem services. Our early results reinforce the challenging need to retain more green space in densely built up part of cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
A Quantitative Review of Urban Ecosystem Service Assessments: Concepts, Models, and ImplementationAlthough a number of comprehensive reviews have examined global ecosystem services (ES), few have focused on studies that assess urban ecosystem services (UES). Given that more than half of the world’s population lives in cities, understanding the dualism of the provision of and need for UES is of critical importance. Which UES are the focus of research, and what types of urban land use are examined? Are models or decision support systems used to assess the provision of UES? Are trade-offs considered? Do studies of UES engage stakeholders? To address these questions, we analyzed 217 papers derived from an ISI Web of Knowledge search using a set of standardized criteria. The results indicate that most UES studies have been undertaken in Europe, North America, and China, at city scale. Assessment methods involve bio-physical models, Geographical Information Systems, and valuation, but few study findings have been implemented as land use policy.
Urban green infrastructure as a tool for controlling the resilience of urban sprawlThis paper is aimed to analyze the existing relationships and controlling functions between the urban green infrastructures on the resilience of the urban sprawl. The analysis begins questioning whether urban sprawl sustainable growth can be controlled after achieving urban supported by urban green infrastructure. The analytic method used is based on developing a conceptual and theoretical framework of reference to review the literature on the main variables of the research: Green infrastructure, resilience, and urban sprawl. It is concluded that while it is difficult to find linear causality in a direct relationship among the variables of the analysis, it is supported by the existence of more holistic connectivity leading to the controlling of the urban sprawl. The analysis suggests that a holistic approach is required to build urban resilience based on green infrastructure by addressing a fuller range of ecosystem disturbances and disasters, to create the outcomes that develop the environmental and ecological benefits of urban spectrum of ecosystem disturbances and disasters, to create the outcomes that develop the environmental and ecological benefits of urban sprawl.
Use of Natural and Nature-Based Features (NNBF) for coastal resilienceThis US Army Corps of Engineers report describes different coastal resilience measures that can be implemented to reduce risks from flooding and erosion. It is designed to help policymakers use natural and nature-based features (NNBF) to enhance coastal resilience while minimizing impacts to the coastal environment. The report fills knowledge gaps about how NNBF can be used to reduce flooding and erosion risk and provides relevant information and studies to inform implementation of NNBF projects.
Using green infrastructure to improve urban air quality (GI4AQ).As evidence for the devastating impacts of air pollution on human health continues to increase, improving urban air quality has become one of the most pressing tasks facing policy makers world-wide. Increasingly, and very often on the basis of conflicting and/or weak evidence, the introduction of green infrastructure (GI) is seen as a win–win solution to urban air pollution, reducing ground-level concentrations without imposing restrictions on traffic and other polluting activities. The impact of GI on air quality is highly context dependent, with models suggesting that GI can improve urban air quality in some situations, but be ineffective or even detrimental in others. Here we set out a novel conceptual framework explaining how and where GI can improve air quality, and offer six specific policy interventions, underpinned by research, that will always allow GI to improve air quality. We call GI with unambiguous benefits for air quality GI4AQ. However, GI4AQ will always be a third-order option for mitigating air pollution, after reducing emissions and extending the distance between sources and receptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Selected Green Infrastructure - Water Retention Articles
Realising the potential of natural water retention measures in catchment flood management: trade‐offs and matching interestsNatural water retention measures (NWRM) are a multifunctional form of green infrastructure that can play an important role in catchment‐scale flood risk management. While green infrastructure based on natural processes is increasingly recognised as being complementary to traditional flood control strategies based on grey infrastructure in urban areas, there are a number of outstanding challenges with their widespread uptake. At a catchment scale, it is widely accepted that NWRM in upstream areas based on the concept of ‘keeping the rain where it falls’ can help reduce the risk of downstream flooding by enhancing or restoring natural hydrological processes including interception, evapotranspiration, infiltration, and ponding. However, both the magnitude of flood risk reduction and the institutional structures needed for widespread uptake of NWRM are inadequately understood. Implementing NWRM can involve trade‐offs, especially in agricultural areas. Measures based on drainage management and short rotation forestry may help ‘keep the rain where it falls’ but can result in foregone farm income. To identify situations where the implementation of NWRM may be warranted, an improved understanding of the likely reductions in downstream urban flood risk, the required institutional structures for risk management and transfer, and mutually acceptable farm compensation schemes are all needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Soil and brownfield bioremediation.Megharaj, M., & Naidu, R. (2017). Soil and brownfield bioremediation. Microbial Biotechnology, 10(5), 1244–1249. https://doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.12840
Western Pennsylvania Brownfields Center Case StudiesThe Brownfields Center's case studies include research compiled over the years by Carnegie Mellon students. Our catalogue of case studies now included not only brownfield developments local to Pittsburgh, but brownfield developments across the state of Pennsylvania and a couple of other states as well. Many of these sites were formerly used by steel mills or other industries and have left behind large pieces of land-a scarce commodity in urban areas-and have been transformed into dynamic new developments.
