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Locally-generated agricultural land management models may be more effective in achieving sustainable agricultural production and environmental management because they operate within the eco-cultural context of the farmers, therefore easily useable. The present study uses locally generated indigenous knowledge to model the suitability for cultivation of maize, rice and beans and compares the results obtained with those of a modern scientific land suitability model in Amuru district, northern Uganda. Geo-referenced indigenous knowledge-based land suitability data was collected from farmers' fields using a Global Positioning System handset, questionnaires and focus group discussions were also used to develop an indigenous knowledge-based agricultural land resource database. The Analytical Hierarchical Process method was applied to sort the data to determine the relative importance of the various indigenous land evaluation parameters. For the modern scientific land suitability evaluation data set, a land resource database with climate and soil physical and chemical parameters was developed to model the scientific land suitability evaluation. The two data sets were analyzed using Automated Land Evaluation System software based on the principles of the FAO framework for land evaluation. Two spatial land suitability models were generated for the two data sets. The two spatial models were matched using ArcGIS software applications to obtain land suitability comparisons. Results produced more than 70% agreement between the indigenous and the modern scientific evaluations. The evaluation for maize and rice produced 75% agreement. Both scientific and indigenous land evaluations for maize and rice showed that the two crops almost have similar land use requirements. On the other hand, land suitability comparisons for beans produced 71% level of agreement. It is concluded that locally generated land evaluation systems based on farmers' indigenous knowledge are comparable to modern scientific ones, and may be relied upon where technical land evaluations are not readily available or useable by rural indigenous farmers. Key words: indigenous knowledge, modelling, geographic information system, land suitability evaluation, INTRODUCTION Land suitability, the fitness of a given type of land for specified kind of land use [1] has been conducted using various evaluation methods like the Land Capability Classification [...]

Soil organic matter (SOM) plays a major role in agricultural and ecological processes. For this reason, accurate quantification of SOM is important for precision agriculture and environmental management. Inexpensive sensor technology could be a potential approach to achieving the accurate prediction of SOM. The objective of this study was to evaluate inexpensive colour sensor (Nix[TM] Pro) data for prediction of SOM in arid and semiarid areas of Iran. A total number of 85 and 152 soil samples from the soil surface (0-20 cm) were collected from the Semnan (arid area) and Qazvin (semiarid area) regions respectively. The nonlinear random forest (RF) method and linear regression were conducted to predict SOM using Nix[TM] pro colour sensor data. The partial least-squares approach was also utilised to reduce the dimensions of the dataset, decrease the number of input variables and avoid multi-collinearity. Soil colour was measured in moist and dry conditions. Root mean square error (RMSE), correlation coefficient (r), r-square ([R.sup.2]), mean square prediction error (MSPE) and ratio of performance to interquartile distance (RPIQ) were used to assess the RF and the linear regression models for prediction of SOM. Moist sample data was used for estimation of the SOM because of the larger correlation between SOM and colour sensor data in moist than dry samples. In estimation of SOM, the RF model represented lower dispersion between the estimated and the actual values of SOM (RMSE = 0.42, 0.43, RPIQ = 2.2, 2.06 and MSPE = 0.19, 0.19 in semiarid and arid regions respectively). In contrast, more dispersion was obtained by applying the linear regression model (RMSE = 0.61 and 0.51, RPIQ = 1.47 and 1.76, and MSPE = 0.39 and 0.26 in semiarid and arid regions respectively). The RPIQ values for linear regression in arid and semiarid areas were 1.76 and 1.47 respectively. Hence, the use of a linear regression model for prediction of SOM in arid areas would result in acceptable reliability; however, its utilisation should be avoided in semiarid areas due to less reliable results. Additional keywords: Inexpensive colour sensor, nonlinear models, soil organic matter. Received 25 October 2018, accepted 8 February 2019, published online 29 March 2019, Introduction Soil organic matter (SOM) has an essential role in various agricultural and ecological processes including the carbon cycle, soil fertility and soil physical interactions involving C[O.sub.2] sequestration (Sullivan et [...]

The response of coastal wetlands to sea-level rise during the twenty-first century remains uncertain. Global-scale projections suggest that between 20 and 90 per cent (for low and high sea-level rise scenarios, respectively) of the present-day coastal wetland area will be lost, which will in turn result in the loss of biodiversity and highly valued ecosystem services.sup.1-3. These projections do not necessarily take into account all essential geomorphological.sup.4-7 and socio-economic system feedbacks.sup.8. Here we present an integrated global modelling approach that considers both the ability of coastal wetlands to build up vertically by sediment accretion, and the accommodation space, namely, the vertical and lateral space available for fine sediments to accumulate and be colonized by wetland vegetation. We use this approach to assess global-scale changes in coastal wetland area in response to global sea-level rise and anthropogenic coastal occupation during the twenty-first century. On the basis of our simulations, we find that, globally, rather than losses, wetland gains of up to 60 per cent of the current area are possible, if more than 37 per cent (our upper estimate for current accommodation space) of coastal wetlands have sufficient accommodation space, and sediment supply remains at present levels. In contrast to previous studies.sup.1-3, we project that until 2100, the loss of global coastal wetland area will range between 0 and 30 per cent, assuming no further accommodation space in addition to current levels. Our simulations suggest that the resilience of global wetlands is primarily driven by the availability of accommodation space, which is strongly influenced by the building of anthropogenic infrastructure in the coastal zone and such infrastructure is expected to change over the twenty-first century. Rather than being an inevitable consequence of global sea-level rise, our findings indicate that large-scale loss of coastal wetlands might be avoidable, if sufficient additional accommodation space can be created through careful nature-based adaptation solutions to coastal management.A global modelling approach shows that in response to rises in global sea level, gains of up to 60% in coastal wetland areas are possible, if appropriate coastal management solutions are developed to help support wetland resilience., Author(s): Mark Schuerch [sup.1] [sup.2] , Tom Spencer [sup.2] , Stijn Temmerman [sup.3] , Matthew L. Kirwan [sup.4] , Claudia Wolff [sup.5] , Daniel Lincke [sup.6] , Chris J. McOwen [...]

This paper examines the influence of the environmental enforcement approach on the effects of government interventions on corporate environmental management. The paper contrasts a potentially innovative cooperative approach with the standard coercive approach. Empirical results show that the effectiveness of enforcement at inducing better environmental management depends on the overall regulatory enforcement approach. For example, greater cooperation undermines the effectiveness of more severe enforcement forms. Specifically, as the environmental enforcement approach becomes more cooperative, the effectiveness of federal inspections and monetary penalties decreases. These results generally demonstrate that a cooperative enforcement approach proves less effective than a coercive approach. (JEL D22, K32, Q52, Q58), I. INTRODUCTION Inspections of polluting facilities and fines levied on violating facilities have been the norm for inducing compliance with environmental laws since the early 1970s. The literature is rife [...]

Australia has an abundance of natural resources and when these resources reside within the land, they are subject to state ownership; the state must look after those resources for the [...]

Physical degradation of the subsurface layer of soils reduces the effectiveness of no-till (NT) as a sustainable soil management approach in crop production. Chemical factors may reduce the structural stability of Oxisols and thereby exacerbate compaction from machinery traffic. We studied the relationship between chemical management and structural degradation in Oxisols cultivated under NT at three sites in southern Brazil. The surface and subsurface layers of the soils were characterised chemically and mineralogically and three physical attributes related to soil structural stability (readily dispersible clay in water, mechanically dispersible clay in water, and water percolation) were quantified for each layer. The same characterisations were performed on Oxisols collected from adjacent non-cultivated areas, to provide reference data for non-degraded soil. The levels of dispersed clay in the cultivated soil from the surface layer matched those of the noncultivated soil, but for the subsurface layer higher dispersed clay levels in the cultivated soil showed that it was physically degraded relative to the non-cultivated soil. Water percolation was found to be slower through the Oxisols cultivated under NT, irrespective of the soil layer. The relationships between the three indicators of soil structural stability and the measured chemical and mineralogical variables of the soils were explored through an analysis of canonical correlation. The principal variables associated with the lower stability of the cultivated vs non-cultivated Oxisols were the lower concentrations of organic carbon and exchangeable aluminium and, for the surface layer, the higher pH. It is argued that structural degradation of Oxisols cultivated under NT, observed predominantly in the subsurface layer, has been aggravated by the accumulation of amendments and fertilisers in the surface soil and reduced levels of organic matter, especially in the subsurface layer. Additional keywords: aggregate stability, clay dispersion, organic carbon, soil conservation., Introduction The no-till (NT, direct drilling) system has been adopted in more than 150 million ha of agricultural soils in the world, and more than 30 million ha in Brazil [...]

This research presents the Humanosphere Potentiality Index (HPI), developed to address current global potentiality from a long-term perspective. The HPI presents a different way to envision the current condition of the world, one that is compatible with a strong sustainability paradigm approach and demonstrates the significance of tropical countries for global sustainability. A comparison between HPI and the Human Development Index (HDI) reveals a dominant developmental paradigm that justifies the HDI perspective, and comparisons between HPI and four popular environmental indicators provide insights into how human society should engage with the natural environment. This research argues that the worldview from HPI presents a perspective that asks us to pay more attention not only to development but also to global potentiality from a long-term perspective. Keywords: biosphere, environmental sustainability, geosphere, humanosphere, Humanosphere Potentiality Index, human society, More than a quarter of a century has passed since the publication of the landmark Brundtland report 'Our Common Future,' from the World Commission on Environment and Development, which defined [...]

Background: Atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease has become the leading cause of death worldwide, and environmental pollutants are increasingly recognized as risk factors for atherosclerosis. Liver X receptors (LXRs) play a central role in atherosclerosis; however, LXR activity of organic pollutants and associated potential risk of atherosclerosis have not yet been characterized. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to explore whether LXR-antagonistic chemicals are present in indoor house dust and, if so, to characterize this activity in relation to changes in macrophages in vitro and cardiovascular disease indicators in vivo in an atherosclerosis [ApoE.sup.-/-] - mouse model. Methods: We used a His-LXR[alpha]-pull-down assay and a nontarget high-resolution mass spectrometry method to screen house dust collected from Chinese homes for LXR[alpha]- and LXR[beta]-antagonist activity. A chemical identified in this manner was assessed for its ability to induce cholesterol efflux and foam cell formation in RAW264.7 macrophages, to down-regulate the expression of two LXR-dependent genes, ABCA1 and ABCG1, and finally to induce atherosclerotic lesions in vivo using an [ApoE.sup.-/-]- mouse model. Results: We identified the flame retardants triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) and 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate (EHDPP) in house dust samples and demonstrated their ability to antagonize LXRs. The potency of TPHP was similar to that of the LXR-antagonist SR9238. TPHP could also inhibit cholesterol efflux and promote foam cell formation in RAW264.7 macrophages and mouse peritoneal macrophages and significantly promoted atherosclerotic lesion formation in the [ApoE.sup.-/-]- mouse model. Conclusions: We found LXR-antagonist chemicals in environmental samples of indoor dust from Chinese homes. One of the chemicals, TPHP, was able to promote the development of atherosclerotic lesions in the [ApoE.sup.-/-] - mouse model. These results highlight the need to assess the LXR-antagonist activities of pollutants in future environmental management programs. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP5039, Introduction The incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) has increased in many countries, and CVD has been the leading underlying cause of death worldwide since 2000 (WHO 2018). CVD contributed to [...]

This exploratory study investigates the extent to which business student perspectives of environmental sustainability may influence their future job search attitudes and intentions. The evidence offered by this study bolsters previous anecdotal findings that being responsive to environmental concerns may enhance an organization's efforts to acquire human capital. Additionally, qualitative responses underscored that students' sustainability beliefs and perceptions of organizations' sustainability records are unlikely to be the driving force in some job search contexts (particularly in a tight job market). The results do suggest that when individuals have job choice, or when they see blatant disregard for the environment, their environmental sustainability beliefs will enhance their perceptions of an organization's attractiveness as well as their likelihood to pursue a job opportunity with that organization., An ongoing question of great importance to employers is how to recruit and retain the best college graduates. Engaging in environmentally sustainable practices that match the values held by students [...]