Revealing regional regeneration projects in three small towns in Aotearoa—New Zealand

We discuss case studies of three South Island small towns: Ashburton, Timaru and Oamaru and their wider local authority jurisdictions, focusing on how local stakeholders are defining the issues facing these places and identifying, prioritising and investing in regeneration initiatives, sometimes with the support of central government and other external agencies. Our key finding is that small‐town regeneration is complex, demands a long‐term local collaborative approach, and significant investment in skills, information sharing and programme development, some of which needs to be provided by external, central government, agencies.     

Access to natural resources and conflicts between farmers and agro‐pastoralists in Borkena Wetland,north‐eastern Ethiopia

This case study on the Borkena wetlands in north‐eastern Ethiopia tells, through the voices of the inhabitants, the story of the occupation and management of an area where agro‐pastoralists (Urrane) and farmers have progressively settled. It shows how different policy changes and natural disasters have transformed the type of peoples' livelihoods and land use patterns in the wetland. It tells the history of relationships between smallholder peasants, irrigation farmers, commercial farms, and the Urrane, where conflicts as well as collaboration developed, and it shows how different stakeholders behave and consider their own situation. The study also reveals that development intervention by World Vision Ethiopia (WVE) had mixed impact on peoples' livelihoods in the wetland: sedentary peasants have benefited while the Urrane have been adversely affected. The main issue is the marginalization of pastoralists, with the denial of their traditional land use rights by three successive regimes and administrations. Any solution to the cohabitation of the different groups and livelihoods will have to address the issue of land rights for the pastoralists and promote the fair participation of all stakeholders in the future management of the wetlands. Good governance and the competence of the state actors at local levels are the crucial issues for the realization of the suggested solutions.     

Soil seed flora, germination and regeneration pattern of woody species in an Acacia woodland of the Rift Valley in Ethiopia

The objectives of this study were to determine the composition, density and spatial distribution of the soil seed bank of woody species, as well as their regeneration pattern in two different land use systems, controlled (ranch) and open grazing, in an Acacia woodland of the Rift Valley in Ethiopia. We also compared the species composition of the soil seed bank and the above-ground vegetation to find out if differences exist in the soil seed bank and advance regeneration between the two land use systems. The germination requirements of seeds of the woody species were also investigated under laboratory conditions. Acacia senegal, Acacia seyal, Acacia tortilis, Dichrostacys cinerea and Balanites aegyptiaca were encountered in the above-ground vegetation in both systems. Seeds of only A. tortilis (90±32 seeds m⁻²) from the ranch, and A. senegal (5±3 seeds m⁻²) and A. tortilis (72±34 seeds m⁻²) from the open system were found in the soil seed bank along transects with patchy horizontal pattern. The two systems were not significantly different in density of soil seed banks of A. senegal andA. tortilis . Jaccard's similarity index showed that only a few woody species were common in the soil seed flora and above ground vegetation. However, all of the species accumulated seeds (58±43–331±130 seeds m⁻²) in/on the soil under the canopy. Very large numbers of seeds of A. tortilis (19382±9722 seeds m⁻²) and D. cinerea (1278±494 seeds m⁻²) were also found in barns. Most of the seeds recovered from the soil samples (60–80%) were found in the litter layer. Acid and mechanical scarification improved legume germination (36–99% and 60–99%, respectively) over boiling water (0–48%). Treatment means differed significantly for all the legumes (p<0·001) but not for Balanites. Height and diameter class distribution of regeneration of A. tortilis and D. cinerea in both systems and A. senegal in the open system had a negative exponential correlation (r_s=−0·5, −0·25 and −0·86, respectively). A. seyal and B. aegyptiaca showed poor regeneration. Horizontal distribution of advance regeneration of all the species was patchy. Advance regeneration of A. seyal, A. tortilis and B. aegyptiaca were not significantly different, while that of A. senegal and D. cinerea were significantly different between the two systems. Poor representation of species in the soil seed bank along transects and in the different height and diameter classes may be attributed to the low density of mature trees as well as the mode and strategy of seed dispersal. Ungulate and wind dispersed species (e.g. A. senegal, A. tortilis and D. cinerea) were highly favoured. Patchiness in the distribution of seeds and advance regeneration was also a result of endozoochory. Dispersal of non-ungulate dispersed seeds (A. senegal, A. seyal and B. aegyptiaca) was restricted to the canopy zone. Piles of seeds ofA. tortilis and D. cinerea that were found in barns were a result of consumption of their pods by cattle. High concentration of seeds in the litter layer may be due to low soil disturbance and larger size of seeds. The height and diameter class distribution of A. senegal (in the open system), A. tortilis and D. cinerea also indicated that the species have good regeneration. Results from the germination tests indicated that seeds of the legumes require pre-sowing treatments to give a rapid, uniform and improved germination. Intervention through artificial regeneration should be employed to improve the density and regeneration capacity of those species with hampered regeneration at both systems.     

Fiscal decentralization,political centralization,and land urbanization in China

This study investigates the driving forces of land urbanization in China. Drawing upon insights from the institutional perspective, this study argues that fiscal decentralization tightens local budget constraints, stimulating local governments to urbanize land to relieve fiscal distress. Political centralization triggers interregional competition among government officials for better economic performance, inspiring local governments to employ land development to mobilize more capital investment for growth. Based on official land-use change data from 2002 to 2008 for prefectural cities, and the application of spatial econometric models, this study presents empirical evidence to support these theoretical arguments. Results imply that fiscal and political incentives derived from land development drive China’s land urbanization process. This study enriches the urbanization literature by providing an institutional understanding of rapid land urbanization in a transitional economy.     

Surface joint systems, tectonic stresses and geomorphology: a reconciliation of conflicting observations

This note seeks to reconcile the widespread small-scale fractographic observations indicating that surface joints are extension fractures with the frequently observed occurrence of such joints as what appear to be nearly orthogonal conjugate sets, their strikes fitting the shear lines of the neotectonic stress field. It is suggested that the local appearance of joints as extension fractures may have nothing to do with their orientation in the large-scale neotectonic stress field, inasmuch as extrapolations from a local scale to plate-tectonic dimensions are quite speculative. Thus, the local extension-characteristics of the joint surfaces may be acquired at the latest stage of their genesis as a result of the corresponding rock faces becoming exposed, but the geometrically orientational attributes may be conditioned by the shear in the surrounding large-scale neotectonic stress field; a new possible mechanism for reconciling the conflicting local and large-scale observations is suggested.     

Place identity and major project deliberation: the contribution of local governments in Australia

ABSTRACT

There is growing recognition of the importance of local governance, for both self-determination and the quality of decision-making. While many authors acknowledge the potential of local governments in providing opportunities for democratic engagement, there is the need for more research into the conditions under which this takes place. The objective of this research is to investigate why, or under what circumstances, local governments enhance participation in and deliberation about major projects in Australia. It does so by analysing two case studies where local governments were highly engaged in advocacy with their communities against large development projects; the East West Link tunnel in Melbourne and the Coal Seam Gas projects of Northern NSW. It finds local governments engaged in these projects due to institutional culture, practices and values, formed after demographic changes in the 1960s and 70s, and associated changes in the place-attachment qualities of residents and the nature and content of their social capital. Through historical instances of community mobilisation, these values became embedded in local governments, enabling them to respond pro-actively to subsequent threats.     

Are We There Yet? NSW local governments’ progress on climate change

Local governments are responding to top-down policy initiatives from both federal and State governments to reduce emissions, and adapt to any potential impacts of climate change. Although climate change is clearly a global problem, many of the solutions will be implemented at the local level. To explore this issue, the aim of this research was to examine regional variation in climate change response across New South Wales (NSW). To this end, between September 2010 and September 2011, we reviewed publicly available council and regional documentations for all NSW councils. The indicators of response examined were based on the NSW Greenhouse Plan (2005). These were awareness-raising, emissions reduction and adaptation planning. It was found that councils were undertaking many practical projects to fulfil the goals of this plan. As a result, they are abating significant quantities of emissions. Adaptation is progressing through the development of risk-based climate change adaptation plans. Councils are addressing particular areas of management, such as water management, assisted by guidelines which incorporate consideration for climate change as part of best practice. While overall responses to this threat are progressing, a distinct urban bias in action has been observed, due to biases in policy and funding arrangements.     

农业旱灾综合风险防范多主体共识定量研究——以湖南鼎城区为例

全球气候变化背景下,干旱呈现加重趋势,加强旱灾风险防范对区域农业可持续发展具有重要意义。不同主体的共识程度会影响旱灾风险防范效果,因此,开展旱灾风险防范多主体共识定量化研究,有助于加深主体间合作抗旱机制的认识。本文从“认知—情感”维度出发,同时考虑主体情感积极程度,构建了共识指标体系和基于“距离”的模型,定量了湖南省鼎城区政府、乡镇政府、村委、农户和涉农企业等不同主体在旱灾风险防范上的共识。主要结论为：① “认知”共识中,各组主体在各项指标上的共识平均值呈现应急理解度>备灾理解度>恢复理解度的趋势,各村农户、村委、政府两两之间在恢复措施上的认知差异较为明显。② “情感”共识中,各组主体在各项指标上的共识平均值呈现公平感知<宽容感知<约束感知<归属感的趋势,主体在公平性、体谅他人和接受资源约束上的态度不够积极,其中政府、村委和企业的感知差异最为明显。③ 综合共识中,农户和乡镇政府、村委和区政府、乡镇政府和区政府共识的平均值均大于0.65,企业和其他主体共识的平均值均不超过0.6。以上结果揭示了主体间的感知差异,为社会—生态系统旱灾综合风险防范多主体“凝心聚力”研究开辟了一条定量化新思路,为进一步考虑灾害不同阶段、不同主体需求和资源配置等问题在风险防范中发挥的作用提供借鉴与参考。     

Disentangling Fabiana imbricata (Solanaceae) regeneration: The importance of disturbance and rainfall

In Mediterranean ecosystems, fire influences plant population dynamics and changes plant community structure by affecting germination and establishment of seeder shrubs. Fabiana imbricata is a long-lived seeder shrub with a broad distribution in South America. In Northwestern Patagonia grasslands there are many records of F. imbricata recruitment after fires. We hypothesized that recruitment is promoted by: 1) soil erosion that exposes deeply buried seeds; 2) direct fire effects such as heat that could break seed dormancy; 3) indirect fire effects (i.e. increase of light availability and elimination of allelopathic substances) and 4) water availability in spring. In field conditions, we tested the effects of shading and soil disturbance on F. imbricata recruitment and seed availability and distribution in the soil profile. Under controlled conditions, we investigated the influence of leaf leachate, light, heat and water on seed germination and seedling emergence. Seed germination was inhibited by leachate, and seedling emergence was inhibited by seed heated to 80 °C and 120° for 5 min. F. imbricata seedlings only emerged in germination treatments that simulated wet and very wet spring conditions. Fire and postfire wind that favor seed exposure, combined with high precipitation early in the growing season, would be necessary for successful shrub recruitment. When F. imbricata shrubland colonizes the grassland, it strongly modifies local vegetation structure, reduces species richness and increases fuel loads. F. imbricata is a key species in the ecosystem specially related to fire regime. Information on the postfire regeneration of this species would provide valuable knowledge of the changes in biomass accumulation in a fire-prone Mediterranean ecosystem.     

利益统筹视角下的城市更新实施路径——以广州城中村改造为例

存量建设土地再开发过程中对增值利益的合理分配是推动城市更新实施的关键,而多方参与主体为此进行的复杂利益博弈,则是城市更新工作的阻力。鉴于此,以广州城中村改造为例,基于利益主体博弈视角,分析城市更新政策演进中利益分配格局的转变,并从价值导向、权益认定和管理体系三方面阐释影响城市更新主体利益平衡难、博弈周期长的难点,进而从促进存量时代城市更新实施的目标出发,结合改造方案编制的技术要点、审批流程与制度设计,从“公共优先、权益共享、一体化实施”3个方面提出了利益统筹的对策,以及引导价值转变,到合理认定权益,并通过管理体系统筹利益分配的实施路径,以加快城市更新共识的达成,实现存量土地价值盘活。     

生态旅游在自然保护区可持续发展的阻碍因素分析——以辽宁省三个国家级自然保护区为例（英文）

自然保护区是生态旅游最主要的实践场地。在可持续发展的大背景下,全球各地大量的自然保护区开展了生态旅游实践探索,并且取得了丰富的实践经验。生态旅游在自然保护区实践中的主要经验包括:建立生态旅游认证体系,成立促进社区参与的管理机构和构建生态旅游实践标准。本研究中以辽宁省的白石砬子、医巫闾山和海棠山三个国家级自然保护区为例,采用问卷调查、田野调查、访谈等方法对当地居民、游客、景区工作人员、自然保护区工作人员、当地媒体等群体进行调查,获取一手资料。通过综合分析发现,当前生态旅游在自然保护区可持续发展的阻碍因素包括两大方面,第一个方面是普遍性阻碍因素,具体包括:(1)环境教育的缺失;(2)社区参与的不足;(3)游客管理的不规范;(4)自然保护区管理机构与当地政府的矛盾冲突(条块矛盾)。第二个方面的阻碍因素是由于每个自然保护区具体的自然环境、社会文化等不同而引起的千差万别的各个自然保护区生态旅游发展的具体性阻碍因素。针对生态旅游在自然保护区实践面临的阻碍因素,本研究提出了五项措施:(1)正确认识并且尽力满足利益相关者的合理利益诉求;(2)完善自然保护区生态旅游的协调机制体系;(3)增加自然保护区管理机构的社会效益职责;(4)自然保护区生态旅游经营权、监督权分离;(5)加强对自然保护区生态旅游游客的环境教育。     

The role of sub‐national government and the private sector in future spatial data infrastructures

A Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) facilitates and coordinates the exchange and sharing of spatial data between stakeholders in the spatial data community. With this objective in mind, countries throughout the world are developing SDIs to manage and utilize their spatial data assets more effectively. These countries are developing SDIs to assist in various kinds of decision‐making at different levels of government jurisdictions that have an important impact within their national boundaries. However, current research shows that SDI is understood and described differently by stakeholders from different disciplines and different jurisdictional levels. Therefore, in many cases, SDI initiatives remain very much an innovation, even among practitioners. There are still uncertainties regarding the benefits and identities of SDIs, particularly in connection with how they evolve over time to meet user needs. This paper reviews and assesses the development of SDIs throughout the world over the past 15 years and the leadership role of national governments in SDI creation. This assessment is based on the SDI activities of various jurisdictions including Asia‐Pacific, Australia, North America, and Europe, and research into the worldwide effects of spatial information clearing houses. This assessment includes a discussion on emerging trends in SDI development, with particular reference to the increasingly important role played by sub‐national governments and the private sector within the framework of SDI development. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications for future SDI development, including the delivery of a virtual world that has a particular focus on facilitating decision‐making at a community level within a national context.     

Measuring Space–Time Access to Food Retailers: A Case of Temporal Access Disparity in Franklin County,Ohio

Typical measures of food access use spatial-only methods to identify nearby food outlets and the quantity, quality, and variety of food available. This measure of spatial access falls short in explaining the effect that the operating hours of food retailers have on food access. Our study aims to complement the spatial dimension of access measures by bringing time in as a new constraint on food access. To this end, we developed three measures of spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal access and correlated these measures with socioeconomic status (SES) in a case in Columbus, Ohio. Findings from our analysis of food access disparity suggest that low-SES neighborhoods in Columbus are not at a disadvantage of spatial access, but their limited temporal access is a more pressing concern. Implications drawn from the study would assist community advocates, local governments, and other stakeholders in deriving a better understanding of the local foodscape that are not only mediated by space but also time.     

Constructing Alterity in Ile De France?

Abstract

The aim of the article is to determine whether the Walt Disney Company has manufactured a landscape “other” to French culture around its parks in the Eastern Paris Basin. Val d'Europe is contentiously constructed by three main groups, not just one enterprise: the French state, the Walt Disney Company and local and regional governments, as well as by present and future residents, within the constraints of a contract based on French laws. The Company's investment has been a tremendous boost to the French state's project but did not lead to Disneyfication of the Briard landscape of agricultural lands in the Eastern Paris basin. In Val d'Europe the French state did not abdicate its authority in favor of commoditization of Paris as a global metropolis. The French state and French culture were never “weak” and overwhelmed.     

Exploring and Visualizing Stakeholder Value Regimes in the Context of Peri-Urban Park Planning

Abstract

Peri-urban zones are an emerging issue in the analysis of urban areas as social-ecological systems. This work presents a process of developing support tools for local planning and decision-making, which were used to facilitate discussion between stakeholders about planning a future peri-urban park in the south of Prague, Czech Republic. Sociological methods were employed to describe and visualize the attitudes, communication patterns and value regimes of involved stakeholders. The research developed and tested an approach to map the distribution of stakeholder value regimes related to the study area and demonstrated its capability in facilitating communication between stakeholders. The output maps can serve as practical support tools and provide efficient means during the search for consensus on a form of shared governance in the future peri-urban park.     

An Evaluation of University World Geography Textbook Questions for Components of Spatial Thinking

ABSTRACT

Geography textbooks contain chapter or review questions that may engage students in spatial thinking. This research used Jo and Bednarz’s (2009) Taxonomy of Spatial Thinking to evaluate the percentage of spatial thinking questions in four university-level world geography course textbooks. The results from this study were then compared to the findings in Jo and Bednarz’s (2009) analysis of high school geography textbooks. Thirty-five percent of university level textbook questions are related to spatial thinking compared to twenty-four percent in high school geography textbooks. The results provide information useful to stakeholders, such as teachers, administrators, and textbook writers and may help these stakeholders to consciously incorporate the three components of spatial thinking as defined by the National Research Council (2006). A simplified taxonomy for identifying spatial-thinking concepts in textbook review questions is also suggested.     

Local flash floods in Central Europe: A case study of Poland

Bryndal, T. 2015. Local flash floods in Central Europe: A case study of Poland. Norsk Geografisk Tidsskrift–Norwegian Journal of Geography. Vol. 69, 288–298. ISSN 0029-1951.

The article focuses on the seasonality, geographical distribution, and hydrometeorological aspects of local flash floods in Poland, in Central Europe. Scientific articles describing local flash flood events were studied and a database of such floods in Poland was developed and analysed. The results revealed that local flash flood events were usually generated by rainfall lasting less than two hours, with a mean intensity in the range 20–80 mm·h^-1. The triggering threshold for local flash floods was P = 20 mm·h^-1. Local flash floods may occur from April to October, with higher frequencies in May, June, and July. The floods usually affect mountain and uplands areas differently to lowland and basins regions, and this might be explained by heavy rainfall distribution and topographical conditions. The maxima of the unit discharge (Qs) describe an envelope curve according to the equation Qs = 47A^-0.4 (where A is the catchment area in km²). The maxima appear very consistent with envelope curves proposed for other inland continental European countries. The authors conclude that local flash floods in Poland are similar to those recorded in inland continental areas of Europe, but differ from the floods in the Mediterranean part of the continent.     

从行政分权到跨域治理:我国地方政府治理方式变革研究

从集权到分权再到伙伴关系,从统治到治理再到跨域治理,西方发达国家地方政府治理方式呈现出螺旋式发展路径。我国的分权化改革打破了计划经济体制下地方政府被动羸弱的状态,在激发了地方政府发展经济的动力的同时,引发了"地方政府企业化"倾向,形成了分割的"行政区经济"。市场化改革在引入和整合体制外社会经济资源的同时,也导致政府与市场结合成"不受约束"的增长联盟,反而削弱了政府的权威。跨域治理理念旨在强化政府组织、市场组织和社会组织之间的资源整合,鼓励各种治理组织的参与,以共同应对跨行政区、跨部门、跨领域的公共事务。该文结合我国地方政府的实际情况,认为通过以下途径可以实现地方政府跨域治理:1)分权与赋权相结合,引进并整合体制外的社会经济资源,把决策权力向企业、社区和非营利组织转移;2)统筹协调各治理组织间的关系,促进城市政体内的权力平衡,以利益协调为基点,促使治理规则由支配性规则向共识性规则转变;3)综合运用行政化手段和市场化手段调整地方政府间关系,实现府际合作,促使地方政府由竞争型政府向合作型政府转变。     

Effects of land conversion on the regeneration of Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum and its consequences on the population dynamics in northwestern Mexico

Pachycereus pecten-aboriginum is a columnar cactus currently threatened by the conversion of natural vegetation to buffelgrass pasture (Pennisetum ciliare) in Sonora, Mexico. However, knowledge about its population dynamics is extremely poor, particularly in response to disturbance caused by pasture conversion. We set up experiments to evaluate seed removal, germination, seedling survival and compared demographic patterns on permanent plots from natural vegetation and pasture. Our experiments on regeneration show that seedlings were unable to establish in pasture because of high levels of mortality due to soil drying and cattle trampling. The population growth rate (λ) was 1.060 and 1.086 for the 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 periods, respectively, in the native thornscrub vegetation. The slight increase in λ in 2007–2008 was a result of increased fecundity and seedling survival. The highest elasticity values correspond to the survival of large/old individuals. Using the average of both matrices, we obtained a mean matrix to perform numerical analyses simulating demographic variation to project the population behavior under buffelgrass pasture conditions. The numerical simulations suggest a decreasing population only when adult survival probabilities were affected. Given these limitations for population growth, our data suggest that adult populations that persist on pastures will be driven into local extinction.     

Geographical patterns of tree-limits of Norway spruce and Scots pine in the southern Swedish Scandes

The tree-limit altitudes of Norway spruce (Picea abies) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) from 180 sites (within an area of 95?km?×?165?km) in the southern Scandes were correlated with the geographical variables latitude, longitude and distance to the sea. The results were compared with a similar investigation of the tree-limit of mountain birch (Betula pubescens Ehrh. ssp. tortuosa (Ledeb.) Nyman) in the same area. The three tree-limit altitudes showed good negative correlation with latitude, poor correlation with longitude and good positive correlation with the distance to the sea, suggesting that on a regional scale the altitudes are controlled by macroclimate. At some sites, local topoclimatic features, some of which were partially aspect-dependent, may cause deviations in the regional pattern of tree-limit altitude that is set primarily by summer temperature. Tree-limit responses to potential future climate warming will probably differ substantially in magnitude from site to site in relation to local topography and associated ecological constraints.