Examining the Influence of Positionality in Evaluating Collaborative Progress in Natural Resource Management: Reflections of an Academic and a Practitioner

In this paper, we present a reflexive examination of how and why we, an academic and a practitioner, arrive at different evaluations of collaborative progress in natural resource management. We situate this examination in our long-standing involvement in designing, adaptively managing, and participating in the Uncompahgre Plateau collaborative forest restoration project in western Colorado, USA. Drawing on the concept of “positionality” in qualitative social science research, we disclose our respective motivations, assumptions, roles, and power relative to the collaborative process. The differences in evaluating collaborative progress stem from our respective professional positionality. For the academic, the guiding interest was to test theory and promote success for his applied research institute; for the practitioner, the motivation was to build trust to allow her field staff the flexibility to implement management actions and demonstrate effectiveness as an agency line officer. These epistemological differences draw attention to the importance of transdisciplinary approaches to producing knowledge from shared practice, starting with efforts to explicitly disclose and honor differing interests, assumptions, and frames of reference stemming from each party’s personal and professional biographies and institutional norms. This reflexivity is essential to advancing knowledge about collaboration in natural resource management.     

An Integrated Moral Obligation Model for Landowner Conservation Norms

This study applies an integrated moral obligation model to examine the role of environmental and cultural values, and beliefs in the activation of landowner conservation norms. Data for this study were collected through a self-administered survey of riparian landowners in two Minnesota watersheds: Sand Creek and Vermillion River watersheds. Study findings suggest that collectivistic and biospheric–altruistic values form the bases for the activation of personal norms. Further, beliefs about local responsibility and ability to act influence personal norms to protect water resources. Findings suggest that landowners’ personal norms of water conservation are more likely to be activated by conservation strategies that appeal to biospheric–altruistic and collectivistic values, emphasize adverse consequences of water pollution, highlight water resource protection as a local responsibility, and provide the resources needed to protect water resources.     

生态红线区管理:英国科研专用区的历史脉络与经验借鉴

作为关键生态保护区域边界线,生态红线划定当前已经上升为中国国家层面战略部署,然而当前生态红线的研究尚处于探索阶段,对于如何针对红线区域具体设计法规保障、制定管理规则、限定开发行为等方面的研究较为匮乏。鉴于英国已经较为成熟的科研专用区相关保护管理的历史经验,梳理和定位了英国科研专用区的3个发展阶段,探讨了各个发展阶段的基本原则、管理机制和实施保障的演变过程,总结英国科研专用区的规划与管理经验,提出了完善法律保障与规程规范、实施统一监管和区域统筹、并行生态补偿与保护自住、签订标准化管理协议、加强公众参与与研讨机制、提升资金保障与使用效率等对我国生态红线区管理与保障的有益借鉴。     

Impact of Agricultural Labor Transfer on Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution: A Case Study of Jiangxi,China

A large proportion of the rural labor force in China will continue to transfer to non-agricultural sectors in the near future, which will inevitably lead to the transformation of the agricultural production mode and the structure of the farmers’ livelihood. The Chinese government is making great efforts to govern agricultural nonpoint source pollution (ANSP), and farmers' environmental behavior is a key factor that must be considered in the formulation of agricultural environmental policies. Based on a set of micro survey data on farmers in the study area and econometric methods, this study investigates the impact of agricultural labor transfer on ANSP by considering the substitution effect of agricultural factors and the effect of agricultural economies of scale. The results show that the increase of the agricultural labor force will not be conducive to reducing ANSP, while the income increase brought by agricultural labor transfer will improve the input structure of agricultural factors and have a positive impact on ANSP reduction. Government departments should provide subsidies or incentive measures to help agricultural social service organizations to expand their coverage and increase the frequency of socialized agricultural services, in order to guide farmers in the use of environment-friendly agricultural technology to reduce the ANSP caused by agricultural factors at the source. Furthermore, it is necessary to facilitate the development of small-sized agricultural machinery suitable for small-area land cultivation.     

战略耦合的研究脉络与问题

在回顾经济地理学中较为前沿的战略耦合概念的起源、发展与研究现状的基础上,对战略耦合研究的优点与问题展开评述,认为当前研究在战略耦合模式的探讨中,主要基于经验总结而缺乏对影响变量,特别是空间变量的阐述,存在一定的模糊性。为理解该问题的根源,追溯了全球生产网络和全球价值链两个学派的争论和最新进展。在认可全球价值链理论解释力的同时,认为当前全球生产网络2.0版本的研究框架仍然没有解决模糊性的问题,而且全球生产网络的分析框架主要侧重于主导企业视角来构建战略耦合的发生机制,忽略了后发地区和企业的主动性。因此,借鉴传统经济地理学研究,充分考虑主导企业和后发地区的行为逻辑,提出经济活动的空间粘性和区域的区位优势这两个变量,重构了战略耦合的分析框架,并进行理论阐述。该项理论构建有助于更好地厘清战略耦合的发生机制,帮助发展中国家和地区判读发展机遇,确立产业发展与升级战略。     

山区合适耕地经营规模确定的实证研究——以重庆市为例

在地形起伏、地块破碎、分布半径较远等约束下,山区多大的经营规模是合适的?这是目前必须弄清的科学问题之一。使用480份有效调查问卷,以投入农业的劳动力为测算单位,以劳均纯收入为评价指标,分作物类型和地块分布半径,构建计量经济模型,测算不同条件下合适的耕地经营,结果表明：① 在现有社会经济条件下,样本村农业土地适度规模经营面积为24~32亩,适度规模下的劳均纯收入远高于当前农村人均纯收入,且与城镇居民的差距明显缩小。② 作物类型对适度规模影响不大,但对农民纯收入产生较大作用。经济作物和粮食作物的适度规模分别为24.33亩、24.63亩,差异不显著,但种植经济作物和粮食作物在适度规模下的劳均纯收入相差3638元,巨大的差距将促使经济作物种植面积不断扩大。③ 距离对适度规模影响较大,但对劳均纯收入影响不大。0.5 km内、0.5~1 km的适度规模分别为28.62亩、31.83亩,单位劳动力的适度规模相差3亩,这表明距离是目前从事农业生产时劳动力投入时须考虑的重要因素。但是,对应的劳均纯收入相差较小,又说明伴随耕作距离的增加,更多的投入主要依靠机械来完成,从而带动适度规模的扩大。1 km外的建模未通过检验,也进一步说明未实现规模经营、没有进行机械化耕作、离家远的土地收支严重不平衡,撂荒严重,规模化经营、机械化耕作是解决距离问题的有效途径。本文得出的土地适度规模是可行的,也验证了推进土地适度规模经营的可行性和必要性。     

土地管理三维思维与土地空间资源认知

基于城市发展的三维理念轨迹及土地立体化利用趋势,采用文献检索与综合分析法,剖析土地管理重视三维思维的原因,辨析土地的空间特质,提出土地空间资源的概念内涵,初探土地空间资源管理制度和技术,以促进土地领域实践问题解决。结果显示：① 土地管理三维思维符合社会发展和土地利用趋势,是基于土地管理实践而衍生的创新需求。② 土地作为资源的本质属性之一是空间性,具备三维空间特质;土地空间资源是土地资源概念的外延,是以土地表层为基底或脱离土地表层的可利用的三维空间存在。③ 土地空间资源的提出,能引发土地管理领域在理念、制度和技术上进行三维思维化的重构与创新,具有科学意义和实践价值。     

农户行为视角下的乡村生产空间系统运行机制及重构启示

农户行为转变是乡村生产空间系统量变或从量变到质变的重要驱动力,乡村生产空间系统的运行实质上是农户行为作用的外在表现,厘清农户行为可为诠释乡村生产空间系统的运行机制提供平台。本文在剖析农户行为转变与乡村生产空间系统运行响应的理论框架基础上,从农户行为转变和乡村生产空间系统响应入手构建指标体系,建立模糊综合评价量化模型,并以重庆市江津区恒和村作为实证,诠释乡村生产空间系统运行机制。主要研究结论为：不同农户行为对乡村生产空间系统运行的影响程度各异,大体为生产大户>合作社农户>传统农户;不同农户行为对系统运行响应结果的作用差异明显,生产大户行为主要影响乡村生产空间的利用效率,合作社农户行为对提升生产空间系统经济效益作用明显,传统农户行为对生产空间系统环境改善的贡献作用最小。并从经济、社会、空间重构视角提出发展多种形式的适度规模化经营、培育新型农业经营主体和职业农民、合理引导农户技术和资本投入等建议,以实现乡村生产空间系统协调与均衡发展。     

Use of Geospatial Data and Technology for Wilderness Search and Rescue by Nonprofit Organizations

Geospatial data and tools are key in locating lost or missing persons in as short a time as possible. In this study, we used a geographic information system (GIS) to analyze four years of search and rescue (SAR) mission data from Colorado to determine the appropriate use of GIS for volunteer-based SAR organizations with limited resources and GIS expertise. GIS can provide more sophisticated analyses of geospatial data than simple mapping technologies, but our findings indicated that complex spatial analysis might not be required on all missions, because the majority of missions were completed within six to ten hours. Instead, new technologies such as tablets with mapping software and online GIS systems that provide quick and easy access to up-to-date geospatial data such as imagery offer capabilities that could improve mission planning. Here we provide a framework in which SAR missions can apply geospatial technologies to aid with missions, identify critical “hotspots,” and enhance postanalysis and training. The work here is highly applicable for nonprofit SAR groups when deciding on what GIS technologies to consider for their areas.     

The Beach Crowding Index: A Tool for Assessing Social Carrying Capacity of Vulnerable Beaches

The aim of this article is to introduce the Beach Crowding Index (BCI), a procedure to assess the social carrying capacity of vulnerable beaches. The study uses the people at one time (PAOT) approach and data gathered weekly throughout the bathing season regarding the number of beachgoers in 100 m² cells of the beach to assess how many beachgoers it can comfortably hold. The procedure is based on fieldwork, interviews with beachgoers, and geographic information system (GIS) analysis and has been tested on four beaches in protected areas on the Spanish Mediterranean coast. On a scale from 0 to 4, minimum scores throughout the bathing season are 0.7 and maximum 3.7, although results showed wide variation between the beaches, the section of the beach, and the time of day. This study suggests that determining the location of beachgoers and collecting a long-term series of data is fundamental to assessing social carrying capacity and that the BCI procedure can be used for a large number of applications.