The spatial structure of employment in the metropolitan region of Tokyo: A scale-view

Despite Tokyo’s size and position in the global urban system, studies of its employment distribution have been few. This research identified the locations and ranks of the employment centers in the entire metropolitan region and analyzed the characteristics of the economic sectors in those centers by using fine scale economic census data. Minimum sizes for a center were explored at a range from as small as 250 by 250 m to 3,000 by 3,000 m, and the Local Indicators of Spatial Association technique was utilized for detecting centers in different ranks. The results showed that, from a regional view, Tokyo has a typical monocentric or concentric spatial structure. However, from a fine scale view, the distribution was revealed to be expanding along the railroads to the suburbs, and both the main central business district and the suburbs are polycentric. Through this research, the authors argue that rather than using thresholds of total employment and minimum densities as seen in the previous studies, centers can be effectively detected by comparing with the surrounding areas at different scales. This “scale-view” approach of center identification may provide a new perspective to other metropolitan regions of the world as well.     

Application of the FAO quantitative and SINDI methods to assess the quality of different soils in Castilla-La Mancha (Spain)

In the region of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain), over half of the soils are under cropping. This vast agricultural activity, combined with other anthropological uses, has led to a deterioration of the soil quality and virtual degradation. Therefore, it was deemed to assess the quality of these soils, which was achieved by applying two different methods. Three soils, representative of typical conditions in this community, were sampled and diverse properties were analysed in order to apply two different approaches. The first soil evaluation was carried out by a traditional method developed by FAO using a productivity index, whereas the second method consisted of the application of a new method called SINDI, developed in New Zealand. Both approaches make an evaluation based on a number of indicators that differs in each case. These differences explain why each method ranked the soils studied in different order reaching diverse conclusions on their quality.     

三峡库区湿地监测指标体系构建

三峡库区湿地是巨大的人工湿地,库区形成长江两岸长达数百千米与天然湿地季节相反的消落带湿地。为确保三峡水库的安全运营和库区生态安全,需要建立一套三峡库区湿地监测指标。依据三峡库区湿地的特殊性,探索构建一套包括水文、水质、气象、土壤、碳汇等监测内容的湿地监测指标体系,指标体系的建立对三峡库区湿地生态系统监测和保护具有一定的现实意义。     

An evaluation of self-governance in the New Zealand Bluff oyster fishery – The indicator system approach

The use of self-governance as a fisheries management tool is increasing in New Zealand and elsewhere. Researchers argue that in theory self-governance can lead to improved outcomes, but evaluating actual benefits is difficult because of the need to distinguish self-governance impacts from other influences on fisheries performance. An indicator system was developed in this paper to evaluate the contribution of selfgovernance to the performance of the Bluff Oyster fishery (OYU5), which is also managed under New Zealand's Quota Management System. There is evidence that self-governance makes a positive contribution to economic efficiency, institutional effectiveness and resource preservation in the Bluff Oyster fishery.     

Phenotypic plasticity of Vermetidae suspension feeding: a potential bias in their use as Biological Sea-Level Indicators

Some organisms represent useful Biological Sea‐Level Indicators (Bio SLI) thanks to their constant position relative to sea level and allow the reconstruction of past sea level changes. The sessile gastropods Vermetidae are among the most used indicators, since their shells often resist time averaging and can be easily dated with ¹⁴C. However, all these vermetids have a level of precision (± 0.5–1 m), obtained from data on the Mediterranean Dendropoma petraeum (Monterosato, 1884). We found a certain degree of plasticity in this species; it can also live subtidally, not in correspondence with the main sea level, where it feeds adopting a mixed feeding strategy. Considering this variability and the almost complete lack of knowledge for other Bio SLI vermetids, it appears clear that a common value of precision cannot be maintained and the precision of other vermetid species remains to be tested.     

A GIS-based approach to identify the spatial variability of social vulnerability to seismic hazard in Italy

This paper argues for a multidisciplinary framework to assess the relationship between environmental processes and social sciences that can be adapted to any geographic location. This includes both physical (earthquake hazard) and human (social vulnerability) dimensions in the context of disaster risk reduction. Disasters varies drastically depending on the local context. Indeed, the probability of a natural disaster having more devastating effects in one place than in another depends on the local vulnerability components of the affected society (cultural, social and economic). Therefore, there is an important correlation between the potential risk and the social resistance and resilience of a specific place, thus the disaster response varies according to the social fabric. In this context, the evaluation of social vulnerability is a crucial point in order to understand the ability of a society (studied at individual, household or community level) to anticipate, cope with, resist and recover from the impact of natural disaster events. Within this framework, the paper discusses how it is possible to integrate social vulnerability into the seismic risk analysis in Italy. Specifically, socioeconomic indicators were used to assess and mapping social vulnerability index. Afterwards, a Geographic Information System (GIS) approach was applied to identify the spatial variability of social vulnerability to seismic hazard. Through the use of a risk matrix, the classes of a social vulnerability index map were combined with those of a seismic hazard map proposed by INGV (National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology). Finally, a qualitative social vulnerability exposure map to an earthquake hazard was produced, highlighting areas with high seismic and social vulnerability levels. Results suggest the importance of the integration of social vulnerability studies into seismic risk mitigation policies, emergency management and territorial planning to reduce the impact of disasters.     

Assessing the ‘usability’ of climate change research for decision-making: A case study of the Canadian International Polar Year

The creation of ‘usable science’ is widely promoted by many environmental change focused research programs. Few studies however, have examined the relationship between research conducted as part of such programs and the decision-making outcomes that the work is supposed to advance, and is constrained by limited methodological development on how to empirically assess the ‘usability’ of science. Herein, this paper develops a conceptual model and assessment rubric to quantitatively and systematically evaluate the usability of climate change research for informing decision-making. We focus on the process through which data is collected, analyzed and reported and examine the extent to which key principles of usable science are integrated into project design, using grant proposals as our data source. The approach is applied to analyze climate change research conducted as part of the International Polar Year in Canada, with 23 projects identified as having explicit goals to inform decision-making.While the creation of usable science was promoted by funded projects in the International Polar Year, this was not generally reflected in research design: fewer than half determined objectives with input of decision makers, decision context was not widely considered, and knowledge users were not widely reported to be engaged in assessing the quality of data or in resolving conflict in evidence. The importance of science communication was widely emphasized, although only 8/23 projects discussed tailoring specific results for end user needs. Thus while International Polar Year research has made significant advances in understanding the human dimensions of Arctic climate change, key attributes necessary for determining success in linking science to decision-making (pertinence, quality, timeliness) were not captured by many projects. Integrating these attributes into research design from the outset is essential for creating usable science, and needs to be at the forefront of future research programs which aim to advance societal outcomes. The framework for assessing usability here, while developed and tested in an Arctic climate change context, has broader applicability in the general environmental change field.     

Ten recommendations for advancing the assessment and management of non-indigenous species in marine ecosystems

The main objective of recent international legislative measures and policies concerning marine ecosystems is to ensure sustainable environmental management to maintain a good status for marine waters, habitats and resources, with the ultimate target of achieving an integrated ecosystem-based approach to management. Because bioinvasions pose significant threats to marine ecosystems and the goods and services these provide, non-indigenous species (NIS) are included in the more recent legislative documents. A major challenge for the scientific community is to translate the principles of the legislative directives into a realistic, integrated ecosystem-based approach and at the same time provide stakeholders with best practices for managing NIS. The aim of this paper, prepared by members of the Working Group on Introductions and Transfers of Marine Organisms (WGITMO) of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), is to provide guidance for the application of NIS related management in the European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Ten recommendations, including NIS identification, standardization of sampling and data, indicators, propagule pressure and management issues are considered in this paper. While most of these suggestions were developed to improve the implementation of the MSFD, several may be more widely applicable.     

Incorporating resilience into sustainability indicators: An example for the urban water sector

The development and use of indicators is common practice in efforts to promote urban sustainability. Indicators used to measure urban sustainability tend to focus narrowly on describing the current state of the urban system. Although a time series analysis using these indicators may lend insights into trends towards or away from certain ‘sustainability’ goals, existing indicators of urban sustainability do not provide information on the ability or the likelihood that the current system state can be maintained or improved over time. Indicators that incorporate a measure of system resilience would provide useful information on system sustainability. Through development of a new indicator, Water Provision Resilience (WPR), we provide an example of how measures of resilience could be incorporated into sustainability indicators. The new indicator adds six color codings to the existing indicator ‘percent of the population with access to safe water.’ Each color coding represents a measure of the ability of the water system to maintain or improve the current percent of the population with access to safe water in key areas of the water provision sector: supply, infrastructure, service provision, finances, water quality and governance. The metric is then applied to three cities. The goal in developing this metric is to provide a starting point for re-thinking the metrics used to measure progress and sustainability in order to incorporate the ability to absorb and adapt to stresses into sustainability analysis.     

Generation of a landslide risk index map for Cuba using spatial multi-criteria evaluation

This paper explains the procedure for the generation of a landslide risk index map at national level in Cuba, using a semi-quantitative model with ten indicator maps and a cell size of 90 × 90 m. The model was designed and implemented using spatial multi-criteria evaluation techniques in a GIS system. Each indicator was processed, analysed and standardised according to its contribution to hazard and vulnerability. The indicators were weighted using direct, pairwise comparison and rank-ordering weighting methods, and weights were combined to obtain the final landslide risk index map. The results were analysed per physiographic region and administrative units at provincial and municipal levels. The Sierra Maestra mountain system was found to have the largest concentration of high landslide risk index values while the Nipe–Cristal–Baracoa system has the highest absolute values, although they are more dispersed. The results obtained allow designing an appropriated landslide risk mitigation plan at national level and to link the information to the national hurricane early warning system, allowing also warning and evacuation for landslide-prone areas.