Wolf attacks predict far-right voting.

Does the return of large carnivores affect voting behavior? We study this question through the lens of wolf attacks on livestock. Sustained environmental conservation has allowed the wolf (Canis lupus) to make an impressive and unforeseen comeback across Central Europe in recent years. While lauded by conservationists, local residents often see the wolf as a threat to economic livelihoods, particularly those of farmers. As populists appear to exploit such sentiments, the wolf's reemergence is a plausible source for far-right voting behavior. To test this hypothesis, we collect fine-grained spatial data on wolf attacks and construct a municipality-level panel in Germany. Using difference-in-differences models, we find that wolf attacks are accompanied by a significant rise in far-right voting behavior, while the Green party, if anything, suffers electoral losses. We buttress this finding using local-level survey data, which confirms a link between wolf attacks and negative sentiment toward environmental protection. To explore potential mechanisms, we analyze Twitter posts, election manifestos, and Facebook ads to show that far-right politicians frame the wolf as a threat to economic livelihoods.

Utilizing Ant Forest technology to foster sustainable behaviors: A novel approach towards environmental conservation.

Amidst mounting environmental threats and exacerbated global risks from climate change, the urgency for sustainable behaviors has never been more critical, demanding concerted efforts to cultivate individual actions for environmental conservation. Ant Forest technology, a groundbreaking innovation for sustainable lifestyles, stands at the forefront of this battle, harnessing technological advancements to drive positive environmental impact and must be championed. This research investigates the dynamics of environmental conservation behaviors facilitated by Ant Forest Technology. Employing a theoretical framework integrating the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) and Self-Determination Theory (SDT), the study explores the impact of autonomous and controlled motivation on attitudes, intentions, and conservation behaviors. Furthermore, the research assesses the influence of knowledge disseminated through Ant Forest Technology on users' intentions and behavior toward conservation behaviors. The study utilized the partial least square structural equation modeling in its analysis. Findings reveal that both motivational factors and knowledge significantly shape users' engagement in conservation behaviors activities through perceived ease of use and usefulness. These insights contribute to the development of effective policies and interventions aimed at harnessing Ant Forest Technology as a powerful tool for fostering widespread environmental conservation behaviors.

Balancing growth targets and environmental regulations: An empirical analysis of dual policy impact on corporate environmental responsibility-insights from China.

Balancing economic growth with environmental conservation poses a universal challenge for governments worldwide. This study investigates the intricate interplay between governments' economic-environmental trade-offs and their implementation of policies aimed at promoting Corporate Environmental Responsibility (CER). Given the discretion of Chinese local governments in economic and environmental policy, we take China as a case study. To conduct this research, we first merge critical data on China's economic growth targets and environmental regulations with information on listed enterprises. Then, we employ a "U-shaped" relationship model to examine the impact of these trade-offs on CER implementation. The results reveal that: (1)The effective fulfillment of CER by enterprises is primarily driven by stricter environmental regulations. (2) Economic growth targets can, to some extent, diminish the policy effect of environmental regulations on CER fulfillment. (3)The crowding-out effect of economic growth targets is particularly pronounced within specific subsets of enterprises, including state-owned enterprises, heavily polluting firms, and those facing high profit pressure. These findings imply that when local governments implement contradictory policies, they must consider not only enterprises' political connections and economic contributions but also pay close attention to the survival dilemma of enterprises. This balancing act aims to harmonize conflicting policy objectives. This research deepens the understanding of how institutional and policy frameworks impact enterprise engagement in CER, especially within the context of governments' economic-environmental trade-offs. It sheds light on the strategies employed by China and other emerging economies to effectively leverage contradictory policies to foster sustainable green growth.

CA-Markov prediction modeling for the assessment of land use/land cover change in two sub-basins of the Tocantins-Araguaia River Basin.

Due to the anthropogenic pressures of expansion areas for livestock and agricultural production in the Brazilian Cerrado, it is of paramount importance to understand the dynamics of land use/land cover (LULC) changes in this region. Thus, we investigated LULC changes in two sub-basins of the Tocantins-Araguaia River basin from 1997 to 2015 and consequently projected future changes for the timespan between 2030 and 2050. The Formoso sub-basin experienced significant expansion of agricultural and pasture areas, whereas the Sono sub-basin limited farmland expansion (more stable native vegetation) due to substantial protected areas, trends that were also observed for future projections (2030 and 2050). Pastureland in the Formoso sub-basin increased by 5.8%, while the Sono sub-basin saw significant gains in cultivated land, according to change detection analyses during the 1997-2015 period. High stability probabilities of no change (> 70%) for grassland areas in the Sono River sub-basin and pasturelands in the Formoso River sub-basin were computed. The CA-Markov model demonstrated a high consistency level with actual LULC classes for both sub-basins, as indicated by an overall Kappa coefficient above 0.8. Future projections for 2030 and 2050 show a substantial expansion of agriculture and pasture in both sub-basins, driven by specific factors such as soil organic carbon stocks, distance from rural settlements, and proximity to rivers. Short- and mid-term simulations indicate substantial expansion of agriculture and pasture in both basins, with potential adverse impacts on water erosion. Consequently, developing policies for soil management and sustainable land use planning is essential for agroecosystem sustainability, promoting a balanced approach to economic development while addressing climate change and anthropogenic challenges.

Exploring the interplay of environmental conservation within spirituality and multicultural perspective: insights from a cross-sectional study.

The need to protect and sustain environmental resources for future generation remains sacrosanct in global sustainability agenda. This study was aimed at exploring the interplay between environmental conservation and spirituality from a multicultural perspective. While studies on "spirituality" have monumentally gained global attention, a growing number of evidence underscore the critical role of spiritual resources available for ensuring environmental stewardship. In this present study, attempt was made to respond to some critical questions: Is there any significant association between spirituality and environmental responsibility? What is the impact of spiritual leadership on environmental conservation? What key messages do spiritual leaders need to prioritize to encourage environmental conservation? And what are some of the spirituality-related predictors of willingness to engage in global environmental conservation efforts among the respondents? To determine this nexus between spirituality and environmentalism, a cross-sectional study design was adopted. Primary data were collected by means of a validated and adapted instrument from various literature searches. Data collected from a sample of 1,438 respondents were entered on Excel spreadsheet and eventually exported on SPSS version 21 for further analysis. Every segment of the instrument used yielded a Cronbach's alpha reliability test result of no less than 0.70. Descriptive statistics and ordinal logistics regression analysis were employed. The findings revealed that majority of respondents expressed a high level of spirituality (p value < 0.05). Majority (70%) of the respondents believe that everyone has a duty of care toward nature. More than two-third (> 60.0%) would be more inclined to observing environmental conservative measures if their spiritual leaders would continue to give exemplary teachings on environmental conservation. While a few indicators of spirituality yielded direct correlation with the willingness to engage in global environmental conservation efforts, most of the selected indicators reflect willingness. Some of these (predictors) include how often respondents pray, meditate, and fast; caring about people, animals, and the planet; being just happy to be alive; etc. In conclusion, this study reasoned that spirituality could indeed serve as a foundation for environmental conservation campaigns and could reinforce pro-environmental behaviors.

Mabea fistulifera and Zeyheria tuberculosa can be indicated for phytoremediation programs of soils contaminated with hormonal herbicides.

Hormone-like herbicides, used for large crops, can contaminate non-target areas with their waste. The objective of this study was to evaluate the tolerance of Mabea fistulifera and Zeyheria tuberculosa to 2,4-D + picloram herbicides by means of morphological and anatomical evaluations. The experiment was performed in a greenhouse in a 4 × 2 factorial scheme. The first factor was the control (without herbicide) and three doses (0.166; 0.333, and 0.666 L ha-1) of the herbicide Tordon® (402 g L-1 2,4-D + 103.6 g L-1 picloram) and the second factor, the species Mabea fistulifera and Zeyheria tuberculosa. The number of M. fistulifera leaves was lower after treatment with the highest dose of the 2,4-D + picloram mixture. The herbicide rates did not influence the number of Z. tuberculosa leaves. The higher dose of 2,4-D + picloram caused a more than 50% reduction in leaf area. Toxicity increased linearly as a function of the doses of the 2,4-D + picloram mixture. Changes in the leaf anatomy of the two species treated with herbicides were observed; however, the roots did not show any changes. Mabea fistulifera and Zeyheria tuberculosa can be recommended for phytoremediation programs in areas contaminated by the herbicides 2,4-D + picloram.

Phytoremediation of soils contaminated with herbicides is a recent and viable tool for environmental decontamination and for the protection of water resources. Mabea fistulifera and Zeyheria tuberculosa can be used to compose riparian forests and retain the arrival of herbicides in the water. Plant anatomy and morphological characteristics are viable tools to assess the tolerance and phytoremediation potential of plant species. Mabea fistulifera and Zeyheria tuberculosa are tolerant to the presence of hormonal herbicides. In this way, they can be used to recover natural areas close to the cultivation areas where the herbicides 2,4-D and picloram are used.

Exploring urban green packages as part of Nature-based Solutions for climate change adaptation measures in rapidly growing cities of the Global South.

Given a lot of elusive information on the use and implementation of Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in the Global South, this review provides a synthesis of the evidence on the: - (1) distribution of urban green technologies in form of arboriculture and urban agriculture as a part of NbS packages for the sustainability of cities against population growth and impact of climate change; and (2) options of integrating and mainstreaming various NbS packages into city development policies, planning processes, and decision-making agendas. The sustainability of urban green as part of NbS packages and the usefulness for improvement of livelihoods is determined by the spatial (geographical location) and temporal (time of action) scales, and socio-ecological and institutional factors. Various NbS packages have shown the ability for use as climate change adaptation measures throughout the world. These functions include protection from soil erosion, protection from inland flooding, buffering natural resources against drier and more variable climates, protection from coastal hazards and sea-level rise, moderation of urban heatwaves and effects of heat island, and managing storm-water and flooding in urban areas. Furthermore, the benefits of urban agriculture and arboriculture include use as sources of food and generation of income; improve recreation and social interactions, and the sustainability of biodiversity. They also mitigate the impact of environmental pollution and climate change through reduction of gas emissions and act as carbon sinks. While the starting capital and lack of policy on urban agriculture and arboriculture in many countries, the importance of the industry is inevitably a useful agenda especially in the Global South due to vulnerability to the impact of climate change. This review also suggests the inclusion of all institutions, governments, and relevant stakeholders to emphasize gender sensitization at all levels of planning and decision-making in food production and adaptation measures to climate change.

Drought disaster monitoring using MODIS derived index for drought years: A space-based information for ecosystems and environmental conservation.

Drought disaster is one of the major factors restricting the development of vegetation across a wide variety of environments. Monitoring the temporal and spatial dynamics of drought episodes in the study area is crucial for environmental and ecosystem conservation. This study assesses drought disaster by utilising space-based data and R programming for drought years 2003, 2007, 2012 and 2019 in the Free State Province, South Africa. Results revealed that the study area witnessed drought events in the year 2003 where March, August, September, October, November and December were more affected by drought disaster events. It was further observed that February and March were affected by extreme drought conditions in the year 2007. In year 2012, January, October, November and December, there exist moderate to severe drought conditions in the study area where some regions were more affected than the other. Finally, year 2019 witnessed variations in drought event distributions across the months with January, October and November witnessing severe to extreme drought conditions from about 0 to 30% drought values. Overall, this study shows that the 16-day Terra-MODIS composite and EVI products are sensitive to stressors associated with drought. The Vegetation Condition Monitoring Index (VCI) based on MODIS is suited for monitoring drought disasters. The technique used in this study revealed the suitability of MODIS data for assessing drought conditions and their potential environmental impacts.

A GIS-based multi-criteria model for offshore wind energy power plants site selection in both sides of the Aegean Sea.

Location selection for offshore wind farms is a major challenge for renewable energy policy, marine spatial planning, and environmental conservation. This selection constitutes a multi-criteria decision-making problem, through which parameters like wind velocity, water depth, shorelines, fishing areas, shipping routes, environmental protection areas, transportation, and military zones should be jointly investigated. The aim of the present study was thus to develop an integrated methodology for assessing the siting of bottom-fixed offshore wind farms in two different countries (with different legal, political, and socio/economic characteristics). Our methodology combined multi-criteria decision-making methods and geographical information systems and was implemented in Cyclades (Greece) and in the sea area of Izmir region (Turkey). Experts used fuzzy sets and linguistic terms to achieve more consistent and independent rankings and results. In the Turkish region, the results showed that 519 km2 (10.23%) of the study area is suitable for offshore wind farms, while in the Greek region, only 289 km2 (3.22%) of the study area was found to be suitable. This spatial suitability analysis may contribute to provide some useful recommendations for the spatial marine planning at the regional scale, as well as for the preliminary assessment of new offshore wind farms in both countries.

Assessment of mining impacts on environment in Mugla-Aydin (SW Turkey) using Landsat and Google Earth imagery.

Mining activities are important for the country's economy, but they cause serious threats to the environment. The geology of SW Turkey comprises Southern (Çine) Submassif of Menderes Metamorphic Massif and the Lycian Nappes. These geological units are unconformably overlain by lignite-bearing Miocene deposits, Upper Miocene-Pliocene conglomerates and Quaternary alluvial deposits. The aim of this study is to determine the geospatial change of mining activities in the Mugla-Aydin provinces, SW Turkey. For this purpose, Landsat-5 TM, Landsat-7 ETM, Landsat-8 OLI and Google Earth satellite image data for 1984, 1994, 2004, 2014 and 2018 have been used for change detection analysis. In 1984, only a Miocene lignite quarry was excavated. Then, in 1994, operations for the excavation of feldspar-quartz and marble quarries were started, and from 2004 to 2014, mining activities significantly accelerated. An aerial image of 2018 shows that an area of about 3800 ha has been exploited by mining at 149 quarries. Considering access roads to quarries, plants and dam reservoirs, the human impact extends over 3800 ha. The study area is home to several archaeological sites and endemic biota. Thus, there is an urgent need for the relocation and protection of archaeological heritages and endemic biota by creating special zones. Additionally, the rich geomorphologic features in the study area that require millions of years to form are at risk of totally disappearing.

The need for spatially explicit quantification of benefits in invasive-species management.

Worldwide, invasive species are a leading driver of environmental change across terrestrial, marine, and freshwater environments and cost billions of dollars annually in ecological damages and economic losses. Resources limit invasive-species control, and planning processes are needed to identify cost-effective solutions. Thus, studies are increasingly considering spatially variable natural and socioeconomic assets (e.g., species persistence, recreational fishing) when planning the allocation of actions for invasive-species management. There is a need to improve understanding of how such assets are considered in invasive-species management. We reviewed over 1600 studies focused on management of invasive species, including flora and fauna. Eighty-four of these studies were included in our final analysis because they focused on the prioritization of actions for invasive species management. Forty-five percent (n = 38) of these studies were based on spatial optimization methods, and 35% (n = 13) accounted for spatially variable assets. Across all 84 optimization studies considered, 27% (n = 23) explicitly accounted for spatially variable assets. Based on our findings, we further explored the potential costs and benefits to invasive species management when spatially variable assets are explicitly considered or not. To include spatially variable assets in decision-making processes that guide invasive-species management there is a need to quantify environmental responses to invasive species and to enhance understanding of potential impacts of invasive species on different natural or socioeconomic assets. We suggest these gaps could be filled by systematic reviews, quantifying invasive species impacts on native species at different periods, and broadening sources and enhancing sharing of knowledge.

Unveiling energy security in agriculture through vital indicators extraction and insights.

Despite advancements in meeting various human needs, energy supply remains a top priority for all countries worldwide. The escalating energy consumption in the agricultural sector underscores the necessity to scrutinize its energy usage. Presently, there exists an absence of a precise tool for accurately measuring this consumption. Hence, this study aims to identify indicators for measuring energy security in agriculture, conducted in three phases: content analysis, indicator validation, and field investigation. In the content analysis phase, energy security indicators were extracted and grouped into four categories: accessibility, availability, utilization, and sustainability. Following this, a two-stage validation process led to the identification of 18 indicators for assessing energy security in agriculture. In the field phase, a tailored questionnaire was distributed to 160 randomly selected farmers. The findings revealed that the availability component held the highest rank in establishing energy security, with an average score of 3.31. However, the current status of the access component indicates a more unfavorable situation compared to other dimensions. Consequently, to achieve energy security in agriculture, particular emphasis should be placed on enhancing energy access. Key areas to address include reducing transportation costs and minimizing the use of chemical pesticides. This indicates a necessity for focused interventions aimed at improving both energy access and sustainability within the agricultural sector. These efforts would contribute to enhancing economic efficiency and promoting environmental conservation.

Understanding 'Tunjuk Ajar Melayu Riau': Integrating local knowledge into environmental conservation and disaster education.

Disaster education remains crucial in building resilient communities, especially in natural disaster-prone areas. An essential element of the educational strategy in this paper involves local wisdom integration into teaching and learning processes. As such, the 'Tunjuk Ajar Melayu Riau' (TAMR) offers valuable insights with its profound knowledge of nature and environmental conservation. The research in this paper explores local wisdom integration values in TAMR into disaster education to enhance knowledge and didactic transpositions. The main research objectives in this paper include understanding the perspectives and values of local wisdom in TAMR concerning nature conservation as an investment in disaster preparedness values and knowledge (RQ1) and examining how a prototype model of nature conservation values in TAMR could guide local knowledge about disaster integration into disaster education (RQ2). The descriptive qualitative research studied in this paper contains four stages: data collection, data reduction, data display, and conclusion drawing. The study reveals three forms of knowledge transposition in TAMR: expressions, advice, and taboos. These aspects underline the TAMR values as guidance and local knowledge about the disaster - the keeping, utilizing, and preserving nature. The further findings split this preservation concept into land and water areas, which is crucial for spatial planning to reduce disaster risk. TAMR forms the foundation for knowledge and didactic transposition in disaster education to emphasize preventing floods, landslides, droughts, and forest and land fires. The meanings and values of TAMR necessitate further academic exploration to create a more comprehensive understanding and preservation. Integrating TAMR values as knowledge and didactic transposition based on local wisdom into disaster education emerged as a viable strategy for building a community resilient to disasters.

Can green credit policy promote green innovation in renewable energy enterprises: evidence from China.

This paper empirically investigates the effects of the green credit policy (GCP) on the total amount, quality, and quantity of green innovation in renewable energy enterprises (REEs) by employing the difference-in-differences (DID) model. Analyses examining the channel, moderating, and economic effects are conducted using a sample of Chinese listed companies between 2008 and 2021. The results indicate that the GCP significantly promotes the total amount, quality, and quantity of green innovation in REEs. This impact on REEs is mainly through a reduction in green agency costs and an increase in research and development (R&D) spending. In addition, the promotional effects are more predominant in firms subjected to intensified environmental enforcement and benefiting from increased governmental subsidies. Moreover, this positive impact is particularly evident in regions with less environmental pollution and lower economic development. Overall, the adoption of green innovation in REEs, facilitated by the GCP, substantially enhances not only the enterprise value but also the environmental performance of the participating companies. Our findings offer a novel perspective for research related to green innovation within the context of the GCP. This could further contribute to the realization of green development strategies and the construction of a low-carbon society.

Scientization or parametrization? Which system is more advantageous to environmental conservation in the reform of China's state-owned forest farms?

Government leadership and grassroots participation are the most typical institutional arrangements in natural resource management, a topic which has been the subject of vigorous debate for a long time. Individually, these systems are referred to as scientization and parametrization. This paper takes the reform of China's state-owned forest farms (SSFs) as a pointcut, comparing the effects of the 2011 policy (representing scientization) and the 2015 policy (representing parametrization) on environmental conservation. For the period from 2006 to 2018, China's provinces are analyzed via difference-in-differences (DID) and principal components difference-in-differences (PCDID) empirical strategies. The results show that the 2015 policy increased new afforestation by an average of 0.903 units, but the 2011 policy had no significant impact. The influence path of the 2015 policy was to curb corruption, relieve fiscal stress, and stimulate innovation, playing mechanism effects of 20.49%, 14.17%, and 33.55%, respectively. However, the 2015 policy was not ideal in terms of its goal of incentivizing multi-agent participation in investments in conservation. Investors prefer to attempt afforestation projects with shorter payback periods, especially projects related to open forest land. Overall, this study supports the belief that parametric management is a better approach to natural resource management than scientific management, but the latter approach still has limitations. Therefore, we propose to prioritize the promotion of parametric management on the closed forest lands of SSFs, but there is no need to hastily mobilize grassroots participation in open forest land management projects.

An ethnobotanical study on wild plants used by Tibetan people in Gyirong Valley, Tibet, China.

BACKGROUND: Gyirong Valley known as the "Back Garden of the Himalayas" is located in the core area of the Everest National Nature Reserve. It is also one of the important ports from ancient Tibet to Kathmandu, Nepal, since ancient times. Over the years, the Tibetans of Gyirong had accumulated sufficient traditional knowledge about local plant resources. However, there is almost no comprehensive report available on ethnobotanical knowledge about the local people. The purposes of this study were to (1) conduct a comprehensive study of wild plants used by Tibetan people in Gyirong Valley and record the traditional knowledge associated with wild useful plants, (2) explore the influence of Tibetan traditional culture and economic development on the use of wild plants by local people, and (3) explore the characteristics of traditional knowledge about wild plants of Tibetans in Gyirong. METHODS: Ethnobotanical data were documented through free listings, key informant interviews and semi-structured interviews during fieldwork. The culture importance index and the informant consensus factor index were used as quantitative indices. RESULTS: In total, 120 informants (61 women and 59 men) and 3333 use reports and 111 wild plant species belonging to 39 families and 81 genera were included. These use reports were then classified into 27 categories belonging to three major categories. The use category that contained the most plant species was edible plants (62), followed by medicinal plants (32) and economic plants (22), and other uses (71). Plants with high CI included Allium prattii, Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora, Gymnadenia orchidis, Rhododendron anthopogon and Fritillaria cirrhosa. Thirty-six species of plants in the catalog of Gyirong and Yadong were the same, but only 17 species were the same in Gyirong and Burang. There were only 11 overlapping species between all the three regions. CONCLUSION: Tibetans of Gyirong have rich and unique knowledge about plant use, and wild edible and medicinal plants play an important role in the nutrition and health protection of local people. However, traditional knowledge is slowly being lost and is being hit by modern tourism. In the future, more attention needs to be paid to the important role of traditional knowledge in biodiversity conservation.

Food, Energy, and Water Nexus at Household Level: Do Sustainable Household Consumption Practices Promote Cleaner Environment?

Governments around the globe are trying to find sustainable solutions for lessening pressure on natural resources and reducing carbon emissions. Daily household consumption of food, energy, and water has an impact on stocks of natural resources, environmental quality, and climate change. Households have significant potential for increasing conservation actions for efficient use of natural resources and greenhouse gas emissions. Households could contribute to a clean and healthy environment by adopting sustainable household practices through lower per capita consumption and carbon emissions. This study explored the role of different sustainable household consumption practices in promoting a clean environment as well as the factors affecting the adoption of these practices in Pakistan. Factor analysis and an ordered probit model were used to analyze the data from 1424 participants chosen through a multistage random sampling technique. The factor analysis identified 35 sustainable household practices for sustainable consumption. These 35 practices were grouped into the underlying factors of "Food" (14 items), "Energy" (12 items), and "Water" (9 items). The results from the econometric model showed a significant relationship between gender, education, residential area, family size, and income and the adoption of sustainable household consumption practices. Statistically, higher levels of reported sustainable consumption practices were apparent among females, households living in urban areas, more educated people, individuals of large family sizes, and more affluent households. Therefore, public policies for taking care of the environment need to put households at the center while at the same time promoting mass uptake of sustainable consumption practices related to food, energy, and water. In addition, the sector-specific policies also need to be augmented through focus on household-level consumption and production dynamics for achieving the UN's SDGs.

Lowering nitrogen rates under the system of rice intensification enhanced rice productivity and nitrogen use efficiency in irrigated lowland rice.

Among the essential plant nutrients, nitrogen (N) is the most important and universally deficient in rice cropping systems worldwide. Despite different practices available for improvement of N management, nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) is still very low in rice, particularly under conventional management practices. This study was conducted to assess the effect of two crop management practices including the system of rice intensification (SRI) versus conventional management practices (CP) with four N application levels (60, 90, 120, and 150 kg N ha-1) and absolute control (i.e., without N application) on rice growth, grain yield, and NUE. Experiments were established in split-plot randomized complete block design in three replicates. Crop management practices and N levels were treated as the main effect of main-plots and sub-plots, respectively with replicate blocks treated as random factors. Results indicated that deploying of SRI increased rice grain yield by 17.5 and 52.4% during wet and dry seasons, respectively compared with the CP. Rice grain yield was significantly (p < 0.05) higher in SRI than in CP at all levels of N application compared. The application of N at 120 and 60 kg ha-1 resulted in the increase in rice grain yields by 49 and 46.5%, respectively, relative to the absolute control during wet and dry seasons. Nitrogen application had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (ANUE) and partial factor productivity (PFP). Results also indicated that agronomic nitrogen use efficiency (ANUE) was higher (27.2 kg grain kg-1 N) during the wet season with an application of 60 kg N ha-1. Furthermore, higher ANUE (23.8 kg grain kg-1 N) was recorded during dry season with an application of 90 kg N ha-1. The significant (p < 0.05) interaction effects of treatments were recorded on PFP between SRI and 60 kg N ha-1 during the wet (116.7 kg grain kg-1 N) and dry (105.8 kg grain kg-1 N) seasons. This study revealed that ANUE and PFP decreased with N application at the levels of 120 and 150 kg N ha-1 under SRI and CP during the two cropping seasons. The findings of the present study provide potential information that rice grain yield and higher NUE could be achieved at low N inputs under SRI, and thus reducing costs resulted from fertilizer inputs without compromising other environmental benefits.

Oyster arsenic, cadmium, copper, mercury, lead and zinc levels in the northern South China Sea: long-term spatiotemporal distributions, combined effects, and risk assessment to human health.

Estuarine and coastal ecosystems are often considered vulnerable due to the complex biogeochemical processes and the human disturbances through a variety of pollution. Among environmental contaminants, heavy metals in estuarine and coastal ecosystems have been of increasing concern in environmental conservation. Long-term exposure to heavy metal contamination, mainly through food and water, could be harmful to human health. It is therefore critical to understand the quantitative comparisons and combined effects of different heavy metals in common seafood species, such as oysters. This work studied the long-term spatiotemporal trends and health risk assessment of oyster arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), copper (Cu), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) levels in the coastal waters of northern South China Sea. Cultured oysters (Crassostrea rivularis) from 23 estuaries and harbors in the coastal areas of northern South China Sea in 1989-2015 were analyzed for the spatiotemporal trends of the six heavy metal levels. Metal pollution index (MPI), target hazard quotient (THQ), and hazard index (HI) were used for quantifying the exposure of the six heavy metals to human health through oyster consumption. Principal component analysis (PCA) was used for assessing the relative importance of the six metals in oyster heavy metal distribution patterns in the northern South China Sea. Overall, the As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn levels in oysters from the northern South China Sea generally declined from 1989 to 2015, stayed relatively high (MPI = 2.42-3.68) during 1989-2000, gradually decreased since 2000, and slightly increased after 2010. Oyster heavy metal levels were highest in the Pearl River Estuary (MPI = 1.20-5.52), followed by west Guangdong and east Guangdong, Guangxi, and Hainan coastal waters. This pattern is probably because economics and industry around the Pearl River Estuary have been growing faster than the other areas of this work in the recent two decades, and it should be taken as a hotspot for the monitoring of seafood safety in southern China. Principal component analysis indicated that Cu, Zn, and Cd were the most important metals in the long-term distributions of oyster heavy metal levels in the northern South China Sea. Health risk assessment suggested that the risk of the six heavy metals exposure through oyster consumption were relatively high during 1989-2005 (THQ = 1.01-5.82), significantly decreased since 2005 (THQ < 1), and slightly increased after 2010.

School Garden Benefits: Health Promotion and Environmental Conservation.

Garden-based learning promotes environmental awareness, health, and wellness across the school community and beyond. In this article, we review the literature on the benefits of school gardening and describe firsthand experiences for garden success. By sharing lessons learned, our aim is to inspire school nurses to join forces with like-minded teachers and staff or take the lead to build capacity in their school for gardening and a green culture dedicated to the conservation of natural resources.