Prevention of land use conflict in Zimbabwe's marginal lands

This paper outlines Zimbabwe's Communal Areas Management Programme for Indigenous Resources, a policy of developing marginal lands of low agricultural potential where increased population has resulted in competition for land between people and wildlife. The proximity of national park areas to peasant lands has been a major source of conflict but the new development programme has removed this conflict by rationalizing land use policy. Traditional land use continues, but peasants are encouraged to participate in wildlife management on a commercial basis as shareholders. The accruing benefits are used to fund rural development projects.     

米氏凯伦藻分布及其引发赤潮的发生规律研究

近年来米氏凯伦藻赤潮引发的赤潮频率逐渐增加、规模不断扩大,引起了广泛关注,但其来源及扩散方式尚不明确。本研究在分析国内外文献资料的基础上,从米氏凯伦藻的生物学特征、发现历史和引发赤潮、与环境条件关系等多各角度,阐述了米氏凯伦藻的分布和发生规律。结果显示米氏凯伦藻为我国海域外来藻种,其源头为日本,传播路径可能以传播压舱水的形式由日本或由日本经由欧美传入我国。该藻种引发的有毒赤潮事件20世纪60年代起在日本最早出现,而我国于1998年才首次出现,随后呈由南向北的扩散趋势,目前浙江和福建海域是米氏凯伦藻赤潮的主要发生区域。米氏凯伦藻赤潮的发生可能与光照、温度和富营养化等有关。     

Using quantitative influence diagrams to map natural resource managers’ mental models of invasive species management

Despite the significant effect that invasive species have on natural values, the number and extent of invasions continue to rise globally. At least three dominant reasons explain why policy development and implementation can fail: differences in managers’ mental models of invasive species management; cross-agency responsibility; and poor planning and management (i.e., planning–implementation gap). We used a case study of cross-agency management of gamba grass (Andropogon gayanus) in Australia to explore the differences in organizational staffs’ mental models of management. The gamba grass invasion in northern Australia is continuing to expand and associated effects are increasing; coordinated action across agencies is needed to manage the expansion. Our aim was to examine how staff would represent their mental models as a diagram that we could compare between individuals and groups. We used cognitive mapping techniques to elicit models of 15 individuals from across 5 organizations, represented as an influence diagram, which shows the interrelationships that define a system. We compiled the individual influence diagrams to create a team model of management that captures the common connections across participants’ diagrams. The team model revealed that education, science, legislation, enforcement and property management plans were perceived to be the most important management tools to control or eradicate gamba grass. The Weed Management Branch was perceived to have the most central role in gamba grass management, while other organizations were perceived to have specific roles according to their core business. Significant positive correlations (i.e., shared perceptions) were observed across half of the participants, indicating that the some participants have shared models that could be used as a starting point for discussing the team model, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and potentially building consensus around a shared model. Dominant opportunities for improvement identified by participants were better use of management tools, namely education and enforcement, better coordination and collaboration between agencies and increased resourcing. Our research demonstrates the value and validity of using influence diagrams to explore managers’ mental models and to create a team model that could serve as a starting point for improved cross-agency natural resource management.     

Switzerland’s transition from flood defence to flood-adapted land use–A policy coordination perspective

This contribution examines Switzerland’s shift towards integrated flood risk management from a policy coordination perspective. The study applies a heuristic framework of policy coordination to explore how adaption needs promoted cross-sectoral policy coordination between hydraulic engineering and land use planning and enhanced coherence in flood policies targeting extreme flood events. To account for the temporal dimension in policy coordination, the article traces Swiss flood policies back to the early 1800s and distinguishes four phases of policy coordination. Across the four periods, the analysis focuses on (a) the drivers of policy coordination, (b) the manifestation of policy coordination in terms of policy frames, goals, instruments and subsystem involvement, and (c) the performance of policy coordination. Complemented by an in-depth case study of cross-sectoral flood policies in the Swiss canton Nidwalden findings show that the coordination between flood and land use policies has primarily been driven by three factors: (i) extreme floods as focusing events, (ii) an increasing problem pressure, and (iii) strategic reorientations in flood and land use policies. Today, flood risk management in Switzerland displays a high degree of sectoral interplay between hydraulic engineering and spatial planning. By fostering flood-adapted land uses Switzerland’s coordinated flood policies reduce the vulnerability to uncertain future changes in flood risk and strengthen the country’s capacities to mitigate damage in extreme floods events.     

An institutional evaluation of sustainable forest management in Flanders

The aim of this paper is to evaluate the existing Flemish institutional framework of sustainable forest management (SFM). The evaluation was performed using criteria and indicators that were based on the four-dimensional structure (discourse, rules, power and actors) of the policy arrangement approach. The data collection and analysis were done using a single representative case. The conclusions of the evaluation are mixed. The introduction of sustainable forest management is hampered by different perspectives on SFM and a fragmented network of many different owners with a clear asymmetrical distribution of trust and power. It is, however, enabled by the way that the most powerful and trusted actors in the network – the forest group and the forest service – have the same perspective on SFM perspective as the government. We expect that SFM can be achieved in the near future, although it remains a vulnerable situation.     

Forest management plan as a policy instrument: Carrot, stick or sermon?

Technical aspects of forest management planning as decision-support have been addressed in numerous scientific studies. However, forest management plans (FMPs) also play a significant, but largely neglected, role as forest policy instruments. We have examined the policy context and planning practices in two contrasting case countries, revealing striking differences in policy instrumentation. In Sweden, FMPs mainly serve for informational steering, with under-utilised potential for providing individualised advice. In Lithuania, the plans are primarily regulatory, serving for effective control but with several deficiencies, notably excessive costs and institutionalised corruption. The study demonstrates that policy analyses can be fruitfully grounded in the empirics of planning practices.     

An assessment of policies affecting Sustainable Soil Management in Europe and selected member states

This paper analyses soils-related policies in Europe and in selected member states and regions. Our approach breaks down policy packages at European, national and regional levels into strategic objectives, operational objectives, policy measures and expected impacts, and assesses the relationships between these elements and soil stakes. Four major policy packages, both at EU and national level (CAP-I, RDP, Environment, national initiatives) were analysed. A numerical scale was developed to quantify the level of “embeddedness” of soil stakes in these policy packages. We found that countries better embed soil stakes into their policies when they also put more efforts on environmental innovation. In turn, countries with a high embeddedness level, with high trust in European institutions and that make more efforts towards renewable energy, tend to propose a wider variety of management practices to farmers for dealing with soil stakes.     

Analysis of the Colorado potato beetle protection system in Finland

Invasive species, including plants, insects and other pests, are a serious threat to agricultural production and to the environment in general. Finland has traditionally had a favourable situation concerning invasives, partly due to its isolated geographical location. The situation may now be changing and one of the currently increasing threats is the Colorado potato beetle (CPB). Finland has designed a CPB protection policy incorporating a protected zone, which is commonly used to deal with invasive plant pests in other European countries. Within this zone, the randomly occurring CPB invasions are collectively fended off, to prevent the establishment of a permanent pest population and to minimise potential damage. This paper evaluates the economics of the current protection programme, comparing this to a hypothetical situation in which the current pre-emptive policy is abandoned and control relies on producers' individual reactive protection measures. The annual random pest invasions are modelled in a static stochastic framework. To date the pest has not been able to establish a permanent population in Finland. According to our analysis, the currently exercised pre-emptive policy is the cost-efficient choice at this point. The relatively low expected invasion magnitude is one of the key factors supporting the efficiency of the current system. Another reason is the fairly small damage incurred. However, when the invasions become larger and more frequent or the pest strains more cold-resistant, the future situation may change.     

尾矿植被法治理初探

尾矿作为矿业废弃物,被堆放在尾矿库内．对周围环境造成很大的污染．停用的尾矿库必须进行治理：在几种治理方法中．植被法是一种较为理想的方法．符合我国的国情：主要讨论了利用植被法治理尾矿的具体措施．包括尾矿基质的改良、耐性物种的选择和管理措施的选择等。     

新一轮收储制度改革导致玉米减产了吗：基于DID模型的分析

2016年中国开始了新一轮玉米收储制度改革,其间经历了临时收储政策取消以及玉米生产者补贴制度建立两个阶段。利用2010～2017年全国31个省份的省级面板数据,基于DID设计,本文分析了此次收储制度改革对玉米生产的影响。本文研究结果表明,收储制度改革对玉米生产的影响具有较强的时间异质性。在收储制度改革的第一年,改革对玉米总产量、播种面积和单位面积总投入均有很强的负向影响;在收储制度改革的第二年,虽然改革对玉米单位面积总投入依然具有较强的负向影响,但是对玉米总产量以及播种面积则呈现出正向影响。其原因在于,对玉米生产者来说,改革第一年没有配套支持制度,玉米种植收益下降;而在改革第二年,以生产者补贴为主的配套支持制度建立,玉米种植收益上升。     

Emerging amenity landscapes: Invasive weeds and land subdivision in rural Australia

Throughout history non-native invasive species have created environmental, economic, and social problems. Technological change, trade, and land system change are among the key factors in their spread and intensification. A recent global phenomenon holds the potential to exacerbate the invasive species problem: amenity migration, the subdivision of farm and grazing land, and the introduction of alternative land uses and management regimes by new rural residents. An Australian case study explores the subdivision of fine wool sheep ranches, the arrival of amenity migrants, and the impact on the management of one of the country's worst weeds, serrated tussock (Nassella trichotoma). Interviews with property owners, government officials, and members of the community-based conservation group, Landcare, expose cultural, institutional, and economic barriers to the control of the invasive grass. As the subdivision process leads to smaller properties and higher population densities it holds the potential to improve management of serrated tussock if the result is fewer livestock and more people to chemically and mechanically control the grass. But roughly 65% of the newcomers are part-time residents and absenteeism tends to result in weak efforts to manage the weed. In addition, regardless of their full-time/part-time status, most of the newcomers are ‘amenity” landholders whose cultural context and ideas about land and nature is diverse, and who do not seek their primary income from the land. Much of rural Australia now contains amenity landscapes, with weakened social capital, and a reduced capacity to coordinate a response to regional-scale environmental problems.