The Australian monsoonal tropics: An opportunity to protect unique biodiversity and secure benefits for Aboriginal communities.

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 343 ◽  
Author(s):  
C Moritz ◽  
E J Ens ◽  
S Potter ◽  
R A Catullo
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Aboriginal Communities ◽  
Land Owners ◽  
Conservation Effort ◽  
The Face ◽  
Cape York ◽  
Critical Regions ◽  
Reserve System

The Australian monsoonal tropics region contains one of the planet’s largest, relatively intact tropical savannas and has been continually occupied by humans for at least 50,000 years. The region, spanning Cape York Peninsula, the Top End and the Kimberley of northern Australia has long been known to host high biodiversity, but only now is the true extent of locally unique (endemic) species and genetic diversity within each of these areas becoming apparent. Though some critical regions have been included in the national reserve system, including the iconic Kakadu National Park, the ecological and evolutionary dynamics are such that large interconnected swathes of the region need to be actively managed to sustain this unique diversity in the face of escalating anthropogenic impacts and species decline. The growth in Indigenous Protected Areas and Indigenous-owned land where Traditional Owners aspire to “care for their Country” offers an opportunity to contribute to the broader conservation effort in the region. The conservation imperative is also entwined with Aboriginal cultural aspirations. Over the last few decades there has been a resurgence of effort by Aboriginal landowners to maintain their cultural responsibilities and knowledge, pursue socio-economic development opportunities, as well as to protect the bio-cultural values of their ancestral country. In the Australian monsoonal tropics, over 40% of the landscape is under some form of Aboriginal ownership or control and emerging initiatives such as the Indigenous Protected Area programme, representing a partnership of community, government and sometimes NGOs offer one (though not the only) constructive way forward. As the biological uniqueness of the landscape is uncovered, this should bolster the perceived biodiversity value and encourage further investment in protecting it, especially through programmes that promote engagement with, and employment of, Aboriginal communities. For this to be sustainable, the discovery and management of the region’s biodiversity needs to be driven increasingly by Aboriginal land owners with clear cultural and community, as well as biodiversity, benefits. This

scholarly journals Seasonal records of benthic macroinvertebrates in a stream on the eastern edge of the Iguaçu National Park, Brazil

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jhenifer Santos ◽  
Luciano Wolff ◽  
Lucíola Baldan ◽  
Ana Guimarães
Keyword(s):  
Benthic Macroinvertebrates ◽  
National Park ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Natural Heritage ◽  
Precipitation Temperature ◽  
Brazilian Government ◽  
Urban Impacts ◽  
New Information ◽  
The Face ◽  
Eastern Edge

Background Iguaçu National Park (INP) is known worldwide due to Iguaçu Waterfalls, being considered a World Natural Heritage by UNESCO. The INP is one of the last large forested extensions of inland Brazil that provides protection to the Atlantic Forest, one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. However, its Natural Heritage status has been threatened by the construction and operation of the Baixo Iguaçu dam, agricultural and urban impacts on its boundaries and the increasing interest of the Brazilian government in re-opening of the “Colono road”, an old illegal road that crossed the interior of the park. Indeed, since benthic macroinvertebrates have been widely used for the environmental assessment of streams, records and abundance of their taxa under different seasonal periods may provide an additional dataset for biomonitoring of hydrographic systems in the face of current anthropogenic impacts on the INP boundaries and other similar streams on forest edges. New information In this study, we improved the sampling design of benthic macroinvertebrates and provided seasonal records covering distinct precipitation/temperature periods between 2016 and 2017 of a stream on the eastern edge of the Iguaçu National Park, Brazil. The records total 2,840 individuals distributed in 88 different taxa. The most abundant taxa were the Diptera subfamilies, Chironominae (n = 1,487) and Tanypodinae (n = 256), besides the Heterelmis genus (n = 152, Elmidae; Coleoptera). Diptera was the richest order in number of families (n = 8), while Leptophlebiidae (Ephemeroptera) was the richest taxonomic family in number of genera (n = 11). Aegla (Crustacea) and the Insecta genera, Heterelmis, Hexacylloepus, Noelmis, Phylloicus and Thraulodes, were recorded through all samplings. Twenty-five genera of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, Trichoptera (EPT) and Odonata were recorded during intermediate precipitation/temperature periods. Twenty-one of them were recorded in May 2016, with five genera standing out in abundance (Hydrosmilodon, Anacroneuria, Argia, Coryphaeschna, Americabaetis) and four (Needhamella, Tikuna, Simothraulopsis, Neocordulia) in December 2016. Four general taxa were exclusive of the lower precipitation/temperature period (August 2016), standing out in abundance were the Oxystigma (Odonata) and Corydalus (Megaloptera) genera. In March 2017 (higher precipitation/temperature period), four exclusive taxa were recorded, amongst them, the Chimarra (Trichoptera) genus. Furthermore, seasonal records demonstrated higher occurrences and abundance of macroinvertebrates during the intermediate and lower precipitation/temperature periods, besides a varied taxa composition throughout the year, with the presence of both sensitive and tolerant groups to environmental impacts. Our findings suggest that the number and composition of the local-stream macrobenthic fauna were influenced by the seasonal climatic regime. These changes should be considered in the limnological monitoring developed on the hydrographic systems of INP eastern edges to improve the assessment of environmental quality under different local seasonal conditions.

scholarly journals Anthropogenic impacts on Late Holocene land-cover change and floristic biodiversity loss in tropical southeastern Asia

2021 ◽  
Vol 118 (40) ◽  
pp. e2022210118 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhuo Zheng ◽  
Ting Ma ◽  
Patrick Roberts ◽  
Zhen Li ◽  
Yuanfu Yue ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Late Holocene ◽  
Southern China ◽  
Anthropogenic Impacts ◽  
Biodiversity Loss ◽  
Freshwater Wetland ◽  
Social Changes ◽  
Rice Agriculture ◽  
Human Land Use ◽  
Key Species ◽  
The Face

Southern China and Southeast Asia witnessed some of their most significant economic and social changes relevant to human land use during the Late Holocene, including the intensification and spread of rice agriculture. Despite rice growth being associated with a number of earth systems impacts, how these changes transformed tropical vegetation in this region of immense endemic biodiversity remains poorly understood. Here, we compile a pollen dataset incorporating ∼150,000 identifications and 233 pollen taxa to examine past changes in floral biodiversity, together with a compilation of records of forest decline across the region using 14 pollen records spanning lowland to mountain sites. Our results demonstrate that the rise of intensive rice agriculture from approximately 2,000 y ago led not only to extensive deforestation but also to remarkable changes of vegetation composition and a reduction in arboreal diversity. Focusing specifically on the Tertiary relic tree species, the freshwater wetland conifer Glyptostrobus (Glyptostrobus pensilis), we demonstrate how key species that had survived changing environmental conditions across millions of years shrank in the face of paddy rice farming and human disturbance.

Nigeria's Core Values and the Use of Social Media to Promote Cultural Values

2014 ◽  
pp. 924-935
Author(s):  
Ezekiel S. Asemah ◽  
Daniel O. Ekhareafo ◽  
Samuel Olaniran
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Core Values ◽  
Indigenous Culture ◽  
Global Culture ◽  
Foreign Culture ◽  
The Face ◽  
The Media ◽  
Plateau State ◽  
Use Of Social Media

This article examines how Nigeria's core values are being redefined in the face of the new media and cultural globalisation era; it identifies Nigeria's core values to include age, greeting, dressing, among others. The questionnaire was used as an instrument to elicit data from the sampled population (Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State). Findings show that the Internet, especially, is changing Nigeria's core values. Based on the findings, the paper concludes that Nigerians, especially the youths no longer have regards for their culture; rather, they value foreign culture. Also, the paper concludes that globalisation and global culture is gradually eroding Nigeria's core values as people no longer have regards for their local culture; rather they value the foreign culture. The paper, among others, recommends that the media in Nigeria should adequately transmit local programmes in order to genuinely reflect indigenous culture. The media no doubt, plays a significant role in projecting and reflecting culture. In doing so, indigenous culture should be adequately reflected through sufficient airing of programmes with local content to prevent dominance of Western values over indigenous values and the local languages be instituted in Nigerian school system and monitored to ensure local dialects are learnt and spoken. In this way, the youths will learn to attach value to their culture right from their formative years.

Culture in Conflict With Childhood Training and Religious Leadership in Nigeria

2020 ◽  
pp. 125-138
Author(s):  
Sylvester Dan Udofia
Keyword(s):  
Child Development ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Child Rearing ◽  
Nigerian Children ◽  
Ancient Israel ◽  
The Face ◽  
Home Training ◽  
African Families ◽  
Developmental Expectations

It is becoming generally accepted that child development is culturally constructed. Cultural values and attitudes regulate child rearing values, developmental expectations, and emotional orientations. Employing descriptive methods in studying this problem, the chapter observes that leadership style in many societies have been plagued with greed, violence, indiscipline, and corruption. This study places blame on poor home foundation as it reasons with the Hebrew sage that nothing serious can be built on a faulty foundation (Ps. 11:3). Consequent upon this, the study upholds that if children who are Nigeria's future leaders are groomed in families that have religion and morality as the bedrock of their education, then God fearing leaders would be produced. To achieve this, the chapter further suggests that adapting and combining lessons from traditional African families and those of ancient Israel in the home training of Nigerian children would result in producing leaders like the biblical Daniel who remained incorruptible even in the face of serious challenges.

Innovative Management Strategies to Address Environmental and Social Concerns on a Major Pipeline

2010 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabriel Marcuz ◽  
Rodolfo Reale
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Values ◽  
National Park ◽  
Technological Progress ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
Strong Reaction ◽  
Aboriginal Communities ◽  
Natural Gas Pipeline ◽  
Innovative Management ◽  
Major Pipeline

Gasoducto Nor Andino is a 1,100 km long natural gas pipeline which runs through one of the most critical environmental and social areas of Argentina and Chile. The area is inhabited by aboriginal communities that face a progressive deterioration of their cultural values and traditional customs. The beginning of the construction of Gasoducto Nor Andino triggered a strong reaction in the local communities and environmental organizations such as Greenpeace. Such reaction soon extended throughout the country, generating a strong debate as to the value of Economic & Technological Progress vs Environmental Conservation. All the problems were successfully solved by actions conducted in accordance with the Company’s ethical values. The different stakeholders involved were called together and agreements were implemented with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), such as Greenpeace, representatives of the aboriginal communities, local and environmental authorities (National Park Administration, Environmental Secretariat of Salta Province, etc.). This paper describes the non-traditional and innovative actions taken to solve the problems and the remarkable results achieved.

scholarly journals Standing genetic variation in host preference for mutualist microbial symbionts

2014 ◽  
Vol 281 (1797) ◽  
pp. 20142036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna K. Simonsen ◽  
John R. Stinchcombe
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Variation ◽  
Host Preference ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Indirect Selection ◽  
Symbiotic Bacteria ◽  
Plant Responses ◽  
Broad Sense Heritability ◽  
Quantitative Genetic ◽  
The Face ◽  
Microbial Symbionts

Many models of mutualisms show that mutualisms are unstable if hosts lack mechanisms enabling preferential associations with mutualistic symbiotic partners over exploitative partners. Despite the theoretical importance of mutualism-stabilizing mechanisms, we have little empirical evidence to infer their evolutionary dynamics in response to exploitation by non-beneficial partners. Using a model mutualism—the interaction between legumes and nitrogen-fixing soil symbionts—we tested for quantitative genetic variation in plant responses to mutualistic and exploitative symbiotic rhizobia in controlled greenhouse conditions. We found significant broad-sense heritability in a legume host's preferential association with mutualistic over exploitative symbionts and selection to reduce frequency of associations with exploitative partners. We failed to detect evidence that selection will favour the loss of mutualism-stabilizing mechanisms in the absence of exploitation, as we found no evidence for a fitness cost to the host trait or indirect selection on genetically correlated traits. Our results show that genetic variation in the ability to preferentially reduce associations with an exploitative partner exists within mutualisms and is under selection, indicating that micro-evolutionary responses in mutualism-stabilizing traits in the face of rapidly evolving mutualistic and exploitative symbiotic bacteria can occur in natural host populations.

Enhancing our Heritage: Conservation for 21st Century New Zealanders: Ways forward from the Tahi Group of Concerned Scientists

2013 ◽  
Vol 19 (4) ◽  
pp. 256 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Craig ◽  
Henrik Moller ◽  
Denis Saunders ◽  
Morgan Williams
Keyword(s):  
Economic Reform ◽  
Social Engagement ◽  
Essential Elements ◽  
Heritage Conservation ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Land Owners ◽  
Ecosystem Protection ◽  
Responsibility Of Government ◽  
Reserve System ◽  
New Zealanders

New Zealanders are constantly reminded of their degraded environment and the threatened status of their unique plants, animals and ecosystems. Instead of presenting these as symptoms of unsustainable living and the socio-economic system that rewards this, there has been a propensity to treat these as independent problems needing individual solutions with insufficient resources allocated to implement the solutions. For example, conservation of native biota and ecosystem protection are viewed as biological problems that are mainly the responsibility of government to be addressed through a government-based reserve system. In contrast, the Tahi Group view a diverse native biota and healthy ecosystems as essential elements of New Zealanders’ heritage that require social engagement and innovative economic reform. Most of all, the New Zealand conservation paradigm needs to be broadened to encourage collaboration of a wider range of stakeholders and land owners and the application of new tools for learning how best to reverse ongoing decline of native biota and degradation of ecosystems. Diversification of conservation strategies has begun in small “bottomup” ways in communities, organizations, businesses and institutions, powered by commitment and energy of many individual citizens. These strategies, where monitored, demonstrate effective and efficient actions that inspires hope for a future that fully integrates conservation as a normal and an essential component of a prosperous economy and healthy South Pacific society with little or no government input. We make a plea to move from the constant reiteration of conservation problems to a focus on developing and implementing solutions to these problems with the engagement of all New Zealanders.

Representing Aboriginal Masculinity in Howard’s Australia

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shino Konishi
Keyword(s):  
Military Intervention ◽  
Indigenous Rights ◽  
Aboriginal Communities ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Public Response ◽  
The Public ◽  
Colonial Culture ◽  
Fourth Term ◽  
The Face ◽  
And Gender

This chapter examines the way in which the Howard government and its supporters revitalized colonial tropes about Aboriginal masculinity in order to progressively dismantle and undermine indigenous rights and sovereignty, culminating in the quasi-military intervention into supposedly dysfunctional Aboriginal communities towards the end of Howard's fourth term. It critiques and historicizes a range of demeaning representations that assume Aboriginal men are violent and misogynistic. These representations can be traced back to initial encounters between European and indigenous men. The aim is to bring academic, media, and governmental discourses about Aboriginal masculinity into conversation with masculinity studies, which means contextualizing notions of Aboriginal masculinity in ways that avoid unreflective colonial conceptions. Finally, the chapter examines the public response of Aboriginal men to this demonization, and how they negotiate their own masculine identities in the face of a colonial culture that disparages them for their race and gender.

Justice and Culture: Rawls, Sen, Acile Fabreo' Neill

2003 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
CéAcile Fabre ◽  
David Miller
Keyword(s):  
Human Rights ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
John Rawls ◽  
Martha Nussbaum ◽  
Amartya Sen ◽  
Human Capabilities ◽  
Liberal Societies ◽  
The Face ◽  
Liberal Rights ◽  
Over Time

Is it possible, in a multicultural world, to hold all societies to a common standard of decency that is both high enough to protect basic human interests, and yet not biased in the direction of particular cultural values? We examine the recent work of four liberals – John Rawls, Amartya Sen, Martha Nussbaum and Onora O' Neill – to see whether any of them has given a successful answer to this question. For Rawls, the decency standard is set by reference to an idea of basic human rights that we argue offers too little protection to members of non-liberal societies. Sen and Nussbaum both employ the idea of human capabilities, but in interestingly different ways: for Sen the problems are how to weight different capabilities, and how to decide which are basic, whereas for Nussbaum the difficulty is that her favoured list of capabilities depends on an appeal to autonomy that is unlikely to be acceptable to non-liberal cultures. O' Neill rejects a rights-based approach in favour of a neo-Kantian position that asks which principles of action people everywhere could consent to, but this also may be too weak in the face of cultural diversity. We conclude that liberals need to argue both for a minimum decency standard and for the full set of liberal rights as the best guarantors of that standard over time.

New Directions in Aboriginal (N’Unga’) in South Australia

1978 ◽  
Vol 3 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 34-38
Author(s):  
John Austin
Keyword(s):  
Child Care ◽  
Cultural Values ◽  
Extended Family ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Child Rearing ◽  
Basic Unit ◽  
Aboriginal Communities ◽  
Primary Responsibility ◽  
New Directions

In traditional Aboriginal communities the young were cared for by the COMBINED efforts of relatives. Traditional social/cultural values included an emphasis on the extended family as the basic unit, with responsibility for the welfare of each member of a tribe being shared by all. Methods of child-rearing emphasised undemanding security and physical demonstration of affection, rather then discipline, training and material comforts. The structure of the extended family varied from tribe to tribe with different members having primary responsibility for child care.

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