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"Environmental indicators."
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Freshwater algae : identification and use as bioindicators
Freshwater Algae: Identification and Use as Bioindicators provides a comprehensive guide to temperate freshwater algae, with additional information on key species in relation to environmental characteristics and implications for aquatic management. The book uniquely combines practical material on techniques and water quality management with basic algal taxonomy and the role of algae as bioindicators. Freshwater Algae: Identification and Use as Bioindicators is divided into two parts. Part I describes techniques for the sampling, measuring and observation of algae and then looks at the role of algae as bioindicators and the implications for aquatic management. Part II provides the identification of major genera and 250 important species. Well illustrated with numerous original illustrations and photographs, this reference work is essential reading for all practitioners and researchers concerned with assessing and managing the aquatic environment.
eBook
Winged Sentinels
'The ability of the birds to show us the consequences of our own actions is among their most important and least appreciated attributes. Despite the free advice of the birds, we do not pay attention', said Marjory Stoneman Douglas in 1947. From ice-dependent penguins of Antarctica to songbirds that migrate across the Sahara, birds' responses provide early warning signs of the impact of climate change. Winged Sentinels: Birds and Climate Change uses colourful examples to show how particular groups of birds face heightened threats from climate change and to explore how we can help birds adapt in a warming world. Generously illustrated with colour photographs, the book is a fascinating insight into what climate change means for birds, and the potential consequences of ignoring these warning signs.
eBook
Freshwater algae : identification, enumeration and use as bioindicators
\"Freshwater Algae provides a comprehensive guide to temperate freshwater algae, with additional information on key species in relation to environmental characteristics and implications for aquatic management.Existing books on freshwater algae fall into two categories: simple identification texts or highly specialised research volumes. There is currently nothing in between that practitioners and students can use on a regular basis. The authors filled this gap with the first edition which provided an accessible, visually appealing volume that is of immediate use to aquatic biologists for algal identification that includes key environmental information on major species.The book is divided into two parts: part I is a general introduction to algae and techniques for sampling, measuring and observation and then looks at the role of algae as bioindicators and the implications for aquatic management, part II provides the identification of major genera and 250 important species. The book is well illustrated in full colour with numerous original illustrations and photographs. This new revised edition will retain the same clear writing style and accessible format of the first edition with new coverage of species from North America, Asia and Australia in addition to expanded coverage of molecular and computational techniques in algal biology\"-- Provided by publisher.
Book
Segmentation of OECD countries on the basis of selected global environmental indicators using k-means non-hierarchical clustering
In order to allocate resources and describe progress, frequently nations are grouped together by many international authorities. A variety of pertinent indicators can provide a more useful basis for classification for each specific area of interest. Based on commonalities between various variables connected to the global environmental sector, we developed a novel typology of country clusters. Four indicators were chosen after a review of the literature. In order to optimize data availability across as many OECD nations as feasible, indicators were chosen based on their relevance for all the OECD countries. Countries were arranged into a natural cluster using the hierarchical clustering method. Four groups, covering 31 countries, were the result of two stages of grouping. These four clusters were found to be more compact and clearly divided which gives policymakers a clear-cut idea as to how these environmental indicators are deteriorating day by day and year by year and what needs to be done to be more environmentally sustainable and responsible.
Journal Article
Assessment of phytosanitary practices on the environment: case study potato of Loukkos (northwest Morocco)
Loukkos perimeter is among the most important irrigated agricultural areas in Morocco. It covers horticulture and market garden production, including potato. This crop is characterized by the intensive use of pesticides that could lead to health and ecological risks, via the food chain and contamination of natural resources, including groundwater. This study is aimed at assessing the use of pesticides in potato cultivation and their impacts on the environment and human health. Here, pesticide use was characterized by the number of treatments (NT), quantity of active substances indicator (QASI), and the treatment frequency indicator (TFI), through field surveys carried out on 50 Loukkos potato producers. The results showed that farmers use heavy pesticide treatments, mainly against late blight. We determined NT = 19 treatments, total TFI = 28.10, and QASI = 14.86 kg/ha. These values reflect a massive use of pesticides on this crop, which could therefore constitute a challenge and a major constraint for the development of sustainable agriculture in this zone, due to their negative environmental and health effects. It is, therefore, necessary to react quickly to make changes in phytosanitary practices with the aim to monitoring pesticide use via the agro-environmental indicators to reduce health and environmental impact of intensive pesticide use.
Journal Article
Materiality of sustainability reports: an environmental performance analysis’ proposal of wind farms in Southern Brazil using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP)
Sustainability reports are those in which a company discloses its social, environmental or governance performance, and stakeholders identify, in a materiality matrix, how these criteria can impact the company's financial, operational and reputational aspects. However, few studies adopt sustainability reports that follow international standards and are aligned with the 2030 Agenda, prioritizing their environmental indicators, based on the application of the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). Thus, this article aimed to analyze whether the priorities identified in the materiality matrix correspond to the performance of environmental indicators, present in the sustainability reports of five wind energy companies in southern Brazil, year/base 2017, using Multicriteria Decision Analysis. In the methodological procedures, a quantitative approach was adopted, through the application of the (AHP). When evaluating the materiality matrix, in the decision-making process, it was found that 73.6% prioritized environmental issues are very important and had a tendency to conceive and develop means that integrate stakeholders with organizational priorities and impacts. So, it was possible to observe that the guidelines for the preparation of GRI-G4 sustainability reports were applied to all the reports reviewed. As for the 2030 Agenda, for the sustainable development of the five companies analyzed, four of them, did not list the SDGs in their report. There is, therefore, a concern not to attribute importance to material issues that may generate negative impacts for the organization. Besides, there is no tool in the reports that demonstrates or provides a quantitative assessment of impacts to a greater extent.
Journal Article
Assessing environmental impacts of pesticide usage in oiled seed ecosystems using environmental pesticide pressure indicators: a case study of groundnut in Loukkos plain, north-west Morocco
Loukkos perimeter, north-western of Morocco, is characterized by a strong dynamic of production systems, and a diversification of agricultural practices that require intensive use of pesticides due to activities of a spectrum of diseases and pests. Regarding the groundnut cultivation, it is mainly widespread in this Moroccan area, and it relies heavily on the intensive use of chemical inputs including pesticides. Unfortunately, this pesticide use poses significant health and ecological threat through the presence of residues in food, groundwater and surface water, especially since some alarming practices, and their impacts are, in most cases, poorly known, such as mixing of pesticides. This study focuses on the evaluation of the pressure of pesticide use on groundnut crop, and their impacts on the environment and human health from the determination of agro-environmental indicators (NT, QASI, TFI and EIQ) through field surveys conducted on 94 different groundnut farms representing an area of 313 ha. The results showed that groundnut crop is characterized by heavy pesticide use with an average treatment frequency of 9.97 treatments per cycle, dominated by herbicide treatments and by a variety of products used; 20 commercial products corresponding to 17 different active ingredients, including herbicides (71%), fungicides (22%) and insecticides (7%). According to survey results, all weed treatments were carried out by mixing two to three herbicides. The worst identified agricultural practice was that some of the pesticides used are not registered on this crop and used irrationally. For pesticide pressure, the average total TFI determined is 14.94. Moreover, in this study, the quantity of active substances indicator (QASI) was estimated for the first time revealing an increased use of pesticides equal to 6.17 kg/ha. These values show a heavy use of pesticides, which may be a major obstacle to long-term sustainable development because of their environmental and health risks.
Journal Article