Ambio - A Journal of Environment and Society

Reanimating the sacrifice zone: Mechanisms of harm and healing in Yellowknife - Ambio Communities living in areas of extraction often find ways to overcome or resist destructive legacies, but researchers lack a deep understanding of the mechanisms by which this is done. This article helps to address this gap by employing the theoretical framework of a sacrifice zone to a case study of Yellowknife, Canada and nearby mining projects. By analyzing a combination of interview and site visit data, we find that sacrificial logic diffuses across human systems, even as environmental harms are remediated, because land and people are inseparable. The three consequences of sacrifice we highlight in our case study are the failure to sign a land and governance treaty, insufficient funds for social causes, and uncertain economic futures. In response, local residents engage in land-based and collaborative activities, constructing a future pathway for community development that focuses attention on healing human-land relationships.

new publication:
Reanimating the sacrifice zone: Mechanisms of harm and healing in Yellowknife

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Tea for two: India’s commodity agroforests as coexistence landscapes for the endangered Asiatic wild dogs and people - Ambio Gauging the resilience of coexistence landscapes requires a thorough understanding of the modalities, benefits and vulnerabilities of human–wildlife interactions in shared spaces. We sought to investigate how the endangered Asiatic wild dogs (‘dholes’ Cuon alpinus) share space with people in the tea-dominated agroforests of India’s Western Ghats. We assess spatial ecology (population-level space-use patterns and pack-level microhabitat associations) and diet profiles to gauge the extent to which dholes’ ecological requirements are conducive for cohabitation with people. The Western Ghats’ tea agroforests support a thriving population of dholes, subsisting on the diverse and abundant wild prey species. Despite proximity to people and high livestock densities, we found no evidence for dhole attacks on humans, and very low reliance on domestic animals as prey. These benign––positive interactions offer opportunities for preserving near-intact food-webs in commodity agriculture lands to supplement biodiversity conservation beyond designated Protected Areas, particularly across South and Southeast Asia.

new publication;
Tea for two: India’s commodity agroforests as coexistence landscapes for the endangered Asiatic wild dogs and people

link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Policy and regulatory measures supporting the implementation of nature-based solutions in urban stormwater management of private properties: Insights from Finland - Ambio Despite widely existing consensus that nature-based solutions (NbS) provide competitive and sustainable alternatives for grey infrastructure in urban water management, the implementation of NbS is lagging behind current needs. This study explores if and how regulatory measures can promote NbS adoption on privately owned land. Policy document analysis of Finnish stormwater programmes gathers how NbS are considered at municipal-level, key informant interviews aim to identify bottlenecks in stormwater regulations, and building permit analysis evaluates whether policy instruments have increased NbS implementation on private land. Results reveal fragmented municipal regulations due to a lack of national consensus, leading to bottlenecks for implementation such as limited knowledge, commitment, and institutional coherence. While current regulations have increased solution diversity, widespread NbS implementation requires mandating and consistent regulations aligned with sustainability goals, improved understanding of NbS functionality, examples and education, national cooperation, and recognition of NbS as viable stormwater management options.

new publication:
Policy and regulatory measures supporting the implementation of nature-based solutions in urban stormwater management of private properties: Insights from Finland

open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Community-based approach to detect and predict conflicts with large carnivores in human-dominated landscape - Ambio Understanding context-specific drivers and mechanisms of human-wildlife interactions is crucial to designing effective conservation strategies. Community-based data provides valuable insights for adaptive management efforts aimed at fostering coexistence in shared landscapes. This study analyzed 611 reports of grey wolves and brown bears recorded by rural communities in the Carpathians (Poland). Bears and wolves were recorded in 6% and 12% of all built-up areas within the study region, respectively. These species exploited anthropogenic food resources (53% of all reports), interacting with pets, livestock, and wild animals found within human settlements. The probability of carnivore reports increased with the number of previous observations and was influenced by prior successful food acquisition. The observed pattern highlights the importance of habituation and food conditioning for effective management of carnivores in human-dominated landscapes. Engaging local communities in monitoring carnivore presence can facilitate early conflict detection, providing a foundation for effective coexistence strategies.

ne publication:
Community-based approach to detect and predict conflicts with large carnivores in human-dominated landscape

Open access link:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Prescribed burning for boreal forest restoration: Evaluating challenges and conservation outcomes - Ambio Prescribed burning is applied as a restoration tool to promote biodiversity in boreal forests. Common objectives include promoting multilayered pine forests, increasing deadwood, and generating fire-scars. However, the extent to which these objectives are achieved and how they relate to weather conditions and stand characteristics remains poorly understood. We surveyed 32 prescribed burns in Sweden to evaluate the outcomes of key conservation objectives and their relationship to weather conditions and stand characteristics. In addition, we compared weather patterns and seasonal timing between prescribed burns and wildfires. We found that conservation objectives were met with large variations between sites but were generally better achieved under drier weather conditions and at sites with higher proportion of spruce. Wildfires occurred under significantly drier conditions and later in the summer than prescribed burns. We conclude that optimizing prescribed burning as a restoration tool requires better alignment between conservation objectives, stand characteristics, and weather conditions.

new publication:
Prescribed burning for boreal forest restoration: Evaluating challenges and conservation outcomes

open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Designing gender-inclusive data systems in small-scale fisheries - Ambio Gender equality is a ubiquitous national goal, yet sectoral gender data gaps to support this goal persist. These gaps are both structural and sexist, concealing women’s contributions and impeding actions that would strengthen livelihoods and economic development, food security, and environmental sustainability. The small-scale fisheries sector offers a cogent example of this phenomenon. Building on lessons from the Illuminating Hidden Harvests initiative, we identify systemic changes and specific indicators needed to fill these gaps. This requires multiple data streams, many of which come from outside fisheries agencies, e.g., government statistical or census organizations, sourced from responsible agencies across multiple areas—economy and environment, governance and support services, and health and nutrition. Closing gender data gaps requires making the policy case and working across agencies to create an enabling institutional environment. Only then can data reflect and respond to the lives of the ~ 500 million people who depend on small-scale fisheries.

New publication:
Designing gender-inclusive data systems in small-scale fisheries

open access link:
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

The best laid plans: How do adopted city sustainability goals influence site-level action in urban forestry? - Ambio Cities increasingly hope to mobilize nature-based solutions in urban sustainability planning because of their wide-ranging ecosystem services. In this critical moment, where failure due to poor implementation could lead policymakers to turn away from nature-based solutions, we investigate the case of urban forestry and ask: how do strategic-level sustainability goals influences site-level decision-making? We conducted semi-structured interviews with 20 urban foresters leading advanced programs at municipalities with adopted sustainability goals, framed as ecosystem services, across the US and Canada. Day-to-day, site-level decision-making focused on advancing a “more, bigger trees” paradigm with the justification that this would deliver increased ecosystem services in a general sense and thus contribute to city goals. Our analysis and results suggest that urban foresters are more guided by a shared sense of the greater purpose of their work to serve urban communities than city plans, which yields actions usually aligning but sometimes conflicting with specific strategic-level goals. Graphical abstract

New publication:
The best laid plans: How do adopted city sustainability goals influence site-level action in urban forestry?

open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Assessing the implications of organised illegal and informal mining activities on the environment in South Africa - Ambio Organised illegal and informal mining is growing globally, employing many unemployed youth, women, and children. In South Africa, rural communities see it as a means to reduce poverty and integrate into the economy. Despite numerous laws and regulations by the government and the Chamber of Mines to curb these practices due to their significant environmental implications and health risks the problems are escalating instead. Furthermore, while some levels of success have been achieved in addressing these menace, the efforts by the government through legislation have failed considerably in addressing the environmental challenges associated with these activities. This study uses qualitative methods comprising of interviews, field observations, and literature materials to explore the root causes of these activities and their threat to environmental sustainability. The findings reveal poverty and unemployment as primary drivers, while weak governance and law enforcement as underlying factors. The study calls for a shift from punitive policies to inclusive strategies that address social and economic needs, stressing on education, awareness, and public participation in environmental challenges associated with illegal mining.

New publication:
Assessing the implications of organised illegal and informal mining activities on the environment in South Africa

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Environmental considerations for post-war reconstruction of Gaza - Ambio The environment is often the silent victim of war, but environmental degradation resulting from war is poorly understood. Since the environmental legacy of war can last decades or centuries, environmental peacebuilding and reconstruction efforts must consider the impacts of war on the environment. In the case of the Israel-Palestine conflict, far-reaching and severe environmental damage has been documented. Three key environmental considerations for Gaza are discussed: (I) environmental pollution, (II) habitat degradation and (III) habitat fragmentation. Based on the environmental issues highlighted, recommendations regarding post-war reconstruction efforts are presented.

New paper:
Environmental considerations for post-war reconstruction of Gaza

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Land market feedback from land acquisition influences the prioritization of protected area networks - Ambio Conservation organizations face budget constraints and must prioritize land acquisitions carefully. Market responses to conservation actions can shift land prices and relocate development. We examine ...

New publication:
Land market feedback from land acquisition influences the prioritization of protected area networks

Link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Plastic pollution in the Amazon: The first comprehensive and structured scoping review - Ambio Plastic pollution is a global One Health crisis, yet research has focused largely on marine environments. The Amazon—the world’s largest drainage basin and second most plastic-polluted river—has recei...

New publication:
Plastic pollution in the Amazon: The first comprehensive and structured scoping review

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

From paradigm blindness to paradigm shift? An integrative review and critical analysis of the regenerative paradigm - Ambio Amid growing concerns over sustainable development failures, scholars are exploring the ‘regenerative paradigm’ as a pathway for systemic change; yet, its paradigmatic foundations remain underexamined...

New publication:
From paradigm blindness to paradigm shift? An integrative review and critical analysis of the regenerative paradigm

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Why combating climate change is so challenging - Ambio This paper explores the obstacles to implementing climate change policies, emphasizing the interplay of economic, social, and political factors. Important barriers are the non-enforceability of intern...

New publication:
Why combating climate change is so challenging

Link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Research efforts and gaps in the assessment of forest system resilience: A scoping review - Ambio This study investigates how the seven core resilience principles are integrated into assessments of forest system resilience to natural or human-induced disturbances across engineering, ecological, an...

New Publication:
Research efforts and gaps in the assessment of forest system resilience: A scoping review

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Bioeconomic opportunities in restored tropical forests - Ambio Forest restoration faces financial constraints due to land opportunity costs and delayed returns from ecosystem services and timber production. A socially fair bioeconomy of non-timber products from n...

new publication:
Bioeconomic opportunities in restored tropical forests

Link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Maximising biodiversity potential in Europe’s mines and quarries: A key role for EU Nature Restoration Regulation targets - Ambio Amid the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration and the EU’s Nature Restoration Regulation (NRR), which aims to restore degraded areas in the coming decades, post-mining sites must be integrated into biod...

New publication:
Maximising biodiversity potential in Europe’s mines and quarries: A key role for EU Nature Restoration Regulation targets

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Rewilding relationships: Principles for forging relationships in social-ecological systems - Ambio Rewilding deliberately forges new relationships within complex socio-ecological systems. Yet, many rewilding initiatives proceed without fully considering the multitude of relationships at play. In th...

New publication:
Rewilding relationships: Principles for forging relationships in social-ecological systems

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Nature connection, wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviour across an urban gradient: Understanding the regional sweet spot - Ambio While there is growing understanding of the impact of urbanisation on nature access and nature connection, little is known about this pattern across the rural-urban gradient. Through a nationally-repr...

New paper:
Nature connection, wellbeing and pro-environmental behaviour across an urban gradient: Understanding the regional sweet spot

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Rewetting drained boreal peatland forests does not mitigate climate warming in the twenty-first century - Ambio Rewetting drained peatland forests restores pristine ecosystem functions, improves peatland ecological status, and has been considered to mitigate climate change. We quantified climate impact of rewet...

New publication:
Rewetting drained boreal peatland forests does not mitigate climate warming in the twenty-first century

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Hooking recreational fishers on sustainable fishing: Consistent psycho-social determinants raise potential for broad scale interventions - Ambio The establishment of marine protected areas with high levels of compliance is a cornerstone of global marine conservation. Previous studies highlight the importance of psycho-social mechanisms (e.g. a...

new publication:
Hooking recreational fishers on sustainable fishing: Consistent psycho-social determinants raise potential for broad scale interventions

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Protecting nature in diverse ways: The socio-demographic spread of benefits from connecting with nature - Ambio Nature connection and its relationships with stewardship vary across social and environmental contexts. Through a nationally representative survey in Australia, this study examined engagement in four ...

new publication:
Protecting nature in diverse ways: The socio-demographic spread of benefits from connecting with nature

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Priority areas for nature-based adaptation to climate change in the Alps - Ambio Nature-based Solutions (NbS) are promising initiatives for climate change adaptation, mitigation and biodiversity conservation. Given the finite human and financial resources for NbS, identifying opti...

new publication:
Priority areas for nature-based adaptation to climate change in the Alps

Link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Developing a conceptual framework for interdisciplinary communication, collaboration, and integration: A structured approach - Ambio Interdisciplinary research is essential to address the complex environmental challenges faced by social-ecological systems (SES). However, it is often hindered by difficulties in integrating diverse k...

new publication:
Developing a conceptual framework for interdisciplinary communication, collaboration, and integration: A structured approach

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

A systematic review of foraging as lifestyle, livelihood, and landscape management strategy - Ambio This systematic review of 353 studies evaluates the knowledge on foraging by humans, situating it in the wider context of human ecology. We highlight the strengths and weaknesses, and the micro (indiv...

New publication:
A systematic review of foraging as lifestyle, livelihood, and landscape management strategy

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

The role of collective grieving in supporting wellbeing and capacity for climate action - Ambio Ecological grief and anxiety are valid and potentially adaptive responses to climate change, but research on effective interventions for coping with these emotions remains limited. In this article, we...

New publication:
The role of collective grieving in supporting wellbeing and capacity for climate action

Link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Municipal governments’ perspectives on forest ownership: Insights from Czechia - Ambio Municipal ownership accounts for a large proportion of the forest area in some European countries. Research on local government forestry objectives has so far focused on green spaces in and near built...

New publication:
Municipal governments’ perspectives on forest ownership: Insights from Czechia

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Pathways for transforming biodiversity governance: An examination of the Global Biodiversity Framework’s Considerations - Ambio With less than five years remaining to meet global commitments outlined in the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF)—to stem biodiversity loss—systemic and radical changes in biodiversi...

New publication:
Pathways for transforming biodiversity governance: An examination of the Global Biodiversity Framework’s Considerations

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

The epistemological implications of species extinction: An overview - Ambio The epistemological implications of species extinction remain widely underexplored. This theoretical paper addresses this gap by examining the linkages between extinction and epistemology across three...

New publication:
The epistemological implications of species extinction: An overview

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Landscape governance as a matter of concern: A relational framework - Ambio In this article, we propose a relational social-ecological framework as alternative to functional views of nature, quantitative interpretations of value and bipolar conceptions of human–nature relatio...

New Publication:
Landscape governance as a matter of concern: A relational framework

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...

Values of protected area landscapes shape the behaviors of subsistence users in Interior Alaska - Ambio Diverse values expressed by people living around protected areas provide insight into shared reasons why agreements and tensions may exist yet are underrepresented in research with subsistence users. ...

New Publication:
Values of protected area landscapes shape the behaviors of subsistence users in Interior Alaska

Open access link: link.springer.com/article/10.1...