Showing papers in "Geography Compass in 2011"
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a background for GIS users, analysts and researchers to quickly get up to speed on MCDA, supporting the ultimate goal of making it more accessible to decision makers.
Abstract: Important and complex spatial decisions, such as allocating land to development or conservationoriented goals, require information and tools to aid in understanding the inherent tradeoffs. They also require mechanisms for incorporating and documenting the value judgements of interest groups and decision makers. Multiple-criteria decision analysis (MCDA) is a family of techniques that aid decision makers in formally structuring multi-faceted decisions and evaluating the alternatives. It has been used for about two decades with geographic information systems (GIS) to analyse spatial problems. However, the variety and complexity of MCDA methods, with their varying terminologies, means that this rich set of tools is not easily accessible to the untrained. This paper provides background for GIS users, analysts and researchers to quickly get up to speed on MCDA, supporting the ultimate goal of making it more accessible to decision makers. A number of factors for describing MCDA problems and selecting methods are outlined then simplified into a decision tree, which organises an introduction of key methods. Approaches range from mathematical programming and heuristic algorithms for simultaneously optimising multiple goals, to more common single-objective techniques based on weighted addition of criteria values, attainment of criteria thresholds, or outranking of alternatives. There is substantial research that demonstrates ways to couple GIS with multi-criteria methods, and to adapt MCDA for use in spatially continuous problems. Increasing the accessibility of GIS-based MCDA provides new opportunities for researchers and practitioners, including web-based participation and advanced visualisation of decision processes.
214 citations
TL;DR: A review of recent migration research that examines migrants' engagement with the notion of home can be found in this paper, where the authors suggest that in the rush to conceptualise novel transnational configurations of people-place relationships, some researchers overemphasise the shifting and mobile meanings that migrants give to home, while underplaying the resilience of its stable, bounded and fixed interpretations.
Abstract: Geographers deploy a panoply of theories and techniques to effectively study the meanings that migrants attach to their mobility and settlement experiences. In particular, the emergence of transnationalism as a major analytic tool offers scholars fresh insights into the ways in which migrants maintain ties to their places of origin, while simultaneously adapting to their new environments. Surprisingly, what remains assumed, more often than interrogated, in much writing on migrants’ transnational settlement experiences is how they make sense of the concept of home. This is perplexing, given the centrality that questions over home’s meaning occupy in the migration process, as well as the importance of home as a focus of geographical inquiry. Our review focuses on recent migration research that examines migrants’ engagement with the notion of home. We suggest that in the rush to conceptualise novel transnational configurations of people–place relationships, some researchers overemphasise the shifting and mobile meanings that migrants give to home, while underplaying the resilience of its stable, bounded and fixed interpretations. We contend that the challenge for those studying migration today is to conceptualise together this tension between home’s mobile and sedentarist aspects.
210 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors reviewed and summarized work on the interactions between seasonal snow cover, soil physico-chemical characteristics, biological activity, and plot-scale carbon and nitrogen cycling.
Abstract: The last two decades have seen significant advances in understanding the cycling of carbon and nutrients in ecosystems characterized by seasonal snow cover. This paper reviews and summarizes work on the interactions between seasonal snow cover, soil physico-chemical characteristics, biological activity, and plot- to ecosystem-scale carbon and nitrogen cycling. The magnitude of winter biogeochemical activity is considerable. For example, including these winter fluxes into annual estimates of net ecosystem exchange reduces annual carbon uptake by 50% or more in many ecosystems. The primary climatic control on these fluxes is the amount and timing of precipitation, especially the formation of a consistent seasonal snow cover. Consistent snow cover limits frost damage and controls both the timing and amount of liquid water in soil and the availability of labile carbon substrates. Together, liquid water and labile carbon control the magnitude of in situ activity, exchanges of CO2 and trace gases, and export of dissolved nutrients. The importance of snow cover to biogeochemical fluxes has led a renewed interest in how spatial variability in vegetation structure influences snow cover through shading, wind sheltering, and interception. Changes in snow cover associated with ongoing changes in both temperature and precipitation have the potential to profoundly impact the soil environment during winter and spring with unclear effects on annual and longer-term patterns of carbon and nitrogen cycling.
182 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the potential of the geographical study of art works to contribute to contemporary disciplinary debates around embodied experience, practice and more-than-human worlds is explored using a series of examples including painting, mixed-media art and contemporary participatory works.
Abstract: Geographers have engaged with a huge variety of art practices in the study of a range of different geographical themes. Using a series of examples including painting, mixed-media art and contemporary participatory works this paper explores three of these themes: landscape, critical spatialities and participation. Two different, although often entwined methodological approaches are set out, ‘dialogues’ whereby geographers interpret and analyse art works, and ‘doings’ in which geographers become exhibition curators, collaborate with artists and even become creative practitioners in their own right. During its course the paper considers the potential of the geographical study of art works to contribute to contemporary disciplinary debates around embodied experience, practice and more-than-human worlds. The paper also points towards a series of resources to help guide further study.
100 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the presence of memory within geography, particularly in relation to the interweaving non-representationalUpeformativeUaffective "turns", is discussed.
Abstract: I discuss the presence of memory within geography, particularly in relation to the interweaving non-representationalUpeformativeUaffective ‘turns’. Memory seems under-considered in these nonrepresentational geographies (nrgs) which focus on the affective performativities of the present and the richness and creative potentials therein. As memory is a fundamental aspect of becoming, the roles it plays in the peformative moment need to be considered. Richness, potential and creativity emerges not simply from the moment per se, but from the legacies of the past carried into the present, not least through memory which underpins imagination, creativity and (productive) affective exchange. Emerging work on geography and memory does show some ‘non-representational’ traits and thus there is a potential for bringing this kind of work more fully into nrg. This is set in wider contexts of geographical approaches to memory, and the notion of ecologies of memories which form of interlinkages between individuals, various social collectives, materialities, texts, and pastUpresentUfuture timespaces.
93 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore policy concerns with pedestrian movement; how walking is situated within writings concerning the democratic possibilities of urban public space; its role in performative engagements with the city; pedestrian movement as a means of reading/knowing urban space; and the relationship between walking and art.
Abstract: Concerns with walking cut across both policy and academic arenas, ranging from its promotion as a significant mode of sustainable transport to it being drawn upon as an artistic practice. However, there remains a disconnection between different bodies of research addressing different dimensions associated with walking, whereby a distinction can be drawn between understanding walking as a topic and subject to research and drawing upon walking as a method of enquiry. This paper aims to critically explore some of the multiple areas of work on walking, and in so doing proposes an increased dialogue between, and wider acknowledgement of, different modes of enquiry relating to pedestrian practices. More specifically the paper explores policy concerns with pedestrian movement; how walking is situated within writings concerning the democratic possibilities of urban public space; its role in performative engagements with the city; pedestrian movement as a means of reading/knowing urban space; and the relationship between walking and art. In so doing, the potential is explored for how these forms of engagement with walking translate into, or provide a medium for, the broader concerns of those such as policymakers as to who walks and why.
90 citations
TL;DR: The authors present a critical account of the origins and character of this global consensus on poverty alleviation, which is based on a family of supply-side, "human-capital" approaches that incentivize risk-taking, investment-oriented behavior on the part of poor households.
Abstract: The millennial ‘rediscovery’ of poverty as a global challenge, by the United Nations and other multilateral agencies, was accompanied by the (rather premature) announcement that a ‘global consensus’ had been established on the philosophy and policy of poverty alleviation. The paper presents a critical account of the origins and character of this global consensus on poverty alleviation, which is based on a family of supply-side, ‘human-capital’ approaches that incentivize risk-taking, investment-oriented behavior on the part of poor households. It concludes that such global models of poverty management represent more than carriers of best practices or conveyors of multilateral policy accords; they epitomize a form of ‘fast policy’ integration in which policy problems themselves are effectively redefined (or ‘reformatted’) through preconstituted strategies, with outcomes that nevertheless remain geographically uneven and deeply contradictory.
87 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors show that a geo-political economy approach to GPNs that includes examination of war and geo-politics can extend our understanding of the process of globalization.
Abstract: The literature on global production networks (GPNs) has made important contributions to our understanding of globalization, overcoming much of the state-centrism of other kinds of political economic approaches. It has also extended effectively beyond the relatively narrower focus of its predecessors, the global commodity chains and global value chains approaches, to analyze not only the direct process of production but also various social activities that are crucial to the overall process of commodity (and value) production. Yet in spite of opening a potential space for interrogating political processes as integral aspects of production, most work on GPNs has avoided the discussion of political issues that speak to the messiness, contestation, and violence that often accompanies globalization. This article shows that GPN approaches can and should encompass geo-political aspects of the production process that range from labor struggles to inter-state competition and even war. As examples from South Korea show, a geo-political economy approach to GPNs that includes examination of war and geo-politics can extend our understanding of the process of globalization.
77 citations
TL;DR: There now exists a significant body of theoretically informed empirical research into ''neoliberal environments''´ as discussed by the authors, which comprises numerous studies which together explore the connections between neoliberal principles and policies, on the one side, and the biophysical world on the other.
Abstract: There now exists a significant body of theoretically informed empirical research into �neoliberal environments�. It comprises numerous studies which together explore the connections between neoliberal principles and policies, on the one side, and the biophysical world on the other. However, making sense of them is by no means straightforward, despite their common focus on neoliberal environments. It is currently left to readers of these studies to synthesize them into a wider, joined-up account of neoliberal environments. This and two companion articles aim for precisely this sort of broad and coherent understanding. The contribution of this third instalment is twofold. First, I link the published empirical studies to the theory proposed in the previous articles. Second, I then try to evaluate these studies critically, since in the previous two contributions I have been implicitly supportive of the research conducted so far. Intellectually honesty dictates that I show readers the other side of the argument.
68 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors explore the contribution of behavioural geographies and political geographies of the state to further understand the techniques and rationalities of governing in the UK, focusing specifically on the case of the UK.
Abstract: Soft paternalism or libertarian paternalism has emerged as a new rationality of governing in the UK under New Labour, denoting a style of governing which is aimed at both increasing choice and ensuring welfare. Popularized in Thaler and Sunstein’s best-selling title, Nudge, the approach of libertarian paternalism poses new questions for critical human geographers interested in how the philosophies and practices of the Third Way are being adapted and developed in a range of public policy spheres, including the environment, personal finance and health policy. Focusing specifically on the case of the UK, this article charts how soft paternalism appeals to the intellectual influences of behavioural economics, psychology and the neurosciences, amongst others, to justify government interventions based on the ‘non-ideal’ or irrational citizen. By identifying the distinctive mechanisms associated with this ‘behaviour change’ agenda, such as ‘choice architecture’, we explore the contribution of behavioural geographies and political geographies of the state to further understanding of the techniques and rationalities of governing.
63 citations
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors describe the hydrologic connections across the landscape to provide an overview of the current understanding of the system, as it is poised to change in response to changing climate in the coming decades.
Abstract: The McMurdo Dry Valleys (MDV) of Antarctica are composed of nearly 2000 km 2 of ice-free terrain, supporting a vibrant cold desert ecosystem despite harsh conditions. The ecosystem is largely regulated by the hydrologic cycle within the MDV, which is controlled by climate dynamics. The strength and timing of connections among the hydrologic reservoirs of the MDV (atmosphere, glaciers, soils and permafrost, streams and their hyporheic zones, and lakes) are dependent upon daily, seasonal, and annual surface energy balance. For example, glacier melt occurs during short periods in the summer, providing stream flow to closed-basin lakes. Similarly, the magnitude of sublimation of snow on valley floors and perennial ice covers on lakes is a function of wind, temperature, radiation, and atmospheric water content (humidity). Here, we describe these reservoirs and connections across the landscape to provide an overview of our current understanding of the system, as it is poised to change in response to changing climate in the coming decades. Measurement of hydrologic fluxes and states of hydrologic reservoirs in the MDV provides both a context for quantifying responses to climate change and a careful characterization of the potential direct drivers of ecosystem response. The MDV also provide a unique real-world laboratory in which to study fundamental hydrologic processes (with the exception of rainfall).
TL;DR: This paper made the case for moving beyond singular responses to the challenges posed by graffiti and into the complex terrain between visions of a city free from graffiti and one where public art has free rein.
Abstract: In this paper, we critically review the literature on graffiti and street art with a view to bridging the divide between the stark extremities of public graffiti discourse. We make the case for moving beyond singular responses to the challenges posed by graffiti – into the complex terrain between visions of a city free from graffiti and one where public art has free rein. To this end, we have chosen a series of interrogations of common dialectical positions in talk of graffiti: is it art or crime; is it public or private expression; is it necessarily ephemeral, or does it seek permanence; is it a purely cultural practice, or is it economic? Our list is by no means exhaustive, but it does go some way to uncovering the complexity of graffiti’s dynamic and contested geographies.
TL;DR: The last decade has brought substantial growth in the study of diverse economies and alternative economic spaces within the field of geography as discussed by the authors, and the critical mass of scholarship in which geographers, as well as researchers in other fields, have begun "reading for difference" in the economic landscape.
Abstract: The last decade has brought forth substantial growth in the study of diverse economies and alternative economic spaces within the field of geography. The publication of Gibson-Graham’s (1996) groundbreaking work The end of capitalism (as we knew it): a feminist critique of political economy was essential for creating a space in which researchers could explore economic alternatives and bring into being the diverse economies research program. In this article, I first explore the ‘birth’ of the diverse economies research program. Then, I examine the critical mass of scholarship in which geographers, as well as researchers in other fields, have begun ‘reading for difference’ in the economic landscape. Finally, I consider criticisms of this literature as well as new intellectual pathways for research, focusing primarily on the role of the state and circuits of value. In many ways, literature on diverse economies and alternative economic spaces may seem polarized between believers and skeptics. However, this polarization has been fruitful. In essence, it has prevented ‘blindness’ in this field of study. Geographers continue to refine what constitutes a diverse economy and alternative economic space, and there is recognition of continuing need for further development of ideas and refinement of existing knowledge.
TL;DR: Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is of growing importance for the livelihoods of an increasing number of Africa's rural population and therefore, the sector is increasingly being recognized by African governments, donor institutions and researchers for its role in national development processes as discussed by the authors.
Abstract: Artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM) is of growing importance for the livelihoods of an increasing number of Africa’s rural population. Therefore, the sector is increasingly being recognized by African governments, donor institutions and researchers for its role in national development processes. This paper reviews four issues that drive the dynamics within ASM and situates the sector in broader development and formalization problematics. These issues are (i) ASM as part of livelihood portfolios, (ii) the organizational dynamics of ASM, (iii) ASM conflicts with large-scale mining companies, and (iv) ASM in alternative trade regimes based on ethical standards. In conclusion, the paper stresses the need for a context-sensitive formalization and strengthening of ASM: Domestically led mining operations potentially constitute a necessary means for African states to better balance the co-existence of national and large-scale foreign-owned mining companies.
TL;DR: In this article, a review of approaches to climate downscaling is presented, focusing on three broad categories: dynamic, empirical-dynamic and disaggregation methods, and the fundamental considerations of different methods are highlighted and explained for non-climatologists.
Abstract: The majority of climate change impact assessments focus on potential impacts at the local ⁄ regional scale. Climate change scenarios with a fine spatial resolution are essential components of these assessments. Scenarios must be designed with the goals of the assessment in mind. Often the scientists and stakeholders leading, or participating in, impact assessments are unaware of the challenging and time-consuming nature of climate scenario development. The intent of this review, presented in two parts, is to strengthen the communication between the developers and users of climate scenarios and ultimately to improve the utility of climate impact assessments. In Part I, approaches to climate downscaling are grouped into three broad categories ‐ dynamic downscaling, empirical-dynamic downscaling and disaggregation downscaling methods ‐ and the fundamental considerations of the different methods are highlighted and explained for non-climatologists. Part II focuses on the application of climate change scenarios.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors outline ways in which scholars (both within geography and beyond) have traced out the geographies in videogames (in terms of the representations and politics within videogames), geographies of videogames and videogames as a cultural geographical practice.
Abstract: While videogames have been a popular form of entertainment practice for a number of decades, it is only recently that they have been paid much attention by academics. Although there is a burgeoning body of scholarship that deals with videogames in new media and games studies, human geography is only just beginning to offer its own take on the medium and the practices associated with it. This essay outlines ways in which scholars (both within geography and beyond) have traced out the geographies in videogames (in terms of the representations and politics within videogames), the geographies of videogames (in terms of the production and consumption of videogames) and videogames as a cultural geographical practice (in terms of the technocultural practices through which videogames and videogamers are produced). We argue that approaching videogaming as a (techno)cultural practice can enrich the cultural geographies in and of videogames.
TL;DR: A review of texture approaches that are based on a moving window, or kernel, and that generate a summary measure of local spatial variation, which is assigned to the central pixel of the kernel is presented in this paper.
Abstract: Texture has been of great interest to remote sensing analysts for more than three decades. This paper is a review of texture approaches that are based on a moving window, or kernel, and that generate a summary measure of local spatial variation, which is assigned to the central pixel of the kernel. Texture methods are challenging to implement, partly because of the many parameters that need to be set prior to running a texture analysis. The list of parameters includes the texture order, metric, kernel size, and spectral band. For second-order metrics, additional parameters that need to be set include radiometric re-quantization, displacement, and angle. Although few general rules of thumb can be provided in selecting texture analysis parameters, understanding the conceptual role of these parameters helps illuminate the options available. In addition, future opportunities in object-oriented texture, adaptive texture measures, and multi-scale texture fusion offer the potential for addressing some of the inherent challenges in the application of texture in image analysis.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors review for non-climate scientists a number of practical considerations when utilizing climate change scenarios, including sources of observational data for scenario evaluation, the advantages of scenario ensembles, adjusting for scenario biases, and the availability of archived downscaled scenarios.
Abstract: Although downscaling methods for deriving local ⁄regional climate change scenarios have been extensively studied, little guidance exists on how to use the downscaled scenarios in applications such as impact assessments. In this second part of a two-part communication, we review for nonclimate scientists a number of practical considerations when utilizing climate change scenarios. The issues discussed are drawn from questions frequently asked by our colleagues on assessment teams and include sources of observational data for scenario evaluation, the advantages of scenario ensembles, adjusting for scenario biases, and the availability of archived downscaled scenarios. Together with Part I, which reviews various downscaling methods, Part II is intended to improve the communication between suppliers and users of local ⁄regional climate change scenarios, with the overall goal of improving the utility of climate impact assessments through a better understanding by all assessment team members of the strengths and limitations of local ⁄regional climate change scenarios.
TL;DR: It is emphasized that the adoption of bans both reflects, and reinforces, changing social norms around smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, as understandings of the health consequences of environmental tobacco Smoke have developed and social acceptance of smoking has declined.
Abstract: Smoking bans are the most geographical aspect of contemporary tobacco control policy, and are eliminating smoke from many of the spaces of everyday life, particularly in high-income countries. In this paper, we emphasize that the adoption of bans both reflects, and reinforces, changing social norms around smoking and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. Specifically, as understandings of the health consequences of environmental tobacco smoke have developed, social acceptance of smoking has declined. Bans cement this norm shift by making the behaviour more difficult to perform, relocating smokers to marginal places, and contributing to stigmatization. We draw upon a diverse, multi-disciplinary scholarship examining contemporary trends in the spatial regulation of smoking. While its focus is on the formal, large-scale bans implemented by public authorities, increasing attention is now being paid to the myriad small-scale, voluntary decisions of private actors to limit smoking. As smoking is permitted in ever fewer places, the behaviour is denormalized and its social status markedly eroded.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examine how and why visibility underpins the policing of public space and argue that more attention is needed in understanding: (i) how other senses such as touch, smell and sound are socially constructed as in and out-of-place and "policed" accordingly; and (ii) how policing of undesirable bodies and practices is conducted through qualitative, embodied performance.
Abstract: From studies of ‘panoptic’ CCTV surveillance to accounts of undercover police officers, it is often mooted that visibility and invisibility are central to the policing of public space. However, there has been no comprehensive and critical assessment of this axiom. Drawing on the practices of a variety of policing providers and regulators, and the work of geographers, criminologists and other social scientists, this paper examines how and why visibility underpins the policing of public space. We begin by considering the ways in which policing bodies and technologies seek to render themselves selectively visible and invisible in the landscape. The paper then moves on to explore the ways in which policing agents attempt to make ‘incongruous’ bodies, behaviours and signs variously visible and invisible in public space. We then offer a sympathetic critique of these accounts, arguing that more attention is needed in understanding: (i) how other senses such as touch, smell and sound are socially constructed as in and out-of-place and ‘policed’ accordingly; and (ii) how the policing of undesirable bodies and practices is not simply about quantitative crime reduction, but conducted through qualitative, embodied performance. The paper concludes by pinpointing key areas for future research.
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss recent progress in understanding how global climate and land cover changes are affecting the ecohydrology of drylands, and highlight some challenges faced by the research community, arguing that an imperative for dryland ecohydrologists is to not only work to better understand and anticipate global changes, but to devise strategies for adapting to and where possible, mitigating the effects of these changes.
Abstract: Drylands have been radically through transformed forces set in motion by humans – including agricultural conversion, overgrazing, and invasion by non-native plants. Relatively new global change drivers will ensure that drylands will continue their transformation. In this review, we discuss recent progress in understanding how global climate and land cover changes are affecting the ecohydrology of drylands, and we highlight some challenges faced by the research community. We argue that an imperative for dryland ecohydrologists is to not only work to better understand and anticipate global changes, but to devise strategies for adapting to and, where possible, mitigating the effects of these changes. The fundamental challenge we face is how to ensure clean water and adequate food for humanity while at the same time maintaining the Earth’s life-support systems. Moreover, we suggest that scientific efforts and social policy can – and indeed must – become more strongly linked. The ecological and earth science communities benefit from interactions with social scientists, and social policy made without consideration of the long-term impacts on dryland processes can jeopardize the sustainability of natural resources.
TL;DR: This paper reviewed trends in pyrogeography research, through the lens of interactions between fire, climate and society, and outlined the necessary elements for the development of a mechanistic model of human, fire and climate interactions.
Abstract: Climate and fire have shaped global ecosystems for millennia. Today human influence on both of these components is causing changes to ecosystems at a scale and pace not previously seen. This article reviews trends in pyrogeography research, through the lens of interactions between fire, climate and society. We synthesize research on the occurrence and extent of wildland fire, the historic role of climate as a driver of fire regimes, the increasing role of humans in shaping ecosystems and accelerating fire ignitions, and projections of future interactions among these factors. We emphasize an ongoing evolution in the roles that humans play in mediating fire occurrence, behavior and feedbacks to the climate system. We outline the necessary elements for the development of a mechanistic model of human, fire and climate interactions, and discuss the role geographers can play in the development of sound theoretical underpinnings for a new paradigm of human pyrogeography. Disciplines such as geography that encourage science-society research can contribute significantly to policy discussions and the development of frameworks for adapting fire management for the preservation of societal and natural system priorities.
TL;DR: In this article, an overview of methods that have been used to detect and measure change at forest-tundra ecotones worldwide, with examples drawn from studies of treelines in alpine areas of the subarctic.
Abstract: The transition from forest to tundra in Arctic and alpine regions, frequently referred to as treeline, has preoccupied biogeographers and ecologists for more than a century. It is widely hypothesized that treelines will advance in response to current and anticipated future temperature increases worldwide. Monitoring of these ecotones is important in light of the potential for change. Equally important is an understanding of past changes so that future changes and their impacts can be forecast. This paper provides an overview of methods that have been used to detect and measure change at forest–tundra ecotones worldwide, with examples drawn from studies of treelines in alpine areas of the subarctic. These methods include resurveys of field plots and transects, repeat photography, dendrochronology, use of historical records, remote sensing, and paleoecological techniques such as palynology and subfossil analysis. The benefits and limitations of each approach are identified and evaluated. It is shown that there is no single best method, largely because each is only capable of resolving change within a specific range of temporal and spatial extents. Multiscale approaches that integrate several methods and techniques provide a more comprehensive picture of change and can be used to identify the variables that influence treeline dynamics and better understand functional mechanisms of response.
TL;DR: In this article, four possible mechanisms for the development of non-convective high winds in extratropical cyclones are discussed and critiqued: topography, the isallobaric wind, tropopause folds associated with stratospheric intrusions and dry slots; and sting jets associated with marine frontal cyclones.
Abstract: Non-convective high winds are a damaging and potentially life-threatening weather phenomenon that occurs in the absence of thunderstorms, tornadoes and tropical cyclones. The vast majority of non-convective high wind events develop in association with extratropical cyclones in mid-latitude regions. Interest in non-convective high winds is growing due to their societal impact, gaps in the scientific understanding of the triggering mechanisms for these events, and possible future changes in their frequency and intensity caused by climate change. In this article, non-convective high winds are examined first in terms of their historical and cultural significance and climatological characteristics. Then, four possible mechanisms for the development of non-convective high winds in extratropical cyclones are discussed and critiqued: topography; the isallobaric wind; tropopause folds associated with stratospheric intrusions and dry slots; and sting jets associated with marine frontal cyclones. Evidence for past and future trends in non-convective high wind event frequency and intensity is also briefly examined. New avenues for future work in this emerging area of research are suggested that unite applied and basic research as well as climatological and case-study perspectives.
TL;DR: The use of local knowledge in and for development is a relatively recent phenomenon, entering the realm of development theory and practice from the mid-1970s, yet it has become a key part of the rhetoric and practice of development agencies and academic research as mentioned in this paper.
Abstract: The use of local knowledge in and for development is a relatively recent phenomenon, entering the realm of development theory and practice from the mid-1970s, yet it has become a key part of the rhetoric and practice of development agencies and academic research. The conceptual and historical background to local knowledge in development, including its roots of ‘Western’ engagement with ‘other’ or ‘indigenous’ knowledges, is key to understanding their more contemporary application in development practice. As local knowledge has entered the development orthodoxy, so a more critical approach has emerged, with particularly important contributions from Geographers, as to the use, application, and conceptual understanding of how knowledges are interpreted and adopted within development. This critique has highlighted the dynamic, political, and spatial nature of such knowledge, and problematises the notion that they are fundamentally ‘good’ for local development. For Geographers, and those working in development studies, there remain important questions about local knowledge, including how such knowledges are constituted by relationships and networks that go beyond the local, how such knowledges are ‘learnt’ and (re)produced in time and space, and how the knowledges of still marginalised actors in local communities can be taken account of.
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors survey some key developments within agri-environment schemes (AESs) adoption research, and discuss a recent strand of AES research which has paid specific attention to the ways that farmers socially construct their environments and identities.
Abstract: Agri-Environment Schemes (AESs) are seen as important instruments in the delivery of sustainable countryside management. Central to the success of AESs are farmer participation and engagement. Social scientists, and geographers in particular, have now paid significant attention to these themes and this paper seeks to survey some key developments within this work. The paper begins by reflecting on the key themes emerging from AES ‘adoption’ research, and then discusses a recent strand of AES research which has paid specific attention to the ways that farmers socially construct their environments and identities. The paper then considers whether, after several decades in place, there is evidence from the extant literature that AESs are serving to change famer attitudes and farming cultures. Finally, the article concludes by sketching out potentially fruitful avenues for future farmer–AES research.
TL;DR: In this article, the panarchy framework is reviewed as an example of a broad framework, originally developed by ecologists, gaining attention in regional research, and opportunities and challenges of empirical assessment of regional resilience are explored.
Abstract: This article reviews the prospects and potential problems of incorporating the resilience concepts into regional development research. A growing interest in regional resilience may be interpreted as a reflection of the rising awareness of increased socio-economic and environmental uncertainties, as well as a reaction to the disproportionate theoretical focus on regional growth in the past regional development research. Regional resilience research is still in its infancy, characterized by lively debates over conceptual definitions, research methodology, theoretical significance and practical utility. The paper first addresses conceptual dimensions of the regional resilience research, and explores how the regional development research may incorporate resilience concepts beyond a metaphor. The panarchy framework is then reviewed as an example of a broad framework, originally developed by ecologists, gaining attention in regional research. The paper then explores opportunities and challenges of empirical assessment of regional resilience. Despite the potentially exciting intellectual cross-fertilization of resilience research across diverse fields, I emphasize that the value of regional resilience research should be ultimately based on whether the explanations and insights from the study can be connected to, and consistent with, the views and experiences of those who are affected locally, rather than its theoretical consistencies with the broader resilience literature.
TL;DR: A review of recent work on the changing relationships between nature, society, capital, and the state in neoliberal Latin America can be found in this paper, which employs political ecology as a macro-analytic framework to analyze scholarly literature published since 2007 on Latin American socio-ecological processes.
Abstract: The article reviews recent scholarship on the changing relationships between nature, society, capital, and the state in neoliberal Latin America It employs political ecology as a macro-analytic framework to analyze scholarly literature published since 2007 on Latin American socio-ecological processes The first section examines land and resource conflicts associated with accumulation by dispossession, or the penetration of capital into hitherto un-commodified realms of nature and biological life Conflicts include popular struggles for land reform, and against new extraction-based oil and mining interests, and the privatization of public utilities The second section reviews the resurgence and socio-ecological impacts of neoliberal mega-development, including large-scale hydroelectric, infrastructure, and agro-industrial projects The third section reviews studies related to the extension of market forces and global governance regimes into the environmental and public commons, primarily through the creation of ecological protected areas and biodiversity conservation initiatives In response to the complex reconfigurations of capitalism, nature, and governance in neoliberal Latin America, the article also highlights the emergence of organized resistance, and experimentation in post-neoliberal and post-development alternatives
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide an overview of governance frameworks and practices which underpin river management goals, as well as case studies from New Zealand, Canada and England to demonstrate the diversity of governance spaces that middleground initiatives can occupy, reflecting the unique socio-ecological and institutional trajectory of any given catchment.
Abstract: There is widely documented evidence that rivers are one of the most degraded ecosystem types on the planet. As a consequence, concerted efforts have been made to improve the health of river systems in many parts of the world. Moves towards sustainable management approaches reflect transitions beyond the imposition of ‘command-and-control’ approaches towards ecosystem-framed applications. Although this transition is now well-understood in intellectual terms, there is little evidence of a genuine shift in practice and associated outcomes. Governance frameworks underpinning management practices have been identified as a key limitation in catalysing this transition. This paper provides an overview of governance frameworks and practices which underpin river management goals. Middle-ground governance frameworks that facilitate the interaction of top-down and bottom-up approaches are promoted as this structure allows for values and processes operating across multiple spatial and temporal scales to be included in management. Case studies from New Zealand, Canada and England are used to demonstrate the diversity of governance spaces that middle-ground initiatives can occupy, reflecting the unique socio-ecological and institutional trajectory of any given catchment. Middle-ground organisations at the catchment scale provide a focal meeting point to pool resources and set goals for decentralised, reflexive structures. This transition in practice is critical if contemporary top-down approaches are to be modified to foster adaptive ecosystem-based applications that incorporate participatory decision-making at a catchment scale. These considerations are vital if appropriate platforms are to be established to maximise efforts for sustainable river management.
TL;DR: In this paper, the role of snow in the hydrological cycle in mountainous areas of central Europe (the Austrian Alps, Bohemian Massif, Western and Ukrainian Carpathians) is described.
Abstract: This article describes the role of snow in the hydrological cycle in mountainous areas of central Europe (the Austrian Alps, Bohemian Massif, Western and Ukrainian Carpathians), presents a review of articles devoted to snow hydrology in the region and addresses the issues that seem to be focal areas of research in the near future. The last 60 years of snow hydrology research in central Europe, which was in many aspects comparable with research foci worldwide, provided a lot of knowledge on snow measurements, spatial and temporal distribution and modeling. However, despite continuous development of mathematical models and measurements of snow characteristics at meteorological stations and snow courses, current research seems to be mainly focused on testing new methods of obtaining snow cover data, e.g. using satellite images or terrestrial laser scanning. Combined application of snowmelt modeling, tracers and analyses of hydrological response of small catchments, especially during periods with diurnal runoff oscillations may extend knowledge on snow-influenced runoff generation.