Search Results (1,059)

Sustainable management of permanent grasslands requires evidence-based selection of fertilization practices that support long-term soil organic matter quality and ecosystem function. This study addresses the need to identify optimal agricultural practices in permanent grasslands and the effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on soil humic substances (HS) composition and stability. Grassland plots were amended after cutting with mineral fertilizer (NPK), farmyard manure (FYM), cattle slurry (CS), or digestate (DIG), and humic acids (HA) were isolated using the standard International Humic Substances Society procedure. The elemental composition, total carbon and nitrogen contents, C/N ratio, and selected biogenic elements were determined using routine laboratory methods, while infrared spectroscopy, fluorescence excitation–emission matrix analysis, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy were applied to characterize chemical structure and semiquinone radical concentrations. Principal component analysis (PCA) indicated distinct clustering of fertilization treatments, which was supported by a statistically significant effect (p < 0.05) based on ANOVA. The results suggest that the fertilization regime was associated with variation in HS composition and radical abundance. DIG and NPK treatments showed lower O/C ratios and radical concentrations, potentially reflecting more reduced humic acids. In contrast, FYM and CS treatments tended to exhibit higher radical concentrations and O/C ratios. These findings highlight the importance of fertilizer type in shaping soil organic matter dynamics in managed grassland ecosystems and provide a scientific basis for the development of sustainable soil management strategies and environmentally sound fertilization practices in permanent grassland systems. Full article

Fireworks have been used in China for more than a millennium, though they are an increasing part of celebration globally. Consumption of fireworks is on the rise despite increased regulation of their use. This review examines the key themes that are apparent in contemporary research: contamination of air, water and soil, in addition to waste debris, noise and light pollution, along with contemporary approaches to mitigate environmental impact. Research is, as expected, more frequent from countries with high fireworks use, so some rather small countries such as the Netherlands, Malta and Iceland are notably active. Concentrations of emitted gases (especially SO₂) and fine particles are frequently studied, along with associated toxic metals and semimetals (especially Cu, Zn, Cd, As, Ba and Sr). There are many projections of effects of fireworks, but relatively few epidemiological studies of health outcomes or the impact of contamination on local ecosystems. Fireworks waste and debris is an environmental problem; it is expensive to clear and aesthetically unpleasing. Excessive noise (up to 137 dB) created by fireworks affects pets and wildlife, as well as posing a risk to pyrotechnicians. Fireworks produce bursts of light that can be distracting to motorists and disturb wildlife, while smoke particles cause lowered visibility. Green fireworks and festivals of light with lasers or drone technology present routes to lower impact. Contemporary society is sympathetic towards restricting fireworks, but recognition of their cultural importance remains. Full article

This article provides the theoretical foundation for upcoming primary research on the formation of ‘integral generative AI (GenAI) innovation ecosystems’ in the Chinese higher education context. Based on an adaptation of Gramsci’s idea of the ‘integral state’, which informs the move beyond Western civil society/market-led and Chinese political state-led innovation ecosystem models, key features of an integral innovation GenAI ecosystem are elaborated upon. An expanded framework builds on previously published work on socialised GenAI systems comprising a multi-level approach, with particular emphasis on ‘thickened’ meso-institutional layers (e.g., supportive local investment, institutional governance frameworks and critical practices) mediating between an enhanced macro-strategic direction and upscaled micro-level practices. Theorising the institutional meso-system helps analyse challenges facing non-elite Chinese universities in moving from a ‘low-technological-baseline equilibrium’ (LTBE) constraining GenAI development to demonstrating features of GenAI innovation ecosystem ‘readiness’. The framework also draws on Lury’s ‘problem space’ research methodology, with a particular focus on its ‘within/without’ contextual factors, while also contributing a chrono-dimension to reinforce its conceptual role over time. The article concludes with an outline of a primary research strategy to investigate the challenges of building integral GenAI innovation ecosystems in Chinese higher education institutions more broadly. Full article

Over the last two decades, social enterprises in Romania have taken on an increasingly important role in the production and provision of social goods and services for vulnerable groups. Although forms of the social economy have long existed in Romanian society, sustainability remains a constant concern, particularly in the context of dependence on European Union structural funds. This study identifies the multidimensional factors influencing the sustainability of social enterprises in Romania, combining a quantitative analysis of 121 certified social enterprises from the National Register (2016–2022) with qualitative case studies of 15 selected organisations. Revenue diversification was significantly associated with financial sustainability (β = −0.28, p < 0.01), whilst high dependence on EU funding (>50% of revenue) was negatively associated with long-term viability (HR = 2.18, p = 0.002). Participation in networks was associated with markedly higher five-year survival rates (87.2% for network members versus 69.5% for non-members). Six key sustainability strategies were identified: hybrid revenue models, integration into the value chain, community inclusion, adaptive leadership, strategic partnerships, and effective communication of results and impact. Environmental sustainability is addressed with preliminary proxy evidence from the qualitative component; systematic measurement of this dimension represents a priority for future research. The findings confirm the absence of an integrated support framework for the sustainable activities of the social economy and, in some cases, the limited capacity of public institutions to support vulnerable groups. Policy recommendations include phased funding mechanisms, transitional support instruments and the systematic development of regional ecosystems. Full article

National Forests in the United States provide a broad range of goods and services, safeguard biological diversity, and contribute to the resilience of ecosystems, societies, and economies. Given differences in land use history and forest management approaches between National Forests and neighboring ownerships, we investigated whether they differ across a spectrum of forest health indicators, from biomass stocking to structural diversity to invasion by non-native plants. We used Nationwide Forest Inventory (NFI) plot data from within National Forest System (NFS) lands across the conterminous United States (~20,000 plots) and from within 25 km of NFS lands on other ownerships (~20,000 plots) to quantify differences in forest health indicators. Controlling for environment, geography and forest composition, we found, nationally and regionally, that NFS forest plots had significantly greater tree species and structural diversity and evenness, basal area and biomass per hectare, and seedling density than neighboring plots. They were also less invaded by non-native plants. Such forest health monitoring results are an initial step toward better understanding the status of forest health indicators for NFS forests. This is particularly important because many disturbance factors threaten the sustainability of National Forests and their capacity to provide socioeconomic and ecological benefits. Systematic monitoring of forest health across broad scales increases our understanding of how these disturbances are changing forest conditions and informs land management and policy decisions. Full article

The transition toward the 5.0 paradigm, encompassing Society 5.0, Industry 5.0, and Service 5.0, positions logistics as a critical enabler of sustainable and resilient socio-economic transformation. Logistics 5.0 is increasingly associated with sustainability and human-centric system design; however, the assumption that higher technological readiness leads to improved sustainability performance remains insufficiently examined. This study conducts a systematic literature review based on the PRISMA methodology, covering the period 2016–2026 and synthesizing a final dataset of 149 peer-reviewed articles, synthesizing research on Logistics 5.0 readiness, digital maturity models, resilience capabilities, and sustainability performance. The results reveal three key gaps: (i) the dominance of techno-centric readiness models that marginalize sustainability outcomes, (ii) fragmented and methodologically inconsistent evidence linking digital transformation to environmental and social performance, and (iii) the prevalence of compensatory logic allowing high digitalization levels to offset weaknesses in resilience or sustainability. In response, the paper conceptualizes Logistics 5.0 as an integrative operational layer within the 5.0 ecosystem and proposes a non-compensatory conceptual framework based on a three-layer architecture comprising structural readiness, functional system capabilities, and sustainability performance outcomes. The findings demonstrate that sustainability should be understood as an emergent system property mediated by resilience and adaptability rather than a direct consequence of digitalization. The study contributes to advancing integrated maturity assessment approaches aligned with sustainable development objectives. Full article

Bottom-up approaches to climate resilience are increasingly promoted, yet there remains a gap in understanding how science-society connections can be operationalized in everyday contexts to support adaptive land-use practices, particularly in small towns and peripheral regions. This paper addresses this gap by examining how Living Labs (LLs) can function as process-oriented interfaces between scientific knowledge, local experience, and participatory negotiation, rather than as instruments for producing novel biophysical and social-learning insights. Drawing on selected case studies from the Biodiversity Hub and the Department for Building and Environment at the University for Continuing Education Krems (Austria), the study applies a qualitative, transdisciplinary Living Lab approach combining regular shared site walks, emotional communication, and cross-sectoral ecosystem services assessment matrices (aligned with established classifications and quantitative data collection). Resilience is grounded in the literature as a social–ecological capacity for adaptation and transformation and is operationalized pragmatically as the strengthening of connectedness between people, place, and ecological processes. The key findings show that short, place-based, and experiential interactions—such as shared walks and co-creative ecosystem service assessments—can lower participation barriers, mitigate power asymmetries, and enable rapid integration of scientific perspectives into everyday land-use decision-making. Rather than producing directly replicable outcomes, Living Labs generate transferable process principles, including emotional correspondence, structured negotiation, and the use of simple boundary tools to support collective learning and action. The paper contributes to resilience and land-system research by demonstrating how Living Labs can enhance local adaptive capacity and climate resilience through process design, immediate feedback, and continuous experimentation. It thereby complements conventional, indicator-driven assessments by illustrating how resilience can be enacted through participatory, place-based governance practices, offering practical guidance for municipalities and regions facing climate-related risks such as heat stress, drought, soil degradation, biodiversity loss, and increasing pressures on the secure provision of food, materials, and drinking water. Full article

Soil-based ecosystem services (SESs) are various benefits provided by soils to society or the environment, and their assessment supports sustainable agricultural soil management aimed at preventing further soil degradation. Individual SES evaluation procedures need a set of adequate indicators to support countries in monitoring the status of soil health. Among them, soil organic carbon (SOC) is indicated as one of the main, widely accepted and practicable attributes reflecting the proper functioning of soils. This paper aimed to present the recent state-of-the-art on SOC’s role in modelling and mapping individual SESs. Therefore, the PRISMA method was applied to select 138 research articles. The results showed that SOC data has been applied in evaluations of provisioning, regulating and supporting SESs. Based on our findings, we recommend paying special attention to SOC monitoring systems at different scales and database preparations following the primary modelling rule, garbage in—garbage out, enhancing the reliability of various models and their applicability across different scales. The proper selection of input data and assessment methods is crucial for accurately evaluating ecosystem services while minimising the risk of misinterpretation or ineffective policy and management decisions. Despite the existence of many types of models for the evaluation of SESs, we want to highlight that for the preservation of consistency and harmonisation, the proper modelling framework should be kept. In our studies, we highlighted that a comprehensive modelling workflow that integrates DSM-derived SOC data, scale-aware validation and uncertainty propagation into SESs is crucial to achieve reproducible, high-quality modelling approaches. Future research should focus on a systematic review of the usability of SES indicators, refining methodologies and expanding their use in national-scale assessments to support sustainable decision making. Full article

This entry focuses on an Aristotelian approach to contemporary discourses about the implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) regarding what it teaches and learns, with special regard to virtue or arete, practical wisdom or phronesis, and human flourishing or eudaimonia. Even though AI technologies provide new options for personalized learning, adaptive assessment, and data-driven instruction, their increasing entrenchment in the education ecosystem raises fundamental philosophical questions about the essence of teaching and learning, and about how we become better people. Aristotle’s distinction between intellectual and moral virtues can help us determine whether AI meaningfully contributes to the cultivation of good judgment, ethical character, and responsible agency. While AI is not completely antithetical to virtue formation, its knowledge and skill acquisition cannot replace the social, experiential, and habituated processes through which virtues are grown. AI should be designed and deployed as a “technological partner” to support (not replace) the teacher’s moral and pedagogical role. Guided by Aristotle’s view of eudaimonia and the common good, this analysis suggests that education should be structured to promote human flourishing in the age of AI, ensuring that learners develop their capacities for ethical reasoning, autonomy, and co-responsible participation to build a more sustainable and just society. Full article

Environmental degradation represents a critical global challenge. Given its profound impact on ecosystems and societies, understanding the psychological factors that motivate individuals to engage in natural resource conservation behaviors has become increasingly important. Because efficacy beliefs (i.e., self-efficacy, response efficacy, and collective efficacy) are key psychological drivers of both plans and actions, a meta-analytic approach was used to estimate the associations between efficacy beliefs and conservation-related intentions and behaviors. The moderating roles of data collection method, population type, culture, and participants’ gender were also examined. Five meta-analyses synthesized the findings from 50 studies on conservation intentions and behaviors, revealing medium-sized positive associations with self-efficacy (intention, r = 0.47; behaviors, r = 0.41) and response efficacy (intention, r = 0.36; behaviors, r = 0.34), whereas the association with collective efficacy was small (single index, r = 0.28). Although substantial heterogeneity was observed, none of the tested moderators reached statistical significance, highlighting the need for future studies. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of strengthening individuals’ beliefs in their ability to engage in conservation behaviors. Full article

In modern society, adolescents experiencing mental health problems are increasing. This study aims to identify barriers to mental health care at the individual, family, school, and staff levels among at-risk adolescents, employing a mixed-methods approach. Given the ethical and practical constraints of engaging at-risk adolescents directly, the study quantitatively analyzed responses to the AMPQ-III-I survey from 47 runaway adolescents, while conducting interviews with eight school nurses serving as proxy informants. The at-risk adolescents were found to be in a state of mental health crisis characterized by somatization, self-harm, excessive digital media use, and peer imitation. Within the family environment, they experienced communication gaps with adults, concerns about mental health stigma, and the risk of disengagement from home and school. Despite experiencing physical and emotional difficulties that hindered their ability to focus on academic work, schools tended to deprioritize mental health, and these adolescents reported notably low utilization of professional counseling. School nurses, although well-positioned to identify at-risk adolescents, expressed barriers such as excessive workload and a lack of communication among teachers. These findings suggest that, to support the growing and intensifying population of at-risk adolescents, an urgent shift in awareness and the alleviation of barriers within the family–school–staff ecosystem is required. Full article

This Editorial introduces the Special Issue “Spatial Planning and Land-Use Management: 2nd Edition” and discusses the eight articles published in it. Taken together, these contributions demonstrate that contemporary spatial planning and land-use management can no longer be understood as narrowly regulatory or sector-specific activities. Rather, they must be approached as integrative and adaptive practices capable of mediating between ecological integrity, territorial cohesion, infrastructure provision, social justice, public health, and participatory governance. The Special Issue brings together case studies from China, the United States, Australia, Iran, Portugal, Slovakia, and Belgium, as well as comparative evidence from peri-urban landscapes, and spans a wide range of spatial scales, from neighbourhoods and urban forests to metropolitan green belts, urban agglomerations, peri-urban territories, and ecoregions. Several major lines of inquiry emerge across the volume. First, the articles reaffirm the need for multiscale planning frameworks able to connect local action with regional and supra-regional structures. Second, they broaden the understanding of infrastructure by including not only transport and urban facilities, but also ecological, green, and even nocturnal infrastructures. Third, they show that many of today’s most difficult planning questions arise in spaces of transition and overlap, especially peri-urban areas, where conflicts among land uses, ecosystem services, development pressures, and governance arrangements become particularly acute across sectors and across spatial and temporal scales. Fourth, they underline that planning effectiveness increasingly depends on participation, co-design, and cooperation among diverse actors, including civic initiatives and local communities. Overall, the Special Issue highlights spatial planning as a strategic field of action through which societies can address land-use conflicts, reconcile environmental and social objectives, and design more sustainable, resilient, and liveable territories. Full article

As global urban centers transition into “Super-Aged Societies,” the paradigm of urban sustainability has shifted from mere housing provision to the development of Sustainable Care Retirement Communities (SCRCs). This study addresses a critical gap in the urban aging literature: the lack of culturally sensitive frameworks for social resilience in non-Western contexts. By integrating Hofstede’s Cultural Dimensions Theory, this research investigates how national culture influences the prioritization of community attributes within the “15 min city” framework. Methodologically, a hierarchical evaluation framework comprising 4 dimensions and 26 indicators was established. It employed the Fuzzy Delphi Method (FDM) to achieve expert consensus among stakeholders in Taiwan’s Long-term Care 3.0 ecosystem. Analysis using Double Triangular Fuzzy Numbers identified the “Charging Model,” “Staff-to-Resident Ratio,” and “Zoning with Care Continuity” as the highest-priority factors ($G^i$ ≥ 7.8). These results indicate that in cultures with high uncertainty avoidance, institutional financial stability and human-centric staffing are perceived as the structural bedrock of social resilience. Furthermore, the study highlights the emergence of AI-driven “Active Sensing” environments as a pivotal component of technical resilience, mitigating the loneliness epidemic while maintaining institutional efficiency. The findings suggest that social resilience in SCRCs is not merely a product of physical accessibility but is theoretically inferred by experts to be deeply rooted in the synergy of Bonding and Bridging Social Capital, rather than being a directly measured outcome. This research provides urban planners and policy-makers with a robust, evidence-based toolkit to design inclusive, resilient, and culturally aligned aging-in-place environments in the face of unprecedented demographic challenges. Full article

The contemporary global landscape is undergoing a profound reconfiguration driven by the structural synergy between digital transformation and long-term sustainability goals. Central to this evolution is the “twin transition”, where the digital economy serves as a critical catalyst for environmental responsibility and economic resilience. This research investigates the nexus between innovative entrepreneurship and sustainable growth across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), with a specific emphasis on Romania’s development trajectory during the 2020–2024 period. By utilising a multi-dimensional statistical analysis of the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM), Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI), Global Innovation Index (GII), and European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS), the study evaluates how digital maturity influences innovation performance. The findings underscore that fostering sustainable entrepreneurship requires the cultivation of dynamic capabilities and a robust digital infrastructure to support an inclusive, knowledge-driven economy. While Romania exhibits a steady upward trend in its digital indicators, a significant performance gap persists compared to regional leaders such as Poland and Hungary. This discrepancy is largely attributed to structural bottlenecks in digital human capital and a deficit in local research and development investment. Ultimately, the study proposes a strategic roadmap focused on green-tech incentives and interdisciplinary educational ecosystems to bridge existing gaps and unlock Romania’s innovation potential within the framework of the European digital decade. Full article

Yacuri National Park (YNP) is a Ramsar site located within Ecuador’s Podocarpus-El Cóndor Biosphere Reserve. The Park faces critical threats from illegal mining, livestock grazing, wildfires and the harvesting of wax palms. This study employed participatory action research to co-design a Communication, Education and Public Engagement (CEPA) plan with park managers and local communities as equal partners. Moving beyond traditional, top-down information campaigns, the CEPA framework establishes a co-governance model that integrates indigenous knowledge with local socio-economic realities. The plan implements four targeted interventions: (1) strengthening community fire brigades (BRICOM); (2) promoting culturally appropriate alternatives to Holy Week wax palm harvesting; (3) establishing participatory waste management; and (4) engaging tourists as conservation allies through experiential learning. Strategic alliances with municipalities, universities, and civil society organizations provide institutional backing and secure resources, while a participatory monitoring system using SMART indicators tracks behavioral and ecological outcomes. Ultimately, the findings demonstrate that conserving culturally complex, biodiverse landscapes requires social legitimacy, environmental justice and equitable power-sharing. Recognizing local communities as co-managers is essential to ensuring the long-term protection of Andean ecosystems. Full article