Day :
- Sustainability, Ecosystems, and Environment, Biodiversity, Watershed Ecology.
Location: WEBINAR
Chair
Roman Mamadzhanov Khasanovich
RUDN, Russia
Co-Chair
Tapas Medhi
Tezpur University, India
Session Introduction
Mark Aspelin
Profitable Conservation LLC, PO Box 574, Sandia Park, New Mexico, 87047, USA
Title: Profitable Conservation: Business Strategies that Boost Your Bottom Line, Protect Wildlife, and Conserve Biodiversity
Biography:
Mark Aspelin is Founder & CEO of Profitable Conservation LLC, dedicated to bringing business and biodiversity together by making conservation profitable. He is also the author of Profitable Conservation: Business Strategies that Boost Your Bottom Line, Protect Wildlife, and Conserve Biodiversity. Mark has a BS in Biology from the University of Notre Dame, MS in Biology from Creighton University, and an MBA with concentrations in Natural Resource & Environmental Management from The University of Texas at Austin. Mark has traveled the globe, visiting 100 countries and 50 U.S. states, but he considers New Mexico and California to be home
Abstract:
Biologists are alerting us to the fact that we're experiencing major losses of biodiversity and wildlife habitat throughout the world and they're taking steps to address the issue. Corporations, on the other hand, are expanding operations and hoping to grow. It's just a matter of time before the actions of corporations and biologists collide. Corporations will soon face increasing stakeholder scrutiny and pressure to do their part to protect our planet's biodiversity and wildlife. Fortunately, conservation versus profit is not a zero sum game where the winner takes all. There are many win-win scenarios, which are good for business (e.g., reduced costs, reduced risk, and increased profits) and good for biodiversity (e.g., healthy species, populations, and ecosystems). This presentation will highlight the role of business in conserving biodiversity, emphasizing actions that companies can take that are profitable from the perspectives of business, wildlife, and biodiversity. In my presentation, I provide strategies that businesses can implement to address four major biodiversity threats: habitat destruction; invasive species; pollution; and overharvesting, along with the value proposition for each strategy and real-world examples.
CHAU Ngai Lung
Faculty of Design and Environment, Technological and Higher Education Institute of Hong Kong
Title: Capabilities of planted groundcovers in promoting sustainability of revegetated soil slopes
Biography:
Dr. Lung CHAU has completed his postgraduate study in The Chinese University of Hong Kong and his research focuses on the investigation of adaptable native groundcovers for ecological greening of man-made slopes. He is also interested in exploring appropriate plant traits and characteristics in enhancing the ecological and environmental values of urban landscapes. Dr. Lung CHAU has also involved in extensive urban greening research projects of Hong Kong and previously worked in an environmental non-government organization to give environmental and conservation education to students and the public.
Abstract:
Urban expansion leads to a large scale of terrestrial habitat loss in Hong Kong. Instead, numerous soil slopes have been established to facilitate infrastructure development owing to its hilly topography. The sophisticated slope upgrading techniques currently available make revegetation of these urban landscapes possible, thus enhancing ecological restoration. Among the plants selected for revegetation, native plants are recently preferred owing to their adaptability to local climates and beneficial ecological roles. Native trees and shrubs are widely studied for their significance to the urban environment whereas groundcovers are usually ignored. The abilities of groundcovers to provide sustainable plant covers and positively influence ecology are occasionally recognized and need to be assessed. Areas with differing degrees of development that have dramatically different environmental conditions may result in alteration of this plant community. In our study, an analysis of groundcover vegetation on extensive soil slopes will be carried out in suburban and urban areas of Hong Kong to assess plant abundance and analyze the substrates for their nutrient status. We will also evaluate slope performance to determine any correlation with the groundcover community. All these provide useful information in reviewing the current planting strategy in promoting a biodiverse city. Constructive suggestions based on our precise findings will be made to improve the revegetation work and any practical measures will be recommended to other cities to promote the sustainable development.
Sarah Bond
St. Olaf College, MN 55057, USA
Title: Differences in chemical properties and aquatic macroinvertebrate populations between forested and agricultural sites
Biography:
Sarah Bond is completing her degree in Biology at St. Olaf College and will go on to pursue a degree in Environmental Health.
Abstract:
Using biota as important indicators of environmental quality improves upon standard chemical monitoring systems. Invertebrate communities are often used for aquatic bioassessment investigations. Rice Creek in Northfield, MN, is a cold trout stream surrounded by agricultural land and patches of forestry. Agricultural activities are primary contributors to the degradation of streams and lakes in the United States. This study tests the differences in water quality and macroinvertebrate populations between agricultural and forested areas and answers whether macroinvertebrate populations are adequate indicators of water quality. The goal of this study is to understand the relationship between water qualities and macroinvertebrate populations as well as provide evidence for conserving forested areas around stream communities. As one of the few streams in the state with native brook trout, it is important to understand the stream’s general health as well as the effect of human actions at the landscape scale. Four study sites were sampled three times for chemical properties. Macroinvertebrates were collected and identified. The data reveals no significant differences between agricultural and forested sites over each sampling period but that the water quality of Rice Creek is not ideal for trout and many other organisms. It provides evidence for increased compliance with Minnesota buffer laws and to decrease disturbance of the stream to preserve healthy aquatic communities.