Month: October 2024

Response of the shallow groundwater level to the changing environment in Zhongmu County, China

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Abstract

The analysis of the influence of human activities and climate change on groundwater is an important basis for formulating groundwater management policies. However, the relationship between climate change, human activities and groundwater system is complex, and the research on the response of groundwater to changing environment is in the initial stage. In this paper, the interactions between groundwater water cycle and climate change and human activities are analyzed, based on climate change data and hydrogeological information from the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The MODFLOW model was used to develop a numerical model of shallow groundwater movement in Zhongmu County, Henan province, and to predict the response of groundwater levels to climate change and human activities in three cases from 2016 to 2050. The results show that under the current scenario, the groundwater level will decrease at an average annual rate of 4.24 cm/A from 2016 to 2050. Under the climate change scenario, the precipitation increased by an average of 5.01%, the annual evaporation increased by an average of 17.84% and the annual temperature increased by an average of 1.29 °C from 2016 to 2050 under the three emission cases of RCP2.6, RCP4.5 and RCP8.5, under the climate change–autonomous human activities scenario, when water conservation and South–North Water Transfer Project water supply are implemented simultaneously, the water table will decrease by an average of 5.58 CMA per year under the direct impact scenario and by an average of 4.44 CMA per year under the indirect impact scenario, the water table dropped by 3.21 cm/A. The changing environment will have an important effect on groundwater circulation, and appropriate measures must be taken to deal with the continuous decline of groundwater level.

Socioeconomic Factors Determining Multidimensional Child Poverty Groups in Central America: A Measurement Proposal from the Wellbeing Approach Using a Comprehensive Set of Children’s Rights

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Abstract

This article aims to show that multidimensional child poverty (MCP) is determined by several socioeconomic factors that influence the formation of stratified groups of poor children under five years of age living in Central America. This study advocates for a comprehensive set of children's rights with the purpose of addressing the different facets of child poverty from the perspective of child well-being, in order to estimate the incidence of MCP, by including multiple childhood deprivations and socioeconomic determinants. Child-specific indicators and household deprivation indicators are considered in the estimation of MCP. The study also states that child poverty is a complex concept, which includes the various types of deprivations experienced by children in the Central American societies and their deprivations are considered as the denial of children’s rights. Therefore, the MCP is estimated based on a conditional latent class analysis that includes not only manifest deprivation variables, but also socioeconomic determinants that help to better predict the incidence and probabilities of children being multidimensionally poor according to different poverty strata. The socioeconomic factors that show high risks of MCP are rural areas, indigenous children, young mothers and low levels of education attained by the head of the household, among others. One of the reasons to investigate the MCP for Belize and El Salvador is because there are few studies that address this problem for these countries and this research sheds light on the characteristics of early childhood poverty. The results indicate that the incidence of MCP is 49% in Belize and 76% in El Salvador. The research work concludes that the International Rights of the Child provide the opportunity to implement comprehensive social policies in Central America to eradicate child poverty.

Dreamcatchers, Water Protectors, and the Question of Authenticity: Supporting Teachers in Choosing and Using Indigenous Children’s Literature

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Abstract

Many early childhood teachers seek to promote diversity in their classrooms through the use of multicultural children’s literature. While these efforts are well-intentioned, teachers may not be fully aware of the issues of culture potentially hidden within such books, nor may they have support in considering the authenticity of the texts they use. While these issues are pervasive within books representing all cultural groups, recent research by Indigenous scholars has highlighted the concerns and implications within Indigenous children’s literature. This article is grounded within Indigenous ways of knowing to provide a helpful tool for supporting teachers as they seek to curate authentic Indigenous children’s literature for classrooms. Resources presented within include a 3-step guide to choosing and using such books and a list of Indigenous titles recommended by members of Indigenous communities.

Children’s Olfactory Picturebooks: Charting New Trends in Early Childhood Education

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Abstract

Converging global trends (digitization, globalization, datafication) have influenced all aspects of children’s literacies, including children’s picturebooks. The recent turn towards embodied, affective and sensory literacies, stimulated our interest in multisensory picturebooks that engage all children’s senses, including the sense of smell (olfaction). Olfactory children’s picturebooks demand new forms of literary conversations, which capitalise on unique properties of odours and integrate these with stories. Drawing on a systematic search of children’s picturebooks about, and with, smell, in paper-based and digital formats, we identified three principal ways in which olfaction is currently embedded in children’s picturebooks: 1, as an add-on to depiction of objects (including foods, plants) and places, 2, as a device to introduce humour into a story, and 3, as an engagement tool for children’s active participation in the story. We mobilise Sipe’s (2008) concept of seven constituting elements in children’s picturebooks to describe how current olfactory picturebooks apply the elements in their design and make recommendations for future development of children’s olfactory picturebooks. Reflecting on the generative potential of literary theories and olfactory power to stimulate children’s non-linguistic embodied interactions with picturebooks, we propose some extensions to the current olfactory picturebook landscape.

Making Waves: Early Childhood Teachers’ Experiences with Multicultural Picturebooks to Promote Equitable Classrooms

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Abstract

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the ways that early childhood teachers were “making waves” as they fostered equitable classrooms through multicultural picturebooks. Through a thematic analysis of one-on-one interviews and a virtual book selection simulation, five early childhood teachers offered their insights on the potential barriers teachers may face in selecting and using such books in their classrooms, as well as their suggestions for curating classroom libraries that highlight books that serve as mirrors, windows, and doors for children. These insights have the potential to support other early childhood teachers as they make waves of their own and leverage multicultural children’s literature to build equitable classrooms.

A Snapshot of Early Childhood Teachers’ Read-Aloud Selections

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Abstract

The practice of reading aloud to children is ubiquitous in early childhood classrooms. Teachers read aloud to young children to entertain, to build early literacy skills, to develop domain specific content knowledge and vocabulary, to promote social and emotional development and well-being, and to draw children into community with each other and the world. The types of texts teachers decide to immerse children in matters: children need opportunities to examine fiction and nonfiction texts, to learn from and about history, to wonder about phenomena in their natural, physical, and social worlds. This study explores the range of titles that 445 early childhood teachers reported reading with their students at a single timepoint. It describes the variety of fiction and nonfiction texts teachers reported reading and surfaces rich culturally relevant literature selections use with young children.

Reviewing the science on 50 years of conservation: Knowledge production biases and lessons for practice

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Abstract

Drawing on 662 studies from 102 countries, we present a systematic review of published empirical studies about site-level biodiversity conservation initiated between 1970 and 2019. Within this sample, we find that knowledge production about the Global South is largely produced by researchers in the Global North, implying a neocolonial power dynamic. We also find evidence of bias in reported ecological outcomes linked to lack of independence in scientific studies, serving to uphold narratives about who should lead conservation. We explore relationships in the sample studies between conservation initiative types, the extent of Indigenous Peoples’ and local communities’ influence in governance, and reported social and ecological outcomes. Findings reveal positive ecological and social outcomes are strongly associated with higher levels of influence of Indigenous Peoples and local communities and their institutions, implying equity in conservation practice should be advanced not only for moral reasons, but because it can enhance conservation effectiveness.

Physicochemical Properties of Two Mexican Stingless Bee Honeys to Strengthen Their Biocultural Value

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Abstract

Honey production in Mexico is an ancient economic, social, and biocultural activity for indigenous communities, Mayas, and Totonacs, among others. Stingless bee honeys are used in traditional medicine to treat gastrointestinal, respiratory, dermatological, and ophthalmic ailments as they contain compounds with antioxidant, antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and antifungal activities. Here, a comprehensive physicochemical characterization of Mexican stingless bee honeys is presented as a contribution to strengthening the practice of meliponiculture by native Mayan and Totonac communities. By delivering information on the main physicochemical parameters for the honeys of Melipona beecheii and Scaptotrigona mexicana, it is intended to increase their commercial and biocultural value in different regions of Mexico, taking into consideration the different zootechnical management techniques used by these communities. A statistical analysis was performed to identify if there were significant differences in the physicochemical parameters evaluated. Significant differences were observed in moisture level, pH, sugar composition, and HMF content between at least two of the honeys analyzed. Furthermore, a principal component analysis confirmed these differences by showing a distinct profile for Scaptotrigona mexicana honey when compared to the honeys of two other species. Here, the information that stingless beekeepers can use to classify and characterize the honeys they produce is provided. This information will complement the indisputable efforts by native populations to conserve biological biodiversity, the defense of their territories, and the various ancestral practices employed for the breeding, management, and reproduction of stingless bees. Furthermore, this information will help to increase the economic sustainability of meliponiculture by these communities.

Graphical Abstract

Assessment of Seasonal Rainfall Prediction in Ethiopia: Evaluating a Dynamic Recurrent Neural Network to Downscale ECMWF-SEAS5 Rainfall

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Abstract

Seasonal rainfall plays a vital role in both environmental dynamics and decision-making for rainfed agriculture in Ethiopia, a country often impacted by extreme climate events such as drought and flooding. Predicting the onset of the rainy season and providing localized rainfall forecasts for Ethiopia is challenging due to the changing spatiotemporal patterns and the country’s rugged topography. The Climate Hazards Group InfraRed Precipitation with Station Data (CHIRPS), ERA5-Land total precipitation and temperature data are used from 1981–2022 to predict spatial rainfall by applying an artificial neural network (ANN). The recurrent neural network (RNN) is a nonlinear autoregressive network with exogenous input (NARX), which includes feed-forward connections and multiple network layers, employing the Levenberg Marquait algorithm. This method is applied to downscale data from the European Centre for Medium-range Weather Forecasts fifth-generation seasonal forecast system (ECMWF-SEAS5) and the Euro-Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change (CMCC) to the specific locations of rainfall stations in Ethiopia for the period 1980–2020. Across the stations, the results of NARX exhibit strong associations and reduced errors. The statistical results indicate that, except for the southwestern Ethiopian highlands, the downscaled monthly precipitation data exhibits high skill scores compared to the station records, demonstrating the effectiveness of the NARX approach for predicting local seasonal rainfall in Ethiopia’s complex terrain. In addition to this spatial ANN of the summer season precipitation, temperature, as well as the combination of these two variables, show promising results.