Biodiversity–productivity relationships in small-scale mixed-species plantations using native species in Leyte province, Philippines

In this study, we investigate the relationship between tree species diversity and production in 18 mixed-species plantations established under the Rainforestation Farming system in Leyte province, the Philippines. The aim was to quantify productivity in the mixed-species plantations in comparison to the monocultures, and identify key drivers of productivity including environmental conditions, stand structural characteristics and surrogate measures of biodiversity, i.e. species richness, Shannon’s diversity index and functional groups. We found that monocultures had a much higher productivity than mixtures of the same and other species. In the mixtures, biodiversity and productivity did not have a simple relationship. Instead the proportion of exotic and native species, and the proportion of fast-growing species had a marginally significant positive effect on stand productivity, but no significant relationship was found with species richness or Shannon’s diversity. Instead stand structural characteristics such as density and age were the strongest drivers of increased productivity. Production levels within the mixed-species plantations varied significantly between sites. Overall, we found that the productivity of mixed species plantations was driven more by the characteristics of species present and stand structural characteristics then by simply the number and abundance of species, which suggests management practices are key for balancing multiple objectives to meet sustainable development needs.

Water–rock interactions : an investigation of the relationships between mineralogy and groundwater composition and flow in a subtropical basalt aquifer

A holistic study of the composition of the basalt groundwaters of the Atherton Tablelands region in Queensland, Australia was undertaken to elucidate possible mechanisms for the evolution of these very low salinity, silica- and bicarbonate-rich groundwaters. It is proposed that aluminosilicate mineral weathering is the major contributing process to the overall composition of the basalt groundwaters. The groundwaters approach equilibrium with respect to the primary minerals with increasing pH and are mostly in equilibrium with the major secondary minerals (kaolinite and smectite), and other secondary phases such as goethite, hematite, and gibbsite, which are common accessory minerals in the Atherton basalts. The mineralogy of the basalt rocks, which has been examined using X-ray diffraction and whole rock geochemistry methods, supports the proposed model for the hydrogeochemical evolution of these groundwaters: precipitation + CO 2 (atmospheric + soil) + pyroxene + feldspars + olivine yields H 4SiO 4, HCO 3 -, Mg 2+, Na +, Ca 2+ + kaolinite and smectite clays + amorphous or crystalline silica + accessory minerals (hematite, goethite, gibbsite, carbonates, zeolites, and pyrite). The variations in the mineralogical content of these basalts also provide insights into the controls on groundwater storage and movement in this aquifer system. The fresh and weathered vesicular basalts are considered to be important in terms of zones of groundwater occurrence, while the fractures in the massive basalt are important pathways for groundwater movement.

Contractual relationships for better stewardship of privatised critical infrastructures

Governments increasingly rely on forms of privatisation to provide critical public infrastructure yet when those infrastructures fail to meet community expectations government bears the political and economic risks, being held accountable by the public as steward for those infrastructures. Reconfiguration of the contractual relationships may achieve better stewardship. Many of the forms of privatization rely on Agency theory prescriptions, conceptualizing organisations and individuals as motivated solely by self-interest. Stewardship theory (Van Slyke 2007) has developed as a complement to Agency theory offering the possibility of contractual relationships which maximize stewardship outcome. Stewardship theory asserts that pro-stewardship factors cause the agent/steward to act in the interests of the principal. This research has interrogated the literature finding that of the pro-stewardship factors, sense of responsibility is pre-eminent and has a significant link to the agent acting as a steward. The research has explored how important it is that the steward feel sense of responsibility and the actions that sense of responsibility. Case studies of privatized core elements of urban water systems infrastructure were explored. Data has been gathered primarily from archival sources and individual interviews of government and private sector executives key to those systems. This paper reports the findings as to the extent of stewardship, how important it is that the steward acts in the interests of the principal, even to the steward’s detriment and the importance of the steward feeling a sense of responsibility. The actions which increase that sense of responsibility will be assembled to position the research to better proceed with the analysis of the data as to these actions.

Examination of relationships and mediating effects of self-efficacy, locus of control, coping and the practice environment on caring efficacy and job satisfaction in Australian registered nurses

Background to the Problem: Improving nurses' self-efficacy and job satisfaction may improve the quality of nursing care to patients. Moreover, to work effectively and consistently with professional nursing standards, nurses have to believe they are able to make decisions about their practice. In order to identify what strategies and professional development programmes should be developed and implemented for registered nurses in the Australian context, a comprehensive profile of registered nurses and factors that affect nursing care in Australia needs to be available. However, at present, there is limited information available on a) the perceived caring efficacy and job satisfaction of registered nurses in Australia, and b) the relationships between the demographic variables general self-efficacy, work locus of control, coping styles, the professional nursing practice environment and caring efficacy and job satisfaction of registered nurses in Australia. This is the first study to 1) investigate relationships between caring efficacy and job satisfaction with factors such as general self-efficacy, locus of control and coping, 2) the nursing practice environment in the Australian context and 3) conceptualise a model of caring efficacy and job satisfaction in the Australian context. Research Design and Methods: This study used a two-phase cross-sectional survey design. A pilot study was conducted in order to determine the validity and reliability of the survey instruments and to assess the effectiveness of the participant recruitment process. The second study of the research involved investigating the relationships between the socio-demographic, dependent and independent variables. Socio-demographic variables included age, gender, level of education, years of experience, years in current job, employment status, geographical location, specialty area, health sector, state and marital status. Other independent variables in this study included general self-efficacy, work locus of control, coping styles and the professional nursing practice environment. The dependent variables were job satisfaction and caring efficacy. Results: A confirmatory factor analysis of the Brisbane Practice Environment Measure (B-PEM) was conducted. A five-factor structure of the B-PEM was confirmed. Relationships between socio-demographic variables, caring efficacy and job satisfaction, were identified at the bivariate and multivariable levels. Further, examination using structural equation modelling revealed general self-efficacy, work locus of control, coping style and the professional nursing practice environment contributed to caring efficacy and job satisfaction of registered nurses in Australia. Conclusion: This research contributes to the literature on how socio-demographic, personal and environmental variables (work locus of control, general self-efficacy and the nursing practice environment) influence caring efficacy and job satisfaction in registered nurses in Australia. Caring efficacy and job satisfaction may be improved if general self-efficacy is high in those that have an internal work locus of control. The study has also shown that practice environments that provide the necessary resources improve job satisfaction in nurses. The results have identified that the development and implementation of strategies for professional development and orientation programmes that enhance self-efficacy and work locus of control may contribute to better quality nursing practice and job satisfaction. This may further assist registered nurses towards focusing on improving their practice abilities. These strategies along with practice environments that provide the necessary resources for nurses to practice effectively may lead to better job satisfaction. This information is important for nursing leaders, healthcare organisations and policymakers, as the development and implementation of these strategies may lead to better recruitment and retention of nurses. The study results will contribute to the national and international literature on self-efficacy, job satisfaction and nursing practice.