This paper describes a new pedotransfer function (PTF) for the soil water content of New Zealand soils at seven specific tensions (0, −5, −10, −20, −40, −100, −1500 kPa) using explanatory variables ...derived from the S-map soil mapping system. The model produces unbiased and physically plausible estimates of the response at each tension, as well as unbiased and physically plausible estimates of the response differences that define derived properties (e.g., macroporosity and total available water content). The PTF is a development of an earlier model using approximately double the number of sites compared with the earlier study, a change in fitting methodology to a semi-parametric GAM Beta response, and the inclusion of sample depth. The results show that the new model has resulted in significant improvements for the soil water content estimates and derived quantities using standard goodness-of-fit measures, based on validation data. A comparison with an international PTF using explanatory variables compatible with variables available from S-map (EUPTF2) suggests that the model is better for prediction of soil water content using the limited information available from the S-map system.
Trust in public health officials and the information they provide is essential for the public uptake of preventative strategies to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. This paper discusses how a ...model for developing and maintaining trust in public health officials during food safety incidents and scandals might be applied to pandemic management. The model identifies ten strategies to be considered, including: transparency; development of protocols and procedures; credibility; proactivity; putting the public first; collaborating with stakeholders; consistency; education of stakeholders and the public; building your reputation; and keeping your promises. While pandemic management differs insofar as the responsibility lies with the public rather than identifiable regulatory bodies, and governments must weigh competing risks in creating policy, we conclude that many of the strategies identified in our trust model can be successfully applied to the maintenance of trust in public health officials prior to, during, and after pandemics.
Abstract
Background
Consumer trust in food systems is essential for consumers, food industry, policy makers and regulators. Yet no comprehensive tool for measuring consumer trust in food systems ...exists. Similarly, the impact that trust in the food system has on health-related food behaviours is yet to be empirically examined. The aim of this research was to develop a comprehensive instrument to measure trust in the food system (the Dimensions of Trust in Food Systems Scale (DOTIFS scale) and use it to explore whether trust in the food system impacts consumers’ health-related behaviours.
Methods
The DOTIFS scale was developed using sociological theories of trust and pre-existing instruments measuring aspects of trust. It was pilot tested and content validity was assessed with 85 participants. A mixed-methods exploration of the health-related behaviours of 18 conveniently sampled Australian consumers with differing trust scores determined by the DOTIFS scale was then conducted. During March–July 2019 shopping- and home-observations were used to assess participants’ food safety practices and exposure to public health fortification programs, while the CSIRO Healthy Diet Score determined their adherence to national dietary guidelines.
Results
The DOTIFS scale was found to have high comprehension, ease of use and content validity. Statistical analysis showed scale scores significantly trended as predicted by participants’ stated level of trust. Differences were found in the way individuals with more or less trust in the food system comply with national dietary guidelines, are exposed to public health fortification programs, and adhere to recommended food safety practices.
Conclusions
The DOTIFS scale is a comprehensive, sociologically- and empirically- informed assessment of consumer trust in food systems that can be self-administered online to large populations and used to measure changes in consumer trust over time. The differences in health-related behaviours between individuals with varying levels of trust warrant further investigation.
•Listing and describing the parameters needed to build a soil description in APSIM based on S-map•Sensitivity analysis of physical and chemical soil parameterisation•For regional or national ...assessments the use of S-map information is appropriate
Agroecosystem models have become an important tool for impact assessment studies, and their results are often used for management and policy decisions. Soil information is a key input for these models, yet site-specific soil property data are often not available, and soil databases are increasingly being used to provide input parameters. For New Zealand, the digital spatial soil information system S-map provides geospatial data on a range of soil characteristics, including estimates of soil water properties. We describe a protocol for how properties from S-map can be used as input parameters for the APSIM (Agricultural Production Systems sIMulator) framework. Finally, we investigate how changes in the physical description of soil layers, and soil organic matter pools, affect the various outputs of APSIM.•This paper presents a description of how information from S-map, a digital soil map of New Zealand, can be used for building a soil description for APSIM.•A sensitivity analysis shows the effect of soil layering and the set-up setup, size, and distribution of SOM pools on model outputs, including plant growth and N leaching
Display omitted
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Respiratory critical oxygen pressures (COPR) determined from O₂-depletion rates in media bathing intact or excised roots are unreliable indicators of respiratory O₂-dependency in ...O₂-free media and wetlands. A mathematical model was used to help illustrate this, and more relevant polarographic methods for determining COPR in roots of intact plants are discussed. METHODS: Cortical O₂ near the root apex was monitored indirectly (pea seedlings) from radial oxygen losses (ROL) using sleeving Pt electrodes, or directly (maize) using microelectrodes; O₂ in the root was controlled by manipulating O₂ around the shoots. Mathematical modelling of radial diffusive and respiratory properties of roots used Michaelis-Menten enzyme kinetics. KEY RESULTS: Respiration declined only when the O₂ partial pressure (OPP) in the cortex of root tips fell below 0·5-4·5 kPa, values consistent with depressed respiration near the centre of the stele as confirmed by microelectrode measurements and mathematical modelling. Modelling predictions suggested that the OPP of a significant core at the centre of roots could be below the usual detection limits of O₂-microelectrodes but still support some aerobic respiration. CONCLUSIONS: In O₂-free media, as in wetlands, the COPR for roots is likely to be quite low, dependent upon the respiratory demands, dimensions and diffusion characteristics of the stele/stelar meristem and the enzyme kinetics of cytochrome oxidase. Roots of non-wetland plants may not differ greatly in their COPRs from those of wetland species. There is a possibility that trace amounts of O₂ may still be present in stelar 'anaerobic' cores where fermentation is induced at low cortical OPPs.
South Australia has to date (October 2021) been highly successful in maintaining an aggressive suppression strategy for the management of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, continued success of this ...strategy is dependent on ongoing testing by people with symptoms of COVID-19 to identify, trace and quarantine emergent cases as soon as possible. This study sought to explore community members’ decisions about having COVID-19 testing in an environment of low prevalence, specifically exploring their decision-making related to symptoms.
This study drew on a qualitative case study design, involving five focus groups, conducted in May 2021, with 29 individuals who had experienced COVID-19-like symptoms since the commencement of testing in South Australia. Participants detailed their last COVID-19-like illness episode and described their decision-making regarding testing. Data collection methods and analysis were theoretically informed by the capability, opportunity, and motivation behaviour (COM-B) model.
Participants' belief that COVID-19 symptoms would be ‘unusual’, severe, and persistent caused them to either reject or delay testing. Participants generally employed ‘watch and wait’ and social distancing behaviour rather than timely presentation to testing. Concern about economic loss associated with isolating after testing, and the potential for illness transmission at testing centres further prevented testing for some participants.
In a low COVID-19 prevalence environment, individuals rely on pre-existing strategies for interpreting and managing personal illness (such as delaying help seeking if symptoms are mild), which generally conflict with public health management advice about COVID-19. In low prevalence environments therefore public health authorities must give the public a reason to test beyond considerations of personal risk, and clearly communicate the need for ongoing COVID-19 surveillance despite the low prevalence environment.
•Virologic testing avoidance and delay are common given low COVID-19 prevalence.•A period of ‘watch and wait’ is used to determine one's COVID-19 candidacy.•The intention the test is moderated by beliefs about the personal costs of testing.•Testing behaviour often competes with the protective behaviour of social isolation.
Food regulatory bodies play an important role in public health, and in reducing the costs of food borne illness that are absorbed by both industry and government. Regulation in the food industry ...involves a relationship between regulators and members of the industry, and it is imperative that these relationships are built on trust. Research has shown in a variety of contexts that businesses find the most success when there are high levels of trust between them and their key stakeholders. An evidence-based understanding of the barriers to communication and trust is imperative if we are to put forward recommendations for facilitating the (re)building of trusting and communicative relationships.
We present data from 72 interviews with regulators and industry representatives regarding their trust in and communication with one another. Interviews were conducted in the UK, New Zealand, and Australia in 2013.
Data identify a variety of factors that shape the dynamic and complex relationships between regulators and industry, as well as barriers to communication and trust between the two parties. Novel in our approach is our emphasis on identifying solutions to these barriers from the voices of industry and regulators.
We provide recommendations (e.g., development of industry advisory boards) to facilitate the (re)building of trusting and communicative relationships between the two parties.
In this research, the basis for social acceptability judgements of clearfell harvesting in people's values and beliefs was explored. During an initial qualitative field study the value orientations, ...valued objects and beliefs about consequences of 18 participants were identified. A hypothesis was then developed drawing on two cognitive hierarchy theories: the Theory of Reasoned Action and Value Belief Norm Theory. It was predicted, that in judging clearfelling people would draw on value orientations toward the natural environment. These would lead them to value objects in the forest and to develop beliefs about the consequences of harvesting for those objects, which would in turn lead to acceptability judgements. In a second study approximately 560 Tasmanians were shown images of a clearfell, burn and sow management system and asked to judge its acceptability. On average, industry-affiliated participants rated clearfelling much more acceptable than did non-affiliated and conservation-affiliated participants. Participants also responded to questions that measured the four levels on the cognitive hierarchy. Structural equation modelling was used to test whether these data were consistent with the cognitive hierarchy model. There was no basis to reject the model.
This article explores the expression of three forest value orientations that emerged from an analysis of Australian news media discourse about the management of Australian native forests from August ...1, 1997 through December 31, 2004. Computer-coded content analysis was used to measure and track the relative importance of commodity, ecological and moral/spiritual/aesthetic forest value orientations. The number of expressions of these forest value orientations followed major events in forest management and policy, with peaks corresponding to finalization of Regional Forest Agreements and conflicts over forest management. Over the time period analyzed, the relative share of commodity value orientation decreased and the shares of the ecological and moral/spiritual/aesthetic value orientations increased. The shifts in forest value orientations highlight the need for native forests to be managed for multiple values and the need for continued monitoring of forest values.
A method is presented for assessing soil natural capital based on the principles of land evaluation. Policymakers are adopting concepts of flows of ecosystem services, and the natural capital stocks ...that support them, to provide more integrated analyses of the trade-offs between environmental, economic, social and cultural outcomes from land use. Soil is frequently overlooked in these analyses. Techniques are needed to quantify and map soil natural capital and their potential to provide ecosystem services to enable the soil science community to more effectively engage with decision-makers. To support this engagement, these techniques need to use available soil survey maps and databases to provide extensive geographic coverage of soil natural capital estimates. The method presented estimates the adequacy of soil natural capital stocks to support the soil processes behind the provision of ecosystem services under a specific land use. A stock adequacy index estimates the degree to which the provision of services is limited by soil natural capital stocks or advantaged by a stock surplus under a given land use. Reference values are derived from a curve of the response of the provision of the service to key soil stocks for a specified land use. These curves are determined from land evaluation and soil quality literature, or by modelling. The method is essentially an extension of land evaluation in which the evaluations are calibrated using an ecosystem approach. The output indices provide information about potential ecosystem services provision, land-use suitability, soil resource use efficiency, and environmental performance. Outputs from the method are demonstrated for a range of soils under pastoral dairy land use in Wairarapa, New Zealand.
•Soil natural capital is defined in terms of soil stocks.•Quantification is based on the adequacy of soil stocks to support soil services.•Land evaluation principles are used.•Method is designed for application over extensive tracts of land.•Communicates soil resource concepts to other disciplines
PDF
