Search results for "LAND"
showing 10 items of 9939 documents
Spatially dynamic forest management to sustain biodiversity and economic returns.
2014
Production of marketed commodities and protection of biodiversity in natural systems often conflict and thus the continuously expanding human needs for more goods and benefits from global ecosystems urgently calls for strategies to resolve this conflict. In this paper, we addressed what is the potential of a forest landscape to simultaneously produce habitats for species and economic returns, and how the conflict between habitat availability and timber production varies among taxa. Secondly, we aimed at revealing an optimal combination of management regimes that maximizes habitat availability for given levels of economic returns. We used multi-objective optimization tools to analyze data fr…
Dependency on un-captured GDP as a source of resilience beyond economic value in countries with advanced ICT infrastructure: Similarities and dispari…
2015
Abstract The majority of countries with advanced information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure have been experiencing extended stagnation due to an “embedded” trap in ICT advancement. However, certain countries have been able to sustain a high level of ICT- driven global competitiveness. This suggests that in these contexts there is resilience beyond economic value. Finland and Singapore can be considered countries of resilience with respect to ICT-driven global competitiveness because of their continued GDP growth despite the recession. While both countries share significant similarities including institutional strength in ICT, they demonstrate noteworthy disparities in the…
Learnings from the Finnish Game Industry
2016
The motivation behind our research was the rapid growth and business wins of world-class Finnish game companies, like Supercell, as well as the success of other game companies in Finland. In particular, Supercell's growth is something that has not been heard of before and this raised the interest to research what game companies have been doing right. Supercell is not the only Finnish success. Rovio is also well known and has the roots for success from few years before. There are also other game companies in Finland that have succeeded and this motivated us to investigate what is happening behind the game industry and what could be learned from there that could be applied to other software i…
Super-fit and population size reduction in compact Differential Evolution
2011
Although Differential Evolution is an efficient and versatile optimizer, it has a wide margin of improvement. During the latest years much effort of computer scientists studying Differential Evolution has been oriented towards the improvement of the algorithmic paradigm by adding and modifying components. In particular, two modifications lead to important improvements to the original algorithmic performance. The first is the super-fit mechanism, that is the injection at the beginning of the optimization process of a solution previously improved by another algorithm. The second is the progressive reduction of the population size during the evolution of the population. Recently, the algorithm…
Mobile Banking Services Continuous Usage -- Case Study of Finland
2016
Finland is at the forefront of using new information systems, such as mobile banking (m-banking). The present study develops and tests a model of continuous usage intentions toward m-banking services for a sample of 273 Finnish m-banking users. Results confirm the hypothesized direct relationships between self-congruence and perceived value, perceived risk and perceived value, perceived value and continuous usage, and continuous usage and word of mouth. The frequency of usage of m-banking services and experience moderate the relationship between perceived value and continuous usage. We discuss the theoretical and managerial implications of the study results and present recommendations for f…
Grazing intensity in subarctic tundra affects the temperature adaptation of soil microbial communities
2015
Abstract Grazing by large ungulates, such as reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.), in subarctic tundra exerts a considerable effect on the soil microclimate. Because of higher insulation by the aboveground vegetation in light versus heavily grazed areas, soil temperatures during the growing season are considerably higher under heavy grazing. Here, we hypothesized that these grazer-induced changes in soil microclimate affect the temperature sensitivity of soil microbial activity. To test this hypothesis, we conducted soil incubations at different temperatures (4 °C, 9 °C and 14 °C) for six weeks using soils from sites with contrasting long-term grazing intensities. Microbial respiration at low te…
Comparing Conservation Value Maps and Mapping Methods in a Rural Landscape in Southern Finland
2015
We tested to what extent conservation value maps are different if the valuation and mapping method is changed. We compared 66 different conservation value and 4 different ecosystem service maps. Using remote sensing and other georeferenced data, we produced 2 different habitat type maps, which were 50 % similar. We valued each mapped habitat type based on rarity corrected potential number of vascular plant species and naturalness using 6 different valuation alternatives. We mapped habitat type connectivity and complementarity using 2 main approaches. The habitat type valuation alternatives were quite similar, but if the habitat type naturalness was taken into account, differences were large…
Estimating Regional Input Coefficients and Multipliers: The Use of FLQ is Not a Gamble
2014
Flegg A. T. and Tohmo T. Estimating regional input coefficients and multipliers: the use of FLQ is not a gamble, Regional Studies. This paper re-examines the Finnish evidence presented by Lehtonen and Tykkylainen on the use of location quotients (LQs) in estimating regional input coefficients and multipliers. They argue that the choice of an LQ-based method is a gamble and that there is no single method that can be recommended for general use. It is contended here that this evidence is erroneous and that the FLQ (Flegg's location quotient) yields results far superior to those from competing formulae, so it should provide a satisfactory way of generating an initial set of input coefficients.…
Emerging and Traditional Donors in the ‘Post-Busan’ Context: Assessing Brazil’s and Finland’s Cooperation Practices in Mozambique
2015
At the same time as the ‘emerging donors’ have gained relevance in the development cooperation system, they have also challenged established principles of aid. This article compares Brazil's and Finland's development cooperation practices in the light of recent global tendencies in the aid architecture. Based on empirical research carried out in Mozambique, Brazil, and Finland, the article gives a detailed review of the institutional and historical settings of each bilateral cooperation. The authors then analyse how two central concepts reinforced during the Busan High Level Forum have been put into practice by a ‘new emerging’ and a ‘traditional Nordic’ donor. For ‘development effectivenes…
Is there a Nordic model of final disposal of spent nuclear fuel? Governance insights from Finland and Sweden
2017
This paper explores citizen participation in Swedish and Finnish regulatory processes for final disposal of spent nuclear fuel (SNF). Finland and Sweden are considered the most advanced worldwide in term of SNF disposal plans. Our aim is to analyze the institutional waste management frameworks, focusing on the role of civil society organizations (CSOs); how lay-people and civil society organizations have been able to participate and contribute to radioactive waste licensing processes; and the nature of radioactive waste risk debates. We review official documents of the waste companies and nuclear safety authorities, plus information from civil society organizations and laypeople. Our theore…