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Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology, volume 97 number 4 (July/August 2024)
by Ecological and Evolutionary PhysiologyThis is volume 97 issue 4 of Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology. Ecological and Evolutionary Physiology primarily publishes original research in physiological ecology, ecophysiology, comparative physiology, and evolutionary physiology. Studies at all levels of biological organization from the molecular to the whole organism are welcome, and work that integrates across levels of organization is particularly encouraged. Studies that focus on behavior or morphology are welcome, so long as they include ties to physiology or biochemistry, in addition to having an ecological or evolutionary context. Subdisciplines of interest include nutrition and digestion, salt and water balance, epithelial and membrane transport, gas exchange and transport, acid-base balance, temperature adaptation, energetics, structure and function of macromolecules, chemical coordination and signal transduction, nitrogen metabolism and excretion, locomotion and muscle function, biomechanics, circulation, behavioral, comparative and mechanistic endocrinology, sensory physiology, neural coordination, and ecotoxicology ecoimmunology.
Ecological and Practical Applications for Sustainable Agriculture
by Kuldeep Bauddh Sanjeev Kumar Rana Pratap Singh John KorstadRampant industrialization, urbanization, and population growth have resulted in increased global environmental contamination. The productivity of agricultural soil is drastically deteriorated and requires a high dose of fertilizers to cultivate crops. To ensure food security, farmers are compelled to apply excess chemical fertilizers and insecticides that contaminate soil, air, and water. Heavy loads of chemical fertilizers not only degrade the quality of agricultural land but also pollute water and air. Use of chemical fertilizers also accelerate the release of greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide and methane along with nutrient runoff from the watershed in to lower elevation rivers and lakes, resulting in cultural eutrophication.Farming practices globally in developed, developing, and under-developing countries should utilize and promote sustainable methods through viable combined environmental, social, and economic means that improve rather than harm future generations. This can include use of non-synthetic fertilizers like compost, vermicompost, slow-release fertilizers, farmyard manures, crop rotations that include nitrogen-fixing legumes. Organic fertilizers like compost and vermicompost improve soil properties like texture, porosity, water-holding capacity, organic matter, as well as nutrient availability. The purpose of this book is to document the available alternatives of synthetic fertilizers, their mode of action, efficiency, preparation methodology, practical suggestions for sustainable practices, and needed research focus. The book will cover major disciplines like plant science, environmental science, agricultural science, agricultural biotechnology and microbiology, horticulture, soil science, atmospheric science, agro-forestry, agronomy, and ecology. This book is helpful for farmers, scientists, industrialists, research scholars, masters and graduate students, non-governmental organizations, financial advisers, and policy makers.
The Ecological and Societal Consequences of Biodiversity Loss
by Michel Loreau Andy Hector Forest IsbellThe idea that changes in biodiversity can impact how ecosystems function has, over the last quarter century, gone from being a controversial notion to an accepted part of science and policy. As the field matures, it is high time to review progress, explore the links between this new research area and fundamental ecological concepts, and look ahead to the implementation of this knowledge.This book is designed to both provide an up-to-date overview of research in the area and to serve as a useful textbook for those studying the relationship between biodiversity and the functioning, stability and services of ecosystems. The Ecological and Societal Consequences of Biodiversity Loss is aimed at a wide audience of upper undergraduate students, postgraduate students, and academic and research staff.
Ecological Aspects of Nitrogen Metabolism in Plants
by Joe C. Polacco Christopher D. ToddEcological Aspects of Nitrogen Acquisition covers how plants compete for nitrogen in complex ecological communities and the associations plants recruit with other organisms, ranging from soil microbes to arthropods. The book is divided into four sections, each addressing an important set of relationships of plants with the environment and how this impacts the plant’s ability to compete successfully for nitrogen, often the most growth-limiting nutrient. Ecological Aspects of Nitrogen Acquisition provides thorough coverage of this important topic, and is a vitally important resource for plant scientists, agronomists, and ecologists.
Ecological Biochemistry
by Dietrich H. Nies Gerd-Joachim KraussThe first stand-alone textbook for at least ten years on this increasingly hot topic in times of global climate change and sustainability in ecosystems.Ecological biochemistry refers to the interaction of organisms with their abiotic environment and other organisms by chemical means. Biotic and abiotic factors determine the biochemical flexibility of organisms, which otherwise easily adapt to environmental changes by altering their metabolism. Sessile plants, in particular, have evolved intricate biochemical response mechanisms to fit into a changing environment. This book covers the chemistry behind these interactions, bottom up from the atomic to the system's level.An introductory part explains the physico-chemical basis and biochemical roots of living cells, leading to secondary metabolites as crucial bridges between organisms and the respective ecosystem. The focus then shifts to the biochemical interactions of plants, fungi and bacteria within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems with the aim of linking biochemical insights to ecological research, also in human-influenced habitats.A section is devoted to methodology, which allows network-based analyses of molecular processes underlying systems phenomena.A companion website offering an extended version of the introductory chapter on Basic Biochemical Roots is available at http://www.wiley.com/go/Krauss/Nies/EcologicalBiochemistry
Ecological Building Materials for Deserts and Drylands (SpringerBriefs in Geography)
by Daniela A. OttmannThis book examines prospective climate adaptive building materials in desert and drylands in the context of climate change, desertification, urbanisation demands, and the consequent sustainable urban development challenges. This preliminary collection of ecological materials covers the characterisation of biotic and abiotic resources for materials, their specifications and benefits for adequate bio-climatic design and construction. Particular emphasis is given to ecological composite materials for advances in desert architecture. Based on the initial collection, the book culminates with potentials for new ecological building materials. The "eComposite Combinator" matrix offers potential research recipes and encourages the reader to conduct further climate-matters related research.
Ecological Census Techniques
by William J. SutherlandVirtually any exercise in ecology will require some knowledge of the techniques for carrying out a census of population numbers. This practical text outlines clearly, with worked examples, the main techniques used by field ecologists to enumerate plants and animals. Each taxonomic group is treated separately, with detailed descriptions of appropriate census methods; their advantages, disadvantages and biases. Techniques for measuring a wide range of environmental variables are also included. The final chapter lists the 20 most common censusing sins. Concise yet comprehensive, this book provides a unique overview of the most important methods for those working on field studies in population and behavioural ecology and conservation biology at all levels, from the beginner to the practising professional.
Ecological Challenges and Conservation Conundrums
by John A. Wiensy, reading the essays together fosters a broader perspective on the issues. Readers will be able find out how the ecological systems they strive to conserve are affected by various forces of change, and how this affects the way they should approach the issues. Collectively, the essays encompass many of the central issues that are shaping ecology and conservation as the world changes. The essays are arranged by topic and each includes a short introduction that updates the context and explains why the essay was written. Six brand new essays have been written specifically for this volume to fill the in the area. In all, this book may help to prompt a shift in how scientists, managers, and the public think about these key issues. Brief TOC: Concluding comments: are bird communities real?; On skepticism and criticism in ornithology; Word processing versus writing; The place of long-term studies in ornithology; Ecology 2000: An essay on future directions in ecology; Fat times, lean times and competition among predators; Scientific responsibility and responsible ecology; Landscape ecology: the science and the action; Found! The survivor in the swamps; What's so new about ecosystem services?; Will land-use change erode our conservation gains?; The dangers of black-and-white conservation; The demise of wildness?; Uncertainty and the relevance of ecology; Polar bears, golden toads, and conservation futures; The eclipse of history?; "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times..."; Is 'monitoring' a dirty word?; Moving outside the box; Tipping points in the balance of nature; Stewart Udall and the future of conservation; Oil, oil, everywhere; Being green isn't easy; From our southern correspondent(s); Shooting at a moving target; Black swans and outliers; Taking risks with the environment; Wildlife, people, and water: Who wins?
Ecological Climatology
by Gordon BonanThe third edition of Gordon Bonan's comprehensive textbook introduces an interdisciplinary framework to understand the interaction between terrestrial ecosystems and climate change. Ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying ecology, environmental science, atmospheric science, and geography, it reviews basic meteorological, hydrological, and ecological concepts to examine the physical, chemical, and biological processes by which terrestrial ecosystems affect and are affected by climate. This new edition has been thoroughly updated with new science and references. The scope has been expanded beyond its initial focus on energy, water, and carbon to include reactive gases and aerosols in the atmosphere. The new edition emphasizes the Earth as a system, recognizing interconnections among the planet's physical, chemical, biological, and socioeconomic components, and emphasizing global environmental sustainability. Each chapter contains chapter summaries and review questions, and with over 400 illustrations, including many in color, this textbook will once again be an essential student guide.
Ecological Climatology
by Gordon B. BonanThis book introduces an interdisciplinary framework to understand the interaction between terrestrial ecosystems and climate change. It reviews basic meteorological, hydrological and ecological concepts to examine the physical, chemical and biological processes by which terrestrial ecosystems affect and are affected by climate. The textbook is written for advanced undergraduate and graduate students studying ecology, environmental science, atmospheric science and geography. The central argument is that terrestrial ecosystems become important determinants of climate through their cycling of energy, water, chemical elements and trace gases. This coupling between climate and vegetation is explored at spatial scales from plant cells to global vegetation geography and at timescales of near instantaneous to millennia. The text also considers how human alterations to land become important for climate change. This restructured edition, with updated science and references, chapter summaries and review questions, and over 400 illustrations, including many in color, serves as an essential student guide.
The Ecological Community: Environmental Challenges For Philosophy, Politics And Morality
by Roger S. GottliebFirst Published in 1997. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Ecological Complexity (Elements in the Philosophy of Biology)
by Alkistis Elliott-GravesComplexity has received substantial attention from scientists and philosophers alike. There are numerous, often conflicting, accounts of how complexity should be defined and how it should be measured. Much less attention has been paid to the epistemic implications of complexity, especially in Ecology. How does the complex nature of ecological systems affect ecologists' ability to study them? This Element argues that ecological systems are complex in a rather special way: they are causally heterogeneous. Not only are they made up of many interacting parts, but their behaviour is variable across space or time. Causal heterogeneity is responsible for many of the epistemic difficulties that ecologists face, especially when making generalisations and predictions. Luckily, ecologists have the tools to overcome these difficulties, though these tools have historically been considered suspect by philosophers of science. The author presents an updated philosophical account with an optimistic outlook of the methods and status of ecological research.
Ecological Complexity and Agroecology
by John Vandermeer Ivette PerfectoThis text reflects the immense current growth in interest in agroecology and changing approaches to it. While it is acknowledged that the science of ecology should be the basis of agroecological planning, many analysts have out-of-date ideas about contemporary ecology. Ecology has come a long way since the old days of "the balance of nature" and other romantic notions of how ecological systems function. In this context, the new science of complexity has become extremely important in the modern science of ecology. The problem is that it tends to be too mathematical and technical and thus off-putting for the average student of agroecology, especially those new to the subject. Therefore this book seeks to present ideas about ecological complexity with a minimum of formal mathematics. The book’s organization consists of an introductory chapter, and a second chapter providing some of the background to basic ecological topics as they are relevant to agroecosystrems (e.g., soil biology and pest control). The core of the book consists of seven chapters on key intersecting themes of ecological complexity, including issues such as spatial patterns, network theory and tipping points, illustrated by examples from agroecology and agricultural systems from around the world.
Ecological Connectivity among Tropical Coastal Ecosystems
by Ivan NagelkerkenMangrove forests, seagrass beds, and coral reefs are circumtropical ecosystems that are highly productive, and provide many important biological functions and economic services. These ecosystems cover large surface areas in the shallow tropical coastal seascape but have suffered from serious human degradation, especially in the last few decades. Part of their diversity, productivity, and functioning seems to be based on their juxtaposition. Especially in the last decade significant advances have been made on new insights into their ecological connectivity. This authoritative book provides a first-time comprehensive review of the major ecological interactions across tropical marine ecosystems that result from the mutual exchange of nutrients, organic matter, fish, and crustaceans. A group of leading authors from around the world reviews the patterns and underlying mechanisms of important biogeochemical and biological linkages among tropical coastal ecosystems in 15 chapters. Included are chapters that review cutting-edge tools to study and quantify these linkages, the importance of such linkages for fisheries, and how tropical ecosystems should be conserved and managed for sustainable use by future generations. The book uses examples from all over the world and provides an up-to-date review of the latest published literature. This book is a 'must read' for professionals working on the conservation, management, and ecology of mangrove, seagrass and coral reef ecosystems.
Ecological Dynamics On Yellowstone's Northern Range
by Committee on Ungulate Management in Yellowstone National ParkEcological Dynamics on Yellowstone’s Northern Range discusses the complex management challenges in Yellowstone National Park. Controversy over the National Park Service’s approach of "natural regulation" has heightened in recent years because of changes in vegetation and other ecosystem components in Yellowstone's northern range. Natural regulation minimizes human impacts, including management intervention by the National Park Service, on the park ecosystem. Many have attributed these changes to increased size of elk and other ungulate herds.This report examines the evidence that increased ungulate populations are responsible for the changes in vegetation and that the changes represent a major and serious change in the Yellowstone ecosystem. According to the authors, any human intervention to protect species such as the aspen and those that depend on them should be prudently localized rather than ecosystem-wide. An ecosystem--wide approach, such as reducing ungulate populations, could be more disruptive. The report concludes that although dramatic ecological change does not appear to be imminent, approaches to dealing with potential human--caused changes in the ecosystem, including those related to climate change, should be considered now. The need for research and public education is also compelling.
Ecological-Economic Modelling for Biodiversity Conservation (Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation)
by Martin DrechslerEcologists and economists both use models to help develop strategies for biodiversity management. The practical use of disciplinary models, however, can be limited because ecological models tend not to address the socioeconomic dimension of biodiversity management, whereas economic models tend to neglect the ecological dimension. Given these shortcomings of disciplinary models, there is a necessity to combine ecological and economic knowledge into ecological-economic models. Gradually guiding the reader into the field of ecological-economic modelling by introducing mathematical models and their role in general, this book provides an overview on ecological and economic modelling approaches relevant for research in the field of biodiversity conservation. It discusses the advantages of and challenges associated with ecological-economic modelling, together with an overview of useful ways of integration. Although being a book about mathematical modelling, ecological and economic concepts play an equally important role, making it accessible for readers from very different disciplinary backgrounds.
Ecological Economics: Sustainability in Practice
by Stanislav E. ShmelevIn a concise and crisp manner, this book presents the state of the art in ecological economics, an interdisciplinary field focused on the analysis of sustainability of global, national and regional economic systems. An elegant guide, the book offers a range of cutting edge methods used in sustainability research including multicriteria decision aid (MCDA), input-output analysis, and life cycle analysis. This book is packed with references for students with some background in economics, environmental science or mathematics who aim to develop the analytical skills required for redirecting our development path towards sustainability in government, international organisations, academia, non-profit sector and business. As such, the book is primarily aimed at MSc and first year PhD students reading for degrees in Environmental Change and Management, Ecological Economics, Environmental Management, Philosophy, Politics and Economics, and those taking part in similar programmes. The book strives to develop the idea that a significant adjustment of the current economic theories is required, an idea supported by the emerged world economic crisis, the climatic and biodiversity crisis the world is currently facing and the enormously slow progress that has been made in the field of reorientation of the global economy towards sustainability. The practical case studies provided focus on the most pressing topics of today, and the book adopts a positive approach for problem solving and strategic development, which is aimed at educating the future decision makers and business leaders.
Ecological Economics for the Anthropocene
by Peter G. Brown Peter TimmermanEcological Economics for the Anthropocene provides an urgently needed alternative to the long-dominant neoclassical economic paradigm of the free market, which has focused myopically-even fatally-on the boundless production and consumption of goods and services without heed to environmental consequences. The emerging paradigm for ecological economics championed in this new book recenters the field of economics on the fact of the Earth's limitations, requiring a total reconfiguration of the goals of the economy, how we understand the fundamentals of human prosperity, and, ultimately, how we assess humanity's place in the community of beings. Each essay in this volume contributes to an emerging, revolutionary agenda based on the tenets of ecological economics and advances new conceptions of justice, liberty, and the meaning of an ethical life in the era of the Anthropocene. Essays highlight the need to create alternative signals to balance one-dimensional market-price measurements in judging the relationships between the economy and the Earth's life-support systems. In a lively exchange, the authors question whether such ideas as "ecosystem health" and the environmental data that support them are robust enough to inform policy. Essays explain what a taking-it-slow or no-growth approach to economics looks like and explore how to generate the cultural and political will to implement this agenda. This collection represents one of the most sophisticated and realistic strategies for neutralizing the threat of our current economic order, envisioning an Earth-embedded society committed to the commonwealth of life and the security and true prosperity of human society.
Ecological Economics for the Anthropocene: An Emerging Paradigm
by Peter G. Brown Peter Timmerman Eds.Ecological Economics for the Anthropocene provides an urgently needed alternative to the long-dominant neoclassical economic paradigm of the free market, which has focused myopically—even fatally—on the boundless production and consumption of goods and services without heed to environmental consequences. The emerging paradigm for ecological economics championed in this new book recenters the field of economics on the fact of the Earth's limitations, requiring a total reconfiguration of the goals of the economy, how we understand the fundamentals of human prosperity, and, ultimately, how we assess humanity's place in the community of beings.Each essay in this volume contributes to an emerging, revolutionary agenda based on the tenets of ecological economics and advances new conceptions of justice, liberty, and the meaning of an ethical life in the era of the Anthropocene. Essays highlight the need to create alternative signals to balance one-dimensional market-price measurements in judging the relationships between the economy and the Earth's life-support systems. In a lively exchange, the authors question whether such ideas as "ecosystem health" and the environmental data that support them are robust enough to inform policy. Essays explain what a taking-it-slow or no-growth approach to economics looks like and explore how to generate the cultural and political will to implement this agenda. This collection represents one of the most sophisticated and realistic strategies for neutralizing the threat of our current economic order, envisioning an Earth-embedded society committed to the commonwealth of life and the security and true prosperity of human society.
Ecological Effects of Electricity Generation, Storage and Use
by Dr Peter HendersonThis book reviews the past, present and future generation and use of electricity. While noting the importance of electricity to the well-being of people, it argues that all means of electricity generation have adverse ecological consequences. The ecological effects of all the main forms of electricity generation, storage and transmission are reviewed in 14 chapters. The chapters briefly cover the engineering and physics of each method of electricity generation followed by a description of the different ways in which the technology interacts with the natural world. Finally, sections consider the importance of these impacts and how they can be mitigated or avoided. A final chapter summarizes the issues and emphasizes that the only way to truly minimize the impacts of electricity generation is to reduce our consumption and transmission. Future efforts should continue to focus on increasing the efficiency of light production, refrigeration, electrical appliances and batteries.
Ecological Effects of Electricity Generation, Storage and Use
by Dr Peter HendersonThis book reviews the past, present and future generation and use of electricity. While noting the importance of electricity to the well-being of people, it argues that all means of electricity generation have adverse ecological consequences. The ecological effects of all the main forms of electricity generation, storage and transmission are reviewed in 14 chapters. The chapters briefly cover the engineering and physics of each method of electricity generation followed by a description of the different ways in which the technology interacts with the natural world. Finally, sections consider the importance of these impacts and how they can be mitigated or avoided. A final chapter summarizes the issues and emphasizes that the only way to truly minimize the impacts of electricity generation is to reduce our consumption and transmission. Future efforts should continue to focus on increasing the efficiency of light production, refrigeration, electrical appliances and batteries.
Ecological Ethics and the Philosophy of Simone Weil: Decreation for the Anthropocene (Routledge Environmental Ethics)
by Kathryn LawsonThis book places the philosophy of Simone Weil into conversation with contemporary environmental concerns in the Anthropocene.The book offers a systematic interpretation of Simone Weil, making her ethical philosophy more accessible to non-Weil scholars. Weil’s work has been influential in many fields, including politically and theologically-based critiques of social inequalities and suffering, but rarely linked to ecology. Kathryn Lawson argues that Weil’s work can be understood as offering a coherent approach with potentially widespread appeal applicable to our ethical relations to much more than just other human beings. She suggests that the process of "decreation" in Weil is an expansion of the self which might also come to include the surrounding earth and a vast assemblage of others. This allows readers to consider what it means to be human in this time and place, and to contemplate our ethical responsibilities both to other humans and also to the more-than-human world. Ultimately, the book uses Weil’s thought to decanter the human being by cultivating human actions towards an ecological ethics.This book will be useful for Simone Weil scholars and academics, as well as students and researchers interested in environmental ethics in departments of comparative literature, theory and criticism, philosophy, and environmental studies.
Ecological Exile: Spatial Injustice and Environmental Humanities (Routledge Environmental Humanities)
by Derek GladwinEcological Exile explores how contemporary literature, film, and media culture confront ecological crises through perspectives of spatial justice – a facet of social justice that looks at unjust circumstances as a phenomenon of space. Growing instances of flooding, population displacement, and pollution suggest an urgent need to re-examine the ways social and geographical spaces are perceived and valued in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries. Maintaining that ecological crises are largely socially produced, Derek Gladwin considers how British and Irish literary and visual texts by Ian McEwan, Sarah Gavron, Eavan Boland, John McGrath, and China Miéville, among others, respond to and confront various spatial injustices resulting from fossil fuel production and the effects of climate change. This ambitious book offers a new spatial perspective in the environmental humanities by focusing on what the philosopher Glenn Albrecht has termed 'solastalgia' – a feeling of homesickness caused by environmental damage. The result of solastalgia is that people feel paradoxically ecologically exiled in the places they continue to live because of destructive environmental changes. Gladwin skilfully traces spatially produced instances of ecological injustice that literally and imaginatively abolish people’s sense of place (or place-home). By looking at two of the most pressing social and environmental concerns – oil and climate – Ecological Exile shows how literary and visual texts have documented spatially unjust effects of solastalgia. This interdisciplinary book will appeal to students, scholars, and professionals studying literary, film, and media texts that draw on environment and sustainability, cultural geography, energy cultures, climate change, and social justice.
The Ecological Farm: A Minimalist No-Till, No-Spray, Selective-Weeding, Grow-Your-Own-Fertilizer System for Organic Agriculture
by Helen AtthoweThe breakthrough resource for fruit and vegetable growers at every scale who want to go ‘beyond organic’ and build higher soil quality and fertility using fewer inputs through a unique ecosystem-balancing approach “Atthowe’s book takes ecological farming to the next level. It is packed with useful, field-tested, innovative techniques for farming more gently without sacrificing productivity. . . This is the future of farming. I highly recommend this book.”—Ben Hartman, author of The Lean Farm The Ecological Farm is the go-to guide for ecological growing, with a unique focus on reduced tillage, minimizing farm and garden inputs, and pest control. Reflecting the wisdom that farmer, consultant, and educator Helen Atthowe and her late husband, Carl Rosato, gained during decades of farming experience, this book guides readers on how to reduce or eliminate the use of outside inputs of fertilizer or pesticides—even those that are commonly used on certified organic orchards and market gardens. In clear language and with color photographs, charts, and graphs throughout, the book emphasizes the importance of managing the details of an entire growing system over the full life of the enterprise. Based on advances in scientific research in ecological food production, farmers, homesteaders, permaculturists, and gardeners alike will learn methods to: design a farm system that maintains a growing root in the soil year-round to feed the microbial community instead of just crops. strengthen the “immune system” of a farm or garden supply crop needs using only on-farm inputs such as cover crops and living mulch maximize the presence of beneficial insects and microbes that support healthy crop development minimize ecological impact in dealing with insect pest and disease problems The Ecological Farm also features a crop-by-crop guide to growing more than 25 of the most popular and profitable vegetables and fruits, including specific management advice for dealing with pests and diseases. The Ecological Farm makes complex, sometimes messy, ecological concepts and practices understandable to all growers, and makes healthy farming—in which nature is invited to participate—possible. "[This book] will guide all of us as we learn to farm in harmony with an ecosystem and to become obedient to the whole rather than being distracted by the urge to tinker with the parts.” —Wes Jackson, cofounder and president emeritus, The Land Institute
The Ecological Footprint as a Sustainability Metric: Implications for Sustainability (SpringerBriefs in Environmental Science)
by Mary J. ThornbushThis book examines the Ecological Footprint and biocapacity accounting within an applied development content for Costa Rica. By doing so, it is possible to track changes as well as perhaps link these to overarching global issues, such as trade, globalization, and food security, among other emergent topics based findings stemming from this methodology. Based on a timeseries since 1961, it is possible to track cross-temporal changes of land-type categories (for crop land, grazing land, forest land, fishing ground, built-up land, and carbon) of the Ecological Footprint and biocapacity conveying whether a country is in ecological deficit and what may be contributing to such a trend