Globally, we face a dramatic biodiversity loss in agricultural systems as well as severe ecosystem degradation. In grasslands, higher biodiversity in terms of plant diversity was shown to increase the diversity of higher trophic levels and provide benefits for farmers such as higher and more stable yields. However, we lack a systematic overview of costs for more diverse seed mixtures, which are an essential tool in maintaining and increasing plant diversity in grasslands. We here investigated the prices and characteristics of 262 commercially available seed mixtures from six German or Swiss online shops and quantified the relationships between seed mixture prices and plant diversity. The most frequent seed mixtures contained 1–10 species and were designed for rather intensive grassland management. On the contrary, a smaller set of seed mixtures with particularly high plant diversity (>30 species), usually of native ecotypes, were offered for restoration purposes. More diverse seed mixtures were also more expensive. For example, a seed mixture with 10 or 30 species was on average +63% or +387% more expensive, respectively, than a product containing only one species. The relationship between plant diversity and seed mixture prices per ha was related to other seed mixture characteristics, of which plant provenance (i.e. native ecotypes vs. cultivars) was particularly important for the price. Seed mixtures containing only native ecotypes had considerably higher prices per ha (⩾+75%) than those including cultivars. In conclusion, increasing biodiversity in grasslands can be costly. These costs need to be considered when making recommendations to farmers and other stakeholders. Measures to reduce such costs for maintaining and/or increasing plant diversity could promote establishment of grasslands with higher plant diversity, facilitate the restoration of semi-natural grasslands, and contribute to solving the biodiversity crisis in agroecosystems.
Objective Parenting is a primary concern for patients with minor children facing palliative‐stage cancer, yet psychosocial support addressing parenting concerns during end‐stage cancer is not routinely provided in the healthcare setting. The purpose of this review is to: (a) identify evaluation studies describing psychosocial interventions for parents with incurable end‐stage cancer; and (b) review the effectiveness evidence. Method This review was based on a rapid evidence assessment using transparent and comprehensive search terms and narrative synthesis. Inclusion criteria were broad and consisted of qualitative, quantitative, and mixed method studies that focused on psychosocial interventions for parents with advanced cancer. Results Four studies were identified, but only one of these reported results specific to parents with end‐stage cancer. A child‐centred and family‐focused approach was central to all program interventions. All programs encompassed a structured format with the majority being dedicated to providing both individual and family sessions. The studies varied in methodological quality and all used small, non‐representative samples limiting the generalisability of the findings. There were no high quality quantitative studies that specifically address outcomes for this parent group and few qualitative studies that detail parents’ intervention experience. Conclusions The findings suggest that targeted, child‐centred, family‐focused psychosocial interventions are sometimes used to support adult patients with parenting during end‐stage cancer. These purport to promote child‐parent communication and to contribute to parent psychosocial wellbeing. Further research using larger parent populations from diverse sociodemographic backgrounds is required. More importantly, comparative effectiveness studies are needed that test the timing, delivery, and content of these interventions.
Patients with incurable end-stage cancer (IESC) who are parenting minor-age children often experience parenting-related distress. Parenting concerns are not always addressed as part of routine hospital-based psychosocial care. Currently, there is a lack multidisciplinary health professional (HP) perspectives in this area. An exploratory study of hospital-based HP perspectives of adult patients’ and coparents’ parenting experiences, support needs, and parenting supportive care practice was conducted. Twelve multidisciplinary HPs from one Australian tertiary hospital participated in a semistructured focus group and interviews. Data were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. Results showed HPs were cognizant of patients’ and coparents’ diverse parenting support needs and experiences and other aspects that comprise best practice. However, multilevel organization, HP, and patient/coparent barriers impeded optimal practice. Barriers included a nonsystemized approach to screening patients’ parenting status and parenting support needs, inadequate resources, limited professional support, hospital environment, and parent psychosocial factors. This article provides feasible options for addressing practice barriers. Reviewing what factors influence optimal parenting focus from interdisciplinary HP perspectives helped identify potential strategies that could influence a shift from medical-focused care to more holistic family-focused patient care.
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