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Strengths and complementarity of systematic conservation planning and Key Biodiversity Area approaches for spatial planning
No full textDeveloping biodiversity-inclusive spatial plans at a national level is the focus of Target 1of the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF). There are 2 general approaches to identifying areas of value for biodiversity plans: criteria-based, such as the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) process, and systematic conservation planning (SCP)approaches, which apply complementarity to efficiently achieve specific quantitative tar-gets. We examined the benefits of both approaches and considered how the KBA approach can best complement SCP. We reviewed 200 papers articles that applied SCP to real-world data with the Marxan conservation design software. Our review showed that targets for biodiversity elements are poorly selected in many SCP publications, with more than 75%of the studies applying uniform percentage target amounts to planning elements. Uniform targets favor more widespread species and ecosystems that are likely to be more common and less important for conservation. The strengths and complementarities of KBA andSCP approaches were reviewed and we identified the elements from both approaches that should be considered for spatial planning to achieve Target 1 in the KMGBF. In particular, the global approach of KBAs (i.e., identifying sites of global significance for species or ecosystems) better complements SCP, which often has a national or subnational focus.The KMGBF will fail if conservation of globally significant sites is not targeted and these sites are not incorporated in national spatial planning
Monitoring the Abundance of American Shad and River Herring in Virginia's Rivers: 2023 Annual Report
No full textThis report describes the results of the twenty-sixth year of a continuing study to estimate the relative abundance and assess the status of American shad (Alosa sapidissima) stocks in Virginia by monitoring the spawning runs in the James, York and Rappahannock rivers in spring 2023, evaluating hatchery programs, and contributing to coast-wide assessments (ASMFC 2007, ASMFC 2020). We also report on two fisheryindependent monitoring programs using anchor gillnets in the Rappahannock River (year 6) and a major tributary of the James River, the Chickahominy River (year 9), to determine relative abundance and stock structure for the adult spawning run of river herring (A. pseudoharengus, and A. aestivalis). Further, we report on the year 8 of a monitoring program for juvenile alosines by using nighttime surface trawls in the Chickahominy River and present an index of juvenile abundance from this survey. An additional result of this study was analysis of bycatch of American shad in a permitted gill-net fishery and American shad and river herring in pound-net fisheries.Virginia Institute of Marine Scienc
Patterns In The Clay: X-Ray And Gamma-Ray Geochemical Sourcing Of Middle And Late Woodland Ceramics From Mulberry Island, Virginia
No full textIn the lower Chesapeake region, the Middle and Late Woodland periods witnessed the emergence of a complex geopolitical landscape. However, the specific exchange relationships and kinship networks which structured the lives of Virginia Algonquians remain only marginally understood. As a result, researchers have few means to refine the culture-histories of many Native archaeological locales of the period, and struggle to place these sites within the broader social landscape of Tsenacomacoh. Such is the case for Mulberry Island, situated along the James River in Virginia’s Lower Peninsula. Despite comprehensive survey and stewardship of the island’s archaeological record by the United States Air Force, an important question remains: was the island a hinterland, and if so, then whose? Ceramic sourcing methods offer a viable means of addressing this gap. This study was designed to identify the presence or absence of exchange between the residents of Mulberry Island and Kiskiak, a large historically documented town within Virginia’s Lower Peninsula, during the Middle and Late Woodland periods. By combining the data from empirically calibrated portable energy-dispersive X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and Gamma Ray Spectrometry (GRS), this study extends the reach of geochemical information that can be used to study precontact period ceramics nondestructively in Virginia and elsewhere, at a narrow geographic scale previously considered untenable. Results suggest that highly localized geological variables, rather than simple geographic distance, provide sufficient chemical variation to differentiate ceramics by provenance. Although exchange was not identified between Mulberry Island and Kiskiak, everyday exchange is posited for two sites within Mulberry Island, pointing to local social connectivity. Alternatively, comparison of the ceramics to field-collected raw clay samples suggest that differential clay mining practices took place between these sites. One sherd may represent an instance of individual experimentation with potting practice. The results represent a promising first step in refining the culture-history of Mulberry Island and other locales. Ultimately, the collective action of potting by task groups or localized communities of practice offers glimpses into a mosaic landscape of social identity which was complicated and granular, yet interconnected and continuous.AnthropologyMaster of Arts (M.A.
The Tydings-McDuffie Act: Philippine Independence and Neo-Empire in the Indo-Pacific
No full textThis thesis aims to highlight Philippine independence as a policy inherently related to the expansion of the informal American empire. In particular, this thesis argues that the American empire is reinforced through voluntary nature of its evolution, namely through the active cooperation of Filipino politicians and elites. This phenomenon has constructed a hierarchy on the islands, in which Filipino elites are incentivized to opt into the American empire at the expense of politically marginalized Filipinos. Using this research, this thesis contextualizes the contemporary role of the United States in the Indo-Pacific since the Cold War.HistoryBachelors of Arts (BA
Personality, Gaming Motivations, and Internet Gaming Disorder: A Motivational Mediation Model in College Students
No full textThis study investigates the relationships among personality traits, gaming motivations, and Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) in a diverse sample of U. S. college students. Drawing on prior work examining the associations between Big Five personality traits and IGD, we examined whether individual gaming motivations mediate the influence of personality traits on the risk of developing IGD. Participants (n=1661; 53.8% female, mean age=19.53) completed measures assessing their personality, gaming habits, and symptoms of IGD. Our analysis employed a mediation model to explore how specific gaming motivations such as competition, coping, recreation, socializing, customization, cognitive development, violent reward, and fantasy could link personality traits to IGD. Results showed that coping motivations mediated the relationship for three traits (Openness, Neuroticism, and Extraversion) and IGD. Specifically, higher reports of Extraversion and Emotional Stability (opposite pole of Neuroticism) were associated with lower IGD scores via lower coping motivations. For Openness to Experience, higher Openness to Experience was associated with greater IGD scores via higher coping motivations. These findings suggest that gaming motivations outside of coping may not play much of a role in the pathway from personality traits to the development of IGD, and they support prior investigations that show mild relationships between personality and IGD. Additionally, novel relationships between the competition and violent reward motivations and IGD were found, indicating that more research should be done to identify how these motives act to influence development of IGD. Keywords: big five personality, gaming motivations, internet gaming disorderPsychologyBachelors of Science (BS
Artificial Intelligence for the Electron Ion Collider (AI4EIC)
No full textThe Electron-Ion Collider (EIC), a state-of-the-art facility for studying the strong force, is expected to begin commissioning its first experiments in 2028. This is an opportune time for artificial intelligence (AI) to be included from the start at this facility and in all phases that lead up to the experiments. The second annual workshop organized by the AI4EIC working group, which recently took place, centered on exploring all current and prospective application areas of AI for the EIC. This workshop is not only beneficial for the EIC, but also provides valuable insights for the newly established ePIC collaboration at EIC. This paper summarizes the different activities and R&D projects covered across the sessions of the workshop and provides an overview of the goals, approaches and strategies regarding AI/ML in the EIC community, as well as cutting-edge techniques currently studied in other experiments.Data Scienc
Ready Or Not: A Program Evaluation To Determine The Readiness Of An Urban Title I Elementary School To Implement The Multi-Tiered System Of Supports In Reading (Mtss-R) Program
Get PDFAttainment of grade-level reading proficiency by fourth grade is pivotal to student academic success. In fourth grade, students shift from learning to read to reading to learn where they gain the ability to use their reading skills to access knowledge. Despite the connection between fourth grade reading proficiency and future academic success, national reading assessments demonstrate that one-third of America’s fourth graders read below grade-level. Because reading proficiency scores at Southeast Elementary School are reflective of national statistics, the Multi-Tiered System of Supports in Reading (MTSS-R) program was initiated as a solution to mitigate the widening reading achievement gap at Southeast Elementary School. However, anecdotal concern about the school’s readiness for implementation soon arose. This mixed-methods program evaluation combined data from a quantitative teacher survey assessing teacher self-efficacy for multi-tiered literacy instruction (TSEMLI), a qualitative semi-structured teacher focus group discussion, and ratings from the quantitative MTSS-R2 implementation readiness tool to assess whether current essential program components support the implementation readiness conditions required to fully implement MTSS-R during the 2023-2024 school year. The results of this study suggest that existing essential program components did not meet program implementation readiness conditions, that teachers possessed a commonly held understanding of the MTSS-R program purpose, and that teachers had a clear and common understanding of implementation roles and responsibilities, but that they lacked a commonly held understanding of essential MTSS-R program components. TSEMLI survey results indicated that teachers possessed moderate to high self-efficacy for multi-tiered literacy instruction (M = 4.07, SD = 0.14). A discussion of these results, to include recommendations for program improvement to the instructional leaders, could help support successful program implementation.EducationDoctor of Education (Ed.D.
ELUQuant: Event-level Uncertainty Quantification in Deep Inelastic Scattering
No full textWe introduce a physics-informed Bayesian neural network with flow-approximated posteriors using multiplicative normalizing flows for detailed uncertainty quantification (UQ) at the physics event-level. Our method is capable of identifying both heteroskedastic aleatoric and epistemic uncertainties, providing granular physical insights. Applied to deep inelastic scattering (DIS) events, our model effectively extracts the kinematic variables x, Q2, and y, matching the performance of recent deep learning regression techniques but with the critical enhancement of event-level UQ. This detailed description of the underlying uncertainty proves invaluable for decision-making, especially in tasks like event filtering. It also allows for the reduction of true inaccuracies without directly accessing the ground truth. A thorough DIS simulation using the H1 detector at HERA indicates possible applications for the future electron–ion collider. Additionally, this paves the way for related tasks such as data quality monitoring and anomaly detection. Remarkably, our approach effectively processes large samples at high rates.Data Scienc
GIS Data: 2024 Shoreline Management Model - City of Virginia Beach
No full textIn 2011, the Virginia General Assembly adopted a policy into law that specifies living shorelines as the preferred management practice for erosion control in Virginia waters. The Center for Coastal Resources Management (CCRM) at the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) has been developing tools for many years to guide local governments in shoreline management. In particular, they have focused on the use of ecologically preferred alternatives for erosion control and have conducted research into refining the appropriate uses for a large suite of possible treatments based on existing shoreline conditions. A series of Decision Trees were developed to determine shoreline best management practices (BMPs) when conducting onsite inspections. These were developed to support integrated guidance at the management and regulatory level. This body of work has been expanded and re-developed as a GIS spatial model known as the Shoreline Management Model (SMM) to determine appropriate shoreline BMPs from the desktop using available spatial data and the decision tree logic. The assessment is conducted at a parcel level scale, but the output represents a reach-based or cumulative approach to shoreline management. In 2023, CCRM began an update of the SMM. Version 6.0 continues to use fetch, nearshore bathymetry, bank height, marsh presence, beach presence, presence of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV), roads and permanent structures within the riparian zone, and existing shoreline erosion control structures. To enhance the model’s capabilities for evaluating best management practices and determining where erosion control practices may impact ecologically sensitive areas, version 6.0 adds wave energy, federal navigation channels, presence of RTE species via predicted suitable habitat, bank slope, and narrow creeks. Most appropriate for desktop reviews, regulatory compliance, and comprehensive planning, the recommendations derived from the SMM may be altered due to lot size, shoreline length along a single parcel, proximity of primary buildings to the shoreline, type of existing erosion control structures, land use practices, and local biota. The SMM v.6.0 also includes a module that identifies suitable areas for oyster structure placement, which can provide erosion control and habitat enhancement benefits.Virginia Institute of Marine Scienc
Ecology and Conservation of Diamondback Terrapins in Virginia
No full textThe diamondback terrapin (Malaclemys terrapin) is the only turtle species native to North America with specific morphological and physiological adaptations to estuarine environments. Along with many other pressures contributing to population declines, terrapins frequently become trapped and drown as bycatch in crab pots used in the commercial and recreational blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) fishery. A wealth of evidence supports the use of inexpensive bycatch reduction devices (BRDs) that can be attached to the entrances of these traps, which leads to a marked decrease in terrapin bycatch while not reducing crab catch dramatically. Virginia is the only mid-Atlantic state with a prominent crabbing fishery but without legislation requiring the use of BRDs, owing largely to pushback from a strong lobby of commercial crabbers. To examine potential alternatives to BRDs, we designed three prototypes of a “terrapin release hatch,” constructed to allow terrapins to escape traps and to retain crabs. Each prototype used different diameter elastic cords (3/32”, 3/16” and 1/4/”) to cover openings on the tops of crab pots. Based on results of an eight-week field study completed in Yorktown, Virginia, the 3/16” prototype allowed 50% of trapped terrapins to escape while retaining 88% of the commercial crab catch. Further tests will be required to develop a more effective terrapin release hatch that approaches the functionality of BRDs. An important focus moving forward will be the ongoing absence of BRD legislation in Virginia, and the possible pursuit of federal legislation to promote terrapin conservation via BRD use, to ensure that all crabbers in all states are held to the same standard.BiologyBachelors of Science (BS