3,658 research outputs found
Three-dimensional spectral measurements of paint samples using optical coherence tomography
No full textIn this study, we describe a method for measuring the spectral reflectance of a paint layer at both the surface and in the volume of the paint layers. We first present a fringes model which illustrates the possibilities for spectral reconstruction using a Short-Time-Fourier-Transform algorithm. We investigate the remaing percentage errors and identified that there is a strong fluctuation along the wavelength range of the spectrometer. Then, we demonstrate the validity of our approach experimentally by measuring the spectral reflectance of a paint layer using a custom-made visible light optical coherence tomography system. There, we reconstruct the spectral reflectance of a paint layer by probing the surface and a depth range below the surface. Finally, we show the importance to include a wavelength sensitive correction in the reconstruction for taking into account the spectral shape of the light in the reference path of the interferometer. This work is part of the Down To The Ground project, in which the results of the OCT inspection will be used directly by a consortium of technical art historians and conservators.Green Open Access added to TU Delft Institutional Repository ‘You share, we take care!’ – Taverne project https://www.openaccess.nl/en/you-share-we-take-care Otherwise as indicated in the copyright section: the publisher is the copyright holder of this work and the author uses the Dutch legislation to make this work public.Structural Integrity & Composite
The effects of farming practices on earthworm dynamics in olive groves of central Greece (Oligochaeta)
No full textWe compared species richness, species composition, density and biomass of earthworm communities in organically and conventionally managed olive groves in central Greece. Earthworm biomass and density was significantly higher (p<0.05) in organic olive groves than in conventional olive groves. The highest species richness was recorded in the organic olive groves. Six species were recorded in total: Octodrilus complanatus, O. croaticus, Dendrobaena byblica, D. veneta, Aporrectodea caliginosa, and Microscolex phosphoreus. Only four of these were found in conventional olive groves, where D. veneta and M phosphoreus were absent. The most abundant species were O. complanatus, D. veneta, and D. byblica
The effects of farming practices on earthworm dynamics in olive groves of central Greece
No full textWe compared species richness, species composition, density and biomass of earthworm communities in organically and conventionally managed olive groves in central Greece. Earthworm biomass and density was significantly higher (p<0.05) in organic olive groves than in conventional olive groves. The highest species richness was recorded in the organic olive groves. Six species were recorded in total: Octodrilus complanatus, O. croaticus, Dendrobaena byblica, D. veneta, Aporrectodea caliginosa, and Microscolex phosphoreus. Only four of these were found in conventional olive groves, where D. veneta and M. phosphoreus were absent. The most abundant species were O. complanatus, D. veneta, and D. byblica. © Kasparek Verlag, Heidelberg
The impact of land abandonment on the plant diversity of olive groves
No full textWe investigated the effect of woody species’ encroachment on plant diversity changes with regard to vascular plants and bryophytes in traditional olive groves of the Maremma Regional Park (Tuscany, Italy) and assessed cross-taxon correlation between these two taxa. We classified the olive groves into four land use types, representing different successional stages. To describe the evenness of species distribution within a community, we plotted rank-abundance diagrams for each taxon and each land use type.
The relationship between the number and cover of vascular plants,therophytes, bryophytes, colonists and phanerophytes in each plot was examined using linear regression. The effects of land use type on vascular plant and bryophyte richness and assemblages were assessed by permutational uni- and multivariate analysis of variance. The congruence in
species composition between the two taxa was evaluated using Procrustes analysis. The number of vascular plants, bryophytes and therophytes decreased linearly with increased phanerophyte species cover. The number of species belonging to Thero-Brachypodietea progressively decreased throughout succession. Rank-abundance diagrams and multivariate analysis showed differences between the land use types, which were statistically significant
for vascular plants between the traditional olive groves and the other land use
types, and for bryophytes between the traditional olive groves and woodlands. PROTEST
analysis and NMDS graphs showed a correlation between vascular plant and bryophyte
communities. The results suggested that conservation measures are needed in the study
area in order to ensure both the maintenance of traditional olive groves of conservation
interest and high levels of environmental heterogeneity
Subspecies and Distribution. R. d. duvaucelii G. Cuvier, 1823 — N India, S Nepal. R. d. branderi Pocock, 1943 — C India. R. d. ranpitsinhi Groves, 1982 — NE India. in Cervidae
No full textSubspecies and Distribution. R. d. duvaucelii G. Cuvier, 1823 — N India, S Nepal. R. d. branderi Pocock, 1943 — C India. R. d. ranpitsinhi Groves, 1982 — NE India.Published as part of Don E. Wilson & Russell A. Mittermeier, 2011, Cervidae, pp. 350-443 in Handbook of the Mammals of the World – Volume 2 Hoofed Mammals, Barcelona :Lynx Edicions on page 426, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.651437
Travelling Śākyamuni, Groves, Reserves and Orchards
No full textAccording to Buddhist literature, the Buddha spent the second part of his long life travelling through North-East India, teaching his doctrine wherever he decided to halt; and, as far as places are concerned, an analysis of the Pali Canon shows a clear prevalence of names of cities and towns. But, usually, the textual sources do not have the Buddha halting – or staying for the rainy season – and preaching inside built-up areas, but rather in areas just outside them, areas whose name is commonly translated as “park”, “garden” or “grove”, starting with the famous migadaya, the so-called Deer Park where he delivered his first sermon; and, in general, “parks” and “groves” are intimately connected to the entire biography of the Buddha. In these places we have often to see various kinds of reserves and orchards, and only occasionally the “pleasure parks” so well-known from kavya literature. Anyhow, whatever their original purpose, exactly in sites of this kind the textual sources locate the birth of the first Buddhist monasteries. This choice of Sakyamuni’s halting places and the transformations of the places into permanent residences are probably to be considered as a deliberate strategy by the new creed to profitably occupy a sort of middle space between the forest – the domain of Brahmanic asceticism – and the city proper, the place of politics and commerce
Spatial patterns of soil d 13 C reveal grassland-to-woodland successional processes
No full texta b s t r a c t Many grasslands and savannas around the world have experienced woody plant encroachment in recent history. In the Rio Grande Plains of southern Texas, subtropical woodlands dominated by C 3 trees and shrubs have become significant components of landscapes once dominated almost exclusively by C 4 grasslands. In this study, spatial variation of soil d 13 C to was used to investigate patterns of transformation. Previous research has shown that grassland-to-shrubland transitions are initiated when discrete, multi-species shrub clusters organized around a honey mesquite (Prosopis glandulosa) tree nucleus established in grassland. It is inferred from space-for-time substitution and modeling studies that as new shrub clusters are initiated and existing clusters enlarge, coalescence will occur, leading to the formation of groves; and that groves will eventually merge to form woodlands. The hypothesis that present-day mesquite groves represent areas where individual discrete shrub clusters have proliferated and coalesced was evaluated by comparing patterns of soil d 13 C within isolated shrub clusters (n = 6) to those in nearby groves (n = 3). Mean soil d 13 C within discrete clusters was lowest in the center (À23.3‰), increased exponentially toward the dripline (À20.1‰), and stabilized at a relatively high value approximately 15 cm beyond the dripline (À18.9‰). The spatial structure of soil d 13 C in groves was consistent with that which would be expected to occur if present-day grove communities were a collection of what once were individual discrete clusters that had fused. As such, it provides direct evidence in support of conceptual and mathematical models derived from indirect assessments. However, spatial patterns of soil d 13 C suggest that groves are not simply a collection of clusters with respect to primary production and SOC turnover. This study illustrates how soil d 13 C values can be used to reconstruct successional processes accompanying vegetation compositional change, and its consequences for ecosystem function
Andalusian Demand for Non-Market Goods from Mountain Olive Groves
No full textAgricultural multifunctionality is the recognition of the joint exercise of economic, environmental and social functions by this sector. In order to make this concept operative for the design of public policies, it is necessary to estimate the social demand for such functions. The main objective of this article is to present an empirical application in this line. For this purpose we have taken the agricultural system of mountain olive groves in Andalusia (Southern Spain) at risk of abandonment after the decoupling of the EU subsidies as a case study. The economic valuation technique used is the Choice Experiment. According to the results, there is a different contribution of each attribute to the improvement of the Society level of utility. The main finding of this study is the identification of a social demand for public goods and services provided by the mountains olive groves. This support for agricultural multifunctionality is heterogeneous in its perception by the citizens and the valuation of the various attributes that the concept involves. Taking into account the impact of an overall improvement in the attribute levels and the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents, the results suggest that women, people with higher education levels, urban citizens and families with more than three members are those who benefit most from the provision of public goods by agriculture. There is a different contribution of each attribute to the improvement of the Society level of utility. Thus, and taking into account its WTP for each attribute, keeping rural population in their villages and fighting soil erosion (with 22.61 and 21.55/individual/year, respectively) seem to be the most valued functions of the mountain olive groves by Andalusian citizens. It follows the improvement of the visual quality of the rural landscapes (12.20/individual/year) and the reduction of food residuals (7.14/individual/year). Finally, the results of this study support the new orientation of the CAP which makes decoupled payments on compliance with a range of environmental, food safety, animal and plant health and animal welfare standards, as a result of which, the cross-compliance requirement of the EU agricultural support will, presumably, promote a net increase in social welfare. Yet, according to the results of this research, some efforts should be done to allow cross-compliance to reinforce the objectives of keeping rural population in rural areas and the improvement of the landscape.Agricultural multifunctionality, Economic valuation, Choice experiment, Olive groves, Andalusia (Spain), Crop Production/Industries, Demand and Price Analysis, Q11, Q18, Q24,
Secure Implementation Experiments: Do Strategy-proof Mechanisms Really Work?
No full textStrategy-proofness, requiring that truth-telling is a dominant strategy, is a standard concept used in social choice theory. Saijo et al. (2003) argue that this concept has serious drawbacks. In particular, many strategy-proof mechanisms have a continuum of Nash equilibria, including equilibria other than dominant strategy equilibria. For only a subset of strategy-proof mechanisms do the set of Nash equilibria and the set of dominant strategy equilibria coincide. For example, this double coincidence occurs in the Groves mechanism when preferences are single-peaked. We report experiments using two strategy-proof mechanisms. One of them has a large number of Nash equilibria, but the other has a unique Nash equilibrium. We found clear differences in the rate of dominant strategy play between the two.Experiment, Laboratory, Secure Implementation, Groves-Clarke, Pivotal, Learning
Changes in Beliefs and Perceptions about the Natural Environment in the Forest-Savanna Transitional Zone of Ghana: The Influence of Religion
No full textThe potential of traditional natural resources management for biodiversity conservation and the improvement of sustainable rural livelihoods is no longer in doubt. In sub-Saharan Africa, extensive habitat destruction, degradation, and severe depletion of wildlife, which have seriously reduced biodiversity and undermined the livelihoods of many people in rural communities, have been attributed mainly to the erosion of traditional strategies for natural resources management. In Ghana, recent studies point to an increasing disregard for traditional rules and regulations, beliefs and practices that are associated with natural resources management. Traditional natural resources management in many typically indigenous communities in Ghana derives from changes in the perceptions and attitudes of local people towards tumi, the traditional belief in super natural power suffused in nature by Onyame, the Supreme Creator Deity. However, this is closely entwined with ecological, demographic and economic factors. Whilst these factors have driven the need to over-exploit natural resources, a situation which threatens the sustainability of community forests including sacred groves, religion has been used to justify such actions. This paper explores changes in tumi and the sustainability of sacred groves in the forest-savanna transitional zone in Ghana. It would confirm that changes in traditional animist beliefs, such as tumi, which informs the worldview of local people and underlies traditional natural resources management, is mainly due to the advances made by Christianity and Islam.Tumi, Sacred Groves, Forest-Savanna Transition, Sustainability, Traditional, Christianity, Islam
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