1,721,028 research outputs found
Mini lavori della Riunione scientifica annuale del Gruppo di Lavoro per le Specie Alloctone
No full textLandform–vegetation units for investigating the dynamics and geomorphologic evolution of alpine composite debris cones (Valle dell'Avio, Adamello Group, Italy)
No full textCluster analysis of 245 vegetation plots, along 17 transects on alpine composite debris cones in the Italian Alps, allowed us to classify
complex mosaics of landforms and plant communities. A variety of active and past geomorphic processes (mass wasting, avalanche
activity, and running water) were responsible for the construction of the debris cones. By assessing plant community distribution in the
context of the different landform units and geomorphic processes, represented in detailed geomorphological maps, a sequence of
landform–vegetation units was identified. This approach contributes to the assessment of environmental hazards on the cones, and may
also be applied in other environmental contexts. Plant community distribution and development inValle dell'Avio reflects the frequency
and intensity of the processes that built composite alpine debris cones, creating environmental gradients and/or generating new habitats.
Therefore this patchy landscape allows the preservation of local biodiversity,with typical plant communities adapted to particular niches.
© 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
Detecting complex relations among vegetation, soil and geomorphology. An in-depth method applied to a case study in the Apennines (Italy)
No full textPhysical environment is the ruling factor of vegetation patterns in mountain areas, where vegetation mosaics are determined by a complex interplay among topography, geomorphology and soil. A deep analysis of such interplay is pivotal in order to build vegetation anamnesis and make sound projections. Instead, even recent cartographic models are still linked to standard statistical methods which are not on top of an efficient uncovering of knotty associations among these kinds of data. To this aim, in this study we propose a novel approach for: (a) assessing the associations among vegetation, soil, topography and geomorphology; (b) measuring the frequency and strength of these associations; (c) define in a rigorous way land units based on vegetation–soil–geomorphology associations; (d) advance hypotheses on the causes and prospects of the existing spatial pattern. In order to test the strength of the proposed methodology we applied it to a case study in the above-tree-line glacial cirque of Mount Prado (Northern Apennines, N Italy). In this area, the vegetation mosaic is still strongly conditioned by physical features but in a lower measure with respect to the higher alpine sites. We have been able to detect and weight 168 kinds of associations among vegetation, soil and geomorphological types, 1092 kinds of associations among vegetation and topographic variables and 12 land units with inner dominance of a particular association. The analysis of associations between vegetation types, soils, topography and landforms produced considerable insights into the ecology of the occurring plant communities. This proposed analytic methodology can be extended to other regions (e.g. mountain and alpine areas) and can also be considered a tool for interpreting present landscape heterogeneity also in a historical perspective
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
Dispelling the Myths Behind First-author Citation Counts
Full text linkWe conducted a full-scale evaluative citation analysis study of scholars in the XML research field to explore just how different from each other author rankings resulting from different citation counting methods actually are, and to demonstrate the capability of emerging data and tools on the Web in supporting more realistic citation counting methods. Our results contest some common arguments for the continued
use of first-author citation counts in the evaluation of scholars, such as high correlations between author rankings by first-author citation counts and other citation
counting methods, and high costs of using more realistic citation counting methods that are not well-supported by the ISI databases. It is argued that increasingly available digital full text research papers make it possible for citation analysis studies to go beyond what the ISI databases have directly supported and to employ more
sophisticated methods
Effects of marginality on plant population performance
No full textAim: Populations at the edge of a species' distribution range may differ substantially from central populations. Peripheral populations may have either a high evolutionary potential or be prone to extinction, but the processes driving these outcomes are still unclear. Peripheral plant populations have been the subject of numerous studies and reviews, with many focusing on their genetic characteristics. In this review, we consider the effect of marginality on demographic species-specific traits. Location: World-wide. Methods: We reviewed the literature based on direct comparisons between central and peripheral plant populations. Strict inclusion criteria were applied to avoid biased analysis that may arise as a result of inaccurate boundary considerations or inappropriate comparisons. We inferred from the published data whether a certain trait had a better performance in central or peripheral populations (reliability of the abundant centre hypothesis, ACH). Results: There have not been enough studies on plant performance to allow for generalizations on the effects of marginality on plants. ACH expectations were not met in most cases and specific responses to marginality were observed at the species and population levels. Population and plant size more often met the ACH assumptions, suggesting that most geographically peripheral populations are also ecologically marginal. The availability of resources, the reproductive strategy, the level of ploidy and the ability to cope with interspecific competitors seem to drive the numerous exceptions to the ACH expectations. Main conclusions: The large numbers of exceptions to the ACH expectations suggest that a new comprehensive theory is needed to explain the effects of marginality in plants and to identify any general patterns. From the theoretical point of view, we propose that population history and dynamics should be considered when attempting to explain the processes that occur in peripheral plant populations. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd
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