The construction of small‐scale, quasi‐mechanistic spatial models of insect energetics in habitat restoration: A case study of beetles in Western Australia

Aims and Objectives/Purpose/Research Questions: The Alorese in eastern Indonesia are an Austronesian community who have inhabited two Papuan-speaking islands for approximately 600 years. Their language presents a paradox: contact with the neighbouring Papuan languages has led to both complexification and simplification. This article argues that these opposite outcomes of contact result from two distinct scenarios, and formulates a hypothesis about a shift in multilingual patterns in Alorese history. Design/Methodology/Approach: To formulate a hypothesis about the discontinuity of multilingual patterns, this article first sketches the past and present multilingual patterns of the Alorese by modelling language contact outcomes in terms of bilingual optimisation strategies. This is followed by a comparison of the two scenarios to pinpoint similarities and differences. Data and Analysis: Previous research shows that two types of contact phenomena are attested in Alorese: (a) complexification arising from grammatical borrowings from Papuan languages, and (b) morphological simplification. The first change is associated with prolonged child bilingualism and is the result of Papuan-oriented bilingual strategies, while the latter change is associated with adult second language (L2) learning and is the result of universal communicative strategies. Findings/Conclusions Complexification and simplification are the results of two different layers of contact. Alorese was first used in small-scale bilingual communities, with widespread symmetric multilingualism. Later, multilingualism became more asymmetric, and the language started to undergo a simplification process due to the considerable number of L2 speakers. Originality: This article is innovative in providing a clear case study showing discontinuity of multilingual patterns, supported by linguistic and non-linguistic evidence. Significance/Implications: This article provides a plausible explanation for the apparent paradox found in Alorese, by showing that different outcomes of contact in the same language are due to different patterns of acquisition and socialisation. This discontinuity should be taken into account by models of language contact.

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Photovoltaics Enabling Sustainable Energy Communities: Technological Drivers and Emerging Markets

Energies ◽

10.3390/en14071862 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (7) ◽

pp. 1862

Author(s):

Alexandros-Georgios Chronis ◽

Foivos Palaiogiannis ◽

Iasonas Kouveliotis-Lysikatos ◽

Panos Kotsampopoulos ◽

Nikos Hatziargyriou

Keyword(s):

State Of The Art ◽

Research Question ◽

Economic Benefits ◽

Energy Market ◽

Small Scale ◽

Local Energy ◽

Community Members ◽

Open Research ◽

Energy Community

In this paper, we investigate the economic benefits of an energy community investing in small-scale photovoltaics (PVs) when local energy trading is operated amongst the community members. The motivation stems from the open research question on whether a community-operated local energy market can enhance the investment feasibility of behind-the-meter small-scale PVs installed by energy community members. Firstly, a review of the models, mechanisms and concepts required for framing the relevant concepts is conducted, while a clarification of nuances at important terms is attempted. Next, a tool for the investigation of the economic benefits of operating a local energy market in the context of an energy community is developed. We design the local energy market using state-of-the-art formulations, modified according to the requirements of the case study. The model is applied to an energy community that is currently under formation in a Greek municipality. From the various simulations that were conducted, a series of generalizable conclusions are extracted.

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Roles, relationships and emotions: Student teachers’ understanding of feedback as interpersonal

Research in Education ◽

10.1177/0034523721989370 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 003452372198937

Author(s):

Caroline Elbra-Ramsay

Keyword(s):

Teacher Education ◽

Student Teachers ◽

Small Scale ◽

First Year ◽

Case Study Methodology ◽

Study Methodology ◽

Undergraduate Programme ◽

Phenomenological Case Study ◽

International Teacher

This paper reports the findings of a small-scale study seeking to investigate how student teachers, within a three-year undergraduate programme, understand feedback. Feedback has been central to debates and discussion in the assessment literature in recent years. Hence, in this paper, feedback is positioned within the often-contradictory discourses of assessment, including perspectives on student and teacher feedback. The study focused on two first year undergraduate student teachers at a small university in England and considered the relationships between their understanding of feedback as a student, their understanding of feedback as an emerging teacher, and the key influences shaping these understandings. A phenomenological case study methodology was employed with interviews as the prime method of data collection. Themes emerged as part of an Nvivo analysis, including emotional responses, relationships and dialogue, all of which appear to have impacted on the students’ conceptual understanding of feedback as indelibly shaped by its interpersonal and affective, rather than purely cognitive or ideational, dimensions. The paper therefore seeks to contribute to the wider feedback discourse by offering an analysis of empirical data. Although situated within English teacher education, there are tentative conclusions that are applicable to international teacher education and as well as higher education more generally.

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Unexpected Diversity in Regenerating Sites Stresses the Importance of Baselines: A Case Study With Bats (Order Chiroptera) on the Osa Peninsula, Costa Rica

Tropical Conservation Science ◽

10.1177/19400829211028118 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 ◽

pp. 194008292110281

Author(s):

Elène Haave-Audet ◽

Doris Audet ◽

Michelle Monge-Velazquez ◽

Eleanor Flatt ◽

Andrew Whitworth

Keyword(s):

Habitat Restoration ◽

Insect Pest ◽

Community Diversity ◽

Baseline Survey ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Osa Peninsula ◽

The Family ◽

Aerial Insectivores ◽

Baseline State

Introduction: Background and Research Aims: Assessing biodiversity recovery is key to determine whether the objectives of habitat restoration for conservation are met. Many restoration initiatives use cross-sectional comparisons of wildlife communities to infer restoration impact instead of longitudinal assessments from a baseline state. Using an indicator of biodiversity in the neotropics— bats— we demonstrate how assessing community diversity and composition in an area targeted for restoration prior to implementation, and when compared to surrounding intact forest, provides the groundwork to track changes in the community post-restoration. Methods We assessed bat communities by 1) using mist-net surveys to identify species in the family Phyllostomidae (leaf-nosed bats), and 2) conducting acoustic surveys to identify non-phyllostomid species (aerial insectivores). Results For both groups, we found that areas targeted for restoration had similar diversity as the surrounding forest, but the two habitat types differed in community composition. Phyllostomids were captured at higher rates in forest, but aerial insectivores were detected at higher rates in restoration habitat. Conclusion Our baseline assessment revealed unexpected diversity in areas targeted for restoration. The presence of all trophic groups in restoration habitat suggests that bats provide key ecosystem services in the restoration process, such as through seed dispersal, pollination and insect pest control. Implications for Conservation: Conducting a baseline survey of bats in areas targeted for restoration demonstrated that the community was not species poor at the baseline and was different from the surrounding forest, allowing us to better track restoration success and the effects of different restoration treatments.

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