scholarly journals The current state of the golden jackal population in the Lower Dnister National Nature Park

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (21) ◽  
pp. 109-113
Author(s):  
Mykola Rozhenko ◽  

With the advent of the golden jackal in the Lower Dnister, certain changes have taken place in natural complexes, which are primarily related to the impact of the new species on the local fauna. Under such conditions, the number of jackals in certain areas, the spatial structure and location of separate packs are important information for the development of measures aimed at maintaining an optimal abundance of this species. Given the active impact of wildlife on natural systems, there are a number of both biological and purely social problems that need to be addressed. The effectiveness of solving such problems directly depends on the level of study of various aspects of biology and ecology of jackals. In addition, knowledge of the current state of the Dnister jackal population allows timely and effective response to new environmental challenges, which are associated with an increase in the abundance of new species and in its impact on the native mammal fauna. The results of the research indicate a certain competition of the jackal with other species of predatory mammals, in particular the fox and the raccoon dog. Thus, within the territories where the study was carried out, with the appearance of the jackal at the lower course of the Dnister, the red fox was not observed at all and the number of raccoon dogs decreased significantly. Habitats of separate jackal groups within the Lower Dnister National Nature Park have been identified and their total abundance has been established. The dynamics of settlement by the species of the Lower Dnister area is analysed, the conservatism of the species in relation to the residential areas is indicated. It has been established that in some parts of the park, in particular on the northern bank of the Dnister Estuary, the density of animals is about 12 individuals per 1000 hectares, which significantly exceeds the permissible sanitary and epidemiological standards. At the same time, in some parts of the floodplains of the Lower Dnister, density exceeds 0.5 individuals per 1000 ha, which indicates a complex spatial distribution of separate packs and groups of jackals. Mapping of the number of jackals in the park showed that groups far from the estuary are smaller in number (6–14 individuals), whereas groups near the estuary are more abundant (13–20 individuals).

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 32-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kamila Ryzner ◽  
Piotr Owczarek

AbstractDuring the last few decades, many case studies have focused on landscape transformations in response to water erosion, human impact, and climate changes. This article presents a review and comparison of the current state of knowledge on conducted research on the impact of the activities of early humans on the relief and forms of loess areas in Poland based on the results of a variety of dating methods (OSL, TL, C14, 137Cs, palynology, dendrochronology etc.). The influence of land-use activity since the first permanent settlements (8,000–5,200 BP) played a major role in the development of certain sand sediment terrain forms: gullies, river terraces, the filling of isolated depressions and alluvial fans in the loess areas. As a result, a simplified scheme of landscape evolution was created along with a map of the most investigated areas by authors. The main problem was to differentiate the influence of anthropogenic factors from natural ones occurring either simultaneously or alternatively. The developed deposits form a geo-archive which has recorded the history of environmental changes. A detailed analysis of the sedimentary structures provides the possibility to reconstruct and understand past functional responses in natural systems. It is important to consider the impact of climate change and human influence over the course of history on a specific geomorphological system. This can help to predict future land changes and likely hazards.


Geo&Bio ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 (20) ◽  
pp. 70-78
Author(s):  
Lyudmila Lyubinska ◽  
◽  
Mykola Маtvieiev ◽  

The territory of Podilski Tovtry National Natural Park covers an area of 261 315 ha, 72 % of which are cultivated lands that facilitated the expansion of 335 adventive species. Research on invasive plant and animal species was carried out during field surveys in 1996–2019. More than 220 geobotanical descriptions were compiled applying the Brown-Blanque method. In this territory, 26 species display distinct aggression and are referred to as invasive, which belong to 15 families of the class Magnoliopsida and division Magnoliophyta. By origin, Northern American species prevail (15 species) followed by Asian (6) and European (5) species. By life form, annual herbal plants (therophytes) and trees predominate. Тherophytes mainly represent the family Asteraceae. The studies of the phytocenosis showed that the invasive species are part of 19 vegetation classes. The invasive species settled in 14 natural communities and they grow in 10 rare (singular) aggregations. To reduce the impact of invasive species on rare habitats and communities it is necessary to take measures to restore the natural vegetation cover. In the territory of Podilski Tovtry National Nature Park, 7 species of vertebrate animals are considered invasive, the naturalisation of which threatens and has negative influence on the local fauna. Another 6 species of birds and mammals, due to natural range expansion and anthropogenic changes of abiotic environmental factors, settled in urban landscapes and were introduced by means of synanthropisation; they can be considered as close invaders. Motacilla citreola occurs in wet meadows and has an unstable abundance, thus it belongs to propulsive species. Another 11 bird species appear in the surveyed territory during the autumn and winter periods or in separate years. Their invasiveness is possible due to abundance fluctuations during migration and changes in their migration routes because of the influence of trophic factors.


2017 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 244-261
Author(s):  
Mariola Tracz ◽  
Małgorzata Bajgier-Kowalska ◽  
Radosław Uliszak

Podkarpackie Voivodeship is one of the regions of Poland in which the number of agritourism entities is very high. Therefore tourism plays a significant role in its development strategy. The aim of the paper is to identify the current state of agritourism and the changes that have occurred in the region in the years 2000–2016. Specific objectives are to determine the distribution of agritourism farms and their offer, together with a comprehensive analysis of the environmental and socio-economic factors, as well as the impact of the Slovak-Ukrainian border. The report was developed on the statistical materials from the Polish Central Statistical Office, Podkarpackie Agricultural Advisory Centre in Boguchwała and data collected from municipalities and district offices that is published on their websites, as well as through interviews with 100 owners of agritourism farms in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. The research has shown, on the one hand, the decline in the number of farms in the region and, on the other hand, the increase in the diversity of the tourist offer of these entities. Distribution of agritourism farms is closely linked to the attractiveness of natural environment and quality of secondary tourism resources. Traditional agritourism has not yet fully used its countryside, as well as cross-border advantages of its location.


2020 ◽  
Vol 68 (4) ◽  
pp. 303-314
Author(s):  
Yuna Park ◽  
Hyo-In Koh ◽  
University of Science and Technology, Transpo ◽  
University of Science and Technology, Transpo ◽  
University of Science and Technology, Transpo ◽  
...  

Railway noise is calculated to predict the impact of new or reconstructed railway tracks on nearby residential areas. The results are used to prepare adequate counter- measures, and the calculation results are directly related to the cost of the action plans. The calculated values were used to produce noise maps for each area of inter- est. The Schall 03 2012 is one of the most frequently used methods for the production of noise maps. The latest version was released in 2012 and uses various input para- meters associated with the latest rail vehicles and track systems in Germany. This version has not been sufficiently used in South Korea, and there is a lack of standard guidelines and a precise manual for Korean railway systems. Thus, it is not clear what input parameters will match specific local cases. This study investigates the modeling procedure for Korean railway systems and the differences between calcu- lated railway sound levels and measured values obtained using the Schall 03 2012 model. Depending on the location of sound receivers, the difference between the cal- culated and measured values was within approximately 4 dB for various train types. In the case of high-speed trains, the value was approximately 7 dB. A noise-reducing measure was also modeled. The noise reduction effect of a low-height noise barrier system was predicted and evaluated for operating railway sites within the frame- work of a national research project in Korea. The comparison of calculated and measured values showed differences within 2.5 dB.


Author(s):  
Nagla Rizk

This chapter looks at the challenges, opportunities, and tensions facing the equitable development of artificial intelligence (AI) in the MENA region in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. While diverse in their natural and human resource endowments, countries of the region share a commonality in the predominance of a youthful population amid complex political and economic contexts. Rampant unemployment—especially among a growing young population—together with informality, gender, and digital inequalities, will likely shape the impact of AI technologies, especially in the region’s labor-abundant resource-poor countries. The chapter then analyzes issues related to data, legislative environment, infrastructure, and human resources as key inputs to AI technologies which in their current state may exacerbate existing inequalities. Ultimately, the promise for AI technologies for inclusion and helping mitigate inequalities lies in harnessing grounds-up youth entrepreneurship and innovation initiatives driven by data and AI, with a few hopeful signs coming from national policies.


Author(s):  
Florian Kuisat ◽  
Fernando Lasagni ◽  
Andrés Fabián Lasagni

AbstractIt is well known that the surface topography of a part can affect its mechanical performance, which is typical in additive manufacturing. In this context, we report about the surface modification of additive manufactured components made of Titanium 64 (Ti64) and Scalmalloy®, using a pulsed laser, with the aim of reducing their surface roughness. In our experiments, a nanosecond-pulsed infrared laser source with variable pulse durations between 8 and 200 ns was applied. The impact of varying a large number of parameters on the surface quality of the smoothed areas was investigated. The results demonstrated a reduction of surface roughness Sa by more than 80% for Titanium 64 and by 65% for Scalmalloy® samples. This allows to extend the applicability of additive manufactured components beyond the current state of the art and break new ground for the application in various industrial applications such as in aerospace.


Hydrology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 102
Author(s):  
Frauke Kachholz ◽  
Jens Tränckner

Land use changes influence the water balance and often increase surface runoff. The resulting impacts on river flow, water level, and flood should be identified beforehand in the phase of spatial planning. In two consecutive papers, we develop a model-based decision support system for quantifying the hydrological and stream hydraulic impacts of land use changes. Part 1 presents the semi-automatic set-up of physically based hydrological and hydraulic models on the basis of geodata analysis for the current state. Appropriate hydrological model parameters for ungauged catchments are derived by a transfer from a calibrated model. In the regarded lowland river basins, parameters of surface and groundwater inflow turned out to be particularly important. While the calibration delivers very good to good model results for flow (Evol =2.4%, R = 0.84, NSE = 0.84), the model performance is good to satisfactory (Evol = −9.6%, R = 0.88, NSE = 0.59) in a different river system parametrized with the transfer procedure. After transferring the concept to a larger area with various small rivers, the current state is analyzed by running simulations based on statistical rainfall scenarios. Results include watercourse section-specific capacities and excess volumes in case of flooding. The developed approach can relatively quickly generate physically reliable and spatially high-resolution results. Part 2 builds on the data generated in part 1 and presents the subsequent approach to assess hydrologic/hydrodynamic impacts of potential land use changes.


Children ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 227
Author(s):  
Rudaina Banihani ◽  
Judy Seesahai ◽  
Elizabeth Asztalos ◽  
Paige Terrien Church

Advances in neuroimaging of the preterm infant have enhanced the ability to detect brain injury. This added information has been a blessing and a curse. Neuroimaging, particularly with magnetic resonance imaging, has provided greater insight into the patterns of injury and specific vulnerabilities. It has also provided a better understanding of the microscopic and functional impacts of subtle and significant injuries. While the ability to detect injury is important and irresistible, the evidence for how these injuries link to specific long-term outcomes is less clear. In addition, the impact on parents can be profound. This narrative summary will review the history and current state of brain imaging, focusing on magnetic resonance imaging in the preterm population and the current state of the evidence for how these patterns relate to long-term outcomes.


2021 ◽  
pp. 003329412199777
Author(s):  
Robin Besse ◽  
Whitney K. Whitaker ◽  
Laura A. Brannon

While many facets of loneliness have been explored, research examining the efficacy of loneliness interventions has been overlooked among young adults. The study of loneliness among young adults has become increasingly important considering the current state of isolation and stay-at-home orders issued to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Preliminary reports suggest an increase in loneliness as a result of the current health pandemic, especially among young adults, who have reported feeling lonelier than any other age group. Such findings warrant the study of ways to help reduce loneliness among young adults. The current study examined the efficacy of strategies that might be used to help young adults manage feelings of loneliness. Two hundred and seventy-eight young adults completed the study. Participants read one of four messages: mindfulness, social cognitions, coping behaviors, or a control. Participants in the mindfulness condition felt better equipped to manage future instances of loneliness and held better attitudes toward this intervention. The current research helps to advance understanding of effective ways of helping young adults cope with loneliness.


2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
D C Blackburn ◽  
G Giribet ◽  
D E Soltis ◽  
E L Stanley

Abstract Although our inventory of Earth’s biodiversity remains incomplete, we still require analyses using the Tree of Life to understand evolutionary and ecological patterns. Because incomplete sampling may bias our inferences, we must evaluate how future additions of newly discovered species might impact analyses performed today. We describe an approach that uses taxonomic history and phylogenetic trees to characterize the impact of past species discoveries on phylogenetic knowledge using patterns of branch-length variation, tree shape, and phylogenetic diversity. This provides a framework for assessing the relative completeness of taxonomic knowledge of lineages within a phylogeny. To demonstrate this approach, we use recent large phylogenies for amphibians, reptiles, flowering plants, and invertebrates. Well-known clades exhibit a decline in the mean and range of branch lengths that are added each year as new species are described. With increased taxonomic knowledge over time, deep lineages of well-known clades become known such that most recently described new species are added close to the tips of the tree, reflecting changing tree shape over the course of taxonomic history. The same analyses reveal other clades to be candidates for future discoveries that could dramatically impact our phylogenetic knowledge. Our work reveals that species are often added non-randomly to the phylogeny over multiyear time-scales in a predictable pattern of taxonomic maturation. Our results suggest that we can make informed predictions about how new species will be added across the phylogeny of a given clade, thus providing a framework for accommodating unsampled undescribed species in evolutionary analyses.


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