Surface water data network analysis for Puerto Rico

ABSTRACTAlthough hydrology and water chemistry are known to change in proximity to cities, there remains little empirical evidence connecting specific components of urban landscapes to mangrove flooding dynamics or surface water chemistry. This study constructs five-year water level models from tidal harmonics and precipitation inputs to characterize mangrove flooding across urban gradients in three watersheds of Puerto Rico. There was some evidence for an influence of urbanization on both flooding and water chemistry, but this depended on the definition of urbanness, and points instead to geomorphology as the primary culprit. Urban sites exhibited 46% longer hydroperiods and 450% lower depths than non-urban sites. Rainfall importance was explained more by geomorphology than by urbanization and suggested systems with limited tidal connectivity are four times more sensitive to rainfall than systems with full tidal connectivity. There was also evidence for changes in tidal amplitudes along the urban gradient, which may explain the observed differences in flooding. Relationships between surface water chemical metrics and land cover contradicted previous studies by suggesting lower nutrients and biochemical oxygen demand with increasing urbanization. These results reinforce the understanding that the most important drivers of urban mangrove hydrology and water quality in Puerto Rico are likely geomorphology and tidal connectivity, with little but not zero influence from surrounding land cover. Results should be considered alongside the reported errors stemming from inaccuracies in digital elevation and rainfall response models, and will be useful in understanding future ecological censuses on the island.

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The disintegration of KDU-ČSL in 2009: The network analysis of co-voting strategies of the KDU-ČSL deputies

Politics in Central Europe ◽

10.2478/pce-2020-0023 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 16 (2) ◽

pp. 547-563

Author(s):

Dušan Brabec

Keyword(s):

Network Analysis ◽

Political Party ◽

Network Approach ◽

Data Network ◽

Time Period ◽

Quantitative Nature ◽

Party Group

AbstractThe main objective of this study is to capture and analyse the dynamics of co-voting ties among the members of the KDU-ČSL political party group in the 5th parliamentary term between 2006 and 2010 when some members of KDU-ČSL left this party and founded new political party TOP 09. For the analysis of the data, network approach and methods were used, with emphasis on the detection of possible rivalling communities in the constructed network of co-voting ties between deputies belonging-ČSL parliamentary party group in the analysed time period. The co-voting was treated as a proxy indicator of a possible relationship indicating co-operation or rivalry between the deputies. The main outcome of the study was the identification of the co-voting strategies and dynamics of the co-voting between deputies who left KDU-ČSL in 2009 and formed a new political party with their former party colleagues. The study is of a quantitative nature, but the main findings are connected to qualita-tive insights as well.

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