scholarly journals Mapping Foliar Nutrition Using WorldView-3 and WorldView-2 to Assess Koala Habitat Suitability

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huiying Wu ◽  
Noam Levin ◽  
Leonie Seabrook ◽  
Ben Moore ◽  
Clive McAlpine
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Mapping Method ◽  
Foliar Nutrition ◽  
Study Region ◽  
Phascolarctos Cinereus ◽  
Multispectral Data ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Normalized Difference Index

Conservation planning and population assessment for widely-distributed, but vulnerable, arboreal folivore species demands cost-effective mapping of habitat suitability over large areas. This study tested whether multispectral data from WorldView-3 could be used to estimate and map foliar digestible nitrogen (DigN), a nutritional measure superior to total nitrogen for tannin-rich foliage for the koala (Phascolarctos cinereus). We acquired two WorldView-3 images (November 2015) and collected leaf samples from Eucalyptus woodlands in semi-arid eastern Australia. Linear regression indicated the normalized difference index using bands “Coastal” and “NIR1” best estimated DigN concentration (% dry matter, R2 = 0.70, RMSE = 0.19%). Foliar DigN concentration was mapped for multi-species Eucalyptus open woodlands across two landscapes using this index. This mapping method was tested on a WorldView-2 image (October 2012) with associated koala tracking data (August 2010 to November 2011) from a different landscape of the study region. Quantile regression showed significant positive relationship between estimated DigN and occurrence of koalas at 0.999 quantile (R2 = 0.63). This study reports the first attempt to use a multispectral satellite-derived spectral index for mapping foliar DigN at a landscape-scale (100s km2). The mapping method can potentially be incorporated in mapping and monitoring koala habitat suitability for conservation management.

scholarly journals Coastal flood risk within a peri-urban area: SUSSEX Inlet district, SE Australia

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. F. Asbridge ◽  
D. Low Choy ◽  
B. Mackey ◽  
S. Serrao-Neumann ◽  
P. Taygfeld ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Flood Risk ◽  
Flood Hazard ◽  
Extreme Rainfall ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Extreme Rainfall Events ◽  
Hazard Exposure ◽  
Rate Of Increase ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Planning Strategies ◽  
Natural Resource Managers

AbstractThe peri-urban interface (PUI) exhibits characteristic qualities of both urban and rural regions, and this complexity has meant that risk assessments and long-term planning for PUI are lagging, despite these areas representing new developing settlement frontiers. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by modifying an existing approach to quantify and assess flood risk. The risk triangle framework was used to map exposure, vulnerability and biophysical variables; however, in a novel application, the risk triangle framework was adapted by presuming that there is a variation in the degree of exposure, vulnerability and biophysical variables. Within Australia and globally, PUIs are often coastal, and flood risk associated with rainfall and coastal inundation poses considerable risk to communities in the PUI; these risks will be further exacerbated should projections of increasing frequency of extreme rainfall events and accelerating sea-level rise eventuate. An indicator-based approach using the risk triangle framework that maps flood hazard, exposure and vulnerability was used to integrate the biophysical and socio-economic flooding risk for communities in PUI of the St Georges Basin and Sussex Inlet catchments of south-eastern Australia. Integrating the flood risk triangle with future scenarios of demographic and climate change, and considering factors that contribute to PUI flood risk, facilitated the identification of planning strategies that would reduce the future rate of increase in flood risk. These planning strategies are useful for natural resource managers and land use planners across Australia and globally, who are tasked with balancing socio-economic prosperity for a changing population, whilst maintaining and enhancing ecosystem services and values. The indicator-based approach used in this study provides a cost-effective first-pass risk assessment and is a valuable tool for decision makers planning for flood risk across PUIs in NSW and globally.

scholarly journals Global Habitat Suitability of Spodoptera frugiperda (JE Smith) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae): Key Parasitoids Considered for Its Biological Control

Insects ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 273
Author(s):  
Ghislain T. Tepa-Yotto ◽  
Henri E. Z. Tonnang ◽  
Georg Goergen ◽  
Sevgan Subramanian ◽  
Emily Kimathi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biological Control ◽  
Spodoptera Frugiperda ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Learning Algorithm ◽  
Global Scale ◽  
Congo Basin ◽  
Eastern Africa ◽  
Cotesia Marginiventris ◽  
Coastal Belt ◽  
Eastern Australia

The present study is the first modeling effort at a global scale to predict habitat suitability of fall armyworm (FAW), Spodoptera frugiperda and its key parasitoids, namely Chelonus insularis, Cotesia marginiventris,Eiphosoma laphygmae,Telenomus remus and Trichogramma pretiosum, to be considered for biological control. An adjusted procedure of a machine-learning algorithm, the maximum entropy (Maxent), was applied for the modeling experiments. Model predictions showed particularly high establishment potential of the five hymenopteran parasitoids in areas that are heavily affected by FAW (like the coastal belt of West Africa from Côte d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to Nigeria, the Congo basin to Eastern Africa, Eastern, Southern and Southeastern Asia and some portions of Eastern Australia) and those of potential invasion risks (western & southern Europe). These habitats can be priority sites for scaling FAW biocontrol efforts. In the context of global warming and the event of accidental FAW introduction, warmer parts of Europe are at high risk. The effect of winter on the survival and life cycle of the pest in Europe and other temperate regions of the world are discussed in this paper. Overall, the models provide pioneering information to guide decision making for biological-based medium and long-term management of FAW across the globe.

Forage and grain yield of grazed or defoliated spring and winter cereals in a winter-dominant, low-rainfall environment

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (4) ◽  
pp. 308 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alison. J. Frischke ◽  
James R. Hunt ◽  
Dannielle K. McMillan ◽  
Claire J. Browne
Keyword(s):  
Grain Yield ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Cereal Crops ◽  
Grain Production ◽  
Forage Production ◽  
Dual Purpose ◽  
Winter Cereals ◽  
Yield And Quality ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
Grain Yield And Quality

In the Mallee region of north-western Victoria, Australia, there is very little grazing of crops that are intended for grain production. The success of dual-purpose crops in other regions in south-eastern Australia with higher and more evenly distributed rainfall has driven interest in assessing the performance of dual-purpose cereals in the region. Five experiments were established in five consecutive years (2009–13) in the southern Mallee to measure the forage production and grain yield and quality response in wheat and barley to grazing by sheep or mechanical defoliation. The first three experiments focused on spring cultivars sown from late April to June, and the last two on winter cultivars planted from late February to early March. Cereal crops provided early and nutritious feed for livestock, with earlier sowing increasing the amount of dry matter available for winter grazing, and barley consistently produced more dry matter at the time of grazing or defoliation than wheat. However, the grain-production response of cereals to grazing or defoliation was variable and unpredictable. Effects on yield varied from –0.7 to +0.6 t/ha, with most site × year × cultivar combinations neutral (23) or negative (14), and few positive (2). Changes in grain protein were generally consistent with yield dilution effects. Defoliation increased the percentage of screenings (grains passing a 2-mm sieve) in three of five experiments. Given the risk of reduced grain yield and quality found in this study, and the importance of grain income in determining farm profitability in the region, it is unlikely that dual-purpose use of current cereal cultivars will become widespread under existing grazing management guidelines for dual-purpose crops (i.e. that cereal crops can be safely grazed once anchored, until Zadoks growth stage Z30, without grain yield penalty). It was demonstrated that early-sown winter wheat cultivars could produce more dry matter for grazing (0.4–0.5 t/ha) than later sown spring wheat and barley cultivars popular in the region (0.03–0.21 t/ha), and development of regionally adapted winter cultivars may facilitate adoption of dual-purpose cereals on mixed farms.

scholarly journals Spatial–Temporal Impacts of Urban Sprawl on Ecosystem Services: Implications for Urban Planning in The Process of Rapid Urbanization

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1210
Author(s):  
Xiaoyan Li ◽  
Gulinaer Suoerdahan ◽  
Zhenyu Shi ◽  
Zihan Xing ◽  
Yongxing Ren ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
Urban Planning ◽  
Carbon Storage ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Urban Sprawl ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Urban Areas ◽  
Water Retention ◽  
Rapid Urbanization ◽  
Study Region

Rapid urbanization drives land cover change, affecting urban ecosystems and inducing serious environmental issues. The study region of Changchun, China was divided into three urbanization categories according to different urbanization levels and the characteristics of urban sprawl and changes and relationships between typical ecosystem services (ESs) under rapid urbanization were analysed. The results showed that Changchun has undergone considerable urban expansion since 2000, which has significantly impacted all ESs in terms of spatial and temporal heterogeneity. Habitat suitability and crop yield have relatively stronger service capacity in the study area. Since the expansion of large-scale infrastructures, the mean ES values of developed urban areas are the lowest among the three zones, except for water retention and sandstorm prevention in 2015, when the balance between all services decreased. Over the past 16 years, habitat suitability in developing urban areas has decreased to a large extent due to urban sprawl. Because of the improvement in agricultural science and technology, crop yield in three regions increased, while the area of cropland reduced from 1720 km2 to 1560 km2 (9.3%). Synergies between habitat suitability and carbon storage and habitat suitability and soil retention were detected in three areas. A trade-off between habitat suitability and water retention was detected in three areas. The interactions between crop yield and carbon storage, habitat suitability, and soil retention were more complex in this study region. In addition to water retention, urbanization index has a negative correlation with ESs. According to the results, some suggestions to alleviate ES loss during the process of rapid urbanization were proposed, which may guide scientific urban planning for sustainable urban development.

scholarly journals The Performance and Carcass Characteristics of Black Baladi Kids Fed Diets with Graded Quantities of Sweet Lupin Grain (Lupinus angustifolius)

2022 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 20
Author(s):  
Belal S. Obeidat
Keyword(s):  
Body Weight ◽  
Dry Matter ◽  
Average Daily Gain ◽  
Carcass Characteristics ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Neutral Detergent Fiber ◽  
Acid Detergent Fiber ◽  
Diet Cost ◽  
Daily Gain

A study was conducted to examine how lupin grains (LUPs) feeding affected nutritional intake, digestibility, growth, and carcass characteristics in kids. A total of 24 growing black kids (initial body weight (BW) = 16.4 ± 0.49 kg) were allocated to one of three diets at random. Lupin was included in the diet at a rate of 0 (control; CON), 100 (LUP100), or 200 g/kg (LUP200) of total dry matter (DM). The trial lasted for 91 days divided into 7 and 84 days to be used for adaptation and data collection, respectively. Feed intake was evaluated daily throughout the study. At the commencement and the end of the study, each kid’s body weight was measured to determine its average daily gain (ADG). On day 70, 5 kids were chosen at random from each group to investigate nutrient in vivo digestibility and N balance. At the end of the study, all of the kids were slaughtered to examine carcass features. Nutrient intakes (neutral detergent fiber, acid detergent fiber, and ether extract) were higher (p ≤ 0.01) in LUP-containing diets than in the CON diet. The average daily gain was greater (p ≤ 0.03) in diets containing lupin grains than in the CON diet. Cost of gain ($US/kg growth) was lower (p = 0.004) in kids fed diets containing lupin than the CON diet. Dry matter and CP digestibility rates were greater (p ≤ 0.03) in lupin diets. Retained N was higher (p = 0.04) in lupin-containing diets than in the CON diet. Cold carcass weight was higher (p < 0.05) for kids consuming the LUP100 diet than the CON diet. In lupin diets, carcass cut weights were higher (p < 0.05). Results of the current study indicate that feeding black kids diets containing lupin grains at 100 or 200 g/kg DM basis is cost effective and would increase profitability.

scholarly journals Aerodynamic adaptivity criterion in the production methodology of the energy-efficient mine turbomachines

2020 ◽  
Vol 177 ◽  
pp. 03004
Author(s):  
Vladimir Makarov ◽  
Nikolai Makarov ◽  
Alexandr Lifanov ◽  
Artem Materov ◽  
Nikolay Kosarev
Keyword(s):  
Energy Efficient ◽  
Oil And Gas ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Mapping Method ◽  
Industrial Safety ◽  
Competitive Growth ◽  
Flow Acceleration ◽  
Russian Economy ◽  
Conformal Mapping Method ◽  
Effective Performance

Competitive growth of enterprises in the mining and oil and gas industries of the Russian economy, combined with industrial safety requirements, updates the task of developing the design and production methodology for the aerodynamically adaptive turbomachines with a nature-like dominance. Such machines adequately and economically soundly establish the necessary parameters of the air environment in the technological space that implement the concept of optimal subsurface management ecotechnology. This article proposes a production methodology for the energy-efficient turbomachines using the aerodynamic adaptability criterion that determines the relations between the velocity circulation and flow acceleration around the vane cascade profiles as the nature-like dominance of the process for converting the mechanical rotational energy of impeller into the internal energy of the air flow. The Karman theory of bound and free vortices, the Chaplygin-Joukowski-Kutta hypothesis, the conformal mapping method, and curve irregularities are used for development of a mathematical model for controlling the aerodynamic adaptability. It is proved that the control dominant is the intensity of the sources distributed over the turbomachine impeller vane profile that determine the flow diffusivity and as a result the acceleration circulation around the profile. It has been experimentally confirmed that the use of profiles obtained using the proposed technique increases the aerodynamic adaptability coefficient of the turbomachine by 51%, while increasing the area of its cost-effective performance by at least 2 times.

scholarly journals Towards improved, cost-effective surveillance of Ixodes ricinus ticks and associated pathogens using species distribution modelling

2019 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Manuela Signorini ◽  
Anna-Sofie Stensgaard ◽  
Michele Drigo ◽  
Giulia Simonato ◽  
Federica Marcer ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ixodes Ricinus ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Pathogen Detection ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Remotely Sensed Data ◽  
Ecological Requirements

Various ticks exist in the temperate hilly and pre-alpine areas of Northern Italy, where Ixodes ricinus is the more important. In this area different tick-borne pathogen monitoring projects have recently been implemented; we present here the results of a twoyear field survey of ticks and associated pathogens, conducted 2009-2010 in North-eastern Italy. The cost-effectiveness of different sampling strategies, hypothesized a posteriori based on two sub-sets of data, were compared and analysed. The same two subsets were also used to develop models of habitat suitability, using a maximum entropy algorithm based on remotely sensed data. Comparison of the two strategies (in terms of number of ticks collected, rates of pathogen detection and model accuracy) indicated that monitoring at many temporary sites was more cost-effective than monthly samplings at a few permanent sites. The two model predictions were similar and provided a greater understanding of ecological requirements of I. ricinus in the study area. Dense vegetation cover, as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index, was identified as a good predictor of tick presence, whereas high summer temperatures appeared to be a limiting factor. The study suggests that it is possible to obtain realistic results (in terms of pathogens detection and development of habitat suitability maps) with a relatively limited sampling effort and a wellplanned monitoring strategy.

scholarly journals Predictive Ecosystem Mapping of South-Eastern Australian Temperate Forests Using Lidar-Derived Structural Profiles and Species Distribution Models

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 93 ◽  
Author(s):  
Melissa Fedrigo ◽  
Stephen B. Stewart ◽  
Stephen H. Roxburgh ◽  
Sabine Kasel ◽  
Lauren T. Bennett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Species Distribution ◽  
Vegetation Structure ◽  
Species Distribution Models ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Continuous Distribution ◽  
Forest Monitoring ◽  
Distribution Models ◽  
Study Region ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Eastern Australia

Modern approaches to predictive ecosystem mapping (PEM) have not thoroughly explored the use of ‘characteristic’ gradients, which describe vegetation structure (e.g., light detection and ranging (lidar)-derived structural profiles). In this study, we apply a PEM approach by classifying the dominant stand types within the Central Highlands region of south-eastern Australia using both lidar and species distribution models (SDMs). Similarity percentages analysis (SIMPER) was applied to comprehensive floristic surveys to identify five species which best separated stand types. The predicted distributions of these species, modelled using random forests with environmental (i.e., climate, topography) and optical characteristic gradients (Landsat-derived seasonal fractional cover), provided an ecological basis for refining stand type classifications based only on lidar-derived structural profiles. The resulting PEM model represents the first continuous distribution map of stand types across the study region that delineates ecotone stands, which are seral communities comprised of species typical of both rainforest and eucalypt forests. The spatial variability of vegetation structure incorporated into the PEM model suggests that many stand types are not as continuous in cover as represented by current ecological vegetation class distributions that describe the region. Improved PEM models can facilitate sustainable forest management, enhanced forest monitoring, and informed decision making at landscape scales.

scholarly journals First assessment of habitat suitability and connectivity for the golden jackal in north-eastern Italy

2020 ◽  
Vol 100 (6) ◽  
pp. 631-643
Author(s):  
Elisa Torretta ◽  
Olivia Dondina ◽  
Claudio Delfoco ◽  
Luca Riboldi ◽  
Valerio Orioli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Rapid Expansion ◽  
Golden Jackal ◽  
Landscape Resistance ◽  
Least Cost Path ◽  
Study Region ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Kernel Approach

AbstractCompared with the rapid expansion across Europe, the golden jackal colonization of Italy is still limited and slow. No study focused on the habitat selection or landscape connectivity for this species was performed in Italy; thus, the potential distribution and dispersal patterns in the country remain unknown. Our objectives were to evaluate the suitability of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region (north-eastern Italy) for the golden jackal, as well as to identify the ecological corridors connecting the areas currently occupied by the species. Corridors modelling allowed us both to hypothesize the dispersal dynamics occurring in the study region and to identify possible obstacles to future range expansion. We surveyed golden jackal presence in two study areas, covering an area of 500 km2, from March 2017 to February 2018. Using collected data, we modelled the species home-range scale habitat suitability based on an ensemble modelling approach. Subsequently, a habitat suitability prediction at a finer scale was used to estimate landscape resistance, starting from which, we modelled dispersal corridors among areas currently occupied by the species using a factorial least cost path and a cumulative resistant kernel approach. Our results indicated a moderate potential for large parts of the study region to support the occurrence of golden jackal family groups, whose presence seems to be mainly driven by the presence of wide areas covered by broadleaved forests and shrublands and by the absence of wide intensive agricultural areas. The predicted connectivity networks showed that three main permeable corridors are likely to connect golden jackal occurrence areas within the study region, while all the other corridors are characterized by a very low path density. Both the habitat selection and connectivity analyses showed a strong negative impact of the intensive cultivated plain on species stable presence and movement providing critical information for the conservation of the golden jackal in Italy.

Corrigendum to: Depth-related composition and structuring of tropical riverine fish assemblages revealed by baited video

2017 ◽  
Vol 68 (10) ◽  
pp. 1976
Author(s):  
Stephen Cousins ◽  
Mark J. Kennard ◽  
Brendan C. Ebner
Keyword(s):  
Fish Assemblages ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Water Clarity ◽  
Sampling Effort ◽  
Underwater Video ◽  
Video Footage ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
North Eastern ◽  
Lutjanus Argentimaculatus ◽  
Riverine Fish

The aim of the present study was to determine whether boat-based deployment of remote underwater video cameras is effective for surveying fish assemblages in the deepest reaches of two large tropical rivers in north-eastern Australia. In addition, we compared fish assemblages recorded on baited versus unbaited cameras, and evaluated the sampling effort (duration of recording) required to estimate fish assemblages using remote underwater videos. We found that fish assemblages differed according to the depth, with statistically significant differences largely attributable to the prevalence of small-bodied species (Ambassis sp., Melanotaenia sp. and Pseudomugil signifer recorded in shallow (0.4–2.0m) and intermediate (2.1–4.9m) depths, and larger-bodied fish species (>10cm TL), such as Lutjanus argentimaculatus, Mesopristes argenteus and Caranx sexfasciatus, in deep water (>5.0m). Estimates of fish assemblage attributes generally stabilised after 60min recording duration, suggesting that interrogation of video footage beyond this duration may not be cost-effective. We conclude that depth is an important consideration when surveying large and deep river fish assemblages and that where water clarity is favourable, underwater video provides one of the means by which an assemblage can be investigated across the entire depth profile.

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