Dynamic Programming, “Look Ahead Programming”, and the Strategy of Insect Pest Control

1963 ◽  
Vol 95 (5) ◽  
pp. 525-536 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth E. F. Watt

AbstractMany problems in the management of renewable natural resources are extremum problems: we wish to maximize fish yield from a lake, tree yield from a forest, or minimize insect pest survival, for example. Such problems can be handled better by dynamic programming than classical analysis, because of the large number and the complex nature of constraints imposed on such systems. However, a priori arguments and analysis of biological time series show that such renewable natural resources do not constitute Markov processes, since state changes from t to t + 1 are dependent on the state: at t − 1 as well as the state at t. Therefore, before making a decision about the optimal strategy at t, we must explore the future consequences of the strategy at t + 1 and t + 2. This paper reports computer experiments on strategy evaluation procedures, using dynamic programming and modified dynamic programming with two-stage “look-ahead”. The data used to develop the model came from 60 years of observations on weather conditions and insect pest populations at Magdeburg, Germany. The general conclusion from this work is that the selection of most appropriate strategy for a biological management problem should he determined by the structure of the problem. Sometimes, “one-stage look-ahead” gave the lowest value for the criterion function, and sometimes “two-stage look-ahead” was optimal. The two types of programming always yielded lower cumulative defoliation than the method now used: killing as many pests as feasible whenever “pest” densities are reached.

Author(s):  
Мykhailo Hazuda

The paper is dedicated to peculiarities of activating local self-government bodies in management of the processes of use of agricultural natural resources. Urgent problems concerning share of powers between the state and the region are substantiated. It was determined that bodies of local self-government have much less powers in management and control of the use of natural resources including agricultural renewable resources and in the sphere of environmental regulation than local administrations. Perspective tasks are described, which have to be solved by local self-government bodies in the process of managing use of renewable natural resources.


2008 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 168-186 ◽  
Author(s):  
BJÖRN SUNDMARK

Recently past its centenary, The Wonderful Adventures of Nils (1906–7), by Selma Lagerlöf, has remained an international children's classic, famous for its charm and magical elements. This article returns to read the book in its original contexts, and sets out to demonstrate that it was also published as a work of instruction, a work of geography, calculated to build character and nation. Arguing that it represents the vested interests of the state school system, and the national ideology of modern Sweden, the article analyses Nils's journey as the production of a Swedish ‘space’. With a focus on representations of power and nationhood in the text, it points to the way Lagerlöf takes stock of the nation's natural resources, characterises its inhabitants, draws upon legends and history, and ultimately constructs a ‘folkhem’, where social classes, ethnic groups and linguistic differences are all made to contribute to a sense of Swedish belonging and destiny.


2000 ◽  
Vol 151 (3) ◽  
pp. 80-83
Author(s):  
Pascal Schneider ◽  
Jean-Pierre Sorg

In and around the state-owned forest of Farako in the region of Sikasso, Mali, a large-scale study focused on finding a compromise allowing the existential and legitimate needs of the population to be met and at the same time conserving the forest resources in the long term. The first step in research was to sketch out the rural socio-economic context and determine the needs for natural resources for autoconsumption and commercial use as well as the demand for non-material forest services. Simultaneously, the environmental context of the forest and the resources available were evaluated by means of inventories with regard to quality and quantity. According to an in-depth comparison between demand and potential, there is a differentiated view of the suitability of the forest to meet the needs of the people living nearby. Propositions for a multipurpose management of the forest were drawn up. This contribution deals with some basic elements of research methodology as well as with results of the study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 39 (2) ◽  
pp. 196-205
Author(s):  
N. V. Firov

A comparative analysis of the prices of raw materials, fuel, electricity in Russia and Western countries, the dynamics of their growth and impact on the national economy. It is shown that in the interests of the country's economic development and improving the welfare of the population, it is necessary to use its natural resources more effectively, to pursue a more stringent and at the same time balanced policy to curb the growth of prices, taking into account the interests of the state and business.


Author(s):  
Anna Stilz

This book offers a qualified defense of a territorial states system. It argues that three core values—occupancy, basic justice, and collective self-determination—are served by an international system made up of self-governing, spatially defined political units. The defense is qualified because the book does not actually justify all of the sovereignty rights states currently claim and that are recognized in international law. Instead, the book proposes important changes to states’ sovereign prerogatives, particularly with respect to internal autonomy for political minorities, immigration, and natural resources. Part I of the book argues for a right of occupancy, holding that a legitimate function of the international system is to specify and protect people’s preinstitutional claims to specific geographical places. Part II turns to the question of how a state might acquire legitimate jurisdiction over a population of occupants. It argues that the state will have a right to rule a population and its territory if it satisfies conditions of basic justice and facilitates its people’s collective self-determination. Finally, Parts III and IV of this book argue that the exclusionary sovereignty rights to control over borders and natural resources that can plausibly be justified on the basis of the three core values are more limited than has traditionally been thought.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 625
Author(s):  
Xinyu Wu ◽  
Rui Guo ◽  
Xilong Cheng ◽  
Chuntian Cheng

Simulation-optimization methods are often used to derive operation rules for large-scale hydropower reservoir systems. The solution of the simulation-optimization models is complex and time-consuming, for many interconnected variables need to be optimized, and the objective functions need to be computed through simulation in many periods. Since global solutions are seldom obtained, the initial solutions are important to the solution quality. In this paper, a two-stage method is proposed to derive operation rules for large-scale hydropower systems. In the first stage, the optimal operation model is simplified and solved using sampling stochastic dynamic programming (SSDP). In the second stage, the optimal operation model is solved by using a genetic algorithm, taking the SSDP solution as an individual in the initial population. The proposed method is applied to a hydropower system in Southwest China, composed of cascaded reservoir systems of Hongshui River, Lancang River, and Wu River. The numerical result shows that the two-stage method can significantly improve the solution in an acceptable solution time.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
pp. 862
Author(s):  
Tatiana Ponomarenko ◽  
Marina Nevskaya ◽  
Izabela Jonek-Kowalska

The depletion of non-renewable natural resources (primarily mineral and energy resources) and its assessment is a problem that is analyzed based on the concept of sustainable development. Mineral resource depletion assessment is particularly important for resource-based economies. It provides for assessing the impact of mineral asset disposal that results from the suspension or termination of operations conducted by a mining company due to insurmountable circumstances. The results of such an event will be manifested at the national, regional, and local levels and felt by mining companies, suppliers, workers, the population of the territory, and other stakeholders. The study clarifies the attributes and essence of mineral resource depletion, analyzes the advantages and limitations of the existing tools for assessing mineral resource depletion, identifies depletion factors, describes a methodology for assessing mineral resource depletion, and contains a case study of a tin deposit. The results of the study contribute to the development of the theory on the depletion of non-renewable natural resources. They provide for assessing losses to social wellbeing that can be caused by stopping the use of profitable mineral reserves.


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