The cutaneous leishmaniasis vulnerability index (CLVI)

South east of Morocco is one of the biggest cutaneous leishmaniasis disease foci. Despite its non-lethality, this disease causes several socioeconomic and psychological impacts. This disease has lots of risk factors. Some of these are related to the environmental change, and others are linked to the demographic and socio-economical system. The interactions between these risk factors create the need for a multidisciplinary approach to estimate the vulnerability risk to the cutaneous leishmaniasis. In this context, a new index was proposed and six provinces were selected, which are Zagora, Ouarzazate, Tinghir, Errachidia, Figuig, and Tata. The findings depict that in term of anthropogenic vulnerability, Tinghir is the most vulnerable to leishmaniasis followed by Errachidia and Ouarzazate. Geographically, Errachidia has the very high vulnerability score and Figuig have the high vulnerability. The results show also an important risk to leishmaniasis in all provinces regarding the socio-economical component, except for Tata. Regarding services category, Zagora is the most vulnerable. However, for the hygiene, Figuig, Ouarzazate, and Errachidia present the high scores of vulnerability, then the rest provinces. The total score of cutaneous leishmaniasis vulnerability of the selected provinces indicates that Tinghir is the most vulnerable regarding this disease followed respectively by Errachidia, Ouarzazate, Zagora, Figuig, and Tata.     

The distribution of Raunkiaer life forms in Israel in relation to the environment

Abstract. The distribution of Raunkiaer life forms along rainfall and temperature gradients was determined for the floras of 27 geomorphological districts in Israel. Phane-rophytes and chamaephytes are relatively strongly represented in districts with very low rainfall, decrease up to 150 mm and 400 mm of mean annual rainfall respectively, and remain more or less constant at higher rainfall figures. Hemicryptophytes andgeophytes increase along the rainfall gradient. Therophytes show an optimum between 200 and 500 mm of rainfall. The distribution of life forms is less clearly correlated with mean annual temperature, though hemicryptophytes and geophytes show a negative correlation with mean annual temperature and with mean annual minimal temperature.     

Isostatic rebound in the northwestern part of the Lake Agassiz basin: Isobase changes and overflow

Based on new GPS elevation data on the Upper and Lower Campbell strandlines in the northwestern part of the glacial Lake Agassiz basin, the trend of isobases representing differential glacio-isostatic rebound in that region is shown to bend and assume a nearly west-east orientation. This differs from the northwest-southeast orientation to the southeast of the study area, which others had projected into the northwestern corner of the Lake Agassiz basin; this means that there was more isostatic depression than previously thought north of ∼ 53°N. The difference in slopes on reconstructed water planes of the Upper and Lower Campbell beaches is less with these isobases, which better reflects the short period of time between their formation. It is likely that the change in orientation of isobases reflects the presence of a thick Keewatin ice center to the north. Our revised west-east isobase reconstruction indicates that when the lake was at the Campbell beach levels, ∼ 9900-9400 ¹⁴C B.P., Lake Agassiz overflowed across the paleo-divide at Wycherley Lake, Saskatchewan, which controlled flow through the Northwestern Outlet of Lake Agassiz during part of its history; overflow would not have occurred through the Wycherley Lake channels at this time using the old isobase projections.     

Early Recreation Ecology Research in Europe – Disciplinary development and review of German-language research results

Recreation ecology, as a scientific field, has a long tradition in North America and the United Kingdom. In contrast, research conducted in the German-speaking areas of Europe (i.e. Germany, Austria and Switzerland) has, until now, gained no wide-spread attention within the international scientific community. This is primarily due to the language barrier.An extensive search of the literature published in German prior to 1980, is the basis for a systematic review of recreation ecology. Building upon this review, this paper outlines the formation of recreation ecology as a research field in German-speaking Europe. This formation corresponds with developments in other parts of the world. The conclusion discusses the potential for the advancement of recreation ecology research in Central Europe. These include the development of specific impact parameters and the focus on characteristic European ecosystem types.     

RBSim 2: simulating the complex interactions between human movement and the outdoor recreation environment

This paper describes advancements in recreation management using new technology that couples Geographic Information Systems (GIS) with Intelligent Agents to simulate recreation behaviour in real world settings. RBSim 2 (Recreation Behaviour Simulator) is a computer simulation program that enables recreation managers to explore the consequences of change to any one or more variables so that the goal of accommodating increasing visitor use is achieved while maintaining the quality of visitor experience. RBSim provides both a qualitative understanding of management scenarios by the use of map graphics from a GIS as well as a quantitative understanding of management consequences by generating statistics during the simulation. Managers are able to identify points of over crowding, bottlenecks in circulation systems, and conflicts between different user groups.

RBSim 2 is a tool designed specifically for the purposes of simulating human recreation behaviour in outdoor environments. The software is designed to allow recreation researchers and managers to simulate any recreation environment where visitors are restricted to movement on a network (roads, trails, rivers, etc.). The software architecture is comprised of the following components:

• GIS module to enter travel network, facilities, and elevation data

• Agent module to specify tourist personality types, travel modes, and agent rules

• Typical Trip planner to specify trips as an aggregation of entry/exit nodes, arrival curves, destinations and agents.

• Scenario designer to specify combinations of travel networks, and typical trip plans.

• Statistical module to specify outputs and summarise simulation results

This paper describes the RBSim software architecture with specific reference to the trip planning algorithms used by the recreation agents. An application of the simulator at Port Campbell National Park, Victoria Australia is described.     

世界文化遗产“突出的普遍价值”评价标准的演变

围绕《保护世界文化与自然遗产公约》中的文化遗产概念,对1977年至今以来不同版本的《实施世界遗产公约的操作指南》中,世界文化遗产＂突出的普遍价值＂评价标准的修订过程进行研究,分4个历史时期梳理了突出的普遍价值概念、评价标准、真实性和完整性条件、特殊类型遗产列入导则的主要变化,分析了标准修订的进步与局限,归纳了导致标准修订的因素,并探讨了标准修订对于不同相关者所产生的意义。     

真实评估 整体保护 世界文化遗产“天地之中”历史建筑群的价值评估与保护规划概述

＂天地之中＂历史建筑群的价值评估工作,是一次抽丝剥茧、去伪存真、整体定位的历史文化综合研究与评价的工作,它破除人云亦云、众口相传的一些不准确、不专业的内容,深入到历史建筑背后深层次的动因之中,水到渠成地提炼出＂天地之中＂这一人文理念;并将国内＂三大价值＂评估模式与世界文化遗产的＂突出普遍价值＂模式进行了对接。其总体保护规划在价值评估成果的基础上,同时解决整体保护与单体保护的问题,既为申遗保驾护航,又利用这一难得的机会大力推动了当地文物保护工作,取得了良好效果。     

Polymorphic aspects of male anthropoid canines

Interspecific variation in the architecture of male anthropoid maxillary canines is documented. Extant taxa are polymorphic, and most can be sorted into two major groupings based on quantitative measures of shape, distal edge sharpness, and interspecific changes in their linear dimensions (projection, mesiodistal length, and buccolingual breadth) relative to each other and to body mass (scaling). One group includes the great apes and ceboids; the other includes cercopithecoids and hylobatids. Statistically significant differences between these groups were found for canine shape, for trajectories of regressions for canine projection on canine length and canine breadth, and for canine projection and canine breadth relative to body mass. The data indicate that explantations of canine variation in male anthropoids must include a mechanical interpretation of form in addition to assessments of habitus, heritage, and body mass.     

生态系统可持续性的一个测度框架

生态系统可持续性是指生态系统持久地维持或支持其内在组份、组织结构和功能动态健康及其进化发展的潜在和显在能动性的总和.它是由生态整合性、自维持活力、自调节力和自组织力所构成的1个四元能力体系.生态系统持续性是由系统自身的组份、结构和功能动态来体现的.因此,对系统组份、结构和功能动态的辨识和评估是测度生态系统持续性的方法论基础.本文提出了1个由12项测度内容和30多类测度变量组成的生态系统可持续性的指标度量框架,反映了生态系统持续性的基本特点.从测度方法上看,基于指标的测度方法是生态系统持续性的基本测度方法,但它需要和整合测度方法相结合,以便提供一个完整的测度途径.     

The evolving landscape and climate of western Flores: an environmental context for the archaeological site of Liang Bua

The rapidly changing landscape of the eastern Indonesian archipelago has evolved at a pace dictated by its tropical climate and its geological and tectonic history. This has produced accelerated karstification, flights of alluvial terraces, and complex, multi-level cave systems. These cave systems sometimes contain a wealth of archaeological evidence, such as the almost complete skeleton of Homo floresiensis found at the site of Liang Bua in western Flores, but this information can only be understood in the context of the geomorphic history of the cave, and the more general geological, tectonic, and environmental histories of the river valley and region. Thus, a reconstruction of the landscape history of the Wae Racang valley using speleothems, geological structure, tectonic uplift, karst, cave, and terrace development, provides the necessary evidence to determine the formation, age, evolution, and influences on the site. This evidence suggests that Liang Bua was formed as two subterranean chambers ∼600 ka, but could not be occupied until ∼190 ka when the Wae Racang wandered to the southern side of the valley, exposing the chamber and depositing alluvial deposits containing artifacts. During the next ∼190 k.yr., the chambers coalesced and evolved into a multi-level and interconnected cave that was subjected to channel erosion and pooling events by the development of sinkholes. The domed morphology of the front chamber accumulated deep sediments containing well stratified archaeological and faunal remains, but ponded water in the chamber further prevented hominin use of the cave until ∼100 ka. These chambers were periodically influenced by river inundation and volcanic activity, whereas the area outside the cave was greatly influenced by glacial phases, which changed humid forest environments into grassland environments. This combined evidence has important implications for the archaeological interpretation of the site.     

Monitoring for management of conservation and recreation in Australian protected areas

Protected areas are key to conservation of biodiversity, and Australia is one of the world’s megadiverse regions. Monitoring programs provide the information to assess the state of conservation resources, the severity of threats and the success of management responses. Here we compare the management priorities, monitoring priorities and actual monitoring practices of protected area management agencies in Australia, using four sets of data at continental scale and five at a more restricted regional scale. We track changes over a period of several years and focus at successively finer levels of detail. At both continental and regional scales, most management plans emphasise fire, invasive species and visitor management; and most monitoring programmes refer to visitor numbers and impacts as well as species and ecosystems. There is only a weak match, however, between reported management priorities and actual monitoring programmes; and the effectiveness of management responses is rarely monitored. The level of detail in visitor monitor programmes varies considerably: most parks count visitors, but few know what those visitors do. Threats from fire and invasive species receive more attention that those from recreation. At regional scale, the proportion of parks with defined monitoring programmes and priorities increased significantly from 2003/2004 to 2006/2007. Whilst only a proportion of protected areas monitor endangered species populations, for those that do this is the parameter reported in most detail, with many parks reporting single records of single individuals. Some parks also maintain anecdotal records of rare species outside routine monitoring programs.     

Fundamentals of estimating the net benefits of ecosystem preservation: the case of the Salton Sea

This article, both theoretical and methodological in nature, argues the potential merits of using a net benefits’ framework as a tool to aid policy makers in their efforts to compare Salton Sea restoration alternatives and inform the public as to the potential magnitude and distribution of trade-offs associated with each alternative. A net benefits’ approach can provide a more accurate comparison and evaluation of the potential net returns from public spending on Salton Sea restoration than what would be provided under the suggested criteria of current legislative mandates. Furthermore, a net benefits’ framework provides a more lucid and systematic accounting framework by which to enumerate the full array of benefits and costs of each alternative for policy analysis. Finally, net benefits’ analysis serves to add transparency to the decision-making process so that the public gains an understanding of how its scarce resources, including both financial and natural capital, are being appropriated. Additionally, we illustrate and emphasize the importance of estimating the non-market values associated with many of the ecosystem services provided by the Salton Sea and describe the major techniques that do so. Guest editor: S. H. Hurlbert The Salton Sea Centennial Symposium. Proceedings of a Symposium Celebrating a Century of Symbiosis Among Agriculture, Wildlife and People, 1905–2005, held in San Diego, California, USA, March 2005     

The prevalence and species richness of spiders associated with marine strandlines on different shore types around Banks Peninsula,New Zealand

ABSTRACT

Marine strandlines provide habitat for a variety of littoral and terrestrial invertebrates, including arachnids. In this study we recorded spiders in strandlines at 35 sites on Banks Peninsula, New Zealand. On average, only 1.5 named species were recorded per thirty-minute hand search, and many sample visits (30%) recorded no spiders. Species accumulation curves suggested further species could be recorded with further sampling, but these may be tourist species rather than strandline residents. Thirty-eight species were recorded in total, with the introduced theridiid Steatoda capensis being the most common (30 records) and widespread (17 locations). The New Zealand endemic species Otagoa nova (25 records) (Toxopidae), Anoteropsis litoralis (15) and Anoteropsis hilaris (15) (Lycosidae), and the introduced Tenuiphantes tenuis (24) (Linyphiidae), were also common. Spiders were more frequent in strandlines on boulder beaches compared with shingle beaches, although there was no statistical differences in the numbers of species recorded on the different beach types.