Buffer Area Research Articles

C60 and Derivatives Boost Electrocatalysis and Photocatalysis: Electron Buffers to Heterojunctions

AbstractBuckminsterfullerene (C60) and derivatives are significant in the synthesis of efficient electrocatalysts and photocatalysts. This is because of electron acceptor properties and distinctive heterostructure(s) and physicochemical characteristics. High‐performance electrocatalysts and photocatalysts are important therefore in conversions for clean energy. Here a critical assessment of advances in use of C60 and derivatives as heterostructures and “electron buffers” in catalysts are reported. Methodologies for preparing C60 composite catalysts are assessed and categorized and microscopic mechanisms for boosting catalytic performance through C60 and derivatives in important catalytic materials including, semiconductors, carbon‐based metal‐free materials, metal nanoclusters, single atoms, and metal–organic skeletons are established. Important characterizations used with C60 and derivative composites are contrasted and assessed and practical challenges to development are determined. A prospective on future directions and likely outcomes in development of high efficiency electrocatalysts and photocatalysts is provided. It is concluded that C60 and derivatives are advantageous for advanced electrocatalysts and photocatalysts with high structural integrity and boosted electron transport. The findings are expected to be of interest and benefit to researchers and manufacturers for formation of heterostructures and electron buffer areas for significantly boosted catalytic performance.

Shallow Clock Tree Pre-Estimation for Designing Clock Tree Synthesizable Verilog RTLs

Clock tree synthesis (CTS) is an important process in determining overall chip timing and power consumption. The CTS is also a time-consuming process for checking the clock tree. If the chip design and specification do not match, the CTS result will be wrong. Many users use licensed electronic design automation (EDA) tools like Synopsys, and Cadence to carry out accurate chip verification. However, when using a licensed EDA tool, it is difficult to change the function and confirm the overall process in detail. If the design is wrong, the expected cost is doubled, as it will be necessary to modify the design and check all processes for verification. Currently, it cannot check the synthesizability of the clock tree on the placement and route process using only RTL. The main purpose of this study is to predict the CTS result of pre-estimation roughly using an RTL source placing temporary logics using random buffer insertion before the route process: then the incorrectly designed part can be freely modified because the CTS result can be known in advance. Experimental results showed that this research achieves an increase in inserted buffer area by about 10%, the standard deviation of clock skew achieves zero clock skew after shallow CTS, and clock frequency increases by about 10%. This paper contributes to optimizing clock tree implementation by conducting the pre-route process before using the CTS tool. Also, our approach not only minimizes resource usage but also optimizes CTS for the RTL structure. It holds considerable value in enhancing the efficiency and performance of integrated circuits.

Impact of cross-border transportation corridors on changes of land use and landscape pattern: A case study of the China-Laos railway

Regional integration initiatives have triggered impacts on land use changes (LUC) and landscape patterns through geo-economic cooperation like cross-border infrastructure, which are often presented, but comprehensive studies on the extent and degree remains insufficient. The China-Laos Railway (CLR), a cross-border transportation corridor connecting Kunming in China with the Laotian capital, Vientiane, which was launched in December 2016 and operation started in December 2021, has recently witnessed rapid and notable changes in landscape and land use. This case study provides a distinctive opportunity to evaluate the relative significance of political and socioeconomic factors on LUC and landscape patterns. In this study, we integrate 10-m land-use data products (2017–2022) provided by Environmental Systems Research Institute, Inc (ESRI) with geospatial analysis to quantify and compare the impacts of cross-border transportation corridors on LUC within a 10 km buffer area along the CLR. The results showed that since 2017, about 3 % deforestation caused by the expansion of cropland (8 %) and construction land (38 %) along the CLR. The comprehensive dynamic degree along the CLR displays two peaks, appearing within the 2–4 km and 8–10 km buffer zones. Interestingly, the fragmentation of land patches within the buffer zone decreases as the distance from the CLR increases. Moreover, the construction of the CLR has a greater impact on the Laotian side, while its completion and operation triggered more significant changes on the Chinese side. The study quantitatively assesses the extent, type, and intensity of the impacts of cross-border transportation corridors on LUC and landscape patterns.

Food Security Analysis of Corn Farming Households In The Buffer Area of Mandalika Special Economic Zone

The existence of the Mandalika Special Economic Zone (SEZ), located in Pujut District, Central Lombok Regency, is an area adjacent to many corn cultivation areas. This condition represents strategic potential for the development of corn commodities and their derivative products. On the other hand, food security is a human right that must be fulfilled. The aim of this research is to; 1) Analyze the socio-economic conditions of corn farmers in the buffer area of Mandalika SEZ; 2) Analyze the food security of corn farmers houshold in the buffer area of Mandalika SEZ; This research was conducted using qualitative-descriptive methods. The data collection technique used interviews with respondents guided by a questionnaire with 40 respondents determined by simple random sampling. The data analysis that will be used in this research is descriptif analysis. The research results show that (1) the average total income of corn farmers is IDR. 28,960,605.28/year, this income comes from agricultural activities amounting to IDR. 23,430,722.93/year, income from non-agricultural activities of IDR. 4,164,000/year and income from other sources (Social-Assistance) of IDR. 1,365,882/year. The average total household expenditure for corn farmers is IDR. 19,506,628/year, with details of food expenditure of IDR. 11,169,548/year, and non-food expenditure of IDR. 8,337,080/year; (2) In general, respondent farmer households included the food secure category. In distribution, there are 20% of farmers who are still in the food insecure category.

Assessment of the soil buffer capacity in the green plantings of the megalopolis parks

Land degradation poses a serious challenge to food security, livelihood sustainability, ecosystem services and biodiversity conservation, while inefficient land management leads to widespread loss of soil biodiversity. The soil buffer capacity is actively involved in the mechanisms of implementing such an ecosystem service as the development and stabilization of soil fertility. Buffering determines the share of the soil potential that determines the processes of immobilization (deposition) and mobilization (release, loss) of a particular element of fertility – first of all, mineral nutrients required by plants, productive moisture, thermal energy of the soil, gas composition of soil air, acidity. The soils in parks on the territory of megacities are an integral component of them determining the conditions for the growth and development of green spaces. We assessed the acid-base (pH) buffer capacity of urban areas in a park area covered with tree stands of such introduced tree species as horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum), sugar maple (Acer saccharum), small-leaved elm (Ulmus parvifolia), common hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) and Japanese pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonicum) growing on the territory of the T. G. Shevchenko Park (Dnipro city, Ukraine). Soil samples were collected under the crowns of these tree species. The acid-base buffering capacity of urban soils was determined by the Arrhenius method, which includes adding certain volumes of acid and alkaline components to the sample, and further calculating the buffering area within acid and base intervals. Buffering areas were calculated using the Simpson formula. The results were processed with statistical methods (arithmetic mean and standard deviation were calculated, and the difference in means was found according to the Tukey's comparison test). Initially the samples of the studied soils were found to have mostly a slightly alkaline reaction of the soil solution. Within the acid range of external influences, the buffer capacity of urban soils under introduced tree species was determined to establish the following descending series: horse chestnut, common hackberry, small-leaved elm, honey locust, Japanese pagoda tree, sugar maple. The same series was established for the total acid-base buffering capacity. The results show the greater acid-base buffer capacity of soils sampled under horse chestnut, common hackberry, small-leaved elm and honey locust trees, and therefore these soils were resistant to degradation compared to the soils sampled under Japanese pagoda tree and sweet maple. The environment-forming role of introduced tree species in the implementation of buffer properties of urban soils in the park on the megalopolis territory can be assumed.

Carbon fiber in situ grown ZIF‐67 nanocrystals with excellent electrochemical and interfacial property

AbstractCarbon fiber(CF) reinforced flexible composites had a wide range of applications. However, the interfacial adhesion of composites was weak as a result of the smooth and chemically inert CF surface. To settle this issue, this paper described a method to enhance the specific surface area, roughness and wettability of the CF surface by in situ growing Cobalt‐based zeolitic imidazolate framework (ZIF‐67) nanocrystals and CF reinforced waterborne polyurethane (WPU) composites were prepared by a simple casting method. Scanning electron microscopy clearly revealed uniformly grown ZIF‐67 nanoarrays with distinct morphology on the CF surface. As a result, the CF@ZIF‐3 electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical property, with specific capacitance reaching 368.2 mF/cm2. The reinforcing effect of ZIF‐67 with different morphology was further verified through transverse fiber bundle tension test and shear bonding strength measurements, showing improvements of 51.9 and 72.1% respectively, in comparison to the CF/WPU composites due to the unique structure of the ZIF‐67 nanocrystals acted as buffer area, effectively relieving stress concentration and altering the direction of crack propagation. As a result, the interfacial properties of the composites were enhanced. Moreover, tensile and tear strengths of CF@ZIF/WPU composites showed remarkable improvement compared to CF/WPU composites. This study presented a potential reinforcement strategy for achieving high‐performance CF/WPU composites.Highlights ZIF‐67 with different morphologies were grown in situ on the CF surface. CF@ZIF electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical property. ZIF‐67 interface layer improved interfacial properties of composites. The tensile strength of the composites improved after ZIF‐67 modification. Introduction of ZIF‐67 enhanced the tear strength of composites.

The Impact of socio-economic environment of maize farmers in supporting sustainable agriculture in the Mandalika special economic zone

This research aims to 1) analyze the socio-economic conditions of maize farmers in the buffer zone of the Mandalika Special Economic Zone; 2) analyze the effect of socio-economic variables on the income of maize farmers in the Mandalika Special Economic Zone. The research method used in this research uses a quantitative analysis approach. The research location is in the buffer area of the Mandalika Special Economic Zone. The respondents used in this study were 40 respondents. The analytical tools used in this research is multiple linear regression. The results of the analysis show that the average farmers owned 1.09 hectares of arable land. Farmers in addition to farming maize also do animal husbandry as an alternative income. The average respondent farmer has 9 years of education with 5 years of experience in farming maize. The results of income analysis show that in one planting season, farmers generate a total income of IDR. 12,196,741/hectare. Based on output of regression analysis, it shows that the variables of the total maize production, the cost of agricultural land rent, the seed costs, the fertilizer costs, and the selling price of maize show a impact on the income of maize farmers.

Pengaruh Sistem Drainase Berwawasan Lingkungan terhadap Debit Limpasan pada Daerah Penyangga Kota Mataram

Mataram as the capital of West Nusa Tenggara Province has attracted people to live in it. The small city of Mataram makes the surrounding area a buffer area for rapid development. This condition can be seen from the increase in housing around Mataram City. This increase in housing area causes a reduction in water catchment areas. So during the rainy season there is an increase in runoff. The aim of the research is to determine the effect of an environmentally friendly drainage system on the amount of runoff discharge. The data required is land use data, rainfall, location maps and soil data. Rainfall data is used for Intensity Duration Frequency (IDF) analysis. IDF curves and land use data are used for runoff discharge analysis. Soil data is used to determine permeability which is used to determine of the discharge of infiltration well. Next, analyze the effectiveness of infiltration wells as an environmentally friendly drainage system. The results of the research show that there has been an increase in residential area over the last 10 years by 58% in Labuapi District, the southern part of Mataram City, 25% in Lingsar District and 29% in Gunungsari District, which is in the northern part of Mataram City. Changes in land use resulted in an increase in runoff discharge of 21% in Labuapi District, 8% in Lingsar District and 15% in Gunungsari District. An infiltration well with a diameter of 1 m and a depth of 1 m can absorb 1.13 m3 of water in the southern part and 1.21 m3 in the northern part of Mataram City. If every 100 m2 of residential area there is one infiltration well, then the effectiveness of the infiltration well in reducing flood runoff is 17.71% in Labuapi District, 15.61% in Lingsar District and 23.35% in Gunungsari District.

Effectiveness of long-lasting insecticidal nets with pyriproxyfen–pyrethroid, chlorfenapyr–pyrethroid, or piperonyl butoxide–pyrethroid versus pyrethroid only against malaria in Tanzania: final-year results of a four-arm, single-blind, cluster-randomised trial

New classes of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs) containing two active ingredients have been recently recommended by WHO in areas where malaria vectors are resistant to pyrethroids. This policy was based on evidence generated by the first 2 years of our recently published trial in Tanzania. In this Article, we report the final third-year trial findings, which are necessary for assessing the long-term effectiveness of new classes of LLIN in the community and the replacement intervals required. A third year of follow-up of a four-arm, single-blind, cluster-randomised controlled trial of dual active ingredient LLINs was conducted between July 14, 2021, and Feb 10, 2022, in Misungwi, Tanzania. Restricted randomisation was used to assign 84 clusters to the four LLIN groups (1:1:1:1) to receive either standard pyrethroid (PY) LLINs (reference), chlorfenapyr-PY LLINs, pyriproxyfen-PY LLINs, or piperonyl butoxide (PBO)-PY LLINs. All households received one LLIN for every two people. Data collection was done in consenting households in the cluster core area with at least one child between 6 months and 15 years of age who permanently resided in the selected household. Exclusion criteria were householders absent during the visit, living in the cluster buffer area, no adult caregiver capable of giving informed consent, or eligible children who were severely ill. Field staff and study participants were masked to allocation, and those analysing data were not. The primary 24-month endpoint was reported previously; here, we present the secondary outcome, malaria infection prevalence in children at 36 months post LLIN distribution, reported in the intention-to-treat analysis. The trial was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03554616) and is now complete. Overall usage of study nets was 1023 (22·3%) of 4587 people at 36 months post distribution. In the standard PY LLIN group, malaria infection was prevalent in 407 (37·4%) of 1088 participants, compared with 261 (22·8%) of 1145 in the chlorfenapyr-PY LLIN group (odds ratio 0·57, 95% CI 0·38-0·86; p=0·0069), 338 (32·2%) of 1048 in the PBO-PY LLIN group (0·95, 0·64-1·42; p=0·80), and 302 (28·8%) of 1050 in the pyriproxyfen-PY LLIN group (0·82, 0·55-1·23; p=0·34). None of the participants or caregivers reported side-effects. Despite low coverage, the protective efficacy against malaria offered by chlorfenapyr-PY LLINs was superior to that provided by standard PY LLINs over a 3-year LLIN lifespan. Appropriate LLIN replacement strategies to maintain adequate usage of nets will be necessary to maximise the full potential of these nets. Department for International Development, UK Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, Department of Health and Social Care, and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation via the Innovative Vector Control Consortium.

Conservation status of Bengal tiger Panthera tigris tigris in the earth’s only mangrove tigerland: A review of efforts and challenges

<p>Sundarban is the earth’s largest contiguous ‘mangrove forest’ (‘Bādābān’) designated as protected or conservation areas including biosphere reserve, tiger reserve, core area, critical tiger habitat, primitive (wilderness) zone, national park, wildlife sanctuaries, buffer area and reserved forests, covering 10,277 km<sup>2</sup> forest area [4260 km<sup>2</sup> (41.45%) in India and 6017 km<sup>2</sup> (58.55%) in Bangladesh]. This natural biodiversity hotspot is the only mangrove tigerland and the ‘last stronghold’ of <em>Panthera tigris tigris</em> with a camera trap-based population estimate of 214 (100 in Indian Sundarbans and 114 in Bangladesh Sundarbans) supported by a creek (sign) survey. Globally, Sundarban is a prioritised class I tiger conservation landscape extending over 5304 km<sup>2</sup> or 51.6% of total terrestrial and aquatic mangrove habitat in the region, which is facing emergent conservation challenges due to natural and anthropogenic threats. Several conservation actions have been executed to stabilise and increase the tiger population. There is cause for ‘cautious future optimism’ since the trend of historically high rates of mangrove clearing and degradation has slowed down and tiger population in the Sundarban mangroves has slightly increased and remains stable during the last three enumerations (2018–2022) in India (the results of the current camera-based census in Bangladesh counterpart are to be announced on 29 July 2024), which can be attributed to some positive improvements of tiger habitat management.</p>

Amazon deforestation: simulated impact of Brazil's proposed BR-319 highway project.

The scenario of deforestation in the Amazon may change with the reconstruction of Highway BR-319, a long-distance road that will expand the region's agricultural frontier towards the north and west of the Western Amazon, stretches that until then have extensive areas of primary forest due to the hard access. We simulate the deforestation that would be caused by the reconstruction and paving of Highway BR-319 in Brazil's state of Amazonas for the period from 2021 to 2100. The scenarios were based on the historical dynamics of deforestation in the state of Amazonas (business as usual, or BAU). Two deforestation scenarios were developed: (a) BAU_1, where Highway BR-319 is not reconstructed, maintaining its current status, and (b) BAU_2, where the reconstruction and paving of the highway will take place in 2025, favoring the advance of the deforestation frontier to the northern and western portion of the state of Amazonas. In the scenario where the highway reconstruction is foreseen (BAU_2), the results show that deforestation increased by 60% by 2100 compared to the scenario without reconstruction (BAU_1), demonstrating that paving would increase deforestation beyond the limits of the highway's official buffer area (40 km). The study showed that protected areas (conservation units and indigenous lands) help to maintain forest cover in the Amazon region. At the same time, it shows how studies like this one can help in decision-making.

Landscape Performance: Farmer Interactions across Spatial Scales

Agricultural lands in the north-central United States represent some of the most uniform and non-sustainable landscapes in human history. The conformity in land-use practices reflects a broad social agreement, albeit unspoken, of having an influence on agricultural practices and is referred to as a normative landscape. Implementing conservation agricultural practices requires engaging such social agreements in ways that question and disrupt them. By using a mixed methods approach to support the application of the influence of a normative landscape, this study examines two research questions: (1) How do regionally normative landscapes influence site-based farming practices? And (2) To what extent do aspects (i.e., crop areas, buffer areas, and living areas) of individual farms contribute to the development of those regionally normative landscape meanings? When examining the first research question, an analysis of 21 interviews with farmers in Wisconsin and Illinois’ Driftless Region revealed two recurrent themes: “road farming” was a common way in which farmers communicated with each other about farm practices, and land-based learning events were opportunities to foster dialogue about farming activities that shape normative ideals. The results from the thematic analysis connect site-based farming practices within a broader regional context. A quantitative analysis of a survey of 82 farmers in the same region indicates that social agreement to evaluate the farming practices of others is strongest for crop areas. Our findings suggest that farmers and professionals wanting to improve conservation outcomes should use local events that reflect sustainable practices to disrupt and re-envision regional norms to spread conservation farming practices.

Isolation And Identification of Arbuscula Mycorrhiza (Ma) In Plant Rhizosphere in Greenbelt Area of PT. Semen Indonesia Tbk Tuban

<p>The Green Belt area is a buffer area in an industrial area that functions as a barrier or separates the mining area from other regions, such as residential areas or community agriculture. The Green belt area consists of various plant vegetation that absorbs carbon dioxide and air conditioning, preventing sedimentation and erosion in the mining area. Arbuscular mycorrhiza has the potential to live in the green belt area by forming a mutualism symbiosis with plants or vegetation in the area. This study aimed to determine arbuscular mycorrhizae found in the Greenbelt area of PT Semen Indonesia Tbk Tuban. Sampling used purposive sampling techniques at three sampling stations, namely rhizosphere eucalyptus (<em>Malaleuca cajuputi</em>), trembesi (<em>Samanea saman),</em> and sawo (<em>Manilkara zapota</em>). The study was conducted in November 2021 through three stages: sampling, sample isolation, and species identification. The results showed seven types of arbuscular mycorrhiza from five different genera, namely the genus <em>Glomus</em>, <em>Acaulospora</em>, Gigaspora, <em>Racocetra</em>, and <em>Archaeospora</em>. The most found species is the genus <em>Glomus</em>. This research contributes as a source of literacy and information about the types of AMF found in PT Semen Indonesia's Greenbelt area, which can be used as biological fertilizer, support plant growth, help reclaim mining areas, and protect plants from drought pressure in mining areas.</p>

The Role of National Parks in Conservation and Promotion of Wildlife: A Case Study of Kuno National Park, Sheopur (M.P.), India

The purpose of this research is to learn about and assess wildlife conservation, with a focus on Kuno National Park. The research also attempts to propose ideas and future perspectives for the enhancement and welfare of wildlife, notably in Kuno, by examination of primary and secondary data sources. Kuno National Park is extended in the Vindhyan hill series, and it is situated in the Sheopur district of Madhya Pradesh within the geographical extent of 76°58'37.45" E to 77°20'7.98" E and 25°30'50.03" N to 26°05'23.19" N [1]. Kuno NP covers an area of 748.761 km² made free of all human habitation through incentivized voluntary relocation of forest settlements. The Kuno NP and adjoining buffer area are part of the Kuno Wildlife Division which covers an area of 1235 km2. In this article, an attempt has been made to explore the concept of environmental protection and wildlife conservation particularly wild animals in Kuno NP. The exploitation of natural resources by humans has degraded the environment, endangered certain animal species, and damaged the ecosystem to a certain extent. Overall, the poll depicts a picture of a society that is heavily reliant on agricultural and animal husbandry for a living. Education levels are largely in the elementary to secondary school range, with some reading gaps that require addressed. The villagers' economic situation is defined by a considerable fraction falling within the middle-income bracket.

An investigation into the response of the soil ecological environment to tourist disturbance in Baligou.

The purpose of this study is to understand the response patterns of the soil ecological environment of the Macau Wetland Park to different levels of tourist interference and to provide a scientific basis for the rational development of the Bali Gou ecological tourism plan and the protection and management of the scenic area's ecological environment. Combine the methods of field collection and laboratory physical and chemical data analysis to analyze the impact of the strength of tourism disturbance on the soil ecological environment of Baligou. During the tourist activities in Baligou, the human factors in the process have an impact on the physical aspects of the scenic area's soil, such as soil bulk density, color tone, porosity, compactness, capacity, and leaf litter. In addition, pH value, soil enzyme activity, organic matter, and heavy metals in the soil have caused some interference. The overall data show that the dynamic of soil indicators is background area < buffer area < disturbed area,where the sample area is affected by human trampling and infrastructure construction and other disturbances leading to regular changes in the content of Pb and Cr in the sample soil, while the content of other heavy metals is lower than the national standard.The range of the most extreme values of the SRI integrated soil ecological response evaluation index was A1 disturbance area = 4.679 and C1 background area = 1.263, respectively. The larger the value of the SRI response index, the greater the impact and negative effect of the disturbance influence of tourism activities on the soil ecological environment of the scenic area, and the higher the level of response of the soil ecological environment of the scenic area to the disturbance of tourism activities. Moderate and reasonable tourism development activities play a role in promoting soil quality in scenic areas. Therefore, it is suggested to carry out reasonable ecological environment planning and take certain macro-measures to prevent the deterioration of the soil ecological environment, so as to achieve a win-win situation of ecological environmental protection while developing the tourism economy in scenic areas.

Plot Layout Method of Field Experiment for Wheat with Border Irrigation Based on Soil Water Content Heterogeneity

The objective of this research was to improve the accuracy and representativeness of experimental plot studies by determining the optimum plot area and replication number for winter wheat with border irrigation. Considering the spatial distribution of soil water content, the border effect in relation to crop growth, and the lateral seepage of soil water, we sought to study and optimize the area and specifications of irrigation experiment plots with different levels and replicates. The results show that the experimental irrigation plot consisted of two parts—the core area and the guard area. The most suitable area for the experiment plot core area, with a single level and without replicates, was 60–80 m2. The core experimental area can be arranged with two replicates per 40 m2, with differences in soil moisture content between the treatments reaching more than 15% at the two experiment levels. Each plot comprised two replicates, or if they were 20 m2, then they contained three replicates; when the soil moisture contents differed between 10% and 15%, the area of each replicate plot was 80 m2, comprising two replicates, or 30 m2 with three replicates. When the difference in soil moisture content between the treatments exceeded 15% with the three experimental levels, the area of each plot was 30 m2 and they contained two replicates, or 20 m2 containing three replicates; at differences of 10% to 15%, each replicate plot was 50 m2 containing two replicates, or 30 m2 with three replicates. The experimental plots were rectangular, with irrigation furrows dug lengthwise; therefore, the plots had aspect ratios between 7:1 and 5:1. The width of the buffer area was over 60 cm. The effect of the border on plant height and LAI for winter wheat primarily emerged with one to three rows (20–60 cm) at the jointing stage, while the effect on grain yield and biomass in winter wheat mainly emerged with one to two rows (20–40 cm). The conclusions of this research will inform the development of surface irrigation methods for silt loam in northern Henan, as a reference for optimizing experiment plots employing border irrigation with different soil textures.

Effectiveness of protected areas in the Three-river Source Region of the Tibetan Plateau for biodiversity and ecosystem services

Protected areas are widely recognized as crucial for biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service maintenance. In recent decades, countries worldwide have made great progress in expanding the scope of protected areas. However, the evaluation of conservation effectiveness is insufficient due to limited resource inputs. In this study, we assessed the nature reserves’ effectiveness in conserving biodiversity and ecosystem services for the Three-river Source of the Tibetan Plateau in China over the past 20 years at multiple scales. Our findings revealed substantial improvements in biodiversity value, habitat quality, water retention carbon storage, and a slight decline in soil retention. Furthermore, implementing conservation measures within the nature reserves has resulted in better ecological conditions than areas outside. In terms of the different protection zones within the nature reserves, the core areas showed the highest improvement in ecological conditions, followed by the buffer areas and experimental areas. These results indicate a positive influence of ecological projects on conservation objectives. Additionally, the study indicated the effectiveness of more stringent conservation management. Limiting human activities and taking measures to protect soil retention in the Three-river nature reserves is urgent.

TomTom Data Applications for the Assessment of Tactical Urbanism Interventions: The Case of Bologna

This work aims to evaluate how a temporary school square implemented in the city of Bologna under the principles of the tactical urbanism approach impacted on vehicular patterns through exploiting TomTom Floating Car Data (FCD) from before and after the intervention. Such data, passively collected by vehicles acting as moving sensors on the network, have been used for the analyses instead of data collected through usual methods. After statistical validation of available datasets through two-tailed paired Student’s t-tests, trend analyses have been performed on sample sizes and speed-related values to detect global variations in the first place, and more thoroughly among clusters of road segments based on graph-calculated distance from the intervention site. Results suggest that traffic flows have been relocated from segments directly affected by the intervention, where a decrease has been registered (−23.87%), towards adjacent streets or segments in a buffer area, which have recorded an increase (+3.51% and +3.50%, respectively), so the phenomenon of traffic evaporation did not take place as opposed to more widespread tactical urbanism interventions described in the literature. OD matrices per 15-min time fractions over the three selected peak time slots have been extracted in order to obtain reliable input data for a future development of traffic microsimulation models. The extraction method is based on least squares optimization problems solving systems of linear equations representing OD flows assigned to the observed link, after selecting a set of k¯ shortest paths through a Path Size Logit (PSL) model. Even though the availability of large amounts of data could not overcome typical underdetermination of the problem, due to the key issue of data dependence among traffic counts, the validation of retrieved matrices returned good results in terms of correlation between observed and estimated link flows. In the few cases where the quality of correlation fell, underlying causes have been investigated and the influence of outliers, amplified by the high fragmentation of the provided road graph, might represent the core problem.

PERKIRAAN JUMLAH PENDUDUK OPTIMAL DAMPAK ADANYA PERGURUAN TINGGI BARU DI KABUPATEN PEKALONGAN

The existence of the attraction zone in the form of infrastructure facilities and infrastructure supporting community activities is a special attraction for the community to build a residence in Pekalongan Regency. This triggered the population growth of Kajen District, which continued to peak; in the 2020–2022 range, there was an increase in the population of more than 75,000 people. The results of the analysis stated that the area of ​​Pekalongan Regency which covers 83,615 ha, as much as 52% of the area is a cultivation area. The remaining 35% is a buffer area, and 14% of it is an area with a protected function. This article is intended to estimate the maximum population that can be accommodated in Pekalongan Regency due to the existence of a new university, so that it will not have a negative impact on the environment . Meanwhile, to estimate this, data analysis methods are used by utilizing tools in the form of GIS and land carrying capacity calculations based on the determination guidelines carriage capacity and capacity environment. In accordance with the analysis of the carrying capacity of residential land functions in Pekalongan Regency, it was found that it currently has a DDPm value of 16.96. This represents that Pekalongan Regency is still very capable of supporting population growth.

Potential Distribution of the Asiatic Black Bear in Khangchendzonga National Park, Sikkim Eastern Himalaya using MaxEnt Modeling

Habitat assessment and mapping are major functional keys in the need species conservation concern. The study aimed to understand the possible distribution of Asiatic Black bear (Ursus thibetanus) in the Khangchendzonga National Park. Sign survey, camera trapping, and trail monitoring were used to collect the presence-only data. In this analysis, we used Maximum Entropy Modeling and ArcGIS to determine the variable's contribution to the species distribution and presence. In total, 63 presence data were obtained, and out of 23 environmental variables we used only 15 different environmental variables due to multicollinearity. The ROC results show that variable consistency was excellent (mean AUC=0.941). The variables like Bio-14(Precipitation of driest month), Bio-2(Mean diurnal range (mean of monthly max temp - min temp)), Bio-13(Precipitation of wettest month), aspect and LULC were the critical factors for the distribution of U.thibetanus. The major distribution of U.thibetanus was found in the broadleaved, coniferous forest and grassland patches in the core area. The temperate zone is most preferred as compared to the sub-alpine and alpine zone by U.thibetanus. The distributional area accounts for 360.32km2, representing 20.19% of the whole core area of Khangchendzonga National Park. Large areas of distribution were predicted outside of the core areas, i.e. buffer and transition areas of Khangchendzonga National Park. This study offers valuable findings and data which can be used in future research and conservation management plans in and around Khangchendzonga National Park to mitigate human-bear interaction.