Delimitation Of Areas Research Articles

Phylogenomics and Historical Biogeography of Seahorses, Dragonets, Goatfishes, and Allies (Teleostei: Syngnatharia): Assessing Factors Driving Uncertainty in Biogeographic Inferences.

The charismatic trumpetfishes, goatfishes, dragonets, flying gurnards, seahorses, and pipefishes encompass a recently defined yet extraordinarily diverse clade of percomorph fishes-the series Syngnatharia. This group is widely distributed in tropical and warm-temperate regions, with a great proportion of its extant diversity occurring in the Indo-Pacific. Because most syngnatharians feature long-range dispersal capabilities, tracing their biogeographic origins is challenging. Here, we applied an integrative phylogenomic approach to elucidate the evolutionary biogeography of syngnatharians. We built upon a recently published phylogenomic study that examined ultraconserved elements by adding 62 species (total 169 species) and one family (Draconettidae), to cover ca. 25% of the species diversity and all 10 families in the group. We inferred a set of time-calibrated trees and conducted ancestral range estimations. We also examined the sensitivity of these analyses to phylogenetic uncertainty (estimated from multiple genomic subsets), area delimitation, and biogeographic models that include or exclude the jump-dispersal parameter ($j)$. Of the three factors examined, we found that the $j$ parameter has the strongest effect in ancestral range estimates, followed by number of areas defined, and tree topology and divergence times. After accounting for these uncertainties, our results reveal that syngnatharians originated in the ancient Tethys Sea ca. 87 Ma (84-94 Ma; Late Cretaceous) and subsequently occupied the Indo-Pacific. Throughout syngnatharian history, multiple independent lineages colonized the eastern Pacific (6-8 times) and the Atlantic (6-14 times) from their center of origin, with most events taking place following an east-to-west route prior to the closure of the Tethys Seaway ca. 12-18 Ma. Ultimately, our study highlights the importance of accounting for different factors generating uncertainty in macroevolutionary and biogeographic inferences.[Historical biogeography; jump-dispersal parameter; macroevolutionary uncertainty; marine fishes; syngnathiformes; ultraconserved elements].

Delimitation of low topsoil moisture content areas in a vineyard using remote sensing imagery (Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2) in a Mediterranean-climate region

Irrigation can be responsible for salt accumulation in the root zone of grapevines when late autumn and winter precipitation is not enough to leach salts from the soil upper horizons, turning the soil unsuitable for grape production. The aim of this work is to present a novel methodology to outline areas, within a drip-irrigated vineyard, with a low soil moisture content (SMC) during, and after, an 11-month agricultural drought. Soil moisture (SM) field measurements were performed in two plots at the vineyard, followed by a geostatistical method (indicator kriging) to estimate the SM class probabilities according to a threshold value, enlarging the training set for the classification algorithms. The logistic regression (LR) and Random Forest (RF) methods used the features of the Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 images and terrain parameters to classify the SMC probabilities at the vineyard. Both methods classified the highest SMC probabilities above 14% that is located close to the stream at the lower altitudes. The RF method performed very well in classifying the topsoil zones with a lower SMC during the autumn-winter period. This delineation allows the prevention of the occurrence of areas affected by salinisation, indicating which areas will need irrigation management strategies to control the salinity, especially under climate change, and the expected increase in droughts.

Fast and accurate protocol for histology and immunohistochemistry reactions in temporomandibular joint of rats

ObjectivePropose a standard, fast and accurate protocol for the processing of the temporomandibular joint (TMJ) of adults’ rats for histology and immunohistochemistry reactions. DesignWistar male rats were perfused with paraformaldehyde (4 %). The heads were fixed in formaldehyde 10 % solution for 48 h. After that, the heads were sectioned in a sagittal plane and fixed for plus 48 h. Decalcification was performed using 20 % formic acid for 96 h and delimitation of TMJ area was done. Detailed methodology to a standard extraction and processing of TMJ to histological sections is described. Different buffers, equipment, temperature and time were tested to optimize immunostaining. Morphological preservation and antigenicity were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin staining and immunohistochemistry reaction. ResultsThe current findings demonstrated that TMJ fixed in 10 % formaldehyde and decalcified in 20 % formic acid optimized decalcification processing time with preservation of cell morphology. Antigen retrieval with citrate buffer in pressure cooker (2 min at 100 °C and 5 min at room temperature) demonstrated the best protocol to preservation of the structures of TMJ. ConclusionsThis work demonstrates in detail a methodology of a fast and accurate TMJ processing for histology and immunohistochemistry reactions that guarantee tissue integrity and quality of staining.

Applications of morphological regionalization in urban conservation: the case of Bulaq Abulela, Cairo

The absence of a reliable tool to support local authorities in the process of boundary delimitation of significant urban areas is one of the major problems facing urban heritage conservation. This paper explores and introduces potentials of applying the concept of urban regions, and methods of urban regionalization, as a new approach to better inform processes of delimitation of significant urban areas in Cairo, Egypt. This is an important step towards urban conservation in a city where strong pressures of urbanization and the eradication of traditional and historic urban fabric represent a major threat. By tracing the morphological transformation of the historic quarter of Bulaq Abulela, then applying the morphological regionalization process to a selected area of study, several important historical urban gains that are not included within the national protection boundaries, are revealed. This calls for revisiting current local protection boundaries of the historic quarter, as well as a revision of the adopted local processes of protection boundaries delimitation in general. It also calls for the application of morphological regionalization in processes of boundary delimitation for urban conservation areas.

Applications of morphological regionalization in urban conservation: the case of Bulaq Abulela, Cairo

The absence of a reliable tool to support local authorities in the process of boundary delimitation of significant urban areas is one of the major problems facing urban heritage conservation. This paper explores and introduces potentials of applying the concept of urban regions, and methods of urban regionalization, as a new approach to better inform processes of delimitation of significant urban areas in Cairo, Egypt. This is an important step towards urban conservation in a city where strong pressures of urbanization and the eradication of traditional and historic urban fabric represent a major threat. By tracing the morphological transformation of the historic quarter of Bulaq Abulela, then applying the morphological regionalization process to a selected area of study, several important historical urban gains that are not included within the national protection boundaries, are revealed. This calls for revisiting current local protection boundaries of the historic quarter, as well as a revision of the adopted local processes of protection boundaries delimitation in general. It also calls for the application of morphological regionalization in processes of boundary delimitation for urban conservation areas.

Mining Risks at Exploitation in Roşia Poieni Open Pit Mine, Romania

Abstract The mining sector is a particularly important field that has the ability to support the economic development of a country by supplying various mineral products that are used as raw materials in other sectors of activity. When the depth at which a deposit is located and the geological conditions allow, the exploitation of useful mineral substances is realized through open-pit mine. The aim of this paper is to analyze the malfunctions that could occur and cause susceptible incidents and that could have consequences on staff safety and the environment. These malfunctions can have different causes: either an internal origin of the mining unit, or in natural phenomena. In this paper are identified and analyzed the potential mining risks that may occur in the Roşia Poieni open pit mine. The guidelines underlying the identification of these risks took into account three main principles: reducing risks for people, ensuring their security and at the same time limiting the risks on the property, respectively the financial risk for the mining unit. Acknowledge these risks, allows the delimitation of areas that are directly or indirectly exposed to potential risks and the establishment of specific measures for prevention, protection and security regarding the realized activities. Depending on the potential mining risks identified, we have made a hazard map that can be used to develop a risk prevention plan, taking into account the presence of several types of risks that may overlap in the same work area of the quarry.

Hydrogeomorphological analysis for hydraulic public domain definition: case study in Carrión River (Palencia, Spain)

Fluvial spaces have a marked reduction at a global level because of anthropic processes, which have generated an increase in elements exposed to flooding. These spaces include natural flow courses and flood-prone lands. In Spain, natural channels are defined as Hydraulic Public Domain assets, whose delimitation is essential for their protection and flood risk management. However, demarcation of these areas with independent hydrological-hydraulic approaches has generated underestimates in the extension of water-covered lands, thus in recent years it has become clear that there is a need to integrate other variables, such as geology and fluvial geomorphology, which allow comprehension of river dynamics from processes that occurred in the past. Therefore, this study aims to contribute to a better understanding in the definition of areas belonging to natural channels through the development of a detailed hydrogeomorphological-historical method applied to Carrion river (Palencia, Spain). For this purpose, Digital Terrain Models were generated from high spatial resolution LIDAR data, on which erosive and sedimentary forms generated by water circulation were delimited, whose process was also supported in ephemeral and topographic evidences collected in field. With this input, depending on dynamic characteristics and river land vegetation, limits of the Hydraulic Public Domain were drawn. The products obtained are made up as optimized elements both for management of natural courses and for delimitation and zoning of new flooding areas by incorporating hydrogeomorphological criteria.

Classification of Rural Areas in Serbia: Framework and Implications for Spatial Planning

The classification of rural and urban areas presents an important topic both in scientific research and in the practice of spatial planning, regional policy making, and territorial governance. Taking into account the multidimensionality of these areas, this paper aims to provide a classification framework design for rural areas in Serbia. After selecting the relevant indicators, which were included to reflect the main demographic, economic, and physio-geographical characteristics of the Serbian rural areas, multivariate analysis (principal component method and factor analysis) was used to determine the main factors in the delimitation and classification of rural and urban areas. The last step of the conducted methodology used cluster analysis (CA) that identified six types of areas with similar characteristics. The results of this study and applied methodology can improve the existing rural–urban classifications and help planners and policy makers in the adaptation of strategic development documents.

A New Methodology for Defining Radon Priority Areas in Spain.

One of the requirements of EU-BSS (European Basic Safety Standards) is the design and implementation of a National Radon Action Plan in the member states. This should define, as accurately as possible, areas of risk for the presence of radon gas (222Rn) in homes and workplaces. The concept used by the Spanish Nuclear Safety Council (CSN), the body responsible for nuclear safety and radiation protection in Spain, to identify “radon priority areas” is that of radon potential. This paper establishes a different methodology from that used by the CSN, using the same study variables (indoor radon measurements, gamma radiation exposure data, and geological information) to prepare a radon potential map that improves the definition of the areas potentially exposed to radon in Spain. The main advantage of this methodology is that by using simple data processing the definition of these areas is improved. In addition, the application of this methodology can improve the delimitation of radon priority areas and can be applied within the cartographic system used by the European Commission-Joint Research Center (EC-JRC) in the representation of different environmental parameters.

Spatial Distribution of Soil Nutrients in Farmland in a Hilly Region of the Pearl River Delta in China Based on Geostatistics and the Inverse Distance Weighting Method

Soil nutrients are essential factors that reflect farmland quality. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium are essential elements for plants, while silicon is considered a “quasi-essential” element. This study investigated the spatial distribution of plant nutrients in soil in a hilly region of the Pearl River Delta in China. A total of 201 soil samples were collected from farmland topsoil (0–20 cm) for the analysis of total nitrogen (TN), available phosphorus (AP), available potassium (AK), and available silicon (ASi). The coefficients of variation ranged from 47.88% to 76.91%. The NSRs of TN, AP, AK, and ASi were 0.15, 0. 07, 0.12, and 0.13, respectively. The NSRs varied from 0.02 to 0.20. All variables exhibited weak spatial dependence (R2 < 0.5), except for TN (R2 = 0.701). After comparing the prediction accuracy of the different methods, we used the inverse distance weighting method to analyze the spatial distribution of plant nutrients in soil. The uniform spatial distribution of AK, TN overall showed a trend of increasing from northeast to southwest, and the overall spatial distribution of AP and ASi showed that the northeast was higher than the southwest. This study provides support for the delimitation of basic farmland protection areas, the formulation of land use spatial planning, and the formulation of accurate farmland protection policies.

Obszary intensywnych powiązań funkcjonalnych miast na prawach powiatu w Polsce – autorska metoda delimitacji = Areas of strong functional linkage of Polish cities granted county status – the authors’ own method of delimitation

Spatial mobility of the population is a key factor allowing for the delimitation of functional areas and the identification of ranges of impact of given spatial units. The work detailed here has built on this idea by seeking to identify areas of strong functional linkage in the cities in Poland that have been granted the status of powiat (i.e. unit at the “county” level of administration). In this context, the paper also offers a critical analysis of other, best-known approaches to the delimitation of towns and cities in Poland. The identification of areas characterised by strong functional linkage is achieved by reference to generally-available data, i.e. statistics relating to commutes to work, as well as internal migration leading to permanent residency status. Overall, areas of srong functional linkage are here delimited by reference to: (1) areas of emigration or immigration relating to thecities granted county status, where these are the source and/or destination when it comes to internal migration leading to permanent residency; (2) areas of departure and arrival where commutes to and from the aforesaid cities granted county status are concerned, with account taken of additional relations relating to volumes of flows in a ‘city–rural area’ configuration. Our analysis was performed at NUTS-5 level, hence the exclusion of cities not enjoying county status. It is against the background of existing literature reports on means of identifying areas of functional linkage for Polish cities that the work detailed here may establish a basis for discussing alternative approaches. Here the authors offer their own method of identifying areas of strong functional linkage, from the point of view of people’s spatial mobility. This approach takes account of specifically Polish aspects of the phenomenon’s development. Indeed, analyses confirm that the approach proposed is very much linked to the functional urban areas of regional centres. However, complete objectivisation (i.e. a lack of subjectivity or even arbitrary decisions) represents a significant attribute of the approach in question, with this being desirable when it comes to research being replicated.

Análise de Susceptibilidade a Alagamento em Juazeiro do Norte

Este estudo aborda relação de casualidade dos padrões de crescimento urbano com fenômenos ambientais de alagamento. É nesse panorama que os Sistemas de Informações Geográficas (SIG) são considerados como uma poderosa ferramenta de suporte ao planejamento urbano e a tomada de decisão. Nesse sentido, a análise de susceptibilidade a alagamentos de regiões por meio de SIG representa uma informação de alta importância para o poder público, como suporte ao processo de zoneamento urbano, de delimitação de áreas de risco e para a alocação de recursos, com finalidade corretiva e preventiva. Este estudo objetiva determinar áreas susceptíveis a alagamentos no município de Juazeiro do Norte-CE através de técnicas de sensoriamento remoto e geoprocessamento com dados de declividade, elevação, fluxo de água acumulada, curva de nível, tipo de solo e uso e ocupação da terra. Os resultados indicam que o Juazeiro do Norte é uma cidade de média a alta susceptibilidade a alagamento. O mapa gerado serve de alerta para a comunidade e gestores a cerca de eventos hídricos extremos e pode ser utilizado como ferramenta de gestão de drenagem. Analysis of susceptibility to flooding in Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará A B S T R A C TThis study addresses the casual relationship between urban growth patterns and environmental phenomena, which we have in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a powerful tool to support urban planning and decision-making. In this sense, an analysis of susceptibility to flooding of regions through GIS represents important information for the public sector, as support to the urban zoning process, delimitation of risk areas and for the allocation of public resources, with corrective and preventive purposes. Thus, this study aimed to determine areas susceptible to flooding in in the municipality of Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará, through geoprocessing techniques. For that purpose, data on slope, elevation, accumulated water flow, curve number, soil type and land use and occupation were used. The results indicated that Juazeiro do Norte is a city of medium susceptibility to flooding, corresponding to 69% of the municipality and compromising 17% in a high susceptibility. The urban area of the Tiradentes neighborhood deserves alert due to its greater potential for flooding, where 79.5% of its area is very vulnerable. The generated map serves as an instrument for managing and monitoring extreme water events that happen routinely in the city. It also signals the community and managers to take measures to prevent and minimize flooding.Keywords: hydrological phenomenon, vulnerability, GIS

Lasy wybranych dużych obszarów leśnych = The forests in selected examples of Poland’s Large Forest Areas

Key issues for spatial planning and development, nature protection and forestry in Poland relate to the problems encountered in determining the area of forests included within – and the boundaries of – what are known as the Large Forest Areas (LFAs) in Poland. Even as overall forest cover in the country has increased steadily – by about 2.5 million ha overall – since 1945, the data available for the LFAs relate to measurements made as long ago as in the 1960s and 1970s. Even then, it is often unclear whether it is total areas or areas of forest that are being referred to in relation to the LFAs. There is thus an urgent need for meas-urements to be updated, with a view to the present-day boundaries of the Areas being delim-ited. Some 80‑100 LFAs are in fact distinguished in Poland, in line with definitions relating to total area exceeding 10,000 ha (100 km2) and forest cover exceeding 35%. While many of the LFAs received Proper-Noun names at one point or another in their histories, as used locally in a given region, and in guides and publications, there are also less culturall-defined areas that still await naming. Efforts to determine the boundaries of the LFAs at this point allow, not only for renewed or de novo determination of their overall areas and areas of forest, but also for an advancement of our knowledge regarding any items of cultural heritage that may be present within LFAs. Such data will be useful or essential as new physiographic, economic and tourist guide-studies are developed; and they will encourage and facilitate the more-detailed analysis and assess-ment of forest management taking place within the limits of the LFAs. In line with the effort made to achieve the above goals, this article details selected problems encountered with the delimitation of forest boundaries and areas, as these are exemplified by the Polish LFAs of the Białowieża, Bolimów, Borki, Knyszyn, Kampinos, Noteć, Romincka, Tuchola, Łuków and Chojnów Forests. Figures for overall area and area of forest were indeed obtained and are presented here for the selected examples of LFAs, which are also augmented by the so-called Dobrzejewice and Lubniewice Forests not distinguished in this way before now.

Delimitation of potential areas for groundwater recharge in the Toluca Valley aquifer

Water is one of the most important natural resources for all living beings, it is essential for food security and the health of ecosystems. It occupies 75% of the planet's surface, however, only 3% is available to man for consumption. Mexico has 653 aquifers. 39.1% of the total volume of these is concessioned for agricultural irrigation uses. According to studies carried out by the National Water Commission, as of 2018, of the 653 units, 105 aquifers are reported in a state of overexploitation. The objective of this research was to implement the guide for the identification of areas with potential for water recharge, developed by the Tropical Agronomic Center for Research and Teaching of Costa Rica, which proposes the delimitation of potential recharge areas through geospatial information considering the topics of edaphology, geology, land use and vegetation, as well as relief and slopes. The results obtained show that in the Toluca Valley aquifer there are five categories of possibility of water recharge, although the moderate possibility prevails (59.4%), followed by a low possibility of recharge occurrence (21.0%), very low possibility (16.7%), high possibility (1.6%) and very high possibility (1.2%).

El Proceso de aprobación del área protegida Montes del Queguay Conflictos, actores, desafíos

espanolLas areas protegidas son una herramienta de ordenamiento territorial privilegiada por los Estados para el control del uso del suelo y la sustentabilidad de los sistemas socioecologicos. En este articulo se presenta el estudio del proceso de integracion de Montes del Queguay al Sistema Nacional de Areas Protegidas, realizado con el objetivo de identificar los conflictos que se generan entre actores e intereses en torno a la apropiacion de los servicios ecosistemicos en disputa. Mediante la realizacion de entrevistas semiestructuradas a informantes clave, se delimito la periodizacion del proceso en tres fases (proyecto de solicitud de ingreso, delimitacion del area y elaboracion del plan de manejo) y se muestra como la configuracion del conflicto y el posicionamiento de los actores varian en el tiempo. EnglishProtected areas are a privileged territorial planning tool by the States for the control of land use and the sustainability of socio-ecological systems. This article shows the integration process of Montes del Queguay to the National System of Protected Areas study in order to identify the conflicts that are generated between actors and interests regarding the appropriation of the ecosystem services in dispute. Through the conduction of semi structured interviews with key informants,the periodization of the process was delimited in three phases (admission application project, area delimitation and preparation of the management plan) and we show how the configuration of the conflict and the positioning of the actors vary in time.

Flood mapping employing local, regional and global scale modeling methods for the Uruguay river

The delimitation of flooded areas is important information for natural disaster management, environmental impact prediction and for territorial planning. Flooding occurs when water levels overflow the limits of a river’s channel and seep into the floodplains. When they affect people, they are considered a natural disaster. The delimitation of a flooded area, in the occurrence of an extreme event, can be performed by using field techniques, such as mapping, surveying through the afflicted area or by taking aerial photographs. However, field survey is not a trivial task and not always does it allow for the attainment of the necessary data for a given project. For that purpose, there are various techniques that can be used to assess flood-spots. Some techniques are simpler, being based only on a Digital Elevation Model (DEM), and such is the case of the HAND model (Height Above Nearest Drainage), which has garnered plenty of fame recently in the process of applying delimitations to possibly flooded areas. Other techniques are more complex, like the use of hydrodynamic modeling. There are large-scale hydrologic-hydrodynamic models that simulate runoff generation and water transportation processes in the river basin from rainfall, basin, and meteorological data. This is the case of the large-scale distributed hydrological model called MGB (Modelo de Grandes Bacias), which has been developed and employed in these types of cases. However, there are no studies in the literature that compare the results produced by these multiple approaches using differing degrees of complexity and spatial scales. It was precisely to fill this gap in scientific literature that this work was developed. Featured here, for the first time, is the validation of the MGB model’s performance in two versions, one of regional scale and another of continental scale (MGB AS), in delimiting the flooded areas, compared to a satellite image of the inundation; and with two versions of the HAND model, one generated by a local study and the other by a global reference. The case study used in this validation was a major flood that occurred in the Uruguay River, near the town of Itaqui (Rio Grande do Sul), which borders Brazil and Argentina, in October 1997. The results show that the MGB model, both in the regional and the continental scales, could delimit the flooded area, with a few overestimations in the northern portion of the image. The HAND method at the local scale also allowed a mapping of the flooded area, with overestimates for more springhead-like areas in small tributaries. The HAND method at the global scale, on the other hand, proved to be inadequate for the purpose of delimiting flooded areas in this region. The leading cause is believed to be the small drainage area threshold linked to the utilized global HAND product. From the calculation of performance metrics, like hit rate, false alarm ratio and criticality index, Regional MGB was the one that most adequately expressed the extent of the flood observed in the Landsat 5 image when compared to the others, followed by MGB AS.

Maritime Delimitation Zones in the Framework of Customary Rules

Background and Aim: The international law of the seas is based on the strong shoulders of the powerful system of international custom that has been repeatedly cited by international judicial and arbitration authorities. Therefore, in a comprehensive study, it was necessary to study the customary rules of delimitation of maritime areas, which have undergone many changes and transformations over the centuries. The present article examines this trend with a brief look at the customary rules of delimitation of maritime areas. Materials and Methods: The research method in this paper is descriptive-analytical. Ethical Considerations: Ethical considerations regarding the writing of texts as well as references to sources were observed. Findings: Customary international law has played an important role in the process of forming the international law of the seas and shaping the necessary criteria to evaluate its rules. The principle of the commonality of the seas, the national authority over the seas, the principle of the freedom of the seas in the Middle Ages, the judgment of the maritime courts and the legal opinions of the maritime dispute resolution authorities are evidence of the customary rules governing the seas. If the customary rules are so effective in the formation of the rules of delimitation of maritime areas that need special attention, then the course of its evolution was examined and the impact of customary rules on the development of the law of the sea was examined. Conclusion: This article emphasizes that customary law has not provided a specific method for delimitation that is legally binding or creates a privileged position over other methods.

How protected are marine protected areas: A case study of tributyltin in Latin America

Protected areas (PAs) are dedicated and managed to achieve long-term conservation of nature with associated ecosystem services and cultural values. However, few studies have assessed contamination/pollution, one of the top five biodiversity threats, within these areas. In fact, more than 100,000 molecules used in consumer goods are potentially affecting over 250,000 protected areas distributed worldwide. As a result, chemical appraisal within PAs require specific approaches to be feasible. Herein, an approach for assessment of contamination in marine protected areas (MPAs) spread over large continental and/or global areas was proposed and tested using, as a case study, the impact of tributyltin (TBT) within Latin America. This approach included area delimitation, bibliographic survey, construction of attribute tables, data insertion in a Geographic Information System, overlapping with worldwide shapefiles of PAs, identification of affected PAs and evaluation of impacts using the outcomes against specific environmental quality guidelines/directives. A total of 259 records of TBT occurrence and/or its biological effect within 53 marine protected areas (including biosphere reserves, Ramsar sites and National parks) were gathered. Among affected species, were recorded 18 gastropods exhibiting imposex. In addition, 6 bivalves, 1 crustacean, and 3 fish species presenting TBT residues in tissues were seen in MPAs from Brazil, Argentina, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Venezuela. Since levels of TBT recorded in several studied MPAs were enough do induce deleterious biological responses over marine biota, it was clear that conservancy goals of some “protected” areas are under threat. Considering that only TBT exposure was appraised, and these areas are likely to be concomitantly exposed to other classes of contaminants, the actual scenario can be even more frightening. Although initially applied as a TBT case study, the present approach enables an overview for other chemicals within protected areas worldwide.

Integration of satellite, UAV and field data for soil analysis in precision viticulture

In precision viticulture, the knowledge of the spatial distribution of soil characteristics is necessary to optimize the agro-cultural practices. In this work a multi-parametric approach, based on different satellite sensors and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV), is evaluate to detect areas with similar soils characteristics. The Misra Soil Brightness Index (MSBI) and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) spectral indices are extracted from Sentinel-2 imagery for main distribution of soil and of vegetation characteristics. COmbined Spectral Response Index (COSRI) and Soil Background Line (SBL) spectral indices are calculated from Pléiades data for a more accurate delimitation of soil homogenous areas. Digital Elevation Model, Ortophoto and slope maps retrieval of UAV data are also included within a Geographical Iinformation System for morphological analysis. The analysis of such different thematic layers allow to set up a dedicated and specific grid for soil sampling on each analysed vineyard unit. Finally, spectroradiometric and chemical (Electric Conductivity and pH) laboratory measurements of sampled soils allow to obtain the Normalized Differential Salinity Index (NDSI) and EC map. In accordance with satellite analysis, such analysis delimit soil heterogeneity spatial distribution highlighting areas potentially subjected to salinity stress and, consequently, to a different grapes production and maturity trend.

Undelimited Maritime Areas: Obligations of States Under Article 74(3) and 83(3) of UNCLOS

The delimitation of maritime areas between neighbors is of vital importance as it provides stable and long-lasting relations. Maritime boundary delimitation has been enriching the international law with a new chapter that has developed steadily in proportion with the related challenges and expectations. However, many maritime boundaries in the world are not delimited. This implies that disputes relating to maritime delimitation have many issues in future. In this case, State shall have to negotiate among them or to use dispute resolution mechanism. Under Article 74 and Article 83 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) provides for the delimitation of the territorial sea, the continental shelf and the economic exclusive zone. However, maritime delimitation disputes reveal that these provisions hardly occupy the central place they are expected to. This paper examines the issue of undelimited maritime areas where involved the Article 74(3) and Article 83(3) of UNCLOS and of vital importance in that it provides for stable and long-lasting relations among States.