Geographical Positioning System Research Articles

A multivariate vegetation analysis of Mahasheer National Park, Azad Jammu and Kashmir

This research work targets to evaluate the floristic composition of Mahseer National Park, Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK). Field data was recorded from fifteen different sites. The Quadrat method was used for vegetation sampling while the exact location of each site, altitude, exposure and geographical coordinates were documented by using geographical positioning system (GPS). To analyze the significance of environmental variables, multivariate statistical analysis was carried out by using two-way clustering, canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and general linear model (GLM) response curve analysis. Floristically, 109 plant species belonging to 45 families were recorded. Among families, Poaceae was most commonly distributed, accounting for 15 species in total. Two-way cluster analysis categorized the vegetation into four major plant communities. CCA was used to analyze the vegetation-environment relation. Plant species showed a significant correlation response against altitudinal gradient, total nitro-gen, electrical conductivity and calcium contents. The GLM response curve and IVI demonstrated that Cynodon dactylon was the most dominant species followed by Dalbergia sissoo and Adhatoda zeylinica. This study provided the baseline information about the eco-floristic composition. It suggested that the area is floristically rich, and needs to be analyzed in detail by future researchers.

Impact of ict on the performance of sustainable logistics

The environment of the planet Earth has been the concern of the governments, academia and researchers so the impacts of various factors on it have become the prime focus so that the things that damage it can be investigated and the environmental damage can be minimised accordingly. Logistics and transport is the sector which is responsible for the greater percentage of greenhouse gases and carbon emissions. The transport sector has been initiated towards the sustainable side because in many countries public transport is being operated on electricity and the manufacturers have also introduced electric vehicles for the citizens to drive and travel. Freight transport still is a problem because of its carbon footprint; therefore technological advancement has made it easier to minimize the carbon emission generated from freight transport and logistics with the advent of information communication technology (ICT) devices. With the help of the Internet of Things (IoT), geographical positioning systems, and sensors, it has become easier to monitor the routes of vehicles their fuel consumption and the optimization of routes as well. The various innovations can potentially help the logistics sector to increase the overall efficiency of the sector. Minimizing the carbon footprint in the logistics sector makes it green logistics. In the present research paper, the authors have conducted a literature review by which they intended to highlight the impacts of ICT on green logistics. It was indicated by the results that ICT positively influences the performance of green logistics but at the same time, it was concluded that poor quality of logistics` infrastructure, service quality of logistics and cargo transportation timeliness consume a greater quantity of fossil fuels and therefore cause an increased carbon emissions which negatively impacts human health and the environment of the planet.

Examining the Integration of a GPS-based Staff Performance Monitoring and Assessment System within Academic Settings

Research evidence of manipulations of appraisal systems of various institutions in Nigeria abound, and little is known about the application of a Geographical positioning system (GPS) enabled system in this context. To cover this gap, this study investigates the integration of a real-time staff performance monitoring and assessment system with GPS technology, within academic settings. With the increasing emphasis on quality education and efficient resource utilization, academic institutions are exploring innovative approaches to monitor staff performance and student outcomes. The integration of real-time performance systems offers a promising avenue to achieve these goals by providing timely feedback, fostering accountability, and facilitating data-driven decision-making processes. This study outlines the key components of such a system, including its technological infrastructure, data collection methods, and performance evaluation metrics. Additionally, it explores the potential benefits and challenges associated with its adoption, considering factors such as staff engagement, privacy concerns, and institutional culture. Through a comprehensive examination of existing literature and case studies, this research aims to provide valuable insights and recommendations for academic institutions seeking to leverage real-time staff performance monitoring for institutional enhancement and educational excellence. While this study highlights the significance of stakeholder collaboration and continuous improvement mechanisms in ensuring the successful integration and sustained effectiveness of the monitoring system, it introduces a nuanced novel GPS technology and highlights some design implications which will guide future human-computer interaction researchers.

Economical Design Perspective for Aircraft by Optimizing Airfoil S1223

Geographical positioning system based end computer control technology are utilized in the air modelling based dynamics models. Unmanned aircraft have the potential to significantly increase their coverage and flying precision. The observation area is effectively controlled if traditional continues pest control algorithms are used. Calculating the path phones take a long time. It is not ideal for aircraft control in real time, when Bezier curves are used to calculate the planning path point allow to minimize the calculation time in easiest way, but producing an expected target becomes difficult. When linear and circular interpolation devices which are frequently utilized in numerical, control system aid applied to the aircraft turning path control algorithm, the calculation time is reduced and the flight path becomes accurate as per objectives of this research discussed in section two. This paper combines flight course control and effects of flying speed an angle of attack on aircraft height to explain how the turning path control algorithm is implemented. The outcome results demonstrate that path control is accurate and the algorithm straight forward. Finally air photography and flight tests confirm the rationality of the design.

The influence of the geographic positioning system error on the quality of ship magnetic signature reproduction based on measurements in sea conditions

In previous studies, the authors performed the magnetic signature reconstruction of the marine ship Zodiak as part of the measurement campaign focused on recording magnetic data and the relative position of a ship during its passage over a magnetometer immersed on the testing ground. A high degree of representation of the magnetic signature was obtained. However, the recorded measurement data revealed new patterns of the multi-dipole model behavior that were not observed in the synthetic data based analyzes. It was assumed that the main factor influencing the abovementioned behavior of the model is the error in determining the geographical position of the ship in relation to the magnetometer. Therefore, another research was carried out to determine the relative position of the ship and the measurement device in sea conditions, in the area of the test site used in the previous study. For this purpose, two different classes of GPS receivers were used. The first receiver was the same as that used to determine the position of Zodiak in the previous measurement campaign, while the second receiver, treated as a reference, was a top-class geodetic receiver. The difference in indications between these two receivers gave a picture of the scale of errors in the data recorded during the previous measurement campaign. These errors are used in the article to analyze the effect of inaccuracies in determining the ship position on the quality of magnetic signature reproduction. Two types of signature reproduction error were introduced – the error based only on the data collected from the ship’s paths, and the error in the entire area of magnetic anomaly. The model of Zodiak was used to determine the value of the magnetic flux outside the paths. Profiles of differences in indications of GPS receivers at sea which were obtained from actual measurements were used to analyze the errors in determining the ship position. A measurable result of the work reported in the article is the map of the loss of quality of magnetic signature reproduction as a function of the ship position determination error, which can indicate the range of applicability of the model and the described method.

Eleven-year soil fertility changes in Dinogeng agricultural extension area of Kgatleng District in Botswana

This study was conducted in Dinogeng Agricultural Extension Area (DAEA) in the Kgatleng District located in the eastern part of Botswana. The objective of the study was to assess soil fertility changes over an eleven-year period (2009–2020) in the extension area. In the meantime, the Integrated Support Programme for Arable Agricultural Development (ISPAAD) was launched and is continuing. Soil test data of 18 arable-farming sites for the period after inception of ISPAAD in 2009 until 2020 was obtained from the Department of Agricultural Research Soil Analytical Laboratory and Ministry of Agriculture. Geographical coordinates of the ploughing fields were taken during field work using a Geographical Positioning System (GPS). Based on availability of information, soil reaction (pH), Organic carbon (OC) and Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) of soils for the 18 arable-farming sites were compared with data acquired from National Soil Map of Botswana (1988), scale 1: 250 000. The results showed an average significant decline of 1.55 for soil pH (P < 0.05), 0.16 % for OC (P < 0.01) and 6.75 Cmol/kg for CEC (P < 0.01). Farming practices have however, undergone some remarkable transformation including the use of fertilizers for replacing nutrient loses. The findings from this study may be useful to guide the development of functional soil fertility management plan for Dinogeng Agricultural Extension Area.

Assessment of Indoor Radon Gas Concentration in National Open University of Nigeria: A Case Study of Calabar Study Centre

The current work deals with indoor radon (222Rn) concentrations measurements in the Calabar Study Centre of the National Open University of Nigeria using a Corentium Arthings digital radon detector meter for seven days representing a short–term average measurement of indoor radon gas concentration level. The geographical coordinates were recorded using a hand-held geographical positioning system for the sample point. Measurement were taken for seven days and the following data where obtained 83±2.19 Bq/m3,80±3.69 Bq/m3,86±5.57 Bq/m3,84±1.59 Bq/m3,82±3.59 Bq/m3,81±4.89 Bq/m3 and 85 ±5.59 Bq/m3.The average radon(222Rn) concentration level was found to be 83 ± 3.87 Bq/m3 with a geometric mean of 82 ± 3.54 Bq/m3. It was observed that the radon concentration was below the reference level of 100 Bq/m3 recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Although the current exposure of members of the public to natural radiation is not critical, the situation could change abruptly when other activities commenced. The excess life time cancer risk calculated for 70 years, 60 years, 50 years, 40 years and 30 years were 1.72 × 10−3,1.65× 10−3,1.39× 10−3,1.44× 10−3 and 0.69× 10−3 respectively. The calculated values of the excess life time cancer risk are all higher than the set limit of 0.029 × 10−3 by International Commission on Radiological Protection. However, there are no observed cases of lung cancer epidemic in this Centre. Therefore, it is advised to use fans and effective ventilation techniques to reduce radon levels. Identifying the regions of the country where people are most at risk from radon exposure should be the main goal of any national radon policy.

Feasibility and acceptability of using biometric fingerprinting to track migrations and support retention in HIV prevention research in fishing population in East Africa

IntroductionFishing populations constitute a suitable key population amongst which to conduct HIV prevention trials due to very high HIV prevalence and incidence, however, these are highly mobile populations. We determined the feasibility and acceptability of using fingerprinting and geographical positioning systems to describe mobility patterns and retention among fisherfolks on the shoreline of Lake Victoria in South-western Uganda.MethodsBetween August 2015 and January 2017, two serial cross-sectional surveys were conducted during which fingerprinting of all residents aged 18–30 years on the shoreline of Lake Victoria was done. A mapper moving ahead of the survey team, produced village maps and took coordinates of every household. These were accessed by the survey team that assigned household and individual unique identifiers (ID) and collected demographic data. Using the assigned IDs, individuals were enrolled and their fingerprints scanned. The fingerprinting was repeated 6 months later in order to determine the participant’s current household. If it was different from that at baseline, a new household ID was assigned which was used to map migrations both within and between villages.ResultsAt both rounds, over 99% accepted to be fingerprinted. No fingerprinting faults were recorded at baseline and the level was under 1% at round two. Over 80% of the participants were seen at round two and of these, 16.3%, had moved to a new location whilst the majority, 85%, stayed within the same village. Movements between villages were mainly observed for those resident in large villages. Those who did not consider a fishing village to be their permanent home were less likely to be migrants than permanent residents (adjusted odds ratio = 0.37, 95%CI:0.15–0.94).ConclusionUse of fingerprinting in fishing populations is feasible and acceptable. It is possible to track this mobile population for clinical trials or health services using this technology since most movements could be traced within and between villages.

A data-driven approach of layout evaluation for electric vehicle charging infrastructure using agent-based simulation and GIS

The development and popularization of new energy vehicles have become a global consensus. The shortage and unreasonable layout of electric vehicle charging infrastructure (EVCI) have severely restricted the development of electric vehicles. In the literature, many methods can be used to optimize the layout of charging stations (CSs) for producing good layout designs. However, more realistic evaluation and validation should be used to assess and validate these layout options. This study suggested an agent-based simulation (ABS) model to evaluate the layout designs of EVCI and simulate the driving and charging behaviors of electric taxis (ETs). In the case study of Shenzhen, China, geographical positioning system (GPS) trajectory data were used to extract the temporal and spatial patterns of ETs, which were then used to calibrate and validate the actions of ETs in the simulation. The ABS model was developed in a geographic information system (GIS) context of an urban road network with traveling speeds of 24 h to account for the effects of traffic conditions. After the high-resolution simulation, evaluation results of the performance of EVCI and the behaviors of ETs can be provided in detail and in summary. Sensitivity analysis demonstrates the accuracy of simulation implementation and aids in understanding the effect of model parameters on system performance. Maximizing the time satisfaction of ET users and reducing the workload variance of EVCI were the two goals of a multiobjective layout optimization technique based on the Pareto frontier. The location plans for the new CS based on Pareto analysis can significantly enhance both metrics through simulation evaluation.

Prediction of gold mineralization zones using spatial techniques and geophysical data: A case study of the Josephine prospecting licence, NW Ghana

In this study, predictive models that characterize gold potential zones within the Josephine Prospecting Licence (PL) Area of Northwestern Ghana have been created by data-driven methods comprising frequency ratio and information value. These predictive models were evaluated using known locations of gold (Au) occurrence datasets and compared to each other. The mineral prospectivity models (MPMs) of gold occurrence areas within the Josephine PL Area were constructed by determining the spatial correlation between known locations of Au occurrences and eight mineralization related factors. The locations of these known Au occurrences, which characterize regions of anomalously high Au geochemical concentration and regions of previous or ongoing artisanal mining operations were identified by using geographic positioning systems (GPS). Eight mineralization related factors (geoscientific thematic layers) over the entire study area composed of analytic signal, lineament density, uranium-thorium ratio, uranium, potassium-thorium ratio, potassium, reduction-to-equator and geology were used to generate the MPMs. The predictive capacity of each of the MPMs generated was determined by employing the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC). The AUC score obtained for the predictive models produced based on the information value and the frequency ratio approaches were respectively 0.794 and 0.815. The AUC scores generated indicate that the MPMs produced are good predictive models (with an AUC greater than 0.7) and can therefore assist in narrowing down the highly prospective zones of mineral occurrences within the study area. However, the overall predictive potential of the frequency ratio approach was better than the model produced by the information value approach.

Developing a GIS-GPS Tracking System to Monitor Wildlife Behavior in Udawalawe National Park: Implications for Sustainable Tourism Development and Wildlife Conservation

Wildlife trips in Sri Lanka are highly sought-after by nature enthusiasts. Udawalawe National Park is a prominent tourist destination known for its diverse habitats and rich wildlife, including water birds and elephants. As the third-most visited park in the country and the sixth-largest animal sanctuary in Sri Lanka, Udawalawe is located at the intersection of the wet and dry zones, characterised by plains dominated by topography despite some hilly terrain. The primary motivation for many visitors to the park is wildlife observation, and understanding animal behaviour and habitats is crucial for responsible and sustainable tourism. Therefore, this study aimed to monitor wildlife behaviour in Udawalawe National Park to identify optimal viewing places. This study used a mixed-methods approach utilising primary and secondary data, including field observations and direct and indirect discussions. This study utilises Geographic Information System (GIS) and Geographic Positioning System (GPS) technologies to create tracks and identify wildlife viewing places that may not be officially designated. The findings revealed that the peak viewing hours occurred during the evening period and that animals tended to congregate near water bodies throughout all seasons and times of the day. About 44% of locations rich in water were identified, and field observations showed that most animals gathered in these water-rich areas, conveniently located near newly discovered tracks. The study also identified hidden and uncommon locations for observing wildlife behaviour, providing new opportunities for tourists to explore and enjoy the park. The results of this study can assist in managing the park's surrounding environment and tourist attractions and contribute to the sustainable management and promotion of wildlife tourism in Udawalawe National Park. The newly discovered tracks and viewing places can enhance the wildlife viewing experience for tourists while minimising negative impacts on the animals and their habitats. This research adds to the knowledge base of wildlife behaviour monitoring and management in protected areas. It can be a valuable resource for future studies and conservation efforts in Udawalawe National Park and other similar ecosystems.

Climatic factors affecting seasonal movements of giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis) in a semi‐arid region of South Africa

AbstractTo the modern‐day conservationist, knowledge on giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis) movement patterns is crucial for the effective management of this increasingly threatened species. The aim of this study was to determine the seasonal distances travelled by giraffes in a highly seasonal semi‐arid savanna area and to investigate how specific climatic factors influence their spatial distribution. Distributed over the 95,537‐ha reserve, we selected eight adult female giraffes that were equipped with radio transmitter collars using geographical positioning system devices to investigate their movement patterns over a 21‐month period in the Kalahari region of South Africa. Climatic data were collected using three weather stations at different locations in the study area. Giraffes moved significantly longer distances and for longer hours during the cool, dry season compared to other seasons. Both temperature and rainfall had statistically significant effects on distances travelled. The giraffes moved significantly longer distances with higher rainfall and temperature. They also moved significantly further during the middle of the day in all seasons, except winter. The reasons for these movement patterns are discussed with special emphasis on the influence of climatic factors on resource availability in a highly seasonal environment with periods of low resource availability.

MOVEMENTS BY SAN JOAQUIN KIT FOXES (VULPES MACROTIS MUTICA) BETWEEN URBAN AND NONURBAN HABITATS: IMPLICATIONS FOR INTERPOPULATION DISEASE TRANSFER.

Sarcoptic mange epidemics erupted in two of the remaining populations of endangered San Joaquin kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis mutica). Both populations are in urban habitats in the cities of Bakersfield and Taft, California, USA. The risk of disease spread from the two urban populations to nearby nonurban populations, and then throughout the species range, is of considerable conservation concern. To date, mange has not been detected in any nonurban populations despite considerable surveillance effort. The reasons for the lack of detections of mange among nonurban foxes are unknown. We monitored urban kit fox movements using geographic positioning system (GPS) collars to test the hypothesis that urban foxes were not venturing into nonurban habitats. Of 24 foxes monitored December 2018 to November 2019, 19 (79%) made excursions from urban into nonurban habitats from 1-124 times. The mean number of excursions per 30 d was 5.5 (range 0.1-13.9 d). The mean proportion of locations in nonurban habitats was 29.0% (range 0.6-99.7%). The mean maximum distance that foxes traveled into nonurban areas from the urban-nonurban interface was 1.1 km (range 0.1-2.9 km). Mean number of excursions, proportion of nonurban locations, and maximum distance into nonurban habitats were similar between Bakersfield and Taft, females and males, and adults and juveniles. At least eight foxes apparently used dens in nonurban habitats; shared use of dens may be an important mode of mange mite transmission between conspecifics. Two of the collared foxes died of mange during the study and two others had mange when captured at the end of the study. Three of these four foxes had made excursions into nonurban habitats. These results confirm a significant potential for mange to spread from urban to nonurban kit fox populations. We recommend continued surveillance in nonurban populations and continued treatment efforts in the affected urban populations.

Terrestrial Radiation of Some Selected Active Telecommunication Sites in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria

A study on terrestrial background ionization radiation was carried out around active selected telecommunications sites in Port Harcourt. This study was done using Radalert 100 and the geographical position system (GPS). The exposure rate ranged from 0.033 to 0.141 with a mean value of 0.123±0.20 (mR/h) which is lower than the acceptable limit of 0.0133 (mR/h). The absorbed dose ranged from 287.1 nG/h to 1226.7 nGy/hr with a mean value of 1066.64±1769.6 nGy/hr, which is quite higher than the acceptable limit of 89.0 nGy/h. The annual effective dose ranged between 0.44 and 1.88 mSv/y, with a mean value of 1.642.7 mSv/y which is quite higher than the safe limit of 1.0 mSv/y. The excess lifetime Cancer Risk (ELCR) varied from 1.54 x10-3 to 6.58x10-3 with a mean value of 5. 72±9.5 mSv/y. The result from this study is higher than the acceptable limit of 0.29 x10-3 as recommended by UNSCEAR. This means that people living within these areas may be exposed to cancer in later life. The effective dose of the various organs (ED Organs) are within the recommended safe limit of ICRP. The testes and the bone marrow are the most sensitive to radiation with the percentage distribution of 18.0% and 16.0%. Since the Annual effective dose, absorbed dose, and excess lifetime cancer risk are higher than the world standard, the chances of contracting cancer related illnesses are significant. It is recommended that monitoring of the exposure rate to ionizing radiation within the environment should be carried out. Also, individuals should on regular basis request for specific organ dose test.

MODELLING URBAN SPRAWL OF THE GREATER PORT HARCOURT CITY USING REMOTE SENSING AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEM TECHNIQUES

In recent decades, urban sprawl has been viewed as one of the most pressing issues that cities over all the world in developing countries are batting with. It is often associated mostly with rural-urban migration and rising birth rates, where development is given precedence over urban planning. The study focuses on the urban sprawl of the greater Port Harcourt city. The greater Port Harcourt city is expanding at an unprecedented rate, with no adequate planning or statistical record. The study intends to address this issue by building models using remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) tools in order to analyze urban sprawl in the Greater Port Harcourt city. To achieve this set of objectives, three sets of Landsat sensors, which were captured at different time intervals (1986, 2006, and 2021), were used to monitor urban sprawl in the study area. The Geographic Positioning System (GPS) was used during the field visit to collect the ground control points of some locations within the city. The National Population Commission (NPC) data was also employed to acquire the demographic statistics. The result of the study shows that the built-up area had expanded from 47.35 km2 (10.76%) in 1986 to 71.05 km2 (16.14%) in 2000 and to 284.68 km2 (64.68%) in 2021. This expansion in built-up area generates a decline in wetland, bare land, and forest land from 112.296 km2 (25.51%), 61.369 km2 (13.94%), and 160.152 km2 (36.39%) in 1986 to 72.468 km2 (16.47%), 86.486 km2 (19.65%), and 136.853 km2 (31.09%) in 2000, and to 42.810 km2 (9.73%), 10.858 km2 (13.94%), and 40.8384 km2 (9.28%) in 2021. The findings of the study are important because they give the government information on how quickly the study area is expanding, allowing it to adopt an appropriate planning strategy. In conclusion, the study demonstrate that remote sensing and GIS techniques can be utilized to successfully monitor the environment on a regular basis in order to investigate urban sprawl and inform better decision-making.

Estimation of Radon Concentration around Public Spaces and Residential Homes with Altitude within Cities of Delta State, Nigeria

This study evaluates the radon concentrations in public places and private residences with different altitudes in selected locations in Delta State. These measurements were carried out using a professional radon monitoring instrument (Alpha GUARD PQ2000 PRO) and a geographical positioning system (GPS-Garmin GPS Map 76S). The recorded mean radon concentration varied from 11.70 ± 5.20 Bq/m3 to 23.90 ±16.60 Bq/m3, which is within the WHO acceptable range (100 Bq/m3). The basement had greater radon concentrations than the upper floors in most situations, although there were few exceptions. The average values of the estimated radiation risk parameters, which include equilibrium equivalent radon concentration, the potential alpha energy concentration, radon exhalation rates, and excess lifetime cancer risk due to exposure to radon radiation from their progeny are 4.7 Bq/m3 to 9.5Bq/m3, 1.20 × 10-3mWL to 2.60 × 10-3mWL, 0.04 × 10-3WML/y to 0.09× 10-3 WML/y, 3.7Bq/m2/h to 7.52Bq/m2/h and 2.10 × 10-3 to 3.30 × 10-3 respectively. The calculated radiation risk factors were all found to be within the recommended limits based on the data obtained. The research region is deemed safe and poses no threat to people.

Development of a Personnel Management and Position and Energy Tracking System for Electric Vehicles

The challenges faced by managers of transportation systems in developing nations such as Nigeria are numerous. These include driver scheduling, which, in many cases, is still being done manually; diversion of vehicles to unauthorized routes by drivers for selfish reasons results in illegal use of fuel meant for official duties, causing the organization lose considerable revenue. In its drive to reduce its carbon footprint, Elizade University, Nigeria, is embarking on the development and use of electric vehicles (EV) as a means of transportation within the university campus. This research is geared towards supporting this initiative by developing an EV tracking system that combines tracking of EV drivers with vehicle position and battery power (energy) tracking in order to mitigate the challenges outlined above. Personnel tracking was achieved using an RFID-enabled staff identity card that authenticates authorized drivers before activating the vehicle ignition system, position tracking was achieved using a geographical positioning system (GPS), and current and voltage sensors were used for tracking of electric vehicle power. Tests revealed that the EV system administrator operated through a personal computer was able to track the EV driver, position and power through a web interface/Google Maps and e-mail in real time. Whereas previous studies either considered tracking of vehicle position or power without personnel, others tracked personnel with less emphasis on the vehicle position or energy. In this study, we combined different technologies such as RFID, GPS and power sensors to consider EV administration in a holistic manner, thereby providing intervention in an infrastructurally deficient setting.

Incorporating Artificial Intelligence Technology in Smart Greenhouses: Current State of the Art

This article presents the current state-of-the-art research on applying artificial intelligence (AI) technology in smart greenhouses to optimize crop yields, water, and fertilizer use efficiency, to reduce pest and disease, and to enhance agricultural sustainability. The key technologies of interest were robotic systems for pesticide application, irrigation, harvesting, bio-inspired algorithms for the automation of greenhouse processes, energy management, machine path planning and operation of UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), resolution of scheduling problems, and image signal processing for pest and disease diagnosis. Additionally, the review investigated the cost benefits of various energy-management and AI-based energy-saving technologies, the integration of photovoltaics and dynamic pricing based on real-time and time-of-use metrics, and the cost benefits of LoRa, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, ZigBee, mobile, and RFID (radiofrequency identification) technologies. The review established that commercially viable AI technologies for agriculture had increased exponentially. For example, AI-based irrigation and soil fertilizer application enabled farmers to realize higher returns on investment on fertilizer application and gross returns above the fertilizer cost, higher yields, and resource use efficiency. Similarly, AI image detection techniques led to the early diagnosis of powdery mildew. The precise operation of agricultural robots was supported by the integration of light imaging, detection, and ranging (LIDAR) optical and electro-optical cameras in place of the traditional GPS (geographic positioning systems) technologies, which are prone to errors. However, critical challenges remained unresolved, including cost, disparities between research and development (R&D) innovations and technology commercialization, energy use, the tradeoff between accuracy and computational speeds, and technology gaps between the Global North and South. In general, the value of this review is that it surveys the literature on the maturity level of various AI technologies in smart greenhouses and offers a state-of-the-art picture of how far the technologies have successfully been applied in agriculture and what can be done to optimize their usability.

Physico-Chemical Properties of Wetland Soils Affected by Crude Oil Spillage in Niger Delta Area, Nigeria

Loss of soil fertility through loss of soil organic matter, leaching of nutrients, loss of the nutrient-laden topsoil, changes in soil-pH, reduction in cation exchange capacity, salinization, water logging and other forms of soil degradation are major problems associated with agricultural productivity in the oil producing areas of Nigeria. This analysis investigated some selected physico-chemical properties of wetland soils affected by crude oil spillage in Bodo city in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. Field reconnaissance survey using a handheld Geographic Positioning system (GPS) and survey technique involving random sampling, was used in siting soil profile pits. The unpolluted samples were collected 50 meters away from the polluted site but in the same geographic region and was used as control site. Soil samples were collected based on degree of horizon differentiation and analyzed using routine and special analytical techniques. Soil data were subjected to analysis of variance using Genstat program. Result shows that soil physical properties of the polluted site: moisture content, soil bulk density, and soil texture were highly significant (p=0.01 and 0.05) when compared to the unpolluted site while some chemical soil properties analysed especially soil pH, organic matter, carbon-nitrogen ratio, available phosphorus were affected by crude oil spillage. Results from this study affirm that crude oil can have detrimental effect on soil physico-chemical properties, which implies low soil fertility and thereby affect crop production and increase food insecurity within the study site. Further studies involving more edaphic properties, biotoxic metals and their bioaccessibility in crops growing on waterside affected by crude oil spill will surely enhance knowledge and management of the these highly industrially influenced soils. Also, international and national oil and gas companies should carry out their activities with international best practice.

Vilcabamba: de iura fluminis et Terrae

Vilcabamba: de iura flumnis et Terrae. A Chamber Music Piece in Two Acts and Intermezzo is an artistic project aimed at bringing the voices of rivers to the 23rd Biennale of Sydney. The work is inspired by a critical cartography approach, or what Nato Thompson and Trevor Paglen define as “experimental geography” to offer the opportunity to “rethink” the world, the plurality of worlds, and epistemologies that concur to reshape relations between humans and ecosystems. In this context, indigenous peoples recur to GIS (Geographic Information System, currently used, among others, to identify potential sacrifice zones for resource extraction) to challenge the dominant colonial-settler use and vision of land and territories and mainstream their cosmology, traditional knowledge, and livelihoods. Similarly, GPS (Geographic Positioning System) coordinates can be “hacked” to bring to light struggles for the recognition of the Rights of Nature and legal personhood of ecosystems, while advancing an imagery that aims to liberate political imagination and the voice of those ecosystems. Hacking geospatial technologies can offer the possibility for the non-human to be represented or to emerge, and hence challenge the dominant epistemology, creating a sort of “placement-displacement” circle, whereas the definition of a place brings with it a “displacement” of its canonical representation.