Historical Logs Research Articles

Personalized process–type learning path recommendation based on process mining and deep knowledge tracing

Personalized learning path recommendation considers learning goals, learning abilities, and other personalized characteristics of learners to generate a suitable learning path. Existing approaches include global optimal and local iterative path recommendation, which recommend a sequence of learning objects. Consequently, the learner can only learn in the order specified by the learning path, which provides limited flexibility for the learner. In addition, existing studies cannot both present the complete path and handle changes in the learner's knowledge state while learning along the path. This study proposes a process-type learning path model and its recommendation approach, which presents a learning path in the form of a flowchart and dynamically recommends path branches according to the knowledge states of the learner during the learning process. Specifically, deep knowledge tracing is used to annotate the knowledge states of learners in historical logs, and process mining is used to generate a personalized process–type learning path that contains sequences, parallel relationships, and selection relationships between learning objects. In addition, the correlation between the knowledge state and the selection of different branches of a learning path in historical logs can be obtained via decision mining. Thus, a branch recommendation model is trained and used to recommend a path branch in a process-type path with the highest probability of mastering the target learning object of the learner based on the learner's knowledge state. The experimental results demonstrate that the learning effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach are better than those of the existing approaches.

Variable persistence of an iconic arboreal mammal through the Black Summer wildfires

Wildfires are predicted to increase in frequency and severity with climate change but detailed understanding of their influence on forest wildlife is lacking for many species. Wildfires vary in their extent and severity among landscapes, limiting generalisations about impacts from a single wildfire. We investigated post-wildfire persistence in the threatened exudivorous yellow-bellied glider (Petaurus australis) in south-eastern Australia. The widespread occurrence of wildfires in the ‘Black Summer’ of 2019–20 enabled populations in three landscapes (90–160 km apart) to be studied. This species has a slow life history (one young per year and >1 year to mature) so post-fire recovery is predicted to be slow. We conducted repeat surveys over 3 years post-fire in each landscape at 25–29 sites that were occupied pre-wildfire. All survey sites were burnt in two landscapes but only 40 % were burnt in the third. We estimated declines in occupancy of 13 %, 40 % and 66 % in burnt forest. The factors driving the variation in decline appear to be a combination of fire severity and the abundance of very large (≥80 cm) hollow (i.e. cavity) -bearing trees that serve as den sites. The implications of this study are that the impacts of wildfires on populations of tree-hollow dependent species can be expected to vary in different landscapes as a consequence of fire severity, rainfall deficit and logging history. Our study suggests the importance of ensuring populations are conserved across a wide geographic gradient, and the value of very large hollow-bearing trees rather than simply the number of any hollow-bearing trees.

Soil wetting triggered by selective logging in Bornean lowland tropical rainforests

Aboveground biomass removal and canopy opening by selective logging modifies soil moisture in the main root zone, impacting soil aeration and various biogeochemical processes in tropical production forests. This study investigated the relationship between canopy damage and topsoil (10 cm) moisture in two logged forests in Malaysian Borneo, while simultaneously controlling for logging intensity, time elapsed since historical logging, and spatial autocorrelation. Volumetric soil water content (VSWC), canopy height model (CHM), leaf area index (LAI), and historical logging data were collected from 84 transects placed subjectively in 15 sites exhibiting varying canopies. We generated an index (PC1) quantifying the magnitude of canopy structural degradation from canopy structure metrics (CSM) combining CHM and LAI data within a 20-meter buffer for each transect. PC1 was analyzed for its impact on VSWC across logging periods, and contrasted with topography. Spatial autocorrelation of VSWC was examined regarding to canopy conditions. VSWC was significantly higher in all logged forests (over 0.4 m3 m−3) comparing to non-disturbed forests (0.27 m3 m−3). The immediate wetting could be a result of extracting mature individuals of late-successional species holding large biomass, while the persistent wet condition may be due to retarded canopy and biomass recovery. In the study area, canopy structure was a stronger predictor of soil moisture than topography. The high soil moisture underneath the most degraded canopies presented the largest spatial extent of autocorrelation. This study revealed soil wetting after selective logging in humid tropical forests, driven by reduced transpiration from biomass loss rather than increased evaporative demand resulting from canopy opening. The elevation in soil moisture could have disrupted biogeochemical processes in the below-ground system, which in turn impede forest succession and put stress on the overall vulnerability of disturbed tropical rainforests.

Uniqueness of tree stand composition and soil microbial communities are related across urban spruce-dominated forests

ContextUrban forest soils represent significant reservoirs of biodiversity in cities. Retaining this diversity under urban land-use change requires understanding on how species richness, community assembly and uniqueness of species assemblages are related to local forest characteristics and surrounding landscape structure.ObjectivesOur aim was to assess the significance and relative importance of logging history, tree species composition and urbanization in shaping soil microbial communities across urban spruce-dominated forest landscapes. We investigated responses of microbial diversity from three complementary viewpoints: local diversity, community assembly patterns and community uniqueness.MethodsWe collected soil bacterial and fungal metabarcoding data from 73 spruce-dominated forest sites distributed in three urban centers across southern Finland. We related these data to measurements of logging intensity, tree species composition and degree of urbanization.ResultsLogging intensity, tree species composition and urbanization affected site-scale microbial diversity, but the effects varied between microbial groups. Only logging intensity had a significant imprint on microbial assembly, and this effect was restricted to bacteria. Relative uniqueness of microbial assemblages at the landscape-scale was coupled with the uniqueness of tree species composition in all microbial groups, and further affected by tree diversity in saprotrophic fungi and urbanization in ectomycorrhizal fungi.ConclusionsIn the context of urban spruce-dominated forests, locally diverse tree stands are not necessarily the same as those that contribute the most to landscape-scale diversity. Identifying and preserving contrasting tree stand structures, which support distinctive soil microbial assemblages, may be the winning strategy in maintaining a wide range of soil microbial diversity.

How important is Forest Age in explaining the species composition of Near-natural Spruce Forests?

Multiple ecological drivers, along with forest age, determine the species composition of boreal forest ecosystems. However, the role of age in successional changes in forests cannot be understood without taking site conditions, the disturbance regime and forest structure into account. In this study, we ask two research questions: 1. What is the relationship between forest age and overall species composition in older near-natural spruce forests, i.e. forests of age beyond harvest maturity? 2. Do species associated with different forest habitats respond similarly to variation in forest age? Data were collected in 257 Norway spruce dominated 0.25 ha plots from three study areas in Southeastern and Central Norway. Species inventories were conducted for lichens and bryophytes on trees and rocks, vascular plants on the forest floor, and for deadwood-associated bryophytes and polypore fungi. Although NMDS ordination analyses of the total species composition identified a main axis related to the age of the oldest trees in two of the study areas, variation partitioning analyses showed that age explained a small fraction of variation of the species composition compared to site conditions, logging history, forest structure, and differences between the sites in all habitats. The unique variation explained by forest age species was, however, significant for all habitats. The fraction of variation in species composition explained by forest age was the largest for lichens and bryophytes on trees, and for deadwood-associated bryophytes and polypore fungi. Our results suggest that practical mapping of near-natural forests for management purposes inventories should include site conditions, forest structure and between site differences in addition to forest age.

Tree hollow decline in new forest reserves with a long history of logging

AbstractIn many parts of the world, achieving a target of 30% of land managed for conservation under the Kunming‐Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework will require the protection of land with a long history of management for production. In newly protected forests, past logging practices will have impacted key aspects of stand structure, including hollow‐bearing trees that provide critical habitat for vertebrate fauna. The impacts of past silvicultural practices on hollow density, distribution, type and longevity may necessitate targeted ameliorative actions. We investigated tree hollows in the largest river red gum (Eucalyptus camaldulensis Denh.) forest in the world, which had undergone logging‐induced woody thickening prior to being converted to a conservation reserve in 2010. We recorded stem diameters and hollows in living and dead trees in 66 two‐hectare plots. Our sites sampled two productivity states and a wide range of total tree densities. On all sites, we found that hollow‐bearing tree densities were lower than reference values for unlogged stands and average density had halved relative to reference values. We found no relationship between the density of hollow‐bearing trees and total tree density, but we did find a weak positive relationship with site productivity. Larger trees had more hollows, bigger hollows and a greater diversity of hollow sizes. However, of the 1254 hollow‐bearing trees recorded, 43% were dead, 48% of the dead trees had been ringbarked. The proportion of hollow‐bearing trees that were dead was positively correlated with tree size, with 60% of trees in the largest quartile (>105 cm) recorded as dead. The prevalence of dead hollow‐bearing trees suggests that the density and diversity of hollows will continue to decline and ameliorative actions should be considered. These results highlight the need to consider the legacy of past silvicultural practices in the management of newly created conservation reserves.

Indicators for monitoring reduced impact logging in the Brazilian amazon derived from airborne laser scanning technology

Monitoring reduced impact logging (RIL) activities in sustainably managed forest areas in the Amazon is a costly and complex, yet crucial endeavor. One viable monitoring option is the use of airborne laser scanning (LiDAR), which enables estimating forest structure parameters over large areas in a reduced timeframe with high accuracy. In this study, we propose and assess the applicability of five monitoring indicators for RIL based on Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data acquisition in areas under forest concession. Five Annual Production Units (APUs) were investigated within the Forest Management Unit (FMU) III of the Jamari National Forest, located in the Southwest of the Brazilian Amazon. These sites were surveyed by LiDAR in 2014 and 2015 (one year after the exploration). Digital Terrain Models (DTMs), Surface Models (DSMs), and Canopy Height Models (CHMs) were generated for each APU. The proposed indicators were: i. Detection and identification of crown removal in dominant and co-dominant trees above 30 m; ii. Gap detection in the forest canopy; iii. Impacts of Reduced Impact Logging on the Understory; iv. Changes in the vertical canopy profile; and v. Affected areas within Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs) and restricted areas. There was a 3.95% reduction in the occurrence of taller canopies after RIL, and a higher occurrence of small gaps (λ > 1), with λ values (2.34) being higher in the area with the oldest logging history (APU 1). Gini coefficient values in all APUs were below 0.5, indicating a low intensity of disturbances in the forest canopy. The shape (γ) and scale (β) parameters of the understory and canopy were not significantly correlated with variables related to selective logging. Restricted areas were considered for the allocation of roads, trails, log landings, and places with slopes equal to or >15%, and the indices of areas affected by RIL in PPAs and restricted areas were <2%. The proposed indicators using LiDAR data show great potential for monitoring managed areas in the Amazon and can be utilized by concession companies and government oversight.

Forest degradation hinders soil fauna's contribution to litter decomposition and community dynamics in Andean temperate Nothofagus forests

Biodiversity losses driven by human disturbance hinder chief ecosystem functions like litter decomposition, among the most critical processes regulating forest ecosystems' carbon and nutrient cycles. Historical logging, wildfire, and ongoing livestock grazing pressure have degraded most southern temperate Nothofagus forests. Yet, the effect of forest degradation on soil fauna composition and, in turn, litter decomposition and nutrient cycling still need to be determined. This study aims to i) quantify the contribution of soil fauna to litter decomposition and mineralization of C, N, and P in Nothofagus sp. forest displaying different levels of degradation (mature, secondary, and degraded forests and a newly reforested site) and ii) assess the effect of forest degradation on the temporal composition of soil invertebrates' communities. Decomposition bags with 0.1 and 2 mm mesh were installed in long-term research plots across forest conditions. Litter decomposition and C, N, and P mineralization were estimated monthly for one year. Likewise, meso- and macrofauna's richness, abundance, and diversity were assessed bimonthly during the same period. We found that the contribution of mesofauna to decomposition was the lowest in the newly reforested site and 20 % higher in the degraded forest than in mature and secondary forests. Soil fauna substantially increased C, N, and P mineralization, particularly in the degraded forest. Differences in fauna's contribution to litter decomposition were likely related to changes in the community composition, primarily composed of detritivores in the three forested conditions and phytophagous and predators in the newly reforested site. We concluded that forest degradation modified the invertebrate community composition, and soil fauna enhances litter decomposition and nutrient mineralization in the degraded forests. In addition, our data suggest that forest degradation leads to a loss of invertebrate meso- and macrofauna orders, which alter litter decomposition processes.

Community-based Sustainable Ecotourism at Tangkahan Tourism Destination, Langkat Regency

Ecotourism is a sustainable tourism method that uses local ecosystems and community culture to preserve nature and generate benefits. Tangkahan, an ecotourism area in Indonesia, has a history of forest exploitation and illegal logging. The local community is working to make it a sustainable conservation area. This research will explain Community-Based Sustainable Ecotourism in Tangkahan Tourism Destination, Langkat Regency. This descriptive research uses a qualitative approach, in-depth interviews, FGDs, observations, and focus group discussions, and uses data analysis techniques as suggested. The results showed that the management of Tangkahan Ecotourism involved cooperating parties such as the North Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Centre, Gunung Leuser National Park Centre, Forest Management FMU, Conservation Response Unit, PT Perkebunan Nusantara II, Tourism Office, and two Tangkahan Tourism Area Villages namely Namo Sialang Village and Serdang Village. The Tangkahan Tourism Board manages the area, including marketing, guide services, and rescue efforts. However, land licensing issues, trust, and access difficulties hinder development. The development model should be open and community-based, integrating ecotourism development with other community activities. Critical programs include regulatory regulations, tourist facilities, infrastructure, human resources, cooperation, and collaboration with relevant parties.

Responses of bird functional communities to anthropogenic disturbances in the naturally fragmented Southern Mistbelt Forests in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Forest disturbance poses major threats to biodiversity and forest ecosystem processes. Understanding bird species’ responses to disturbed forests is important for species conservation and forest management. Here, we assessed the impact of selective logging history (∼150 years), livestock grazing, alien plant invasion and adjacent matrix-type surrounding forest patches on bird species richness and functional diversity in 14 Southern Mistbelt Forest patches in the Midlands of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. The bird communities were surveyed using fixed-radius point-counts. We quantified functional diversity using three functional indices functional richness, functional divergence, and functional evenness. None of the disturbance types assessed affected the richness of bird species. The size of the forest patch affected bird species. For functional diversity, FRic was significantly higher in disturbed forest patches for forest specialists, insectivores and cup or ball-nesting birds. Functional evenness for the forest-sensitive groups, like forest specialists and insectivores, was significantly lower in disturbed sites. The results of this study showed that responses of functional communities and forest specialist bird species varied depending on disturbance type and intensity. We recommend that future studies assessing forest disturbance impacts on bird species use taxonomic proxies with different functional diversity indices for forest bird species conservation and management.

Using multiscale lidar to determine variation in canopy structure from African forest elephant trails

AbstractRecently classified as a unique species by the IUCN, African forest elephants (Loxodonta cyclotis) are critically endangered due to severe poaching. With limited knowledge about their ecological role due to the dense tropical forests they inhabit in central Africa, it is unclear how the Afrotropics are influenced by elephants. Although their role as seed dispersers is well known, they may also drive large‐scale processes that determine forest structure through the creation of elephant trails and browsing the understory, allowing larger, carbon‐dense trees to succeed. Multiple scales of lidar were collected by NASA in Lopé National Park, Gabon from 2015 to 2022. Utilizing two airborne lidar datasets in an African forest elephant stronghold, detailed canopy structural information was used in conjunction with elephant trail data to determine how forest structure varies on and off trails. Forest along elephant trails displayed different structural characteristics than forested areas off trails, with lower canopy height, canopy cover, and different vertical distribution of plant density. Less plant area density was found on trails at 1 m in height, while more vegetation was found at 12 m, compared to off trail locations. Trails in forest areas with previous logging history had lower plant area in the top of the canopy. Forest elephants can be considered as “logging light” ecosystem engineers, affecting canopy structure through browsing and movement. Both airborne lidar scales were able to capture elephant impact along trails, with the high‐resolution discrete return lidar performing higher than waveform lidar.

Cleanroom Dashboard System for Time-Reduction Checking of Disk Tester Availability

With the vast amount of data being processed and reviewed in production and manufacturing industries nowadays, it takes a lot of time and effort to keep track of their performance metrics. Developing an automation system to improve the overall system performance and reduce man-machine interactions is necessary. Prior to the work, a computer disk drive manufacturing facility checked its fixed-tester availability manually, which made the company unable to optimize its man and machine hours as much as possible. This work proposes a system that displays all the critical information in a dashboard system to address the problem while enabling access to data history logs and further analytic insights. Moreover, the system enables readily accessible fixed-disk tester availability. The outcomes indicate significant improvements, especially in delay reductions, necessary for optimizing man and machine interactions in a fixed-disk testing facility at a leading computer disk drive manufacturer and data storage company at Laguna Technopark.

Application of geophysical well logs in solving geologic issues: Past, present and future prospect

Geophysical well logs are widely used in geological fields, however, there are considerable incompatibilities existing in solving geological issues using well log data. This review critically fills the gaps between geology and geophysical well logs, as assessed from peer reviewed papers and from the authors’ personal experiences, in the particular goal of solving geological issues using geophysical well logs. The origin and history of geophysical logging are summarized. Next follows a review of the state of knowledge for geophysical well logs in terms of type of specifications, vertical resolution, depth of investigations and demonstrated applications. Then the current status and advances in applications of geophysical well logs in fields of structural geology, sedimentary geology and petroleum geology are discussed. Well logs are used in structural and sedimentary geology in terms of structure detection, in situ stress evaluation, sedimentary characterization, sequence stratigraphy division and fracture prediction. Well logs can also be applied in petroleum geology fields of optimizing sweet spots for hydraulic fracturing in unconventional oil and gas resource. Geophysical well logs are extending their application in other fields of geosciences, and geological issues will be efficiently solved via well logs with the improvements of advanced well log suits. Further work is required in order to improve accuracy and diminish uncertainties by introducing artificial intelligence. This review provides a systematic and clear descriptions of the applications of geophysical well log data along with examples of how the data is displayed and processed for solving geologic problems.

Digital Twin-based Predictive Maintenance for Sheet Metal Bending

This paper focuses on the implementation of predictive maintenance processes using both physics-based and data-driven methods, specifically applied to a Salvagnini panel bender. The primary objective is to enhance production data analysis through digital twin predictions, enabling the calculation of process parameters that cannot be directly measured. Two key aspects are addressed in this study: Firstly, two global measures of the effective cumulative load on a machine during its lifetime are formulated. These measures can be used as criteria for estimating the health condition of a machine and for comparing different machines. To achieve this, dimensionless parameters are derived from actual production data. Secondly, a remaining useful life (RUL) model is developed for two machine components relying on production data analysis and digital twin predictions. The first component under consideration is a hybrid hydraulic actuator. Internal leakage prediction for this component is performed based on its data history, resulting in a corresponding trend curve. Additionally, wear of critical bearings is calculated using an analytical model that depends on the production history log. Through the proposed hybrid approach, this paper aims to enhance the predictive maintenance process by leveraging both physics-based and data-driven methodologies. The findings from this study can offer valuable insights for optimizing maintenance strategies and improving the overall efficiency of similar manufacturing systems.

Exploring the relationship between YouTube video characteristics and a viewer's mental health traits among young adults.

We investigated the relationship between individuals' mental health traits and the characteristics of YouTube videos they watch. The mental health traits considered were stress, depression, anxiety, and self-esteem, which were measured using a survey questionnaire. We considered violence shown in a video, brightness and saturation of a video as video characteristics. We utilized the viewing history log data of the participants and analyzed the videos they watched on YouTube using computer vision techniques based on deep learning algorithms. The results revealed that viewers' consumption of violent videos was positively related to stress, depression, and anxiety, but negatively related to self-esteem. Individuals with higher levels of stress, depression, or anxiety tended to view darker videos than those with lower levels of stress, depression, or anxiety.

Implementation of risk management in library information system at Surabaya City Library

Libraries may be at risk of data security issues. The threat of data loss or data damage is prone to occur in libraries. Information technology embedded in libraries has developed Artificial Intelligence (AI) for information retrieval systems. The application of information technology in the Surabaya City Library has potential risks to data security and force majeure aspects so that need a disaster mitigation plant. This study aimed to implement information system risk management at Surabaya City Libraries as a disaster mitigation plan. The research method was descriptive qualitative. Based on the risk analysis, the recommendations for applying risk to information technology Surabaya City Library were elimination and engineering. The manifestation of these two recommendations made the data access protocol use multiple authentications to avoid data theft attempts due to infiltration, hacking, and cracking. Study results recommended a protocol for each data access. The protocol would save every change, deletion, and system login in the log history. Implementing data authentication twice per login can avoid data theft caused by the intrusion. This activity log is used for activity tracking when the system is infiltrated. The limitation of this study lies in the scope of the research object, namely the library, which has limitations on the system or application used and does not impact the wider community. Conclusion of research, the library can implement risk management strategy with elimination and engineering models through recording system login activities, which mitigate the risk of data breaches originating from insiders.

Analysis of User Behavior using Set-Top-Box for Internet Protocol Television-Based Application

The growth of Internet usage has grown day by day. Many people use the internet for their commercial, education, and personal needs. Misuse of the internet has also increased exponentially. As with the rapid growth of Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), a high alarm still prevails. Much fake news and information are propagated through social media, which misguides many people. Hence tracing back of IP address is needed for appropriate monitoring. The log history stored in the service provider does not enrich the parents to monitor the same. Cache memory involved in the service provider is shared with needy people at their request. Retaining information in service providers depends upon the local norms of any region. A large amount of data handling in the service provider increases the challenges. This paper aims to save the on-view channel IP address in the local Set-Top Box (STB), where STB acts as the front device for IPTV applications. The IP address, including the monitoring frequencies and time observed, is stored in the local STB. This facilitates the parents to monitor their wards, and misuse of the internet is also minimized. The logic block added to the onboard increases the chip area by 3.97m3, and the delay is 847 ps.

IoT Security Solutions for Students’ Laboratory with RFID-based Attendance Authentication

The study aims to secure computer laboratories coupled with smart and automated attendance monitoring. It was designed at Isabela State University Cauayan City Campus, specifically at the Computer Laboratory of the College of Computing Studies Information and Communication Technology. The system is web-based and it can be utilized on any OS platform by specifying the IP Address through a web browser. Its function is a complete user interface for its target user's attendance monitoring and management where it can record teachers’ and students’ attendance, classroom entry logs, and calculation of tardiness and absences. It has the capability to retain current and previous records which could be used for future educational reference, entry log history, or for security references. The factor of acceptability as to technical support and processes of the system gained a general weighted mean of 4.35 (sd=.490) which means there is an evaluator's agreement with the functionality of the developed system based on ISO 25010 standards. The system does not physically identify the user but will only be registered in the database through scanning of the RFID tag. Furthermore, in order to achieve the objectives, The system used Php and its MySQL Local Database as its application software. Hardware components include RFID Reader and RFID Card Communication, and Arduino Uno to control Solenoid lock devices, providing security and restriction in every Computer Laboratory room.&#x0D; Keywords: Internet of Things, IoT-based Security Solution, Attendance Monitoring, Smart Laboratory

Contemporary wildfires are more severe compared to the historical reference period in western US dry conifer forests

Dry conifer forests in the western US historically experienced frequent fire prior to European American colonization. Mean fire return interval ranged from about 5–35 years, with the majority of fires burning at low-to-moderate severity. The arrival of European Americans initiated notable reductions in fire frequency through the cessation of Indigenous burning, livestock grazing, and fire suppression. These activities effectively excluded fire from most dry conifer forests, thereby allowing live and dead fuels to accumulate. There are concerns that this fuel accumulation is causing contemporary fires (since 1985) to burn more severely compared to pre-colonization time periods, thereby increasing potential for enduring fire-catalyzed conversions to non-forest. Here, we used satellite-derived fire severity data to characterize the prevalence of contemporary (1985–2020) stand-replacing fire in dry conifer forests within four broad ecoregions for all fires, non-wilderness fires, wilderness fires, and prescribed fires. Our results indicate, that as a proportion of area burned, contemporary fires experienced 2.9 to 13.6 times more stand-replacing fire (depending on the ecoregion) compared to the pre-colonization period. Non-wilderness areas exhibit somewhat higher prevalence of stand-replacing fire, relative to the historical fire regime, than wilderness areas (where logging is prohibited). The relatively small difference between non-wilderness and wilderness suggests that fuel accumulation resulting from fire exclusion has played a larger role than historical logging activities on the prevalence of contemporary stand-replacing fire. Prescribed fires do not exhibit a higher prevalence of stand-replacing fire compared to the historical fire regime. We conducted a parallel analysis in the Gila Wilderness in New Mexico, USA, is it is arguably the best example of an unrestrained fire regime (many fires are not suppressed) in western US dry conifer forests. The Gila Wilderness proportionally experienced only 1.8 times more stand-replacing fire compared to the historical reference period; in contrast, the southwest ecoregion experienced 5.9 times more stand-replacing fire. Fire will inevitably burn a given forest no matter how much money and personnel we commit to fire prevention and suppression, and because of the high prevalence of stand-replacing fire, the long-term persistence of dry conifer forests is jeopardized. Unless forest managers are provided the social license and enabling conditions to substantially accelerate efforts to restore conditions resistant to stand-replacing fire, we anticipate that the extent of dry conifer forests will continue to erode as fire-catalyzed conversions increasingly unfold across the western US.

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT IN COLLABORATIVE ENGINEERING DESIGN: HOW TO MEASURE AND USE IT IN A FEEDBACK SYSTEM?

AbstractEngineering design is typically a collaborative process, and in the era of digital engineering, online collaboration platforms are increasingly being used to perform the work. Despite the development of e-collaboration technologies, there is a significant gap between actual collaboration and what is really needed. However, improving collaboration requires a proper measurement system. Yet, the common methods to measure and improve collaboration are challenging, usually not compatible with digitalized collaboration, and have limited scalability. This paper presents a new data-driven method for measuring, visualizing, and monitoring Active Engagement (AE) in web-based teamwork, which is a key element of effective collaboration. We applied the method in a case study of four engineering teams during a Technology Planning and Road-mapping course. The results suggest that measuring AE in web-based teams, with an available history log, is technically feasible and can meaningfully represent the team's collaboration. The presented approach can be used to upgrade e-collaboration platforms as a toolkit or for further investigation on improving web-based collaborative design and learning through monitoring dashboards and feedback systems.