Large Tracts Of Land Research Articles

Multiscalar Assessment of Mining in River Floodplains of the Southeastern United States

The mining of sediment is a profitable activity involving clearing and digging out large tracts of land and transformation of the topography. Often, these mines, as well as the pits, ponds, and piles of sediment are near or within the floodplains of a fluvial system. During flood events, the river can overtop and erode riparian areas that separate it from the mine, flowing into the pit and causing planform changes including avulsions. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has mapped mining sites across the United States, but there are still multiple omissions. Google Earth Pro was used to collect geospatial point data on mines that are within the floodplain boundaries of rivers and creeks in the southeast, a region of high biodiversity. Google Earth extracted data were compared to USGS data using ArcGIS Pro, and their proximity to floodplains and channels was analyzed. Distances between the channels and pits prior to avulsion were referenced from literature (Mossa & Marks, 2011) and used to assess potential risk for other sites. It was found that out of the 1,856 total pits from USGS and Google Earth data, 25.9% were omitted from the USGS data set. This supported the conclusion that current data sets, while thorough, are still incomplete and that a better understanding of site location can reduce the risk of avulsions, which can impact infrastructure, property boundaries, flood risk, and ecological health.

Local Wisdom Of The Marind - Anim Tribe In Solving Social Problems And Its Impact On Building A Climate Of Religious Moderation In Merauke District

The purpose of this study is to describe the mechanisms for solving social problems that are unique to the Marind-Anim tribe in Merauke Regency and to understand the nature of the informant's deepest world experience about an event or event based on the perspective of the informant. Understanding the phenomenon of what is experienced by research informants, for example, attitudes, perceptions, and actions holistically and using descriptions in the form of words and language, in a special natural context, and by utilizing various natural methods. The novelty of this study is the mechanism for solving social problems which is the peculiarity of the Marind-Animdi Tribe in Merauke Regency and the emic's view of the meaning of solving social problems in Merauke Regency, using a phenomenological qualitative research design. The role of traditional leaders and community leaders in the Marind-Anim tribe is known as Big Men or traditional leaders who have characteristics namely: 1) wealth, 2) courage, 3) ability to express opinions, 4) ability to organize, and 5) generosity. Big Men or traditional leaders are also reflected in their financial capabilities, such as having a large amount of money and large tracts of land. Financial adequacy allows them to be involved in politics to fight for positions at the village to provincial levels in an institution. Courage is the second characteristic of the Big Men or traditional leaders of the Marind-Anim Tribe in the process of social interaction within the community and institutions. Courage in the world of politics to put forward the interests of society and save people from inter-tribal wars that result in lives being lost. In addition, social problems that are very complex in Merauke Regency require courage and caution so that the strategy implemented can provide comfort to all elements of society at the local and national levels by prioritizing various local pearls of wisdom. The results of the study show that prioritizing local wisdom in deliberations is very effective in overcoming social problems both at the level of relatives, tribes, and the social environment as well as government through the Yamu Ritual and Api Sep which in the results in certainty and a sense of security, peace by burning symbols of mourning and wearing leaves again as a symbol of joy and brotherhood.Local wisdom; marindanim tribe; social issues; religious moderation.

Hydrocarbon Bio-Jet Fuel from Bioconversion of Poplar Biomass: Life Cycle Assessment of Site-Specific Impacts

Hydrocarbon drop-in bio-jet fuels could help to reduce greenhouse gas emissions within the aviation sector. Large tracts of land will be required to grow biomass feedstock for this biofuel, and changes to the management of these lands could have substantial environmental impacts. This research uses spatial analysis and life cycle assessment methodologies to investigate potential environmental impacts associated with converting land to grow poplar trees for conversion to bio-jet fuel from different regions within the western United States. Results vary by region and are dependent on land availability, type of land converted, prior land management practices, and poplar growth yields. The conversion of intensively managed cropland to poplar production results in a decrease in fertilizer and a lower annual global warming potential (GWP) (Clarksburg CA region). Bringing unmanaged rangeland into production results in increases in fertilizers, chemical inputs, fuel use, and GWP (Jefferson OR region). Where poplar yields are predicted to be lower, more land is converted to growing poplar to meet feedstock demands (Hayden ID). An increased use of land leads to greater fuel use and GWP. Changes to land use and management practices will drive changes at the local level that need to be understood before developing a drop-in biofuels industry.

ANALISIS VEGETASI PERINTIS LOKAL DI LAHAN BEKAS TAMBANG PASIR KECAMATAN CIMALAKA KABUPATEN SUMEDANG

Mining activities generally use large tracts of land, utilize non-renewable resources, produce a lot of waste, and make land degraded and unproductive. This happened on one of the former sand mining areas in Cimalaka sub-district, Sumedang Regency. Rehabilitation techniques by planting pioneering plants known as swapping are effective techniques. Pioneer plants are plants that start the formation of a habitat. This study aims to obtain information about the structure and composition of pioneering plants in the former sand mining quarry in the Cimalaka sub-district of Sumedang Regency. This research is descriptive, using a survey method with exploration, the research sample is a local pioneering plant that is included in the sampling plot found at the research location. The results showed that the structure at the level of pioneering vegetation in the former sand fields of Cimalaka subdistrict, namely shrubs Eleusine indica L. and Axonopus compressus, seedling plant Calliandra calothyrsus, Gliricidia sepium, Ageratum conyzoides L. Imperata cylindrica L. Saccharum spontaneum L. Vetiveria zizanioides Stapf. dan Coleus soutellarioides L.

Suitability of large-scale tree plantation models in Africa, Asia and Latin America for forest landscape restoration objectives

Today, tree plantations play a crucial role in supplying wood and wood-based products. They supply almost half of global demand, as well as supporting a diversity of ecosystem services. In tropical and subtropical areas, where tree growth is optimum and large tracts of land are available, forest restoration is presented as one of the most effective strategies for climate change mitigation. For these reasons, large-scale tree plantations are being encouraged in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Based on a review of the literature and of public databases on forest plantations, we drew up a typology of large-scale tree plantations in Latin America, Africa and Asia using four criteria: the management objective (production versus protection), number of species planted (multi-species versus mono-species), origin of species (exotic versus indigenous) and management status (industrial companies, private smallholders, state). Our analysis identified seven main plantation types and reveals that the two most common types represent almost 60% of the total planted area: (1) private mono-species plantations using exotic species; and (2) public production-oriented mono/multi-species plantations of indigenous trees. Numerous experimental studies were conducted in the 1950s and 1960s with a wide range of tree plantation models. However, few were adopted by operators because the production rates and financial returns were considered low. The dominant tree plantation types are failing to meet most of the forest restoration objectives set out in the Bonn Challenge (i.e., productivity, carbon storage, biodiversity conservation, rural livelihoods). Alternative large-scale tree plantation models could be promoted by focusing on the other goods and services that plantations can provide. This could be achieved if more diverse stakeholders were involved in plantation design and management processes, and if appropriate technical, financial, and institutional incentives were developed.

Mapping and Classification of Use Only in the Municipality of Ulianópolis-PA: Dynamics of the Landscape in the Hydrographic Micro-basin of the Cabeludo River

The search for economic development, in its most varied production models, anthropic actions have caused great environmental impacts, changing the environment and consequently causing environmental risks in different ways. In this sense, this work aimed to map the use and occupation of land through the spatial temporal dynamics of the hydrographic landscape of the Rio Cabeludo, in the municipality of Ulianópolis - PA, using integrated techniques of remote sensing and geoprocessing. Through the images, the supervised classification of the area was carried out, using the ENVI software for digital image processing and ArcGIS software for the elaboration of the thematic map. Some classes were investigated, such as urban area, exposed soil, temporary tillage, permanent tillage, dense vegetation, scrub, pasture, hydrography, cloud, shade, it is noteworthy that not all classes were repeated in the analyzed period. The evaluation of the studied area showed that there were significant changes in some classes. The identified classes reflect the dynamics of agricultural activity and not commercial plantation areas or large tracts of land. The work showed the possibility and importance of using geoprocessing techniques to monitor the territory and manage the environment, enabling better forms of land occupation and use of natural resources.

The importance of spatial configuration of neighbouring land cover for explanation of surface temperature of individual patches in urban landscapes

ContextRelationships between spatial configuration of urban form and land surface temperature (LST) in the excess heat mitigation context are studied over larger tracts of land not allowing for micro-scale recommendations to urban design.ObjectivesTo identify spatial configuration descriptors (SCDs) of urban form and the size of zone of influence conducive to the formation of the coldest and hottest land cover (LC) patches of different types (buildings, grass, paved and trees) from 2 m resolution LC and 2 and 100 m resolution LST maps at two time-steps in the summer.MethodsRandom Forest regression models were deployed to explain the LST of individual LC patches of different types based on SCDs of core LC patches and patches in their neighbourhoods. ANOVA was used to determine significantly different values of the most important SCDs associated with the coldest and hottest LC patches, and analysis of quartiles informed specification of their ranges.ResultsUrban form in the immediate neighbourhood to the core LC patches had a strong influence on their LST. Low elevation, high proximity to water, and high aggregation of trees, being important to the formation of the coldest patches of all types. High resolution of LST contributed to a higher accuracy of results. Elevation and proximity to water gained in importance as summer progressed.ConclusionsSpatial configuration of urban form in the nearest proximity to individual LC patches and the use of fine resolution LST data are essential for issuing heat mitigation recommendations to urban planners relevant to micro-scales.

Optimal Autonomous Pursuit of an Intruder on a Grid Aided by Local Node and Edge Sensors

Timely detection of intruders ensures the safety and security of high valued assets within a protected area. This problem takes on particular significance across international borders and becomes challenging when the terrain is porous, rugged and treacherous in nature. Keeping an effective vigil against intruders on large tracts of land is a tedious task; currently, it is primarily performed by security personnel with automatic detection systems in passive supporting roles. This paper discusses an alternate autonomous approach by utilizing one or more Unmanned Vehicles (UVs), aided by smart sensors on the ground, to detect and localize an intruder. To facilitate autonomous UV operations, the region is equipped with Unattended Ground Sensors (UGSs) and laser fencing. Together, these sensors provide time-stamped location information (node and edge detection) of the intruder to a UV. For security reasons, we assume that the sensors are not networked (a central node can be disabled bringing the whole system down) and so, the UVs must visit the vicinity of the sensors to gather the information therein. This makes the problem challenging in that pursuit must be done with local and likely delayed information. We discretize time and space by considering a 2D grid for the area and unit speed for the UV, i.e. it takes one time unit to travel from one node to an adjacent node. The intruder is slower and takes two time steps to complete the same move. We compute the min–max optimal, i.e. minimum number of steps to capture the intruder under worst-case intruder actions, for different number of rows and columns in the grid and for both one and two pursuers.

Colonial rainfed farming strategies in an extremely arid insular environment: Niche construction on Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain

The island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands was first settled by people from northern Africa in the first millennium BC and then colonized by Spain in the late fifteenth century. This colonial legacy reflects an intensive land use driven by a European commodities market that experienced a series of boom-and-bust cycles. Although arid and seemingly resource limited, colonial farmers in the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries copied water capture techniques from the Indigenous population, were strategic in terms of field placement, and engaged in a range of niche construction techniques. An analysis of 420 soil samples for their chemical properties (e.g., pH, electrical conductivity, nutrients) has revealed that sixteenth to nineteenth agricultural infrastructure in the form of open fields, terraces, water capture basins, and mulched fields was constructed on the landscape avoiding areas of high soil salinity and placement was tailored to variations in terrain slope, elevation, and rainfall. These improvements fundamentally changed ecosystem relations resulting in increased agricultural productivity. A series of eolian and volcanic events in the eighteenth century resulted in environmental changes requiring counteractive responses and new processes of niche reconfiguration. Large tracts of land were initially removed from production, but processes of niche construction created new opportunities. These included constructing mulched pits for cultivating sweet potato and tephra mulching for enhanced moisture conservation and accelerated growth of cochineal insect (Dactylopius coccus) production on cactus host plants. Cochineal production lasted for a period of sixty years (ca. AD 1825–1885) before a collapse of the market caused by the invention of chemical substitutes.

Financial Resource Planning Dynamics and Performance of Upgraded Extra-County Schools to National Status in Western Kenya Counties

The assessment of secondary school success is according to the number of students they are producing to join universities and other higher learning institutions. To increase access to all pupils from primary schools to access secondary schools, the government of Kenya upgraded previously extra county schools to national status to ensure regional distribution of schools across the nation. With the upgrade, the government was required to inject funds to enable facilities expansion. Despite the upgrade, the money allocated and disbursed to schools has always been inadequate to meet the needs of students. Therefore, this demands that school management makes plans for financial mobilisation to ensure that school operations are done without interruptions. The paper looks at the financial resource planning strategies that upgraded national schools in western Kenya have in place for the purpose of improving their performance. Data was collected from eight of the upgraded schools making up the study population where principals and teachers were the respondents. A sample of 156 respondents was selected to answer research questions through interviews and questionnaires. Analysis of data was performed using quantitative and qualitative methods. SPSS facilitated quantitative data analysis. The study found out that schools experienced financial shortfall arising from inadequate capitation grants from the government and delay in payment of schools by students. To cushion themselves, schools had made several financial plans like applying for grants for infrastructure development. Further, despite schools having large tracts of land, some school management did not put into use either through growing grass for dairy farming or planting crops for subsidising school food supplies. Computed correlation statistics showed a weak correlation that existed (r=0.191 and p=0.016) between financial planning dynamics and academic performance of upgraded national schools in the western region of Kenya. The paper concludes that financial resource planning strategies had minimal effects on the academic performance of upgraded national secondary schools in Kenya Certificate of Secondary examinations. The paper recommends that there is a need for school administration to work with stakeholders to identify profitable projects that can be implemented in their school to earn income.

Watering Stimulation of Alliun cepa L Plants Based on IoT Through the ESP32 Microcontroller and MQTT Protocol

Allium cepa L. (Shallots) is classified as a seasonal plant that requires special water treatment techniques correctly and precise watering methods. Farmers in the highlands of Enrekang Regency, South Sulawesi, mostly still prefer watering this plant traditionally and manually even though it is in large garden areas. Farmers also find it difficult to handle watering crops on large tracts of land and are overwhelmed by not having enough time to care for water evenly. Implementation of Internet of Things (IoT) based onion watering method utilizes an ESP32 microcontroller with the Message Queuing Telemetry Transport (MQTT) protocol, and is very easy for farmers to implement. The MQTT work system implements Publish and Subscribe data. The method and system for designing this tool is that if the shallot plant is 1-10 days old, this tool will water twice a day evenly, the morning and evening. Then if the shallot plant is 11-60 days old, this tool will water only once, in the morning. When the watering automation is implemented, the information system is in the form of a message (on the smartphone) signing by logic 0. Conversely, if this tool does not flush, then the message that comes on the smartphone is as logic 1.

Geographical range of melon ladybird Epilachna chrysomelina F. in conditions of Zeravshan valley, Uzbekistan

This article is devoted to the study of the geographical distribution, as well as the biology and ecology of the melon ladybug (Epilachna chrysomelina F.), a dangerous pest of melons and gourds in the conditions of the Zerafshan Valley of Uzbekistan. Studying of the biology of the melon ladybug and the development of measures to combat it is currently particular important in the Zerafshan Valley in connection with the development of large tracts of land. The conditions of the newly developed lands make it possible to successfully cultivate, along with cotton, valuable melons and gourds. However, the biology of the pest in the conditions of the Zarafshan Valley of Uzbekistan has not been sufficiently studied and effective measures to combat it have not been developed. The control measures recommended to date are largely outdated and need to be improved. The melon ladybug (Epilachna chrysomelina F.) is widespread in the farms of Samarkand and Bukhara regions of the Zerafshan valley and in some areas of Jizzakh and Syrdarya regions of Uzbekistan, but it is not found in the same numbers and damages the melons and gourds to varying degrees. Within certain geographic limits, mainly due to climatic factors, Epilachna chrysomelina F. currently has an intermittent, lacy character of distribution.

Establishment of the Greek state (1830)

At the beginning of the 19th century, under the influence of the French bourgeois revolution and nationalist ideas, the Greeks revolted to secede from the Ottoman Empire and gain independence. It was no coincidence that the main members of the Filiki Etheriya Society, which led the uprising, as well as its secret leaders were Greeks who served the Russian government. Russia, which wanted to break up the Ottoman Empire and gain a foothold in the seas, had been embroiled in various conflicts with the Austrian alliance since the 18th century, before the uprising. Russia, which managed to isolate the Ottoman Empire from the West through the Greek uprising, also acquired large tracts of land through the Edirne Peace Treaty, which was signed as a result of the Russo-Turkish War. However, although Britain, France, Austria, and Prussia agreed with Russia on granting autonomy to Greece, they did not intend to transfer control of the newly formed state to Russia. The revolt of the Greeks against the Ottoman Empire in 1821-1830 resulted in the victory of the Greeks. The revolt was organized and intensified with the help of great powers. The article discusses Greece's independence as a result of the uprising. In this regard, the London Protocol of April 3, 1830, signed by Russia, France and England, is of special importance. The newly established Greek state was revived as the Aegean state. Greece's borders have become clearer. The article also deals with the redefinition of the Ottoman-Greek borders by the Treaty of Constantinople of 1832. Although the London Protocol of 1830 formally established the Greek state, the Great Powers and the Greeks were not content with that. Russia, as during the uprising, remained a state that influenced the "Eastern policy" of European states after the uprising. This study was dedicated to all these factors.

The use of palm oil biodiesel blends in locomotives: An economic, social and environmental analysis

The biofuels identified as the most appropriate for use in existing internal combustion engines are bioethanol (for Otto engines) and biodiesel (for diesel engines). Supply of these fuels requires planting energy crops with high yield and photosynthetic efficiency in large tracts of land. The two most efficient crops are sugarcane (for bioethanol) and palm oil (for biodiesel), both of which have high energy densities and the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if produced in sufficient quantities. This study seeks to show the economic, social and environmental advantages of palm cultivation in relation to others oilseeds. It also describes a pioneering project using palm oil biodiesel blend (B20: 20% biodiesel with fossil diesel) in railway locomotives used for ore transport. The B20 blend performed satisfactorily and promoted a significant change in the company’s fuel mix. It was found that there is a strong ecological appeal in the production of palm oil because of its low environmental impact, high energy balance density and high carbon sequestration by the trees. Besides, it was identified that bio-fuels can significantly replace liquid fossil fuels, the ethanol can be produced from cellulosic biomass, there are advantages of palm cultivation is relation to other oil seeds are demonstrated and the development of this segment in Brazil are guided by the National Biodiesel Production Plan (PNPB).

Contested values and climate change mitigation in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Contested values and climate change mitigation in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia

Social Capital and Large-Scale Agricultural Investments: An Experimental Investigation

Abstract Following the 2007–8 global food crisis, agricultural producers have invested in large tracts of land in developing countries. We investigate how the arrival of large-scale farms changes inter-personal trust and reciprocity, important components of social capital, in traditional villages. We elicit trust and reciprocal behaviour in villages that lie near large-scale farms and compare them with villages at a distance. Our data reveal greater trust in villages close to large-scale farms. Reciprocity is more frequent after farm employment. These results are likely driven by communal coping and reputation building. A natural field measure shows that trust correlates with public good sharing.

Effects of Large-Scale Land Acquisition on Livelihood Assets in the Pru East District of Ghana

The activities of multi-national companies have affected the livelihood of smallholder farmer in the Pru East, though a lot of research work has been done on large scale land acquisition but this study focus on how it affects livelihood asset of smallholder farmers in the Pru East District. Over the past ten years, the Government of Ghana have leased out large tracts of land for investors, mainly foreign investors. Survey research approach was used for the study. A multi-stage sampling technique was employed and a sample size of 332 households was used for the study. The study used five indicators of the Livelihood Effect Index (LEI) espoused by Downing et al., (2001) to determine the effects of large-scale land acquisition on the livelihood of smallholder farming households. Large scale land acquisition has a significant positive moderate effect on the employment, healthcare and food security but, has a significant negative high effect on income levels of smallholder farming households. However, large scale land acquisition has no significant effect on the nutritional status of farming households in the Pru East district of the Bono East region. Kobre and Kadue communities with an LEI of 0.53 suggests that livelihoods of farming households in these two communities are the most effected with large scale land acquisition. The study also recommends that MMDAs must formulate by-laws to ensure that large scale land investors employ people from the host communities of the projects. Keywords: livelihood asset, large scale land acquisition, smallholder farmer, human capital asset, natural capital asset, financial capital asset, social capital asset. DOI: 10.7176/JEES/10-2-08 Publication date: February 29 th 2020

A brave new world for archaeological survey: Automated machine learning-based potsherd detection using high-resolution drone imagery

Archaeological pedestrian survey is one of the most popular techniques available for primary detection of archaeological sites and description of past landscape use. As such it is an essential tool not just for the understanding of past human distribution, economy, demography and so on but also for cultural heritage management and protection. The most common type of pedestrian surface survey consists of fieldwalking relatively large tracts of land, recording the dispersion of items of material culture, predominantly pottery fragments, by teams of archaeologists and students. This paper presents the first proof of concept for the automated recording of material culture dispersion across large areas using high resolution drone imagery, photogrammetry and a combination of machine learning and geospatial analysis that can be run using the Google Earth Engine geospatial cloud computing platform. The results show the potential of this technique, under appropriate field circumstances, to produce accurate distribution maps of individual potsherds opening a new horizon for the application of archaeological survey. The paper also discusses current limitations and future developments of this method.

Multi-species occupancy modelling of a carnivore guild in wildlife management areas in the Kalahari

Populations of large carnivores are declining at a rapid rate, primarily resulting from land use change due to increasing human pressure. Such changes can restrict available habitat for many species, particularly wide-ranging large carnivores. In Botswana, aside from protected areas, large tracts of land are set aside as wildlife management areas (WMAs). Wildlife management areas are important regions of habitat for many species and can serve as buffer zones between protected areas and agro-pastoral land, while allowing communities to utilise resources. It was hypothesised that land use type surrounding WMAs, human settlements and prey availability might affect carnivore distribution patterns. We conducted a camera-trap study with 96 stations in two WMAs in the Ghanzi district and used a Royles-Nichol multi-species occupancy model to test which factors influenced habitat use for nine carnivore species. Detection probability was low across all species, whereas occupancy varied substantially. Lion occurrence was highest close to protected areas, whereas leopards and brown hyaena occurred closer to commercial farms. Black-backed jackal and caracal had high occurrence probabilities near both protected and commercial farming areas. Settlement locations and wild prey availability did not strongly influence occurrence of any species, although black-backed jackals had higher occurrence in areas with high livestock frequency. As pressure for land continues to increase, available habitat for wildlife is reduced and wide-ranging species like carnivores are vulnerable to edge effects. The WMAs provide vital habitat for carnivores and can be used to improve livelihoods for communities, whilst maintaining biodiversity in the Kalahari.

Evaluating the Aquatic Habitat Potential of Flooded Polders in the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta

Author(s): Durand, John R. | Abstract: https://doi.org/10.15447/sfews.2017v15iss4art4 Large tracts of land in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta are subsided due to agricultural practices, creating polders up to 10 m below sea level that are vulnerable to flooding. As protective dikes breach, these become shallow, open water habitats that will not resemble any historical state. I investigated physical and biotic drivers of novel flooded polder habitat, using a Native Species Benefit Index (NSBI) to predict the nature of future Delta ecosystems. Results suggest that flooded polders in the north Delta will have the ecology and fish community composition of a tidal river plain, those in the Cache-Lindsey Complex will have that of a tidal backwater, those in the confluence of the Sacramento and San Joaquin Rivers a brackish estuary, and those in the south Delta a fresh water lake. Flooded east-side Delta polders will likely be a transitional zone between south Delta lake-like ecosystems and north Delta tidal river plains. I compared each regional zone with the limited available literature and data on local fish assemblies to find support for NSBI predictions. Because flood probabilities and repair prioritization analyses suggest that polders in the south Delta are most likely to flood and be abandoned, without extensive intervention, much of the Delta will become a freshwater lake ecosystem, dominated by alien species. Proactive management of flooded tracts will nearly always hedge risks, save money and offer more functional habitats in the future; however, without proper immediate incentives, it will be difficult to encourage strong management practices.