Ordination Techniques Research Articles

Sustainable Development Strategy Based on Value-Addedin the Fisheries Sector: Study on the Kangean Islands, Sumenep Regency, Indonesia

Objective: Kangean Islands is a group of small islands in Sumenep Regency, East Java Province, Indonesia, which is administratively divided into three sub-districts, namely Arjasa District, Kangayan District, and Sapeken District. This archipelago has very large fisheries potential as seen from its contribution to the Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) of Sumenep Regency, but the utilization of the fisheries sector in this archipelago is still carried out traditionally and tends to be exploitative. This study aims to see the level of sustainability of fisheries sector management and recommend fisheries resource management strategies, in order to increase the economic added value of the fisheries sector and maintain the sustainability of fish resources and the environment in the archipelago. Method: The analytical method used to analyze the degree of sustainability in fisheries resource management in the Kangean Islands is Rapid Appraissal for Fisheries (RAPFISH) with the Multi-Dimensional Scaling (MDS) ordination technique. While the analytical tool used to compile a hierarchy of fisheries sector development strategies to increase economic added value is the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP). Results and Discussion: The results of the sustainability analysis in the management of the fisheries sector found that, of the five aspects identified, the results showed that the financial aspect and infrastructure aspect had the category of "Sustainable Sustainability", with values of each aspect of 63.113 and 53.885. While the other three aspects, namely: Human Resources (HR) Aspect, Natural Resources Aspect, and Social Aspect are included in the category of "Less Sustainable". Meanwhile, based on the results of the analysis of the hierarchy of fisheries sector development policies, it shows that the most priority policy to be carried out in the development of a sustainable fisheries sector is the "identification of investment potential and opportunities" program with a priority value of 46%. Furthermore, the strategy that must be chosen is to map the potential of the fisheries sector with a limiting value of 21%. With a Rater Agreement value strength of 0.472727 or 47%, it means that the informants agree in providing an assessment on the paired comparison questionnaire, in determining problems and strategies in the development of the fisheries sector in the archipelago.

Clustering and unconstrained ordination with Dirichlet process mixture models

Abstract Assessment of similarity in species composition or abundance across sampled locations is a common goal in multi‐species monitoring programs. Existing ordination techniques provide a framework for clustering sample locations based on species composition by projecting high‐dimensional community data into a low‐dimensional, latent ecological gradient representing species composition. However, these techniques require specification of the number of distinct ecological communities present in the latent space, which can be difficult to determine in advance. We develop an ordination model capable of simultaneous clustering and ordination that allows for estimation of the number of clusters present in the latent ecological gradient. This model draws latent coordinates for each sample location from a Dirichlet process mixture model, affording researchers with probabilistic statements about the number of clusters present in the latent ecological gradient. The model is compared to existing methods for simultaneous clustering and ordination via simulation and applied to two empirical datasets; JAGS code to fit the proposed model is provided in an appendix. The first dataset concerns presence‐absence records of fish in the Doubs river in eastern France and the second dataset describes presence‐absence records of plant species in Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve (CRMO) in Idaho, USA. Results from both analyses align with existing ecological gradients at each location. Development of the Dirichlet process ordination model provides wildlife managers with data‐driven inferences about the number of distinct communities present across monitored locations, allowing for more cost‐effective monitoring and reliable decision‐making for conservation management.

The Genetic Characterization of the Canarian Endemic Palm (Phoenix canariensis) by Simple Sequence Repeats and Chloroplast Markers: A Tool for the Molecular Traceability of Phoenix Hybridization

The endemic palm from the Canary Islands, Phoenix canariensis, is one of the most distinctive elements of the Canarian vegetation landscape, contributing to cultural, economic and environmental aspects. One of the main conservation problems facing this iconic palm is anthropogenic hybridization with other Phoenix species, particularly Phoenix dactylifera, which has been introduced extensively throughout its geographical range. Therefore, it is important to obtain a genetic tool that addresses different issues that may have an impact on the protection of P. canariensis, including ornamental applications and wild population conservation purposes. Our main goals were to detect a molecular tracer that could reliably distinguish between Phoenix canariensis and P. dactylifera in the Canary archipelago and to characterize the presence and extent of genetic hybridization events between the two species. We used 19 nuclear microsatellites and 1 chloroplast minisatellite set and analysed a large sample size (N = 433) of plants using both Bayesian methods and ordination techniques. Our data showed that a set of 13 nuclear markers revealed diagnostic alleles for P. canariensis, which were defined as the Canarian nuclear genotype (CNG). Moreover, P. canariensis exhibited an exclusive chlorotype of 266 bp that together with the GNC serve as an indicator of genetic purity in the Canarian palm. These markers are sufficient to detect any hybrid, even if it is not related to morphological differences. The occurrence of a considerable number of specimens with different degrees of hybridization is discussed in terms of the existence of different generations of hybrids and different types of crosses. Thus, the genetic tracers represent an invaluable tool to address any proposal for the genetic conservation of Phoenix canariensis.

Prioritizing management actions for invasive non-native plants through expert-based knowledge and species distribution models

Given the high number of non-native plants that are being introduced worldwide and the time required to process formal pest risk analyses, a framework for the prioritization of management actions is urgently required. We therefore propose a framework for a replicable and standardized prioritization for management actions (eradication, control and monitoring) of invasive non-native plants, combining expert knowledge, current and future climatic suitability estimated by species distribution models (SDMs), clustering and ordination techniques. Based on expert consultation and using Italy as case study, invasive non-native plant species were selected and three categories of management actions were identified: eradication, control and containment, and monitoring. Finally, two further classes of priorities were proposed for each of the management actions: “high” and “low” priority. Overall, SDMs highlighted a high and very high suitability for Continental and Mediterranean bioregions for most invasive plants. Cluster analysis revealed three distinct clusters with varying levels of suitability for the Italian bioregions. Cluster 1 exhibited a higher suitability across all Italian bioregions, whereas non-native plants grouped in Cluster 2 predominantly featured high suitability in Mediterranean areas. Finally, Cluster 3 showed the lowest suitability values. Two ordination analysis highlighted the variability in bioclimatic suitability for each non-native plant within each cluster, as well as their current distribution pattern. Lastly, a third ordination, integrating bioclimatic suitability and spatial patterns, has allowed the differentiation of management actions for each non-native plant at both national and bioregional scales. Specifically, seven non-native plants were earmarked for eradication action, six for monitoring action, while the remaining species were deemed suitable for control and containment. Our results and the methodology proposed meet the demand for replicable new early warning tools; that is to predict the location of new outbreaks, to establish priorities for eradication, control and containment, and to monitor invasive non-native species.

G-space versus E-space: Are hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) at equilibrium with honeybees in Asia?

This study delves into the concept of niche conservatism (NC) and its implications for how hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) and honeybees respond to climate change. Our primary objectives are threefold: firstly, to assess whether distinct environmental niche spaces (E-space) exist between 12 hornets and honeybees like Apis cerana and Apis mellifera in Asia; Secondly, to explore the degree to which Asian hornets have attained geographic equilibrium alongside honeybee species. Lastly, is to investigate how the geographic niche overlap (G-space) between hornets and honeybees could potentially change under climate change scenarios. To accomplish these goals, we employed ordination and ecological niche modeling techniques to analyze 91 pairs of hornets and honeybees in both geographic (G-space) and environmental (E-space) contexts. Then, we projected the potential impacts of climate change on the future geographic overlap between hornets and honeybees, specifically under the SSP585 climate scenario for the year 2070. Our results demonstrated that the environmental niches (E-space) of hornets and honeybees can be treated as interchangeable, indicating they have similar environmental preferences despite being unrelated taxa. We found that Vespa velutina currently exhibits a moderate geographic niche overlap (G-space) of 0.63 with both honeybee species. Meanwhile, Vespa mandarinia demonstrates an overlap of 0.46 with Apis cerana and 0.63 with Apis mellifera. The overlap of Vespa velutina with Apis cerana might potentially decrease to 0.51 and 0.56 with Apis mellifera. For Vespa mandarinia, the overlap could reach 0.41 with Apis cerana and 0.6 with Apis mellifera under a climate change scenario. This study indicates that the limited spatial overlap between honeybees and hornets across certain areas in Asia is more likely influenced by geographical barriers rather than solely environmental unsuitability for hornets. In this study, we delve into the concept of niche conservatism (NC) and its implications for how hornets (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) and honeybees respond to climate change.

Disentangling the Effects of Climate and Land Uses on Small Mammals in Agroecosystems of NE Spain

We analyzed the two main drivers (climate and land uses) shaping the composition of small mammal communities at 16 localities situated in the confluence of the Mediterranean and Eurosiberian regions (Barcelona, Spain). The study area represents a land use and land cover gradient showing urbanization and crop intensification in the lowlands and forest encroachment in mountain areas. We identified 2458 small mammal individuals of 12 different species from barn owl (Tyto alba) pellets. Three open-land species (Microtus duodecimcostatus, Crocidura russula, and Mus spretus) and one forest/generalist species (Apodemus sylvaticus) were dominant in the diet, accounting for 93% of prey. In order to disentangle the effects of both main drivers on the small mammal community, we used partial constrained ordination techniques, which allowed us to determine the pure effects (and shared effects) of the environmental factors. Land use predictors explained 33.4% of the variance (mostly crops), followed by 23.4% of the variance explained by the geo-climatic variables (mostly rainfall), and an additional 24.8% of the variance was shared by both groups of predictors, totaling 81.6% of environmental variance. The remaining 18.4% of variance was unexplained by environmental matrices. This pattern was consistent with expected associations of species and biotic influences at small spatial scales and highlighted that the number of species increased from the crops in the lowlands towards the highlands covered by deciduous and coniferous forests.

The cognitive and conative image in insular marine protected areas: A study from Galapagos, Ecuador

The present study aimed to identify the factors related to cognitive and conative image attributes in an insular marine protected area and determine which factors explain tourist satisfaction and behavioral loyalty. The research was conducted in the Galapagos Islands, a marine protected area in Ecuador, South America. A total of 407 tourist questionnaires were collected on-site, including national and foreign visitors, and factor analysis and ordinal logistical regression techniques were applied. The findings reveal four factors in the image attributes of insular marine protected areas: Staff Attention, Tourist Facilities, Nature, and Cultural Activities. Among the factors explaining satisfaction with the tourist destination, as well as the intention to recommend it and provide positive feedback, Nature and Staff Attention at the destination stand out. Meanwhile, the cultural activities factor best explains the intention to return to the destination.These findings enhance the academic understanding of the factors influencing the image of coastal and marine destinations, particularly in insular marine protected areas. They also offer valuable insights for destination managers, providing practical guidelines to improve destination images, thereby boosting tourist satisfaction and loyalty.

Updating knowledge of vegetation belts on a complex oceanic island after 20 years under the effect of climate change

Climate change is causing major changes in terrestrial ecosystems and biomes around the world. This is particularly concerning in oceanic islands, considered reservoirs of biodiversity, even more in those with a significant altitudinal gradient and high complexity in the vegetation they potentially harbour. Here, in Tenerife (Canary Islands), we have evaluated the changes in potential vegetation belts during the last 20 years by comparing them with a previous study. Considering the intimate linkage between vegetation and climate, we used a methodology based on phytosociological knowledge, ordination techniques and geostatistics, using multivariate spatial interpolations of bioclimatic data. This has allowed us to spatially detect the variations experienced by eight vegetation units during the last 20 years and incorporating a set of vulnerability metrics. New bioclimatic and vegetation cartography are provided according to the current scenario studied (1990–2019). Our results indicate that summit vegetation, humid laurel forest and thermo-sclerophyllous woodland are the habitats that have experienced a very high area loss and mismatch index, strong changes, if we consider that we are only comparing a period of 20 years. Simultaneously, the more xeric vegetation belts, the dry laurel forest and the pine forest would have benefited from this new warmer and drier climate, by gaining area and experiencing strong upward movements. These changes have not been spatially uniform, indicating that the elevational gradient studied not explain completely our results, showing the influence of the complex island topography. Effective landscape management should consider current remnants, transition capacity and movement limitations to better understand current and future vegetation responses in a global change context.

No lasting effects of a severe drought event on plant community composition in experimental grassland

The effect of severe drought in the summer 2018 on the plant community composition and overall diversity was investigated in a replicated long-term grassland experiment where nitrogen availability was manipulated. The possible plant community response to the drought and the possible role of selected plant traits were investigated using model-based ordination techniques, which were tailored to the sampled pin-point cover data. Contrary to our prior expectation, that the severe drought had lasting effects on the plant community, we could not detect any significant effects of the severe drought on the plant community composition or Hill–Shannon diversity the following year and 3 years later. Furthermore, we did not detect any significant mediating effect of nitrogen on the possible effects of severe drought. The possible reasons for the observed high resistance of the grassland community to the severe drought event are discussed. Lasting effects of drought on plant communities cannot be predicted from observations during or immediately after the drought.

The effect of animal name and wall shoot training on the accuracy of shooting free throw in terms of hand eye coordination in beginner athletes

Providing training program treatment to athletes is the most important thing in the success of a coach to get more optimal results, one of which is using modified exercise animals name and wall shoots. This study aims to analyze: 1) the difference in the effect of animals name and wall shoot training on the accuracy of free throw shooting techniques, 2) the difference in the influence between athletes who have high and low hand eye coordination on the accuracy of shooting free throw, 3) the interaction between animals name and wall shoot training and high and low hand eye coordination on the accuracy of shooting free throw in beginner class athletes. This study is a type of factorial 2x2 experimental research with a population of 38 athletes and then the basis for determining samples using purposive sampling techniques based on inclusion criteria set by researchers, so that the sample in this study amounted to 20 athletes who would later be divided into each group using ordinal pairing techniques. The instrument used is to measure the accuracy of shooting free throw, namely drill shoot free throw, while hand eye coordination uses a one-pint image. The data analysis technique used is ANOVA two way. The results of this study show that: 1) there is a significant difference in the effect between animal name and wall shoot exercises on the accuracy of shooting free throw, as evidenced by the results of Fhitung's analysis of 6.741 with sig values. amounted to 0.001. 2) there is a significant difference in the influence on the ability of the hand eye coordination system on the free throw shooting accuracy component, as evidenced by the result of a Fcalculate value of 32.463 with a sig value. amounted to 0.000. 3) there is a significant interaction between the name of the animal and the wall shooting exercise in terms of free throw accuracy, as evidenced by the results of the Fcalculate value of 2.294 with the sig value. 0,003. So it can be concluded that the two exercises significantly affect the accuracy of the free throw shooting itself. These factors need to be considered in planning and implementing training programs to improve athlete performance, especially in terms of optimizing the accuracy of free throw shooting techniques in basketball athletes in the beginner class. Keywords: Animals Name, Wall Shoot, Precision, Shooting Free Throw, Hand Eye Coordination, Athletes.

Solid as a rock: The main drivers of changes in natural, rocky plant communities

AbstractQuestionChanges caused by climate warming and nitrogen pollution are observed in forest, grassland and alpine ecosystems worldwide. However, still little is known about the impact of these globally influencing factors on natural rocky plant communities. Has species composition of natural rocky communities changed over time? What is the role of large‐scale and fine‐scale environmental factors in shaping the compositional, functional and habitat patterns in studied plant communities over time?LocationSudetes Mountains, southwestern Poland.MethodsWe used 214 pairs of replots (collected between 1989 and 2022) of rocky plant communities, with a mean timespan of 14.2 years. The changes in species composition, environmental conditions and functional traits were analysed using ordination techniques and generalised additive models (GAMs) and with reference to large‐scale factors (mean maximum temperatures, actual evapotranspiration, N deposition) and fine‐scale factors (light availability, bedrock type, initial site conditions) for each locality.ResultsSpecies composition of the studied communities has not changed significantly over time. Only for 11 out of 258 species, statistically significant increases (from 2% to 8%) in their proportion were recorded. The changes in environmental conditions were significantly influenced mainly by fine‐scale factors such as changes in light availability and baseline site conditions. Plots that were initially less thermophilic or nitrophilic showed stronger signals of thermophilisation and eutrophication in the resurvey. The influence of large‐scale factors was considerably less pronounced. Similarly, the key role in explaining changes in plant traits for the data set under study falls to local factors, particularly changes in light availability.ConclusionsOur study confirms the validity of considering both large‐ and fine‐scale factors as well as initial site conditions in research on long‐term changes in plant communities. Rocky plant communities respond to global changes in a different way than other types of phytocoenose, showing high stability of species composition and functional traits over time.

Validation of graph sequence clusters through multivariate analysis: application to Rovash scripts

This paper introduces the concept of pattern systems that evolve, with a focus on scripts, a specific type of pattern system. The study analyses the development of different script systems, known as scriptinformatics, with a focus on the historical Rovash scripts used in the Eurasian steppe. The aim is to assess the traditional classification of historical inscriptions, referred to as script relics, into distinct Rovash scripts. Clustering and ordination techniques were used to perform multivariate analyses on Rovash scripts and inscriptions. The study presents two new measures, the script-specific holophyletic index and the joint holophyletic index, for evaluating trees produced by hierarchical clustering. The results indicate that holophyletic indices can validate the traditional assignment of inscriptions to scripts through phylogenetic tree evaluation. This method can be extended to include pattern systems with evolutionary properties and graph sequences derived from them, as well as additional scripts and inscriptions.

Characteristics of bird niches in a small Indian city: effect of migratory status, season, and environment variables

Abstract Small tropical and sub-tropical cities frequently retain considerable and diverse green spaces. Such cities can house diverse bird assemblages but these species face conditions varying both spatially (habitats and human activity spread out unequally) and temporally (influx of migratory birds, seasonally varying weather). How do urban birds cope with such conditions? More specifically, do migratory species vary from resident ones in their requirements, and how do resident species deal with variations in conditions? To address these questions, we used an ordination technique, the Outlying Mean Index (OMI), to estimate niche characteristics (OMI, tolerance, and residual tolerance) of 74 resident and migratory bird species in the tourism-dominated Udaipur city, India, across three seasons during 2019–20 using 16 variables that incorporated human presence, land use and trees. OMIs indicated high residual tolerance suggesting that measured variables were inadequate to fully characterize urban bird niches. Contrary to predictions, birds grouped by feeding guilds had similar niche metrics both within and across seasons. Also contrary to predictions, migratory species had more generalized niches relative to resident species. Bird niches were most influenced by trees, effects due to other natural habitats (open areas, scrublands, wetlands) were weaker, and human-related variables (cattle, built-up area, people, vehicles) had the weakest influence. Seasonal niche characteristics computed for 41 resident species suggested that individual species coped with changing conditions differently. Conservation of bird assemblages in small cities will require preservation of city-wide habitat diversity alongside spatially restricting urbanization.

An Approach Based on Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets for Considering Stakeholders’ Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction, and Hesitation in Software Features Prioritization

This paper introduces a semi-automated approach for the prioritization of software features in medium- to large-sized software projects, considering stakeholders’ satisfaction and dissatisfaction as key criteria for the incorporation of candidate features. Our research acknowledges an inherent asymmetry in stakeholders’ evaluations, between the satisfaction from offering certain features and the dissatisfaction from not offering the same features. Even with systematic, ordinal scale-based prioritization techniques, involved stakeholders may exhibit hesitation and uncertainty in their assessments. Our approach aims to address these challenges by employing the Binary Search Tree prioritization method and leveraging the mathematical framework of Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets to quantify the uncertainty of stakeholders when expressing assessments on the value of software features. Stakeholders’ rankings, considering satisfaction and dissatisfaction as features prioritization criteria, are mapped into Intuitionistic Fuzzy Numbers, and objective weights are automatically computed. Rankings associated with less hesitation are considered more valuable to determine the final features’ priorities than those rankings with more hesitation, reflecting lower indeterminacy or lack of knowledge from stakeholders. We validate our proposed approach with a case study, illustrating its application, and conduct a comparative analysis with existing software requirements prioritization methods.

Fusion of standard and ordinal dropout techniques to regularise deep models

Dropout is a popular regularisation tool for deep neural classifiers, but it is applied regardless of the nature of the classification task: nominal or ordinal. Consequently, the order relation between the class labels of ordinal problems is ignored. In this paper, we propose the fusion of standard dropout and a new dropout methodology for ordinal classification regularising deep neural networks to avoid overfitting and improve generalisation, but taking into account the extra information of the ordinal task, which is exploited to improve performance. The correlation between the outputs of every neuron and the target labels is used to guide the dropout process: the higher the neuron is correlated with the expected labels, the lower its probability of being dropped. Given that randomness also plays a crucial role in the regularisation process, a balancing factor (β) is also added to the training process to determine the influence of the ordinality with respect to a constant probability, providing a hybrid ordinal regularisation method. An extensive battery of experiments shows that the new hybrid ordinal dropout methodology perform better than standard dropout, obtaining improved results in most evaluation metrics, including not only ordinal metrics but also nominal ones.

Planktic diatom responses to spatiotemporal environmental variation in high‐mountain tropical lakes

Abstract Tropical lakes harbour high levels of biodiversity, but the temporal and spatial variability of biological communities are still inadequately characterised, making it difficult to predict the impact of accelerated rates of environmental change in these regions. Our goal was to identify the spatiotemporal dynamics of the planktic diatom community in the Cajas Massif in the tropical Andes. We analysed seasonal diatom and environmental data over a period of 1 year from 10 lakes located in geologically distinct basins and modelled community–environment relationships using multivariate ordination and variation partitioning techniques. Generalised additive models with a full‐subset information theoretic approach also were used to determine which environmental variables explain single‐species abundance. Although the lakes are monomictic and thus have variable thermal structure across the year, seasonal variability of water chemistry conditions was negligible, and seasonal differences in diatom community composition were small. Across space, diatom community composition was correlated primarily with ionic content (divalent cations and alkalinity), related to bedrock composition, and secondly with lake thermal structure and productivity. The ionic gradient overrode the effect of the thermal structure–productivity gradient at the diatom community level, whereas individual diatom species responded more sensitively to variables related to in‐lake and catchment productivity, including chlorophyll‐a and iron, and the proportion of wetlands in the catchment. Our results indicate that the spatiotemporal variability of Cajas lakes and their diatom communities is the result of multiple intertwined environmental factors. The emergence of the ionic and thermal structure–productivity gradients in a rather small tropical lake district suggests segregation of ecological niches for diatoms that also may be important in other high‐elevation lake regions. Future studies that track tropical Andean lakes under natural and anthropogenically mediated change, both in contemporary times and in palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, would benefit from the modelling approach (community and species levels) developed here.

Minor effect of wind exposure and littoral slope on macrophyte characteristics in non-impacted lowland lakes of Poland.

Aquatic vegetation is a reliable indicator of the ecological condition of surface waters. Abundance, composition and spatial structure of aquatic communities are shaped by an array of factors, which include both natural abiotic features of an ecosystem and external influences. We investigated whether the physical features, i.e., wind exposure and slope of the lake basin, have a significant impact on the taxonomic composition and spatial structure of macrophyte communities from non-impacted, highly alkaline, lowland lakes of the European plains (Poland). We further examined whether these features can affect the classification of the ecological status of lakes assessed in accordance with the Water Framework Directive requirements. Morphological, botanical and physicochemical data from 260 transects in 16 non-disturbed lakes of Polish lowlands surveyed in the years 2011-2016 were analysed. For each transect, littoral slope and wind exposure were calculated. Additionally, the total phosphorus concentration was used as a proxy of water trophy. The relationships between environmental variables and macrophyte indices as well as the syntaxonomic composition of aquatic and rush vegetation (dependent variables) were analysed using multidimensional ordination techniques (redundancy analysis, variation partitioning and indicator values), correlation and regression analysis. Among the three analysed environmental factors (littoral slope, wind exposure and water trophy), in almost all cases the latter explained the highest variance in the macrophyte community, while the contribution of the first two was at most moderate, weak or usually statistically insignificant. However, lakes with steeper slopes were more frequently inhabited by stoneworts and had better ecological status than those with a gentle littoral shape. This may be attributed to the links between lake morphometry and rate of eutrophication, with deep lakes supporting more effective dilution of substances. Furthermore, lower light requirements of charophytes than of higher plants and the capacity to growth in unstable sediments facilitate charophyte establishment in deeper and steeper parts of the littoral over higher plants. Our findings suggest that in lowland lakes with relatively small areas, moderate depths and low wind exposure typical of European plains, slopes and weaving do not hamper vegetation development and do not negatively affect the macrophyte assessment of ecological status. In such ecosystems, eutrophication seems to be a more important factor determining aquatic vegetation than physical features.

Ecological and statistical models to configure flow regime for environment benefit in highly engineered rivers: a case study in the MacKenzie River, Southeast Australia.

Ecological and statistical models were developed using freshwater algal assemblages to assess water quality and ecological health of a regulated river. These models were used to inform configuration of flows to maintain or improve environmental conditions of the waterway whilst meeting consumptive water supply commitments. The flow regime of the MacKenzie River, western Victoria, Australia, has been substantially modified since the construction of a water supply reservoir on its upper reach in 1887. Water is withdrawn at several locations downstream of the reservoir, creating a substantially modified flow regime, impacting key environmental values of the river. To assess the impact of the different flow regimes on river health and ecosystem function, ten sites were repeatedly sampled along the river between February 2012 and April 2014. Physical and chemical characteristics of water, including pH, temperature, turbidity, electrical conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, total phosphorous, cations, and anions, were measured. Biological properties of the algal periphyton communities, including dry mass, ash-free dry mass, chlorophyll-a concentration, and species composition, were also measured. Exploration of the algal assemblage and water chemistry data using the computationally unconstrained ordination technique such as principal component analysis principal component analysis (PCA), correspondence analysis (CA), detrended correspondence analysis (DCA), and canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) indicated two strong gradients in the data sets. Furthermore, the quantitative ecosystem response models have been developed as the prototype tool to assist in the future configuration of flows in this river. The empirical data and models showed the lower reaches of the river to be in poor condition under low flows, but this condition improved under flows of 35 ML/day, as indicated by the reduction in green algae and cyanobacteria and improvement. Finally, the results are presented to tailor discharge and duration of water volume by amalgamation of consumptive and environmental flows to improve the condition of the stream thereby supplementing the flows dedicated to environmental outcomes.

The Effect of Social Media Marketing Activity on Consumer's Purchase Intention in Huitsportwear Products Mediated by Customer Trust

The increasing number of social media users in Indonesia has made several companies in the textile industry use social media as a medium of communication, promotion and also provide information on a product, one of which is the Huitsportwear company. Huitsportwear does marketing through Instagram social media by creating information content about products with a total of 610 posts, but Huitsportwear experienced a decline in sales and received complaints from Instagram followers about information provided on Instagram social media that was considered less informative and trustworthy, causing followers to hesitate to make purchases on Huitsportwear products. This study aims to determine how much influence social media marketing and customer trust have on consumer purchase intentions in Huitsportwear products with customer trust as a mediation variable. In this study, the method used is a quantitative method with the purpose of research, which is casual. Data collection using non-probability sampling method with convenience sampling type as many as 400 follower respondents who have purchased Huitsportwear products. This study used questionnaire data collection techniques with ordinal scales and data analysis techniques using Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with the help of SmartPLS software. This study found that social media marketing affects intention of consumer purchases and customer trust. Furthermore, customer trust affects consumer purchase intentions. Customer trust mediates the relationship between social media marketing and consumer purchase intention. The suggestion in this study is that the Huitsportwear company can create interactive and informative content about the promotion of available products and services so as to increase consumer buying interest in Huitsportwear products.

Traits of weed species present in maize respond to tillage and cropping systems

IntroductionArable weeds adapt to any changes in disturbance and management. On arable fields, tilling disturbs the soil, while cropping practices like rotation, pesticide use, fertilizer use, and the use of subsidiary crops characterize the management of the field. On a species level, weeds adapt in their abundance and composition. The species have certain traits to use the on-site resources best. Our objective was to investigate if traits beyond just species describe the adaptation of weeds to tillage and cropping systems. Therefore, we present a use case of weeds on fields cropped with maize in Germany.Material and methodsOver 2 years, we conducted a nationwide weed survey on 577 maize fields. On each field, the abundance of each weed species was counted on 10 randomly sampled square plots of 0.1 m² not treated with herbicides at the fourth to eighth leaf stages of the maize. Weed species frequent on at least 5% of the fields were assigned traits. Traits were taken from published updated databases. We interviewed all farmers about the management practices of their fields.ResultsThe management practice data identified three management clusters of tillage and cropping sequence on maize fields. The standard system so far is a management system characterized by inversion tillage and maize cropped in rotations (“Traditional”). The two transformation systems are maize cropped in rotations but with non-inversion tillage as the method of soil disturbance (“Conservational”) and maize cropped continuously regardless of the tillage system (“Monoculture”). Ordination techniques showed that both weed species and traits are assigned to these management systems. Traditional disfavored weed species with a greater plant height. Conservational selected dicot weed species with a high seed weight and a long flowering duration. Monoculture mainly filtered monocot weed species and favored weeds that germinate in spring.DiscussionOur study describes weed responses on transformations of maize cropping in tillage and cropping systems on both the species and the trait level. This application expresses the importance and value of collecting weed surveys with field management data on a geographically widespread and repeated timescale.