Spatial Use Patterns Research Articles

Understanding the Spatial Requirements that Facilitate Personal Leisure Activities of the High-Needs Elderly

The growth of the ageing population and the desires for ageing-in-place have resulted in an ever-increasing need for housing that can support the independent living of the elderly with care needs. As impairments and care needs increase, spatial use typically changes. However, there is limited information on how to accommodate leisure activities and spatial use in private dwellings to inform housing design. Through an ethnographic investigation of 30 high-needs elderly people living independently, patterns of spatial use for personal leisure activities were established. Seven key themes for residents’ perceptions were revealed, which include; comfort in posture, access to sunshine and warmth, facilitating activities to occupy residents, views to outside, control for doing everything from one space, and keeping active. In the design of housing for the high-needs elderly, greater attention should be given to the micro-environment of the main sitting space, to improve occupant control while enhancing comfort and warmth. This paper provides key considerations for housing design, which will help elderly people continue their fulfilled life in their own home as long as possible.

Spatial and seasonal patterns of communal latrine use by spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) reflect a seasonal resource defense strategy

Communal marking sites, or latrines, appear to play an important role in intraspecific communication and social dynamics in a wide range of mammal species. The spatial distribution of latrines can provide clues to their function and has been well documented in a number of species. Latrine use may vary considerably through time, however, and a more comprehensive approach to their study that considers spatial and seasonal patterns of use is required to understand more fully the costs and benefits of latrine use, and hence their adaptive significance. This study investigated spatial and seasonal patterns of latrine use by spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) in northern Botswana, examining their potential role in resource defense. Latrine characteristics and hyena activity were monitored to test the influence of season and location (relative to clan territories and roads) on latrine use. We conducted monthly scat counts (at 78 latrines) and continuously recorded hyena visitation (to 50 latrines) in five clan home ranges, demonstrating clear seasonal patterns in latrine use. Latrines were smaller in the wet season (November-March), resulting from fewer visits by hyenas, reduced scat accumulation, and the seasonal activity of coprophagous beetles. We speculate that such a seasonal pattern may be driven by reduced competition for food during the wet season. Latrines located within core clan areas were no larger or more frequently used than those in home-range boundary areas, but hyenas did preferentially place latrines alongside roads and were more likely to reuse road-side latrines in subsequent years. This pattern was not due to observer detection bias and adds to the growing body of literature on the impact that roads and other anthropogenic features have on the communication and movement ecology of wild animals. Although most mammals use communal marking sites, very little is known about their function and detailed patterns of use in many species. We investigated latrine use in spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) and describe spatial and temporal marking patterns that are consistent with optimizing scent longevity and detection. Spatially, hyenas preferentially located latrines along the edge of man-made vehicle tracks, which may increase signal detection and transmission. Seasonal marking patterns suggest that hyenas optimize their communication by concentrating activity in the dry season, thereby avoiding the disruptive effects of coprophagous dung beetles and rain, and focusing activity during periods when food resources are expected to be scarcer. These results demonstrate seasonal and spatial optimization of communication, including in response to novel anthropogenic features in the environment such as roads, advancing our understanding of communication strategies in mammals more broadly.

BIKEMI BIKE-SHARING SERVICE EXPLORATORY ANALYSIS ON MOBILITY PATTERNS

Abstract. Bike Sharing Systems (BSS) are growing worldwide for the social and environmental benefits that they can provide. Thanks to the increasing popularity of the BSS and the availability of monitoring technologies, there is a continuous production of data that can help to understand bike usage and to improve its design and management. This study aims at exploring BSS users’ mobility patterns habits and the demand for the service. To reach this scope, the available data have been preprocessed in order to allow data mining and data visualization with open source tools based on Python. The study case regards the BikeMi BSS of the City of Milan between June 2015 to December 2018. The suggested approach proceeded, first, with the categorization of the user typology based on the frequency of use of the service; at a second stage, the influence of the day typology on the use of the service has been explored; third, the spatial and temporal patterns of the BSS use among the stations has been analysed; fourth, the influence of meteorological conditions on the use of the service has been considered; at last, the clustering of the stations with similar bikes use activity through K-Means has been performed. As expected, it was observed that the service is extensively used for commuting to work-related activities. Regular users compose a large part of the BSS community making use of the service mostly during weekdays. In addition, it was noted that only 'strong' meteorological conditions can impact the use of the service. Both the identification of the demand for the service and of the external factors that can affect its use support the clustering activities, allowing for the elimination of not relevant information and facilitating the interpretation of the obtained clusters.

Perencanaan Tata Ruang Terbuka Hijau Sesuai Peraturan Daerah Kota Denpasar Nomor 27 Tahun 2011

The declining quality and quantity of green open space in urban areas has caused a decrease in the quality of the environment. Therefore, it is necessary to conduct a research on the Green Open Spatial Planning, especially in Denpasar City the legal provisions of which has been regulated in Regional Regulation No. 27 of 2011. This research analyzes the planning for the use of Green Open Spatial and the mechanism for changing the Green Open Spatial to change its function to become Spatial Settlement. The method used in this research was a normative research method, in which legal data collection was carried out by recording library studies, document studies, information and explanations obtained both from the Laws, Government Regulations and other Regulations that can be further examined which related to this problem. Data analysis in this research was carried out systematically by classification of legal materials to facilitate the analysis work, then Legal materials obtained are then subjected to discussion and grouping into certain sections. The results found that the Green Open Space is an area dominated by plants that are built for protection functions. The pattern of spatial use as a basis for the Denpasar City Government sets Green Open Spaces namely Settlements and Public Facilities. Changes in the pattern of utilization of green open spaces have changed the function resulting in the realization of optimal urban spatial planning. This happened because of the weak awareness of the people of Denpasar City.

Trophic Niche and Diversity of a Pelagic Squid (Dosidicus gigas): A Comparative Study Using Stable Isotope, Fatty Acid, and Feeding Apparatuses Morphology

Commercially important pelagic squid such as jumbo squid Dosidicus gigas play a key role in energy and nutrient transfer in marine ecosystem. Geographic variations in the foraging strategy of D. gigas can provide valuable information on cephalopod trophic diversification and adaption to natural and anthropogenic impacts. Here, we used a novel combination of stable isotope (SI) and fatty acid (FA) analyses of muscle tissues and morphometric measurements of feeding apparatuses to evaluate spatial patterns of habitat and resource use of D. gigas collected from three main fishing grounds in the tropical and southern temperate Pacific Ocean. Results showed that the δ13C and δ15N values were different among geographic stocks within D. gigas, possibly because of site-specific dietary sources and isotopic baseline values. Spatial variabilities in FA profiles/biomarkers, combined with SI results, suggests two foraging patterns: utilization of resources mainly from oceanic food webs or from both neritic and oceanic food webs. This behavior likely promotes the site-specific trophic niche width, increases adaptation to inhabiting oceanographic conditions, and could be driven by differences in feeding apparatuses morphology, body size, and trophic position. These results emphasize the dietary flexibility of D. gigas and their important ecological roles in ecosystems as cross-biome trophic linkages. Trophic diversification of pelagic squid like D. gigas may have important implications for their population dynamics, ecological associations, and subsequent management.

Species‐specific transpiration and water use patterns of two pioneer dominant tree species under manipulated rainfall in a low‐subtropical secondary evergreen forest

AbstractLike many other ecosystems, subtropical forests are suffering more intense and longer droughts with the ongoing climate change. This study aimed to explore the seasonal transpiration and physiological responses of two dominant tree species, Schima superba and Michelia macclurei, to manipulated precipitation patterns in a subtropical evergreen forest of South China, in which an ambient control treatment (BC), a drier dry and wetter wet season treatment (DD) and an extended dry and wetter wet season treatment (ED) were applied. Tree water use and associated ecophysiological characters, such as the daily whole‐tree transpiration (EL), intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi), Huber values (As:Al) and utilization proportions from different water sources were determined during the period from October 2012 to September 2013. For both tree species, no significant difference in transpiration among the three treatments was observed in the wet season, and a relatively stronger decrease of transpiration occurred under DD and ED treatments during the later dry season. Moreover, the higher transpiration of M. macclurei and its advantage of utilizing the shallow water derived from light rainfall under dry condition suggested that it has more survival and growth advantages in this subtropical forest. Therefore, under the seasonal drought caused by uneven distribution of rainfall in the future, M. macclurei that inclines to use shallow soil water would adopt a drought‐avoidance strategy, whereas S. superba that could uptake deeper soil water would be drought tolerant. The different spatial and temporal patterns of water use, together with the contrasting water use strategies, could reduce competition of the two species and facilitate their coexistence under potential precipitation distribution changes.

Comportamiento espacial del uso de las TIC en los hogares e individuos. Un análisis regional europeo

Estudios recientes muestran la existencia de desigualdades espaciales en la dotación y uso de infraestructuras TIC de los hogares e individuos entre el norte, sur y este de Europa. Los estudios previos se han realizado a escala país o para ámbitos rurales-urbanos, sin analizar la existencia de patrones de distribución espacial. El objetivo es identificar patrones espaciales de uso de las TIC en hogares e individuos a nivel regional en Europa. La investigación se realiza con dos variables complejas: “Disponibilidad de acceso a internet y uso diario de comercio, banca y administración electrónica” o uso transaccional; y, “Uso de redes sociales por banda ancha” o uso relacional. Con 233 NUT 2 se analiza la: a) distribución y dispersión estadística del grado de variabilidad del uso de TIC; y, 2) autocorrelación espacial con SIG para identificar patrones espaciales mediante el cálculo de los índices globales de I de Moran y Getis-Ord, Anselin local de Moran y Getis-Ord Gi*. Se obtiene como resultado que el uso relacional presenta valores similares entre las regiones europeas, mostrando una distribución territorial uniforme, donde la componente espacial no es un factor de igual magnitud que para la variable transaccional que dibuja un definido patrón espacial con gradiente noroeste-sureste.

Development and optimisation of molecular assays for microsatellite genotyping and molecular sexing of non-invasive samples of the ghost bat, Macroderma gigas.

The ghost bat (Macroderma gigas) is endemic to Australia but is under threat, with scarce information available on the genetic health of remaining populations. Here, we develop molecular assays for microsatellite genotyping and molecular sexing of non-invasive samples as a genetic monitoring tool to identify individuals, measure genetic diversity and investigate spatial and temporal patterns of habitat use by ghost bats. We identified novel microsatellites through high-throughput sequencing on the Illumina MiSeq platform. Of 48 loci tested, six markers were added to five previously developed microsatellite loci. We developed three Y-linked (DDX3Y, Zfy and SRY) and one X-linked markers (Zfx) to enable molecular identification of sex. To assess performance, all 11 microsatellite and four sex-linked markers were amplified in three multiplex reactions in 160M. gigas faecal samples from the Pilbara region, Western Australia. The combined markers offered a high level of individual discrimination (PIDsibs = 0.00002) and we detected 19 bats in total (11 males, 4 females and 4 sex undetermined). The number of alleles per locus ranged from 5 to 14 and the average observed and expected heterozygosity across loci were Ho = 0.735 (0.58-0.91) and uHe = 0.785 (0.59-0.89) respectively. Our molecular assays allowed identification of individuals from faecal samples at multiple time points and spatial locations and enabled us to elucidate patterns of habitat usage at the study site. This study highlights the value of our molecular assays as a potential capture-mark-recapture technique for population monitoring for this species.

Geographical variations in postnatal care use and associated factors in India: evidence from a cross-sectional national survey

Postnatal care (PNC) period is a critical phase for survival of mothers and newborn babies. Understanding spatial heterogeneity is essential for evidence-based policymaking in high-risk geographical areas. Moreover, there is a paucity of research on the utilization of PNC and its geographical inequalities in India. Therefore, this paper aims to identify the geographical variations in PNC use and associated socio-demographic factors among Indian women. A cross-sectional study was conducted using the 2015–2016 National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4) data. A total of 190,898 women aged 15–49 years who had a live birth in the past five years preceding the survey were utilized in this study. This study assessed the levels of PNC use across geographical regions, states, and districts. Moran’s ‘I’ and spatial autocorrelation were carried out to identify the spatial patterns of PNC use. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were employed to examine the factors associated with PNC utilization. In India, the proportion of PNC usage was 69.1% with marked variations across geographical regions. Lower use of PNC was found in the north, central, east, and northeast regions, while PNC utilization was higher in south, followed by west region of the country. This study found that educational attainment of women and household wealth status was positively correlated with PNC utilization. Women with higher education were more likely to receive PNC (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 1.57, 95% CI 1.49–1.65) compared to uneducated women. The odds of PNC use were 2.57 times higher (AOR: 2.57, 95% CI 2.44–2.70) among the women from the richest wealth quintile than those from the poorest wealth quintile. Furthermore, social groups, religion, women’s age, age at marriage, birth order, child wantedness, and geographical region had a significant association with PNC healthcare-seeking. The findings of this study indicate evidence-based maternal healthcare programs to mitigate the identified geographical inequalities in PNC usage. Furthermore, this study suggests state- and region-specific healthcare interventions and strengthening of existing policies to improve the utilization of PNC in India.

Spatial Differentiation of Land Use and Landscape Pattern Changes in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei Area

Landscape pattern analysis based on geometric features effectively reflects the spatial patterns of land use. Based on the administrative boundaries of prefecture-level cities, the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei collaborative development area is divided into three sub-regions, according to ecological–production–living functions. We used remote sensing data of long time series land-use change from late 1980 to 2015, and analyzed landscape pattern changes and spatial differentiation in the past 30 years. The results show that: (1) The main type of land-use change was the flow of cultivated land to urban construction land, and the urbanization process was significant. (2) The urban construction land was the landscape type with the highest degree of fragmentation and maximum land-use change in the region. (3) The patch density in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei area increased while the average patch area decreased, and the entire landscape tended towards significant fragmentation. The Shannon diversity and evenness indexes continued to increase, indicating that the overall landscape in this region is heterogeneous and diversified. The ecological and environmental protection measures implemented in this region so far have achieved results, but require more stringent measures to ensure the total diversification of land use in the region.

Assessing Field-Scale Risks of Foliar Insecticide Applications to Monarch Butterfly (Danaus plexippus) Larvae.

Establishment and maintenance of milkweed plants (Asclepias spp.) in agricultural landscapes of the north central United States are needed to reverse the decline of North America's eastern monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) population. Because of a lack of toxicity data, it is unclear how insecticide use may reduce monarch productivity when milkweed habitat is placed near maize and soybean fields. To assess the potential effects of foliar insecticides, acute cuticular and dietary toxicity of 5 representative active ingredients were determined: beta-cyfluthrin (pyrethroid), chlorantraniliprole (anthranilic diamide), chlorpyrifos (organophosphate), and imidacloprid and thiamethoxam (neonicotinoids). Cuticular median lethal dose values for first instars ranged from 9.2 × 10-3 to 79 μg/g larvae for beta-cyfluthrin and chlorpyrifos, respectively. Dietary median lethal concentration values for second instars ranged from 8.3 × 10-3 to 8.4 μg/g milkweed leaf for chlorantraniliprole and chlorpyrifos, respectively. To estimate larval mortality rates downwind from treated fields, modeled insecticide exposures to larvae and milkweed leaves were compared to dose-response curves obtained from bioassays with first-, second-, third-, and fifth-instar larvae. For aerial applications to manage soybean aphids, mortality rates at 60 m downwind were highest for beta-cyfluthrin and chlorantraniliprole following cuticular and dietary exposure, respectively, and lowest for thiamethoxam. To estimate landscape-scale risks, field-scale mortality rates must be considered in the context of spatial and temporal patterns of insecticide use. Environ Toxicol Chem 2020;39:923-941. © 2020 SETAC.

EVEKTIFITAS PEMANFAATAN RUANG TERBUKA PUBLIK DI TAMAN SULTAN HASANUDDIN GOWA

The importance of the existence of Green Open Space (RTH) in urban areas has begun to be felt by the community at this time. By looking at the phenomenon of the many public open spaces that are changing their faces into new high-rise buildings and housing, it has encouraged the enthusiasm of some people to restore the role of public space in urban areas. Various environmentalists took part, including the government through the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing, various communities including the implementers of the 2015 world habitat day activity (HHD2015) and writers, to voice the urgency of public space and share ideas and strategies for encourage the realization of public space for all communities. Sultan Hasanuddin Park is a park located in Gowa Regency, but it is not passed by public transportation. Sultan Hasanuddin Park also has several supporting facilities but it does not function properly and some have been damaged. This study uses a qualitative descriptive method, which describes a phenomenon, events and conditions that exist. This study aims to Analyze the pattern of spatial use in Sultan Hasanuddin Park, Identify factors influencing the effectiveness of the utilization of the Sultan Hasanuddin Makassar Park facility and Analyze the utilization of supporting facilities for Sultan Hasanuddin Park as a public open space. The results showed that the Sultan Hasanuddin Park did not function properly, due to the lack of shade in the seating area, so that the upholders sat in a shaded area and not in the proper seat. The absence of a clear parking area so that the end of the park in the park and the absence of public bins so that one corner of the park used as public TPU. Lack of care / janitors who take care of the park so that plants and grasses that exist in the garden are not maintained.

Urban greening: A new paradox of economic or social sustainability?

Cities globally have incorporated sustainable development into their planning, and led the way in responding to the world’s ecological crisis by “going green”. Urban green space accessibility is considered as the key to urban sustainability progress, not only environmentally, but also economically and socially. However, previous research rarely considers the latter two dimensions together. This study therefore joins the sustainability discussion from a new perspective, in particular the debate concerning the value of urban green spaces and whether and how they contribute to the variegated sustainability agenda? Based on data for 76,595 residential housing units in New York City, measuring the economic gains and equity losses from current urban green space accessibility reveals a paradox in sustainable development where the economic and social benefits of urban green space accessibility are seldom compatible, tending to involve a trade-off of some kind. In response, it is proposed that the spatial patterns of land use can represent a step towards multifaceted aspects of sustainability, with the provision of numerous small green areas that are “affordable and accessible” throughout the city being a more appropriate policy agenda than a few vast parks. Such a policy approach, it is argued, will provide a ‘win-win’ situation in terms of simultaneously contributing to both economic prosperity and the social justice of sustainability. This research also provided evidence for the institutional-driven countries such as China on how to learn from western experiences on planning land use patterns that are sustainable for individuals.

Assessment of the spatio-temporal pattern of PM2.5 and its driving factors using a land use regression model in Beijing, China.

With the acceleration of urbanization and industrialization, atmospheric pollution has become a major issue, restricting the sustainable development of the urban environment. Since 2013, Beijing has been among China's most seriously affected regions in terms of haze pollution. Atmospheric pollution is closely linked to land use, particularly the spatial patterns of green and urban land. Therefore, the quantification of the relationship between fine particulate matter (PM2.5) concentration and its driving factors in Beijing is of considerable significance for environmental management and spatial epidemiological studies. A land use regression (LUR) model was constructed to simulate the spatio-temporal distribution of PM2.5 concentration. In this study, the independent variables (driving factors) included land use, meteorological factors, population, roads, the digital elevation model, and the normalized difference vegetation index. The five models had adjusted R2 of 0.887, 0.770, 0.742, 0.877, and 0.798, respectively. Land use and meteorological factors were the main factors affecting PM2.5 concentration. The driving factors of land use on a large scale and roads on a small scale had a significant impact on PM2.5 emissions. Beijing's PM2.5 concentrations in 2015 showed clear spatio-temporal characteristics. The highest (lowest) average PM2.5 concentration was recorded in winter (summer). In terms of spatial distribution, PM2.5 concentrations showed a "low in the northwest and high in the southeast" trend. The most polluted areas were mainly distributed in the central city and the southeastern and southwestern regions. The PM2.5 concentration boundary was essentially consistent with the boundary of land use type. Different land use types promoted or inhibited PM2.5 concentrations, with a difference of more than 20μg/m3PM2.5 between the two land use categories. Thus, PM2.5 concentrations should be controlled by optimizing the spatial and temporal patterns of land use.

Spatio-temporal analysis of land use changes using remote sensing in Horqin sandy land, China

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyze the characteristics of spatio-temporal dynamics and the evolution of land use change is essential for understanding and assessing the status and transition of ecosystems. Such analysis, when applied to Horqin sandy land, can also provide basic information for appropriate decision-making.Design/methodology/approachBy integrating long time series Landsat imageries and geographic information system (GIS) technology, this paper explored the spatio-temporal dynamics and evolution-induced land use change of the largest sandy land in China from 1983 to 2016. Accurate and consistent land use information and land use change information was first extracted by using the maximum likelihood classifier and the post-classification change detection method, respectively. The spatio-temporal dynamics and evolution were then analyzed using three kinds of index models: the dynamic degree model to analyze the change of regional land resources, the dynamic change transfer matrix and flow direction rate to analyze the change direction, and the barycenter transfer model to analyze the spatial pattern of land use change.FindingsThe results indicated that land use in Horqin sandy land during the study period changed dramatically. Vegetation and sandy land showed fluctuating changes, cropland and construction land steadily increased, water body decreased continuously, and the spatial distribution patterns of land use were generally unbalanced. Vegetation, sandy land and cropland were transferred frequently. The amount of vegetation loss was the largest. Water body loss was 473.6 km2, which accounted for 41.7 per cent of the total water body. The loss amount of construction land was only 1.0 km2. Considerable differences were noted in the rate of gravity center migration among the land use types in different periods, and the overall rate of construction land migration was the smallest. Moreover, the gravity center migration rates of the water body and sandy land were relatively high and were related to the fragile ecological environment of Horqin sandy land.Originality/valueThe results not only confirmed the applicability and effectiveness of the combined method of remote sensing and GIS technology but also revealed notable spatio-temporal dynamics and evolution-induced land use change throughout the different time periods (1983-1990, 1990-2000, 2000-2010, 2010-2014, 2014-2016 and 1983-2016).

Evaluation of suitable landuse for existing condition in South Coastal of Sampang Regency

The detailed and systematic guidelines and direction of development and urban planning are regulated in Regional Spatial Plan (RTRW) under the Law Number 24 of 1992 concerning Spatial Planning, defined that a structural form and pattern of spatial use, whether planned or not. Because the influence of population growth is relatively high and the level of urbanization is not controlled, eventually resulting in the conversion of land use to other uses. The identified problems occurred in the South Coast of Sampang Regency, namely the utilization transition that occurred in the mainland area around the coast, that related to economic interests which affected the availability of land. With these conditions, it is necessary to map and analyze the suitability of existing conditions with the plan documents. This study identified the suitability of 9 coastal land cover classes using the interpretation method in Pleiades satellite images, by digitizing on screen. From the analysis conducted, the dominating land cover class is rice field, which are 5147.656 Ha. The total suitability of land cover with RTRW is 77%, with the most suitable class being ponds, which is equal to 96.75%. Meanwhile, the most inappropriate class is farm class with an area of around 5.09%.

Antenatal care use in Ethiopia: a spatial and multilevel analysis

BackgroundAccessibility and utilization of antenatal care (ANC) service varies depending on different geographical locations, sociodemographic characteristics, political and other factors. A geographically linked data analysis using population and health facility data is valuable to map ANC use, and identify inequalities in service access and provision. Thus, this study aimed to assess the spatial patterns of ANC use, and to identify associated factors among pregnant women in Ethiopia.MethodA secondary data analysis of the 2016 Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey linked with the 2014 Ethiopian Service Provision Assessment was conducted. A multilevel analysis was carried out using the SAS GLIMMIX procedure. Furthermore, hot spot analysis and spatial regressions were carried out to identify the hot spot areas of and factors associated with the spatial variations in ANC use using ArcGIS and R softwares.ResultsA one-unit increase in the mean score of ANC service availability in a typical region was associated with a five-fold increase in the odds of having more ANC visits. Moreover, every one-kilometre increase in distance to the nearest ANC facility in a typical region was negatively associated with having at least four ANC visits. Twenty-five percent of the variability in having at least four ANC visits was accounted for by region of living. The spatial analysis found that the Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples region had high clusters of at least four ANC visits. Furthermore, the coefficients of having the first ANC visit during the first trimester were estimated to have spatial variations in the use of at least four ANC visits.ConclusionThere were significant variations in the use of ANC services across the different regions of Ethiopia. Region of living and distance were key drivers of ANC use underscoring the need for increased ANC availability, particularly in the cold spot regions.

Environmental drivers of beluga whale Delphinapterus leucas habitat use in the Mackenzie Estuary, Northwest Territories, Canada

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 626:209-226 (2019) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13011 Environmental drivers of beluga whale Delphinapterus leucas habitat use in the Mackenzie Estuary, Northwest Territories, Canada K. Scharffenberg1,*, D. Whalen2, M. Marcoux1,3, J. Iacozza4, G. Davoren1, L. Loseto1,4 1Dept of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada 2Natural Resources Canada, Geological Survey of Canada, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia B2Y 4A2, Canada 3Freshwater Institute, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N6, Canada 4Dept of Environment & Geography, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada *Corresponding author: scharffk@myumanitoba.ca ABSTRACT: Understanding drivers of habitat use and selection of mobile species is critical for understanding the impacts of climate change and formulating management plans. Eastern Beaufort Sea beluga whales Delphinapterus leucas form large summering aggregations in the warm, fresh waters of the Mackenzie Estuary, Northwest Territories, Canada; however, the environmental factors driving spatial and temporal patterns of habitat use within the estuary are not fully understood. We used passive acoustic monitoring to record beluga presence during their summer aggregation (June-August) at known congregation areas and locations with unique oceanographic features in Kugmallit Bay in the Mackenzie River Estuary, while simultaneously recording environmental and oceanographic data. The effectiveness of hydrophones at determining beluga presence/absence was validated using shore-based observations. Multiple logistic regression was used to assess the influence of environmental conditions on presence/absence of belugas. Results indicate that temporal patterns of habitat use varied by location, and were influenced by environmental conditions such as temperature, salinity, and wind speed. Belugas did not frequent commonly used locations during periods with high-speed winds and moved farther into the estuary during periods of cold oceanic influxes. This study provides support for hypotheses that belugas use the location for moulting or to provide a thermal advantage for young belugas. This information can be used to inform decisions by northern communities and policy makers, thus aiding in management of the Beaufort Sea beluga population. KEY WORDS: Passive acoustic monitoring · Oceanography · Estuarine ecology · Arctic Full text in pdf format Supplementary material PreviousNextCite this article as: Scharffenberg K, Whalen D, Marcoux M, Iacozza J, Davoren G, Loseto L (2019) Environmental drivers of beluga whale Delphinapterus leucas habitat use in the Mackenzie Estuary, Northwest Territories, Canada. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 626:209-226. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps13011 Export citation Mail this link - Contents Mailing Lists - RSS Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 626. Online publication date: September 12, 2019 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2019 Inter-Research.

Land abandonment in Poland after the collapse of socialism: Over a quarter of a century of increasing tree cover on agricultural land

Land abandonment is an important topic of discussion in many European countries but is particularly relevant for Central and Eastern Europe. When analyzing this issue, a major challenge is to assess the extent and dynamics of these changes in a way that combines high accuracy and a large study area. The article presents the phenomenon of land abandonment in Poland after the political transformation that took place at the turn of the 1980s and 1990s. The analysis covered an area of about 15,000 km2 that is characterized by unfavorable land fragmentation indicators and the dominance of small-area farms. The region was intensively used for agriculture until the fall of socialism; since then, the phenomenon of land abandonment has increased rapidly. The proposed method for identifying abandoned land uses Airborne Laser Scanning (ALS) data to precisely determine the extent of tree cover and the height of trees. Assuming the correlation between the height of trees and their age allowed estimation of the long-term changeability of land abandonment. The study covered the extent and dynamics of changes in tree cover in over 1800 villages. The results indicate that the problem of land abandonment noticeably and permanently changes the spatial patterns of land use in Southern Poland. The identified extent of forest cover has increased continuously since the political transformation in 63% of the studied villages. In total, over the last quarter of a century, land abandonment related to forest expansion on agricultural land has been observed in an area of 93,600 ha, which is 10.5% of the entire region. The proposed method has shown its usefulness in analyzing land abandonment at the regional level. It allows not only precise identification of the size of areas covered with tall vegetation, but also approximate assessment of the dynamics of these changes over time.

Day and night use of habitats by northern pintails during winter in a primary rice-growing region of Iberia.

Loss of natural wetlands is a global phenomenon that has severe consequences for waterbird populations and their associated ecosystem services. Although agroecosystems can reduce the impact of natural habitat loss, drivers of use of such artificial habitats by waterbirds remain poorly understood. Using the cosmopolitan northern pintail Anas acuta as a model species, we monitored home-range and fine-scale resource selection across the agricultural landscape. Individuals were tracked using GPS-GSM transmitters, and a suite of environmental and landscape features were measured throughout the winter seasons. Spatial patterns of habitat use were analysed using generalized linear mixed effect models by integrating field-observations with GPS telemetry. All birds used rice fields as foraging grounds at night and commuted to an adjacent reservoir to roost during daylight. Home-ranges and maximum foraging distances of nocturnally foraging birds increased with decreasing availability of flooded fields, and were positively correlated with moonlight levels. Birds selected flooded rice paddies (water depth range: 9–21 cm) with standing stubble and substrate with pebbles smaller than 0.5 cm in diameter. Density of rice seeds, rice paddy size, and other environmental and landscape features did not emerge as significant predictors. Our findings indicate that nocturnal foraging of northern pintails within rice fields is driven primarily by straw manipulation, water level and substrate pebble size. Thus, the presence of standing stubble in flooded paddies with soft bottoms should be prioritized to improve foraging areas for dabbling ducks. These management procedures in themselves would not increase economic costs or affect rice production and could be applied for dabbling-duck conservation throughout the world.