Spatial Behaviour Patterns Research Articles

The effects of TOD on economic vitality in the post-COVID-19 era

With the changes in people's spatial cognitions, preferences and behavior patterns as a response to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, the way transit-oriented development (TOD) boosts economic vitality has enormously altered. Hence, this study employs machine learning methods to explore the effects of TOD on economic vitality under COVID-19 and recalibrate existing TOD planning models and design principles. Based on multi-source data of Hong Kong, it measures economic vitality of MTR station areas with life service reviews and depicts built environment therein from three dimensions including node, tie, and place. It discovers that (1) the outbreak of COVID-19 impaired the economic vitality effects of TOD; (2) the global relative importance of MTR station centrality and ground space index declined during the outbreak and bounced back afterwards, meanwhile, that of street centrality, street betweenness, street detour ratio, and green space coverage increased and that of bus density, MTR station betweenness, and average building height decreased; (3) the economic vitality effects of TOD were nonlinear, and the threshold values and effective ranges of built environment variables remained constant across the time; (4) the economic vitality effects of TOD were moderated by the pandemic. This study enlightens urban policymakers and practitioners with nuanced criteria for pandemic-adaptive TOD planning and design strategies.

Compliance and the social space of cities: Variations in compliance with Covid-19 regulations and capital forms in urban communities

Cities' planned and built environments are key to healthier communities. The Covid-19 pandemic challenged this relationship, when the issue of communities' compliance with government restrictions to mitigate the spread of the pandemic became apparent. Despite the growing literature on the relationship between communities' characteristics and Covid-19 throughout the pandemic, little attention has been paid to the drivers of compliance at the city and community levels. Our paper addresses this lack through the Bourdieusian concept of communities' capital resources. Using Israel as a test case, we explore how the economic, social and cultural capital of urban communities affected compliance with Covid-19 related restrictions. The analysis reveals how the spatial dispersion of the components of these forms of capital explains the likelihood of communities' level of compliance. In particular, it shows how the accumulation of various forms of capital increased compliance with health regulations. The study highlights the explanatory power of local resources in collective spatial behavior patterns, as well as the possibility of exacerbating existing injustices.

Unraveling Early Holocene occupation patterns at El Arenal de la Virgen (Alicante, Spain) open-air site: an integrated palimpsest analysis

Palimpsests are ubiquitous in the open-air archaeological record. Yet, integrated intra-site research strategies of palimpsest dissection to infer occupational histories, spatial behavioural patterns and site formation processes remain scarce in the postglacial archaeology. In this work, we apply an integrated protocol of palimpsest analysis to the Mesolithic Unit IV of El Arenal de la Virgen site, radiocarbon dated in two different occupation phases (9.3–9.1 k and 8.6–8.3 k cal BP). While the archaeostratigraphic analysis identified the absence of sterile layers between both phases, the lithic refits confirmed the good preservation of the spatial properties of the assemblage. Using different point pattern analysis and geostatistical techniques, we further investigate the overall distribution pattern, the spatial correlation between lithic remains and occupation features according to different artefact categories, and the variability of spatial autocorrelation in the frequency of burnt microdebris. Our results suggest a behavioural pattern of different, and spatially recurrent, short-term camp occupation episodes. Built on explicit quantitative and reproducible standards, our research approach can be applied to other open-air sites to conduct comparative studies on open-air occupation patterns. This study underscores the importance of considering the palimpsest as an analytical unit and the need for assessing assemblage integrity and site formation processes through multidisciplinary approaches, to better characterise site occupation dynamics.

Retrieving plant functional traits through time series analysis of satellite observations using machine learning methods

ABSTRACT Plant functional traits (e.g. leaf pigment and water contents, specific leaf area) serve as important indicators of plant condition, both within a given vegetation season and between years. Remote sensing-based methods allow for non-destructive and repeatable monitoring of the Earth’s surface and thus offer an efficient way to map and monitor these traits. In our study, we used a large database of ground survey data sampled at several contrasting phenological phases of vegetation to develop and compare different machine learning models trained to estimate selected plant functional traits at two different sites: mixed floodplain forest at Lanžhot and beech forest at Štítná, both in the Czech Republic. Empirical models were trained as predictors using 1) Sentinel-2 satellite data (a data set with higher spatial and spectral resolution), and 2) Harmonized Landsat Sentinel-2 (HLS) product (a data set with higher temporal resolution). The most successfully retrieved traits were chlorophyll and carotenoid content (R2 = 0.78 and 0.65, respectively). Although models trained with Sentinel-2 predictors proved to be slightly better in terms of validation statistics compared to HLS predictors, the HLS product may be preferable for some applications requiring analysis at a high frequency. The best-performing machine learning algorithm, canonical correlation forest, was then applied per pixel to all cloud-free images from the HLS product at both study sites for the years 2019–2021. This allowed us to create a time series of plant functional traits useful for observing differences between the two sites, as well as between growing seasons, and also to observe patterns of spatial behaviour using map outputs.

The Dynamics of Gendered Spaces in Jokha Alharthi’s Celestial Bodies

The interactions of human agency in the totality of space creates different social structures. Feminist Geography offers a self-reflexive analysis of regimes of power that operates in everyday life. The gendered divisions in society are responsible for creating the different patterns of spatial activity, experience and behaviour. Giving insight into a traditional Islamic society, Omani writer, JokhaAlharthi’s Celestial Bodies (2018) is a criticism against dominant ideologies and power hegemony. The paper analyses the critical relationship between gendered and spatial segmentation and challenges their supposed naturalness and validity. The unequal power relations that exist within the society produce different patterns of spatial relations with respect to access to public and private spaces. Through the theoretical framework of Feminist Geography, the paper criticises the gendered divisions of space and problematises the attempt of the enduring subjects to free themselves from the narrow space of patriarchal imagination and re-invent their lives in a space of their own.Keywords: Past and present, Timeless Humanities, Boethius, Wolfram von Eschenbach, Path through Life, Relevance of Literature, Philosophy.

A space-time model for analyzing contagious people based on geolocation data using inverse graphs

<abstract><p>Mobile devices provide us with an important source of data that capture spatial movements of individuals and allow us to derive general mobility patterns for a population over time. In this article, we present a mathematical foundation that allows us to harmonize mobile geolocation data using differential geometry and graph theory to identify spatial behavior patterns. In particular, we focus on models programmed using Computer Algebra Systems and based on a space-time model that allows for describing the patterns of contagion through spatial movement patterns. In addition, we show how the approach can be used to develop algorithms for finding "patient zero" or, respectively, for identifying the selection of candidates that are most likely to be contagious. The approach can be applied by information systems to evaluate data on complex population movements, such as those captured by mobile geolocation data, in a way that analytically identifies, e.g., critical spatial areas, critical temporal segments, and potentially vulnerable individuals with respect to contact events.</p></abstract>

Intra-Site Structure of the Early Ahmarian Site of Al-Ansab 1, AH 1 (Jordan)

The Early Ahmarian represents an Early Upper Palaeolithic cultural unit, which spans throughout the Levant to the Sinai Peninsula. At least 40 sites belong to this unit. Both open-air and cave sites provide different amounts of archaeological material at various spatial resolutions. The team of the Collaborative Research Centre 806 “Our Way to Europe” excavated the site of Al-Ansab 1, Wadi Sabra, since 2009. The site provides one of the largest lithic assemblages of the Early Ahmarian. Analysis of intra-site distributions and patterns has been conducted for a small number of sites, providing scarce information on the spatial makeup of Early Ahmarian occupation layers. The internal structure testifies to repeated settlement without task specialisation. While this has been described for the sites on the Sinai Peninsula, the situation has been unclear for locations placed in the escarpments of the Transjordanian Highlands. At Al-Ansab 1, we can observe the repeated, relatively ephemeral occupation of a specific location in the Wadi Sabra for the execution of various tasks such as processing of faunal elements and raw material exploitation. Our results correlate to a pattern of mobility observable at other Early Ahmarian sites such as Abu Noshra II. These sites are usually attributed to relatively small and highly mobile bands of hunter-gatherers. Analysing these patterns of intra-site and regional spatial behaviour in the context of environmental patterning highlights potential external drivers to the expression of human occupation at sites such as Al-Ansab 1, archaeological horizon 1.

Individual mobility pattern in Malaysia during COVID-19 Recovery Movement Control Order partial lockdown.

Malaysia Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) aims to bring the business, education, tourism and other industry sectors back into operation. Due to movement constraints that result in local economic patterns, individual mobility patterns are expected to occur. However, this matter needs further investigation from people's spatial behaviour during the RMCO. Therefore, this research proposed a new technique for analysing people's spatial behaviour patterns via geo‐tagged data. The data from social media users are gathered using data mining techniques. Geographical Information System (GIS) is used to show the geolocation of social media users and analyse their spatial behaviour. The finding of this analysis shows higher people's movement recorded when the RMCO was enforced; a distinctive pattern where spatial trajectory length is high but spatial area coverage is low. It is noticed that the focal points are concentrated in urban areas and tourism attractions.

Zrównoważoność ułatwiania życia i pracy na wsi, przestrzenne wzorce zachowań rolników i dochody ich rodzin

In recent years, China has put forward policies to improve rural infrastructure and promote the development of rural industries causing to dramatic transition in the living and employment conditions. Moreover, under the pressure of the high expenditure of living and the difficulty of finding jobs, new changes have taken place in the spatial behavior pattern of farmers’ residence and employment. Based on a field survey of 839 observations in 123 villages in Poyang Lake basin, China, we developed indicators to evaluate the suitability of rural living facilities (SLF) and work facilities (SWF). Multinomial logit regression model was used to measure the relationship between SWF, SLF and the spatial behavior patterns of farmers. The results show that: (1) SWF development in rural areas lags behind SLF; (2) Higher SLF is most distributed in suburban areas ; (3) Higher SWF is mostly distributed in suburban towns and characteristic towns; (4) The effects of SLF and SWF on the spatial behavior patterns of farmers are significantly positive; (5) Farmers in the urban-rural amphibious pattern usually obtain a higher income level, and also bring vitality to the countryside.

Examination of Changing Spatial Perception and Behavioural Patterns Based on Cultures in Urban Green Spaces

Kentleşme ile birlikte çevresel problemlerin ortaya çıkması, kentsel yeşil alanların önemini artırmaktadır. Özellikle, kent parkları toplumsallaşmanın oluştuğu, kültür, ırk, sosyoekonomik sınıf gibi yönlerden çeşitlenen farklı sosyo-kültürel yapıdaki insanların bir araya geldiği kamusal alanlardır. Bu nedenle farklı uluslardan gelen ya da etnik olarak farklılaşan çeşitli kültürlere sahip insanları bir araya getirerek toplumsal uyumun sağlanmasında önemli bir rol üstlenirler. Diğer yönden, sosyal ayrışmanın kamusal alanlarda kendini göstermesi sonucu, özellikle etnik gruplar bu alanlarda kendi sınırlarını da oluşturmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı, dünyanın farklı coğrafyalarındaki farklı kültürlere sahip göçmenlerin, kentsel yeşil alanların tasarımı ve yer verilen rekreasyonel etkinliklere bağlı olarak ortaya çıkan kullanım biçimlerini literatüre dayalı olarak inceleyerek; kentsel yeşil alanların mekânsal niteliklerinin ve tanımlanan rekreasyonel etkinliklerinin kullanıcı davranışlarının biçimlenmesinde ve aidiyet duygusunun gelişmesinde nasıl bir rol oynadığını belirlemek, bununla birlikte tasarımda yer verilen sembolik unsurların ve güvenlik durumunun kullanıcıların algısı üzerindeki etkisini irdelemektir. Yapılan araştırma sonucunda, göçmenlerin kent parkları üzerinde gelişen davranış biçimleri ve mekânsal algılarındaki farklılıkların, bireylerin göç etmeden önceki davranış-algı şemaları ile doğrudan ilişkili olduğu görülmektedir. Özellikle, rekreasyonel etkinliklerin ve mekânsal niteliklerin, davranışları biçimlendiren unsurlar olduğu belirlenmiştir. Etnik grupların genellikle sembolik alanlara ilgi duydukları ve kent parklarında kendi kültürlerine yakın hissettikleri alanları tercih ettikleri tespit edilmiştir. Bu noktada, farklı kültürlerin göz önünde bulundurularak, insanların mekân ile ilişkisini güçlendiren planlama ve tasarım kararlarının alınması önem taşımaktadır.

How far do they go?: A spatial examination of missing persons from hospitals

PurposeMissing person cases are a global issue impacting policing. Among these, those who abscond from hospitals are especially concerning because these reports require collaboration across services, often strain already limited police and hospital resources and present an elevated level of possible harm due to high prevalence of mental illness, disability and/or addiction. Despite this, to-date, there has been a lack of scholarly attention on this phenomenon from a policing perspective. The present study aims to fill this gap by exploring how far missing hospital patients travel and where they are commonly found.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 731 closed case files (2014–2018) from one police service, we identify spatial behaviour patterns specific to this group of missing persons.FindingsResults suggest that most do not leave the hospital grounds or stay within a 5-km radius. Others were found close to the hospital, within city limits and/or returned of their own volition. By identifying these spatial behaviour patterns associated with missing hospital patients, police can refine probable search areas, allocate resources more efficiently, find the missing faster and develop better-informed responses and collaborative policies.Originality/valueOur research represents the first empirical investigation into missing persons from hospital settings through a spatial perspective. Through descriptive statistical and spatial analyses, we determine the distance between the hospital a given individual was reported missing from and the location of where they were ultimately found.

Inter‐Group Social Behavior, Contact Patterns and Risk for Pathogen Transmission in Cape Buffalo Populations

ABSTRACTIn social species, the transmission and maintenance of infectious diseases depends on the contact patterns between individuals within groups and on the interactions between groups. In southern Africa, the Cape buffalo (Syncerus caffer caffer) is a vector for many pathogens that can infect sympatric livestock. Although intra‐group contact patterns of Cape buffalo have been relatively well described, how groups interact with each other and risks for pathogen transmission remain poorly understood. We identified and compared spatial behavior and contact patterns between neighboring groups of Cape buffalo under contrasting environments: within the seasonally flooded environment of the Okavango Delta in Botswana and the semi‐arid environment of northern Kruger National Park in South Africa. We used telemetry data collected between 2007 and 2015 from 10 distinct groups. We estimated seasonal overlap and proximity between home ranges of pairwise neighboring groups, and we quantified seasonal contact patterns between these groups. We defined contact patterns within variable spatiotemporal windows compatible with the transmission of diseases carried by the Cape buffalo: bovine tuberculosis, brucellosis, and Rift Valley fever (mosquito‐borne transmission). We examined the effects of habitat and distance to water on contact location. In both study populations, neighboring buffalo groups were highly spatially segregated in the dry and rainy seasons. Inter‐group contact patterns were characterized by very few direct and short‐term indirect (within 0–2 days) contacts, lasting on average 1 hour and 2 hours, respectively. Contact patterns were generally consistent across populations and seasons, suggesting species‐specific behavior. In the drier study site, the probability of indirect and vector‐borne contacts generally decreased during the dry season with increasing distance to water. In the seasonally flooded area, only the probability of vector‐borne contact decreased with increasing distance to water. Our results highlight the importance of dry season water availability in influencing the dynamics of indirectly transmitted Cape buffalo pathogens but only in areas with low water availability. The results from this study have important implications for future modeling of pathogen dynamics in a single host, and the ecology and management of Cape buffalo at the landscape level. © 2021 The Authors. The Journal of Wildlife Management published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Wildlife Society.

A Review of Exposure Assessment Methods Utilized in Studies of Disinfection Byproducts (DBPs) and Birth Defects

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Epidemiologic studies of disinfection byproducts (DBPs) and birth defects have employed a variety of exposure assessment methods. Because there is 1) no gold standard exposure assessment method for DBPs, and 2) documented variability in exposure based on spatial, temporal, and personal behavior patterns, it is important to compare methods and understand their potential impact on health effect estimates. This question is particularly relevant for studies measuring exposures for developmental outcomes such as birth defects, with a narrow critical window. METHODS: We reviewed epidemiologic studies of DBPs and birth defects published prior to 2021. Information on exposure assessment methods and critical windows of pregnancy captured by exposure assessment was extracted by one author, with quality control by two authors. Data were organized and summarized based on complexity of the method, including their ability to characterize and address temporal or spatial variability and personal water-use patterns. RESULTS:We identified exposure assessment methods utilized in 21 studies of DBPs and birth defects; 6 studies used non-specific DBP indicators, such as water type or disinfection method;17 studies developed spatial, temporal, or spatiotemporal-informed estimates based on data collected by public monitoring systems in conjunction with additional modeling; 7 studies incorporated personal behavior information to help address route-specific exposure; 4 of these incorporated DBP uptake factors. Most studies incorporated 1 or 2 exposure assessment methods, while 5 studies included 3 or more approaches; 14 studies developed exposure estimates based on the critical window for birth defects. CONCLUSIONS:There is heterogeneity in exposure assessment methods among studies of DBPs and birth defects. These methods vary in complexity and capture distinct sources of DBP variation. The choice of metric affects the anticipated magnitude of exposure misclassification. More consistent consideration of spatiotemporal patterns and the critical window of development will improve exposure assessment in future studies. *Abstract does not reflect EPA policy KEYWORDS: Exposures, Exposure assessment, Birth outcomes, Water quality

Fruit trees drive small‐scale movement of elephants in Kibale National Park, Uganda

AbstractUnderstanding what motivates animal spatial behavior requires discerning the relationship between animals and the landscape in which they move. Many studies have focused on large scale trends that drive migrations and movement across broad landscapes, but few studies have focused on drivers of local movement within smaller areas based on fine‐scale landscape heterogeneity. This is especially true for African elephants (Loxodonta africana), whose movements in relation to landscape variables have frequently been studied across vast areas, but infrequently on a small scale. We report on how the local distribution of an important resource—fruit trees—shapes elephant movement patterns in Kibale National Park, Uganda. We hypothesized that the spatial location of elephant trails, and especially intersections in the network of trails, would be heavily associated with fruit trees, with trail density being higher in areas with greater fruit availability. Elephant trails and nearby fruit trees were mapped within a 64 km2 area within the interior of the Park. Trail and fruit tree sampling were conducted along 16 evenly spaced one‐km control transects and compared to 28.6 km of elephant trails arrayed throughout the park. Fruit tree basal area was higher along trails and at trail intersections. Trail density was also positively correlated with fruit tree density. Fruit trees may thus serve as a determinant of small‐scale elephant movement and could be used to predict patterns of elephant spatial behavior across forested habitat, which has potential implications for elephant management in the area.

Improving understanding and management of the complex relationship between visitor motivations and spatial behaviors in parks and protected areas

Increases in use and changes in the behavior of visitors to parks and protected areas (PPAs) worldwide are challenging the ability of managers to provide for a quality visitor experience while also maintaining the integrity of natural resources. Understanding visitor motivations and spatial behaviors are important for effective management of PPA resources and visitor experiences, as differences in motivations and spatial behaviors can influence the distribution of impacts to a recreation landscape. However, the relationships between motivations and behaviors are not well understood. In this study, we investigated the relationship between motivations and spatial behavior patterns of recreationists within a system of urban and peri-urban PPAs in Orange County, California, USA. Data were collected using paired GPS-based tracking and visitor questionnaires. Factor analysis revealed seven primary motivations derived from a 36-item motivation scale, and classification of visitors by motivations suggests two primary types. A three-way Analysis of Variance examining the relationship between a suite of visitor spatial behaviors and activity type (mountain bike vs. pedestrian), motivation type, and recreation area visited showed that all three variables interacted to influence visitor spatial behavior patterns while recreating. A spatial analysis of visitor dispersion further illustrated these interactions. These results suggest that the relationship between visitor motivations and spatial behaviors is complex. Understanding the complexities of how motivations influence visitor spatial behavior can help land managers mitigate impacts and improve planning for outdoor recreation by predicting where use may increase, how visitors might behave, and highlight locations of future research.

Flickr data for analysing tourists’ spatial behaviour and movement patterns

论用Flickr数据来分析游客空间行为和动线模式—聚类分析对比分析摘要 研究目的本论文旨在分析图片分享平台Flickr对截取游客空间动线信息和景点（POI）游览行为的适用性, 并且对比最知名的几种聚类分析手段, 以确定不同情况下的POI。研究设计/方法/途径本论文首先从Flickr上摘录下图片大数据, 比如上传时间、地点、用户等。其次, 本论文使用DBSCAN和k-means聚类分析参数来将上传图片分配给POI隐性变量。最后, 本论文采用关联规则挖掘分析（FP-growth参数）和序列样式勘探分析（GSP参数）以确认游客行为模式。研究结果本论文以慕尼黑城市为样本, 截取2015年13,545张图片。POIs由DBSCAN和k-means聚类分析将其分配到有名的POIs。由此, 本论文证明了两种技术对不同用法的各自优势。关联规则挖掘分析显示了显著联系（support：1%−4.6%；lift：1.4%−32.1%）, 序列样式勘探分析确立了相关频率游览次序（support：0.6%−1.7%。研究理论限制/意义本论文的理论贡献在于, 根据图片数据, 通过对比分析不同聚类分析技术对确立POIs, 并且证明关联规则挖掘分析和序列样式勘探分析各有千秋又互相补充的分析技术以确立游客空间行为。研究现实意义本论文的现实意义在于, 强调了大数据的来源, 比如Flickr,证明了其对于有效代替传统数据的潜力, 以分析在游客在一个旅游目的地的空间行为和动线模式。特别是这种方法实现了实时自动可操作性等优势。研究原创性/价值本论文展示了一种方法, 这种方法通过聚类分析社交媒体上的上传图片以确立POIs, 以及通过关联规则挖掘分析和序列样式勘探分析来分析游客空间行为。本论文对于不同聚类分析以确立不同适用情况下的POIs的确立提出了独到见解。

Obfuscating spatial point tracks with simulated crowding

ABSTRACT Spatial point tracks are of concern for an increasing number of analysts studying spatial behaviour patterns and environmental effects. Take an epidemiologist studying the behaviour of cyclists and how their health is affected by the city’s air quality. The accuracy of such analyses critically depends on the positional accuracy of the tracked points. This poses a serious privacy risk. Tracks easily reveal a person’s identity since the places visited function as fingerprints. Current obfuscation-based privacy protection methods, however, mostly rely on point quality reduction, such as spatial cloaking, grid masking or random noise, and thus render an obfuscated track less useful for exposure assessment. We introduce simulated crowding as a point quality preserving obfuscation principle that is based on adding fake points. We suggest two crowding strategies based on extending and masking a track to defend against inference attacks. We test them across various attack strategies and compare them to state-of-the-art obfuscation techniques both in terms of information loss and attack resilience. Results indicate that simulated crowding provides high resilience against home attacks under constantly low information loss.

Gimme shelter: The effect of rocks and moonlight on occupancy and activity pattern of an endangered rodent, the garden dormouse Eliomys quercinus

Information on spatial behaviour and temporal activity patterns is paramount for the conservation of animal species. This is particularly true for endangered taxa that are threatened by ongoing climatic and environmental changes. The garden dormouse Eliomys quercinus is a native European rodent (family Gliridae), whose populations are declining throughout the Continent. Notwithstanding this, neither International nor National laws explicitly require mandatory monitoring of populations. As a result, compelling information on the spatiotemporal behaviour of dormouse is lacking. We aimed to fill this gap by investigating occupancy patterns in relation to environmental features and activity rhythms in relation to moonlit nights in an Alpine population of dormouse within the Stelvio National Park, northern Italy. Data were collected between May and October 2015. Twenty camera-traps were deployed in a 500 ha coniferous forest, using a random tessellation approach; camera trap data were analyzed with occupancy models and kernel smoothers. Camera-traps provided a reliable assessment of the presence of the garden dormouse, with only 1 % of false absence and a high detection probability (68 %). The occurrence of the garden dormouse was positively influenced by the percentage of rock coverage on the ground. The species showed a strictly nocturnal behaviour, with an activity peak before midnight, negatively related to moonlit nights. The use of rocky areas for nesting, shelter site and thigmotactic movements and moonlight avoidance may represent adaptations of the garden dormouse to avoid predation risk. Our results shed some light on the habitat requirement of a poorly known, near-threatened species, and provide baseline information for future monitoring and conservation activities.

Spatial and temporal behavioural patterns of the European eel Anguilla anguilla in a lacustrine environment

Conservation of the critically endangered European eel Anguilla anguilla (Linnaeus, 1758) requires knowledge of silver eel escapement across all eel-producing habitats. Describing eel production from deep waters is especially challenging, thus telemetry studies can be used to detect specific behavioural patterns and aid in designing cost-effective survey methodologies. Here, 36 and 68 European eels were monitored via acoustic telemetry in Hanningfield reservoir, UK in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The aim of the study was to assess activity rates and home range sizes of eels in relation to explanatory variables: fish length, stage, lipid level, time of day, water temperature, night duration, lunar phase, water depth and distance to shore. In addition, site fidelity and return time to previously visited locations across the study area were investigated. Time of day, water temperature and lunar phase significantly affected eel behaviour, with higher activities observed during increased temperatures and dark periods. Furthermore, their monthly displacements rates were higher over medium-ranged depths (4–7 m), with depth use affected by water temperature, time of day and lunar phase. In general, eels had large home ranges in this study, which increased further during warmer and darker periods. Despite travelling great distances, with long return times to previously visited locations, they displayed high home fidelity between months. The results of this study provide greater insight into eels’ temporal and spatial utilisation of a lacustrine habitat, and survey design to collect abundance data for the assessment.

LA VALORIZACIÓN DE LOS RESIDUOS SÓLIDOS URBANOS EN EL ESTADO DE MÉXICO, UNA VISIÓN GEOGRÁFICA

The in-depth knowledge of the relationship between the various stakeholders involved in the recovery and valorization of urban solid wastes (USW) allows increasing their use rate, hence reducing the volume of materials disposed of in final landfills – often improperly. This work reports a methodological approach that, through the application of basic spatial analysis concepts including location, distribution and links, describes the functional relationship between informal collection centers of materials recovered from USW and treatment/valorization companies, with the State of Mexico as case study. The methodology reported includes a general structure suggested for the drafting of questionnaire formats to gather information on source-destination of valorized materials, the construction and validation of a geo-spatial database, and proposes a source-destination connectivity indicator for valorized materials based on shipping time, to assess the spatial relationships between the stakeholders involved in solid waste management. The proposed methodology resulted in a connectivity map of the stakeholders considered, which reveals the absence of any spatial behavior patterns aiming to optimize this interrelation, and reveals the existence of political and economic variables that should be considered to broaden this analysis.