961 research outputs found
Does landscape-scale conservation management enhance the provision of ecosystem services?
Biodiversity conservation approaches are increasingly being implemented at the landscape-scale to support the maintenance
of metapopulations and metacommunities. However, the impact of such interventions on the provision of ecosystem services
is less well defined. Here we examine the potential impacts of landscape-scale conservation initiatives on ecosystem
services, through analysis of five case study areas in England and Wales. The provision of multiple ecosystem services was
projected according to current management plans and compared with a baseline scenario. Multicriteria analysis indicated
that in most cases landscape-scale approaches lead to an overall increase in service provision. Consistent increases were
projected in carbon storage, recreation and aesthetic value, as well as biodiversity value. However, most study areas
provided evidence of trade-offs, particularly between provisioning services and other types of service. Results differed
markedly between study areas, highlighting the importance of local context. These results suggest that landscape-scale
conservation approaches are likely to be effective in increasing ecosystem service provision, but also indicate that associated
costs can be significant, particularly in lowland areas
Travelling for Umrah:destination attributes, destination image, and post-travel intentions
This paper examines the links between cosmopolitanism, self-identity, and a desire for social interaction perceived destination image and behavioural intentions. A model tested using a sample of 538 Iranian visitors to Mecca for the purpose of Umrah. The result from the structural model suggests that destination attributes influence perceived destination image. Further, such tourists are likely to revisit or recommend Islamic destinations if their experience matches their perceived image of the destination. This implies that, while the religious characteristics of the destination remain important, destination managers cannot disregard the tangential, non-religious attributes of a destination which are crucial in order to satisfy more conventional tourist desires. As such, this study suggests that those managing religious travel destinations should endeavour to foster a welcoming image, where experience, interaction and tolerance are at the forefront of the destination’s offering
New strategies for sustainable fisheries management: A case study of Atlantic salmon
This briefing paper considers the alarming declines in fish stocks in recent years, and how holistic, integrated approaches can help manage fish stocks within biologically sustainable limits. Using Atlantic salmon as a case study, the authors highlight the challenges facing fisheries management and conservation, and the implications for policy and management
Text Line Segmentation of Historical Documents: a Survey
There is a huge amount of historical documents in libraries and in various
National Archives that have not been exploited electronically. Although
automatic reading of complete pages remains, in most cases, a long-term
objective, tasks such as word spotting, text/image alignment, authentication
and extraction of specific fields are in use today. For all these tasks, a
major step is document segmentation into text lines. Because of the low quality
and the complexity of these documents (background noise, artifacts due to
aging, interfering lines),automatic text line segmentation remains an open
research field. The objective of this paper is to present a survey of existing
methods, developed during the last decade, and dedicated to documents of
historical interest.Comment: 25 pages, submitted version, To appear in International Journal on
Document Analysis and Recognition, On line version available at
http://www.springerlink.com/content/k2813176280456k3
A re-appraisal of the reliability of the 20 m multi-stage shuttle run test
This is the author's PDF version of an article published in European journal of applied physiology in 2007. The original publication is available at www.springerlink.co
Armed to Farm: Developing Training Programs For Military Veterans in Agriculture
Farming offers a viable avenue for returning veterans to transition into society and capitalizes on skills that made them successful in the military. However, these opportunities may be missed due to a lack of targeted training programs, guidance, and information for the veteran community. Programs directed toward educating beginning farmers, along with increased awareness and demand for local food production, have provided an opportunity for individuals interested in farming. However, few programs have focused on the needs of veterans interested in agriculture. Since 2007, our team has directly supported approximately 300 veterans interested in farming through workshops, internships, research, and training opportunities and an additional 650 veterans nationally through the Farmer Veteran Coalition. As more programs develop for veterans in agricultural disciplines, we believe lessons learned from our partnership with veterans may be beneficial to those working with this population of farmers
Incomplete Punishment Networks in Public Goods Games: Experimental Evidence
Abundant evidence suggests that high levels of contributions to public goods can be sustained through self-governed monitoring and sanctioning. This experimental study investigates the effectiveness of decentralized sanctioning institutions in alternative punishment networks. Our results show that the structure of punishment network significantly affects allocations to the public good. In addition, we observe that network configurations are more important than punishment capacities for the levels of public good provision, imposed sanctions and economic efficiency. Lastly, we show that targeted revenge is a major driver of anti-social punishment
- …