Monitoring conservation threats, interventions and impacts on wildlife in a Cambodian tropical forest

While there are many scientifically rigorous methods for monitoring wildlife populations and the threats that they face, they are often difficult to implement in tropical forest environments. In some cases traditional gold standard methodologies can be employed despite the inherent practical and theoretical challenges, but in other situations more novel approaches must be developed. In this thesis we investigate these issues within the context of a large protected area in Eastern Cambodia. The aims of this study were to; 1. Evaluate the status and trends of wild ungulate populations using distance sampling derived density estimates. 2. Develop and implement an approach to reliably estimate the detectability and abundance of wire snares, which currently represent the greatest threat to mammal populations within the area. 3. Quantify the association between snare abundance and a number of natural and anthropogenic factors hypothesised to influence snare placement. 4. Assess the utility of law enforcement records, and specifically catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) indices derived from patrol data, as a tool for monitoring threats. I present rigorous density estimates for several key ungulate species, representing the first such data from the entire lower Mekong region. Whilst smaller ungulate populations appear to be stable, larger species are likely undergoing a decline. A sampling protocol was developed for surveying snares which balanced the requirements of statistical rigour against feasibility and efficiency of implementation in the field. The results of this survey were analysed using N-mixture models to produce detectability-corrected spatially explicit estimates of snare abundance. As predicted, forest type, proximity to settlements, and distance to the Vietnamese border were shown to be important determinants of snare abundance whereas the relationship between snaring levels and both patrol effort and wildlife densities was less clear. This study also demonstrated that while CPUE indices derived from patrol data can adequately reflect true levels of threat, their utility depends greatly on the quality of the patrol data, and on identifying the appropriate spatio-temporal scale at which to undertake the analysis.Open Acces

Genetic diversity of Oryza species in Niger ; screening and breeding for resistance to rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV)

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2012.Rice is a staple food in many West African countries, including Niger. However, both regional and national rice production have failed to meet demand due to several constraints, among which is the Rice yellow mottle virus (RYMV). Moreover, attempted intensification of rice cultivation and the introduction of modern cultivars are encouraging farmers towards abandoning local landraces for high yielding, but often susceptible varieties. The study was primarily oriented towards rice pre-breeding, and identifying priorities for rice breeding in Niger in relation to farmers' preferences and their environment. A secondary aim was the development and evaluation (for release at the regional level) of new breeding lines with resistance to RYMV. This study aimed to: 1) Establish farmers' perception of rice varieties as well as the main constraints on rice production in Niger and particularly those posed by RYMV; 2) Create a collection of rice species from Niger for ex- situ conservation, and to determine the phenotypic variability within this collection; 3) Determine the genetic diversity and population structure of the collection; 4) Screen the collection for resistance to RYMV, so that new sources of resistance could be detected; 5) Improve five elite varieties from West Africa for resistance to RYMV using marker-assisted selection (MAS). The germplasm collection and PRA of this study were conducted in 2008 and 2009 in Niger, while the field and the laboratory researches were conducted in 2008 and 2009 at the Africa Rice Center (AfricaRice) in Benin. For the PRA, data was obtained from a semi-structured group discussion carried out in 14 villages, individual questioning of 153 farmers and visits to farmers' field and storage facilities. The local farmers' union was the only formal seed dissemination system. Seed exchanges between farmers and the use of seeds from previous harvests were important. The RYMV and the bacterial leaf blight (BLB) were cited as the prevalent biotic stresses in the irrigated agrosystem, where the varieties IR1529-680-3 and Waihidjo were found to be the most popular. Flood, birds and hippopotamus were the most damaging agents in the lowland cropping system, and the landrace Degaulle/ D5237 was the preferred variety. Apart from the yield, farmers preferred varieties with good grain quality (milling quality and good taste), high market value, stress tolerance (drought, flood, disease, birds, rodents), and those recommended by the local farmers' association. These findings should be included in breeding goals, seed production and dissemination systems. During collection, a total of 270 rice accessions were assembled, comprising the two cultivated rice species Oryza sativa L. and O. glaberrima Steud. and its two wild relatives Oryza barthii A. Chev. and O. longistaminata Chev. et Roehr. The region of the Niger River and its tributary (the Dallol Maouri) provided the majority (80.7%) of the accessions. Apart from a few wild O. barthii accessions, the accessions found around Lake Chad and the Komadougou river (South-East) were also collected in the Niger River area. Farmers' naming and ecological classification of rice varieties was generally consistent. Three major phenotypic groups were found during the field trials, and the overall phenotypic variability of the collection (as measured by the Shannon-Weaver Diversity Index) was relatively high. There was no significant difference in diversity between the main eco-geographical zones of collection, as well as between the identified phenotypic groups, suggesting a high level of germplasm exchange between the regions in Niger. From the collection, 264 accessions were genotyped from the collection using 18 well distributed SSR markers and two main genetic compartments were detected, comprising O. sativa subsp. indica varieties and O. glaberrima and its wild relative O. barthii and O. longistaminata. The O. sativa group in Niger was divided into irrigated and floating rice, bound by lowland rice. The wild progenitor O. barthii was widespread but without any clear genetic differentiation from O. glaberrima, probably due to the presence of admixtures within the collected samples of O. barthii. Allelic diversity was relatively high, despite the geographical distance from the centre of domestication of African rice, and the points of entry of Asian rice to Africa. The findings reflect the underuse of Niger's rice landraces genetic potential for rice breeding, given that all the "improved" varieties released during the last 25 years in Niger were clustered together on the dendrogram. The response of a set of the rice collected from Niger and some accessions from Mali to inoculation by RYMV was evaluated using five different virus isolates from Niger (3), Benin (1) and Burkina Faso (1). All rice varieties were susceptible to the disease. However, depending on the virus strain, a few O. glaberrima accessions displayed partial resistance, similar to the highly resistant TOG5681. Allelic research based on primers derived from the RYMV1 gene revealed one accession with allele rymv1-3, and two accessions with allele rymv1-4, and one accession with a different resistance gene. The implications of the finding were discussed and a strategy proposed for breeding varieties with a comprehensive resistance to RYMV. After three generations of backcrossing, the major resistance gene of the variety Gigante was successfully introgressed into five elite rice varieties of West Africa by Marker-Assisted Backcross (MABC). The newly developed BC3F3 progenies were screened for resistance to RYMV in farmers' fields in Guinea and Mali and also under controlled conditions in a screenhouse in Benin. As shown by low virus content and level of disease incidence, low tiller number and plant height reduction, the transferred gene was fully functional in the new genetic background. Moreover, some lines also displayed a high level of resistance to rice blast (Pyricularia oryzae) and stem borer infestation in Guinea. Four of those lines are in the second year of multi-location trial in seven West African countries. Therefore, effective deployment of the newly developed varieties, coupled with good cultural practices, should reduce the damaging effects of RYMV in lowland and irrigated rice cropping systems and thereby increase the income of small scale farmers from rice cultivation

Друга міжнародна конференція зі сталого майбутнього: екологічні, технологічні, соціальні та економічні питання (ICSF 2021). Кривий Ріг, Україна, 19-21 травня 2021 року

Second International Conference on Sustainable Futures: Environmental, Technological, Social and Economic Matters (ICSF 2021). Kryvyi Rih, Ukraine, May 19-21, 2021.Друга міжнародна конференція зі сталого майбутнього: екологічні, технологічні, соціальні та економічні питання (ICSF 2021). Кривий Ріг, Україна, 19-21 травня 2021 року

Using remote sensing and geographical information systems to classify local landforms using a pattern recognition approach for improved soil mapping

Thesis (PhDAgric)--Stellenbosch University, 2022.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Presently, a major focus of digital soil mapping (DSM) in South Africa is unlocking the soil-landscape relationships of legacy soil data by disaggregating the only source of contiguous soil information for South Africa, the National Land Type Survey (LTS) (ARC, 2003). Each land type is best defined as a homogenous mapping unit with a unique combination of terrain type, soil pattern and macroclimate properties (Paterson et al., 2015). One of the prevailing reasons for the LTS longevity and continual temporal-interoperability is that terrain description is expressly related to a suite of catenary soil property descriptions (Milne, 1936). These terrain types are further divided into terrain morphological units (TMUs) representing a sequence of patterns based on a 5-unit landscape model of 1-crest, 2-scarp, 3-midslope, 4-footslope and 5-valley bottom. Importantly, dominant soil distribution patterns are defined by terrain units relying on an elementary terrain topo-sequence pattern approach, with much of the work done on modelling soil variation related to variation in terrain (van Zijl, 2019). Whilst the LTS remains a source of national interest, there is immense opportunity to build on the existing soil inventory data rather than only focus on “breaking it down” (disaggregation). However, what is needed is a standard operating procedure that not only leverages the ability of digital elevation models (DEM) to explicate soil-landscape associations beyond the limited 5-unit landscape model but allows better refinement of soil descriptions with landscape features. Only once the nuances of optimal DEM parametrisation under controlled conditions are fully understood can the complete scope of DSM and digital geomorphological mapping (DGM) applications be explored. This dissertation attempts to synthesise knowledge on theory, methods, and applications of using remote sensing (RS) and geographical information systems (GIS) to classify local landforms using a pattern recognition approach for improved soil mapping in the context of multiscale problems of digital terrain analysis in KwaZulu-Natal. The dissertation is divided into three parts. Part one (Chapter 2) represents the DEM pre- processing and generalisation method and establishes the protocols for soil-landscape covariate application derived from various sensor platforms and spatial scales. Part two (Chapter 3) introduces the concept of improved terrain unit mapping through the geomorphon approach and describes DEM optimisation for standardised geomorphon representation for uniformly describing soil-landscape properties for inputs to DSM applications. Finally, part three (Chapters 4 & 5) looks at applications of DEM sources and geomorphons first from a holistic landscape context by linking digital terrain and soil-landscape analysis to geodiversity. Finally, the benefit of improved RS and GIS combined with quantitative modelling approaches on improving natural resource predictions are explored by modelling soil-ecotope and soil type mapping units and proposing improvements to an existing DSS designed for KwaZulu-Natal Natal. Specifically, this research is organised into four (4) research chapters with an overview of each chapter’s contribution outlined hereafter. Chapter 2 accounts for the recognition and requirements of DEM generalisation from high to medium resolution RS platforms and the influence these pre-processing approaches have on the extraction of a wide range of terrain attributes. Digital elevation data are elemental in deriving primary topographic attributes that are input variables to various regional soil-landscape models. DEMs' utility to extract different topographic indices as primary inputs to DSM allows the generalised soil-formative relationship between topography and soil characteristics to be measured quantitatively. Traditional landscape-scale approaches to extracting and analysing soils remain subjective and an expensive last resort for large-scale regional soil distribution and variability prediction. Selecting the right DEMs is a critical step in the development of any soil-landscape model. Therefore, the ability to represent soil-landscape relationships rapidly and objectively between soil properties and landscape position using emerging technologies and elevation data in a digital environment and at varying scales is fundamental for using soil-landscape mapping as a regional planning tool. There is, however, still varied consensus on the effect of DEM source and resolution on the application of these topographic attributes to landscape and geomorphic characterisation within South Africa. However, Atkinson et al. (2017) have shown that topographic variable extraction is highly dependent on the DEM source and generalisation approach. However, while higher resolution DEMs may represent the “true” landscape surface more accurately, they do not necessarily offer the best results for all extracted terrain variables for modelling soil-landscape outputs. Given the convenience of a wide range of open-source elevation data for South Africa, there is a need to quantify the impact that DEM generalisation approaches have on simplifying detailed DEMs and compare the accuracy and reliability of results between high resolution and coarse resolution data on the extraction of localised topographic variables as a primer for soil-landscape or digital soil models. Chapter 3 explores the harmonisation of geomorphons derived from various RS platforms to define the landscape character in central KwaZulu-Natal. Robust DGM approaches that can simplify and translate the inclusion of “human knowledge” to automatic terrain classification across a broader spectrum of terrain morphological units and a range of DEM spatial scales offer great potential for improved topographic and landscape analysis and must have their utility investigated. Continual advances in quantitative modelling of surface processes, combined with new spatio-temporal and geo-computational algorithms, have revolutionised the auto-classification and mapping of landform components through the automated analysis of high-quality DEMs. Therefore, a thorough assessment of the effects that different pixel resolution (grain size) and DEM sources have on replicating observed geomorphic spatial patterns and representing selected terrain parameters using advanced automated geomorphometric mapping approaches is necessary. Specifically, it would be valuable to interrogate the self-adapting ability of these automated mapping approaches under regional conditions to quantitatively analyse how the choice of terrain model and scale influences the extraction, generalisation, and representation of digitally derived terrain attributes such as slope gradient, elevation and terrain unit feature extent. Equally important is understanding how the variation in resulting terrain unit representation is limited by spatial resolution discontinuities that ultimately influence the extraction and representation of elementary soil properties. Chapter 4 is a shift from the technical aspects of digital terrain preprocessing and modelling and instead attempts to explore the contribution of gridded soil-landscape products to the abiotic landscape development agenda. It would be worthwhile to contextualise and decode these technical aspects of terrain and soil analyses to a holistic landscape development agenda. It is argued that current global environmental problems and questions demand exploration into new scientific perspectives and improved related paradigms and methodologies. Geodiversity (abiotic complexity) has not received the same level of attention as biodiversity (biotic complexity) despite its intrinsic and indivisible linkages to ecosystem and landscape richness characterisation. The ability to better describe the substrate in which biological and human activities occur is of top standing and must have its potential explored. To date, only one landmark study has successfully investigated the influence of environmental factors on geodiversity mapping in South Africa (Kori et al., 2019). Using an array of multimodal environmental covariates, including hydrographic, lithostratigraphic, pedological, climatic, topographic, solar morphometric and geomorphic variables, I aim to provide further confirmation to regional and international geodiversity research agendas. Chapter 5 culminates in applying quantitative DSM methods, with improved terrain representation, to classify productive soil units (ecotopes) as a proposed methodology to improve the current Bioresource Report Writer (BRW) soil-landscape recommendations. In KwaZulu-Natal, it has been accepted that detailed natural resource information based on scientifically accurate and relevant criteria is required to develop spatial layers that planners, developers, local government, and other stakeholders can use to guide future development. At present, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (KZNDARD) can provide high-level crop production approximations for various crops based on BioResource Units (BRU). However, the BRW has not seen a significant revision for over two decades. Still, the natural resource information it contains provides land managers, policymakers and farmers with invaluable access to regional and farm level qualitative estimations of agricultural productivity. There is a need to preserve this information while simultaneously providing modern measures of land management recommendation at multiple scales to the end-user. Against this backdrop, access to readily interpretable soil and crop information is increasingly being prioritised by provincial planning commissions as critical inputs to DSS for sustainable land management within KwaZulu-Natal.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Tans ontsluit 'n groot fokus van digitale grond kartering (DSM) in Suid-Afrika die grond landskap verhoudings van nalatenskap grond data deur die enigste bron van aaneenlopende grond inligting vir Suid-Afrika, die Nasionale Grondtipe-opname (ARC, 2003) te distreun. Elke land tipe word die beste gedefinieer as 'n homogene karterings eenheid met 'n unieke kombinasie van terrein tipe, grondpatroon en makro klimaat eienskappe (Paterson et al. , 2015) . Een van die heersende redes vir die LTS-langlewendheid en voortdurende temporale interoperabiliteit is dat terrein beskrywing uitdruklik verband hou met 'n reeks katalise grondeiendom beskrywings (Milne, 1936). Hierdie terrein tipes word verder verdeel in terrein morfologiese eenhede (TMUs) wat 'n reeks patrone verteenwoordig wat gebaseer is op 'n 5-eenheid landskap model van 1- kuif, 2-serp, 3-midslope, 4-voet en 5-vallei bodem. Belangrik, dominante grond verspreidings patrone word gedefinieer deur terrein eenhede wat staatmaak op 'n elementêre terrein topo-volgorde patroon benadering, met baie van die werk gedoen op modellering grond variasie wat verband hou met variasie in terrein (van Zijl, 2019). Terwyl die LTS bly 'n bron van nasionale belang; daar is enorme geleentheid om voort te bou op die bestaande grond voorraad data eerder as om net te fokus op "afbreek" (disaggregasie). Wat egter nodig is, is 'n standaard bedryfsprosedure wat nie net die vermoë van digitale hoogte modelle(DEM) gebruik om grond landskap verenigings buite die beperkte 5-eenheid landskap model te vererger nie, maar beter verfyning van grond beskrywings met landskap kenmerke moontlik te maak. Slegs sodra die nuanses van optimale DEM parametrisasie onder beheerde toestande ten volle verstaan word, kan die volledige omvang van DSM- en digitale geomorfologiese kartering (DGM) aansoeke ondersoek word. Hierdie verhandeling poog om-kennis oor teorie, metodes en toepassings van ute sintetiseer om afstand waarneming (RS) en geografiese inligtingstelsels (GIS) tesing om plaaslike land vorms te klassifiseer deur 'n patroonherkenning benadering vir verbeterde grond kartering in die konteks van multiskaal probleme van digitale terrein analise te klassifiseer. In KwaZulu-Natal. Die verhandeling word in drie dele verdeel. Deel een (Hoofstuk 2) verteenwoordig die DEM-voor verwerker- en veralgemenings metode en vestig die protokolle vir grondlandskap-kovariaat toediening afgelei van verskeie sensor platforms en ruimtelike skale. Deel twee (Hoofstuk 3) stel die konsep van verbeterde terrein eenheid kartering deur die geomorfon benadering bekend en beskryf DEM-optimalisering vir gestandaardiseerde geomorfon verteenwoordiging om grond landskap eienskappe eenvormig te beskryf vir insette tot DSM-toepassings. Ten slotte, deel drie (Hoofstukke 4 & 5) kyk na toepassings van DEM bronne en geomorfon eerste vanuit 'n holistiese landskap konteks deur die koppeling van digitale terrein en grond landskap analise aan geodiversiteit. Ten slotte word die voordeel van verbeterde RS en GIS gekombineer met kwantitatiewe modellerings benaderings op die verbetering van natuurlike hulpbron voorspellings ondersoek deur grond-ekopeïen- en grondtipe karterings eenhede te modelleer en verbeterings voor te stel aan 'n bestaande DSS wat vir KwaZulu-Natal ontwerp is. Spesifiek, tsy navorsing is organiseer in vier (4) navorsing hoofstukke met 'n oorsig van elke hoofstuk se bydrae wat hierna uiteengesit word. Hoofstuk 2 is verantwoordelik vir die erkenning en vereistes van DEM veralgemening van hoë tot medium resolusie RS platforms en die invloed wat hierdie preprocessing benaderings het op die onttrekking van 'n wye verskeidenheid van terrein eienskappe. Digitale hoogte data is elementêr in die afleiding van primêre topografiese eienskappe wat inset veranderlikes aan verskeie plaaslike grond landskap modelle is. DEMs se nut om verskillende topografiese indekse as primêre insette tot DSM te onttrek, laat die algemene grond vormende verhouding tussen topografie en grondeienskappe kwantitatief gemeet word. Tradisionele landskap skaal benaderings tot die onttrekking en ontleding van grond bly subjektief en 'n duur laaste uitweg vir grootskaalse streeks grond verspreiding en veranderlikheid voorspelling. Die keuse van die regte DEMs is 'n kritieke stap in die ontwikkeling van enige grond landskap model. Daarom is die vermoë om grond landskap verhoudings vinnig en objektief tussen grondeienskappe en landskap posisie te verteenwoordig deur opkomende tegnologieë en hoogte data in 'n digitale omgewing te gebruik en op verskillende skale fundamenteel vir die gebruik van grond landskap kartering as 'n streeksbeplanning instrument. Daar is egter steeds uiteenlopende konsensus oor die uitwerking van DEM-bron en resolusie oor die toepassing van hierdie topografiese eienskappe aan landskap- en geomorfiese karakterisering binne Suid-Afrika. Atkinson et al. (2017) het egter getoon dat topografiese veranderlike onttrekking baie afhanklik is van die DEM-bron en veralgemenings benadering. Alhoewel hoër resolusie-DEMs die "ware" landskap oppervlak meer akkuraat kan verteenwoordig, bied hulle nie noodwendig die beste resultate vir alle onttrokke terrein veranderlikes vir die modellering van grond landskap-uitsette nie. Gegewe die gerief van 'n wye verskeidenheid oopbron-hoogte data vir Suid-Afrika, is dit 'n behoefte om die impak wat DEM-veralgemenings benaderings het op die vereenvoudiging van gedetailleerde DEMs te kwantifiseer en die akkuraatheid en betroubaarheid van resultate tussen hoë resolusie en growwe resolusie data te vergelyk oor die onttrekking van gelokaliseerde topografiese veranderlikes as 'n primer vir grond landskap of digitale grond modelle. Hoofstuk 3 ondersoek die harmonisering van geomorfon wat van verskeie RS-platforms afkomstig is om die landskap karakter in Sentraal-KwaZulu-Natal te definieer. Robuuste DGM benaderings wat die insluiting van "menslike kennis" kan vereenvoudig en vertaal na outomatiese terrein klassifikasie oor 'n breër spektrum van terrein morfologiese eenhede en 'n verskeidenheid DEM ruimtelike skale bied groot potensiaal vir verbeterde topografiese en landskap analise en moet hul nut ondersoek. Voortdurende vooruitgang in kwantitatiewe modellering van oppervlak prosesse, gekombineer met nuwe spatio-temporale en geo-berekenings algoritmes, het die ou toklassifikasie en kartering van land vorm komponente omwentel deur die outomatiese analise van hoë gehalte DEMs. Daarom is 'n deeglike assessering van die effekte wat verskillende pixel resolusie (graan grootte) en DEM-bronne het op die replisering van waargenome geomorfiese ruimtelike patrone en verteenwoordig geselekteerde terrein parameters met behulp van gevorderde outomatiese geomorfon metriese karterings benaderings nodig. Spesifiek, dit sal waardevol wees om die self-aanpassing vermoë van hierdie outomatiese kartering benaderings onder streeks toestande te ondervra om kwantitatief te analiseer hoe die keuse van terrein model en skaal die onttrekking, veralgemening en voorstelling van digitaal afgeleide terrein kenmerke soos hellings gradiënt, hoogte- en terrein eenheid-funksie omvang beïnvloed. Ewe belangrik is om te verstaan hoe die variasie in gevolglike terrein eenheid verteenwoordiging beperk word deur ruimtelike resolusie-stakings wat uiteindelik die onttrekking en voorstelling van elementêre grondeienskappe beïnvloed Hoofstuk 4 is 'n verskuiwing van die tegniese aspekte van digitale terrein voor verwerking en modellering en poog eerder om die bydrae van geroosterde grond landskap produkte na die abiotiese landskap ontwikkelings agenda te verken. Ek sou die moeite werd wees om hierdie tegniese aspekte van terrein- en grond ontledings na 'n holistiese landskap ontwikkelings agenda te kontekstualiseer en te dekodeer. Daar word aangevoer dat huidige globale omgewingsprobleme en vrae eksplorasie in nuwe wetenskaplike perspektiewe en verbeterde verwante paradigmas en metodologieë vereis. Geodiversiteit (abiotiese kompleksiteit) het nie dieselfde vlak van aandag as biodiversiteit (biotiese kompleksiteit) ontvang nie, ten spyte van sy intrinsieke en ondeelbare verbande met ekosisteem- en landskap ryke karakterisering. Die vermoë om die substraat waarin biologiese en menslike aktiwiteite voorkom, beter te beskryf, is van bostaande en moet sy potensiaal ondersoek. Tot op hede het slegs een ander landmerk studie die invloed van omgewingsfaktore op geodiversiteits kartering in Suid-Afrika (Kori et al. , 2019). Met behulp van 'n verskeidenheid multimodale omgewings kovariaat, insluitend hidrografiese, lithostratigraphic, pedologiese, klimaat-, topografiese, son morfometriese en geomorfiese veranderlikes, beoog ek om verdere bevestiging te gee aan streeks- en internasionale geodiversiteits navorsing agendas. Hoofstuk 5 kulmineer in die toepassing van kwantitatiewe DSM-metodes, met verbeterde terrein verteenwoordiging, om produktiewe grondeenhede (ekotipes) te klassifiseer as 'n voorgestelde metodologie om die huidige BRW-grondlandskap aanbevelings te verbeter. In KwaZulu-Natal is aanvaar dat gedetailleerde natuurlike hulpbron inligting gebaseer op wetenskaplik akkurate en relevante kriteria nodig is om ruimtelike lae te ontwikkel wat beplanners, ontwikkelaars, plaaslike regering en ander belanghebbendes kan gebruik om toekomstige ontwikkeling te lei. Tans kan die KwaZulu-Natal Departement van Landbou en Landelike Ontwikkeling (KZNDARD) hoëvlak-gewasproduksie-benaderings vir verskeie gewasse op grond van BRUs verskaf. Die BRW het egter vir meer as twee dekades nie 'n beduidende hersiening gesien nie. Tog bied die natuurlike hulpbron inligting wat dit bevat, grond bestuurders, beleidmakers en boere van onskatbare waarde toegang tot streeks- en plaasvlak kwalitatiewe beramings van landbou produktiwiteit. Daar is 'n behoefte om hierdie inligting te bewaar, terwyl dit terselfdertyd moderne maatreëls van grondbestuur aanbeveling op verskeie skale aan die eindgebruiker verskaf. Teen hierdie agtergrond word toegang tot geredelik interpreteerbare grond- en gewas inligting toenemend deur provinsiale beplanningskommissie geprioritiseer as kritiese insette tot DSS vir volhoubare grondbestuur binne KwaZulu-Natal.Doctora

Sustainable agriculture and rural development in terms of the republic of Serbia strategic goals realization within the Danube region. Achieving regional competitiveness

International Scientific Conference „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA STRATEGIC GOALS REALIZATION WITHIN THE DANUBE REGION -achieving regional competitiveness“, which was held in period 5-7th December 2013 in Topola, the Republic of Serbia, through number of presented papers mainly provides an overview of results of scientific research on the integrated and interdisciplinary project no. III 46006 „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA STRATEGIC GOALS REALIZATION WITHIN THE DANUBE REGION“. International Scientific Conference „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA STRATEGIC GOALS REALIZATION WITHIN THE DANUBE REGION - achieving regional competitiveness“, gathered number of scientific workers and experts from many countries. Besides the authors from Serbia in Thematic Proceedings are also presented the papers of authors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Moldova, Slovakia, Ukraine, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and Austria. After all 92 papers were positively reviewed by the reviewers and presented on the International Scientific Conference, they were published in the Thematic Proceedings. Proceedings publisher was Institute of Agricultural Economics Belgrade, together with 34 eminent scientific-educational institutions from Serbia and abroad. In the Plenary Section were presented 3 papers which gave significant contributions to International Scientific Conference. Rest of the papers are systematized in 3 thematic sections: IKNOWLEDGE ECONOMY AND HUMAN CAPITAL IN THE FUNCTION OF IMPROVING REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS (45 papers); II BIOREGIONALISM AND PERMACULTURE AS A CONCEPTS OF CONSERVATION OF ECOLOGICAL SPECIFICITIES OF RURAL AREAS (27 papers); III THE CONSTRUCTION OF AGRO-REGIONAL IDENTITY THROUGH INSTITUTIONAL REFORM (17 papers)

Sustainable agriculture and rural development in terms of the republic of Serbia strategic goals realization within the Danube region. Achieving regional competitiveness

International Scientific Conference „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA STRATEGIC GOALS REALIZATION WITHIN THE DANUBE REGION -achieving regional competitiveness“, which was held in period 5-7th December 2013 in Topola, the Republic of Serbia, through number of presented papers mainly provides an overview of results of scientific research on the integrated and interdisciplinary project no. III 46006 „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA STRATEGIC GOALS REALIZATION WITHIN THE DANUBE REGION“. International Scientific Conference „SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AND RURAL DEVELOPMENT IN TERMS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA STRATEGIC GOALS REALIZATION WITHIN THE DANUBE REGION - achieving regional competitiveness“, gathered number of scientific workers and experts from many countries. Besides the authors from Serbia in Thematic Proceedings are also presented the papers of authors from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Romania, Russia, Moldova, Slovakia, Ukraine, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and Austria. After all 92 papers were positively reviewed by the reviewers and presented on the International Scientific Conference, they were published in the Thematic Proceedings. Proceedings publisher was Institute of Agricultural Economics Belgrade, together with 34 eminent scientific-educational institutions from Serbia and abroad. In the Plenary Section were presented 3 papers which gave significant contributions to International Scientific Conference. Rest of the papers are systematized in 3 thematic sections: IKNOWLEDGE ECONOMY AND HUMAN CAPITAL IN THE FUNCTION OF IMPROVING REGIONAL COMPETITIVENESS (45 papers); II BIOREGIONALISM AND PERMACULTURE AS A CONCEPTS OF CONSERVATION OF ECOLOGICAL SPECIFICITIES OF RURAL AREAS (27 papers); III THE CONSTRUCTION OF AGRO-REGIONAL IDENTITY THROUGH INSTITUTIONAL REFORM (17 papers)

History of Psychology

Openly licensed anthology focused on the theme of the History of Psychology. Contains: The Mind and the Brain by Alfred Binet; Dream Psychology: Psychoanalysis for Beginners by Sigmund Freud; The Principles of Psychology, Volume 1 (of 2) by William James; The Principles of Psychology, Volume 2 (of 2) by William James; Collected Papers on Analytical Psychology by C. G. Jung; Memoirs of Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds by Charles Mackay; The Psychology of Arithmetic by Edward L. Thorndike