Probabilistic Rely-guarantee Calculus

Jones' rely-guarantee calculus for shared variable concurrency is extended to include probabilistic behaviours. We use an algebraic approach which combines and adapts probabilistic Kleene algebras with concurrent Kleene algebra. Soundness of the algebra is shown relative to a general probabilistic event structure semantics. The main contribution of this paper is a collection of rely-guarantee rules built on top of that semantics. In particular, we show how to obtain bounds on probabilities by deriving rely-guarantee rules within the true-concurrent denotational semantics. The use of these rules is illustrated by a detailed verification of a simple probabilistic concurrent program: a faulty Eratosthenes sieve.Comment: Preprint submitted to TCS-QAP

Bridging the biodiversity data gaps: Recommendations to meet users’ data needs

A strong case has been made for freely available, high quality data on species occurrence, in order to track changes in biodiversity. However, one of the main issues surrounding the provision of such data is that sources vary in quality, scope, and accuracy. Therefore publishers of such data must face the challenge of maximizing quality, utility and breadth of data coverage, in order to make such data useful to users. Here, we report a number of recommendations that stem from a content need assessment survey conducted by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF). Through this survey, we aimed to distil the main user needs regarding biodiversity data. We find a broad range of recommendations from the survey respondents, principally concerning issues such as data quality, bias, and coverage, and extending ease of access. We recommend a candidate set of actions for the GBIF that fall into three classes: 1) addressing data gaps, data volume, and data quality, 2) aggregating new kinds of data for new applications, and 3) promoting ease-of-use and providing incentives for wider use. Addressing the challenge of providing high quality primary biodiversity data can potentially serve the needs of many international biodiversity initiatives, including the new 2020 biodiversity targets of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the emerging global biodiversity observation network (GEO BON), and the new Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)

Holistic and leadership approaches to international regulation: confronting nature conservation and developmental challenges. A response to Farnese

International nature protection law has developed without a coherent plan, with disparate governance instruments each largely evolving within their own separate sphere. Yet, many other issues are closely linked to the challenges of nature degradation, such as developmental challenges, climate change, food security and food safety, disease prevention and rural poverty . These interconnections have partly been recognized in Agenda 21 and more recently in the Aichi Biodiversity Targets. This response draws on and extrapolates further the conclusions of Farnese in ‘The Prevention Imperative’, published in this issue, of Transnational Environmental Law and argues for a more coherent approach and effective leadership in this area of global regulation along with a more flexible and holistic approach to governance responses

AfriBes. Cross-cutting intelligence on biodiversity and ecosystems services in Africa : towards a social network of scientific and technical information for Africa

In 2005, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment (MA) was the first global assessment tasked with measuring ecosystem services for human well-being worldwide. In 2006, an international consultation was launched to assess the need, scope and options for an International Mechanism of Scientific Expertise on Biodiversity (IMoSEB). The African regional consultation provided a set of needs and recommendations for how knowledge could be better harnessed to meet the needs of African Biodiversity stakeholders, namely: to foster a spirit of information sharing; to develop a wiki type system; creating a synergy between possessors of traditional knowledge and scientists; to promote South-South cooperation. After completion of IMoSEB consultations and the MA Follow-up, UNEP (United Nations Environment Program) took the lead to set-up an Intergovernmental science-policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES). An African social network could be seen as one of the means to create and strengthen social ties among African communities, researchers, and policymakers, and contribute to science-policy interface with individual inputs. Such a social and non-institutional network could also bring real added-value to existing information and expertise, while fostering their dissemination and use in decision-making processes for sustainable development. This network on biodiversity and ecosystem, based on Web 2.0 technologies, and characterized by user participation, openness, interconnectivity and interactivity of web-delivered content will allow envisaging a Scientific and Technical Information and Rural Development IAALD XIIIth World Congress, Montpellier, 26-29 April 2010 2 number of objectives: building up an African collective and distributed intelligence; using peer-to peer networking;-fostering dialogue; creating a forum between information suppliers and producers; and establishing an E-learning capacity building centre. The development of AfriBes in 2010 will go through its representation as a case study of the EC-FP SPIRAL (Science-Policy Interface for Biodiversity). (Résumé d'auteur

An open-access platform for camera-trapping data

In southern Mexico, local communities have been playing important roles in the design and collection of wildlife data through camera-trapping in community-based monitoring of biodiversity projects. However, the methods used to store the data have limited their use in matters of decision-making and research. Thus, we present the Platform for Community-based Monitoring of Biodiversity (PCMB), a repository, which allows storage, visualization, and downloading of photographs captured by community-based monitoring of biodiversity projects in protected areas of southern Mexico. The platform was developed using agile software development with extensive interaction between computer scientists and biologists. System development included gathering data, design, built, database and attributes creation, and quality control. The PCMB currently contains 28,180 images of 6478 animals (69.4% mammals and 30.3% birds). Of the 32 species of mammals recorded in 18 PA since 2012, approximately a quarter of all photographs were of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Platforms permitting access to camera-trapping data are a valuable step in opening access to data of biodiversity; the PCMB is a practical new tool for wildlife management and research with data generated through local participation. Thus, this work encourages research on the data generated through the community-based monitoring of biodiversity projects in protected areas, to provide an important information infrastructure for effective management and conservation of wildlife

Management and drivers of change of pollinating insects and pollination services. National Pollinator Strategy: for bees and other pollinators in England, Evidence statements and Summary of Evidence

These Evidence Statements provide up-to-date information on what is known (and not known) about the status, values, drivers of change, and responses to management of UK insect pollinators (as was September 2018). This document has been produced to inform the development of England pollinator policy, and provide insight into the evidence that underpins policy decision-making. This document sits alongside a more detailed Summary of Evidence (Annex I) document written by pollinator experts. For information on the development of the statements, and confidence ratings assigned to them, please see section ‘Generation of the statements’ below. Citations for these statements are contained in the Summary of Evidence document