Benthic algal communities of shallow reefs in the Eastern Cape: availability of abalone habitat

Marine ranching has been identified as an alternative to traditional aquacultural rearing and growing organisms for consumption. In the Eastern Cape, abalone ranching is a new and experimental industry. The aims of the research were to: first develop a GIS model to assist management in site selection for abalone seeding; and secondly to develop and standardize the sampling methodology in order to ground truth the sites, and assist in the monitoring and habitat identification of abalone. The GIS model developed in Chapter 3 was created using an unsupervised classification and fuzzy logic approach. Both vector and raster datasets were utilized to represent 7 different layers. Predominantly satellite imagery was used to classify the different substrate groups according to pixel colour signatures. The basic process was to apply a fuzzy rule set (membership) to rasters which gave an output raster (Fuzzification). The membership output rasters were overlaid which creates a single model output. It was found that model accuracy increased significantly as more layers were overlaid, due to the high variability within each of the individual layers. Model ground-truthing showed a strong and significant correlation (r2 = 0.91; p < 0.001) between the model outputs and actual site suitability based on in situ evaluation. Chapter 4 describes the investigation towards the optimal sampling methods for abalone ranching habitat assessments. Both destructive sampling methods and imagery methods were considered as methods of data collection. The study also evaluated whether quadrat and transects were going to be suitable methods to assess sites, and what size or length respectively they should be to collect the appropriate data. Transect length showed great variation according to the factor assessed. A transect of 15 metres was found to be optimal. Abalone counts showed no significant (p = 0.1) change in the Coefficent of Variance (CV) for transect lengths greater than 15m, and had a mean of 0.2 abalone per metre. Quadrat size showed a significant difference in functional group richness between quadrat sizes of 0.0625m2, and 0.25m2 but no difference between 0.25m2 and 1m2 quadrats for both scape and photographic quadrats. It was also found that between 5 and 10 replicates (p = 0.08) represents the functional groups appropriately using quadrats and that a 0.25m2 quadrat is most suitable for sampling. Chapter 5 describes the benthic community structure of Cape Recife shallow water reefs. Using the standardized methodology previously mentioned, 45 sites were assessed to identify the community structure. These sites were grouped into 5 different groups influenced by depth and substrate, as well as functional group composition according to a Wards classification. The community structure showed that depth and substrate play a significant role (p < 0.05) in the community type. There is also a significant relationship (p < 0.05) between complexity, rugosity, abalone presence and substrate. During this study the basic protocols for site selection and benthic community monitoring have been developed to support the abalone ranching initiative in the Cape Recife area. It has also provided a baseline of the benthic community in the ranching concession area which will be used as a benchmark for future monitoring efforts. The site selection, sampling, and monitoring methods developed during the course of this work have now been rolled out as Standard Operating Procedures for the ranching programme in this area

Application of GIS and Spatial Data Modeling to Archaeology: A Case Study in the American Southwest

One of the most important methodological advances in the archaeology of the past quarter century is the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) in archaeological research. Within this time frame, GIS has evolved from an emergent geospatial technology with limited mapmaking capabilities to a technology of choice for cultural resource managers, planners, and academic archaeologists alike. This dissertation examines the evolutionary trajectory and impact of GIS in the discipline since its introduction, and its potential to support new applications of GIS-driven innovation in archaeological research. As part of this project, two separate studies were conducted. The first study assessed adoption and diffusion trends for the technology based on the published literature from 1987-2010 using bibliometric and content analysis. These results suggest that despite adoption reaching a critical mass point in 2003-2006, GIS use is still maturing, and emphasis continues to be on methodological refinements rather than theoretical advances. Many of the technical developments coincide with larger changes within computing and in the convergence of technologies and platforms within the GIS industry. Recent publications, however, indicate the emergence of a possibly new direction for archaeological research which relies more on computationally intensive rather than empirical methods of investigation, in effect blurring traditional distinctions between method and theory. The second study conducted as part of this project explores the implications of this phenomenon by developing and implementing an application within a GIS environment for knowledge discovery in databases. The objective was to explore the feasibility and efficacy of geographic data mining using current technologies and archaeological data standards, identify barriers to its implementation, and demonstrate a new course for GIS-driven innovation in the field. Various archaeological and environmental datasets from the Fort Wingate Depot Activity in western New Mexico, USA were selected, compiled, prepared, and analyzed as part of the case study. Logistic regression was combined with Weights-of-Evidence modeling to discover previously unknown but statistically significant relationships and patterns within the prehistoric and historic data. This study offers suggestions on both how to adapt old data to new technologies and how to adapt new technologies to new ways of thinking

Research Advances for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage

Because European Cultural Heritage is an invaluable legacy, the Ministry for Science and Innovation funded the Spanish Network on Science and Technology for the Conservation of Cultural Heritage (TechnoHeritage), which began its activities in March 2011.Currently seventy five groups participate in the Network, including Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) and Spanish universities teams, cultural institutions, foundations and museums, and private companies. One of the activities of the Network is the organization of annual meetings. This International Congress—organised on behalf of TechnoHeritage by the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela— has a goal of creating an interdisciplinary forum for discussion on all aspects of cultural heritage conservation while providing an up-to-date and comprehensive picture of the state-of-the-art investigations in this field

Rock Art Management and Landscape Change: Mixed Field Assessment Techniques for Cultural Stone Decay

As tourism continues to grow as one of the world’s most ubiquitous markets, the development and promotion of non-invasive techniques for cultural stone decay analysis and landscape change are vital to establishing conditional base-lines to best aid cultural heritage management (CRM) efficacy. Using rock art as a medium, this dissertation presents three independent case studies employing the Rock Art Stability Index (RASI) and repeat photography to explore the merits of mixed rapid field assessment techniques in relation to CRM and heritage tourism. While rock art is only one example of irreplaceable world heritage resources, examining how they decay and what methods can effectively quantify their change provides valuable data leading to a better understanding of human/environment interaction within the context of tourism and cultural resource management. The first case study examines the applicability of combining the two methods on rock art in the Arkansan Ozark region, showing considerable promise. The second addresses the temporal flexibility of the mixed methods on rapidly changing, and highly impacted, rock art sites on Grenada, West Indies, demonstrating the method pairing’s tremendous monitoring and emergency response potential. The third case study explores adapting RASI to analyze other forms of cultural stone by employing the mixed methods on selected hewn monuments in Petra, Jordan, aptly identifying a critical disparity between appearance and stability. Ultimately, each case study exemplifies different aspects of cultural stone decay and modern challenges: from initial preliminary evaluations to assessing the impact of uninformed conservation efforts, and examining the influences of mass tourism and human interaction at heritage sites. Mixed field techniques effectively highlighted both the need for and benefits of employing such methods for rock art management, cultural stone stability, and global heritage management

Habitat mapping and multiple criteria analysis for ecotourism planning in Lantau Island with GIS.

Wong Kwan Kit.Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 276-315).Abstracts in English and Chinese.ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS --- p.IIABSTRACT --- p.IIITABLE OF CONTENTS --- p.VIIIAPPENDICES (IN CD) --- p.XIIILIST OF TABLES --- p.XVLIST OF FIGURES --- p.XIXChapter CHAPTER 1 --- lNTRODUCTION --- p.1Chapter 1.1 --- BACKGROUND TO THE STUDY --- p.1Chapter 1.1.1 --- Ecotourism Opportunity in Hong Kong and Ecotourism Planning --- p.1Chapter 1.1.2 --- Habitat Mapping and Conservation Areas Selection --- p.2Chapter 1.1.3 --- Lantau Island and the Concept Plan --- p.4Chapter 1.2 --- OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY --- p.7Chapter 1.3 --- SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY --- p.8Chapter 1.4 --- SCOPE OF THE STUDY --- p.10Chapter 1.5 --- ORGANIZATION OF THE THESIS --- p.11Chapter CHAPTER 2 --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.14Chapter 2.1 --- WILDLIFE HABITAT MAPPING --- p.14Chapter 2.1.1 --- Habitat Requirements and Factors Influencing Wildlife Distribution --- p.15Chapter 2.1.2 --- Habitat Mapping: Past and Present --- p.17Chapter 2.1.3 --- "Remote Sensing, GIS and Habitat Mapping" --- p.20Chapter 2.1.4 --- Multivariate Statistical Habitat Modeling Approaches --- p.21Chapter 2.2 --- BIODIVERSITY AND CONSERVATION --- p.30Chapter 2.2.1 --- "Biological Diversity, Species Richness and Conservation Planning" --- p.30Chapter 2.2.2 --- Gap Analysis Program (GAP) and Conservation Planning --- p.34Chapter 2.3 --- ECOTOURISM PLANNING AND MULTIPLE CRITERIA ANALYSIS (MCA) --- p.37Chapter 2.3.1 --- ECOTOURISM AND PLANNING MODEL --- p.37Chapter 2.3.2 --- GIS and Multiple Criteria Analysis as decision support tools --- p.42Chapter 2.4 --- SUMMARY --- p.49Chapter CHAPTER 3 --- METHODOLOGY --- p.51Chapter 3.1 --- lNTRODUCTION --- p.51Chapter 3.2 --- STUDY SITE DESCRIPTION --- p.53Chapter 3.3 --- METHODOLOGY OVERVIEW --- p.56Chapter 3.4 --- GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEM (GIS) DATABASE --- p.58Chapter 3.4.1 --- Hong Kong Biodiversity Survey --- p.58Chapter 3.4.2 --- Land Cover Classification of Hong Kong --- p.65Chapter 3.4.2.1 --- Acquisition and Pre-processing of Remotely-Sensed Data --- p.65Chapter 3.4.2.2 --- Land Cover Classification and Post Classification --- p.67Chapter 3.4.3 --- GIS Database --- p.69Chapter 3.4.3.1 --- Acquisition of GIS Data --- p.69Chapter 3.4.3.2 --- GIS Operations --- p.69Chapter 3.4.3.3 --- Criteria for Multiple Criteria Analysis (MCA) --- p.80Chapter 3.5 --- WILDLIFE HABITAT MAPPING --- p.81Chapter 3.5.1 --- Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) --- p.83Chapter 3.5.1.1 --- Generation of Pseudo-absence Data-point --- p.87Chapter 3.5.2 --- Binary Logistic Regression Model (BLRM) --- p.88Chapter 3.5.3 --- Generalized Additive Model (GAM) --- p.95Chapter 3.5.4 --- Model Comparison and Selection --- p.100Chapter 3.5.5 --- Identification of Biodiversity Hotspots --- p.101Chapter 3.5.6 --- Overlap Analysis of Taxonomic Groups --- p.102Chapter 3.5.7 --- Gap Analysis --- p.102Chapter 3.6 --- SITE SELECTION FOR COMPATIBLE TOURISM ACTIVITIES THROUGH MCA --- p.103Chapter 3.6.1 --- Establishment of Evaluation Criteria: Constraints and Factors --- p.103Chapter 3.6.2 --- Standardization of Factors --- p.104Chapter 3.6.3 --- Weights Assignment and Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) --- p.106Chapter 3.6.4 --- Decision Rule: The Simple Additive Weighting method (SAW) --- p.111Chapter 3.7 --- FORMULATION OF ZONING PLAN THROUGH MOLA --- p.112Chapter 3.8 --- EVALUATION OF THE CONCEPT PLAN FOR LANTAU --- p.119Chapter 3.9 --- SUMMARY --- p.121Chapter CHAPTER 4 --- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (l) 一 MULTIVARIATE STATISTICAL WILDLIFE HABITAT MAPPING AND BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS IDENTIFICATION --- p.125Chapter 4.1 --- lNTRODUCTION --- p.125Chapter 4.2 --- DATA EXPLORATION --- p.126Chapter 4.3 --- IDENTIFICATION OF HABITAT FOR AMPHIBIAN SPECIES --- p.126Chapter 4.3.1 --- Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) --- p.127Chapter 4.3.2 --- Binary Logistic Regression Model (BLRM) --- p.131Chapter 4.3.3 --- Generalized Additive Model (GAM) --- p.135Chapter 4.4 --- IDENTIFICATION OF HABITAT FOR BIRD SPECIES --- p.139Chapter 4.4.1 --- Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) --- p.141Chapter 4.4.2 --- Binary Logistic Regression Model (BLRM) --- p.144Chapter 4.4.3 --- Generalized Additive Model (GAM) --- p.149Chapter 4.5 --- IDENTIFICATION OF HABITAT FOR BUTTERFLY SPECIES --- p.153Chapter 4.5.1 --- Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) --- p.154Chapter 4.5.2 --- Binary Logistic Regression Model (BLRM) --- p.158Chapter 4.5.3 --- Generalized Additive Model (GAM) --- p.163Chapter 4.6 --- IDENTIFICATION OF HABITAT FOR DRAGONFLY SPECIES --- p.168Chapter 4.6.1 --- Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) --- p.169Chapter 4.6.2 --- Binary Logistic Regression Model (BLRM) --- p.173Chapter 4.6.3 --- Generalized Additive Model (GAM) --- p.178Chapter 4.7 --- IDENTIFICATION OF HABITAT FOR MAMMAL SPECIES --- p.183Chapter 4.7.1 --- Ecological Niche Factor Analysis (ENFA) --- p.183Chapter 4.7.2 --- Binary Logistic Regression Model (BLRM) --- p.186Chapter 4.7.3 --- Generalized Additive Model (GAM) --- p.189Chapter 4.8 --- MODEL SELECTION --- p.192Chapter 4.9 --- IDENTIFICATION OF BIODIVERSITY HOTSPOTS --- p.194Chapter 4.10 --- CORRELATIONS BETWEEN TAXONOMIC GROUPS --- p.196Chapter 4.11 --- GAP ANALYSIS --- p.197Chapter 4.12 --- SUMMARY --- p.203Chapter CHAPTER 5 --- RESULTS AND DISCUSSION (II) 一 TOURISM PLANNING AND ZONE ALLOCATION --- p.205Chapter 5.1 --- INTRODUCTION --- p.205Chapter 5.2 --- SITE SELECTION FOR COMPATIBLE TOURISM ACTIVITIES lN LANTAU ISLAND --- p.206Chapter 5.2.1 --- Potential Campsite selection --- p.206Chapter 5.2.1.1 --- Evaluation factors --- p.207Chapter 5.2.1.2 --- Factor weights from the AHP --- p.208Chapter 5.2.1.3 --- Results --- p.209Chapter 5.2.2 --- Potential Hiking Route Selection --- p.213Chapter 5.2.2.1 --- Evaluation factors --- p.214Chapter 5.2.2.2 --- Factor weights from the AHP --- p.215Chapter 5.2.2.3 --- Results --- p.217Chapter 5.2.3 --- Potential Cycling and Picnic Site Selection --- p.225Chapter 5.2.3.1 --- Evaluation factors --- p.225Chapter 5.2.3.2 --- Factor weights from the AHP --- p.227Chapter 5.2.3.3 --- Results --- p.228Chapter 5.2.4 --- Potential Tourism Development Site Selection --- p.234Chapter 5.2.4.1 --- Evaluation factors --- p.234Chapter 5.2.4.2 --- Factor weights from the AHP --- p.235Chapter 5.2.4.3 --- Results --- p.236Chapter 5.3 --- ZONE ALLOCATION AND ZONING PLANS --- p.240Chapter 5.3.1 --- Potential Conflicting Sites --- p.240Chapter 5.3.2 --- Scenario 1: Conservation-oriented --- p.242Chapter 5.3.3 --- Scenario 2: Equal-preference --- p.246Chapter 5.3.4 --- Scenario 3: Recreation-and-tourism-development-oriented --- p.249Chapter 5.4 --- EVALUATION AND RECOMMENDATION FOR THE CONCEPT PLAN --- p.252Chapter 5.4.1 --- Exploring Additional Conservation Needs --- p.252Chapter 5.4.2 --- Maximizing Recreational Opportunities --- p.257Chapter 5.4.3 --- Tourism Development --- p.258Chapter 5.5 --- SUMMARY --- p.262Chapter CHAPTER 6 --- CONCLUSION --- p.264Chapter 6.1 --- SUMMARY OF THE STUDY --- p.264Chapter 6.2 --- LIMITATION OF THE STUDY --- p.267Chapter 6.3 --- RECOMMENDATIONS --- p.271REFERENCES --- p.27

Archaeological sensitivity model : a cultural resource management exercise

Bibliography: leaves 183-201.The coastline of South Africa is used by diverse groups of people for a wide variety of reasons ranging from economic, scientific, social, and recreational. For the users to obtain optimum utility it is imperative that ways and means of developing the coast and its potential are put in place, in the face of rapid urban, industrial, and rural development. In the past the coast was an important place for human settlement, as it still is today. Past human settlement left traces that are now threatened by development. The fragile nature of these past settlements means that there is an urgent need to preserve these archaeological sites. Archaeologists and other conservationists recognise that development is a fact of life. Therefore in order to realise fully the potential of the coast a proper management plan for archaeological resources is needed. The management plan should be drafted with input from natural and social scientists, economists, technical experts, and communities that depend on the coastline for their livelihood. This will ensure that development is well planned, user conflicts resolved, and ecological damage minimised. The management plan for coastal archaeological resources will take into consideration the sensitiveness of the area and the potential for development. This project will be undertaken in consultation with professional archaeologists, the Department of Environmental Affairs, the National Monuments Council, biologists, geologists, local communities, town planners, architects, and other stakeholders. The objective here is to formulate a "red flagging" system that will alert the appropriate regulatory institution and therefore enable the institution to encourage development where it will do least harm to archaeological resources. The broad aim above is addressed by first documenting existing information on archaeological resources and current patterns of distribution which are then entered as overlays in a Geographical Information System model. The distribution maps of archaeological resources together with geological, geomorphological and vegetational GIS overlays are used to predict site distribution in unsearched areas in order to produce an Archaeological Sensitivity Model

LIVING ON THE EDGE: RETHINKING PUEBLO PERIOD: (AD 700 – AD 1225) INDIGENOUS SETTLEMENT PATTERNS WITHIN GRAND CANYON NATIONAL PARK, NORTHERN ARIZONA

This dissertation challenges traditional interpretations that indigenous groups who settled the Grand Canyon during the Pueblo Period (AD 700 -1225) relied heavily on maize to meet their subsistence needs. Instead they are viewed as dynamic ecosystem engineers who employed fire and natural plant succession to engage in a wild plant subsistence strategy that was supplemented to varying degrees by maize. By examining the relationship between archaeological sites and the natural environment throughout the Canyon, new settlement pattern models were developed. These models attempt to account for the spatial distribution of Virgin people, as represented by Virgin Gray Ware ceramics, Kayenta as represented by Tusayan Gray Ware ceramics, and the Cohonina as represented by San Francisco Mountain Gray Ware ceramics, through an examination of the relationships of sites to various aspects of the natural environment (biotic communities, soils, physical geography, and hydrology). Inferences constructed from the results of geographic information system analyses of the Park’s legacy site data, indicate that Virgin groups were the first to arrive at the Canyon, around AD 700 and leaving around AD 1200. They practiced a split subsistence strategy, which included seasonal movements between maize agricultural areas in the western Inner Canyon and wild resource production areas in the pinyon-juniper forests on the western North Rim plateaus. The Kayenta occupied the North Rim, South Rim and Inner Canyon, throughout the entire Pueblo Period. Their subsistence system relied heavily on wild resource production on both rims supplemented by low-level maize agriculture practiced seasonally on the wide deltas in the eastern Inner Canyon. The Cohonina were the last to arrive and the first to leave, as they occupied the Canyon for about 300 years from AD 800–1100. They were the most prolific maize farmers, practicing it in the Inner Canyon near the mouth of Havasu Creek, but still seasonally exploiting wild resource on the western South Rim. Based on my interpretations, use of the Canyon from AD 700-1225, is viewed as a dynamic interplay between indigenous groups and their environment. As they settled into the Canyon and managed the diverse ecology to meet their subsistence needs

Natural processes in the degradation of open-air rock-art sites: an urgency intervention scale to inform conservation.

Open-air rock-art forms one of the most widely distributed categories of prehistoric material culture with examples recognized across the Old and New Worlds. It is also one of the most threatened features of human heritage and is susceptible to accelerated decay as a result of anthropogenic and natural processes. Much attention has previously been given to the impact of identifiably human activities and their mitigation, but the aim of this research is to redress the balance and focus on understanding the short-, medium-, and long-term impacts of natural processes. The main objectives of research are to identify open-air rock-art natural degradation causes, create a suitable method to assess the state of conservation of any given engraved outcrop of the Côa Valley rock-art complex and develop a urgency scale for conservation interventions. The urgency scale will be established by thoroughly examining a sample of the most – in terms of conservation – representative engraved outcrops. Since more than one thousand outcrops with rock-art still subsist today, it would be impossible to examine them all. Therefore, a sample comprising outcrops that possess most, if not all, of the variables that might affect stability and conservation state will be chosen. Some of the issues to consider are weathering and erosion of outcrops, or slope gradient and aspect of the hills where these are located. Such phenomena as biological colonization, rainwater percolation or chemical exchanges at surface level will also be analyzed. The expected end result of research is the creation of a method to determine the condition of outcrops and to identify methodically those in most urgent need of conservation. As a result, informed conservation action plans can be systematically tailored to suit specific natural conditions. Moreover, conservation interventions can be prioritized within a total universe of 1000 outcrops with rock-art

Agent based predictive models in archaeology

For over 40 years archaeologists have been using predictive modelling to locate archaeological sites. While great strides have been made in the theory and methods of site predictive modelling there are still unresolved issues like a lack of theory, poor data, biased datasets and poor accuracy and precision in the models. This thesis attempts to address the problems of poor model performance and lack of theory driven models through the development of a new method for predictive modelling, agent based modelling. Applying GIS and agent based modelling tools to a project area in southeaster New Mexico this new methodology explored possible behaviours that resulted in site formation such as access to water resources, travel routes and resource exploitation. The results in regards to improved accuracy over traditional methods were inconclusive as a data error was found in the previously created predictive models for the area that were to be used as a comparison. But, the project was more successful in providing explanatory reasons for site placement based on the models created. This work has the potential to open up predictive modelling to wider archaeology audiences, such as those based at universities. Additional findings also impacted other areas of archaeological investigation outside of predictive modelling, such as least cost path analyses and resource gathering analyses