Bayesian Active Meta-Learning for Reliable and Efficient AI-Based Demodulation

Two of the main principles underlying the life cycle of an artificial intelligence (AI) module in communication networks are adaptation and monitoring. Adaptation refers to the need to adjust the operation of an AI module depending on the current conditions; while monitoring requires measures of the reliability of an AI module's decisions. Classical frequentist learning methods for the design of AI modules fall short on both counts of adaptation and monitoring, catering to one-off training and providing overconfident decisions. This paper proposes a solution to address both challenges by integrating meta-learning with Bayesian learning. As a specific use case, the problems of demodulation and equalization over a fading channel based on the availability of few pilots are studied. Meta-learning processes pilot information from multiple frames in order to extract useful shared properties of effective demodulators across frames. The resulting trained demodulators are demonstrated, via experiments, to offer better calibrated soft decisions, at the computational cost of running an ensemble of networks at run time. The capacity to quantify uncertainty in the model parameter space is further leveraged by extending Bayesian meta-learning to an active setting. In it, the designer can select in a sequential fashion channel conditions under which to generate data for meta-learning from a channel simulator. Bayesian active meta-learning is seen in experiments to significantly reduce the number of frames required to obtain efficient adaptation procedure for new frames.Comment: To appear in IEEE Transactions on Signal Processin

Gradient Metaphoricity of the Preposition in: A Corpus-based Approach to Chinese Academic Writing in English

In Cognitive Linguistics, a conceptual metaphor is a systematic set of correspondences between two domains of experience (Kövecses 2020: 2). In order to have an extensive understanding of metaphors, metaphoricity (Müller and Tag 2010; Dunn 2011; Jensen and Cuffari 2014; Nacey and Jensen 2017) has been emphasized to address one of the properties of metaphors in language usage: gradience (Hanks 2006; Dunn 2011, 2014), which indicates that metaphorical expressions can be measured. Despite many noteworthy contributions, studies of metaphoricity are often accused of subjectivity (Müller 2008; Jensen and Cuffari 2014; Jensen 2017), this is why this study uses a big corpus as a database. Therefore, the main aim of this dissertation is to measure the gradient senses of the preposition in in an objective way, thus mapping the highly systematic semantic extension. Based on these gradient senses, the semantic and syntactic features of the preposition in produced by advanced Chinese English-major learners are investigated, combining quantitative and qualitative research methods. A quantitative analysis of the literal and other ten metaphorical senses of the preposition in is made at first. In accounting for the five factors influencing image schemata of each sense: “scale of Landmark”, “visibility”, “path”, “inclusion” and “boundary”, the formula of measuring the gradability of metaphorical degree is deduced: Metaphoricity=[[#Visibility] +[#Path] +[#Inclusion] +[#Boundary]]*[#Scale of Landmark]. The result is that the primary sense has the highest value:12, and all other extended senses have values down to zero. The more shared features with proto-scene, the higher the value of the metaphorical sense, and the less metaphorical the sense. EVENT and PERSON are the “least metaphoric” (value = 9-11); SITUATION, NUMBER, CONTENT and FIELD are “weak metaphoric” (value = 6-8); Also included are SEGMENTATION, TIME and MANNER (value = 3-5), and they are “strong metaphoric”; PURPOSE shares the least feature with proto-scene, and it has the lowest value, so it is “most metaphoric” (value = 0-2). Then, a corpus-based approach is employed, which offers a model for employing a corpus-based approach in Cognitive Linguistics. It compares two compiled sub-corpora: Chinese Master Academic Writing Corpus and Chinese Doctorate Academic Writing Corpus. The findings show that, on the semantic level, Chinese English-major students overuse in with a low level of metaphoricity, even advanced learners use the most metaphorical in rarely. In terms of syntactic behaviours, the most frequent nouns in [in+noun] construction are weakly metaphoric, whilst the nouns in the construction [in the noun of] are EVENT sense, which is least metaphorical. Moreover, action verbs tend to be used in the construction [verb+in] and [in doing sth.] in both master and doctorate groups. In the qualitative study, the divergent usages of the preposition in are explored. The preposition in is often substituted with other prepositions, such as on and at. The fundamental reason for the Chinese learners’ weakness is the negative transfer from their mother tongue (Wang 2001; Gong 2007; Zhang 2010). Although in and its Chinese equivalence zai...li (在...里) share the same proto-scene, there are discrepancies: the metaphorical senses of the preposition in are TIME, PURPOSE, NUMBER, CONTENT, FIELD, EVENT, SITUATION, SEGMENTATION, MANNER, PERSON, while those of zai...li (在...里) are only five: TIME, CONTENT, EVENT, SITUATION and PERSON. Thus the image schemata of each sense cannot be correspondingly mapped onto each other in different languages. This study also provides evidence for the universality and variation of spatial metaphors on the ground of cultural models. Philosophically, it supports the standpoint of Embodiment philosophy that abstract concepts are constructed on the basis of spatial metaphors that are grounded in the physical and cultural experience

Adaptive prototype-based dissimilarity learning

Zhu X. Adaptive prototype-based dissimilarity learning. Bielefeld: Universitätsbibliothek Bielefeld; 2015.In this thesis we focus on prototype-based learning techniques, namely three unsuper- vised techniques: generative topographic mapping (GTM), neural gas (NG) and affinity propagation (AP), and two supervised techniques: generalized learning vector quantiza- tion (GLVQ) and robust soft learning vector quantization (RSLVQ). We extend their abilities with respect to the following central aspects: • Applicability on dissimilarity data: Due to the increased complexity of data, in many cases data are only available in form of (dis)similarities which describe the relations between objects. Classical methods can not directly deal with this kind of data. For unsupervised methods this problem has been studied, here we transfer the same idea to the two supervised prototype-based techniques such that they can directly deal with dissimilarities without an explicit embedding into a vector space. • Quadratic complexity issue: For dealing with dissimilarity data, due to the need of the full dissimilarity matrix, the complexity becomes quadratic which is infeasible for large data sets. In this thesis we investigate two linear approximation techniques: Nyström approximation and patch processing, and integrate them into unsupervised and supervised prototype-based techniques. • Reliability of prototype-based classifiers: In practical applications, a relia- bility measure is beneficial for evaluating the classification quality expected by the end users. Here we adopt concepts from conformal prediction (CP), which provides point-wise confidence measure of the prediction, and we combine those with supervised prototype-based techniques. • Model complexity: By means of the confidence values provided by CP, the model complexity can be automatically adjusted by adding new prototypes to cover low confidence data space. • Extendability to semi-supervised problems: Besides its ability to evaluate a classifier, conformal prediction can also be considered as a classifier. This opens a way that supervised techniques can be easily extended for semi-supervised settings by means of a self-training approach

The role of psychological androgyny in athletic success: a United Kingdom perspective

Past studies have shown that successful athletes are required to display a wide variety of behaviours to win races and register exceptional performances. The traditional position holds that athletics be regarded as an unequivocally masculine endeavour. This investigation postulated that it is the psychologically androgynous person—that is, one who endorses both masculine and feminine positive behaviours—who would possess the desired range of behaviours that lead to success in athleticism. Accordingly, male and female athletes of past and present success in Britain (n=90; [30m, 30f, 15M, 15F]), along with male and female non-athletes (n=90; [30m, 30f, 15M, 15F]) were surveyed using the SBSRI (Bern, 1974) to determine whether athletic success is relative to psychological androgyny or whether it qualifies as masculine. Four distinct studies informed the line of investigation. [Continues.

Multivariate methods for interpretable analysis of magnetic resonance spectroscopy data in brain tumour diagnosis

Malignant tumours of the brain represent one of the most difficult to treat types of cancer due to the sensitive organ they affect. Clinical management of the pathology becomes even more intricate as the tumour mass increases due to proliferation, suggesting that an early and accurate diagnosis is vital for preventing it from its normal course of development. The standard clinical practise for diagnosis includes invasive techniques that might be harmful for the patient, a fact that has fostered intensive research towards the discovery of alternative non-invasive brain tissue measurement methods, such as nuclear magnetic resonance. One of its variants, magnetic resonance imaging, is already used in a regular basis to locate and bound the brain tumour; but a complementary variant, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, despite its higher spatial resolution and its capability to identify biochemical metabolites that might become biomarkers of tumour within a delimited area, lags behind in terms of clinical use, mainly due to its difficult interpretability. The interpretation of magnetic resonance spectra corresponding to brain tissue thus becomes an interesting field of research for automated methods of knowledge extraction such as machine learning, always understanding its secondary role behind human expert medical decision making. The current thesis aims at contributing to the state of the art in this domain by providing novel techniques for assistance of radiology experts, focusing on complex problems and delivering interpretable solutions. In this respect, an ensemble learning technique to accurately discriminate amongst the most aggressive brain tumours, namely glioblastomas and metastases, has been designed; moreover, a strategy to increase the stability of biomarker identification in the spectra by means of instance weighting is provided. From a different analytical perspective, a tool based on signal source separation, guided by tumour type-specific information has been developed to assess the existence of different tissues in the tumoural mass, quantifying their influence in the vicinity of tumoural areas. This development has led to the derivation of a probabilistic interpretation of some source separation techniques, which provide support for uncertainty handling and strategies for the estimation of the most accurate number of differentiated tissues within the analysed tumour volumes. The provided strategies should assist human experts through the use of automated decision support tools and by tackling interpretability and accuracy from different anglesEls tumors cerebrals malignes representen un dels tipus de càncer més difícils de tractar degut a la sensibilitat de l’òrgan que afecten. La gestió clínica de la patologia esdevé encara més complexa quan la massa tumoral s'incrementa degut a la proliferació incontrolada de cèl·lules; suggerint que una diagnosis precoç i acurada és vital per prevenir el curs natural de desenvolupament. La pràctica clínica estàndard per a la diagnosis inclou la utilització de tècniques invasives que poden arribar a ser molt perjudicials per al pacient, factor que ha fomentat la recerca intensiva cap al descobriment de mètodes alternatius de mesurament dels teixits del cervell, tals com la ressonància magnètica nuclear. Una de les seves variants, la imatge de ressonància magnètica, ja s'està actualment utilitzant de forma regular per localitzar i delimitar el tumor. Així mateix, una variant complementària, la espectroscòpia de ressonància magnètica, malgrat la seva alta resolució espacial i la seva capacitat d'identificar metabòlits bioquímics que poden esdevenir biomarcadors de tumor en una àrea delimitada, està molt per darrera en termes d'ús clínic, principalment per la seva difícil interpretació. Per aquest motiu, la interpretació dels espectres de ressonància magnètica corresponents a teixits del cervell esdevé un interessant camp de recerca en mètodes automàtics d'extracció de coneixement tals com l'aprenentatge automàtic, sempre entesos com a una eina d'ajuda per a la presa de decisions per part d'un metge expert humà. La tesis actual té com a propòsit la contribució a l'estat de l'art en aquest camp mitjançant l'aportació de noves tècniques per a l'assistència d'experts radiòlegs, centrades en problemes complexes i proporcionant solucions interpretables. En aquest sentit, s'ha dissenyat una tècnica basada en comitè d'experts per a una discriminació acurada dels diferents tipus de tumors cerebrals agressius, anomenats glioblastomes i metàstasis; a més, es proporciona una estratègia per a incrementar l'estabilitat en la identificació de biomarcadors presents en un espectre mitjançant una ponderació d'instàncies. Des d'una perspectiva analítica diferent, s'ha desenvolupat una eina basada en la separació de fonts, guiada per informació específica de tipus de tumor per a avaluar l'existència de diferents tipus de teixits existents en una massa tumoral, quantificant-ne la seva influència a les regions tumorals veïnes. Aquest desenvolupament ha portat cap a la derivació d'una interpretació probabilística d'algunes d'aquestes tècniques de separació de fonts, proporcionant suport per a la gestió de la incertesa i estratègies d'estimació del nombre més acurat de teixits diferenciats en cada un dels volums tumorals analitzats. Les estratègies proporcionades haurien d'assistir els experts humans en l'ús d'eines automatitzades de suport a la decisió, donada la interpretabilitat i precisió que presenten des de diferents angles

Recent Developments in Identification of Genuine Odor- and Taste-Active Compounds in Foods

Both aroma and taste are important quality criteria for food products, and they have a great influence on our consumption behaviours. In recent years, a significant increase in the number of studies related to the identification of the characteristic odor- and taste-active compounds of particular foods has been observed.In this book, you can find nine valuable scientific contributions, which deal with the more recent analytical developments for the identification of some compounds responsible for odor and taste in foods such as ham, beer, strawberry, Amontillado sherry wine and others, in order to authenticate them or evaluate the effect of different techniques or making stages on their aroma and taste

Conectividade e avaliação biológica: ferramentas para avaliar a coerência ecológica de redes de áreas marinhas protegidas

In order to avoid, reduce and offset the impact that human activities are having on the health of the world's oceans, the international demand for a successful ecosystem-based approach to the marine environment is growing in popularity. Major European maritime policies and other international agencies advocate that, in order to effectively protect the marine environment, there is a need to establish ecologically coherent networks of marine protected areas (MPAs). Achieving ecological coherence is, however, a complex task given the magnitude of the concept and the lack of clear operational definitions. Therefore, assessing ecological coherence requires multiple approaches to analyse not only the location, size and spacing of protected sites already selected for protection, but also infer about new sites to enhance network effects. The aim of this thesis is to develop and use different tools to assist, support and help to promote the assessment of the ecological coherence of networks of MPAs, with a focus on continental Portugal. Three complementary methods were applied using the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis as a model species to estimate connectivity via larval dispersal along the Portuguese west coast. The first study described the use of natural geochemical tags to trace back natal origins of mussels and describe direct measures of demographic connectivity patterns (dispersal trajectories and distances). It focused in the Arrábida and Berlengas Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and emphasized the significance of source and sink populations and self-recruitment within MPAs. The second study resulted from the need to quantify mussel bed coverage in order to apply the connectivity estimates into broader scale models of larval dispersal. The use of low altitude and high-resolution drone imagery, 3D surface models and ground-based observations proved to be a viable and powerful tool for surveying intertidal ecosystems at an ecological relevant spatial scale. The effect of environmental variables (substrate complexity and wave exposure) on mussel density and size was also investigated. Maximum mussel density occurred at intermediate values of wave exposure in winter while smaller sized mussels prevailed at high values of wave exposure. The combination of the empirical connectivity estimates, with mussel demographic and biological parameters (reproductive output, larval behaviour, mortality) allowed the validation of a broad scale numerical biophysical model in the third study This model combined oceanographic and demographic information with larval biology, and was used to simulate dispersal of M. galloprovincialis larvae along the Western Iberian coast. The biophysical model simulated and accounted for uncertainty of the geochemical method in the assignment of source populations and resulted in unprecedented levels of correspondence among independent connectivity estimates at small spatial scales. This fine-tuned model can be used in the future to investigate metapopulation dynamics with applications in MPA management strategies. Finally, a quantitative-based ecological approach was used to value biodiversity along the Portuguese continental shelf. The marine biological valuation protocol summarized and combined existing biological and ecological spatial information of different ecosystem components into an overall map of marine biological value, highlighting hotspots of ecological significance. This study also evaluated the extent to which high biological value was contained in the current and projected Natura 2000 sites in Portugal. By integrating the information of marine connectivity pathways, with a broad biological assessment of the Portuguese coast, this thesis seeks to build upon existing MPA assessment criterion and take a step forward in making it practical and applicable to the Portuguese setting.A pressão internacional para encontrar abordagens ecossistémicas eficazes para evitar, reduzir e compensar o impacto das atividades humanas na saúde global dos oceanos, está a aumentar. Nesse sentido, as principais políticas marítimas europeias e de outras agências internacionais, defendem a necessidade de estabelecer redes ecologicamente coerentes de áreas marinhas protegidas (AMPs). Atingir a coerência ecológica é, no entanto, uma tarefa complexa dada a magnitude do conceito e a falta de definições operacionais objectivas. Deste modo, avaliar a coerência ecológica requer abordagens múltiplas para analisar a localização, tamanho e espaçamento entre áreas protegidas já selecionadas, mas também para inferir sobre a designação de novos locais e melhor a performance da rede. O objetivo desta tese é desenvolver e utilizar diferentes ferramentas de forma a apoiar e promover uma avaliação da coerência ecológica da rede de AMPs em Portugal continental. Este trabalho utilizou três métodos complementares para estimar conectividade larvar ao longo da costa oeste portuguesa, usando o mexilhão Mytilus galloprovincialis como espécie-modelo. O primeiro método retrata o uso de etiquetas geoquímicas naturais para fazer o rastreo da origem natal de mexilhões, quantificando padrões de conectividade demográfica (trajetórias de dispersão e distâncias). Concentrou-se nas AMPs da Arrábida e Berlengas, salientando a importância das populações que servem como fonte de indivíduos para dispersão e auto-recrutamento dentro das AMPs. O segundo método resultou da necessidade de quantificar a cobertura de mexilhão no intermareal rochoso, para futura aplicação em modelos de dispersão larvar de larga escala. O uso de imagens aéreas de baixa altitude e de alta resolução, modelos de superfície tridimensionais e de observações in situ, provaram ser uma ferramenta viável para monitorizar ecossistemas intermareais numa escala espacial ecologicamente relevante. O efeito de variáveis ambientais (complexidade do substrato e exposição às ondas) na densidade e tamanho do mexilhão foi também investigado. A densidade máxima de mexilhão no substrato rochoso ocorreu com valores intermédios de exposição às ondas no Inverno, enquanto que altos valores de exposição às ondas resultaram num menor tamanho dos mexilhões. No terceiro estudo, a combinação das estimativas empíricas de conectividade, com parâmetros demográficos (fertilidade, comportamento larval, mortalidade) permitiram a validação de um modelo numérico biofísico de larga escala. Este modelo integrou informações oceanográficas, demográficas e de biologia larvar, para simular a dispersão de larvas de M. galloprovincialis ao longo da costa oeste da Peninsula Ibérica. O modelo incorporou e simulou também a incerteza associada à atribuição da origem das populações referente ao método geoquímico. Os resultados demonstraram altos níveis de correspondência entre as estimativas independentes de conectividade a uma pequena escala espacial. Este modelo validado pode ser usado no futuro para investigar dinâmicas metapopulacionais com aplicações em estratégias de gestão de AMPs. Finalmente, utilizou-se uma abordagem ecológica para valorizar a biodiversidade marinha ao longo da plataforma continental portuguesa. Este protocolo de avaliação biológica integrou informações biológicas e ecológicas espaciais, para diversos componentes do ecossistema. Os resultados foram ilustrados num mapa global de valor biológico marinho, destacando hotspots de significância ecológica. Este estudo avaliou também em que medida as zonas de alto valor biológico estavam incluido nas áreas protegidas da rede Natura 2000 em Portugal (actuais e propostas). Ao integrar a informação das vias de conectividade marinha, com uma ampla avaliação biológica da costa portuguesa, esta tese procura contribuir para os critérios de avaliação de redes de AMPs e dar um passo em frente no sentido de o tornar aplicável ao panorama português.De internationale vraag naar een succesvolle ecosysteem-gebaseerde aanpak om de impact van menselijke activiteiten op de gezondheid van de oceanen te vermijden, te reduceren of te compenseren, neemt toe in populariteit. Belangrijke Europese maritieme beleidsinstanties en andere internationale agentschappen benadrukken dat het oprichten van ecologisch coherente netwerken van beschermde zeegebieden noodzakelijk is om het mariene milieu doeltreffend te beschermen. Echter, het bereiken van ecologische coherentie is een complexe taak gezien het ruime concept en het ontbreken van eenduidige operationele definities. Het vaststellen van ecologische coherentie vereist dus verschillende benaderingen. Op die manier kan niet alleen de locatie, de grootte en afstand van reeds geselecteerde gebieden voor bescherming bepaald worden, maar ook nieuwe locaties die het netwerkeffect versterken. Het doel van deze thesis is het ontwikkelen en toepassen van verschillende methodes als hulpmiddel om de ecologische samenhang van beschermde zeegebieden te promoten, en dit met focus op het Portugese continentale plat. Drie complementaire methodes werden toegepast om de connectiviteit via larvale dispersie in te schatten langs de Portugese westkust en dit telkens toegepast op de mossel Mytilus galloprovincialis als modelorganisme. De eerste studie beschrijft het gebruik van natuurlijk voorkomende geochemische tracers om de oorsprong van de mossels te achterhalen en documenteert dus de demografische connectiviteitspatronen (verspreidingsroutes en afstanden). De focus lag op de beschermde zeegebieden van Arrábida en Berlengas, en benadrukte het belang van ‘source–and–sink’ populaties en zelf-recrutering binnen de beschermde gebieden. In een tweede studie werd de oppervlakte van mosselbedden gekwantificeerd zodat de connectiviteitsschattingen konden toegepast worden op modellen van larvale dispersie op grotere schaal. Het gebruik van beeldmateriaal met hoge resolutie verzameld door drones op lage hoogte, 3D-oppervlakte modellen en veldobservaties bleek een efficiënte methode om intertidale ecosystemen te bestuderen op een ecologisch relevante schaal. De combinatie van empirische connectiviteitsschattingen en demografische en biologische parameters (oppervlakte van mosselbedden, gedrag van larves, mortaliteit, reproductieve output en timing) laat de validatie toe van een grootschalig numeriek, biofysisch model. Het effect van de omgevingsvariablen (zoals substratum complexiteit en blootstelling aan golven) op de mosseldichtheid en -grootte werd ook onderzocht. Maximum mosseldichtheid kwam voor bij intermediaire waarden van golfblootstelling in de winter en kleinere mosselen domineerden bij hoge waarden van blootstelling aan golven. Dit model combineert oceanografische en demografische informatie met larvale biologie, en werd gebruikt om de dispersie van M. galloprovincialis larven langs de West-Iberische kust te simuleren. Het biofysisch model hield rekening met de onzekerheid van de geochemische methode in het toekennen van de ‘source’ populaties en resulteerde in ongeziene overeenkomsten tussen de onafhankelijke connectiviteitsschattingen op kleine schaal. Vanaf nu kan dit verfijnde model gebruikt worden om de dynamieken van metapopulaties te onderzoeken en kan het dus bijdragen aan weldoordachte strategieën met betrekking tot het oprichten van beschermde zeegebieden Tot slot werd een kwantitatief-gebaseerde ecologische aanpak gebruikt om de biodiversiteit te bepalen langs het Portugees continentaal plat. Het protocol voor mariene biologische waardebepaling combineerde bestaande biologische en ecologische informatie van verschillende subzones in een kaart die de biologische waardebepaling weergeeft, en hotspots van ecologisch belang identificeert. Deze studie evalueerde ook de mate waarin grote biologische waarde vervat zit in de huidige en toekomstige Natura 2000 gebieden in Portugal. Door het integreren van informatie over mariene connectiviteitsroutes, met breed biologisch onderzoek langs de Portugese kust, bouwt deze thesis verder op het bestaande criterium voor de selectie van beschermde gebieden, en maakt het praktisch en toepasbaar voor Portugal.MARES PhD Grant (MARES_12_10); FPA 2011-0016Programa Doutoral em Ciências do Mar (Mares

Response of carabid and cicindelid beetles to various types of landscape disturbances.

Thesis (Ph.D.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.A study of carabids and cicindelids was carried out in eastern South Africa using the same methodology as has been used in the northern hemisphere to obtain a southern hemisphere perspective. The study used the macroecology approach to compare patterns and responses of these animals to anthropogenic disturbances in visually similar habitats (forests, grasslands). Although this is essentially a local component of a larger macroecological study, it is shown that even though species and identities differ between the north and southern hemispheres, the general patterns of community response to anthropogenic disturbances are surprisingly similar. Changes in carabid assemblages were assessed across eight sites or landscape elements experiencing a range of disturbance types, both regular and irregular (such as mowing, fire, irrigation, fertilizers, pesticides, forestry). Direct comparisons were made with similar studies in the Palaearctic. Species diversity, seasonal population variations, population phenology, spatial patterns and mean body size of species assemblages relative to the landscape elements are described. As in the north, intensively disturbed biotopes were impoverished, and natural patches of moist forest acted as habitat sources for these disturbed sinks. Roadside verges were species-rich analogues of natural habitats. The mean body size of carabid assemblages in forest and grassland sites decreased with increasing intensity of disturbance. One contrary comparison with the north was that a plantation, in this case macadamia, was exceptionally rich in carabid species and individuals. Classification and ordination methods identified and characterised the eight sites to six ecological meaningful biotopes for carabids and cicindelids. This also allowed inferences as to how the various landscape disturbances in natural forests, planted pine forests, macadamia plantation, recreational park, road verge grasslands and hayfields affect carabid and cicindelid species richness and abundance. Species assemblages that responded to these anthropogenic impacts were potential indicator groups that can assist in the planning and management of forest and grassland landscapes for conservation of biodiversity. Some management recommendations for these landscapes are given. Individual species-environment relations were investigated using both univariate and multivariate analyses. The solutions to these analyses were then used to describe how species are distributed along major environmental gradients. It was shown that soil characteristics (pH, moisture, twig and/or leaf litter) determine carabid and cicindelid assemblages. Land-use and management regimes influence these patterns. The effect of altitude is masked by the presence of soil characteristics in a multivariate analysis, and more so in the presence of pH and moist soil-sand gradients with changing altitude. In the absence of soil characteristics and in univariate analysis, altitude becomes very important. Altitude has therefore an indirect effect in that it determines climate, which, in turn, determines soil and vegetation type which then determines species presence and abundance. It is concluded that the macroecological approach has great potential for teasing apart local effects from global ones, and can contribute to the conservation of biodiversity at both small and large scales