Contribution of snowfall from diverse synoptic conditions in the Catskill/Delaware Watershed of New York State

Snowfall in the six basins of the Catskill/Delaware Watershed in south‐central New York State historically contributes roughly 20–30% of the water resources derived from the watershed for use in the New York City water supply. The watershed regularly experiences snowfall from three distinctive weather patterns: coastal mid‐latitude cyclones, overrunning systems, and lake‐effect or Great Lakes enhanced storms. Using synoptic weather classification techniques, these distinct regional atmospheric patterns impacting the watershed are isolated and analysed in conjunction with daily snowfall observations from 1960 to 2009 to allow the influence of each synoptic weather pattern on snowfall to be evaluated independently. Results indicate that snowfall‐producing events occur on average approximately 63 days/year, or once every 4 days during the October–May season, leading to an average of 213 cm/year of snowfall within the watershed. Snowfall from Great Lakes enhanced storms and overrunning systems contribute nearly equally to seasonal totals, representing 38 and 39%, respectively. Coastal mid‐latitude cyclones, while producing the highest amount of snowfall per event on average, contribute only 16% to the watershed average total snowfall. Predicted climate change is expected to impact snowfall differently depending on the specific atmospheric pattern producing the snow. As such, quantifying the contribution of snowfall to the watershed by synoptic pattern can inform future water management and reservoir operation practices for the New York City Water Supply Management System

Brane Bremsstrahlung in DBI Inflation

We consider the effect of trapped branes on the evolution of a test brane whose motion generates DBI inflation along a warped throat. The coupling between the inflationary brane and a trapped brane leads to the radiation of non-thermal particles on the trapped brane. We calculate the Gaussian spectrum of the radiated particles and their backreaction on the DBI motion of the inflationary brane. Radiation occurs for momenta lower than the speed of the test brane when crossing the trapped brane. The slowing down effect is either due to a parametric resonance when the interaction time is small compared to the Hubble time or a tachyonic resonance when the interaction time is large. In both cases the motion of the inflationary brane after the interaction is governed by a chameleonic potential,which tends to slow it down. We find that a single trapped brane can hardly slow down a DBI inflaton whose fluctuations lead to the Cosmic Microwave Background spectrum. A more drastic effect is obtained when the DBI brane encounters a tightly spaced stack of trapped branes.Comment: 20 pages, 1 figur

A major shift to the retention approach for forestry can help resolve some global forest sustainability issues

Approximately 85% of the global forest estate is neither formally protected nor in areas dedicated to intensive wood production (e.g., plantations). Given the spatial extent of unprotected forests, finding management approaches that will sustain their multiple environmental, economic, and cultural values and prevent their conversion to other uses is imperative. The major global challenge of native forest management is further demonstrated by ongoing steep declines in forest biodiversity and carbon stocks. Here, we suggest that an essential part of such management—supplementing the protection of large reserves and sensitive areas within forest landscapes (e.g., aquatic features)—is the adoption of the retention approach in forests where logging occurs. This ecological approach to harvesting provides for permanent retention of important selected structures (e.g., trees and decayed logs) to provide for continuity of ecosystem structure, function, and species composition in the postharvest forest. The retention approach supports the integration of environmental, economic, and cultural values and is broadly applicable to tropical, temperate, and boreal forests, adaptable to different management objectives, and appropriate in different societal settings. The widespread adoption of the retention approach would be one of the most significant changes in management practice since the onset of modern high-yield forestry.Fil: Lindenmayer, D.B.. The Australian National University,; AustraliaFil: Franklin, J.F.. University of Washington; Estados UnidosFil: Lõhmus, A.. University of Tartu; EstoniaFil: Baker, S.C.. University of Tasmania; AustraliaFil: Bauhus, J.. Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg; AlemaniaFil: Beese, W.. University of Vancouver; CanadáFil: Brodie, A.. No especifíca;Fil: Kiehl, B.. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; SueciaFil: Kouki, J.. University of Eastern Finland; FinlandiaFil: Martínez Pastur, Guillermo José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Austral de Investigaciones Científicas; ArgentinaFil: Messier, C.. Université du Québec a Montreal; CanadáFil: Neyland, M.. University of Tasmania; AustraliaFil: Palik, B.. No especifíca;Fil: Sverdrup Thygeson, A.. Norwegian University of Life Sciences; NoruegaFil: Volney, J.. Canadian Forest Service; CanadáFil: Wayne, A.. No especifíca;Fil: Gustafsson, L.. Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences; Sueci

Global extent and drivers of mammal population declines in protected areas under illegal hunting pressure

Illegal hunting is a persistent problem in many protected areas, but an overview of the extent of this problem and its impact on wildlife is lacking. We reviewed 40 years (1980–2020) of global research to examine the spatial distribution of research and socio-ecological factors influencing population decline within protected areas under illegal hunting pressure. From 81 papers reporting 988 species/site combinations, 294 mammal species were reported to have been illegally hunted from 155 protected areas across 48 countries. Research in illegal hunting has increased substantially during the review period and showed biases towards strictly protected areas and the African continent. Population declines were most frequent in countries with a low human development index, particularly in strict protected areas and for species with a body mass over 100 kg. Our results provide evidence that illegal hunting is most likely to cause declines of large-bodied species in protected areas of resource-poor countries regardless of protected area conservation status. Given the growing pressures of illegal hunting, increased investments in people’s development and additional conservation efforts such as improving anti-poaching strategies and conservation resources in terms of improving funding and personnel directed at this problem are a growing priority

Elliptic hypergeometry of supersymmetric dualities II. Orthogonal groups, knots, and vortices

We consider Seiberg electric-magnetic dualities for 4d $\mathcal{N}=1$ SYM theories with SO(N) gauge group. For all such known theories we construct superconformal indices (SCIs) in terms of elliptic hypergeometric integrals. Equalities of these indices for dual theories lead both to proven earlier special function identities and new conjectural relations for integrals. In particular, we describe a number of new elliptic beta integrals associated with the s-confining theories with the spinor matter fields. Reductions of some dualities from SP(2N) to SO(2N) or SO(2N+1) gauge groups are described. Interrelation of SCIs and the Witten anomaly is briefly discussed. Possible applications of the elliptic hypergeometric integrals to a two-parameter deformation of 2d conformal field theory and related matrix models are indicated. Connections of the reduced SCIs with the state integrals of the knot theory, generalized AGT duality for (3+3)d theories, and a 2d vortex partition function are described.Comment: Latex, 58 pages; paper shortened, to appear in Commun. Math. Phy