Soil Organic Carbon Maintenance Requirements and Mineralizatyion Rate Constants: Site Specific Calculations

Over the past 100 years numerous studies have been conducted with the goal of quantifying the impact of management on carbon turnover. It is difficult to conduct a mechanistic evaluation of these studies because each study was conducted under unique soil, climatic, and management conditions. Techniques for directly comparing data from unique studies are needed. This paper: 1) demonstrates an approach for calculating SOC maintenance requirements and mineralization rate constants at different landscape positions; and 2) discusses techniques for conducting site- specific experiments and determining site-specific C sequestration potentials

A cluster analytic approach to interest measurement with the ACT Interest Inventory

The study attempted to identify, replicate and validate subgroups of high school students based on similarity of their responses to items of the ACT-Interest Inventory. A data set collected in 1973 and in 1976-1979 by the American College Testing Program/Institute for Demographic and Economic Studies was used for this study. Random samples were selected and clustered with two hierarchical cluster analysis techniques (Ward\u27s method and average linkage method). Average linkage did not yield a meaningful structure. A six-group solution was selected from Ward\u27s method results for further study. Evidence for replicability of the clusters across samples was sought. Five of six groups appeared consistently across subsamples. The groups did not match the six themes suggested by Holland\u27s hexagon. No Enterprising or Conventional groups were found. Strong sex differences appeared: Investigative and Realistic groups were at least two-thirds male; Artistic groups were predominantly female; and only Social groups were gender balanced. Replicability of the clusters was also studied by assigning members of two subsamples to clusters based on the structure of a third subsample. Two-thirds of members of these subsamples were accurately assigned;Demographic variables selected from an MANOVA on a fourth subsample were analyzed to explore differences between the clusters. An overall MANOVA was highly significant but variables hypothesized to be related to clusters (job values, family variables, socioeconomic factors, and job satisfaction variables) were not significant. Remaining variables were selected empirically to validate cluster structures generated by two other samples. Significance was found for sets of variables in two domains: seven demographic variables (especially gender) and seven values/preferences variables. A discriminant analysis found sex differences were so powerful that other differences were somewhat overshadowed;Sex differences were examined by separately clustering male and female subsamples. Females formed six groups and males formed nine groups. Significant differences also emerged on the demographic and values/preferences variables by gender. When creating groups by clustering, it was clear gender had a differential impact;The literature has raised questions about the choice of items or scales for generating clusters. Two additional clusterings using scales were undertaken to consider this issue. Ward\u27s method yielded similar results with both items and scales. Average linkage performed better with scales but still had a tendency to chain, thereby creating one large group. When examined by discriminant procedures, two subsamples of Ward\u27s clusters produced different results. Limitations of these findings and suggestions for future research were discussed

The Impacts of Heather and Grassland Burning in the Uplands: Creating Sustainable Strategies

Both nationally and globally, UK upland peat is an important store of carbon as well as a source of other important ecosystem services. However, concerns have been raised regarding the stability of these stores. Significant increases in water colour and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from catchments draining upland peat have been observed across the UK. Unlike many boreal peats, the peat soils of UK uplands are heavily managed for sheep grazing and recreational shooting. Productivity of these landscapes has been increased through managed burning of the vegetation. Burning has been linked with increases in water colour and inappropriate burning can lead to ‘unfavourable’ conditions in these landscapes. This thesis presents the results from a monitoring programme at Moor House National Nature Reserve. Results show that burning does not lead to dramatic increases in DOC and that longer rotations may have benefits for carbon by reducing water colour. Increases in the occurrence and changes in the quality of runoff water following burning could help explain changes in water quality parameters such as DOC. Experimental studies into biomass loss during burning, combined with a survey of a wildfire, have shown that the production of char is an important carbon store that should be accounted for in fire prone upland settings. Modelling studies suggest that rotation lengths of 15 years are suitable for char production and that on these longer rotations char becomes a more important carbon store than any remaining unburnt biomass or litter. Therefore this work would suggest that longer rotations may have benefits for carbon storage and water quality. Longer rotations may be sustainable in some areas but that this is unlikely to be appropriate across the entire of the UK. The caveats to this work should always be presented and local knowledge be consulted when drawing up management plans

Family Resources Survey: United Kingdom 2010/11

The Family Resources Survey collects information on the incomes and circumstances of private households in the United Kingdom. It has been running since October 1992. This report summarises the results for the 2010/11 full survey year in which approximately 25,000 households were interviewed. The report is divided into sections covering: Income and State Support Receipt; Tenure; Savings and Investments; Disability; Carers; Occupation and Employment; and Pension Participation

Increasing Warm-Season Native Grass Biomass Using Fire, Herbicide, and Nitrogen Applications

The North American Great Plains tallgrass prairie was once a system of native cool and warm season grasses, which have been degraded by non-native invasive plants. Native grass restoration is highly desirable to improve ecosystem functions and productivity. In this two-year study, the impact of fire, herbicide, and nitrogen on productivity and the presence of invasive species [primarily the cool season grass, smooth brome (Bromus inermis Leyss.)] and native warm season native grass species [big bluestem (Andropogon gerardii Vitman), sideoats and blue grama (Bouteloua curtipendula (Michx.) Torr.), and B. gracilis (Willd. Ex Kunth) Lag. ex Griffiths] were investigated. Spring fire or a glyphosate application increased warm season grass biomass and decreased cool season grass biomass at peak warm season growth (August) during the treatment year. A second consecutive year of fire or herbicide further increased warm season grass biomass. If left untreated in the second year, cool season grasses tended to increase when sampled in August. Long-term management implementation is needed to suppress the tenacious cool season species and encourage the reestablishment of warm season grass populations

Articulating Problems and Markets: A Translation Analysis of Entrepreneurs’ Emergent Value Propositions

In this qualitative study, the authors apply Callon’s sociology of translation to examine how new technology entrepreneurs enact material arguments that involve the first two moments of translation—problematization (defining a market problem) and interessement (defining a market and the firm’s relationship to it) - which in turn are represented in a claim, the value proposition. That emergent claim can then be represented and further changed during pitches. If accepted, it can then lead to the second two moments of translation: enrollment and mobilization. Drawing on written materials, observations, and interviews, we trace how these value propositions were iterated along three paths to better problematize and interesse, articulating a problem and market on which a business could plausibly be built. We conclude by discussing implications for understanding value propositions in entrepreneurship and, more broadly, using the sociology of translation to analyze emergent, material, consequential arguments. The study is based on data collected at the Austin Technology Incubator’s Student Entrepreneur Acceleration and Launch program (ATI SEAL) at The University of Texas at Austin.IC2 Institut

Is the Custom Service Industry\u27s Role in Precision Agriculture Linked to Workforce Development?

Retail dealership survey data suggests that the lack of a qualified precision agriculture (PA) workforce limits the ability of the PA service industry to provide technological knowledge and services to producers who have adopted PA technology. The key empirical findings suggest that retail dealerships have the greatest difficulty finding workers who have, a) the capability to operate and collect data using specialized PA technology, b) the capability to interpret and develop management strategies using PA generated data, and c) a basic generalized competency in PA technology and its applications. The perceived shortage of skilled workers suggests that there is a need to expand the PA workforce with individuals who have knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs). A PA qualified workforce is necessary to provide support for the provision of PA services to current users of PA technology and new PA adopters

The Human Rights of Stateless Persons

By exploring statelessness through legal, theoretical, and practical lenses, this article presents a broad examination of the human rights of stateless persons. The article delineates the rights of stateless persons as enunciated in various human rights instruments; presents the mechanisms of, and paths to, statelessness; illustrates the practical struggles of stateless persons by highlighting the plights of various stateless populations; examines how the problem of statelessness is being addressed; and considers the complex political and regional forces affecting policies towards stateless persons. The article concludes with recommendations regarding remedies and solutions for statelessness