Studying Islam in Southeast Asia State of the Art & New Approaches

On 7 and 8 July 2008, more than thirty people gathered at the Snouck Hurgronjehuis in Leiden for the workshop on “Studying Islam in Southeast Asia: State of the Art and New Approaches,” which was organized under the auspices of the Australia-Netherlands Research Collaboration (ANRC) and ISIM. Martin van Bruinessen (ISIM) and Greg Fealy (Australian National University) were the convenors

Application of hierarchical clustering to identify high risk pests to Sitka spruce: Ireland as a case study

Invertebrate forest pests and pathogens can cause considerable economic losses and modern patterns of trade have facilitated the international movement of pest species on an unprecedented level. This upsurge in trade has increased the pathways available to high risk species, facilitating entry and potential establishment in nations where they were previously absent. To support policy and pest prioritization, pest risk analyses are conducted to decide ‘if’ and ‘how’ pests should be regulated in order to prevent entry or establishment; however, they cannot be carried out for every potential pest. This paper utilizes a hierarchical clustering (HC) approach to analyse distribution data for pests of Sitka spruce (Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) in order to identify species of high risk to Ireland, as well as potential source regions of these pests. The presence and absence of almost a 1000 pests across 386 regions globally are clustered based on their similarity of pest assemblages, to provide an objective examination of the highest risk pests to Irish forestry. Regional clusters were produced for each taxon analysed including the Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Hymenoptera, Nematoda, Lepidoptera and the Fungi. The results produced by the HC analysis were interpreted with regard to biological realism and climate. Biologically meaningful clusters were produced for each of the groups, except for the Diptera and Nematoda, and each of the species analysed were ranked within their group by a quantitative risk index specific to the island of Ireland. The impact of uncertainty in the distribution data is also examined, in order to assess its influence over the final groupings produced. The outputs from this analysis suggest that the highest risk pests for Ireland’s Sitka spruce plantations will originate from within Europe. Ultimately, Ireland could benefit from seeking regulation for some of the higher ranking pests identified in this analysis. This analysis provides the first of its type for Sitka spruce, as well as its application in Ireland. It also serves to highlight the potential utility of HC as a ‘first approach’ to assessing the risk posed by alien species to hitherto novel regions

Digital Soil Mapping in the Irish Soil Information System

Harmonised soil data across Europe with a 1:250 000 geo-referenced soil database will allow for exchange of data across member states and the provide the information needed by the European Commission and European Environment Agency for reporting on issues relating to soil quality under a fu-ture Soil Framework Directive. Within this context, the Environmental Protection Agency of the Republic of Ireland commissioned a project run by Teagasc to produce a 1:250 000 soil map of the Republic of Ire-land. Delivery of this map and associated database is a collaborative effort between Teagasc, the National Soil Resources Institute at Cranfield in the UK and University College Dublin.Environmental Protection Agenc

Mapping Soils in Ireland

peer-reviewedThis project is jointly funded by Teagasc and EPA STRIVE funding.Harmonised soil data across Europe with a 1:250 000 geo-referenced soil database will allow for exchange of data across member states and the provide the information needed for reporting on issues re-lating to soil quality under a future Soil Framework Directive. The current status of soils data available in Eu-rope is inconsistent at best. The Irish Soil Information System (ISIS) project is currently developing a national soil map of 1:250,000 and an associated digital soil information system, providing both spatial and quantita-tive information on soil types and properties across Ireland. Both the map and the information system will be freely available to the public through a designated website.This project is jointly funded by Teagasc and EPA STRIVE funding

Using historical documentary methods to explore the history of occupational therapy

peer-reviewed.Introduction: Historical research can benefit health professions by providing a basis for understanding how current beliefs and practices developed over time. From an occupational therapy perspective, a need for deeper critical understandings of the profession has been identified; historical research can facilitate this process. Documentary research is a significant methodology in historical inquiry, but there is a dearth of guidance for occupational therapists wishing to employ this method. Method: A conceptual literature review was conducted to describe how to use documentary sources to understand the development of the profession, drawing on literature from the disciplines of history and occupational therapy. Results: The stages of historical documentary research are described: choosing a topic, sourcing and selecting evidence, and managing sources. How to consider the authenticity, credibility and representativeness of historical material is discussed. Various means to determine the meaning of historical evidence are considered, with chronological, thematic and theoretical approaches proposed. Conclusion: Methodological transparency is central to the process of historical documentary research. To enhance understanding of the quality of historical source material, adoption of the guidelines outlined is recommended. Adopting a clearly defined questioning perspective promotes more substantial conclusions and professional understandingspeer-reviewe

RESCALE: Review and Simulate Climate and Catchment Responses at Burrishoole

The climate of the Burrishoole catchment is projected to change significantly over the present century. Previous research of the catchment identified a scientific gap in knowledge in terms of understanding the implications of present and projected future changes in stream flow, water temperature, pH levels and DO concentrations on fish productivity in the catchment. To address this, a multidisciplinary team of scientists undertook an analysis of both present and likely future climate impacts on the catchment with a view to furthering the understanding of the inter-linkages between climate, climate change, and the freshwater ecosystem. The research findings outlined in the report provide climate change information at the catchment scale to assist catchment stakeholders in integrating climate change considerations into their decision-making processes. The report presents an in-depth assessment of the climate and environmental datasets from the catchment to establish if changes have occurred over the period of record. In order to assess the likely impacts of future changes in climate on the catchment, regional climate projections were developed and subsequently employed to simulate likely responses in stream flow and temperature, DOC and DO for the present century. The projected changes in both the climate and water-quality were then used to provide a basis for assessing impacts on fish growth and survival rates of salmonid and eel species in the catchment. The report provides a useful template for future studies, not just in the Burrishoole catchment but for other ecologically important catchments. The findings from the report are relevant to policy makers at the national scale; catchment managers at the regional scale; and, specifically, to stakeholders in the Burrishoole catchment, in developing adaptive responses to climate change.Funded under the Marine Research Sub-programme of the National Development Plan (2007-’13), as part of the Sea Change Strategy.Funder: Marine Institut

Technical Report: Review and Simulate Climate and Catchment Responses at Burrishoole (RESCALE)

Lead Partner: Department of Geography, National University of Ireland Maynooth Project Partners: School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin Marine Institute, Furnace, Newport, Co. MayoThis report demonstrates that the projected changes in the climate conditions of the Burrishoole catchment, if realised, will have wide ranging implications for all aspects of the catchment system, including water temperature and quality, stream flow hydrology, soil processes, and most notably the well-being of its aquatic environment. While the projected changes in climate and their implications, outlined in this report, are specific to the Burrishoole, they are illustrative of likely changes in similar characteristic catchments along the west coast of Ireland.Funder: Marine Institut