Native vegetation of the southern forests : south-east highlands, Australian alps, south-west Slopes, and SE Corner bioregions

The Southern Forests study area covers an area of about six million hectares of south-eastern New South Wales, south of Oberon and Kiama and east of Albury and Boorowa (latitude 33° 02’–37 ° 06’ S; longitude 146° 56’ – 147° 06’ E). The total area of existing vegetation mapped was three million hectares (3 120 400 hectares) or about 50% of the study area. Terrestrial, wetland and estuarine vegetation of the Southern Forests region were classified into 206 vegetation groups and mapped at a scale between 1: 25 000 and 1: 100 000. The classification was based on a cluster analysis of detailed field surveys of vascular plants, as well as field knowledge in the absence of field survey data. The primary classification was based on 3740 vegetation samples with full floristics cover abundance data. Additional classifications of full floristics presence-absence and tree canopy data were carried out to guide mapping in areas with few full floristic samples. The mapping of extant vegetation was carried out by tagging vegetation polygons with vegetation codes, guided by expert knowledge, using field survey data classified into vegetation groups, remote sensing, and other environmental spatial data. The mapping of pre-1750 vegetation involved tagging of soils mapping with vegetation codes at 1: 100 000 scale, guided by spatial modelling of vegetation groups using generalised additive statistical models (GAMS), and expert knowledge. Profiles of each of the vegetation groups on the CD-ROM* provide key indicator species, descriptions, statistics and lists of informative plant species. The 206 vegetation groups cover the full range of natural vegetation, including rainforests, moist eucalypt forests, dry shrub forests, grassy forests, mallee low forests, heathlands, shrublands, grasslands and wetlands. There are 138 groups of Eucalyptus forests or woodlands, 12 rainforest groups, and 46 non-forest groups. Of the 206 groups, 193 were classified and mapped in the study area. Thirteen vegetation groups were not mapped because of their small size and lack of samples, or because they fell outside the study area. Updated regional extant and pre-1750 vegetation maps of southern New South Wales have been produced in 2005, based on those originally prepared in 2000 for the southern Regional Forest Agreement (RFA). Further validation and remapping of extant vegetation over 10% of the study area has subsequently improved the quality of the vegetation map, and removed some of the errors in the original version. The revised map provides a reasonable representation of native vegetation at a scale between 1: 25 000 and 1: 100 000 across the study area. In 2005 native vegetation covers 50% of the study area. Environmental pressures on the remaining vegetation include clearing, habitat degradation from weeds and nutrification, severe droughts, changing fire regimes, and urbanisation. Grassy woodlands and forests, temperate grasslands, and coastal and riparian vegetation have been the most reduced in areal extent. Over 90% of the grassy woodlands and temperate grasslands have been lost. Conservation of the remaining vegetation in these formations is problematic because of the small, discontinuous, and degraded nature of the remaining patches of vegetation

Estimated emissions from peat soils in the Broads

This report describes work commissioned by the Broads Authority and carried out by Cranfield University to improve the accuracy of estimates of past wastage by installing rust rods and surface rods to monitor peat wastage and to estimate carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions from peat stocks. 36 sets of rust rods and surface rods were installed across 5 peatland sites between 11th-13th and 19th-20th April 2022 to cover a range of landuses (grassland, woodland and fen) and drain water levels (low,medium and high). The sites were re-visited on the 5th-6th October 2022 following the exceptionally hot and dry summer to measure the rust lines and the watertable depth.The estimated depths of the orange rust (iron oxide) on the rust rods were (within the exception of a single rod) deeper than the watertable measured in adjacent auger hole, with a median difference of about 5 cm (but up to +/-23 cm). Duplicate sets of rods installed at one peatland site showed broadly consistent rust deposits when installed close together, suggesting results are broadly replicable. The estimates of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions from peat stocks in the Broads were derived from a novel method that integrated a Lidar-based approach to estimating drain water levels and drain freeboard (height difference between the drain water level and the field); spatial analysis of field geometry, daily watertable modelling and the application of pre-existing regressions equations between mean effective watertable depth and emissions. The methodology was applied to the area of peat soils from Heppell et al. (2020) updated by the Broads Authority in 2023. The method was validated against Environment Agency gauge board data, IDB pump on-off levels and Environment Agency shallow dipwell monitoring data.The total CO2 balance and CH4 flux from the peat soils of the Broads National Park were estimated at 17,866 tC/yr (uncertainty range of 3302 – 32,522 tC/yr) and 693 tC/yr (uncertainty range of 347 – 1,041 tC/yr), respectively. Using a 100-year Global Warming Potential for CH4 of 27.9, the total radiative forcing from emissions of the two gases is estimated at 91,389 t CO2eq/yr (uncertainty range of 25,049 – 158,068 t CO2eq/yr), of which 72% is associated with CO2 and 28% with CH4 emissions.This report has, for the first time, provided a high resolution spatial assessment of estimated greenhouse gas emissions from the peats in The Broads, that takes account of land cover, watertable depth and weather. It suggests that the peats of the Broads are associated with highly spatially varying carbon emissions in the form of CO2 from drained areas and CO2 and CH4 from semi-natural areas, but with the lowest emissions and climate forcings generally from fen habitat and the highest from agricultural areas

Physical and digital architecture for collection and analysis of imparted accelerations on Zip Line attractions

The accelerations experienced by riders of Zip Line attractions is an underexplored area of public safety assurance. These amusement devices require complex processes to collect and analyze acceleration data. Highly versatile and effective rider-worn and ride-carried devices are necessary to collect acceleration and velocity data without affecting the integrity of the ride. This paper introduces the use of a sensor device for collecting Zip Line acceleration data in the form of a Trailing Trolley. This architecture extends the work of Sicat et. al.’s which proposed the use of a Sensor Vest and Headwear to collect linear and rotational accelerations of a Zip Line rider. We investigate the logistics of combining the two sensor platforms and formulate a procedure to post-process and analyze the data. Techniques to extract, filter, and process the accelerations recorded is discussed and the potential for the synthesis of positioning linear and rotational data is described. Additional testing of data collection and analysis is necessary to prove the viability of these techniques and apparatuses as potential parts of a standardized test method for measuring rider experienced g-forces on Zip Lines

Configurable Seat Track Latching Mechanism

The reconfigurable seating system is a flexible seating solution for transit vehicles that allows operators to change the configuration of the floor plan in a timely manner in order to accommodate change in needs. This project consists of three senior project teams each working on a component of the design: system, track & latch, and articulation. Descriptions of the responsibilities of each team will be discussed below

Exploring the role of hydrological pathways in modulating multi-annual climate teleconnection periodicities from UK rainfall to streamflow

An understanding of multi-annual behaviour in streamflow allows for better estimation of the risks associated with hydrological extremes. This can enable improved preparedness for streamflow-dependant services, such as freshwater ecology, drinking water supply and agriculture. Recently, efforts have focused on detecting relationships between long-term hydrological behaviour and oscillatory climate systems (such as the North Atlantic Oscillation – NAO). For instance, the approximate 7 year periodicity of the NAO has been detected in groundwater-level records in the North Atlantic region, providing potential improvements to the preparedness for future water resource extremes due to their repetitive, periodic nature. However, the extent to which these 7-year, NAO-like signals are propagated to streamflow, and the catchment processes that modulate this propagation, are currently unknown. Here, we show statistically significant evidence that these 7-year periodicities are present in streamflow (and associated catchment rainfall), by applying multi-resolution analysis to a large data set of streamflow and associated catchment rainfall across the UK. Our results provide new evidence for spatial patterns of NAO periodicities in UK rainfall, with areas of greatest NAO signal found in southwest England, south Wales, Northern Ireland and central Scotland, and show that NAO-like periodicities account for a greater proportion of streamflow variability in these areas. Furthermore, we find that catchments with greater subsurface pathway contribution, as characterised by the baseflow index (BFI), generally show increased NAO-like signal strength and that subsurface response times (as characterised by groundwater response time – GRT), of between 4 and 8 years, show a greater signal presence. Our results provide a foundation of understanding for the screening and use of streamflow teleconnections for improving the practice and policy of long-term streamflow resource management

Challenges of maintaining research protocol fidelity in a clinical care setting: A qualitative study of the experiences and views of patients and staff participating in a randomized controlled trial

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Trial research has predominantly focused on patient and staff understandings of trial concepts and/or motivations for taking part, rather than why treatment recommendations may or may not be followed during trial delivery. This study sought to understand why there was limited attainment of the glycaemic target (HbA_1c≤6.5%) among patients who participated in the Treating to Target in Type 2 Diabetes Trial (4-T). The objective was to inform interpretation of trial outcomes and provide recommendations for future trial delivery.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>In-depth interviews were conducted with 45 patients and 21 health professionals recruited from 11 of 58 trial centres in the UK. Patients were broadly representative of those in the main trial in terms of treatment allocation, demographics and glycaemic control. Both physicians and research nurses were interviewed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most patients were committed to taking insulin as recommended by 4-T staff. To avoid hypoglycaemia, patients occasionally altered or skipped insulin doses, normally in consultation with staff. Patients were usually unaware of the trial's glycaemic target. Positive staff feedback could lead patients to believe they had been 'successful' trial participants even when their HbA_1cexceeded 6.5%. While some staff felt that the 4-T automated insulin dose adjustment algorithm had increased their confidence to prescribe larger insulin doses than in routine clinical practice, all described situations where they had not followed its recommendations. Staff regarded the application of a 'one size fits all' glycaemic target during the trial as contradicting routine clinical practice where they would tailor treatments to individuals. Staff also expressed concerns that 'tight' glycaemic control might impose an unacceptably high risk of hypoglycaemia, thus compromising trust and safety, especially amongst older patients. To address these concerns, staff tended to adapt the trial protocol to align it with their clinical practices and experiences.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>To understand trial findings, foster attainment of endpoints, and promote protocol fidelity, it may be necessary to look beyond individual patient characteristics and experiences. Specifically, the context of trial delivery, the impact of staff involvement, and the difficulties staff may encounter in balancing competing 'clinical' and 'research' roles and responsibilities may need to be considered and addressed.</p

Impact of differing glucose-lowering regimens on the pattern of association between glucose control and survival

Aims To characterize survival in relation to achieved glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) level within alternative glucose‐lowering regimens with differing risks of hypoglycaemia. Methods Data were extracted from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink and the corresponding Hospital Episode Statistics. Patients with type 2 diabetes prescribed glucose‐lowering therapy in monotherapy or dual therapy with metformin between 2004 and 2013 were identified. Risk of all‐cause mortality within treatment cohorts was evaluated using the Cox proportional hazards model, introducing mean HbA1c as a quarterly updated, time‐dependent covariable. Results There were 6646 deaths in a total follow‐up period of 374 591 years. Survival for lower (<7%) vs moderate HbA1c levels (≥7%, <8.5%) differed by cohort: metformin, adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.95‐1.12); sulphonylurea, aHR 1.11 (95% CI 0.99‐1.25); insulin, aHR 1.47 (95% CI 1.25‐1.72); combined regimens with low hypoglycaemia risk, aHR 1.02 (95% CI 0.94‐1.10); and combined regimens with higher hypoglycaemia risk excluding insulin, aHR 1.24 (95% CI 1.13‐1.35) and including insulin, aHR 1.28 (95% CI 1.18‐1.37). Higher HbA1c levels were associated with increased mortality in regimens with low hypoglycaemia risk. Post hoc analysis by HbA1c deciles revealed an elevated risk of all‐cause mortality for the lowest deciles across all cohorts, but particularly in those regimens associated with hypoglycaemia. High HbA1c was associated with no difference, or a small increase in mortality risk in regimens with increased risk of hypoglycaemia. Conclusions The pattern of mortality risk across the range of HbA1c differed by glucose‐lowering regimen. Lower HbA1c was associated with increased mortality risk compared with moderate control, especially in those regimens associated with hypoglycaemia. High levels of HbA1c were associated with the expected elevated mortality risk in regimens with low hypoglycaemia risk

The three-peat challenge : business as usual, responsible agriculture, and conservation and restoration as management trajectories in global peatlands

FundingThis work was supported by the Natural Environment Research Council [grant numbers NE/X015238/1; NE/ V006444/1; NE/V018760/1], the Royal Geographical Society (RBEA 02.21), the Royal Society (RGS\R2\202229), and Growing Health (BB/X010953/1) BBSRC Institute Strategic Programme.Peer reviewedPublisher PD