Globalization should be what states make of it

A significant factor that prevented the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) from becoming as calamitous as the Great Depression of 1929, is the fact that states reacted swiftly to inject massive sums of public money to save the banks and the global financial system. This massive state intervention highlighted the limits of the progressive deregulation of the international system which characterized the process of globalization. It showed that states had huge responsibilities in keeping the global economy afloat, albeit without a clear compass or direction. The apparent ‘anarchy’ of the global market system makes conceivable that, to paraphrase A. Wendt, “globalization should be what states make of it”. Limiting the scope of study to the postmodern state, and looking at the discourse surrounding the globalization process that promotes de-regulation and limited government within a ‘neo-liberal paradigm’ it looks at the ‘democratic deficit’ which weakens the political decision-making process. If not yet a ‘paradigm shift’, the GFC has many ingredients of a crisis of capitalism which needs to re-invent itself, and political action is crucial to curb the excesses of finance. Looking at France, and the election of Francois Hollande on a strong ‘anti-finance’ platform in 2012 and its European Union dimension, it remains to be seen if that kind of shift will actually be able to operate and be successful to set the tone for global reforms. In conclusion, the core argument is that the global ‘trial’ of the neoliberal paradigm and the concept of financial deregulation should now enter a new phase. It is historically and symbolically the defeat of the self-regulating markets as a blueprint for global prosperity. The present structures are inadequate, and states have to find new ways for cooperation in order to steer this integrated world towards greater cohesion

Using Acoustic Sensors to Improve the Efficiency of the Forest Value Chain in Canada: A Case Study with Laminated Veneer Lumber

Engineered wood products for structural use must meet minimum strength and stiffness criteria. This represents a major challenge for the industry as the mechanical properties of the wood resource are inherently variable. We report on a case study that was conducted in a laminated veneer lumber (LVL) mill in order to test the potential of an acoustic sensor to predict structural properties of the wood resource prior to processing. A population of 266 recently harvested aspen logs were segregated into three sub-populations based on measurements of longitudinal acoustic speed in wood using a hand tool equipped with a resonance-based acoustic sensor. Each of the three sub-populations were peeled into veneer sheets and graded for stiffness with an ultrasonic device. The average ultrasonic propagation time (UPT) of each subpopulation was 418, 440 and 453 microseconds for the green, blue, and red populations, respectively. This resulted in contrasting proportions of structural veneer grades, indicating that the efficiency of the forest value chain could be improved using acoustic sensors. A linear regression analysis also showed that the dynamic modulus of elasticity (MOE) of LVL was strongly related to static MOE (R2 = 0.83), which suggests that acoustic tools may be used for quality control during the production process

How sensitive are ecosystem services in European forest landscapes to silvicultural treatment?

While sustainable forestry in Europe is characterized by the provision of a multitude of forest ecosystem services, there exists no comprehensive study that scrutinizes their sensitivity to forest management on a pan-European scale, so far. We compile scenario runs from regionally tailored forest growth models and Decision Support Systems (DSS) from 20 case studies throughout Europe and analyze whether the ecosystem service provision depends on management intensity and other co-variables, comprising regional affiliation, social environment, and tree species composition. The simulation runs provide information about the case-specifically most important ecosystem services in terms of appropriate indicators. We found a strong positive correlation between management intensity and wood production, but only weak correlation with protective and socioeconomic forest functions. Interestingly, depending on the forest region, we found that biodiversity can react in both ways, positively and negatively, to increased management intensity. Thus, it may be in tradeoff or in synergy with wood production and forest resource maintenance. The covariables species composition and social environment are of punctual interest only, while the affiliation to a certain region often makes an important difference in terms of an ecosystem service’s treatment sensitivityinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Globalization should be what states make of it

A significant factor that prevented the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) from becoming as calamitous as the Great Depression of 1929, is the fact that states reacted swiftly to inject massive sums of public money to save the banks and the global financial system. This massive state intervention highlighted the limits of the progressive deregulation of the international system which characterized the process of globalization. It showed that states had huge responsibilities in keeping the global economy afloat, albeit without a clear compass or direction. The apparent ‘anarchy’ of the global market system makes conceivable that, to paraphrase A. Wendt, “globalization should be what states make of it”. Limiting the scope of study to the postmodern state, and looking at the discourse surrounding the globalization process that promotes de-regulation and limited government within a ‘neo-liberal paradigm’ it looks at the ‘democratic deficit’ which weakens the political decision-making process. If not yet a ‘paradigm shift’, the GFC has many ingredients of a crisis of capitalism which needs to re-invent itself, and political action is crucial to curb the excesses of finance. Looking at France, and the election of Francois Hollande on a strong ‘anti-finance’ platform in 2012 and its European Union dimension, it remains to be seen if that kind of shift will actually be able to operate and be successful to set the tone for global reforms. In conclusion, the core argument is that the global ‘trial’ of the neoliberal paradigm and the concept of financial deregulation should now enter a new phase. It is historically and symbolically the defeat of the self-regulating markets as a blueprint for global prosperity. The present structures are inadequate, and states have to find new ways for cooperation in order to steer this integrated world towards greater cohesion

Multivariate morphometric analysis supported by an anatomical approach to assess species delimitation in Xyris (Xyridaceae) in New Caledonia

International audienceXyridaceae are represented in New Caledonia only by the genus Xyris, the description of which was last revised in the 1960s, and three endemic species were recognized there at that time, X. pancheri, X. neocaledonica and X. guillauminii. However, no specimens of X. guillauminii were reported from P or L, although some type material was present. In addition, most material was unidentified at the species level in international herbaria (up to 45% for the NOU herbarium), showing that the family had not been studied in the framework of the Flore de la Nouvelle-Calédonie. In total, 129 herbarium specimens were examined for an ascendant hierarchical classification and a principal coordinates analysis based on 18 morphological characters regarded as diagnostic at the species level (including six used in the original revision). The analyses revealed three well-delimited groups that potentially correspond to species-level units. A sub-sampling of 21 specimens, representative of these three groups, was studied anatomically (leaf cross-sections) and by scanning electron microscopy (leaf surface and seeds) and provided ten additional characters. This additional dataset validated the taxonomy in three species-level units. The resulting entities were then compared with nomenclatural types, which showed that the first corresponded to X. neocaledonica, the second represents a well-delimited, undescribed species, and the third includes types of both X. pancheri and X. guillauminii, this last being in need of synonymization. The findings of the present study provide a basis for undertaking a taxonomic revision of Xyris in New Caledonia, including the description of the new species. All New Caledonian species have an axile placentation and a trilocular ovary, so they belong to Xyris section Pomatoxyris, which is no longer endemic to Australia

Choosing simplified mixed models for simulations when data have a complex hierarchical organization. An example with some basic properties in Sessile oak wood (Quercus petraea Liebl.)

This paper focuses on the modeling of the variability of some properties in Sessile oak wood (five swelling coefficients and wood density). They are modeled with linear mixed models. The data have a seven-levels hierarchical organization. The variability at each level is modeled with a variance matrix. Unfortunately, a model with all variances has too many parameters to be usable, so preferably only one variance other than the residual is kept. A graphical procedure based on the comparison of residual variance in the different candidate models is used to detect this main level. Result shows that the main level of variability is the “tree” level or the “height within tree” level for five properties. We cannot conclude for the last property. For other properties, the residual variance in the model with a “tree effect” is reduced to 40% of the residual variance of the model without structuring of variability. If the applications of models deal with the variability of properties, this “tree level” cannot be neglected.Simplifier un modèle mixte destiné à effectuer des simulations lorsque les données ont une structure hiérarchique complexe. Exemple de quelques propriétés de base du bois de Chêne sessile (Quercus petraea Liebl.). Cet article traite de la modélisation de la variabilité de propriétés du bois de Chêne sessile (cinq coefficients de gonflement et la densité du bois). Ces propriétés sont modélisées à l'aide de modèles linéaires mixtes. Les données ont une organisation hiérarchique à sept niveaux. La variabilité à chacun de ces niveaux est modélisée par une matrice de variance. Cependant, le modèle avec toutes les variances comprend trop de paramètres pour être utilisable, aussi le choix est fait de ne tenir compte que d'une seule variance en plus de la variance résiduelle. On utilise une procédure graphique basée sur la comparaison des variances résiduelles des différents modèles candidats pour détecter le niveau principal de la variabilité. Ce niveau principal est ainsi le niveau “ arbre ” ou le niveau “ hauteur dans l'arbre ” pour cinq des propriétés. On ne peut pas conclure pour la sixième. Pour toutes les autres propriétés, la prise en compte d'un effet arbre permet de réduire la variance résiduelle à 40 % de la valeur obtenue dans un modèle sans structuration de la variabilité. Si la variabilité des propriétés est un facteur important pour les applications des modèles, ce niveau “ arbre ” ne peut pas être négligé

Model and auxiliary data for an accurate estimate of mean field yield

International audienceRecent research has shown how high spatial resolution auxiliary data may improve sampling for field estimates. This paper defines theoretically the variance and bias of field estimates resulting from sampling with a model-based and a mean-based inference. The factors influencing bias and variance are identified and their respective impacts quantified. The theoretical formalisation demonstrates how the characteristics of the auxiliary data sampled and their representativeness affect the mean estimation. Both model-based and mean-based approaches are then tested and compared with real and simulated data. The results highlight the differences between model-based and mean-based for estimating mean yield field values. This paper highlights the value of using a model-based approach when auxiliary data are available. In most cases, results are notably better than the use of common mean-based inference

Improving the Fagacées growth model with an expanded common beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) data series from France and Germany

International audienceKey message: The Fagacées growth model was originally designed for application in the Northern half of France. It is a robust model with potential applicability to a larger area, though this potential has not yet been verified. We added new data to the original parameterization data set and our results show that the Fagacées formalism can be generalized. Context :The Fagacées growth and yield model was designed for the management of pure even-aged stands of European beech and served as a prototype to build models for other tree species. Aims: The objective of this study was to improve the growth components of the Fagacées model with additional data from NorthWestern France to SouthWestern Germany. Material and methods: Our model was calibrated on several forest inventory data sets. The first one (F) is the original data set that was used to elaborate the equations in the Fagacées model. The second one (F+) is the original data set extended with additional measurements on the same sites and on new sites in Northern France. The third (G) adds complementary data from a forest network in Southwestern Germany. The last one (A) is the aggregate of all these data sets. Results: Fitting the original model equations on the extended F+ dataset led us to modify the equation for stand basal area increment. This new equation also fit the German dataset well. The other equations could be applied to all datasets, some with the same parameter values and some after recalibrating according to the dataset. Conclusion: We conclude that the general form of the model's equations is appropriate for application to other regions, but that a recalibration of the equations is preferable in order to reflect local conditions. The advantage of our approach is that fewer data are required to recalibrate an existing equation than to establish an entirely new one

A new criterion based on estimator variance for model sampling in precision agriculture

International audienceModel sampling has proven to be an interesting approach to optimize the sampling of an agronomic variable of interest at the field level. The use of a model improves the quality of the estimates by making it possible to integrate the information provided by one or more auxiliary data. It has been shown that such an approach gives better estimations compared to more traditional approaches. Through a statistical work describing the properties of model sampling variance, this paper details how the different factors either related to sample characteristics or to the correlation between the auxiliary data and the variable of interest, affect estimation error. The resulting equations show that the use of samples with a mean close to the field mean and with a substantial dispersion reduces the estimation variance. On the basis of these statistical considerations, a variance criterion is defined to compare sample properties. The lower the value of the criterion of a sample, the lower the variance of the estimate and the expected errors. These theoretical insights were applied to real commercial vine fields in order to validate the demonstration. Nine vine fields were considered with the objective to provide the best yield estimation. High resolution vegetative index derived from airborne multispectral image was used to drive the sampling and the estimation. The theoretical considerations were verified on the nine fields; as the observed estimation errors correspond quite well to the values predicted by the equations. The selection of a large number of random samples from these fields confirms that samples associated with higher values of the chosen criterion result, on average, in larger yield estimation errors. Samples with the highest criterion values are associated with mean estimation errors up to two times larger than those of average samples. Random sampling is also compared to two target sampling approaches (Clustering based on quantiles or on k-means algorithm) commonly considered in the literature, whose characteristics improve the value of the proposed criterion. It is shown that these sampling strategies produce samples associated with criterion values up to 100 times smaller than random sampling. The use of these easy-to-implement methods thus guarantees to reduce the variance of the estimation and the estimation errors