Long-distance landscapes: from quarries to monument at Stonehenge.

Stonehenge is famous for the distances moved by its stones, both sarsens and bluestones. In particular, the bluestones have their geological origins in West Wales, 225km away. Recent excavations at two of these bluestone sources – one for rhyolite and one for spotted dolerite – have identified evidence of megalith quarrying around 3000 BC, when Stonehenge’s first stage was constructed. This remarkable movement of bluestones from Wales coincided with a decline in regional cultural distinctions between west and east, suggesting that building Stonehenge may have served to unify the Neolithic populations of Britain

Effects of environmental factors on development of Pyrenopeziza brassicae (light leaf spot) apothecia on oilseed rape debris

Publication no. P-2001-0221-01R. This article is in the public domain and not copyrightable. It may be freely reprinted with customary crediting of the source. The American Phytopathological Society, 2001The development of Pyrenopeziza brassicae (light leaf spot) apothecia was studied on petiole debris from artificially infected oilseed rape leaves incubated at temperatures from 6 to 22 degreesC under different wetness regimes and in 16 h light/8 h dark or continuous darkness. There was no significant difference between light treatments in numbers of apothecia that developed. Mature apothecia developed at temperatures from 5 to 18 degreesC but not at 22 degreesC. The rate of apothecial development decreased as temperature decreased from 18 to 5 degreesC; mature apothecia were first observed after 5 days at 18 degreesC and after 15 days at 6 degreesC. Models were fitted to estimates of the time (days) for 50% of the maximum number of apothecia to develop (t(1); model 1, t(1) = 7.6 + 55.8(0.839)(T)) and the time for 50% of the maximum number of apothecia to decay (t(2); model 2, t(2) = 24.2 + 387(0.730)(T)) at temperatures (T) from 6 to 18 degreesC. An interruption in wetness of the petiole debris for 4 days after 4, 7, or 10 days of wetness delayed the time to observation of the first mature apothecia for approximate to4 days and decreased the number of apothecia produced (by comparison with continuous wetness). A relationship was found between water content of pod debris and electrical resistance measured by a debris-wetness sensor. The differences between values of tl predicted by model 1 and observed values of t(1) were 1 to 9 days. Model 2 did not predict t(2); apothecia decayed more quickly under natural conditions than predicted by model 2.Peer reviewe

Multivariate spatial statistical analysis of longitudinal data in perennial crops

The advantages of using spatial analysis in annual crop experiments are well documented. There is much less evidence for perennial crops. For the sequence of measurements in perennial crops, apparently, there are no published articles in spatial analysis to date. This paper aimed at the comparison of several models, including auto-regressive, ante-dependence and character process models, in modelling sequences of measurements in perennial plants. The use of smoothed models, including splines, to give parsimonious response models, was also investigated. To access model performance, residual maximum likelihood ratio tests (LRT) and Akaike Criterion Information (AIC), were used. We analysed a total of 22,320 observations from 2 trials of tea plant concerning 5 yield annual measures through different spatial and non-spatial models. The classes of methods used were: (1) univariate spatial models for individual annual measures on each trial; (2) longitudinal non-spatial models for the several measures on each trial; (3) longitudinal and spatial models simultaneously for repeated measures in each trial. The main results obtained were: for individual analysis, the best model out of 19 was the row-column analysis + a first-order spatial auto-regressive (AR1 x AR1) correlated error + independent term error, which provided efficiency (ratio between adjusted heritabilities associated with spatial and non spatial models) between 1.09 and 1.76 over block analysis, i.e., between 9% and 76% of improvement; the same model, however, with a second-order spatial auto-regressive (AR2 x AR2) correlated error, was not superior to (AR1 x AR1); the traits (sequence measurements in consecutive years) gave approximately the same behaviour in terms of results across models; the repeatability and the full unconstrained models were not adequate for the sequences of measures, which exhibited considerable variance heterogeneity between traits and high correlation between measures, revealing a need for new modelling. In general, the best approaches involved the modelling of treatment effects by ante-dependence (SAD) or auto-regressive models with heterogeneous variance (ARH). When the spatial effects are important, a combination of first order spatial auto-regressive approach for modelling errors and a multivariate (including simpler options such as SAD and ARH) approach for modelling treatments effects should be used

Meteorological and landscape influences on pollen beetle immigration into oilseed rape crops

Heavy reliance on pesticide inputs to maintain crop yields has been an important aspect of agricultural intensification. Insecticide use has had detrimental impacts on pollinators and natural pest control agents, contributing to a decline in associated ecosystem services, and has also led to resistance development in pest populations. Throughout Europe, in oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) crops, prophylactic use of insecticides against pollen beetles (Meligethes aeneus F. also known as Brassicogethes aeneus) has led to such issues, and there is an urgent need to develop more sustainable pest management practices for the crop. Although advice is available to oilseed rape growers regarding control thresholds, it may not be adhered to due to the expense of pollen beetle monitoring relative to the inexpensive cost of pyrethroid insecticides. Thus, the key to reducing prophylactic insecticide applications may lie with improved, less labour intensive methods of pollen beetle monitoring. For these to be realized, a better understanding is needed of the effects of agri-landscape features and meteorological conditions on pollen beetle immigration into the crop. In this study, based on data from four years of pollen beetle monitoring on a total of 41 field sites, we model the effects of meteorological (wind speed and direction, rainfall and accumulated temperature) and landscape (areas of woodland, residential gardens, the current and previous seasons’ oilseed rape crops, and lengths of hedgerows and treelines) variables on directional sticky trap catches, at both the single trap and field scales. Meteorological variables, particularly accumulated temperature and wind speed were more important than landscape variables in predicting the abundance of pollen beetles immigrating into OSR fields. Sticky traps that were facing downwind caught more beetles than those that were facing across-wind or upwind; this is the first study to show at a landscape-scale, direct evidence for use of upwind anemotaxis by pollen beetles at the point of entry during immigration into the crop. At the field scale, the area of oilseed rape grown in the previous season was found to be positively related to trap catch, but no relationships with other landscape variables were found. Optimally-placed monitoring traps could complement existing decision support systems to reduce pollen beetle monitoring effort and encourage use of insecticides only when control thresholds are breached, thus enhancing the sustainability of oilseed rape production. Knowledge of the area of oilseed rape crops grown during the previous season in the surrounding landscape could contribute to risk assessment of potential pest pressure for individual OSR crops

Co-creation and archaeological prospection: LoCATE – The Local Community Archaeological Training and Equipment Project.

This paper is based on the co-creation of research through an innovative partnership focused around archaeological prospection techniques. LoCATE (Local Community Archaeological Training and Equipment) is a project that brings together archaeologists at Bournemouth University and the New Forest National Park Authority (NFNPA) with archaeological societies and community groups from across Dorset and Hampshire. LoCATE provides access, training, and support for the use of advanced survey equipment that can otherwise be hard to get hold of. It supports the work that all partners already do by extending the range of techniques and skills they can use, and expanding their capacity to undertake research. The idea for LoCATE was first instigated in 2015 when member of the Avon Valley Archaeological Society approached the University and asked them to consider providing access to older, but serviceable geophysical equipment that was not being used regularly for teaching and other activities. Working with the New Forest National Park Authority LoCATE was developed, and the first instrument made available was a Geoscan Research FM36 followed a year later by a Geoscan Research RM15. Most recently a total station has been added to the equipment pool, funded through the Heritage Lottery Funding (Our Past and Our Future, Landscape Partnership Scheme) and the Hampshire Field Club and Archaeological Society. Access to the equipment is managed through the New Forest’s volunteer equipment loan system. LoCATE members are given access to free training on these techniques using a variety of expertise situated across the partnership, and LoCATE members sign up to a code of responsible survey and data sharing. Open data is a core value, and LoCATE also encourages members to use open access materials and software, for example Snuffler freeware geophysics software (Staveley 2018). Inter-partner support is fostered through a variety of means including shared prospection activities, and project social media channels. Now in its fourth year, LoCATE has become well established, enabling relationships that support the research agendas of all partners. It has developed both capacity and expertise in the use of archaeological prospection activities in the local region. Example of the success of the project can be seen through the diversity of the outcomes from the work of LoCATE members from prehistoric monuments, including previously understudied Neolithic long and oval barrows and Bronze Age double ring ditches, to extensive Romano-British sites along the Avon Valley and on Cranborne Chase (Hampshire) (Gill 2019a, b). Through these surveys LoCATE members have achieved their own research aims, but also contributed to the collective goal of the project in enabling an improved understanding of the rich archaeological heritage of our region. In conclusion, LoCATE provides a new model for community engagement in archaeological prospection projects. In an era where the integration of techniques and data are central themes, it is perhaps timely to also consider the integration of people, and how we best work with a variety of different communities to create a shared understanding of our collective past. Bibliography Gill, M. 2019a. New long barrow discoveries in the vicinity of the middle Avon Valley and Cranborne Chase. PAST 91, 5-7. Gill, M. 2019b. Putting old kit to good use, the LoCATE geophysical project. British Archaeology, March/April 2019, 30-5. Staveley, D 2018. Snuffler - Freeware Geophysics Software. Available from: http://www.sussexarch.org.uk/geophys/snuffler.htm

3D printed control for commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) close-range photogrammetric reconstruction

The use of photogrammetry in archaeology and anthropology has become increasingly popular over the past decade. If the intended purpose of a three-dimensional (3D) model generated by commercial “off-the-shelf” (COTS) photographic equipment is geometric analysis or preservation by record, appropriate 3D control is recommended to improve orientation estimates and, in turn, the accuracy of the output 3D model. Further, independent measures of the quality of the photogrammetric model (in addition to the 3D model output itself) are recommended for robust validation. This paper evaluates the use of bespoke 3D printed designs (cradles) to add both control points to close-range 3D model and check points for validation. There were no statistically significant differences between the control and check points errors and intra-observer error was low and comparable to conventional manual measurement methods, thus providing an accessible method of adding 3D control to close-range photogrammetry

Electrochemical Quantification of D-Glucose during the Production of Bioethanol from Thermo-Mechanically Pre-treated Wheat Straw

Mechanical pre-treatment (disc refining) of wheat straw, at both atmospheric and elevated pressure, is shown to be an efficient process to access fermentable monosaccharides, with the potential to integrate within the infrastructure of existing first-generation bioethanol plants. The mild, enzymatic degradation of this sustainable lignocellulosic biomass affords ca. 0.10-0.13 g/g (dry weight) of D-glucose quantifiable voltammetrically in real time, over a two hundred-fold range in experimental laboratory scales (25 mL to 5.0 L), with pressure disc refining of the wheat straw enabling almost twice the amount of D-glucose to be generated during the hydrolysis stage than experiments using atmospheric refining (0.06 – 0.09 g/g dry weight). Fermentation of the resulting hydrolysate affords 0.08 – 0.10 g/g (dry weight) of ethanol over similar scales, with ethanol productivity at ca. 37 mg/(L h). These results demonstrate that minimal cellulose decomposition occurs during pressure refining of wheat straw, in contrast to hemicellulose, and suggest that the development of green, mechanochemical processes for the scalable and cost-effective manufacture of second-generation bioethanol requires improved cellulose decomposition