32,425 research outputs found
Global priorities for conservation across multiple dimensions of mammalian diversity
Conservation priorities that are based on species distribution, endemism, and vulnerability may underrepresent biologically unique species as well as their functional roles and evolutionary histories. To ensure that priorities are biologically comprehensive, multiple dimensions of diversity must be considered. Further, understanding how the different dimensions relate to one another spatially is important for conservation prioritization, but the relationship remains poorly understood. Here, we use spatial conservation planning to (i) identify and compare priority regions for global mammal conservation across three key dimensions of biodiversity-taxonomic, phylogenetic, and traits-and (ii) determine the overlap of these regions with the locations of threatened species and existing protected areas. We show that priority areas for mammal conservation exhibit low overlap across the three dimensions, highlighting the need for an integrative approach for biodiversity conservation. Additionally, currently protected areas poorly represent the three dimensions of mammalian biodiversity. We identify areas of high conservation priority among and across the dimensions that should receive special attention for expanding the global protected area network. These high-priority areas, combined with areas of high priority for other taxonomic groups and with social, economic, and political considerations, provide a biological foundation for future conservation planning efforts
Equilibrium Distribution of Heavy Quarks in Fokker-Planck Dynamics
We obtain within Fokker-Planck dynamics an explicit generalization of
Einstein's relation between drag, diffusion and equilibrium distribution for a
spatially homogeneous system, considering both the transverse and longitudinal
diffusion for dimension n>1. We then provide a complete characterization of
when the equilibrium distribution becomes a Boltzmann/J"uttner distribution,
and when it satisfies the more general Tsallis distribution. We apply this
analysis to recent calculations of drag and diffusion of a charm quark in a
thermal plasma, and show that only a Tsallis distribution describes the
equilibrium distribution well. We also provide a practical recipe applicable to
highly relativistic plasmas, for determining both diffusion coefficients so
that a specific equilibrium distribution will arise for a given drag
coefficient.Comment: 4 pages including 2 figure
Are infestations of Cymomelanodactylus killing Acropora cytherea in the Chagos archipelago?
Associations between branching corals and infaunal crabs are well
known, mostly due to the beneficial effects of Trapezia and Tetralia
crabs in protecting host corals from crown-of-thorns starfish (e.g.,
Pratchett et al. 2000) and/or sedimentation (Stewart et al. 2006).
These crabs are obligate associates of live corals and highly prevalent
across suitable coral hosts, with 1–2 individuals per colony
(Patton 1994). Cymo melanodactylus (Fig. 1) are also prevalent in
branching corals, mostly Acropora, and are known to feed on live
coral tissue, but are generally found in low abundance (<3 per
colony) and do not significantly affect their host corals (e.g., Patton
1994). In the Chagos archipelago, however, infestations of Cymo
melanodactylus were found on recently dead and dying colonies of
Acropora cytherea
Convective Nonlinearity in Non-Newtonian Fluids
In the limit of infinite yield time for stresses, the hydrodynamic equations
for viscoelastic, Non-Newtonian liquids such as polymer melts must reduce to
that for solids. This piece of information suffices to uniquely determine the
nonlinear convective derivative, an ongoing point of contention in the rheology
literature.Comment: 4 page
Weak noise approach to the logistic map
Using a nonperturbative weak noise approach we investigate the interference
of noise and chaos in simple 1D maps. We replace the noise-driven 1D map by an
area-preserving 2D map modelling the Poincare sections of a conserved dynamical
system with unbounded energy manifolds. We analyze the properties of the 2D map
and draw conclusions concerning the interference of noise on the nonlinear time
evolution. We apply this technique to the standard period-doubling sequence in
the logistic map. From the 2D area-preserving analogue we, in addition to the
usual period-doubling sequence, obtain a series of period doubled cycles which
are elliptic in nature. These cycles are spinning off the real axis at
parameters values corresponding to the standard period doubling events.Comment: 22 pages in revtex and 8 figures in ep
Experimental characterization of vertical-axis wind turbine noise.
Vertical-axis wind turbines are wind-energy generators suitable for use in urban environments. Their associated noise thus needs to be characterized and understood. As a first step, this work investigates the relative importance of harmonic and broadband contributions via model-scale wind-tunnel experiments. Cross-spectra from a pair of flush-mounted wall microphones exhibit both components, but further analysis shows that the broadband dominates at frequencies corresponding to the audible range in full-scale operation. This observation has detrimental implications for noise-prediction reliability and hence also for acoustic design optimization.The first author thanks the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council for a
Doctoral Training Grant.This is the final published version. It first appeared at http://scitation.aip.org/content/asa/journal/jasa/137/1/10.1121/1.4904915
Surmounting Oscillating Barriers
Thermally activated escape over a potential barrier in the presence of
periodic driving is considered. By means of novel time-dependent path-integral
methods we derive asymptotically exact weak-noise expressions for both the
instantaneous and the time-averaged escape rate. The agreement with accurate
numerical results is excellent over a wide range of driving strengths and
driving frequencies.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figure
G55.0+0.3: A Highly Evolved Supernova Remnant
Multi-frequency analysis has revealed the presence of a new supernova
remnant, G55.0+0.3, in the Galactic plane. A kinematic distance of 14 kpc has
been measured from HI spectral line data. The faint, clumpy half-shell is
non-thermal and has a physical radius of 70 pc. Using an evolutionary model,
the age of the remnant is estimated to be on the order of one million years,
which exceeds conventional limits by a factor of five. The remnant may be
associated with the nearby pulsar J1932+2020, which has a spin-down age of 1.1
million years. This work implies that the radiative lifetimes of remnants could
be much longer than previously suggested.Comment: 27 pages, 7 figures in 9 files (figures 1 and 2 require 2 files
each), Accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journal (Jan. 20, 1998
volume
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