Habitat use by semi-domesticated reindeer, estimated with pellet-group counts

Habitat selection theory predicts that herbivores should select for or against different factors at different spatial scales. For instance, quantity of forage is expected to be a strong factor influencing habitat choice at large scales, while forage quality may be important at finer scales. However, during summer, herbivores such as reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) can be limited in their grazing time by insect harassment, and do not always have the possibility to select for high quality forage. Human disturbances from hikers, etc., can also have a limiting effect on the possibility for reindeer to graze in high quality foraging habitats. Reindeer habitat selection at the landscape level was investigated through faecal pellet-group counts during the summers of 2002 and 2003 in two reindeer herding districts in Sweden. Resource utilization functions (RUFs) were developed using multiple linear regressions, where the pellet densities were related to vegetation types, topographic features, distances to tourist resorts, and distances to hiking trails. Validations of the models were performed through cross-validation correlations. Results show that high altitudes with high quality forage were important habitats. Areas that offer both snow patches and fresh forage plants for the reindeer were used in relation to their availability. The reindeer also seemed able to habituate to human intervention to a certain extent. The predictive capabilities of the RUF models were high and pellet-group counts seemed well suited to study how abiotic factors affect the habitat use at large temporal and spatial scales Abstract in Swedish / Sammanfattning: Renens användning av sommarbetesområdet, uppskattat med spillningsinventeringar Hierarkiskt habitatval innebär att djur väljer för och emot olika faktorer beroende på den rumsliga skalan. Mängden bete kan t ex spela stor roll för en växtätares habitatval på en stor skala medan kvalitén på betet kan ha större betydelse på en mindre skala. För renar (Rangifer tarandus tarandus), kan betestiden och möjligheten att hitta bra bete sommartid begränsas både på stor och liten skala pga. störningar från insekter och mänsklig aktivitet. Här studerades renarnas val av betesområde på landskapsnivå med hjälp av spillningsinventering under somrarna 2002 och 2003 i två samebyar i Sverige. Spillningstätheten för respektive område och år undersöktes statistiskt med hjälp av multipel linjär regression eller sk ”resource utilisation functions” (RUF). Där relaterades spillningstätheten till vegetationstyp, olika topografiska faktorer, avstånd till vandringsleder, stugplatser och fjällstationer. Resultaten visade att områden högt upp i terrängen med hög beteskvalitet var attraktiva. Vegetationstypen moderat snölega som anses ha hög beteskvalitet användes av renarna i relation till dess förekomst. Däremot verkade renarna undvika områden kring välbesökta fjällstugor och fjällstationer medan de däremot t o m föredrog områden nära vandringsleder. Det kan bero på att vandringslederna går genom attraktiva vegetationstyper. RUF-modellerna hade en hög prediktiv förmåga vilket visar att spillningsinventeringar är användbara när man önskar studera hur djuren använder ett betesområde i relation till olika faktorer på en relativt stor rumslig och temporal skala

Generation 1.5 in Hawaii: Gaining critical tools for reading the world

This paper introduces key aspects of a curriculum that I developed for Generation 1.5 in high-intermediate-advanced community college ESL classes in Hawai‘i. It draws on applied critical linguistic approaches, which are informed by various theories including structuralism, poststructuralism, postmodernism, cultural studies, postcolonial studies, gender studies, and Marxist theory among others. It does not attempt to give a snapshot of my pedagogy-in-action, replete with all of its complexities, its need for constant reciprocity between theories utilized and actual classroom practices (praxis), and its need for continual negotiation between teacher and learners: I justify the approaches outlined here because they were successful on a number of levels for these students (Ford, 2003)4. Rather, I attempt in this paper to provide particular slices of the curriculum in which I explore in-depth what a critical approach to language development can look like

Control over the Cloud : Offloading, Elastic Computing, and Predictive Control

The thesis studies the use of cloud native software and platforms to implement critical closed loop control. It considers technologies that provide low latency and reliable wireless communication, in terms of edge clouds and massive MIMO, but also approaches industrial IoT and the services of a distributed cloud, as an extension of commercial-of-the-shelf software and systems.First, the thesis defines the cloud control challenge, as control over the cloud and controller offloading. This is followed by a demonstration of closed loop control, using MPC, running on a testbed representing the distributed cloud.The testbed is implemented using an IoT device, clouds, next generation wireless technology, and a distributed execution platform. Platform details are provided and feasibility of the approach is shown. Evaluation includes relocating an on-line MPC to various locations in the distributed cloud. Offloaded control is examined next, through further evaluation of cloud native software and frameworks. This is followed by three controller designs, tailored for use with the cloud. The first controller solves MPC problems in parallel, to implement a variable horizon controller. The second is a hierarchical design, in which rate switching is used to implement constrained control, with a local and a remote mode. The third design focuses on reliability. Here, the MPC problem is extended to include recovery paths that represent a fallback mode. This is used by a control client if it experiences connectivity issues.An implementation is detailed and examined.In the final part of the thesis, the focus is on latency and congestion. A cloud control client can experience long and variable delays, from network and computations, and used services can become overloaded. These problems are approached by using predicted control inputs, dynamically adjusting the control frequency, and using horizontal scaling of the cloud service. Several examples are shown through simulation and on real clouds, including admitting control clients into a cluster that becomes temporarily overloaded

On the application of the regularization method for the correction of improper problems of convex programming

The residual method, which is one of the standard regularization procedures for ill-posed optimization problems, is applied to a convex programming problem. The connection between this method and the regularized Lagrange function method is investigated in the case of optimal correction of improper problems of convex programming. This approach allows one to decrease the number of impropriety classes to be analyzed. Conditions are formulated and convergence estimates of the method are established. © 2013 Pleiades Publishing, Ltd

A Finance Model for the Built Cultural Heritage - Proposals for improvements of future Heritage Economics

Abstract The new role of built cultural heritage, as an economic asset for development strategies and the widened definition of built heritage as a concept-, explains today’s affluence of sites. These can only be guaranteed with sufficient heritage funding. Financers’ inducement to fund cultural heritage depends on that heritage’s current value estimation and only highly revered sites qualify for support. Case studies imply that values are incessantly present in heritage and so these can be re-established when the right external conditions, or actions, arise. The assessment i.e. reflects the human perception of values projected onto buildings and not the physical characteristics of the heritage itself. This is way it is possible to modify finance incentive conditions. Finance models are needed but prototypes of such finance models are lacking. This inquiry aspires to supplement the findings of Cultural Economics, but from the viewpoint of actual building conservation practice. The aim of this doctoral thesis is to investigate the prospects of securing the successful future of built heritage by proposing a value stabilizing finance model, based on; the acquiring, the economizing and the assuring of heritage funding. The strategy of this inquiry involves five steps. Accelerators proved to determine all aspects of the heritage finance model, since these accelerators stabilize the values of built heritage sites by revealing the payback capacity of financial commitments to that heritage. Heritage funding in Sweden has stagnated due to weak emotional and financial accelerators, which means built heritage is at risk of falling into decay. The suggested contribution of this inquiry is the exploratory analysis of the mechanisms behind heritage funding including its accelerators, hence introducing new terminology into building conservation instigated by the idiom of economics, which could ease future strategic planning of heritage funding

Decay rate of reindeer pellet-groups

Counting of animal faecal pellet groups to estimate habitat use and population densities is a well known method in wildlife research. Using pellet-group counts often require knowledge about the decay rate of the faeces. The decay rate of a faecal pellet group may be different depending on e.g. substrate, size of the pellet group and species. Pellet-group decay rates has been estimated for a number of wildlife species but never before for reindeer (Rangifer tarandus). During 2001 to 2005 a field experiment estimating the decay rate of reindeer pellet groups was performed in the Swedish mountains close to Ammarnäs. In total the decay rate of 382 pellet groups in three different habitat types (alpine heath, birch forest and spruce forest) was estimated. The slowest decay rate was found in alpine heath and there the pellet groups persisted for at least four years. If decay was assumed to take place only during the bare ground season, the estimated exponential decay rate was -0.027 pellet groups/week in the same habitat. In the forest, the decay was faster and the pellet groups did not persist more than two years. Performing pellet group counts to estimate habitat use in dry habitats, such as alpine heath, I will recommend using the faecal standing crop method. Using this method makes it possible to catch the animals’ general habitat use over several years. Abstract in Swedish / Sammanfattning:Nedbrytningshastighet av renspillningInom viltforskningen har spillningsinventeringar använts under flera årtionden för att uppskatta habitatval och populationstäthet hos olika djurslag. För att kunna använda data från spillningsinventeringar krävs ofta att man vet hur lång tid det tar för spillningen att brytas ner. Nedbrytningshastigheten är olika beroende på marktyp och djurslag. Nedbrytningshastighet på spillning har studerats för bland annat olika typer av hjortdjur, men det har inte studerats på ren (Rangifer tarandus) tidigare. I området kring Ammarnäs genomfördes under åren 2001- 2005 ett fältexperiment för att uppskatta nedbrytningshastigheten av renspillning. Under tre somrar lades totalt 382 renspillningar ut i hägn i tre olika typer av habitat (fjällhed, fjällbjörkskog och granskog). Det visade sig att nedbrytningshastigheten var långsammast på fjällheden, där spillningshögarna fortfarande var kvar efter fyra år. Den exponentiella nedbrytningshastigheten beräknades till -0.027 högar/vecka om nedbrytningen antas ske under barmarksperioden. I skogshägnen gick nedbrytningen snabbare och alla högar var borta inom två år. Vid spillningsinventeringar på kalfjällsområdet eller områden med liknande marktyp, där syftet är att studera djurens habitatval över en längre tid rekommenderas att använda den så kallade ”faecal accumulation rate”-metoden, där man inventerar orensade ytor. Det ger en generell bild av hur djuren använt området under en längre period, eftersom nedbrytningen av spillning är långsam i sådana habitat

Individuell platsidentitet och gemenskapen mellan platser

Begreppet platsidentitet definieras och diskuteras med utgångspunkt i Cliff Hague, Paul Jenkins och John Montgomerys teorier kring vad som skapar identitet hos en plats. Sveriges nationalparker har fått en ny gemensam grafisk profil som ska implementeras i alla parker. Dess syfte är att skapa igenkänning mellan Sveriges nationalparker och samtidigt beskrivs en ambition att skapa unika platsidentiteter för varje enskild nationalpark. Att samtidigt skapa individuell platsidentitet och gemenskap genom en grafisk profil kan, i första anblick vara svårt att genomföra. Går det att skapa individuell platsidentitet och gemenskap mellan olika platser samtidigt? Syftet med undersökningen är att utreda om och i så fall hur individuell platsidentitet och gemenskap mellan olika platser kan kombineras, med den grafiska profilen som grund. Detta undersöks genom att göra ett gestaltningsprogram för Fulufjällets nationalparksentré. Frågeställningen lyder: Hur kan individuell platsidentitet och gemenskap med övriga nationalparker skapas samtidigt på entréplatsen vid Fulufjällets nationalpark med nationalparksprofilen som grund? För att kunna göra en fungerande gestaltning behöver hänsyn tas till hur vi uppfattar och betraktar en plats och vad som skapar en god gestaltning. Detta diskuteras genom Gordon Cullens och Katja Grillners teorier kring hur vi uppfattar, betraktar och rör oss i landskapet. Deras teorier ger stöd och för gestaltningsprocessen framåt. Vidare diskuteras god design genom Ian H. Thompsons teori, trivalent-design. Inventeringen av Fulufjällets entréplats grundar sig i Maria Flinks metod och analysen tar stöd i Gordon Cullens fenomenologiska undersökning av stadslandskap, Serial Vision. Vidare görs platsbesök, bakgrundsstudier och intervjuer med besökare och personal för att lära känna platsen, dess verksamhet och dess kontext. Under gestaltningsprocessen är skissande som undersökande metod en central del som genomsyrar hela processen i form av skissande för hand och med digitala hjälpmedel. Gestaltningsprogrammet presenteras i en illustrationsplan som beskriver förslagets utformning av entréplatsen. Vidare presenteras ett antal fysiska tillförda element som har till syfte att stärka både den individuella platsidentiteten och gemenskapen mellan nationalparkerna. I diskussionen ges en sammanfattning av hur det är att göra ett gestaltningsprogram kopplat till en grafisk profil och hur individuell platsidentitet och gemenskap mellan platser kan skapas samtidigt och vilka komplikationer som kan uppstå. Där ges konkreta tips och idéer kring vilka faktorer en gestaltande landskapsarkitekt bör beakta för att skapa gemenskap mellan platser och individuell platsidentitet.The concept of place identity is defined and discussed on the basis of Cliff Hague, Paul Jenkins and John Montgomery's theories about what creates identity to a place. Sweden's national parks have a new graphic profile that will be implemented in all parks. Its purpose is to create recognition between Sweden's national parks and at the same time an ambition is described to create unique place identities for each individual national park. At the same time, creating an individual place identity and community through a graphic profile can be difficult to implement at first glance. Is it possible to create individual place identity and community between different places at the same time? The purpose of the survey is to investigate whether and in such a case how individual place identity and community between different places can be combined with the graphic profile as a basis. This is investigated by making a design program for Fulufjället National Park Center. The question is: How can individual site identity and community with other national parks be created at the same time at the entrance site at Fulufjället National Park with the national park profile as a basis? In order to be able to make a functional design, consideration must be given to how we perceive and view a place and what creates a good design. This is discussed through Gordon Cullen's and Katja Grillner's theories about how we perceive, observe and move in the landscape. Their theories provide support and advance the design process. Furthermore, good design is discussed through Ian H. Thompson's theory, trivalent design. The inventory of Fulufjället's entrance site is based on Maria Flink's method and the analysis is supported by Gordon Cullen's phenomenological study of urban landscapes, Serial Vision. Furthermore, site visits, background studies and interviews are conducted with visitors and staff to get to know the place, its activities and its context. During the design process, sketching as an investigative method is a central part that permeates the entire process in the form of sketching by hand and with digital aids. The design program is presented in an illustration plan that describes the design of the proposal for the entrance space. Furthermore, a number of physically added elements are presented which aim to strengthen both the individual and the community between the national parks. The discussion presents a summary picture of what it is like to make a design program linked to a graphic profile and how individual and community between places can be created at the same time and what complications can arise. There, concrete tips and ideas are given about what factors a shaping landscape architect should consider in order to create community between places and individual place identity