Accommodating Indigenous Cultural Heritage Values in Resource Assessment: Cape York Peninsula and the MurrayÐDarling Basin, Australia

In this paper we consider the problem of accommodating indigenous cultural heritage values in resource assessment and valuation. We suggest a need for price-based approaches to valuation to be replaced by or complemented with quantitative constraints, reflecting the requirement that rights should not be violated.indigenous cultural heritage, resource assessment, valuation

Immersive Visualization in Biomedical Computational Fluid Dynamics and Didactic Teaching and Learning

Virtual reality (VR) can stimulate active learning, critical thinking, decision making and improved performance. It requires a medium to show virtual content, which is called a virtual environment (VE). The MARquette Visualization Lab (MARVL) is an example of a VE. Robust processes and workflows that allow for the creation of content for use within MARVL further increases the userbase for this valuable resource. A workflow was created to display biomedical computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and complementary data in a wide range of VE’s. This allows a researcher to study the simulation in its natural three-dimensional (3D) morphology. In addition, it is an exciting way to extract more information from CFD results by taking advantage of improved depth cues, a larger display canvas, custom interactivity, and an immersive approach that surrounds the researcher. The CFD to VR workflow was designed to be basic enough for a novice user. It is also used as a tool to foster collaboration between engineers and clinicians. The workflow aimed to support results from common CFD software packages and across clinical research areas. ParaView, Blender and Unity were used in the workflow to take standard CFD files and process them for viewing in VR. Designated scripts were written to automate the steps implemented in each software package. The workflow was successfully completed across multiple biomedical vessels, scales and applications including: the aorta with application to congenital cardiovascular disease, the Circle of Willis with respect to cerebral aneurysms, and the airway for surgical treatment planning. The workflow was completed by novice users in approximately an hour. Bringing VR further into didactic teaching within academia allows students to be fully immersed in their respective subject matter, thereby increasing the students’ sense of presence, understanding and enthusiasm. MARVL is a space for collaborative learning that also offers an immersive, virtual experience. A workflow was created to view PowerPoint presentations in 3D using MARVL. A resulting Immersive PowerPoint workflow used PowerPoint, Unity and other open-source software packages to display the PowerPoint presentations in 3D. The Immersive PowerPoint workflow can be completed in under thirty minutes

Designing, Developing and Testing Financial Models for Non-industrial Private Forestry

This paper describes experiences in the development and testing of three distinct financial models to support farm forestry decisions involving non-traditional tree species in northern Australia and in the Philippines. A variety of options were examined with respect to model design, yield prediction, computing platform, forestry performance criteria and other features. Two of the models focus on the forestry enterprise in isolation, while the third evaluates forestry within the context of the overall farm business. It is found that choice of model design depends on the particular type of application intended and availability of financial data for this application. Some complementarities were gained in replicating features when progressing from one model to the next. Model construction and testing were challenging tasks requiring considerable funds and for two of the models proceeding over a number of years. Validation involved the gradual gaining of confidence in a model as it progressed through various versions. For the more complex models, greater effort in development of the user interface was found to be warranted. The models have proved more suitable for use by extension agents than individual landholders. Even with major resource inputs into model development, a number of desirable additional features can be identified.

Designing, Developing and Testing Financial Models for Non-Industrial Private Forestry

This paper describes experiences in the development and testing of three distinct financial models to support farm forestry decisions involving non-traditional tree species in northern Australia and in the Philippines. A variety of options were examined with respect to model design, yield prediction, computing platform, forestry performance criteria and other features. Two of the models focus on the forestry enterprise in isolation, while the third evaluates forestry within the context of the overall farm business. It is found that choice of model design depends on the particular type of application intended and availability of financial data for this application. Some complementarities were gained in replicating features when progressing from one model to the next. Model construction and testing were challenging tasks requiring considerable funds and for two of the models proceeding over a number of years. Validation involved the gradual gaining of confidence in a model as it progressed through various versions. For the more complex models, greater effort in development of the user interface was found to be warranted. The models have proved more suitable for use by extension agents than individual landholders. Even with major resource inputs into model development, a number of desirable additional features can be identified

Timing of snowmelt affects species composition via plant strategy filtering

Plant strategy schemes aim to classify plants according to measurable traits and group species according to their shared evolutionary responses to selective pressures. In this way, it becomes possible to make meaningful comparisons among ecosystems and communities and to predict how plant communities might respond to changes in their environment. Here, we classified common alpine plants which occur in snowpatches (Early and Late snowmelt sites) and in adjacent vegetation (Snow-free sites which melt early in the growing season) using Grime's CSR plant strategy scheme. Alpine plant communities are largely driven by environmental filters associated with a relatively constant gradient of snowmelt timing. Since snow persistence influences the abiotic environment and plant assemblages alike, we hypothesised that these patterns would be reflected in community CSR scores. Weighted community CSR scores were clustered towards the stress-tolerator (S) corner of the triangular CSR space, and Snow-free communities were significantly more stress-tolerant than Early and Late snowmelt communities. This suggests that snowpatch communities are functionally distinct from surrounding vegetation when considering the major axes of plant variation identified by CSR theory. These results lend further support to the importance of the timing of snowmelt as a key filter, influencing how species and plant strategy types distribute themselves across the alpine landscape

On the Diagrammatic and Mechanical Representation of Propositions and Reasonings

Schemes of diagrammatic representation have been so familiarly introduced into logical treatises during the last century or so, that many readers, even of those who have made no professional study of logic, may be supposed to be acquainted with the general nature and object of such devices. Of these schemes one only, viz. that commonly called "Eulerian circles," has met with any general acceptance. A variety of others indeed have been proposed by ingenious and celebrated logicians, several of which would claim notice in a historical treatment of the subject; but they mostly do not seem to me to differ in any essential respect from that of Euler. They rest upon the same leading principle, and are subject all alike to the same restrictions and defects. We must therefore cast about for some new scheme of diagrammatic representation which shall be competent to indicate imperfect knowledge on our part; for this will at once enable us to appeal to it step by step in the process of working out our conclusions. I have never seen any hint at such a scheme, though the want seems so evident that one would suppose that something of the kind must have been proposed before

Some research experiences in socio-economics of non-industrial forestry in the Philippines

This paper examines the findings of a socio-economic research project carried out to examine the financial performance, adoption progress and impediments to adoption, of a range of Australian tree species in the Philippines. This ACIAR-supported project was an extension of research into transfer of Australian tree production technologies to the Philippines by Australian scientists, with a focus on trees from the genera Eucalyptus, Acacia, Grevillea and Casuarina. The socio-economic research indicated that financial performance of acacias, though perhaps not other Australian species, is comparable with that of traditional species such as gmelina and mahogany. Some uncertainty exists with regard to likely growth and financial performance of eucalypts because site index data are not available, and while early stand growth has been impressive there was a lack of data on which to model later growth. A wide variety of potential impediments to adoption of farm and community forestry, and Australian species in particular, was noted