Assessment of carbon sequestration and timber production of Scots pine across Scotland using the process-based model 3-PGN

Forests are a valuable resource for humans providing a range of products and services such as construction timber, paper and fuel wood, recreation, as well as living quarters for indigenous populations and habitats for many animal and bird species. Most recent international political agreements such as the Kyoto Protocol emphasise the role of forests as a major sink for atmospheric carbon dioxide mitigation. However, forest areas are rapidly decreasing world wide. Thus, it is vital that efficient strategies and tools are developed to encourage sustainable ecosystem management. These tools must be based on known ecological principles (such as tree physiological and soil nutrient cycle processes), capable of supplying fast and accurate temporal and spatial predictions of the effects of management on both timber production and carbon sequestration. This thesis had two main objectives. The first was to investigate the environmental factors affecting growth and carbon sequestration of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) across Scotland, by developing a knowledge base through a statistical analysis of old and novel field datasets. Furthermore, the process-based ecosystem model 3-PGN was developed, by coupling the existing models 3-PG and ICBM. 3-PGN calibrated using a Bayesian approach based on Monte Carlo Markov Chain simulations and it was validated for plantation stands. Sensitivity and uncertainty analyses provided an understanding of the internal feedbacks of the model. Further simulations gave a detailed eco-physiological interpretation of the environmental factors affecting Scots pine growth and it provided an assessment of carbon sequestration under the scenario of sustainable, normal production and its effects from the environment. Finally, the study investigated the spatial and temporal patterns of timber production and carbon sequestration by using the spatial version of the model and applying advanced spatial analyses techniques. The second objective was to help close the gap between environmental research and forest management, by setting a strategic framework for a process-based tool for sustainable ecosystem management. The thesis demonstrated the procedures for a site classification scheme based on modelling results and a yield table validation procedure, which can provide a way forward in supporting policies for forest management and ensuring their continued existence in the face of the present and future challenges

Evaluation of Cryptography Usage in Android Applications

Mobile application developers are using cryptography in their products to protect sensitive data like passwords, short messages, documents etc. In this paper, we study whether cryptography and related techniques are employed in a proper way, in order to protect these private data. To this end, we downloaded 49 Android applications from the Google Play marketplace and performed static and dynamic analysis in an attempt to detect possible cryptographic misuses. The results showed that 87.8 % of the applications present some kind of misuse, while for the rest of them no cryptography usage was detected during the analysis. Finally, we suggest countermeasures, mainly intended for developers, to alleviate the issues identified by the analysis

Seasonal patterns of greenhouse gas emissions from a forest-to-bog restored site in northern Scotland : Influence of microtopography and vegetation on carbon dioxide and methane dynamics

Acknowledgments: We thank the Royal Society Protection for Birds (RSPB) for permission to use Lonielist site in Forsinard and the relative stuff for assistance in the field, especially Daniela Klein. We also thank the James Hutton Institute Aberdeen for providing lab and transport facilities. We thank Rebekka Artz and Mhari Coyle (James Hutton Institute) for the provision of their unpublished data and Russell Anderson (Forest Research) and two anonymous referees for improvements to the manuscript. Funding: This research was funded by Scottish Forestry and the University of Aberdeen.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Assessing soil carbon dioxide and methane fluxes from a Scots pine raised bog-edge-woodland

Acknowledgements: We thank the James Hutton Institute Aberdeen for providing laboratory and transport facilities, especially Richard Hewison, who completed the vegetation survey of the site and Graham Gaskin and Alison Wilkinson for providing assistance with field equipment. Author J Yeluripati was supported by the Scottish Government’s Strategic Research Programme (2016–2021): Research Deliverable 1.1.3: Soils and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. I also thank William Jessop (York University), who provided peat depth measurements and my dearest friends Anna Ferretto, Luka Paradiz Udovc, Douglas Wardell-Johnson, Ben Butler, Lucho Quinzo and Ben M. Taylor for offering their invaluable help with field measurements. We lastly thank Toni Clarcke for helping with statistical analysis and Michael Bell (Forest Research) for improvements to the manuscript. Funding: This research was funded by Scottish Forestry and the University of Aberdeen.Peer reviewedPostprin

INCHAIN: a cyber insurance architecture with smart contracts and self-sovereign identity on top of blockchain

Despite the rapid growth of the cyber insurance market in recent years, insurance companies in this area face several challenges, such as a lack of data, a shortage of automated tasks, increased fraudulent claims from legal policyholders, attackers masquerading as legal policyholders, and insurance companies becoming targets of cybersecurity attacks due to the abundance of data they store. On top of that, there is a lack of Know Your Customer procedures. To address these challenges, in this article, we present INCHAIN, an innovative architecture that utilizes Blockchain technology to provide data transparency and traceability. The backbone of the architecture is complemented by Smart Contracts, which automate cyber insurance processes, and Self-Sovereign Identity for robust identification. The effectiveness of INCHAIN ’s architecture is compared with the literature against the challenges the cyber insurance industry faces. In a nutshell, our approach presents a significant advancement in the field of cyber insurance, as it effectively combats the issue of fraudulent claims and ensures proper customer identification and authentication. Overall, this research demonstrates a novel and effective solution to the complex problem of managing cyber insurance, providing a solid foundation for future developments in the field

Drought risk in Scottish forests

Drought, as a significant risk to Scottish forests, is likely to be exacerbated by the changing climate. In light of increased drought events in recent years, we were asked to review the available evidence, and report on current drought-related research activities relevant to the forestry sector in Scotland. This report summarises the current state of research, describes ongoing projects and identifies knowledge gaps and potential research directions. Considerations around the policy and practice implications are made taking into account the available information.Drought, as a significant risk to Scottish forests, is likely to be exacerbated by the changing climate. In light of increased drought events in recent years, we were asked to review the available evidence, and report on current drought-related research activities relevant to the forestry sector in Scotland. This report summarises the current state of research, describes ongoing projects and identifies knowledge gaps and potential research directions. Considerations around the policy and practice implications are made taking into account the available information