An advanced inventory method for forest roads

This thesis presents the idea for FORIN (Forest Roads Inventory), a computerized forest roads inventory system. FORIN is a tool to more efficiently inventory and manage information of forest roads. FORIN is intended for use by field personnel, who will use pen-based computers to improve productivity, accuracy of inventories, to lower the cost, and provide an efficient management tool for forest roads inventory. FORIN is a relational database computer system designed for gathering data for forest roads. FORIN displays a menu, which controls the display of all other forms. The main purpose of the forms is for data collection, plus data updates for the roads and their elements. The data entry in the forms will be assisted by a pen-based computer, which will allow for fast, efficient, and accurate data gathering. FORIN replaces the existing paper forms method of inventory with computerized forms, so that collected information can be transcribed into a summary report immediately after the data has been collected and input into the program

Sensitivity Analysis for Optimal Parameters for Marine Radar Data Processing

A bird and bat monitoring system has been developed that uses marine radar, IR camera and acoustic recorders for wind farm applications. IR video recording is used to monitor birds and bats activity which will be useful for wildlife biologists in developing mit igation techniques to minimize impact of wind turbines on birds and bats. The goal is to quantify birds and bats activity near wind turbines. Radar will provide z-coordinate (alt itude) and IR camera will provide (x, y) coordinates of birds/bats. Acous tic monitoring is used to identify birds and bats at their species level. This paper deals with the use of marine radar for determining altitudes, direction and quantity (passage rates) of birds/bats. Data from the marine radar is digitized and processed with open source radR software. Since the data is unknown tracking and quantification can be very challenging. This paper deals with the sensitivity analysis and effects of various parameters used in the tracking algorithm so resulting data can be meaningful

Unraveling the Determinants of Protrusion Formation

A computerized morphometric classification technique based on latent factors reveals major protrusion classes: factors 4, 5, and 7. Previous work showed that factor 4 represented filopodia, 5 the distribution of lamellar cytoplasm, and 7 a blunt protrusion. We explore the relationship of focal contact (FC) characteristics and their integrated actin cables to factors values. The results show that FC maturation/cytoskeletal integration affects factor 5, because FC elongation/integration was correlated with its values. On the contrary, 7 values decreased with maturation, so cable or FC size or their integration must be restricted to form these protrusions. Where integration did occur, the cables showed distinctive size and orientation, as indicated by correlation of 7 values with FC shape. Results obtained with myosin inhibitors support the interpretation that a central, isometric, contractile network puts constraints on both factor 5 and 7 protrusions. We conclude that cells establish functional domains by rearranging the cytoskeleton

Gorsevski, Peter MS.pdf

This thesis presents the idea for FORIN (Forest Roads Inventory), a computerized forest roads inventory system. FORIN is a tool to more efficiently inventory and manage information of forest roads. FORIN is intended for use by field personnel, who will use pen-based computers to improve productivity, accuracy of inventories, to lower the cost, and provide an efficient management tool for forest roads inventory. FORIN is a relational database computer system designed for gathering data for forest roads. FORIN displays a menu, which controls the display of all other forms. The main purpose of the forms is for data collection, plus data updates for the roads and their elements. The data entry in the forms will be assisted by a pen-based computer, which will allow for fast, efficient, and accurate data gathering. FORIN replaces the existing paper forms method of inventory with computerized forms, so that collected information can be transcribed into a summary report immediately after the data has been collected and input into the program

Gorsevski.zip

This thesis presents the idea for FORIN (Forest Roads Inventory), a computerized forest roads inventory system. FORIN is a tool to more efficiently inventory and manage information of forest roads. FORIN is intended for use by field personnel, who will use pen-based computers to improve productivity, accuracy of inventories, to lower the cost, and provide an efficient management tool for forest roads inventory. FORIN is a relational database computer system designed for gathering data for forest roads. FORIN displays a menu, which controls the display of all other forms. The main purpose of the forms is for data collection, plus data updates for the roads and their elements. The data entry in the forms will be assisted by a pen-based computer, which will allow for fast, efficient, and accurate data gathering. FORIN replaces the existing paper forms method of inventory with computerized forms, so that collected information can be transcribed into a summary report immediately after the data has been collected and input into the program

Evidence for Discrete Landmark Use by Pigeons During Homing

Considerable efforts have been made to investigate how homing pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) are able to return to their loft from distant, unfamiliar sites while the mechanisms underlying navigation in familiar territory have received less attention. With the recent advent of global positioning system (GPS) data loggers small enough to be carried by pigeons, the role of visual environmental features in guiding navigation over familiar areas is beginning to be understood, yet, surprisingly, we still know very little about whether homing pigeons can rely on discrete, visual landmarks to guide navigation. To assess a possible role of discrete, visual landmarks in navigation, homing pigeons were first trained to home from a site with four wind turbines as salient landmarks as well as from a control site without any distinctive, discrete landmark features. The GPS-recorded flight paths of the pigeons on the last training release were straighter and more similar among birds from the turbine site compared with those from the control site. The pigeons were then released from both sites following a clock-shift manipulation. Vanishing bearings from the turbine site continued to be homeward oriented as 13 of 14 pigeons returned home. By contrast, at the control site the vanishing bearings were deflected in the expected clock-shift direction and only 5 of 13 pigeons returned home. Taken together, our results offer the first strong evidence that discrete, visual landmarks are one source of spatial information homing pigeons can utilize to navigate when flying over a familiar area