Remote Sensing and Forest Conservation: Challenges of Illegal Logging in Kursumlija Municipality (Serbia)

Evidence convincingly shows that illegal and corrupt activities are the major underlying cause of deforestation—illegal logging contributes up to 30% of the global market, in excess of US $20 billion a year. Since so much deforestation is a result of illegal logging, we cannot rely on official production statistics to capture deforestation. Given the importance and complexity of forest preservation, an attempt was made to evaluate the possible use of a normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in local forest management and prevention of illegal logging and corruption. We used the example of southern Serbian municipality Kursumlija that in the 2006–2011 periods experienced a 10% loss in forest area, as the obvious result of abrupt illegal logging. This process was very easy to locate and quantify (because illegal logging produced large canopy gaps that extend from the border of Kosovo to approximately 3–4 km into the Kursumlija\u27s territory). In short, NDVI is very promising for countries like Serbia (that rarely perform forest inventories): It is relatively cheap and quick, and it can provide forest managers with essential information; it is easy to implement; the objectivity of these methods can significantly help in avoiding corruption and illegal logging

Adaptative significance of amylase polymorphism in Drosophila. III. Geographic patterns in Drosophila subobscura tissue-specific expression of amylase in adult midgut

International audienc

Preparation and photocatalytic activity of the layered titanates

Titanate structures were synthesized in highly alkaline solution using hydrothermal procedure. As-preparedpowders were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR)and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). A specific surface area of the powders was measured by BETmethod. Results confirmed formation of layered trititanates, already after one hour of hydrothermal synthesis.To examine the photocatalytic activity of the as-prepared layered titanates, methylene blue (MB) was employedas a target compound in response to visible light at ambient temperature. It was observed that the specificsurface area, size distribution and crystallinity are important factors to get high photocatalytic activity for thedecomposition of MB

The use of NDVI and CORINE Land Cover databases for forest management in Serbia

A normalized difference vegetation index provides local forest managers with much essential annual information about the forest inventory. This article evaluates the possible use of NDVI and CORINE Land Cover databases for better forest management in the municipalities of Kursumlija and Topola in Serbia. The forest areas obtained using CLC were up to 11.5% larger than the official forest area estimates, whereas NDVI gave more precise results. This is of a crucial importance for preventing illegal logging, which is very prevalent in southern Serbian municipalities, which have substantial forested territory. NDVI is very promising for Serbia and also for countries that rarely carry out national forest inventories. This method can also easily be applied to other Balkan countries with a similar situation regarding local forest management

Time delay in thin slabs with self-focusing Kerr-type nonlinearity

Time delays for an intense transverse electric (TE) wave propagating through a Kerr-type nonlinear slab are investigated. The relation between the bidirectional group delay and the dwell time is derived and it is shown that the difference between them can be separated into three terms. The first one is the familiar self interference time, due to the dispersion of the medium surrounding the slab. The other two terms are caused by the nonlinearity and oblique incidence of the TE wave. It is shown that the electric field distribution along the slab may be expressed in terms of Jacobi elliptic functions while the phase difference introduced by the slab is given in terms of incomplete elliptic integrals. The expressions for the field intensity dependent complex reflection and transmission coefficients are derived and the multivalued oscillatory behavior of the delay times for the case of a thin slab is demonstrated

Comparing NDVI and Corine Land Cover as Tools for Improving National Forest Inventory Updates and Preventing Illegal Logging in Serbia

National forest inventories (NFIs) in Serbia have been carried out very rarely (every 20 years), while the last two official estimates of forest areas (for 2011 and 2014) are very imprecise, because they are based on the cadastral data (and Serbia is well known for the lack of cadastre updating). Although forest conservation policymakers in Serbia still have limited financial, human, and political resources, over the past two decades, publicly available, remotely sensed satellite data on deforestation and degradation have dramatically reduced evaluation costs. Since municipalities in Southern Serbia experienced a 15% loss of forest area in the 2006–2014 period, as the obvious result of forceful, rapid process of illegal logging, this study evaluates the possible use of two remote sensing techniques: normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and CORINE land cover (CLC) databases for preventing illegal logging in Serbia. It clearly shows that NDVI is very promising for Serbia and also for other post-socialist countries that very rarely carry out national forest inventories (NFIs), and where unrecorded, illegal logging can exceed the legal harvest by a factor of 10

Bewertung der bei Basketballeuropameisterschaft in Barcelona1997 verzeichneten variablen des Schießens aufs ziel

The research was conducted in order to determine the size of the influence that the variables regarding throwing the ball into the basket have on the final basketball match score. For data acquisition the sample of 62 European Championship matches held in Barcelona was used. The sample of manifested variables consisted of seven standard indicators of situation related efficiency concerning shooting and assists that were officially registered for each team. The data, gathered from the official basketball] game statistics, were processed by means of basic statistical procedures, while the main research problem was analyzed by applying the classical algorithm of the regression analysis. The significant difference was determined between the winning and losing teams in variables of shooting and assists, the winning teams achieving the better results. The difference in the total match score averages between the winning and losing teams was 11 points. Regression analysis revealed interesting information on the relation of the predicting variables regarding ball throws and assists with the final game score in a basketball match. Multiple and partial regression coefficients suggest that the final match score could be predicted on the basis of the predicting variables. Multiple correlation of .59 is statistically significant and there is no doubt that 35% of the variance is common to the predicting variables and to the final match score. In the partial regression coefficients three variables (SUT2NE - two-point field goal-unsuccessful, SUT3NE - three-point field goal unsuccessful, and SLBAUS- free throws-successful) appeared to be the significant predictors. The obtained results support the tactical requirements for a high quality of the play organization on the phase of offence, which should provide a rational selection of shootings and minimize the number of unsuccessful throws. The SLBAUS variable displays that the losing teams were repeatedly forced to commit a considerable number of personal fouls which was, from the aspect of the success criterion, i.e. the final match outcome, beneficial for the winning teams that were successful in performing free throws. This study is a continuation of the research, established long ago, on the influence of standard indicators of the situation-related efficiency on a match outcome or success in the basketball game. It opens further possibilities for enlarging the basis of knowledge concerning this important segment of exact, objective monitoring of sports games, especially basketball.Das Ziel der Untersuchung war, den Einflussausmaß der die Korbeinwürfe betreffenden Variablen auf das Endresultat eines Basketballspieles festzustellen. Die Daten wurden aus 62 Spielen der Europameisterschaft in Barcelona abgenommen. Das Variablenmuster umfasste 7 gewöhnliche Anzeigen der situationsbezogenen Effizienz bezüglich Einwürfe und Assistenzen, die für jede Mannschaft offiziel verzeichnet wurden. Die aus der offizielen Spielstatistik erworbenen Daten wurden mittels statistischer Grundverfahren bearbeitet, während das Hauptproblem durch den klassischen Algorithmus der Regressionsanalyse analysiert wurde. Ein statistisch bedeutender Unterschied zwischen den erfolgreichen und den verlierenden Mannschaften wurde in den Variablen der Einwürfe und der Assistenzen zugunsten des Gewinners festgestellt. Der durchschnittliche Endergebnisunterschied zwischen den Gewinnern und den Verlierern war 11 Punkte. Mittels der Regressionsanalyse wurden interessante Informationen über die Beziehung der Prädiktorvariablen des Ballwurfs und der Assistenzen mit dem Endergebnis des Spieles entdeckt. Multiple und partiale Regressionskoeffiziente zeigen, dass das Endergebnis aufgrund der Prädiktorvariablen vorausgesehen werden kann. Die multiple Korrelation von 0,59 ist statistisch bedeutend und zweifellos ist 35% der Varianz den Prädiktorvariablen und dem Endergebnis gemeinsam. Unter den partialen Regressionskoeffizienten schienen 3 Variablen als bedeutende Anzeigen (SUT2NE — unerfolgreicher 2-Punkte-Schuß, SUT3NE- unerforlgreicher 3-Punkte-Schuß und SLBAUS - erfolgreicher Freiwurf). Die erworbenen Ergebnisse unterstützen den taktischen Bedarf nach guter Spielorganisation in der Verteidigungsphase, um eine rationale Ballwurfselektion zu ermöglichen und damit die Zahl unerfolgreicher Ballwürfe zu vermindern. Die Variable “SLBAUS” zeigt, dass die verlierende Mannschaft immer wieder dazu gezwungen war, mehrere Personalfouls zu machen, was vom Erfolgsamkeitsaspekt (Endresultat) für die in den Freischüssen erfolgreiche Gewinnermannschaft günstig war. Diese Studie ist die Fortsetzung einer vor langer Zeit durchgeführten Untersuchung über den Einfluss der Standardanzeigen der situationsbezogenen Effizienz auf das Endresultat oder die Leistung in einem Basketballspiel. Sie gibt weitere Möglichkeiten, um die Kenntnisbasis in diesem wichtigen Segment der exakten und objektiven Beobachtung der Ballspiele, besonders Basketballs, zu erweitern

Water quality assessment of the Borska Reka river using the WPI (Water Pollution Index) method

The Borska Reka river (47 km long, 373 km2 of basin area) is located in eastern Serbia and it is the biggest tributary of the river Veliki Timok. It is also one of the most polluted watercourses in Serbia. Using the data of the Republic Hydrometeorological Service of Serbia, the paper analyzes water pollution using the combined physical-chemical WPI index (water pollution index) over two periods: 1993-1996 and 2006-2009. The analysis of parameters showed significantly increased values of heavy metals (especially iron and manganese) which are indicators of inorganic pollution (primarily because of mining), but also increased values of organic pollution indicators (Biological Oxygen Demand-BOD5, ammonium, coliform germs), as the result of uncontrolled domestic wastewater discharge