Determining spatial feed distribution in sea cage aquaculture using an aerial camera platform

Within this paper we describe an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) based method to estimate the spatial feed pellet distribution in salmon fish-cages and exploit it within a case study to determine the radial pellet distribution for different rotor spreaders and blower configurations. Compared to previously used methods, capturing pellets thrown from a rotary feed spreader in rows of Styrofoam boxes, the UAV based method is simpler and faster to setup and allows to cover a larger portion of the sea cage surface area. We compare results obtained with the Styrofoam box method with results we obtained by an automatic analysis of aerial videos taken by the UAV during feeding experiments. The employed method helps to gain insight into the spatial feed pellet distribution in full-scale salmon fish-cages where the feeding pipe and actual fixation of the spreader may influence the dynamic behaviour of the feeding system. This can also be seen as a step towards a continuous measuring of the feed pellet distribution, particularly in view of possible future feeding systems that may allow to adapt the feed pellet distribution to the actual fish distribution.     

上海动物园游客保护教育需求及满意度调查

本研究利用问卷调查收集了上海动物园游客类型与特征、游园目的、游客游览时获得野生动物科普知识的途径、游客对现有科普活动的评价、对科普教育的需求、游客满意度、意见与建议等,并进行了研究。结果表明,大部分(66.02%)游客为本市居民和暂居本市的中青年。近9成(89.51%)游客携带孩子游览动物园,其中超过半数(52.34%)为父母与孩子共同出行。游客游园目的主要为观看动物、游玩娱乐和让孩子学习动物知识。观察动物和阅读动物科普说明牌是游客学习动物科普知识的主要途径。互动类和深度游类项目,是游客最愿意参加的活动类型。游客更希望园方从动物科普设施、饲养员讲解、志愿者讲解这3方面提升其教育功能。总体而言,游客对上海动物园感到满意,超过半数(53.81%)表示很满意。具体而言,动物说明牌的满意度最高,其次是路面状况和路标指示牌。基于研究结果,提出以下建议:提升科普活动的内涵和互动性;提升游园体验,延长游览时间;寻找迎合和引导的平衡;完善基础设施。     

Random point sampling to detect gain and loss in tree canopy cover in response to urban densification

Urban tree canopy cover (UTC) is a simple, and common, measure of urban forest resource. Urban infill development is likely to lead to losses in UTC under private tenure, at a time when local governments are setting ambitious targets to increase UTC overall. Simple, statistically rigorous methods are required to benchmark and track change in UTC, whilst identifying which land-use types or tenures experience change.We estimated UTC in six Melbourne suburbs in 2010 and 2015 by randomly sampling 2000 points across public land, public streetscapes and private land. We were able to detect a net change in UTC of <2% over five years to a 95% level of confidence. A significant net decrease in UTC (−2.4%) was only detected in one of the six suburbs. Two suburbs had a net increase in UTC by +2.7% over five years. On private land, there was often areas of UTC loss, but this was generally offset by canopy gain in other areas of the private realm as well as in streetscapes and public land. Losses in UTC on private land were mainly due to tree removal, with or without subsequent construction works.This study describes a simple, but statistically rigorous, method to quantify UTC change and the drivers of change in different land-use types and tenure. Despite studying two suburbs will high rates of infill development, only one suburb showed evidence of net UTC decrease. The ‘dynamic equilibrium’ in UTC, whereby canopy losses area approximately offset by concurrent canopy gain, means that ambitious targets being set by local governments to increase UTC may be difficult to achieve without changes in tree protection and infill development policy and planning.     

Citizens’ perception of and satisfaction with urban forests and green space: Results from selected Southeast European cities

In this paper the results of the first comprehensive study on perception of and satisfaction with urban forests and green space in seven Southeast European cities are presented. The aims of the paper are to analyse 1) citizen perceptions of the current state of urban forests and green space in their cities, 2) to what extent current urban forests and green space meet their needs and how this can be improved. A cross-sectional study was conducted by using a common face-to-face survey questionnaire. Respondents were selected based on census data though a stratified sampling procedure by taking into account age, gender and city district (n = 384 in each city). The results showed that citizens genuinely care for urban forests and green space in their cities, but are not satisfied with their current state. The respondents found issues related to misbehaviour of other users, the presence and quality of facilities, as well as the presence and quality of management or maintenance the most pressing. There were more statistically significant differences than similarities between cities. Socioeconomic variables explained perceptions only to some extent. Citizens were very supportive of educational campaigns about the importance of urban forests and green space as well as of better enforcement of the existing regulations though having more community wardens that were expected to tackle current unsatisfactory situations. Urban planning and urban forest and green space management in these cities are facing many problems characteristic for post-socialist countries. Study findings are expected to contribute to decision making in urban planning and natural resource management.     

黑龙江省汤原县团结林场森林资源调查情况分析

从3个方面分别介绍了黑龙江省汤原县林业局所属的团结林场的自然、资源及经济情况。     

毛里求斯茶业考察报告

重点介绍了毛里求斯当前茶叶生产、加工、销售和进出口情况,并介绍了毛里求斯Bois Cheri Tea Estate茶厂红碎茶的加工工艺和茶叶品质。     

An initial survey of the cattle grub Dermatobia hominis (L. Jr.) in Nicaragua

After the civil war and the Hurricane-Mitch disaster, cattlemen in Nicaragua were forced to transport their cattle from lowland areas to higher, dryer areas of the country. These areas are natural ecological niches for the cattle grub Dermatobia hominis (L. Jr.) (Diptera: Cuterebridae). To determine the importance of this infestation, the Agricultural and Livestock-Forestry Ministry selected a central area of Nicaragua to run a pioneer survey program to acquire information about hosts involved, number of cases, treatments applied and general knowledge of 42 farmers about the life cycle of the parasite. The subjects were either farm owners or farm managers. Ninety-five percentage of the farms indicated cases of D. hominis infestation in their animals, with cattle being the most affected host (100% of the affected farms). There was poor understanding of the D. hominis life cycle, vectors and control methods. A misuse of insecticides for the treatment of larval infestation by D. hominis was indicated.     

鸡奇异变形杆菌的分离、鉴定及流行病学调查

从山东省某一地区发病肉鸡中分离到一株细菌,根据培养特性、形态学特性、生化特性及药物敏感性等鉴定所分离的菌株为奇异变形杆菌。采用自行研制的奇异变形杆菌诊断抗原,通过平板凝集试验对河南、山东、广西等省(自治区)共26个鸡场的739份血清样品进行了奇异变形杆菌病的血清学调查。结果表明70日龄以下商品代和父母代肉鸡抗体阳性率较低(6.85%),70日龄以上父母代肉种鸡阳性率较高(20.10%)。回归分析表明,鸡奇异变形杆菌抗体阳性率与日龄呈显著正相关(r=0.954)。     

2005年兴凯湖中俄湿地鹤类调查

兴凯湖是亚太地区水鸟重要的迁飞区和栖息地，在鹤类保护中占有特殊的地位。2005年中俄在春、夏、秋三个季节开展了兴甄湖鹤类资源联合调查。调查总面积达3255km^2。共记录到鹤类3346只，其中丹顶鹤799只，白枕鹤2523只，白头鹤14只，蓑羽鹤3只，白鹤7只。还对兴凯湖流域鹤类生存环境及其影响因素进行了分析，提出了该区域鹤类保护的建议。     

Postcards from the past: charting the landscape-scale conversion of tropical Australian savanna to closed forest during the 20th century

Repeated sequences of digitised and geo-referenced historical aerial photography provide a powerful means of understanding landscape change. We use this method to demonstrate a landscape wide expansion of closed forest (42% increase in total coverage) in the Australian monsoon tropics over the past five decades. Retrospective habitat suitability models (HSI) of closed forest derived using four landscape measures (drainage distance, slope angle, aspect and elevation) for imagery taken in 1947 correctly forecast the subsequent spatial distribution of the expansion, with topographic fire protection primarily determining the closed-forest distribution. The dynamics of the closed forest-savanna boundary were predicted accurately by generalised linear models, with closed-forest expansion in fire-protected sites along forest edges and regression in the more fire-prone areas. Two factors may plausibly explain the expansion of closed forests. First, eco-ethnographic records stress the skilful use of fire by Aboriginal people in protecting isolated and locally resource-rich closed-forest patches. Second, the recent global increase in atmospheric CO₂ may be changing the competitive balance between savanna and forest by enabling C₃ trees to grow fast enough to escape the fire trap presented by flammable C₄ grasses.