Miracle-dz/UniFAR-FTUs huggingface dataset:
The Research–Action Interface in Sustainable Land Management in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan: Challenges and Recommendations

International agencies and programmes introduced sustainable land management (SLM) to Central Asia after the former Soviet Republics became independent in 1991. An aim of early SLM initiatives was to address challenges linked to the transformation of the agricultural sector from a centrally planned economy to a decentralized market economy. This article analyses the knowledge–action interface in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan as it relates to SLM. The analysis focuses on the influence of underlying land management concepts by means of a literature review. Contemporary barriers at the research–action interface were identified using participatory appraisal. And a historically contextualized understanding of the effectiveness of interactions between researchers, policy makers and practitioners is based on an analysis of purposefully selected cases. The study concludes that knowledge of different stakeholder groups is often highly disconnected. Interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary studies are rare, and academic research on SLM has subsequently been ineffective at contributing to substantial benefits for society. Further, researchers, policy makers and practitioners in this context must recognize the differences between SLM and what is often referred to as the equivalent Soviet‐era concept—rational use of land resources—and the resulting implications of these differences. The authors recommend the following: creating an enabling environment for SLM research through academic institutional reform removing structural constraints, making research outcomes more effective by applying systems approaches that produce evidence for policy makers on the multiple benefits of SLM, helping land users evaluate SLM strategies and investing in the establishment and maintenance of a multi‐stakeholder SLM platform that allows dynamic exchange. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A Comparison of Object-Oriented Image Classification and Transect Sampling Methods for Obtaining Land Cover Information from Digital Orthophotography

Transect sampling and object-oriented classification methods are used to characterize land use/land cover in two urbanizing catchments in greater Baltimore, Maryland. The two methods are compared using a harmonized six-class scheme (woody, herbaceous, water, ground, pavement, and structure). There is higher estimation of structures in the object-oriented method. For the other five classes, results are similar, except for a difference in the proportions of the woody class. Segment-to-segment comparison shows that the resolution of the light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data used in the object-oriented method affects its accuracy. Shadows are problematic in the object-oriented method.
Biomass, production and microhabitat characteristics near the freeboard of ice floes in the Ross Sea, Antarctica, during the austral summer

Abstract The physical, chemical and biological characteristics of surface and freeboard habitats in the summer pack ice in the eastern Ross Sea, Antarctica, were documented in a continuing effort to determine the factors controlling the distribution, production and succession of sea-ice biota. Three longitudinal transects from approximately 65° to 74° S in the western Ross Sea along 135°, 150° and 165° W were visited where samples of slush and slush interstitial water from surface and freeboard habitats as well as sea water were collected at every degree of latitude. Freeboard and surface habitats, found at all stations in the pack ice, contained a large range (five orders of magnitude) of microalgal biomass (measured as chlorophyll a concentrations) and nutrients ranging from below levels of detection to those of the surrounding sea water. The geophysical attributes of the freeboard habitat (i.e. a layer of semi-consolidated ice overlying a layer containing unconsolidated ice crystals and sea water) are consistent with previous descriptions of this environment. However, additional information is presented on the range of biomass concentrations as well as the small-scale distributions of the habitat and biota.
Re–Os Age of Molybdenite from the Daheishan Mo Deposit in the Eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt, NE China

The Daheishan Mo deposit is located in the eastern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt, NE China. Rhenium and osmium isotopes of molybdenites from the Daheishan deposit were used to determine the age of mineralization. Rhenium concentrations in molybdenite samples are between 17 and 30μg g−1. Analysis of seven molybdenite samples yields an isochron age of 168.0 ± 4.4 Ma (2σ). Based on the geological history and spatial‐temporal distribution of the granitoids, it is proposed that the Mo deposits in eastern China were related to the subduction of the Paleo‐Pacific plate during Jurassic time.
Antarctic marine gravity field from high-density satellite altimetry

SUMMARY Closely spaced satellite altimeter profiles (>5 km) collected during the Geosat Geodetic Mission (Geosat/GM), and those planned for the extended ERS-1 mission, are easily converted to grids of vertical gravity gradient and gravity anomaly. As profile spacing decreases, it becomes increasingly difficult to perform a crossover adjustment on the original geoid height profiles without introducing large cross-track gradients. If one is only interested in the horizontal and vertical derivatives of the gravitational potential, however, adjustment of the profile is unnecessary. The long-wavelength radial orbit error is suppressed well below the noise level of the altimeter by simply taking the along-track derivative of each profile. Ascending and descending slope profiles are then interpolated onto separate uniform grids. These two grids are summed and differenced to form comparable grids of east and north vertical deflection. Using Laplace's equation, the vertical gravity gradient is calculated directly from the vertical deflection grids. Fourier analysis is required to construct gravity anomalies from the two vertical deflection grids. These techniques are applied to high-density (∼2 km profile spacing) Geosat/GM profiles in Antarctic waters (60°S to 72°S). Gridding and interpolation are performed using the method of projection onto convex sets where the smoothness criteria corresponds to upward continuation through 4 km of ocean. The resultant gravity grids have resolution and accuracy comparable to shipboard gravity profiles. After adjustment of a DC shift in the shipboard gravity profiles (∼5 mGal) the rms difference between the ship and satellite gravity is 5.5 mGal. Many interesting and previously uncharted features are apparent in these new gravity maps including a propagating rift wake and a large ‘leaky transform’ along the Pacific-Antarctic Rise.
Nutrient and Biomass Contributions of Downed Woody Debris in Boreal Mixedwood Forests of Northeastern Ontario

Harvest-related decreases of downed woody debris (DWD) in forests may have important ecological implications; however, patterns of nutrient release from decaying DWD are poorly understood. The importance of DWD was investigated relative to biomass and nutrient pools in six, second-growth boreal mixedwood forest stands, differing by harvest regime near Kapuskasing, Ontario. Nutrient concentrations and mineralization trends using ion exchange resins at three proximities during the decay of Abies balsamea and Populus tremuloides were also examined. Concentrations of N, P, Ca, and Mg increased with decay, whereas K decreased. DWD was a minor contributor to biomass and nutrient pools. Inorganic N, P, Ca, and Mn were significant between harvest types with decay class interaction for N, Ca, and Mn. Species and proximity effects were found for Al, Fe, and K. These results suggest DWD may be a minor contributor to biomass and nutrient pools, but highlights its dynamic nature.
Comparison and interpretation of graphitization in contact and regional metamorphic rocks

X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of carbonaceous materials were carried out in conjunction with petrological studies for selected metamorphic rocks in order to compare the structural state of carbonaceous materials between contact and regional metamorphic rocks. The most extensive study was done for the Daimonji contact aureole in the eastern part of Kyoto city, Japan. The Daimonji contact aureole can be divided into three mineral zones using mineral parageneses of pelitic rocks: chlorite, biotite and cordierite zones. The cordierite zone can be further subdivided into lower- and higher-grade subzones. Petrological considerations allow the two isograd reactions that define the lower- and higher-grade cordierite subzones to be determined and suggest these reactions occurred at 510–560°C and 560–590°C per 2.0-2.3 kbar, respectively. A combination of the petrological studies and the XRD data of carbonaceous materials suggest that fully ordered graphite (FG; defined by d(002) ≤ 3.360 A following the convention used by many workers), appears around 560–590°C in the Daimonji contact aureole. This data and refinement of geothermometer for published data confirmed that the FG appears at 400–500°C in regional metamorphic rocks, but at higher than 530°C in contact aureoles. One possible explanation for such a temperature difference is the duration of heating. However, the width at half height (WH) of the graphite peak attains a similar value of 0.30° at around 500°C both in contact and regional metamorphic rocks, suggesting that WH value is a more reliable indicator of metamorphic grade than the change of d(002) value. Furthermore, the depressed d(002) data of graphite was observed locally in the higher grade part (≥ 500°C) of the Ryoke regional metamorphic belt, where granitic intrusions exist within a few km distance. These facts indicate that the duration of heating is not an important factor controlling the change of d(002) value. It is possible that interlayered impurities, such as chlorine, which was derived from igneous intrusions, may be an important factor in suppressing the reduction in d(002) at temperatures greater than 500°C.
Comparison of root water uptake functions to simulate surface energy fluxes within a deep‐rooted desert shrub ecosystem

Root water uptake (RWU) is a unique process whereby plants obtain water from soil, and it is essential for plant survival. The mechanisms of RWU are well understood, but their parameterization and simulation in current Land Surface Models (LSMs) fall short of the requirements of modern hydrological and climatic modelling research. Though various RWU functions have been proposed for potential use in LSMs, none was proven to be applicable for dryland ecosystems where drought was generally the limiting factor for ecosystem functioning. This study investigates the effect of root distribution on the simulated surface energy fluxes by incorporating the observed vertical root distribution. In addition, three different RWU functions were integrated into the Common Land Model (CLM) in place of the default RWU function. A comparison of the modified model's results with the measured surface energy fluxes measured by eddy covariance techniques in a Central Asian desert shrub ecosystem showed that both RWU function and vertical root distribution were able to significantly impact turbulent fluxes. Parameterizing the root distribution based on in‐situ measurement and replacing the default RWU function with a revised version significantly improved the CLM's performance in simulating the latent and sensible heat fluxes. Sensitivity analysis showed that varying the parameter values of the revised RWU function did not significantly impact the CLM's performance, and therefore, this function is recommended for use in the CLM in Central Asian desert ecosystems and, possibly, other similar dryland ecosystems. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Rocket measurements of annual mean prevailing, diurnal and semi-diurnal winds in the lower thermosphere at mid-latitudes.

Approximately four hundred neutral wind profiles of the lower thermosphere, obtained by rocket-borne techniques since 1957, have been analysed in terms of diurnal and latitudinal variability. Some 15 of these measurements have been carried out during daytime conditions, providing an insight into the dynamics of the daytime thermosphere.The dominant tidal modes (1, 1), (1, -2), (2, 2) and (2, 4) have each been identified in the statistical analysis, and their amplitudes and phases determined as a function of altitude within the lower thermosphere. Agreement is found between the characteristics of the data and recent models of the tides in the lower thermosphere. The (1, -2) mode, for example, appears more strongly in the meridional than zonal components; however, its phase appears to be 3 to 4hr advanced compared with model calculations. This mode may be strongly enhanced after even moderate geomagnetic activity, indicating that the high latitude energy source responsible for the enhancement may also cause the phase advancement relative to models of the (1, -2) tide as generated only by in situ solar EUV heating.
Predicted changes in synoptic forcing of net precipitation in large Arctic river basins during the 21st century

[1] Daily output from 15 global climate system models and 2 global reanalyses were analyzed to create a synoptic climatology of Arctic sea level pressure and to assess predicted changes in net precipitation over the Arctic. The method of self-organizing maps was used to create the synoptic climatology from 3 decades of model output: 1991–2000, 2046–2055, and 2091–2100. The model-derived synoptic climatology was compared to that from two reanalyses, for the period 1991–2000, and this comparison was used to select a subset of models that best reproduced the currently observed synoptic climate of the Arctic. Of the 15 models evaluated in this way, only 4 models were able to reproduce the key features of the Arctic synoptic climate as depicted by the two global reanalyses. The synoptic climatology created using the self-organizing map technique lends itself to the study of extreme events and the projections from this subset of 4 models indicate an increase in cyclonically dominated weather patterns over the 21st century. The models also projected an increase in net precipitation over the Arctic cap and the large Arctic river watersheds during the 21st century. Using the synoptic climatology, a method to assess thermodynamic- and circulation-related changes in net precipitation was derived. The results of this assessment indicate that thermodynamic changes are responsible for more than 75% of the predicted change in Arctic net precipitation during the 21st century.
Simulation Modelling Practice and Theory

Modeling and simulation play an important role in transportation networks analysis. With the widespread use of personalized real-time information sources, the behavior of the simulation depends heavily on individual travelers reactions to the received information. As a consequence, it is relevant for the simulation model to be individual-centered, and multiagent simulation is the most promising paradigm in this context. However, representing the movements of realistic numbers of travelers within reasonable execution times requires signi ﬁ cant computational resources. It also requires relevant methods, architectures and algorithms that respect the characteristics of transportation networks. In this paper, we de ﬁ ne two multiagent simulation models representing the existing sequential multiagent tra ﬃ c simulations. The ﬁ rst model is fundamental diagram-based model, in which travelers do not interact directly and use a fundamental diagram of tra ﬃ c ﬂ ow to continuously compute their speeds. The second model is car-following based, in which travelers interact with their neighbors to adapt their speeds to their surrounding environment. Then we de ﬁ ne patterns to distribute these simulations in a high-performance environment. The ﬁ rst is agent-based and distributes agents equally between available computation units. The second pattern is environment-based and partitions the environment over the di ﬀ erent units. The results show that agent-based distribution is more e ﬃ cient with fundamental diagram-based model simulations while environment-based distribution is more e ﬃ cient with car following-based simulations.
Measurement of coupled soil heat and water processes

iv CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INTRODUCTION 1 Dissertation Organization and Objectives 3 References 4 CHAPTER 2. METHOD FOR MAINTAINING ONE-DIMENSIONAL TEMPERATURE GRADIENTS IN UNSATURATED, CLOSED SOIL CELLS 7 Abstract 7 Introduction 8 Materials and Methods 10 Results and Discussion 13 Summary and Conclusions 19 References 19 CHAPTER 3. AN IMPROVED APPROACH FOR MEASUREMENT OF COUPLED HEAT AND WATER TRANSFER IN SOIL CELLS 28 Abstract 28 Introduction 29 Materials and Methods 33 Results and Discussion 39 Summary and Conclusions 46 References 47 CHAPTER 4. A TEST OF COUPLED SOIL HEAT AND WATER TRANSFER PREDICTION UNDER TRANSIENT BOUNDARY TEMPERATURES 63 Abstract 63 Introduction 64 Theory 65 Materials and Methods 70 Results and Discussion 74 Conclusions 83 References 84 CHAPTER 5. A MEASUREMENT-BASED HEAT BALANCE FOR DETERMINING IN SITU SOIL-WATER EVAPORATION 103 Abstract 103 Introduction 104 Materials and Methods 107 Results and Discussion 111
Land tenure and natural resource management

The devastating environmental effects of deforestation and the exploitation of other natural resources in the developing world have been well documented, yet their impact on local communities has received far less attention. This report looks at how land degradation and deforestation are being addressed at the local level, where households have experienced the reduction of farm size and the decline of natural resources. Through a comparison of Asia and Africa, the evolution of land tenure institutions within diverse cultural, natural, and policy environments is examined. Specific topics include the evolution of customary land tenure, the impacts of land tenure policies, and common property management. The editors conclude that the best strategy for managing land and forest resources lies in promoting the establishment of property rights and investment in the improvement of the natural resource base.
Performance of shaped beam quadrifilar antennas on the METOP spacecraft

The design and performance of two low gain shaped beam quadrifilar helix antennas on a large complex spacecraft are presented. Scattering from the strongly illuminated satellite degrades the antenna performance by distorting the copolar pattern and increasing the crosspolarisation. This paper describes the results of numerical simulations of the installed antenna radiation patterns using the MoM and GTD techniques in the VHF and UHF bands, respectively. In this frequency range the size of the structure makes it difficult to model the antenna performance using either method, and the results must be interpreted carefully. The accuracy of the predictions has been established by comparisons with measurements using a 1/8 scale mock-up of the quadrifilars and spacecraft.
Field size precision water management based on time series analysis of satellite images

SUMMARY As a result of climatic variability, extreme local meteorological phenomena will more likely significantly affect the agriculture in the near future. Space-based remote sensing provides an opportunity for continuous tracking the biomass growth of plants. A basic input of farm level irrigation models is the crop coefficient (Kc), which was defined by the leaf area and by which the transpirating area can be connect to the phenological changes in time. The widely used FAO CROPWAT irrigation model estimated Kc for a given place with large error by 3 point. In our research, NDVI time series – which were calculated from Landsat TM remote sensed images – were used on the 19 hectare sample plot of sugar beet test plant to determinate Kc values which indicate the phenological state with higher accuracy. Kc values were calibrated by field measurements. Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and water management soil-cartogram of the area were also created and used for calibration. We computed and evaluated heterogeneity by running principal components analysis that was performed on the time-series of the biomass. The results assisted and enabled the precision water management planning of the sample plot, as well as the calculation of different water management scenarios and finally the sustainable water management by timely dynamic data exchange of GIS and CROPWAT input/output.
Wide‐range magnetograph at Abinger Observatory

A wide-range magnetograph has recently been set up at Abinger to record variations of declination and horizontal intensity on a scale corresponding to 20 gammas per millimeter in each element. The magnetograph has been in regular operation since the beginning of June 1940, and has already proved its worth by showing plainly, on June 25, a large and extremely rapid movement of the H-trace which possibly would have escaped notice on the trace of the ordinary la Cour magnetograph.
L'alliance de mariage et la promesse d'épouses chez les Ngaatjatjarra du Désert de l'Ouest australien

L'alliance de mariage est traditionnellement, comme dans le contexte contemporain, d'une importance vitale dans le Desert de l'Ouest australien, et plus specifiquement chez les Ngaatjatjarra, car elle permet d'etablir des reseaux de solidarites couvrant (et depassant parfois) le desert. Mais l'alliance n'est pas l'unique processus contribuant a tisser cette toile. Parmi d'autres mecanismes, il est interessant de noter celui de la promesse d'epouse, a travers lequel des liens d'affinite, identiques a ceux qui font suite au mariage, sont institues sans que, toutefois, l'union en soit ni la condition ni la consequence.
Geophysical constraints on the deep structure of a limited ocean‐continent subduction zone at the North Iberian Margin

Late Cretaceous to Cenozoic convergence between Iberia and Europe led to the partial closure of the Bay of Biscay with limited southward subduction of oceanic crust below the North Iberian Margin. Inclined sub‐Moho reflections and diffractions observed in deep seismic reflection profiles shot across the margin are especially well represented in two reflection profiles: ESCIN‐3.2 and ESCIN‐3.3. These two profiles have been chosen to test if the sub‐Moho reflections correspond to true primary deep events and, provided that they are reflecting off the subduction zone, to investigate its deep structure. Spectral analysis together with travel time estimation and migration allow us to characterize a number of these sub‐Moho events as deep‐source, low‐frequency (∼19 Hz), reflections and diffractions. Synthetic seismograms were generated by three‐dimensional seismic modeling of a sub‐Moho southward dipping surface, interpreted to correspond to the top of subducted oceanic crust. Comparison between the real and synthetic data show that inclined, low‐frequency sub‐Moho reflections in both, ESCIN‐3.2 and ESCIN‐3.3 profiles may correspond to reflections from southward subducted Bay of Biscay oceanic crust. Geoid, free‐air gravity, and absolute topography modeling provides additional constraints on the lithospheric‐scale structure of this limited ocean‐continent subduction zone beneath the North Iberian Margin.