title: Book Review: The good and evil serpent: How a universal symbol became christianized – by James H. Charlesworth

authors: Simms, Norman

subjects: book review

abstract: The article reviews the book “The good and evil serpent: How a universal symbol became christianized” – by James H. Charlesworth.

text: Book Review: The good and evil serpent: How a universal symbol became christianized – by James H. Charlesworth The article reviews the book “The good and evil serpent: How a universal symbol became christianized” – by James H. Charlesworth.

year: 2012

title: Forest change mapping using remote sensing and Google Earth Engine

authors: Walawe Durage, Kalpanie Vimarshana Nandasena

subjects: Google Earth Engine

abstract: With advancements in data sources, software, and image analysis techniques, remote sensing has become an efficient method for forest classification. However, access to this technology has been limited for developing countries due to the high cost of high resolution images and analysis software. A potential solution is that NASA and the European Space Agency provide free access to mid-low resolution satellite images. In addition, Google Earth Engine (GEE), a free cloud-based geospatial analysis platform, has allowed researchers from developing countries to conduct research without relying on costly remote sensing software. This study evaluates the suitability of the freely available images and the GEE platform for different forest management applications in Sri Lanka. The research focused on three different scenarios in vegetation mapping: identifying home gardens, monitoring invasive pines, and forest cover mapping in a tropical montane region.
Home garden is an agroforestry class seen in tropical countries often overshadowed by global land cover classifications. This study used a random forest classification algorithm to classify the home garden, utilizing terrain data and Sentinel-2A images as the dataset. The results confirmed that the red band of Sentinel-2 and textural metrics derived from grey-level co-occurrence matrix analysis are effective in identifying home gardens from other forestry classes.
Monitoring the spread of invasive pines is important for forest management in Sri Lanka. This study used Landsat satellite images for the years 2000 and 2021 to detect the exotic Pinus caribaea species invasion of native habitats. By using an image difference technique, this research identified that the extent of these invasive pines had an overall decline over the past 21 years. Further, results showed that broadleaved forests and grasslands located within 100m of the pine plantations’ borders were susceptible to invasion.

In tropical regions, analysing forests can be difficult due to cloud cover. This research also focused on methods to enhance classification accuracy using multiple data sources: Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, PALSAR-2, and elevation. Six different methods were tested. It was found that combining radar data with optical and topographical data improved vegetation classification accuracy. In addition, feature importance analysis using the random forest algorithm indicated that radar data plays a significant role in tropical land use classification.
The three case studies used in this research demonstrate that GEE and the freely available mid-low resolution satellite images make the application of remote sensing in Sri Lanka a viable solution for the monitoring and mapping of landcover.

text: Forest change mapping using remote sensing and Google Earth Engine With advancements in data sources, software, and image analysis techniques, remote sensing has become an efficient method for forest classification. However, access to this technology has been limited for developing countries due to the high cost of high resolution images and analysis software. A potential solution is that NASA and the European Space Agency provide free access to mid-low resolution satellite images. In addition, Google Earth Engine (GEE), a free cloud-based geospatial analysis platform, has allowed researchers from developing countries to conduct research without relying on costly remote sensing software. This study evaluates the suitability of the freely available images and the GEE platform for different forest management applications in Sri Lanka. The research focused on three different scenarios in vegetation mapping: identifying home gardens, monitoring invasive pines, and forest cover mapping in a tropical montane region.
Home garden is an agroforestry class seen in tropical countries often overshadowed by global land cover classifications. This study used a random forest classification algorithm to classify the home garden, utilizing terrain data and Sentinel-2A images as the dataset. The results confirmed that the red band of Sentinel-2 and textural metrics derived from grey-level co-occurrence matrix analysis are effective in identifying home gardens from other forestry classes.
Monitoring the spread of invasive pines is important for forest management in Sri Lanka. This study used Landsat satellite images for the years 2000 and 2021 to detect the exotic Pinus caribaea species invasion of native habitats. By using an image difference technique, this research identified that the extent of these invasive pines had an overall decline over the past 21 years. Further, results showed that broadleaved forests and grasslands located within 100m of the pine plantations’ borders were susceptible to invasion.

In tropical regions, analysing forests can be difficult due to cloud cover. This research also focused on methods to enhance classification accuracy using multiple data sources: Sentinel-1, Sentinel-2, PALSAR-2, and elevation. Six different methods were tested. It was found that combining radar data with optical and topographical data improved vegetation classification accuracy. In addition, feature importance analysis using the random forest algorithm indicated that radar data plays a significant role in tropical land use classification.
The three case studies used in this research demonstrate that GEE and the freely available mid-low resolution satellite images make the application of remote sensing in Sri Lanka a viable solution for the monitoring and mapping of landcover.

year: 2023

title: Decolonizing Lamanite Studies – A Critical and Decolonial Indigenist Perspective

authors: Simon, Hemopereki

abstract: The emergence of Lamanite Studies exemplifies the need for decolonial and Indigenous-centered reevaluations of Mormon–Indigenous relations. This article advocates for the reclamation of Indigenous identity independent of the constraints imposed by Mormon doctrine. The incorporation of Indigenous genealogies into Mormon theology results in epistemic violence, disconnecting Indigenous peoples from their ancestral identities and substituting the latter with the settler/invader colonial construct of “Lamanite”. This paper advocates for the decolonization of Indigenous identities within Mormonism, emphasizing the need for a radical intervention that prioritizes Indigenous sovereignty and self-definition over the maintenance of colonial categories. I present approaches and scholarship in Lamanite Studies that align with Indigenous land and spiritual repatriation, promoting the restoration of Indigenous epistemologies to Indigenous communities. Theoretical colonialism must be supplemented by grassroots initiatives that empower Indigenous communities to reclaim their spiritual and cultural identities.

text: Decolonizing Lamanite Studies – A Critical and Decolonial Indigenist Perspective The emergence of Lamanite Studies exemplifies the need for decolonial and Indigenous-centered reevaluations of Mormon–Indigenous relations. This article advocates for the reclamation of Indigenous identity independent of the constraints imposed by Mormon doctrine. The incorporation of Indigenous genealogies into Mormon theology results in epistemic violence, disconnecting Indigenous peoples from their ancestral identities and substituting the latter with the settler/invader colonial construct of “Lamanite”. This paper advocates for the decolonization of Indigenous identities within Mormonism, emphasizing the need for a radical intervention that prioritizes Indigenous sovereignty and self-definition over the maintenance of colonial categories. I present approaches and scholarship in Lamanite Studies that align with Indigenous land and spiritual repatriation, promoting the restoration of Indigenous epistemologies to Indigenous communities. Theoretical colonialism must be supplemented by grassroots initiatives that empower Indigenous communities to reclaim their spiritual and cultural identities.

year: 2025