title: Investigating the impact of Tourism on forest cover in the Annapurna conservation area through Remote Sensing and Statistical Analysis

authors: Chaplin, James Andrew

subjects: Nepal

abstract: Tourism is Nepal’s largest industry giving people in rural areas an alternative to subsistence farming. Tourism can have an impact on the forest cover of a region as trees provide firewood for cooking and heating and timber for building accommodation. In 1986 the Annapurna conservation area project was started to ensure that tourism was managed sustainably, which includes minimising the impacts on the forest cover. This study assesses the impacts of tourism on the forest cover in the Annapurna region by comparing Landsat images from 1999 and 2011.  This was achieved through spectral classification of different landcover and assessing the change in forest cover in relation to increasing distances from tourism villages. A major problem with remote sensing in mountainous regions such as Nepal is shadow caused by the relief. This issue was addressed by only assessing areas which were free from shadow, which in effect meant a sample was used rather than the whole study region. The results indicate that there has been an 8 per cent reduction in overall forest extent, but this change varies by region.  In the northern drier regions there has been a net increase in forest cover, while in the southern regions there has been a net reduction in forests. The influence of tourism facilities on forest is also variable. Around each of the sample tourism villages there was a general trend of decreasing removal of forest at greater distances from each village, which indicates tourism does have a negative impact on forests. However, there was an opposite trend in the northern villages that were well inside the conservation area.

text: Investigating the impact of Tourism on forest cover in the Annapurna conservation area through Remote Sensing and Statistical Analysis Tourism is Nepal’s largest industry giving people in rural areas an alternative to subsistence farming. Tourism can have an impact on the forest cover of a region as trees provide firewood for cooking and heating and timber for building accommodation. In 1986 the Annapurna conservation area project was started to ensure that tourism was managed sustainably, which includes minimising the impacts on the forest cover. This study assesses the impacts of tourism on the forest cover in the Annapurna region by comparing Landsat images from 1999 and 2011.  This was achieved through spectral classification of different landcover and assessing the change in forest cover in relation to increasing distances from tourism villages. A major problem with remote sensing in mountainous regions such as Nepal is shadow caused by the relief. This issue was addressed by only assessing areas which were free from shadow, which in effect meant a sample was used rather than the whole study region. The results indicate that there has been an 8 per cent reduction in overall forest extent, but this change varies by region.  In the northern drier regions there has been a net increase in forest cover, while in the southern regions there has been a net reduction in forests. The influence of tourism facilities on forest is also variable. Around each of the sample tourism villages there was a general trend of decreasing removal of forest at greater distances from each village, which indicates tourism does have a negative impact on forests. However, there was an opposite trend in the northern villages that were well inside the conservation area.

year: 2013

title: Do long-tailed bats alter their evening activity in response to aircraft noise?

authors: Le Roux, Darren Shaun

subjects: aircraft activity

abstract: Human-generated noise may alter animal activity patterns and mask vocal signals. We used field-based observations and a playback experiment to investigate whether aircraft activity and noise alter the evening activity of New Zealand long-tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) a cryptic threatened species. Low-altitude aircraft activity temporally overlapped bat activity near the runway of an international airport, but was unlikely to mask echolocation pulses as aircraft noise was most intense at ≤ 10 kHz. There was no statistically significant difference in mean bat activity during and after overflights compared with pre-aircraft activity. The experiment revealed that playback stimuli (aircraft passes and two controls: silent tracks and blackbird (Turdus merula) calls) differed in their effect on bat activity at two sites, one with low and one with high aircraft activity. Simulated aircraft noise and silent tracks reduced bat activity when compared with blackbird calls (P < 0.05). Bats may have found it easier to detect observers during the playback of silent tracks (sampling involved walking circuits with hand-held detectors), and may have reduced activity to a perceived threat. This result suggests that broadcasted aircraft noise is no more disturbing than researcher presence during playback trials. Evidence for a site × playback stimuli interaction (P = 0.054) suggests that bats at the site with high aircraft activity may have habituated to aircraft noise. Both correlative and experimental data suggests that aircraft activity and noise may not have major impacts on long-tailed bat activity.

text: Do long-tailed bats alter their evening activity in response to aircraft noise? Human-generated noise may alter animal activity patterns and mask vocal signals. We used field-based observations and a playback experiment to investigate whether aircraft activity and noise alter the evening activity of New Zealand long-tailed bats (Chalinolobus tuberculatus) a cryptic threatened species. Low-altitude aircraft activity temporally overlapped bat activity near the runway of an international airport, but was unlikely to mask echolocation pulses as aircraft noise was most intense at ≤ 10 kHz. There was no statistically significant difference in mean bat activity during and after overflights compared with pre-aircraft activity. The experiment revealed that playback stimuli (aircraft passes and two controls: silent tracks and blackbird (Turdus merula) calls) differed in their effect on bat activity at two sites, one with low and one with high aircraft activity. Simulated aircraft noise and silent tracks reduced bat activity when compared with blackbird calls (P < 0.05). Bats may have found it easier to detect observers during the playback of silent tracks (sampling involved walking circuits with hand-held detectors), and may have reduced activity to a perceived threat. This result suggests that broadcasted aircraft noise is no more disturbing than researcher presence during playback trials. Evidence for a site × playback stimuli interaction (P = 0.054) suggests that bats at the site with high aircraft activity may have habituated to aircraft noise. Both correlative and experimental data suggests that aircraft activity and noise may not have major impacts on long-tailed bat activity.

year: 2012

title: Portfolio of Compositions: Systematic composition of cross-genre hybrid music

authors: Mayall, Jeremy Mark

subjects: cross-genre hybrid music

abstract: The research focus of this PhD thesis is the development of a new technique for composing original musical compositions in which elements from different musical genres are hybridised. The innovative aspect of achieving balanced hybridity is the development of a systematic approach to selecting and synthesising or hybridising key musical elements across a range of different genres. The major component of this submission is a portfolio of nine original works with attached CD/DVD recordings. 

1. Tracking Forward for viola, backing track and video 
2. The Long White Cloud for chamber band and electronics 
3. ‘Colorless green ideas sleep furiously’ for orchestra 
4. Push for Miles for electric bass and backing track 
5. Norse Suite for viola and cello 
6. The Foggy Field a studio construction 
7. Into the Nocturnal Sunshine for flute, viola, cello, drums and electronics 
8. One Night, New Breath for taonga puoro, viola, drums and electronics 
9. Sketches of an Intergalactic Earworm for piano trio and boombox

The accompanying documentation clarifies, and contextualises the creation and presentation of these works; and illuminates the aesthetic underpinnings and compositional techniques developed and utilised as a part of this hybrid-genre compositional approach. The structure of the supporting exegesis is in two parts: the methodology of practice-based research, and reflective investigation. Part One (Chapters 1 and 2) is an introductory overview; an observation of the existing literature and related work, relevant creative practice in the composer’s previous work; and the compositional methodology – including an explanation of the genre matrix. Part Two (Chapters 3 to 12) analyses the use of genre, the balance of hybridity, and relevant compositional techniques utilised in the development of each individual piece.

text: Portfolio of Compositions: Systematic composition of cross-genre hybrid music The research focus of this PhD thesis is the development of a new technique for composing original musical compositions in which elements from different musical genres are hybridised. The innovative aspect of achieving balanced hybridity is the development of a systematic approach to selecting and synthesising or hybridising key musical elements across a range of different genres. The major component of this submission is a portfolio of nine original works with attached CD/DVD recordings. 

1. Tracking Forward for viola, backing track and video 
2. The Long White Cloud for chamber band and electronics 
3. ‘Colorless green ideas sleep furiously’ for orchestra 
4. Push for Miles for electric bass and backing track 
5. Norse Suite for viola and cello 
6. The Foggy Field a studio construction 
7. Into the Nocturnal Sunshine for flute, viola, cello, drums and electronics 
8. One Night, New Breath for taonga puoro, viola, drums and electronics 
9. Sketches of an Intergalactic Earworm for piano trio and boombox

The accompanying documentation clarifies, and contextualises the creation and presentation of these works; and illuminates the aesthetic underpinnings and compositional techniques developed and utilised as a part of this hybrid-genre compositional approach. The structure of the supporting exegesis is in two parts: the methodology of practice-based research, and reflective investigation. Part One (Chapters 1 and 2) is an introductory overview; an observation of the existing literature and related work, relevant creative practice in the composer’s previous work; and the compositional methodology – including an explanation of the genre matrix. Part Two (Chapters 3 to 12) analyses the use of genre, the balance of hybridity, and relevant compositional techniques utilised in the development of each individual piece.

year: 2015