Methods for prioritizing protected areas using individual and aggregate rankings

AbstractDespite their legal protection status, protected areas (PAs) can benefit from priority ranks when ongoing threats to their biodiversity and habitats outpace the financial resources available for their conservation. It is essential to develop methods to prioritize PAs that are not computationally demanding in order to suit stakeholders in developing countries where technical and financial resources are limited. We used expert knowledge-derived biodiversity measures to generate individual and aggregate priority ranks of 98 mostly terrestrial PAs on Madagascar. The five variables used were state of knowledge (SoK), forest loss, forest loss acceleration, PA size and relative species diversity, estimated by using standardized residuals from negative binomial models of SoK regressed onto species diversity. We compared our aggregate ranks generated using unweighted averages and principal component analysis (PCA) applied to each individual variable with those generated via Markov chain (MC) and PageRank algorithms. SoK significantly affected the measure of species diversity and highlighted areas where more research effort was needed. The unweighted- and PCA-derived ranks were strongly correlated, as were the MC and PageRank ranks. However, the former two were weakly correlated with the latter two. We recommend using these methods simultaneously in order to provide decision-makers with the flexibility to prioritize those PAs in need of additional research and conservation efforts.

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508. Biomarker elevation during COVID-19: Differences between ambulatory and hospitalized individuals

Open Forum Infectious Diseases ◽

10.1093/ofid/ofaa439.702 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 7 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. S319-S320

Author(s):

Paul W Blair ◽

Charlotte Lanteri ◽

Deborah Striegel ◽

Brian Agan ◽

Ryan C Maves ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Negative Binomial ◽

Principal Component ◽

Component Analysis ◽

Ambulatory Setting ◽

Level Of Care ◽

Symptom Duration ◽

Duration Of Symptoms ◽

Course Of Illness ◽

D Dimer

Abstract Background While the majority of illness due to COVID-19 does not require hospitalization, little has been described about the host inflammatory response in the ambulatory setting. Differences in the levels of inflammatory signaling proteins between outpatient and hospitalized populations could identify key maladaptive immune responses during COVID-19. Methods Samples were collected from 76 participants (41% female, mean 46.8 years of age) enrolled at five military treatment facilities between March 20, 2020 and June 17, 2020 in an ongoing prospective COVID-19 cohort. This analysis was restricted to those with positive SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus 2) RT-PCR testing and included hospitalized (N=29; 10 requiring an ICU stay) and non-hospitalized (N=43) participants. Severity markers (IL6, D-dimer, procalcitonin, ferritin, ICAM-1, IL5, lipocalin, RAGE, TNFR, VEGFA, IFNγ, IL1β) were measured in plasma (mg/dL) using the Ella immunoassay and natural log transformed. Univariate negative binomial regression was performed to determine relative risk of hospitalization. Using the full marker panel, we performed a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to determine directions of maximal variance in the data. Pearson’s correlation coefficient was determined between analytes and each axis. Results Participants requiring ambulatory-, hospital-, and ICU-level care had samples collected at 44.0 (IQR: 35.0–51.0), 40.0 (13.0–51.0), and 47.5 (21.0–54.0) days, respectively. Higher unadjusted levels of IL6, D-dimer, procalcitonin, or ferritin were each associated with hospitalization (Table 1). The PCA showed a separation along axes between level of care and duration of symptoms (Fig 1). While significant correlations were noted with a number of biomarkers, PC1 most correlated with TNFR1 (r=0.88) and PC2 most correlated with IL6Ra (r=0.95). PC1 axis variation accounted for 36.5% of variance and the PC2 axis accounted for 20.0% of variance. Figure 1. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of biomarkers by level of care and symptom duration. Conclusion TNFR1 and IL6Ra levels correlated with differences in the proinflammatory states between hospitalized and non-hospitalized individuals including time points late in the course of illness. Further analysis of these preliminary findings is needed to evaluate for differences by stages of illness. Disclosures All Authors: No reported disclosures

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Soil Nutrient and Vegetation Diversity Patterns of Alpine Wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su13116221 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (11) ◽

pp. 6221

Author(s):

Muyuan Ma ◽

Yaojun Zhu ◽

Yuanyun Wei ◽

Nana Zhao

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Soil Properties ◽

Soil Ph ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Principal Component ◽

Vegetation Diversity ◽

Vegetation Biomass ◽

Relative Contribution ◽

The Relationship

To predict the consequences of environmental change on the biodiversity of alpine wetlands, it is necessary to understand the relationship between soil properties and vegetation biodiversity. In this study, we investigated spatial patterns of aboveground vegetation biomass, cover, species diversity, and their relationships with soil properties in the alpine wetlands of the Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Furthermore, the relative contribution of soil properties to vegetation biomass, cover, and species diversity were compared using principal component analysis and multiple regression analysis. Generally, the relationship between plant biomass, coverage, diversity, and soil nutrients was linear or unimodal. Soil pH, bulk density and organic carbon were also significantly correlated to plant diversity. The soil attributes differed in their relative contribution to changes in plant productivity and diversity. pH had the highest contribution to vegetation biomass and species richness, while total nitrogen was the highest contributor to vegetation cover and nitrogen–phosphorus ratio (N:P) was the highest contributor to diversity. Both vegetation productivity and diversity were closely related to soil properties, and soil pH and the N:P ratio play particularly important roles in wetland vegetation biomass, cover, and diversity.

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The impact of marine protected areas on temporal stability of fish species diversity

Conservation Biology ◽

10.1111/cobi.13815 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Amanda K. Pettersen ◽

Ezequiel M. Marzinelli ◽

Peter Steinberg ◽

Melinda A. Coleman

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Fish Species ◽

Marine Protected Areas ◽

Temporal Stability ◽

The Impact ◽

Fish Species Diversity

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Managing Biodiversity: Impacts of Legal Protection in Mountain Forests of the Himalayas

Forests ◽

10.3390/f9080476 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 476 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Inger Måren ◽

Lila Sharma

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

National Park ◽

Flood Control ◽

Forest Health ◽

Legal Protection ◽

Woody Species ◽

Walking Distance ◽

Participatory Management ◽

Protected Forests ◽

Agro Forestry

Legal protection has been used as means of conserving forests and associated biodiversity in many regions of the world since the eighteenth century. However, most forests in the global south, even those within protected areas, are influenced by human activities. Himalayan forests harbour much of the biodiversity of the region, maintain subsistence livelihoods, and provide regional and global ecosystem services like water regulation, flood control, and carbon sequestration. Yet few studies have quantitatively studied the impacts of legal protection on forest health and biodiversity. We assess woody biodiversity and forest health in relation to legal protection and biomass extraction in forests inside and outside Langtang National Park in Nepal (n = 180). We found more woody species in protected forests. Of the 69 woody species recorded, 47% occurred at both sites. Within protected forests, we found differences in forest health largely related to the intensity of biomass extraction expressed as walking distance to settlement. The closer the forest was to settlements, the heavier degradation it suffered, showing that within agro-forestry systems in the Himalayas, the resource-consumer distance is typically determining the intensity of biomass extraction. Our research brings forth the need to better address the drivers of resource extraction from protected areas in order to mitigate this degradation. It also brings forth the need to contribute to the development of appropriate participatory management programmes outside areas of formal protection in order to sustain both biodiversity and ecosystem service delivery from these forests for the future.

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Herbaceous plant species diversity in communal agro-pastoral and conservation areas in western Serengeti, Tanzania

Tropical Grasslands - Forrajes Tropicales ◽

10.17138/tgft(7)502-518 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (5) ◽

pp. 502-518

Author(s):

Pius Yoram Kavana ◽

Anthony Z. Sangeda ◽

Ephraim J. Mtengeti ◽

Christopher Mahonge ◽

John Bukombe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Plant Species ◽

Rural Areas ◽

Plant Species Diversity ◽

Livestock Grazing ◽

Herbaceous Plant ◽

Herbaceous Species ◽

Grazing Land ◽

Grazing Lands

Agro-pastoralism involves the growing of crops and keeping of livestock as a livelihood strategy practiced by communities in rural areas in Africa and is highly dependent on environmental factors including rainfall, soil and vegetation. Agro-pastoral activities, e.g. livestock grazing and land clearing for crop cultivation, impact on environmental condition. This study evaluated the impacts of agro-pastoral activities on herbaceous plant species diversity and abundance in western Serengeti relative to conservation (protected) areas. A vegetation survey was conducted along the grazing gradients of ten 4 km transects from within village lands to protected areas. A total of 123 herbaceous species belonging to 20 families were identified. Higher herbaceous species diversity and richness were found in protected areas than in communal grazing lands. Similarly, the number of perennial herbaceous species was higher in the former than the latter, while occurrence of annuals was higher in the village areas. This observation indicates poor rangeland condition in village communal grazing lands as compared with protected areas. It is obvious that current agro-pastoral activities have contributed to a reduction in herbaceous species diversity in village lands in western Serengeti. However, the array of pasture species, especially desirable perennial species, still present in communal grazing areas, suggests that rejuvenation of these areas is possible. Resting of grazing land is recommended to reverse the trend towards diversity reduction and ensure future availability of feed resources for grazing animals in village lands.

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The legal protection of the accrued contributions in the Greek Public Pension Fund for the Self-Employed in view of the latest reductions

Social Cohesion and Development ◽

10.12681/scad.8924 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

George Simeonidis ◽

Dafni Diliagka ◽

Anna Tsetoura

Keyword(s):

Old Age ◽

Pension Fund ◽

Legal Status ◽

Legal Protection ◽

Public Pension ◽

The Self ◽

Financial Resources ◽

Public Pension Fund ◽

Legal Arguments ◽

Pension Benefits

This paper focuses on the pensioners of the Greek public pension fund for the selfemployed (OAEE) and is divided into two parts. The first part comprises calculations of pension reductions in certain cases for the selfemployed. The analysis of the former illustrates the great difference in handling pensioners receiving low and high old-age pension benefits. The second part analyses the legal protection of the high-earnings pensioners precipitated by the Greek financial crisis. It is concluded that while there is no existing legal protection, there are some moral and legal arguments in support of their protection to ensure that their legal status is not undermined due to restricted financial resources.

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Impacts of certification, uncertified concessions, and protected areas on forest loss in Cameroon, 2000 to 2013

Biological Conservation ◽

10.1016/j.biocon.2018.09.013 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 227 ◽

pp. 160-166 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Stephanie Panlasigui ◽

Jimena Rico-Straffon ◽

Alexander Pfaff ◽

Jennifer Swenson ◽

Colby Loucks

Keyword(s):

Protected Areas ◽

Forest Loss

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A Cytogenetic, Morphological, and Ecological Comparison of Seven Different Species of Achillea.ssp. Accessions in Kurdistan Province, Iran

10.21203/rs.3.rs-239139/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Fatemeh Nezhadi ◽

farzad fayaz ◽

Hooshmand Safari ◽

Ezzat Karami ◽

Abdol Rahman Rahimi

Keyword(s):

Principal Component Analysis ◽

Species Diversity ◽

Principal Component ◽

Component Analysis ◽

Chromosome Length ◽

Base Number ◽

Tetraploid Species ◽

Medicinal Species ◽

Natural Habitats ◽

Environmental Indices

Abstract We conducted the present study on seven important medicinal species of Achillea (4 replications per species) (in a total of 28 samples) in their natural habitats in two consecutive years (2018, 2019) in terms of morphological, cytogenetic, and ecological aspects. This study aimed to examine the environmental variables affecting the morphology, cytogenetics, and evolution of the plant. The results indicated that the populations had a Ploidy base number (x= 9) and the diploid, tetraploid, and hexaploid levels were observed. In addition to the inter-species diversity, there was the intra-species genetic diversity as (4x, 6x) Ac. millefolium (2x, 4x), Ac.vermicularis (2x, 4x), Ac. tenuifolia (2x, 4x), Ac. Alppica(2x) , Ac.talagonica(2x),Ac. biebersteinii, and Ac.wilhelmsii (4x). Further studies also indicated that 11 out of 28 populations had 1A symmetry, 15 populations had 2B symmetry, a population had 2A, and another population had 2B. Principal component analysis (PCA) of cytogenetic variables could not differentiate the species well probably due to the superiority of intra-species diversity of populations to inter-species diversity. Therefore, it seems that the evolution and speciation of this genus are mostly due to the increase or decrease in the amount of chromatin and chromosome length. The examination of principal component analysis in environmental indices also showed that Ac. millefolium hexaploid species was more adapted to the environment with higher percentages of clay and silt while the Ac.tenuifolia tetraploid species preferred a sandy habitat over other environmental factors. Furthermore, Ac.vermicularis tetraploid species indicated the greatest sensitivity to altitude. However, the Ac.biebersteinii tetraploid species reacted to meteorological parameters, such as perception rate and minimum temperature.

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Enough is enough… Can various legislative tools cause ambiguities when applied in a single area? (Case study: Hády Hill, Brno, Czech Republic)

10.5194/egusphere-egu21-5403 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Lucie Kubalíková

Keyword(s):

Nature Conservation ◽

Czech Republic ◽

Protected Areas ◽

Agricultural Land ◽

Earth Science ◽

Legal Protection ◽

Habitats Directive ◽

The Czech Republic ◽

Care Plans ◽

Management Measures

Establishing legal protection to a geosite (or geodiversity site) is considered one of the key tools of how to conserve its values and how to avoid degradation and devastation. The proper management measures (usually included in care plans or other planning and strategic documentation) then help to balance the conservation needs and sustainable use of the sites and allow to gain public finances for these purposes.In the Czech Republic, nature conservation is anchored in Act n. 114/1992 Coll. (Nature Conservation Act) which defines several levels of protected areas that can be applied also on geoheritage. However, there are other legislative tools that protect other entities (e.g. agricultural land, water, or forests). The special relationship to geodiversity has Act n. 44/1988 Coll. (Mining Act) which aims to protect the mineral deposits including their deposit areas. Various tools for the protection applied to a single area can cause ambiguities because every protected entity has different management and limitations.This is the case of H&#225;dy Hill, an area situated in the outskirts of Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic. The area is important from the Earth Science point of view (tectonics, paleontology, geomorphology, stratigraphy, hydrogeology) and has high ecological and cultural values, e.g. occurrence of endangered species linked to the subsoil, remnants of old landscape structures (orchards, pastures), historical mining, use of the building material for Brno monuments. Earth-science and ecological values are protected according to Nature Conservation Act within one National Nature Reserve, two Nature Monuments, and four Important Landscape Elements and partly included in Special Area of Conservation (according to the Habitats Directive - Council Directive 92/43/EEC). Moreover, due to the occurrence of quality limestone, which was extracted from the Middle Ages up to the end of the 20th Century, the part of the study area is declared as a reserved mineral deposit and protected deposit area (according to Mining Act). All these areas mutually overlap.Concerning geoheritage, some phenomena still have no degree of protection, but they are included in the Database of Geological Localities (kept by the Czech Geological Survey) and proposed for legal protection.Last but not least, the site undergoes tourist and recreational pressure which is continuously increasing due to the COVID-19 situation (lack of indoor possibilities of how to spend the free time).To find the balance between the various conservation needs, management measures, limitations, tourist/recreation pressure, and urban development, it was necessary to do a complex analysis of the various types of protected areas and their values. Based on the SWOT analysis and Risk Assessment, the main threats, risks, and possible conflicts of interest were identified and assessed. Then, specific proposals and possible solutions were designed with an emphasis on effective geoconservation (e.g. declaration of the new or enlarging the currently protected areas), development of sustainable forms of tourism, and future rational use of an area (e.g. via volunteer activities or participative planning of management).

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Multimode Operating Performance Visualization and Nonoptimal Cause Identification

Processes ◽

10.3390/pr8010123 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 123 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yuhui Ying ◽

Zhi Li ◽

Minglei Yang ◽

Wenli Du

Keyword(s):

Clustering Algorithm ◽

Expert Knowledge ◽

Operating Performance ◽

Principal Component ◽

Assessment Method ◽

Subtractive Clustering ◽

Self Organizing Map ◽

Visual Model ◽

Performance Visualization ◽

Traditional Performance

In the traditional performance assessment method, different modes of data are classified mainly by expert knowledge. Thus, human interference is highly probable. The traditional method is also incapable of distinguishing transition data from steady-state data, which reduces the accuracy of the monitor model. To solve these problems, this paper proposes a method of multimode operating performance visualization and nonoptimal cause identification. First, multimode data identification is realized by subtractive clustering algorithm (SCA), which can reduce human influence and eliminate transition data. Then, the multi-space principal component analysis (MsPCA) is used to characterize the independent characteristics of different datasets, which enhances the robustness of the model with respect to the performance of independent variables. Furthermore, a self-organizing map (SOM) is used to train these characteristics and map them into a two-dimensional plane, by which the visualization of the process monitor is realized. For the online assessment, the operating performance of the current process is evaluated according to the projection position of the data on the visual model. Then, the cause of the nonoptimal performance is identified. Finally, the Tennessee Eastman (TE) process is used to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method.

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