Can a small park preserve its flora? A historical study of Bic National Park, Quebec

Botany ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 26-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claude Lavoie ◽  
Annie Saint-Louis

We reconstructed the 100 year history of the botanical composition of a small (19 km2) park (Bic National Park, Bic/St. Fabien, Quebec) located within an agricultural landscape. Using 64 historical sources and a botanical field survey, we documented changes in the native and exotic vascular flora that occurred before and after the creation of the park in 1984. We evaluated how many native species were lost from 1984 to 2005, and the number of exotic species that became established during the same period. A total of 585 plant taxa were found in Bic National Park before its creation, of which 488 (83%) were native. The park harbours more taxa today (710) than in the past, but the proportion of exotic taxa has increased significantly (from 16% to 25%) since 1984. Despite its small area, Bic National Park has very successfully preserved its flora during its 21 year history. Thirteen species have likely been extirpated from the area occupied by the park. However, 12 of these 13 species have not been seen since at least 1957, so they were probably extirpated before the creation of the park. On the other hand, the creation of the park did not stop the introduction of exotic species. Land-use changes, an increase in the number of visitors, and horticultural plantings are probably the main causes explaining the rise in the number of exotic taxa observed during the last 21 years. A small park located far from urban centres may preserve its flora, but is not necessarily a bastion against exotic species.

1994 ◽  
Vol 42 (5) ◽  
pp. 555 ◽  
Author(s):  
LT Bennett

The distribution of selected vegetation types on the Yanakie Isthmus, Wilson's Promontory National Park, was mapped from aerial photographs from 1941, 1972 and 1987. The main changes in the vegetation dynamics were: (1) an expansion of Leptospevmum laevigatum into grasslands and into Banksia integrifolia woodlands with herbaceous understoreys, and (2) a stabilisation of dunes by shmbs dominated by Leptospennum laevigatum. The total area of L. laevigatum shrubland and scrub increased from 2179 ha in 1941 to 3436 ha in 1972 and 4516 ha in 1987. Land-use changes in this period included the exclusion of fire in the early 1970s, after a history of regular burning, and an increase in grazing pressure primarily due to population expansions of the rabbit and the eastern grey kangaroo. Fire was not a prerequisite of the L. laevigatum expansion on the Isthmus because the spread continued after fire was excluded; nor was fire the primary cause of the expansion because the percentage yearly increase in the area of L. laevigatum was, on average, similar before and after 1972. An increase in grazing pressure was identified as the probable cause of the L. laevigatum expansion due to: (1) the exposure of bare ground, and (2) the restriction of the feeding range of cattle (known to graze both L. laevigatum and Acacia sophorae on the Isthmus).


Author(s):  
Andersonn Silveira Prestes

The establishment and spread of exotic species is a contemporary major concern. Alien species may become invasive in their new habitat, leading to both/either environmental and/or economic impacts. I briefly reviewed the literature in the last decade about the relationship of exotic species and native communities. I identified that professionals usually approach the subject in two main points of view: (1) researchers tend to point out the impacts of alien species on entire communities, evaluating if the relationship is positive, negative or neutral; (2) they focus on the eco-evolutionary processes involved in the introductions, the dynamics of invasion, and individual study cases. When evaluating the response of introductions to entire communities, evidence seems to be ambiguous and may support positive, negative or neutral relationship, especially depending on the scale approached. The unique eco-evolutionary pathways of each introduction may be a great shortcoming in the searching for generalities. On the other hand, advances have been made in understanding the dynamics of invasion on different lineages through a more selective/individualized approach. I suggest that the dynamics of invasion might be studied through a perspective in which different eco-evolutionary processes, levels of organization (from gene to entire communities), the history of the organism(s) and time are taken into account. Individual cases might be compared in attempt to understand how the relationship exotic and native works and in the search for generalities.


Problemos ◽  
2010 ◽  
pp. 18-27
Author(s):  
Gintaras Kabelka

Straipsnyje nagrinėjami Romano Plečkaičio filosofijos istorijos tyrimų metodologijos svarbiausi elementai: filosofijos istorijos kaip problemų sprendimų kaitos samprata – filosofiją sudaro nuolat kintantys problemų sprendimai; problema yra ir tyrimo prieiga, tyrimo medžiagą konceptualiai struktūruojantis veiksnys; probleminės situacijos (istoriniu momentu susiklosčiusi teorinių elementų konsteliacija, lemianti naujos teorijos sukūrimą) istorinė rekonstrukcija; objektyvaus istorinio supratimo prieiga, kuri filosofiją traktuoja kaip objektyviai ir visuotinai galiojančių žinojimo elementų visumą. Plečkaitis kuria filosofijos pažangios raidos vaizdinį, kurį papildo paradigmų kaitos elementais: radikalus problemų sprendimų pokytis vaizduojamas kaip visiškai naujos probleminės situacijos susiformavimas. Ši traktuojama kaip paradigminė, lemianti visus kitus problemų sprendimo būdus.Pagrindiniai žodžiai: Plečkaitis, problemų istorijos metodologija, probleminė situacija, objektyvus istorinis supratimas.R. Plečkaitis’ Methodology of Historical-Philosophical ResearchGintaras Kabelka SummaryThe article analyzes the methodology of Romanas Plečkaitis’ research, in which the most important ele-ments are: the conception of the history of philosophy as a process of transformation of philosophical problems, which initiates the historical study and provides the material and structures of the interpreta-tion of results; the historical reconstruction of the problematic situation as a constellation of theoretical elements motivating the creation of a new theory; the objective historical understanding, which treats philosophy as the totality of objectively and universally functioning cognitional elements and excludes from the interpretation of the history of philosophy all subjective and metaphysical factors. The picture of progress of philosophy presented in the works of Plečkaitis involves the elements of paradigm shifts. He presents the radical modification of the solution of problems as the formation of a new problematic situation, which is regarded as paradigmatic for the solution of other remaining problems. Keywords: Plečkaitis, methodology of history of problems, problematic situation, objective historical understanding   ine-height: 18px;"> 


Insects ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 773
Author(s):  
Marie Zakardjian ◽  
Benoît Geslin ◽  
Valentin Mitran ◽  
Evelyne Franquet ◽  
Hervé Jourdan

Land-use changes through urbanization and biological invasions both threaten plant-pollinator networks. Urban areas host modified bee communities and are characterized by high proportions of exotic plants. Exotic species, either animals or plants, may compete with native species and disrupt plant–pollinator interactions. These threats are heightened in insular systems of the Southwest Pacific, where the bee fauna is generally poor and ecological networks are simplified. However, the impacts of these factors have seldom been studied in tropical contexts. To explore those questions, we installed experimental exotic plant communities in urban and natural contexts in New Caledonia, a plant diversity hotspot. For four weeks, we observed plant–pollinator interactions between local pollinators and our experimental exotic plant communities. We found a significantly higher foraging activity of exotic wild bees within the city, together with a strong plant–pollinator association between two exotic species. However, contrary to our expectations, the landscape context (urban vs. natural) had no effect on the activity of native bees. These results raise issues concerning how species introduced in plant–pollinator networks will impact the reproductive success of both native and exotic plants. Furthermore, the urban system could act as a springboard for alien species to disperse in natural systems and even invade them, leading to conservation concerns.


2019 ◽  
Vol 31 (4) ◽  
pp. 427-453
Author(s):  
Katrina-Louise Moseley

Abstract Following the arrival of Weight Watchers UK in 1967, slimming clubs expanded rapidly in Britain in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Initially aimed at, and founded by, women, these organizations were complex emotional spaces in which female entrepreneurship and homosociality would unfold. Looking afresh at the relationship between women and commercialized weight loss, this article provides the first detailed study of the rise of the slimming club in mid-to-late-twentieth-century Britain. Slimming clubs proved lucrative business opportunities for some women; moreover, as homosocial spaces intersecting with women’s everyday lives, they had the potential to be emotionally and psychologically empowering. A history of these organizations thus complicates feminist critiques of the slimming industry. This article draws on a variety of historical sources to piece together this forgotten history, including contemporary slimming guides, newspaper ‘before-and-after’ features, and oral history interviews with industry professionals and former slimming club members. Though members recognized that the commercial promise of transformation was shot through with contradictions, simultaneously, slimming clubs sparked enjoyment in being in the female body and provided a space away from domesticity.


Author(s):  
Yevhenii Vasyliev

The tragic events of the Revolution of Dignity and the hybrid war have been reflected in various stylistics and genre parameters of dramatic works. The brightest of them were included in two recent anthologies, which were prepared and published thanks to the efforts of the Department of Drama Projects of the National Center for the Performing Arts named after Les Kurbas. The first of them, “Maidan. Before and After. Anthology of the Actual Drama” (2016), has absorbed 9 plays by the authors of different generations (Yaroslav Vereshchak, Nadiia Symchich, Oleg Mykolaychuk, Neda Nezhdana, Oleksandr Viter, Dmytro Ternovyi, etc.). The completely new second anthology “The Labyrinth of Ice and Fire” (2019) also consists of 9 plays (three of which are also part of the previous anthology), which are the reflections of the modern history of Ukraine. The texts about the hybrid war, which are included in two anthologies, are the subject of our analysis. The focus is on the genre specificity of these drama works. The genre modifications of archaic genres inherent in the Ukrainian theatrical tradition (vertep, mystery) are studied in the plays “Vertep-2015” by Nadiia Marchuk and “Maidan Inferno, or On the Other Side of Hell” by Neda Nezhdana. The functioning of the documentary and epic drama (“The Chestnut and the Lily of the Valley” by Oleg Mykolaychuk, “The People and Cyborgs” by Olena Ponomareva and Dario Fertilio) is analysed. The processes of episation and lyricization are considered. The peculiarities of intergeneric diffusion and the creation of a specific genre type — lyrico-epic drama are analysed. The actual monodramas of Neda Nezhdana “The Cat in Memory of the Darkness” and “OTVETKA@ UA” are highlighted, as well as the intermedial character of the genre transformations of Igor Yuziuk’s drama “C-sharp Sixth Octave”


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 38
Author(s):  
Clarice Garcia Barbosa

O artigo procura refletir a partir da revolução realizada pelo Annales, em 1929, e o consequente alargamento do conceito de fonte histórica, a importância dos jornais diários para a reconstituição do cotidiano na pesquisa histórica. As relações de proximidade entre as áreas de História e Jornalismo autoriza seus usos possíveis. Para isso, faz-se um breve apanhado da história do movimento Annales, suas ideias, seus principais artífices, e o que representou este movimento para a ciência histórica. O seu antes e depois do Annales. Também se adentra o universo das pesquisas na área da Comunicação Social para extrair as opiniões a respeito desta relação e seus possíveis usos. Palavras-chave: Fontes históricas, Annales, Jornalismo, Cotidiano. AbstractThe article seeks to reflect from the revolution carried out by the Annales in 1929, and the consequent extension of the concept of historical source, the importance of the daily newspapers for the reconstitution of daily life in historical research. The relations of proximity between the areas of History and Journalism allows their possible uses. In order to do so, a brief survey of the history of the Annales movement, its ideas, its main architects, and what this movement for historical science represented. Its before and after the Annales. Also, the universe of research in the area of Social Communication goes to extract the opinions about this relation and its possible uses.Keywords: Historical sources, Annales, Journalism, Daily life.


2021 ◽  
Vol 29 ◽  
pp. 61-66
Author(s):  
Irina Shikhova ◽  
◽  
Iulii Palihovici ◽  

The article for the first time in Romanian examines the Jewish ethnological aspect of the history of law in the Russian Empire. The authors, using specific primary material of legislative acts, as well as other historical sources, investigate the history of the appearance of Jews within the borders of the Russian Empire, the history of the creation and functioning of the Jewish Pale of Settlement and the evolution of the official attitude towards them. The authors reveal three fundamental positions on which the entire policy of the Russian Empire regarding the Jews was built: Jews within the Russian Empire have the right to settle only in certain regions; they are attached to the kahals (later – Jewish societies), which are collectively responsible to the state; taxes from Jews are higher than from other citizens of the empire, regardless of their economic status. The particular study is devoted to the short period of liberalization in the first years of the reign of Alexander I, whose "Polojenie o evreiah" at the declarative level gave Jews almost equal rights with the rest of the citizens of the Empire and encouraged them to cultural and economic integration.. The research focuses as well on the regional aspect: history, population, territories of the modern Republic of Moldova and Romania. The chronological framework of this article is from the beginning of the reign of Catherine the Great (1762) to the creation of the Bessarabian region (1818). In the future the study will continue historically, until the collapse of the Russian Empire and the abolition of the Pale of Settlement


Author(s):  
Alsu Sh. Ayzatullova ◽  
Mikhail A. Sudakov

For the first time, the history of the creation and operation of the Tu-144 airliner is investigated on the basis of the memoirs of aviation specialists. The development of an airliner has been studied taking into account the socio-political processes of the 1960s-1970s, and that left a serious imprint on the development of science and technology in this period. The specifics of the historical sources used, highlighting important aspects of the topic, are shown, and their criticism is carried out. The results of the analysis of memories that capture the key moments of the programme of the Soviet supersonic airliner are presented. A comparison was made of the opinions of the authors of memoirs on certain issues (the reasons for the creation of the airliner, problems in its design and testing, as well as the reasons for the completion of the programme). The differences in the assessments of the memoirists of certain aspects of the project are revealed. It is pointed out exactly what lessons can be learned from the project by contemporary Russian statesmen and aviation specialists


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergei Teleshov ◽  
◽  
Elena Teleshova ◽  

It has been 150 years since D.I. Mendeleev formulated the Periodic law and expressed it visually in the form of a table of elements in 1869. As is clearly well known today, Mendeleev’s ideas, confirmed by the discovery of the elements he predicted, turned out to be very promising indeed. However, Mendeleev was not the first, nor the only scientist to have investigated the periodic arrangement of the elements. With this in mind, the present paper seeks to highlight some of the other efforts made in the field during Mendeleev’s lifetime. Keywords: D. Mendeleev, periodic table, table options, history of science.


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