scholarly journals An overview of in situ digital canopy photography in forestry

2019 ◽  
pp. 227-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Chianucci

Since the 1960s, canopy photography has been widely used in forestry. Hemispherical photography has been the most widely used technique, but a great drawback of this method is its perceived sensitivity to hemispherical image acquisition and processing. Over the last decade, several alternative photographic approaches using restricted view angle have been proposed. Cover photography acquired via a normal lens was the first of the recently introduced photographic techniques. Use of a restricted view (often fixed) lens has subsequently contributed to the extension of canopy photography to new sensors and platforms, which ultimately have provided answers to some previous challenges regarding within-crown clumping correction, isolated and urban tree measurements, understory assessment, operational leaf inclination angle measurements, and phenological monitoring. This study provides a comprehensive review of the use of canopy photography in forestry and describes the theory and definitions of the variables used to quantify canopy structure. A case study is presented to illustrate and compare the different features and performance of the existing overstory photographic techniques; the results make it possible to suggest sampling strategies for consistent overstory canopy photographic measurements. Emerging operational fields of canopy photography are also described and discussed.

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 149-157
Author(s):  
Nathanael Sirili ◽  
Lilian Mselle ◽  
Amani Anaeli ◽  
Siriel Massawe

Background: Since the 1960s, Tanzania adopted the task shifting which was later termed task-sharing strategy in efforts to address the critical shortage of health workforce. However, poor maternal health indicators have remained a big challenge despite this strategy having introduced mid-level cadres (Assistant Medical Officers) capable of performing roles that otherwise were performed by doctors at the district level. Objective: To analyse lessons from the performance of Caesarean section by Assistant Medical Officers (AMOs) in Tanzania as part of the task sharing strategy. Methods: An exploratory qualitative case study was carried out where 10 key informant interviews with AMOs and 4 focused group discussions with AMO trainees were conducted in 4 selected districts and 2 AMO training schools in Tanzania. With the aid of Nvivo10 qualitative software, content analysis was performed to the gathered data. Results: Performance of the Caesarean section by the AMOs is motivated by the support from various stakeholders towards improving the performance of Caesarean section. Frustrating work environment and poor incentive system are major demotivators to the performance of the Caesarean section by the AMOs. Conclusions: More than 5 decades since the introduction of AMOs through task sharing, the performance of caesarean section by these cadres face more demotivators than the motivators. Efforts should be focused on improving the work environment and provision of appropriate incentives to the AMOs. Also, more stakeholders should be engaged to support the performance of caesarean section by the AMOs for realisation of the objectives of task sharing strategy.


2010 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-75
Author(s):  
Maurício Bragança

Resumo: O artigo pretende problematizar o diálogo entre literatura e estudos de performance no que tange ao questionamento do próprio conceito de literatura a partir da emergência de novas teorias da cultura após a década de 1960. De feição transdisciplinar, os estudos de performance convocam, na sua interface com o texto literário, um novo tipo de leitor a partir de um movimento que transforma o texto em ato. Como estudo de caso, convocamos um texto-manifesto de Guillermo Gómez-Peña que performatiza seu discurso através da transgressão às convenções literárias, sem deixar de dialogar com uma tradição de construção deste tipo de narrativa.Palavras-Chave: Literatura comparada; estudos de performance; transdisciplinaridade.Abstract: This article aims to present a dialogue between literature and performance studies based on the new concepts of literature from the emergence of new theories of culture after the 1960s. Marked by transdisciplinarity, the performance studies need a new type of reader at its interface with the literary text, from a movement that transforms the text into action. As a case study, we call a manifest text by Guillermo Gómez-Peña who performs his speech by transgression of literary conventions, while dialogues with a tradition of this kind of narrative.Keywords: Comparative literature; performance studies; transdisciplinarity.


2014 ◽  
Vol 38 (01) ◽  
pp. 102-129
Author(s):  
ALBERTO MARTÍN ÁLVAREZ ◽  
EUDALD CORTINA ORERO

AbstractUsing interviews with former militants and previously unpublished documents, this article traces the genesis and internal dynamics of the Ejército Revolucionario del Pueblo (People's Revolutionary Army, ERP) in El Salvador during the early years of its existence (1970–6). This period was marked by the inability of the ERP to maintain internal coherence or any consensus on revolutionary strategy, which led to a series of splits and internal fights over control of the organisation. The evidence marshalled in this case study sheds new light on the origins of the armed Salvadorean Left and thus contributes to a wider understanding of the processes of formation and internal dynamics of armed left-wing groups that emerged from the 1960s onwards in Latin America.


2018 ◽  
pp. 60-67
Author(s):  
Henrika Pihlajaniemi ◽  
Anna Luusua ◽  
Eveliina Juntunen

This paper presents the evaluation of usersХ experiences in three intelligent lighting pilots in Finland. Two of the case studies are related to the use of intelligent lighting in different kinds of traffic areas, having emphasis on aspects of visibility, traffic and movement safety, and sense of security. The last case study presents a more complex view to the experience of intelligent lighting in smart city contexts. The evaluation methods, tailored to each pilot context, include questionnaires, an urban dashboard, in-situ interviews and observations, evaluation probes, and system data analyses. The applicability of the selected and tested methods is discussed reflecting the process and achieved results.


2015 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 55
Author(s):  
Norol Hamiza Zamzuri ◽  
Khairil Wahidin Awang ◽  
Yuhanis Abdul Aziz ◽  
Zaiton Samdin

The growth of the event sector is underpinned by the demand of organizing a business event.  Thus, it leads to an increase in economic and social impact. However, the problems from the growth of this sector potentially results from the use of several event materials, transportation and infrastructure development.  Organizing a green event is seen as one of the strategies to reduce the environmental impact.  Therefore, the aim of this paper is to explore the issues involved throughout the process of greening an event by applying Mair and Jago Model.  Semi-structured interviews were conducted with event managers from six Malaysia business event companies that encourage green practices during their event.  Findings suggest that impact, initiative, support and performance motivates event organizers in organizing a green event.  It has also been found that knowledge, resources and behaviour are the barriers faced by event organizers throughout the process of organizing a green event.  Based on the findings it appears that two important factors have emerged from the data collection and analysis that showed a deviation from the Mair and Jago Model, namely “impact” for the motivation element and “support” for the barrier element.  The main limitation of this study was the scope of the study; as it only focuses on business events.  However, as the main purpose of this study is to explore the issues of organizing a green event, it has been found that there are other issues need to be explored in other contexts and geographical area.  Apart from this, as this is a case study, it can only replicate according to the circumstances of this case study. However, this study can be generalized in terms of the theory that has emerged from it.  It is suggested that further research should explore more issues in other contexts and geographical areas. 


2013 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 59-67

<p>The Soil Science Institute of Thessaloniki produces new digitized Soil Maps that provide a useful electronic database for the spatial representation of the soil variation within a region, based on in situ soil sampling, laboratory analyses, GIS techniques and plant nutrition mathematical models, coupled with the local land cadastre. The novelty of these studies is that local agronomists have immediate access to a wide range of soil information by clicking on a field parcel shown in this digital interface and, therefore, can suggest an appropriate treatment (e.g. liming, manure incorporation, desalination, application of proper type and quantity of fertilizer) depending on the field conditions and cultivated crops. A specific case study is presented in the current work with regards to the construction of the digitized Soil Map of the regional unit of Kastoria. The potential of this map can easily be realized by the fact that the mapping of the physicochemical properties of the soils in this region provided delineation zones for differential fertilization management. An experiment was also conducted using remote sensing techniques for the enhancement of the fertilization advisory software database, which is a component of the digitized map, and the optimization of nitrogen management in agricultural areas.</p>


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