scholarly journals The Regenerative Potential of Managed Calluna Heathlands—Revealing Optical and Structural Traits for Predicting Recovery Dynamics

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 625
Author(s):  
Carsten Neumann ◽  
Anne Schindhelm ◽  
Jörg Müller ◽  
Gabriele Weiss ◽  
Anna Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Multivariate Regression ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Active Management ◽  
Vegetation Recovery ◽  
Textural Features ◽  
Random Forest Regression ◽  
Habitat Conversion ◽  
Recovery Dynamics

The potential of vegetation recovery through resprouting of plant tissue from buds after the removal of aboveground biomass is a key resilience strategy for populations under abrupt environmental change. Resprouting leads to fast regeneration, particularly after the implementation of mechanical mowing as part of active management for promoting open habitats. We investigated whether recovery dynamics of resprouting and the threat of habitat conversion can be predicted by optical and structural stand traits derived from drone imagery in a protected heathland area. We conducted multivariate regression for variable selection and random forest regression for predictive modeling using 50 spectral predictors, textural features and height parameters to quantify Calluna resprouting and grass invasion in before-mowing images that were related to vegetation recovery in after-mowing imagery. The study reveals that Calluna resprouting can be explained by significant optical predictors of mainly green reflectance in parental individuals. In contrast, grass encroachment is identified by structural canopy properties that indicate before-mowing grass interpenetration as starting points for after-mowing dispersal. We prove the concept of trait propagation through time providing significant derivates for a low-cost drone system. It can be utilized to build drone-based decision support systems for evaluating consequences and requirements of habitat management practice.

scholarly journals Low Cost Data Analytics Implementation on Project Management Process Automation

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 76-82
Author(s):  
Cornelius Mellino Sarungu ◽  
Liliana Liliana
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Data Analytics ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Project Manager ◽  
Management Process ◽  
Generation Process ◽  
Data Generation ◽  
Team Members ◽  
Single Output

Project management practice used many tools to support the process of recording and tracking data generated along the whole project. Project analytics provide deeper insights to be used on decision making. To conduct project analytics, one should explore the tools and techniques required. The mostcommon tool is Microsoft Excel. Its simplicity and flexibility make project manager or project team members can utilize it to do almost any kind of activities. We combine MS Excel with R Studio to brought data analytics into the project management process. While the data input process still using the old way that the project manager already familiar, the analytic engine could extract data from it and create visualization of needed parameters in a single output report file. This kind of approach deliver a low cost solution of project analytics for the organization. We can implement it with relatively low cost technology onone side, some of them are free, while maintaining the simple way of data generation process. This solution can also be proposed to improve project management process maturity level to the next stage, like CMMI level 4 that promote project analytics. Index Terms—project management, project analytics, data analytics.

scholarly journals A Comparison of Flower and Grass Strips for Augmentation of Beneficial Arthropods in Apple Orchards

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaoke Dong ◽  
Mengjing Xia ◽  
Cheng Li ◽  
Baofeng Mu ◽  
Zhiyong Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Natural Enemies ◽  
Cover Crops ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
The Other ◽  
Alternative Prey ◽  
Apple Orchards ◽  
Beneficial Arthropods ◽  
Arthropod Predators

Sowing plants that provide food resources in orchards is a potential habitat management practice for enhancing biological control. Flowering plants (providing pollen and nectar) and grasses (providing alternative prey) can benefit natural enemies in orchards; however, little is known about their relative importance. We studied the effect of management practices (flower strips, grass strips, and spontaneous grass) on arthropod predators under organic apple management regimes in apple orchards in Beijing, China. Orchards located at two different sites were assessed for 3 years (2017–2019). The cover crops had a significant impact on the abundance and diversity of arthropod predators. The grass treatment consistently supported significantly greater densities of alternative prey resources for predators, and predators were more abundant in the grass than in the other treatments. The Shannon–Wiener diversity was significantly higher for the cover crop treatment than for the control. Community structure was somewhat similar between the grass and control, but it differed between the flower treatment and grass/control. Weak evidence for an increase in mobile predators (ladybirds and lacewings) in the orchard canopy was found. Ladybirds and lacewings were more abundant in the grass treatment than in the other treatments in 2019 only, while the aphid abundance in the grass treatment was lowest. The fact that grass strips promoted higher predator abundance and stronger aphid suppression in comparison to the flower strips suggests that providing alternative prey for predators has great biocontrol service potential. The selection of cover crops and necessary management for conserving natural enemies in orchards are discussed in this paper.

Managerial Practices in a High Cost Manufacturing Environment

2018 ◽  
pp. 1749-1768
Author(s):  
Renu Agarwal ◽  
Christopher Bajada ◽  
Paul J. Brown ◽  
Roy Green
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Manufacturing Firms ◽  
Labour Cost ◽  
Managerial Practices ◽  
Management Capability

This chapter explores the management strategies adopted by manufacturing firms operating in high versus low cost economies and investigates the reasons for differences in the management practice choices. The study reported in this chapter identifies a subset of countries that have either high or low labour costs, with USA, Sweden, and Japan being high, and India, China, and Brazil being low labour cost economies. The high labour cost manufacturing firms are found to have better management practices. In this chapter, the authors find that Australia and New Zealand manufacturing firms face relatively high labour cost but lag behind world best practice in management performance. The chapter concludes by highlighting the need for improvement in management capability for Australian and New Zealand manufacturing firms if they are to experience a reinvigoration of productivity, competitiveness, and long-term growth.

scholarly journals Expert knowledge assessment of threats and conservation strategies for breeding Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl across Europe

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-18
Author(s):  
DARÍO FERNÁNDEZ-BELLON ◽  
JOHN LUSBY ◽  
JULES BOS ◽  
TONIO SCHAUB ◽  
ALAN MCCARTHY ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Protected Areas ◽  
Habitat Management ◽  
Expert Knowledge ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Active Management ◽  
Conservation Strategy ◽  
Conservation Strategies ◽  
Conservation Threats ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Hen Harrier

Summary Hen Harrier Circus cyaneus and Short-eared Owl Asio flammeus are open-country birds of prey with overlapping distributions. Although both species face similar conservation threats across their ranges, work to date has largely been undertaken at a national scale with few attempts to collate and assess factors relevant to their conservation at an international scale. Here we use an expert knowledge approach to evaluate the impact of conservation threats and the effectiveness of conservation strategies for each species across Europe. We report results of responses to a questionnaire from 23 Hen Harrier experts from nine countries and 12 Short-eared Owl experts from six countries. The majority of responses for both species reported declines in breeding numbers. The perceived impact of threats was broadly similar for both species: ecological factors (predation, extreme weather and prey availability), changes in land use (habitat loss and agricultural intensification) and indirect persecution (accidental nest destruction) were considered to be the greatest threats to breeding Hen Harrier and Short-eared Owl. Short-eared Owl experts also highlighted lack of knowledge and difficulties associated with monitoring as a major conservation challenge. Despite broad-scale similarities, geographical variation was also apparent in the perceived importance of conservation threats, with some threats (such as direct persecution, large-scale afforestation or habitat degradation) requiring country-specific actions. Implementation of different conservation strategies also varied between countries, with the designation of protected areas reported as the most widespread conservation strategy adopted, followed by species and habitat management. However, protected areas (including species-specific protected areas) were perceived to be less effective than active management of species and habitats. These findings highlight the overlap between the conservation requirements of these two species, and the need for collaborative international research and conservation approaches that prioritise pro-active conservation strategies subject to continued assessment and with specific conservation goals.

Utilization of Organic Materials as Soil Amendments for Cucumber Production in Greenhouse Cultivation

2011 ◽  
Vol 356-360 ◽  
pp. 1971-1980
Author(s):  
Yu Qi Li ◽  
Yan Song Ao
Keyword(s):  
Crop Production ◽  
Organic Materials ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Soil Phosphorus ◽  
Soil Amendments ◽  
Growth Yield ◽  
Peat Moss ◽  
Greenhouse Soil ◽  
Greenhouse Cucumber

Appropriate application of organic materials to agricultural soil is considered to be a valuable alternative to landfills or incineration and a good management practice for maintaining soil fertility and sustainable crop production. This study was performed to evaluate the potential use of five organic materials (peat moss, bran coat, asparagus residue, turf clipping and soybean residue) as soil amendments and/or fertilizers for greenhouse cucumber production. Each organic material was applied to greenhouse soil at the rate of 7.5 t ha-1. The application of organic materials to the greenhouse soil produced an improvement in the soil properties as well as in the cucumber growth, yield and quality, especially low-cost asparagus residues, turf clipping and soybean residues. Nevertheless, these improvements depended on the chemical composition of organic materials. In particular, all organic materials significantly increased soil potassium content. Asparagus residues significantly increased soil phosphorus content. This study demonstrated that asparagus residues, turf clipping and soybean residues were suitable for use as soil amendments and/or fertilizers for greenhouse cucumber production in terms of economic evaluation.

scholarly journals Non-pharmacological pain management practice and barriers among nurses working in Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (6) ◽  
pp. e0253086
Author(s):  
Shegaw Zeleke ◽  
Amare Kassaw ◽  
Yeshambaw Eshetie
Keyword(s):  
Pain Management ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Management Practice ◽  
Emotional Experience ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Multivariable Analysis ◽  
Specialized Hospital ◽  
Debre Tabor ◽  
Insufficient Number

Background Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with or resembling that actual or potential tissue damage. Different study findings show that about 55% to 78.6% of inpatients experience moderate-to-severe pain. Nurses are one of the health professional who may hear of pain suffered by the patients and who can manage patient suffering by themselves. Therefore, their correct skill is very important in non- pharmacology and pharmacology pain management methods. Objective To assess non-pharmacological pain management practice and barriers among nurses working in Debre Tabor Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Ethiopia. Methods Data were collected using structured observational check list with interviewer administered questionnaires that measure nurses’ practice on non-pharmacological pain management. Data were entered using Epi Data version 3.1 and analyzed using SPSS (Stastical Package for Social Sciences) version 23. Bivariable and multivariable analysis were conducted to examine the association between independent and outcome variables. Results A total of 169 nurses participated in the study, with a response rate of 100%. Among the study participants 94 (55.6%) were females, and the mean age of nurses were 34.9(SD = 5.7) years. Only 44(26%) of nurses had good practice on non- pharmacology pain management methods. About 130(77.55%), 125(74.0%), and 123(72.8%) of nurses reported that inadequate cooperation of physicians, multiple responsibilities of nurses and insufficient number of nurses per patient ratio as barriers for practice of non -pharmacology pain management respectively. Conclusion Majority of nurses didn’t apply non-pharmacological pain management practices for their patients in pain and the overall practice level of nurses was very poor. The major identified obstacle factors for the poor practice of non–pharmacological pain management methods were nurses’ fatigue, inadequate cooperation of physicians, heavy workload, multiple responsibilities of nurses, and insufficient number of nurses per patient ratio and unfavorable attitude of nurse on non-pharmacology pain management. Even if nurses experiences different challenges, they shall use non‐pharmacological pain management methods complementary to pharmacological treatment of pain as they are low cost and safe. And also boosting nurse’s attitude towards the effect of non–pharmacological pain management methods is crucial.

The Grand Experiment: The State and Municipal Pension Fund Diversification into Alternative Assets

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Lower Risk ◽  
Pension Fund ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Third Party ◽  
Active Management ◽  
Publicly Traded ◽  
Diversification Strategy ◽  
Management Fees ◽  
Public Pension Fund ◽  
Asset Allocations

Over a nine-year period (2008–2016), state and municipal pension funds embarked on a grand experiment. They boosted their commitments to alternative assets, spending tens of billions of dollars per year on additional third-party money management fees. The funds’ diversification strategy covered a variety of tactics involving mostly private, but some public, assets. The ostensible purpose of this expenditure was to realize both (i) greater returns and (ii) lower volatilities than those that were produced by the low-cost indexing of publicly-traded investments, which mimicked the funds’ actively-managed asset allocations. This paper compares aggregate public pension fund returns and volatilities, over differing time periods, with a series of institutional benchmarks and replicating indexes. We conclude that the states and municipalities obtained neither lower risk nor higher returns with the higher level of active management and diversification implied by alternative assets. The experiment is thus a failure.

scholarly journals Asset Management Fees and the Growth of Finance

2013 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 97-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Burton G Malkiel
Keyword(s):  
Asset Management ◽  
Financial Services ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Active Management ◽  
Index Funds ◽  
Management Fees ◽  
Us Economy ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Investment Advice ◽  
Managed Funds

From 1980 to 2006, the financial services sector of the US economy grew from 4.9 percent to 8.3 percent of GDP. A substantial share of that increase was comprised of increases in the fees paid for asset management. This paper examines the significant increase in asset management fees charged to both individual and institutional investors. One could argue that the increase in fees charged by actively managed funds could prove to be socially useful if it reflected increasing returns for investors from active management or if it was necessary to improve the efficiency of the market for investors who availed themselves of low-cost passive (index) funds. But neither of these arguments can be supported by the data. Actively managed funds of publicly traded securities have consistently underperformed index funds, and the amount of the underperformance is well approximated by the difference in the fees charged by the two types of funds. Moreover, it appears that there was no change in the efficiency of the market from 1980 to 2011. Thus, the increase in fees is likely to represent a deadweight loss for investors. Indeed, perhaps the greatest inefficiency in the stock market is in “the market” for investment advice.

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