text: DSpace Community: http://hdl.handle.net/2381/262 2017-01-18T08:56:59Z The Ethnopoetics of Space and Transformation: Young people's engagement, activism and aesthetics by Stuart C Aitken http://hdl.handle.net/2381/39070 Title: The Ethnopoetics of Space and Transformation: Young people's engagement, activism and aesthetics by Stuart C Aitken Authors: Brown, Gavin P. Description: 2 year embargo from publication 2017-01-05T16:53:25Z Understanding of Cyclic Volatile Methyl Siloxane Fate in a High Latitude Lake Is Constrained by Uncertainty in Organic Carbon-Water Partitioning. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/39037 Title: Understanding of Cyclic Volatile Methyl Siloxane Fate in a High Latitude Lake Is Constrained by Uncertainty in Organic Carbon-Water Partitioning. Authors: Krogseth, I. S.; Whelan, Michael John; Christensen, G. N.; Breivik, K.; Evenset, A.; Warner, N. A. Abstract: Cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes (cVMS) are emitted to aquatic environments with wastewater effluents. Here, we evaluate the environmental behavior of three cVMS compounds (octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane (D4), decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5) and dodecamethylcyclohexasiloxane (D6)) in a high latitude lake (Storvannet, 70°N 23°E), experiencing intermittent wastewater emissions and high latitude environmental conditions (low temperatures and seasonal ice cover). Measured cVMS concentrations in lake water were below detection limits in both March and June 2014. However, mean concentrations in sediments were 207 ± 30, 3775 ± 973 and 848 ± 211 ng g(-1) organic carbon for D4, D5 and D6, respectively. To rationalize measurements, a fugacity-based model for lakes (QWASI) was parametrized for Storvannet. The key removal process for cVMS from the lake was predicted to be advection due to the low hydraulic retention time of the lake, followed by volatilization. Predicted cVMS behavior was highly sensitive to the partition coefficient between organic carbon and water (KOC) and its temperature dependence. Predictions indicated lower overall persistence with decreasing temperature due to enhanced partitioning from sediments to water. Inverse modeling to predict steady-state emissions from cVMS concentrations in sediment provided unrealistically high emissions, when evaluated against measured concentrations in sewage. However, high concentrations of cVMS in sediment and low concentrations in water could be explained via a hypothetical dynamic emission scenario consistent with combined sewer overflows. The study illustrates the importance of considering compound-specific behavior of emerging contaminants that may differ from legacy organic contaminants. Description: The Supporting Information is available free of charge on the ACS Publications website at DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b04828. Detailed descriptions of methods and results (PDF) 2017-01-03T15:21:53Z Broadband multispectral indices for remote sensing of vegetation affected by oil spills in the mangrove forest of the Niger Delta, Nigeria http://hdl.handle.net/2381/39026 Title: Broadband multispectral indices for remote sensing of vegetation affected by oil spills in the mangrove forest of the Niger Delta, Nigeria Authors: Adamu, Bashir Abstract: Detection of vegetation affected by oil spills in oil polluted environments such as mangrove forest can be challenging using in-situ measurements and laboratory-based analysis techniques. Satellite remote sensing has been shown to be an effective tool to detect and monitor vegetation health and status in polluted areas. The application of broadband multispectral vegetation indices (BMVIs) derived from remotely sensed satellite data to detect and monitor impacts of oil spills on vegetation health has not been fully evaluated through previous research. The study was conducted in the mangrove forest South-West of Port Harcourt City in Niger Delta, Nigeria. This study first investigated the potential for using BMVIs to detect the impact / the effects of oil pollution on vegetation health. A total of 20 BMVIs were evaluated using data acquired at the visible, near infrared and shortwave infrared wavelengths. In Chapter 4 a statistical analysis of the indices from 37 oil polluted and non-polluted (control) sites show that 12 BMVIs demonstrated significant differences (p<0.05) between pre- and post-spill observations. For the control sites 11 of the 20 BMVI values did not indicate significant change and remained statistically invariant before and after the spill date (p ≥ 0.05). Oil spills are therefore suggested to cause a biophysical and biochemical alteration of the vegetation, leading to changes in reflectance signature detected by these indices. Five spectral indices (normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil-adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), adjusted resistant vegetation index (ARVI2), green near infrared (G/NIR) and green shortwave infrared (G/SWIR)) were found to be consistently sensitive to the effects of oil pollution on vegetation and hence could be used for detection of oil pollution in vegetated areas. This study sought to, secondly, investigate factors that have been assumed to be influential on the detection of the impacts on vegetation from oil spills such as oil spill volume, time gap (number of days between oil spill events and image acquisition date) and spatial distance using the five BMVIs (NDVI, SAVI, ARVI2, G/NIR and G/SWIR). Regression analysis, utilised to determine the relative influence of these factors over 56 oil spill sites, revealed a significant relationship between the volume of the oil spill and increased deterioration of vegetation condition (p < 0.05) for four of the indices (NDVI, SAVI, ARVI2 and G/NIR). The length of time between image acquisition and oil spill was observed to exert an influence on the ability to detect the biophysical effects of oil spills on vegetation. The longer the time gap between the date of image acquisition and the oil spill event, the lower the detectability of oil spill impacts on vegetation. The influence of spatial variation on the detection of vegetation impacts was evaluated using a directional flow model applied over a local neighbourhood; the results from which did not show any significant difference between the neighbouring pixels (first pixel-P1, second pixel-P2 and third pixel-P3). The study also attempted to assess and validate the techniques used in chapter 4 in a different study site (study site 2- SS2) with a relative climatic and environmental conditions using new oil spill data in 2014. The findings revealed that statistical results from five indices (NDVI, SAVI, ARVI2 and G/NIR) derived from Landsat 8 in SS2 are found to show similar results to the ones obtained in SS1 using Landsat 5 & 7. In conclusion, it was found that the BMVIs have potential capacity for detection of vegetation affected by oil spills, not only are several factors found to exert a significant influence on the detection of oil spill impact on vegetation pollution using BMVIs, but also this method has the potential for replication in other over an oil-polluted environment. 2016-12-21T16:13:53Z New Evidence for the Age and Palaeoecology of the Knysna Formation, South Africa http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38965 Title: New Evidence for the Age and Palaeoecology of the Knysna Formation, South Africa Authors: Carr, A. S.; Boom, A.; Dunajko, A.; Bateman, M. D.; Holmes, P. J.; Berrio, J-C. Abstract: The existence of lignitic deposits (Knysna Formation) on the South African south coast, near to the town of Knysna has been recognised for more than a century. However, a combination of limited study and few natural exposures has meant that the age and stratigraphic position of the Knysna Formation are unclear, despite its potential as a palaeoenvironmental archive. We present a new suite of chronological, geochemical and palynological data obtained from a recently identified lignite exposure in this area. The lignite pollen assemblage is dominated by palms (Arecaceae), which are now locally extinct, and contains additional palynomorphs of tropical affinity, along with (moist-temperate) Podocarpus-type pollen, grasses, and herbaceous pollen types (e.g. Cliffortia-type, Asteraceae). Overall, the assemblage shows some commonalities with the Miocene Elandsfontein Formation in the Western Cape. The lignites are dominated by a diverse range of higher plant biomarkers, including abundant leaf wax lipids, as well as lignin monomers and leaf cuticle-derived macromolecular organic matter. All strongly indicate a terrestrial depositional setting, perhaps akin to contemporary palm swamps. A number of sesquiterpenoids imply the presence of gymnosperms, supporting observations from the pollen data and previously reported macro-fossil finds. The application of isothermal thermoluminescence techniques to coversands overlying the lignite produced a minimum age of ~1.7 Ma. Additional clues as to the likely age of the lignite are provided by compound-specific stable carbon isotope analyses of the leaf wax lipids. These are approximately 8‰ enriched relative to typical C3 vegetation leaf waxes, and imply a potential contribution from C4 vegetation. From this, an age post-dating the Oligocene may be inferred, and in conjunction with the site's geomorphic setting, an age post dating the middle Miocene is considered plausible. This is markedly younger than previous (Eocene) age estimates for the Knynsa Formation. Description: The file associated with this record is under embargo while permission to archive is sought from the publisher. The full text may be available through the publisher links above. 2016-12-15T13:06:23Z Listening http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38912 Title: Listening Authors: Bennett, Katy; Cochrane, A.; Mohan, G.; Neal, S. Abstract: In this paper we reflect on the kind of listening that happens in research whilst taking part in a keep fit group and getting sweaty, that pushes us to ask an interviewee 'Are you alright?' and haunts us when the project is over. This is the kind of listening that weaves through, around and beyond what is immediately heard, including the unspoken, the articulateness of objects and the listening that comes through participating. The paper stems from a project concerned with how people live, experience and manage cultural diversity and ethnic difference in their everyday lives in urban England. Divided into two sections, the first part introduces our methods that included participant observation, interviews and repeat in-depth discussion group meetings. The second section reflects on our experiences of listening whilst doing, explores feelings that mediate listening and considers the time involved in listening. 2016-12-12T19:20:34Z The urbanisation of the countryside: A case study in Herefordshire. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38822 Title: The urbanisation of the countryside: A case study in Herefordshire. Authors: Maund, David J. Abstract: The increasing urbanization of the countryside is a process which all advanced societies are experiencing at the present time. As a consequence the once simple and distinct division between rural and urban no longer applies. Usually urbanization of rural communities is considered to be the process of intensification of typically urban behaviour as a result of the diffusion of ideas and behaviour patterns from the towns and cities. The majority of geographical studies have been concerned with the impact of the town or city on the surrounding area, particularly, the changing land use pattern and the resultant planning problems. Within the framework of the rural-urban dichotomy or continuum model attempts have been made to identify a transitional zone, which is neither urban nor rural in function, often called the rural-urban fringe. Unfortunately these impact studies have tended to concentrate upon changes in the structure of land use and morphology, and relatively little attempt has been made to examine changes in demographic and social structures involved in the urbanization of the countryside. This is rather surprising since the· changes involve the whole society, whether adjacent to a metropolitan centre or a small town. This study reviews the traditional geographical interpretation of the urbanisation of the countryside, both in terms of process and place, and suggests an alternative approach, behaviourlistic in conception, as a framework for analysis. The testing of this framework is in 46 Communities in Herefordshire. Firstly, a socio-spatial classification is made. Then an analysis in terms of social structure, behaviour and attitudes is developed in an attempt to show that groups of communities have distinctive characteristics and are ordered spatially. Finally consideration is given to the various agencies involved in the residential land conversion process and their role in producing social change in the countryside. 2016-12-05T14:11:22Z A New Chronology for Rhafas, Northeast Morocco, Spanning the North African Middle Stone Age through to the Neolithic http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38809 Title: A New Chronology for Rhafas, Northeast Morocco, Spanning the North African Middle Stone Age through to the Neolithic Authors: Doerschner, N.; Fitzwilliams, K. E.; Ditchfield, P.; McLaren, Sue J.; Steele, T. E.; Zielhofer, C.; McPherron, S. P.; Bouzouggar, A.; Hublin, J-J. Abstract: Archaeological sites in northern Africa provide a rich record of increasing importance for the origins of modern human behaviour and for understanding human dispersal out of Africa. However, the timing and nature of Palaeolithic human behaviour and dispersal across north-western Africa (the Maghreb), and their relationship to local environmental conditions, remain poorly understood. The cave of Rhafas (northeast Morocco) provides valuable chronological information about cultural changes in the Maghreb during the Palaeolithic due to its long stratified archaeological sequence comprising Middle Stone Age (MSA), Later Stone Age (LSA) and Neolithic occupation layers. In this study, we apply optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating on sand-sized quartz grains to the cave deposits of Rhafas, as well as to a recently excavated section on the terrace in front of the cave entrance. We hereby provide a revised chronostratigraphy for the archaeological sequence at the site. We combine these results with geological and sedimentological multi-proxy investigations to gain insights into site formation processes and the palaeoenvironmental record of the region. The older sedimentological units at Rhafas were deposited between 135 ka and 57 ka (MIS 6 –MIS 3) and are associated with the MSA technocomplex. Tanged pieces start to occur in the archaeological layers around 109 ka, which is consistent with previously published chronological data from the Maghreb. A well indurated duricrust indicates favourable climatic conditions for the pedogenic cementation by carbonates of sediment layers at the site after 57 ka. Overlying deposits attributed to the LSA technocomplex yield ages of ~21 ka and ~15 ka, corresponding to the last glacial period, and fall well within the previously established occupation phase in the Maghreb. The last occupation phase at Rhafas took place during the Neolithic and is dated to ~7.8 ka. 2016-12-02T12:58:05Z Greenhouse gas dynamics in degraded and restored tropical peatlands http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38790 Title: Greenhouse gas dynamics in degraded and restored tropical peatlands Authors: Jauhiainen, J.; Page, S. E.; Vasander, H. Abstract: Agricultural and other land uses on ombrotrophic lowland tropical peat swamps typically lead to reduced vegetation biomass and water table drawdown. We review what is known about greenhouse gas (GHG) dynamics in natural and degraded tropical peat systems in south-east Asia, and on this basis consider what can be expected in terms of GHG dynamics under restored conditions. Only limited in situ data are available on the effects of restoration and the consequences for peat carbon (C) dynamics. Hydrological restoration seeks to bring the water table closer to the peat surface and thus re-create near-natural water table conditions, in order to reduce wildfire risk and associated fire impacts on the peat C store, as well as to reduce aerobic peat decomposition rates. However, zero emissions are unlikely to be achieved due to the notable potential for carbon dioxide (CO2) production from anaerobic peat decomposition processes. Increased vegetation cover (ideally woody plants) resulting from restoration will increase shading and reduce peat surface temperatures, and this may in turn reduce aerobic decomposition rates. An increase in litter deposition rate will compensate for C losses by peat decomposition but also increase the supply of labile C, which may prime decomposition, especially in peat enriched with recalcitrant substrates. The response of tropical peatland GHG emissions to peatland restoration will also vary according to previous land use and land use intensity. 2016-12-01T15:32:16Z Diurnal and Seasonal Variation of Surface Urban Cool and Heat Islands in the Semi-Arid City of Erbil, Iraq http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38788 Title: Diurnal and Seasonal Variation of Surface Urban Cool and Heat Islands in the Semi-Arid City of Erbil, Iraq Authors: Rasul, Azad; Balzter, Heiko; Smith, Claire Abstract: The influence of land surface temperature (LST) makes the near-surface layer of the troposphere a key driver of urban climate. This paper assesses the temporal formation of the daytime Surface Urban Cool Island (SUCI) and night-time Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) effect in Erbil, Iraq, situated in a semi-arid climate region. LST retrievals from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Aqua and Terra and MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from January 2003 to December 2014 are analysed. The relationships of LST with NDVI and the Normalized Multi-band Drought Index (NMDI) are investigated in order to assess the influence of vegetation and moisture on the observed patterns of LST and the SUCI/SUHI. The results indicate that during the daytime, in summer, autumn and winter, densely built-up areas had lower LST acting as a SUCI compared to the non-urbanised area around the city. In contrast, at night-time, Erbil experienced higher LST and demonstrated a significant SUHI effect. The relationship between LST and NDVI is affected by seasonality and is strongly inverted during spring (r2 = 0.73; p < 0.01). Contrary to previous studies of semi-arid cities, a SUCI was detected, not only in the morning, but also during the afternoon. 2016-12-01T15:22:47Z Airborne S-Band SAR for Forest Biophysical Retrieval in Temperate Mixed Forests of the UK http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38787 Title: Airborne S-Band SAR for Forest Biophysical Retrieval in Temperate Mixed Forests of the UK Authors: Ningthoujam, Ramesh K.; Balzter, Heiko; Tansey, Kevin; Morrison, K.; Johnson, Sarah C. M.; Gerard, F.; George, C.; Malhi, Y.; Burbidge, G.; Doody, S.; Veck, N.; Llewellyn, G. M.; Blythe, T.; Rodriguez-Veiga, Pedro; van Beijma, S.; Spies, Bernard; Barnes, Chloe; Padilla-Parellada, Marc; Wheeler, James E. M.; Louis, Valentin; Potter, Tom; Edwards-Smith, A.; Bermejo, J. P. Abstract: Radar backscatter from forest canopies is related to forest cover, canopy structure and aboveground biomass (AGB). The S-band frequency (3.1–3.3 GHz) lies between the longer L-band (1–2 GHz) and the shorter C-band (5–6 GHz) and has been insufficiently studied for forest applications due to limited data availability. In anticipation of the British built NovaSAR-S satellite mission, this study evaluates the benefits of polarimetric S-band SAR for forest biophysical properties. To understand the scattering mechanisms in forest canopies at S-band the Michigan Microwave Canopy Scattering (MIMICS-I) radiative transfer model was used. S-band backscatter was found to have high sensitivity to the forest canopy characteristics across all polarisations and incidence angles. This sensitivity originates from ground/trunk interaction as the dominant scattering mechanism related to broadleaved species for co-polarised mode and specific incidence angles. The study was carried out in the temperate mixed forest at Savernake Forest and Wytham Woods in southern England, where airborne S-band SAR imagery and field data are available from the recent AirSAR campaign. Field data from the test sites revealed wide ranges of forest parameters, including average canopy height (6–23 m), diameter at breast-height (7–42 cm), basal area (0.2–56 m2/ha), stem density (20–350 trees/ha) and woody biomass density (31–520 t/ha). S-band backscatter-biomass relationships suggest increasing backscatter sensitivity to forest AGB with least error between 90.63 and 99.39 t/ha and coefficient of determination (r2) between 0.42 and 0.47 for the co-polarised channel at 0.25 ha resolution. The conclusion is that S-band SAR data such as from NovaSAR-S is suitable for monitoring forest aboveground biomass less than 100 t/ha at 25 m resolution in low to medium incidence angle range. 2016-12-01T15:19:05Z Mapping Forest Cover and Forest Cover Change with Airborne S-Band Radar http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38786 Title: Mapping Forest Cover and Forest Cover Change with Airborne S-Band Radar Authors: Ningthoujam, Ramesh K.; Tansey, Kevin; Balzter, Heiko; Morrison, K.; Johnson, Sarah C. M.; Gerard, F.; George, C.; Burbidge, G.; Doody, S.; Veck, N.; Llewellyn, G. M.; Blythe, T. Abstract: Assessments of forest cover, forest carbon stocks and carbon emissions from deforestation and degradation are increasingly important components of sustainable resource management, for combating biodiversity loss and in climate mitigation policies. Satellite remote sensing provides the only means for mapping global forest cover regularly. However, forest classification with optical data is limited by its insensitivity to three-dimensional canopy structure and cloud cover obscuring many forest regions. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors are increasingly being used to mitigate these problems, mainly in the L-, C- and X-band domains of the electromagnetic spectrum. S-band has not been systematically studied for this purpose. In anticipation of the British built NovaSAR-S satellite mission, this study evaluates the benefits of polarimetric S-band SAR for forest characterisation. The Michigan Microwave Canopy Scattering (MIMICS-I) radiative transfer model is utilised to understand the scattering mechanisms in forest canopies at S-band. The MIMICS-I model reveals strong S-band backscatter sensitivity to the forest canopy in comparison to soil characteristics across all polarisations and incidence angles. Airborne S-band SAR imagery over the temperate mixed forest of Savernake Forest in southern England is analysed for its information content. Based on the modelling results, S-band HH- and VV-polarisation radar backscatter and the Radar Forest Degradation Index (RFDI) are used in a forest/non-forest Maximum Likelihood classification at a spatial resolution of 6 m (70% overall accuracy, κ = 0.41) and 20 m (63% overall accuracy, κ = 0.27). The conclusion is that S-band SAR such as from NovaSAR-S is likely to be suitable for monitoring forest cover and its changes. 2016-12-01T15:13:17Z Modelling and Communicating the Ecological Characteristics of Peat Swamp Forest Communities in Brunei http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38767 Title: Modelling and Communicating the Ecological Characteristics of Peat Swamp Forest Communities in Brunei Authors: Pg Hassan, Pg Nor Zamzam Abstract: An ecosystem approach to sustainable forest management aims to enhance ecological understanding at the level of the plant community. This thesis demonstrates a novel approach to the study of vegetation ecology in a tropical peat swamp forest (PSF) ecosystem which integrates ecology, visualisation and 3D visualisation in GIS (Geographic Information Systems). The thesis presents some of the first detailed floristic information on the tree species diversity of the Badas PSF, Brunei. The study adds to the knowledge that intact PSF shows considerable variation even at the small, single site level. Three phasic communities (PC) were identified in a 2.25 ha study area namely PC 2, PC 4 Dipterocarpaceae, PC 4 Sapotaceae, in addition to a heath forest. Shannon-Weiner diversity index values of 1.70 to 2.99 are among the highest in Borneo. Each community is unique in both species pool and ecological characteristics. The ecologically dominant species which are characterised by tree diameter of more than 80 cm dbh as well as the 11-20 cm tree diameter distribution class patterns in combination are both distinctive from other PSFs in Southeast Asia and lowland dipterocarp forest in Brunei. Visualisation in 3D provided a novel exploration of floristic and structural data via photorealistic trees. Seamless integration of georeferenced data in a GIS environment replaced the traditional hand-sketch forest bisect through interactive query functions, manipulation of scale, orientations and perspectives, producing distinctive representations of PSF communities. The approaches used can promote improved understanding of the conservation importance of Brunei's PSFs, thereby enhancing knowledge of both species and community diversity. This is critical in light of the extreme rarity of this rich ecosystem. Description: A number of figures have been removed from the electronic version of this thesis. Full details are available in an attached file. The unabridged version can be consulted, on request, at the University of Leicester Library. 2016-11-30T15:28:32Z Land Cover Classification Using Multi-Frequency SAR over Semi-Arid and Forested African Landscapes http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38757 Title: Land Cover Classification Using Multi-Frequency SAR over Semi-Arid and Forested African Landscapes Authors: Spies, Bernardus Francois Abstract: The potential of using multi-frequency Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for land cover classification is becoming a reality, with multiple SAR satellites utilising different frequencies currently in orbit and more missions planned for the future. This study looks at combining SAR frequencies from L-band (ALOS PALSAR), C-band (ENVISAT ASAR) and X-band (TerraSAR-X) to find the optimum combination of the SAR data for land cover classification of forested and semi-arid ecoregions in Africa. The study site for forested areas is in Cameroon and the semi-arid study site is in Tanzania. Data from both the wet and dry seasons are available. Random forest models, with different combinations of input variables, are compared. Models with the top 30 variables are chosen from the mean decrease accuracy and mean decrease Gini variable importance measures, and compared with the classification accuracies using support vector machines. Some of the findings are that L-band is the best single frequency for land cover classifications for both ecoregions, with X-band the best single frequency if only forested regions are considered. Texture measures lead to an increase of between 15-25% overall classification accuracy compared to using only backscatter coefficients. The recommended dual-frequency combination are LX-bands, although L-band data give overall classification accuracies very close to LX-bands. The use of images from LCX data only marginally improves the classification accuracy from LX-images and L-band images. The benefit from acquisition of all three frequencies would therefore rarely outweigh the cost of acquiring and processing data from all three frequencies. The transferability of the random forest models to an additional geographic site did not produce satisfactory results, however the transferability of the random forest models to additional season data did give satisfactory results. The Kullback-Leibler divergence class difference measure showed potential to give an indication of transferability of the models, although refinement remains necessary. 2016-11-29T12:20:49Z Quantifying forest biomass carbon stocks from space http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38723 Title: Quantifying forest biomass carbon stocks from space Authors: Rodríguez-Veiga, Pedro; Wheeler, James; Louis, Valentin; Tansey, Kevin; Balzter, Heiko Abstract: The monitoring of carbon stored in living aboveground biomass (AGB) of forest is of key importance to understand the global carbon cycle, and for the functioning of international economic mechanisms aiming to protect and enhance forest carbon stocks. The main challenge to monitor AGB lies in the difficulty of obtaining field measurements and allometric models in several parts of the world due to geographical remoteness, lack of capacity, data paucity, or armed conflicts. Spaceborne remote sensing in combination with ground measurements is the most cost-efficient technology to undertake the monitoring of AGB. This review presents cutting-edge methods and current and forthcoming satellite remote sensing technologies to map AGB. These approaches face several challenges: lack of ground data for calibration/validation purposes, signal saturation in high AGB, coverage of the sensor, cloud cover persistence, or complex signal retrieval due to topography. New spaceborne sensors to be launched in the coming years will allow accurate measurements of AGB in high biomass forests (> 200 t ha-1 ) for the first time across large areas. Description: 12 month embargo from publication 2016-11-25T12:24:55Z Characterizing Volunteered Geographic Information using Fuzzy Clustering http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38665 Title: Characterizing Volunteered Geographic Information using Fuzzy Clustering Authors: De Sabbata, S.; Tate, N.; Jarvis, C. Abstract: This paper demonstrates the use of fuzzy clustering to characterize Volunteered Geographic Information (VGI). We argue that classifying small areas based on variables related to the amount, type, and currency of VGI can provide a more nuanced understanding of the content. We present a classification of 2011 UK Census Output Areas in Leicestershire (UK) based on content of OpenStreetMap, using a fuzzy c-means clustering algorithm, and we compare the resulting classification with a 'standard' socio-economic geodemographic classification. Description: The 2011 UK Census Output Area (OA) boundaries and attributes were obtained via the UK Data Service, retrieved from SN:5819. http://discover.ukdataservice.ac.uk/catalogue/?sn=5819 Figure 1 and 2 use map tiles by Stamen Design, under CC BY 3.0. http://maps.stamen.com 2016-11-22T09:35:29Z Use of penetrating GNSS signals for measuring soil moisture http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38664 Title: Use of penetrating GNSS signals for measuring soil moisture Authors: Martín, F.; Navarro, V.; Molfulleda, A.; Balzter, Heiko; Nicolas-Perea, V.; Kissick, Lucy Abstract: This work introduces a novel approach for soil moisture estimation, based on the measurement of GNSS signals penetrating a soil volume. A model relating soil moisture content (SMC) to the measured soil transmissivity is proposed. The measurement concept is described and a preliminary experimental setup is proposed. The feasibility of the approach is evaluated through simulations of the measured ('apparent') transmissivity as a function of moisture content, surface roughness and receiving antenna depth, among other relevant parameters. 2016-11-22T09:23:52Z Denial of long-term issues with agriculture on tropical peatlands will have devastating consequences. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38532 Title: Denial of long-term issues with agriculture on tropical peatlands will have devastating consequences. Authors: Wijedasa, L. S.; Jauhiainen, J.; Könönen, M.; Lampela, M.; Vasander, H.; LeBlanc, M. C.; Evers, S.; Smith, T. E.; Yule, C. M.; Varkkey, H.; Lupascu, M.; Ho, H. C.; Hoscilo, A.; Lohberger, S.; Evans, T. A.; Yulianti, N.; Blackham, G.; Onrizal; Husson, S.; Murdiyarso, D.; Pangala, S.; Parish, F.; Cole, L. E.; Tacconi, L.; Segah, H.; Tonoto, P.; Lee, J. S.; Schmilewski, G.; Wulffraat, S.; Putra, E. I.; Cattau, M. E.; Clymo, R. S.; Singleton, I.; Morrison, R.; Mujahid, A.; Miettinen, J.; Liew, S. C.; Valpola, S.; Wilson, D.; D'Arcy, L.; Gerding, M.; Sundari, S.; Thornton, Sara A.; Clements, G. R.; Kalisz, B.; Chapman, S. J.; Su, A. S.; Basuki, I.; Itoh, M.; Traeholt, C.; Sloan, S.; Sayok, A. K.; Andersen, R.; Aziz, S. A.; Harrison, Mark E.; Cheyne, S.; Anshari, G. Z.; Meijaard, E.; Goldstein, J. E.; Waldron, S.; Hergoualc'h, K.; Dommain, R.; Frolking, S.; Evans, C. D.; Posa, M. R.; Glaser, P. H.; Suryadiputra, N.; Lubis, R.; Santika, T.; Padfield, R.; Kurnianto, S.; Hadisiswoyo, P.; Lim, T. W.; Page, Susan E.; Gauci, V.; van der Meer, P. J.; Buckland, H.; Garnier, F.; Samuel, M. K.; Choo, L. N.; O'Reilly, P.; Warren, M.; Suksuwan, S.; Sumarga, E.; Jain, A.; Laurance, W. F.; Couwenberg, J.; Joosten, H.; Vernimmen, R.; Hooijer, A.; Malins, C.; Cochrane, M. A.; Perumal, B.; Siegert, F.; Peh, K. S.; Comeau, L. P.; Verchot, L.; Harvey, C. F.; Cobb, A.; Jaafar, Z.; Wösten, H.; Manuri, S.; Müller, M.; Giesen, W.; Phelps, J.; Yong, D. L.; Silvius, M.; Wedeux, B. M.; Hoyt, A.; Osaki, M.; Takashi, H.; Takahashi, H.; Kohyama, T. S.; Haraguchi, A.; Nugroho, N. P.; Coomes, D. A.; Quoi, L. P.; Dohong, A.; Gunawan, H.; Gaveau, D. L.; Langner, A.; Lim, F. K.; Edwards, D. P.; Giam, X.; van der Werf, G.; Carmenta, R.; Verwer, C. C.; Gibson, L.; Grandois, L.; Graham, L. L.; Regalino, J.; Wich, S. A.; Rieley, J.; Kettridge, N.; Brown, C.; Pirard, R.; Moore, S.; Ripoll Capilla, B.; Ballhorn, U. Abstract: The first International Peat Congress (IPC) held in the tropics - in Kuching (Malaysia) - brought together over 1000 international peatland scientists and industrial partners from across the world ("International Peat Congress with over 1000 participants!," 2016). The congress covered all aspects of peatland ecosystems and their management, with a strong focus on the environmental, societal and economic challenges associated with contemporary large-scale agricultural conversion of tropical peat. 2016-11-15T09:47:39Z Remote Sensing of Surface Urban Cool and Heat Island Dynamics in Erbil, Iraq, between 1992 and 2013 http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38508 Title: Remote Sensing of Surface Urban Cool and Heat Island Dynamics in Erbil, Iraq, between 1992 and 2013 Authors: Rasul, Azad Othman Abstract: The variation between surface and air temperature within a city and its surrounding area is a result of variations in surface cover, thermal capacity and 3-dimensional geometry. This study examines the spatiotemporal formation of the daytime Surface Urban Cool Island (SUCI) and night-time Surface Urban Heat Island (SUHI) effect in Erbil, Iraq, as a case study for cities in semi-arid climates more generally. It furthermore quantifies the influence of rapid urban expansion on the urban heat/cool island effect over a 20 year period. Satellite images acquired by Landsat 4, 5, 7 and 8 between 1992 and 2013 are used to retrieve Land Surface Temperature (LST). Normalised Ratio Scale (NRS) is applied to the multi-mission Landsat data, which is used to adjust the temperature range for different acquisition times of images within the same temporal range. In addition, LST data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board Aqua and Terra from January 2003 to December 2014 are analysed. In order to establish the drivers of the observed patterns of LST and SUCI/SUHI, the relationships of LST with wetness, greenness, NDVI, soil moisture and other variables are assessed. The results indicate that during the daytime in summer, autumn and winter, densely built-up areas had lower LST acting as cool islands (SUCI) compared to the non-urbanised area around the city. In contrast, at night-time, Erbil experienced higher LST and demonstrated a significant SUHI effect. The mean LST of the newly urbanised and vegetated areas between 1992 and 2013 decreased by 2.28°C and 7.29°C respectively. Soil moisture (wetness) is the main marker of the SUCI/SUHI effect, whilst urban expansion may cause a decrease of daytime LST in dry climate zones. The NRS method is appropriate for detecting temperature trends greater than 2°C in Landsat data. Description: This thesis is under embargo for 1 year from the date of award. 2016-11-14T11:32:16Z The UK's total nitrogen budget from 1990 to 2020: a transition from source to sink? http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38437 Title: The UK's total nitrogen budget from 1990 to 2020: a transition from source to sink? Authors: Worrall, F.; Burt, T. P.; Howden, N. J. K.; Whelan, Michael John Abstract: This study estimates the annual total nitrogen balance of the UK from 1990 to 2020. The following inputs of nitrogen are considered: inorganic fertilizer, atmospheric deposition; food and feed imports; and biological nitrogen fixation. The outputs considered compose: atmospheric emissions; direct losses of sewage and industrial effluent to the sea; fluvial losses at source; food and feed exports; and terrestrial denitrification. It is shown that: (1) Inputs of inorganic fertilizer declined significantly over the study period with both atmospheric deposition and food and feed imports significantly increasing. (2) Outputs of total N also significantly declined with all output pathways decreasing except for atmospheric emissions and terrestrial denitrification to N2. (3) The UK was a net source of total nitrogen in 1990 of approximately −1941 ± 224 kilotonnes N/year (−8 tonnes N/km2/year; inter-quartile range of ±0.9 tonnes/km2/year). However, by 2012, this net nitrogen source had decreased to about −1446 ± 195 kilotonnes N/year (−5.9 tonnes N/km2/year). The future total N balance of the UK is being driven by declines in outputs rather than changes in inputs. The largest declines are in the atmospheric emissions of reactive nitrogen (Nr) and the fluvial flux of N such that by 2020 to the total N budget is predicted to be −1042 (±246) kilotonnes N/year (−4.2 tonnes N/km2/year) and by 2031 the UK would be a net sink of total N. 2016-11-11T09:30:50Z Loess encounters of three kinds: Charles Lyell talks about, reads about, and looks at loess http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38410 Title: Loess encounters of three kinds: Charles Lyell talks about, reads about, and looks at loess Authors: Smalley, Ian; Kels, H.; Gaudenyi, T.; Jovanovic, M. Abstract: Charles Lyell (1797-1875) was an important loess pioneer. His major contribution was to distribute information on the nature and existence of loess via his influential book 'The Principles of Geology'. He was obviously impressed by loess when he encountered it; the initial encounter can be split into three phases: conversations about loess; confronting the actual material in the field; and reading about loess in the literature. Detail can be added to an important phase in the scientific development of the study of loess. Significant events include conversations with Hibbert in 1831, conversations and explorations with von Leonhard and Bronn in 1832, the opportunity to include a section on loess in vol. 3 of 'Principles' for publication in 1833, a substantial Rhineland excursion in 1833, the reporting of the results of this excursion in 1834, discussions at the German Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Bonn in 1835. Of all the people encountered perhaps H.G. Bronn was the most significant. Lyell eventually listed eleven people as relevant to the loess writings: Bronn, von Leonhard, Boue, Voltz, Steininger, Merian, Rozet, Hibbert, Noeggerath, von Meyer, Horner - of these Bronn, von Leonhard, Hibbert and Horner appear to have been the most significant, viewed from 2015. 2016-11-09T11:19:19Z Evaluating the Use of an Object-Based Approach to Lithological Mapping in Vegetated Terrain http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38408 Title: Evaluating the Use of an Object-Based Approach to Lithological Mapping in Vegetated Terrain Authors: Grebby, S.; Field, E.; Tansey, Kevin Abstract: Remote sensing-based approaches to lithological mapping are traditionally pixel-oriented, with classification performed on either a per-pixel or sub-pixel basis with complete disregard for contextual information about neighbouring pixels. However, intra-class variability due to heterogeneous surface cover (i.e., vegetation and soil) or regional variations in mineralogy and chemical composition can result in the generation of unrealistic, generalised lithological maps that exhibit the "salt-and-pepper" artefact of spurious pixel classifications, as well as poorly defined contacts. In this study, an object-based image analysis (OBIA) approach to lithological mapping is evaluated with respect to its ability to overcome these issues by instead classifying groups of contiguous pixels (i.e., objects). Due to significant vegetation cover in the study area, the OBIA approach incorporates airborne multispectral and LiDAR data to indirectly map lithologies by exploiting associations with both topography and vegetation type. The resulting lithological maps were assessed both in terms of their thematic accuracy and ability to accurately delineate lithological contacts. The OBIA approach is found to be capable of generating maps with an overall accuracy of 73.5% through integrating spectral and topographic input variables. When compared to equivalent per-pixel classifications, the OBIA approach achieved thematic accuracy increases of up to 13.1%, whilst also reducing the "salt-and-pepper" artefact to produce more realistic maps. Furthermore, the OBIA approach was also generally capable of mapping lithological contacts more accurately. The importance of optimising the segmentation stage of the OBIA approach is also highlighted. Overall, this study clearly demonstrates the potential of OBIA for lithological mapping applications, particularly in significantly vegetated and heterogeneous terrain. Description: The following are available online at www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/8/10/843/s1, Table S1: Confusion matrix for the OBIA classification of the Li dataset, Table S2: Confusion matrix for the OBIA classification of the ATM 9 dataset, Table S3: Confusion matrix for the OBIA classification of the ATM PC dataset, Table S4: Confusion matrix for the OBIA classification of the ATM MNF dataset, Table S5: Confusion matrix for the OBIA classification of the ATM-Li dataset, Table S6: Confusion matrix for the OBIA classification of the ATM-Li MNF dataset. 2016-11-09T11:09:40Z Structural properties of mobile armours formed at different flow strengths in gravel-bed rivers http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38387 Title: Structural properties of mobile armours formed at different flow strengths in gravel-bed rivers Authors: Powell, D. Mark; Ockleford, Annie; Rice, Stephen P.; Hillier, John K.; Nguyen, Thao; Reid, Ian; Tate, Nicholas J.; Ackerley, David Abstract: Differences in the structure of mobile armors formed at three different flow strengths have been investigated in a laboratory flume. The temporal evolution of the bed surfaces and the properties of the final beds were compared using metrics of surface grain size, microtopography, and bed organization at both grain and mesoscales. Measurements of the bed condition were obtained on nine occasions during each experiment to describe the temporal evolution of the beds. Structured mobile armors formed quickly in each experiment. At the grain scale (1–45 mm; 9 ≤ Ds50 ≤ 17 mm where Ds50 is the median surface particle size), surface complexity decreased and bed roughness increased in response to surface coarsening and the development of the mobile armor. Particles comprising the armor also became flow aligned and developed imbrication. At a larger scale (100–200 mm), the surface developed a mesoscale topography through the development of bed patches with lower and higher elevations. Metrics of mobile armor structure showed remarkable consistency over prolonged periods of near-constant transport, demonstrating for the first time that actively transporting surfaces maintain an equilibrium bed structure. Bed structuring was least developed in the experiments conducted at the lowest flow strength. However, little difference was observed in the structural metrics of the mobile armors generated at higher flows. Although the range of transport rates studied was limited, the results suggest that the structure of mobile armors is insensitive to the formative transport rate except when rates are low (τ* ≈ 0.03 where τ* is the dimensionless shear stress). 2016-11-08T11:40:43Z Extent of industrial plantations on Southeast Asian peatlands in 2010 with analysis of historical expansion and future projections http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38312 Title: Extent of industrial plantations on Southeast Asian peatlands in 2010 with analysis of historical expansion and future projections Authors: Miettinen, J.; Hooijer, A.; Shi, C.; Tollenaar, D.; Vernimmen, R.; Liew, S. C.; Malins, C.; Page, Susan E. Abstract: Tropical peatlands cover over 25 Mha in Southeast Asia and are estimated to contain around 70 Gt of carbon. Peat swamp forest ecosystems are an important part of the region's natural resources supporting unique flora and fauna endemic to Southeast Asia. Over recent years, industrial plantation development on peatland, especially for oil palm cultivation, has created intense debate due to its potentially adverse social and environmental effects. The lack of objective up-to-date information on the extent of industrial plantations has complicated quantification of their regional and global environmental consequences, both in terms of loss of forest and biodiversity as well as increases in carbon emissions. Based on visual interpretation of high-resolution (30 m) satellite images, we find that industrial plantations covered over 3.1 Mha (20%) of the peatlands of Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Borneo in 2010, surpassing the area of Belgium and causing an annual carbon emission from peat decomposition of 230–310 Mt CO2e. The majority (62%) of the plantations were located on the island of Sumatra, and over two-thirds (69%) of all industrial plantations were developed for oil palm cultivation, with the remainder mostly being Acacia plantations for paper pulp production. Historical analysis shows strong acceleration of plantation development in recent years: 70% of all industrial plantations have been established since 2000 and only 4% of the current plantation area existed in 1990. 'Business-as-usual' projections of future conversion rates, based on historical rates over the past two decades, indicate that 6–9 Mha of peatland in insular Southeast Asia may be converted to plantations by the year 2020, unless land use planning policies or markets for products change. This would increase the annual carbon emission to somewhere between 380 and 920 Mt CO2e by 2020 depending on water management practices and the extent of plantations. 2016-11-01T09:54:50Z Benefits and costs of ecological restoration: Rapid assessment of changing ecosystem service values at a U.K. wetland. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38287 Title: Benefits and costs of ecological restoration: Rapid assessment of changing ecosystem service values at a U.K. wetland. Authors: Peh, K. S.; Balmford, A.; Field, R. H.; Lamb, A.; Birch, J. C.; Bradbury, R. B.; Brown, C.; Butchart, S. H.; Lester, M.; Morrison, Ross; Sedgwick, I.; Soans, C.; Stattersfield, A. J.; Stroh, P. A.; Swetnam, R. D.; Thomas, D. H.; Walpole, M.; Warrington, S.; Hughes, F. M. Abstract: Restoration of degraded land is recognized by the international community as an important way of enhancing both biodiversity and ecosystem services, but more information is needed about its costs and benefits. In Cambridgeshire, U.K., a long-term initiative to convert drained, intensively farmed arable land to a wetland habitat mosaic is driven by a desire both to prevent biodiversity loss from the nationally important Wicken Fen National Nature Reserve (Wicken Fen NNR) and to increase the provision of ecosystem services. We evaluated the changes in ecosystem service delivery resulting from this land conversion, using a new Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Site-based Assessment (TESSA) to estimate biophysical and monetary values of ecosystem services provided by the restored wetland mosaic compared with the former arable land. Overall results suggest that restoration is associated with a net gain to society as a whole of $199 ha(-1)y(-1), for a one-off investment in restoration of $2320 ha(-1). Restoration has led to an estimated loss of arable production of $2040 ha(-1)y(-1), but estimated gains of $671 ha(-1)y(-1) in nature-based recreation, $120 ha(-1)y(-1) from grazing, $48 ha(-1)y(-1) from flood protection, and a reduction in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions worth an estimated $72 ha(-1)y(-1). Management costs have also declined by an estimated $1325 ha(-1)y(-1). Despite uncertainties associated with all measured values and the conservative assumptions used, we conclude that there was a substantial gain to society as a whole from this land-use conversion. The beneficiaries also changed from local arable farmers under arable production to graziers, countryside users from towns and villages, and the global community, under restoration. We emphasize that the values reported here are not necessarily transferable to other sites. 2016-10-31T11:32:36Z Sources, transport and deposition of terrestrial organic material in southwestern Africa http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38207 Title: Sources, transport and deposition of terrestrial organic material in southwestern Africa Authors: Herrmann, Nicole; Boom, Arnoud; Carr, Andrew S.; Chase, Brian M.; Granger, Robyn; Hahn, Annette; Zabel, Matthias; Schefuss, Enno Abstract: Southwestern Africa's coastal marine mudbelt, a prominent Holocene sediment package, provides a valuable archive for reconstructing terrestrial palaeoclimates on the adjacent continent. While the origin of terrestrial inorganic material has been intensively studied, the sources of terrigenous organic material deposited in the mudbelt are yet unclear. In this study, plant wax derived n-alkanes and their compound-specific δ13C in soils, flood deposits and suspension loads from regional fluvial systems and marine sediments are analysed to characterize the origin of terrestrial organic material in the southwest African mudbelt. Soils from different biomes in the catchments of the Orange River and small west coast rivers show on average distinct n-alkane distributions and compound-specific δ13C values reflecting biome-specific vegetation types, most notably the winter rainfall associated Fynbos Biome of the southwestern Cape. In the fluvial sediment samples from the Orange River, changes in the n-alkane distributions and compound-specific δ13C compositions reveal an overprint by local vegetation along the river's course. The smaller west coast rivers show distinct signals, reflecting their small catchment areas and particular vegetation communities. Marine surface sediments spanning a transect from the northern mudbelt (29°S) to St. Helena Bay (33°S) reveal subtle, but spatially coherent, changes in n-alkane distributions and compound-specific δ13C, indicating the influence of Orange River sediments in the northern mudbelt, the increasing importance of terrigenous input from the adjacent western coastal biomes in the central mudbelt, and contributions from the Fynbos Biome to the southern mudbelt. These findings indicate the different sources of terrestrial organic material deposited in the mudbelt, and highlight the potential the mudbelt has to preserve evidence of environmental change from the adjacent continent Description: The file associated with this record is under a 24 month embargo from publication in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. The full text may be available through the publisher links provided above. 2016-10-12T12:54:50Z Mixing space: affinitive practice and the insurgent potential of food http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38206 Title: Mixing space: affinitive practice and the insurgent potential of food Authors: Coles, Benjamin Abstract: Recent debate in human geography has challenged the problematic "alternative"/"conventional" duality that characterises contemporary food provision.Within this binary, alternative food networks and initiatives (AFIs and AFNs) are positioned in opposition to more conventional, agri-capitalist modes of food production and distribution. Framing food around materially, discursively and spatially distinct, albeit relational, geographies not only reinforces this binary but also reaffirms the hegemony of agri-capitalism that alternative provision seeks to undo. Focusing on examples of artisanal and industrial bread production in the UK and the USA, this paper challenges such ontological framings. Drawing from conceptual insights into diverse economies and alternative economic spaces (e.g. Gibson-Graham, 1996:2004; Lee and Leyshon, 2003) and adopting an integrative approach to practice (Shove and Pantzar, 2005; Hand and Shove, 2007), this paper examines the practices that constitute artisanal and industrial baking. Specifically, it focuses on the ways in which embodied practices constitute the spaces of production for such foods. While acknowledging the considerable distances between the geographies that circumscribe these alternative and conventional foods, this paper argues that practices of food production narrow these distances, thereby destabilising the alternative/conventional binary. The geographies of food may mobilise an array of places, materials and ideologies, which are suggestive of two opposing systems of food provision, but practices of food production reveal an array of marginal spaces that challenge this. By reorienting critical attention onto these marginal spaces, the differences between artisanal and conventional food become blurred-and the affinities produced through normalised discourses and materialities of food are contested, resisted and disrupted. I argue these spaces are insurgent and that they come together through affinitive practices, which result in the potential for radical change within food provision. 2016-10-12T12:48:01Z The Shocking Materialities and Temporalities of Agri-capitalism http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38205 Title: The Shocking Materialities and Temporalities of Agri-capitalism Authors: Coles, Benjamin Abstract: Contemporary food provision is largely dominated by agri-capitalism. Using the body of the chicken, the world's most pervasive source of meat protein, this paper tracks the interplay between materiality, spatiality, and temporality within agri-capitalism. It examines the myriad ways in which agri-capitalism distorts space, time, and materiality and deploys them as "fixes" to crises. It illustrates how these fixes reverberate back and forth between production and consumption to shape the spaces of alternative and mainstream food provision alike. It argues that the seemingly distinct spaces of consumption and production are in fact mutually construed and interdependent, and consequently, that shifts in consumptive practices, discourses, or temporalities and materialities cannot in themselves redress the implicit structural inequalities of agri-capitalism. This paper closes with thoughts on an insurgent food politics through which the spaces and possibilities of food can be reimagined. 2016-10-12T12:35:13Z Geographies of gazetteers in Great Britain http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38182 Title: Geographies of gazetteers in Great Britain Authors: De Sabbata, Stefano; Acheson, Elise Abstract: Gazetteers are playing a central role in the current data revolution as key tools to link content to geographical space. However, their geographies and idiosyncrasies are poorly understood despite their potential to worsen application outcomes and information inequalities. In this study, we analyze two open gazetteers, GeoNames and the Getty Thesaurus of Geographic Names, in terms of the quantity and spatial distribution of features in Great Britain, illustrating how they provide a different and inconsistent picture of the region and are still far less detailed than the institutional gazetteers curated by Ordnance Survey. 2016-10-10T14:00:11Z Assessing geographic relevance for mobile search: A computational model and its validation via crowdsourcing http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38181 Title: Assessing geographic relevance for mobile search: A computational model and its validation via crowdsourcing Authors: Reichenbacher, Tumasch; De Sabbata, Stefano; Purves, Ross S.; Fabrikant, Sara I. Abstract: The selection and retrieval of relevant information from the information universe on the web is becoming increasingly important in addressing information overload. It has also been recognized that geography is an important criterion of relevance, leading to the research area of geographic information retrieval. As users increasingly retrieve information in mobile situations, relevance is often related to geographic features in the real world as well as their representation in web documents. We present 2 methods for assessing geographic relevance (GR) of geographic entities in a mobile use context that include the 5 criteria topicality, spatiotemporal proximity, directionality, cluster, and colocation. To determine the effectiveness and validity of these methods, we evaluate them through a user study conducted on the Amazon Mechanical Turk crowdsourcing platform. An analysis of relevance ranks for geographic entities in 3 scenarios produced by two GR methods, 2 baseline methods, and human judgments collected in the experiment reveal that one of the GR methods produces similar ranks as human assessors. 2016-10-10T13:49:48Z The Coercive Laws of Competition in a Neoliberal Era: The case of Forestry in Costa Rica http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38172 Title: The Coercive Laws of Competition in a Neoliberal Era: The case of Forestry in Costa Rica Authors: Matulis, Brett S. Abstract: Market-oriented forms of conservation are believed to deliver enhanced efficiency in ecosystem management. This greater efficiency is derived from the introduction of competitive mechanisms in resource governance. Market competition, however, produces new social relations that can alter the division of benefits between various actors within the economy and present opportunities for accumulation. The consequent gains in efficiency are not necessarily equitably distributed. Furthermore, the introduction of competition can erode cooperative arrangements designed to assist the poor and politically marginal. Drawing on theories of the 'coercive laws of competition', I seek in this article to understand how competitive structures compel actors to behave in ways that put profit before social or environmental responsibility and encourage self-interested behavior. I explore these ideas in the context of Costa Rican forest conservation, showing that competitive contracting in private forest management has resulted in an uneven distribution of benefits and a comparative advantage for larger landowners. In addition, I also re-think the 'coercive laws' for a neoliberal era. 2016-10-10T11:02:21Z Beyond Inclusive Conservation: The Value of Pluralism, the Need for Agonism, and the Case for Social Instrumentalism http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38170 Title: Beyond Inclusive Conservation: The Value of Pluralism, the Need for Agonism, and the Case for Social Instrumentalism Authors: Matulis, Brett S.; Moyer, Jessica R. Abstract: Recent debate within the conservation community about how to define our mission and delineate our objectives has highlighted frictions between conventional (biodiversity centered) conservation and "new" (socio-economically driven) conservation. It has also prompted calls for "inclusive conservation," aimed at accommodating both conventional and new perspectives under one big tent, and quelling continued debate. In focusing on the compatibility between two well established perspectives, however, and constructing conservation as a universal agenda rooted in a common environmental ethic, inclusive conservation reinforces currently dominant thinking in the field. We argue here that, despite its name, inclusive conservation further suppresses marginal views within the conservation community by denying the very existence of margins. Drawing on the work of Nancy Fraser and Chantal Mouffe, we underscore the importance of conflict and agonistic pluralism in maintaining space for historically underrepresented points of view. In doing so, we stake out a position in the conservation debate for what we call social instrumentalism, which is an already marginalized perspective that is further suppressed by calls for inclusivity. Finally, we offer a positive alternative vision for the future of conservation, or more aptly, for a future characterized by many different conservations. 2016-10-10T10:43:48Z Stable isotope analyses of rock hyrax faecal pellets, hyraceum and associated vegetation in southern Africa: implications for dietary ecology and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38088 Title: Stable isotope analyses of rock hyrax faecal pellets, hyraceum and associated vegetation in southern Africa: implications for dietary ecology and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions Authors: Carr, Andrew S.; Chase, Brian M.; Boom, Arnoud; Medina-Sanchez, Javier Abstract: Rock hyrax middens are important palaeoenvironmental archives in southern Africa. Carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements on middens (hyraceum) are key components of climate reconstructions, but their interpretations require refinement. Although δ15N in hyraceum often correlates with independent proxies for palaeo-aridity, the impacts of dietary and physiological controls on hyraceum δ15N remain to be resolved. We analyse δ13C and δ15N in plant foliage, hyrax faecal pellets and hyraceum from 21 sites across southern Africa. Faeces are generally depleted in 13C (δ13C typically < −20‰), suggesting significant browsing. Grazing is rarely dominant and probably occurs only when palatable grass is available. Variability in faecal and foliar δ15N is large, but foliar δ15N is positively correlated with faecal δ15N. The diet-faeces δ15N offset is uncorrelated with climate (aridity), but is correlated with %N in faeces. Faecal δ15N is positively correlated with modern hyraceum δ15N, and the relationships with aridity index for foliar and faecal (body tissue) δ15N are comparable. These observations implicate diet as a significant control on hyraceum δ15N and we observe no strong evidence for metabolic controls on hyraceum δ15N. More data are required to refine these relationships, but these observations are consistent with current palaeoenvironmental interpretations of midden δ15N and δ13C. Description: Following the embargo period the above license applies 2016-09-16T14:50:21Z Magnitude, spatial distribution and uncertainty of forest biomass stocks in Mexico http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38080 Title: Magnitude, spatial distribution and uncertainty of forest biomass stocks in Mexico Authors: Rodríguez-Veiga, Pedro; Saatchi, Sassan; Tansey, Kevin; Balzter, Heiko Abstract: Existing forest biomass stock maps show discrepancies with in-situ observations in Mexico. Ground data from the National Forest and Soil Inventory of Mexico (INFyS) were used to calibrate a maximum entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm to generate forest biomass (AGB), its associated uncertainty, and forest probability maps. The input predictor layers for the MaxEnt algorithm were extracted from the moderate resolution imaging spectrometer (MODIS) vegetation index (VI) products, ALOS PALSAR L-band dual-polarization backscatter coefficient images, and the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) digital elevation model. A Jackknife analysis of the model accuracy indicated that the ALOS PALSAR layers have the highest relative contribution (50.9%) to the estimation of AGB, followed by MODIS-VI (32.9%) and SRTM (16.2%). The forest cover mask derived from the forest probability map showed higher accuracy (κ = 0.83) than alternative masks derived from ALOS PALSAR (κ = 0.72–0.78) or MODIS vegetation continuous fields (VCF) with a 10% tree cover threshold (κ = 0.66). The use of different forest cover masks yielded differences of about 30 million ha in forest cover extent and 0.45 Gt C in total carbon stocks. The AGB map showed a root mean square error (RMSE) of 17.3 t C ha⁻¹ and R² = 0.31 when validated at the 250 m pixel scale with inventory plots. The error and accuracy at municipality and state levels were RMSE = ± 4.4 t C ha⁻¹, R² = 0.75 and RMSE = ± 2.1 t C ha⁻¹, R² = 0.94 respectively. We estimate the total carbon stored in the aboveground live biomass of forests of Mexico to be 1.69 Gt C ± 1% (mean carbon density of 21.8 t C ha⁻¹), which agrees with the total carbon estimated by FAO for the FRA 2010 (1.68 Gt C). The new map, derived directly from the biomass estimates of the national inventory, proved to have similar accuracy as existing forest biomass maps of Mexico, but is more representative of the shape of the probability distribution function of AGB in the national forest inventory data. Our results suggest that the use of a non-parametric maximum entropy model trained with forest inventory plots, even at the sub-pixel size, can provide accurate spatial maps for national or regional REDD + applications and MRV systems. 2016-09-14T14:45:35Z Development and application of a catchment scale pesticide fate and transport model for use in drinking water risk assessment http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38052 Title: Development and application of a catchment scale pesticide fate and transport model for use in drinking water risk assessment Authors: Pullan, S. P.; Whelan, Michael J.; Rettino, J.; Filby, K.; Eyre, S.; Holman, I. P. Abstract: This paper describes the development and application of IMPT (Integrated Model for Pesticide Transport), a parameter-efficient tool for predicting diffuse-source pesticide concentrations in surface waters used for drinking water supply. The model was applied to a small UK headwater catchment with high frequency (8h) pesticide monitoring data and to five larger catchments (479-1653km(2)) with sampling approximately every 14days. Model performance was good for predictions of both flow (Nash Sutcliffe Efficiency generally >0.59 and PBIAS <10%) and pesticide concentrations, although low sampling frequency in the larger catchments is likely to mask the true episodic nature of exposure. The computational efficiency of the model, along with the fact that most of its parameters can be derived from existing national soil property data mean that it can be used to rapidly predict pesticide exposure in multiple surface water resources to support operational and strategic risk assessments. 2016-09-13T08:34:40Z Large-Scale Mapping of Forest Aboveground Biomass Retrieval from Maximum Entropy using SAR and Optical Satellite Data and Topographic Variables http://hdl.handle.net/2381/38039 Title: Large-Scale Mapping of Forest Aboveground Biomass Retrieval from Maximum Entropy using SAR and Optical Satellite Data and Topographic Variables Authors: Rodríguez Veiga, Pedro Abstract: A Maximum Entropy (MaxEnt) algorithm was calibrated with ground data to generate living aboveground biomass (AGB), its associated uncertainty, and forest probability maps for Mexico. The input predictor layers were extracted from Optical and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery, as well as from a digital elevation model. The combination of the three spatial datasets showed superior accuracy and lower relative error (0.31 and 58%) than the use of single dataset (0.12 - 0.19, and 62% - 74%) or two datasets (0.25 - 0.28, and 58% - 59%). The AGB map showed a root mean square error (RMSE) of 17.3 t C ha-1 and R2 = 0.31 when validated with inventory plots. The total carbon stored in forests was estimated to be 1.69 Gt C ± 1%, which agrees with the total national estimations. This new map proved to have similar accuracy as previous AGB maps of Mexico, but to be more representative of the shape of the probability distribution function of AGB in the national forest inventory data. Different forest area masks with similar forest definitions but originating from different sensors are widely-used to constrain AGB retrievals. The use of different forest masks yielded differences of about 24.1 million ha in forest cover extent and 0.36 Gt C in total carbon stocks for Mexico. A forest cover mask derived from the combination of spatial datasets showed higher accuracy (κ=0.83) than alternative masks derived from SAR (0.78) or optical datasets (κ=0.66). This work found an increasing AGB trend with elevation in Mexico, and that the allometric relationship between AGB and canopy height (H) at plot level significantly varies within biomes and across the topographic gradient (p-value < 0.001). As a result, the amount of AGB per unit of H at higher altitudes is higher than at lower altitudes. This has implications in the use of generalised models across large areas such as those seen in the tropical carbon maps (TCMs) (Saatchi et al., 2011b, Baccini et al., 2012). TCMs show large discrepancies when compared to in-situ observations and regionally calibrated maps. The use of a single allometry (vs. regional allometry), and the calibration of the algorithm without taking into account regional variations are the main sources of the discrepancies. Errors up to 74% are found in this thesis when using the continental allometry from Saatchi et al. (2011b) over Mexico. The results show that the variability on forest ecosystems play a key role when mapping AGB at larger scales. Thus, approaches that take into account these regional variations, are the way forward to improve these products. 2016-09-09T11:55:52Z DInSAR/PSI hybrid methodologies for ground-motion monitoring http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37974 Title: DInSAR/PSI hybrid methodologies for ground-motion monitoring Authors: Kourkouli, Penelope Abstract: Differential Synthetic Aperture Radar Interferometry (DInSAR) has been established as a significant and powerful remote sensing tool for mapping and monitoring ground motion. Due to the limitations of DInSAR, a multi-temporal approach namely Persistent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) was developed. However, both methodologies, and especially PSI, have still constraints, one being the relatively low spatial coverage of the deformation field in natural terrains. To address the aforementioned problem, the main scope of the present research is the development of a hybrid methodology based on the two already existing and well-established methodologies, DInSAR and PSI. Firstly, the proposed hybrid methodology is tested over a natural terrain in Jordan (Middle East). Compared with the PSI method, the hybrid methodology shows a strong, significant improvement. Results show an improved spatial sampling of persistent scatterers. In the major part of the study area, the point density improved by 25-1000 pixels/ km² and in some parts >1000 pixels/km². Time series comparison between pixel locations from both PSI and hybrid results revealed that both approaches show relatively high consistency. To investigate its potential the hybrid method was additionally performed on a challenging natural terrain in Venice lagoon (NE Italy), where salt marshes exist. Specifically, the awareness of lack of information about the deformation of salt marshes, has driven this research on this area and exploring how fast the deformation rate over such vulnerable terrains is. Results show good potential as methodology for this case as the hybrid method was successfully applied and permitted to retrieve information about the deformation rates over such a complex terrain, whose subsidence cannot be detected easily with other techniques. This achievement is significant as any awareness about vulnerable terrains can help experts and policy makers to prevent their potential loss. 2016-08-16T11:13:40Z The effect of 2D vs. 3D visualisation on lidar point cloud analysis tasks http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37950 Title: The effect of 2D vs. 3D visualisation on lidar point cloud analysis tasks Authors: Burwell, Claire Leonora Abstract: The exploitation of human depth perception is not uncommon in visual analysis of data; medical imagery and geological analysis already rely on stereoscopic 3D visualisation. In contrast, 3D scans of the environment are usually represented on a flat, 2D computer screen, although there is potential to take advantage of both (a) the spatial depth that is offered by the point cloud data, and (b) our ability to see stereoscopically. This study explores whether a stereo 3D analysis environment would add value to visual lidar tasks, compared to the standard 2D display. Forty-six volunteers, all with good stereovision and varying lidar knowledge, viewed lidar data in either 2D or in 3D, on a 4m x 2.4m screen. The first task required 2D and 3D measurement of linear lengths of a planar and a volumetric feature, using an interaction device for point selection. Overall, there was no significant difference in the spread of 2D and 3D measurement distributions for both of the measured features. The second task required interpretation of ten features from individual points. These were highlighted across two areas of interest - a flat, suburban area and a valley slope with a mixture of features. No classification categories were offered to the participant and answers were expressed verbally. Two of the ten features (chimney and cliff-face) were interpreted with a better degree of accuracy using the 3D method and the remaining features had no difference in 2D and 3D accuracy. Using the experiment's data processing and visualisation approaches, results suggest that stereo 3D perception of lidar data does not add value to manual linear measurement. The interpretation results indicate that immersive stereo 3D visualisation does improve the accuracy of manual point cloud classification for certain features. The findings contribute to wider discussions in lidar processing, geovisualisation, and applied psychology. 2016-08-15T11:32:40Z Coastal Community Resilience: Disjuncture, Anxiety and the Change Capacity http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37949 Title: Coastal Community Resilience: Disjuncture, Anxiety and the Change Capacity Authors: Brown, Victoria Jane Abstract: Resilience has become a mainstay of climate change literature however it has long been interpreted to strengthen, support and perpetuate business as usual practices and beliefs; bouncing back to 'normal'. Moreover climate change narratives largely ignore the necessary changes required of countries such as the UK. These changes are not restricted solely to transitioning to low carbon economies, transportation systems and home-life, but relate to attitudes about the land beneath out feet. In the UK focus is most frequently directed towards flooding and although this is and remains a grave concern it is not the only problem. With increasing frequency and magnitude of storms and intensifying rainfall alongside sea level rise, it is not only lowland areas being affected but cliffed coastlines subject to accelerated and augmented erosion. These effects are especially noticeable along the eastern coast of England which is composed largely of glacial moraines, clays, silts and sands. I have focused here on two cliff-top communities in North Norfolk to explore how the communities affected respond and cope, or not, with the changes. Bounce forward resilience shows its usefulness here by including these human aspects and recognising that it is not always possible to 'bounce back', nor should you as the 'business as usual' option may restrict ability to change. Through open interviews, reflective personal notebooks and interactive focus groups issues of disjuncture between control and fix-it tendencies and other social ideals, and the changes occurring are revealed. A triangular framework was employed to assess the extent of lock-in to particular practices and ways of living through open interviews, to explore participant emotional reactions using reflective personal notebooks, and finally undertaking focus groups to investigate capacity for change. Emotional dissonance is evident in witnessing the jarring disappearance of not just houses and landmarks but common understandings, and endeavours to maintain stability, continuity and reassert 'the norm'. This research further reveals the creation of spaces of anxiety out of fear of future risk and compound effects leading to blight both economic and emotional. Thirdly capacity for change is discovered to be crucial in thinking beyond the normal historically accepted attitudes and behaviours, and depends largely on how ready people are to accept change and through social endeavours and community spirit make good a bad situation. The extant issues in North Norfolk represent a larger picture of loss and change around the world, with the possibility for survival through innovation and change. 2016-08-15T11:25:04Z Detecting Forest Degradation in Tropical Forests using Earth Observation Satellites http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37927 Title: Detecting Forest Degradation in Tropical Forests using Earth Observation Satellites Authors: Nuthammachot, Narissara Abstract: Deforestation is a process which has attracted considerable scientific interest in remote sensing and successful paradigms of detecting and monitoring have been presented; however, forest degradation in general is a more complicated case the detection of which presents significant challenges (Herold et al. 2011). Countries have been measuring current rates of degradation with field data and remote sensing imagery. Despite the fact that it is well evident that a combination of these two types of data provides the strongest capabilities (Herold et al. 2011), data on rates and processes of degradation are currently not available for many forested systems and information about factors influencing forest degradation is still limited in developing countries. Therefore, in these cases when assessing degradation they are forced to rely strongly on remote sensing approaches supported by any available field assessments of forest degradation. This research investigates the potential of TerraSAR-X remote sensing satellite images combines with field observations to detect and analyse forest degradation in a tropical forested area in Central Kalimantan, Indonesia. Several speckle noise filters have been tested and the Gamma MAP filter technique with a 7x7 window size is proposed as the best for this case study. Processes leading to classification, TerraSAR-X data (HH/HV and VV/VH dual polarizations) pre-processed with the proposed filter are used to classify logging tracks using feature extraction techniques. The results show that Example-Based classification method is a powerful technique to detect and map logging trails clearly while the same task is not addressed equally well by the Rule Based Feature extraction method. Furthermore, degraded areas, such as non-woody vegetation, logging trails, burned or logged forest were mapped using a combinations of classification algorithms applied on fused datasets from Landsat 5 TM and dual polarized (HH/HV and VV/VH) TerraSAR-X images; it was found that the fusion of SAR data with TerraSAR-X performed better in degraded areas than only TerraSAR-X dual polarization. Based on the backscatter coefficient and in-situ data the potential of SAR data to estimate biomass is evaluated. TerraSAR-X backscatter at HV polarization (R² = 0.413) outperforms in the study area when classifying logged areas, non-woody vegetation and intact classes. Comprehensively, this study demonstrates the potential of short-wavelength satellite radar to detect and characterise the processes of forest degradation from space. 2016-08-09T09:19:26Z Retrieving Forest Characteristics from High-Resolution Airborne S-Band Radar Data http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37924 Title: Retrieving Forest Characteristics from High-Resolution Airborne S-Band Radar Data Authors: Ningthoujam, Ramesh Kumar Abstract: Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) data are utilized for improved mapping of forest cover and biophysical retrieval due to its sensitivity to forest canopy and structure. It is important to study the forest structure and biophysical parameters because it constitutes the major forest aboveground biomass (AGB). The S-band SAR frequency has not been consistently investigated for forest monitoring due to the lack of long-term data. Using the recent AirSAR campaign (2010-2014) over Savernake Forest and Wytham Woods in southern England, this thesis presents methods for analysing S-band SAR data for soil and forest canopies using the radiative transfer Michigan Microwave Canopy Scattering (MIMICS-I) model. The first result chapter shows that dominant scattering behaviour of S-band frequency arises from ground/trunk interactions with little direct crown scattering across all polarisations and incidence angles. The S-band backscatter shows significant sensitivity to both soil moisture content and surface roughness. Simulation experiments related to forest degradation show low co-polarisation backscatter due to reduced canopy component and tree density at S-band. Using the above information, the second result chapter shows that S-band HH- and VV-backscatter and Radar Forest Degradation Index (RFDI) data produces forest/non-forest classification map at 6 m resolution with 70% overall accuracy (kappa coefficient, κ = 0.41) while 63% overall accuracy (kappa coefficient, κ = 0.27) for the 20 m resolution map in a Maximum Likelihood algorithm. S-band data is also useful for mapping various non-forest cover types and monitoring forest cover changes over time due to the loss of volume scattering when forest canopies are removed. Using the field measured forest biomass, the third result chapter reveals that S-band radar backscatter correlates well with forest AGB. A consistent S-band backscatter/ biomass relationship is found, suggesting increasing backscatter sensitivity to forest AGB up to 100 t/ha with least error varying 90.46 - 98.65 t/ha at 25 m resolution (stand level) in low to medium incidence angles. The implications of these results are that S-band SAR data like the longer L-band SAR is highly suitable for mapping forest cover and monitoring cover changes and be able to retrieve low biomass stands below 100 t/ha. 2016-08-09T08:49:45Z Validation of the Tandem-X Intermediate Digital Elevation Model with Airborne LiDAR and Differential GNSS in Kruger National Park http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37847 Title: Validation of the Tandem-X Intermediate Digital Elevation Model with Airborne LiDAR and Differential GNSS in Kruger National Park Authors: Balzter, Heiko; Baade, J.; Rodgers, K. Abstract: The recently released TanDEM-X intermediate digital elevation model (IDEM) product by the German Aerospace Center (DLR) provides elevation models at 12-m spatial resolution and above. It was derived from bistatic synthetic aperture radar (SAR) interferometry using the two TerraSAR-X satellites flying in close constellation. The aim of this study was to validate the vertical accuracy of the IDEM data at study sites in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Two validation locations are presented: a dried up former reservoir (Nhlanganzwani Dam) characterized by bare soil and grassland and the peninsula between the Sabie and Sand Rivers near Skukuza characterized by dense woody cover. The results show that the IDEM elevation data are affected by residual vegetation canopy height and landform features smaller than the IDEM resolution cell. The scattering phase centers are located in the canopy but at a lower height than the location of the LiDAR first return signal. When only LiDAR ground hits or differential GNSS ground survey points are used for comparison, the IDEM data have an rmse <; 1 m and a small bias of less than 0.25 m in moderate terrain. 2016-07-19T12:18:47Z An investigation into the factors influencing the detectability of oil spills using spectral indices in an oil-polluted environment http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37822 Title: An investigation into the factors influencing the detectability of oil spills using spectral indices in an oil-polluted environment Authors: Adamu, Bashir; Tansey, Kevin; Ogutu, Booker Abstract: The aim of this article is to investigate and test the influence of oil spill volume and time gap (number of days between oil spill events and image acquisition date) on normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and normalized difference water index (NDWI). This was carried out to determine the effect of these factors on vegetation condition affected by the oil spill. Based on regression analysis, it was shown that increase in the volume of oil spill resulted in increased deterioration of vegetation condition (estimated using NDVI and NDWI) in the study site. The study also tested how the length of time gap between the oil spill and image acquisition date influences the detectability of impacts of oil spill on vegetation. The results showed that the length of time between image acquisition and oil spill influenced the detectability of impacts of oil spill on vegetation condition. The longer the time between the date of image acquisition and the oil spill event, the lower the detectability of impacts of oil spill on vegetation condition. The NDVI seemed to produce better results than the NDWI. In conclusion, time and volume of oil spill can be important factors influencing the detection of pollution using vegetation indices (VIs) in an oil-polluted environment. 2016-07-07T10:18:00Z 'I'm excited but, I don't want to be unrealistic': The role of hope in shaping aspirations of working class young people in Leicester towards Higher Education http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37782 Title: 'I'm excited but, I don't want to be unrealistic': The role of hope in shaping aspirations of working class young people in Leicester towards Higher Education Authors: Grant, Thomas Andrew Abstract: This study questions how young people hope, aspire and plan towards the future, with a particular emphasis on their perceptions and attitudes towards attending university. Higher Education (HE) has become a mainstream part of transitioning towards adulthood for many young people in the UK; however there remains a political concern that participation rates are unevenly distributed across the country. Widening Participation attempts to redress this inequality amongst those from underrepresented groups. This study therefore illuminates what influences young people's educational aspirations. Working with three secondary schools located in traditionally white working class areas of social housing in the city of Leicester, I used participatory and creative methods to investigate the educational aspirations of working class pupils. I contend that school expectations often differed greatly from the culture of the estate, where education was seldom valued. For some, there was evidence of a clear dissonance between their personal aspirations and those 'high aspirations' for educational success which their school promoted. However, the idea that an 'estate culture' exists was often challenged by other young people, many of whom did aspire to go to university. I found that this aspiration often clashed with family expectations. The process of (re)producing aspirations was often tangled, complex and confusing for young people as they negotiated feelings of close attachment to their neighbourhood, friends and family. This was also complicated by external expectations from schools to 'raise their aspirations' by becoming more mobile and successful (middle class) individuals. My original contribution to knowledge is to empirically test Webb's (2007) hope theory to illuminate how young people use hope when setting aspirations for the future. I question how the conscious act of setting goals as an aspiration, interrelates with the subconscious and embedded understanding of young people's own class identities (habitus). 2016-06-17T09:50:58Z Landscapes in transition: an analysis of sustainable policy initiatives and emerging corporate commitments in the palm oil industry http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37771 Title: Landscapes in transition: an analysis of sustainable policy initiatives and emerging corporate commitments in the palm oil industry Authors: Padfield, Rory; Drew, Simon; Syayuti, Khadijah; Page, Susan E.; Evers, Stephanie; Campos-Arceiz, Ahimsa; Kangayatkarasu, Nagulendran; Sayok, Alex; Hansen, Sune; Schouten, Greetje; Maulidia, Martha; Papagyropoulou, Effie; Tham, Mun Hou Abstract: The recent Southeast Asian haze crisis has generated intense public scrutiny over the rate, methods and types of landscape change in the tropics. Debate has centred on the environmental impacts of large-scale agricultural expansion, particularly the associated loss of high carbon stock forest and forests of high conservation value. Focusing on palm oil—a versatile food crop and source of bioenergy—this paper analyses national, international and corporate policy initiatives in order to clarify the current and future direction of oil palm expansion in Malaysia and Indonesia. The policies of 'zero burn', 'no deforestation' and 'no planting on peatlands' are given particular emphasis in the paper. The landscape implications of corporate commitments are analysed to determine the amount of land, land types and geographies that could be affected in the future. The paper concludes by identifying key questions related to the further study of sustainable land use policy and practice. Description: The file associated with this record is under an 18-month embargo from publication in accordance with the publisher's self-archiving policy. The full text may be available through the publisher links provided above. 2016-06-15T15:08:25Z In the line of fire: the peatlands of Southeast Asia http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37770 Title: In the line of fire: the peatlands of Southeast Asia Authors: Page, Susan E.; Hooijer, A. Abstract: Peatlands are a significant component of the global carbon (C) cycle, yet despite their role as a long-term C sink throughout the Holocene, they are increasingly vulnerable to destabilization. Nowhere is this shift from sink to source happening more rapidly than in Southeast Asia, and nowhere else are the combined pressures of land-use change and fire on peatland ecosystem C dynamics more evident nor the consequences more apparent. This review focuses on the peatlands of this region, tracing the link between deforestation and drainage and accelerating C emissions arising from peat mineralization and fire. It focuses on the implications of the recent increase in fire occurrence for air quality, human health, ecosystem resilience and the global C cycle. The scale and controls on peat-driven C emissions are addressed, noting that although fires cause large, temporary peaks in C flux to the atmosphere, year-round emissions from peat mineralization are of a similar magnitude. The review concludes by advocating land management options to reduce future fire risk as part of wider peatland management strategies, while also proposing that this region's peat fire dynamic could become increasingly relevant to northern peatlands in a warming world. This article is part of the themed issue 'The interaction of fire and mankind'. 2016-06-15T14:49:18Z Placing Security: Food, Geographical Knowledge(s) and the Reproduction of Place(lessness) http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37757 Title: Placing Security: Food, Geographical Knowledge(s) and the Reproduction of Place(lessness) Authors: Coles, Benjamin F. Description: The file associated with this record is under embargo while permission to archive is sought from the publisher. The full text may be available through the publisher links above. 2016-06-14T14:36:05Z Negotiating the educational spaces of urban multiculture: Skills, competencies and college life http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37737 Title: Negotiating the educational spaces of urban multiculture: Skills, competencies and college life Authors: Bennett, Katy J.; Cochrane, Allan; Mohan, Giles; Neal, Sarah Abstract: This paper contributes to research on urban multiculture and debates as to how people routinely live and experience ethnic diversity in their everyday lives. This research takes an 'unpanicked' approach to multiculture that sits differently to, although not unaffected by, multiculturalism as policy objective and those debates around multiculturalism that variously celebrate cultural difference or construct it through crisis talk. Critical to this paper are the routine phenomenologies of multiculture and the everyday practices, competencies and skills of young people attending college. Because of their diverse intakes and the openness of young people to difference, colleges are key sites within which urban multiculture is experienced and through which it is defined. Based on participant observation, repeat in-depth discussion groups and interviews, the focus of this paper is young adults attending post-16 colleges and schools in three ethnically diverse urban locations. Colleges and schools are urban spaces that mediate sociality and student experience but are also woven into the wider urban setting in which they are placed. The paper explores the skills and competencies that young adults develop to negotiate college and we particularly focus on their use of jokes and the exercise of restraint to get along with others. 2016-06-14T09:14:55Z Methods to Quantify Regional Differences in Land Cover Change http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37535 Title: Methods to Quantify Regional Differences in Land Cover Change Authors: Comber, Alexis; Balzter, Heiko; Cole, Beth; Fisher, Peter; Johnson, Sarah C. M.; Ogutu, Booker Abstract: This paper describes and illustrates methods for quantifying regional differences in land use/land cover changes. A series of approaches are used to analyse differences in land cover change from data held in change matrices. These are contingency tables and are commonly used in remote sensing to describe the spatial coincidence of land cover recorded over two time periods. Comparative analyses of regional change are developed using odds ratios to analyse data in two regions. These approaches are extended using generalised linear models to analyse data for three or more regions. A generalised Poisson regression model is used to generate a comparative index of change based on differences in change likelihoods. Mosaic plots are used to provide a visual representation of statistically surprising land use losses and gains. The methods are explored using a hypothetical but tractable dataset and then applied to a national case study of coastal land use changes over 50 years conducted for the National Trust. The suitability of the different approaches to different types of problem and the potential for their application to land cover accuracy measures are briefly discussed. 2016-05-13T10:17:49Z Mapping regional patterns of large forest fires in Wildland-Urban Interface areas in Europe http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37534 Title: Mapping regional patterns of large forest fires in Wildland-Urban Interface areas in Europe Authors: Modugno, Sirio; Balzter, Heiko; Cole, Beth; Borrelli, Pasquale Abstract: Over recent decades, Land Use and Cover Change (LUCC) trends in many regions of Europe have reconfigured the landscape structures around many urban areas. In these areas, the proximity to landscape elements with high forest fuels has increased the fire risk to people and property. These Wildland-Urban Interface areas (WUI) can be defined as landscapes where anthropogenic urban land use and forest fuel mass come into contact. Mapping their extent is needed to prioritize fire risk control and inform local forest fire risk management strategies. This study proposes a method to map the extent and spatial patterns of the European WUI areas at continental scale. Using the European map of WUI areas, the hypothesis is tested that the distance from the nearest WUI area is related to the forest fire probability. Statistical relationships between the distance from the nearest WUI area, and large forest fire incidents from satellite remote sensing were subsequently modelled by logistic regression analysis. The first European scale map of the WUI extent and locations is presented. Country-specific positive and negative relationships of large fires and the proximity to the nearest WUI area are found. A regional-scale analysis shows a strong influence of the WUI zones on large fires in parts of the Mediterranean regions. Results indicate that the probability of large burned surfaces increases with diminishing WUI distance in touristic regions like Sardinia, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, or in regions with a strong peri-urban component as Catalunya, Comunidad de Madrid, Comunidad Valenciana. For the above regions, probability curves of large burned surfaces show statistical relationships (ROC value > 0.5) inside a 5000 m buffer of the nearest WUI. Wise land management can provide a valuable ecosystem service of fire risk reduction that is currently not explicitly included in ecosystem service valuations. The results re-emphasise the importance of including this ecosystem service in landscape valuations to account for the significant landscape function of reducing the risk of catastrophic large fires. 2016-05-13T10:08:36Z Predictive Models of Primary Tropical Forest Structure from Geomorphometric Variables Based on SRTM in the Tapajós Region, Brazilian Amazon http://hdl.handle.net/2381/37533 Title: Predictive Models of Primary Tropical Forest Structure from Geomorphometric Variables Based on SRTM in the Tapajós Region, Brazilian Amazon Authors: Bispo, Polyanna da Conceição; Dos Santos, João Roberto; Valeriano, Márcio de Morisson; Graça, Paulo Maurício Lima de Alencastro; Balzter, Heiko; França, Helena; Bispo, Pitágoras da Conceição Abstract: Surveying primary tropical forest over large regions is challenging. Indirect methods of relating terrain information or other external spatial datasets to forest biophysical parameters can provide forest structural maps at large scales but the inherent uncertainties need to be evaluated fully. The goal of the present study was to evaluate relief characteristics, measured through geomorphometric variables, as predictors of forest structural characteristics such as average tree basal area (BA) and height (H) and average percentage canopy openness (CO). Our hypothesis is that geomorphometric variables are good predictors of the structure of primary tropical forest, even in areas, with low altitude variation. The study was performed at the Tapajós National Forest, located in the Western State of Pará, Brazil. Forty-three plots were sampled. Predictive models for BA, H and CO were parameterized based on geomorphometric variables using multiple linear regression. Validation of the models with nine independent sample plots revealed a Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 3.73 m²/ha (20%) for BA, 1.70 m (12%) for H, and 1.78% (21%) for CO. The coefficient of determination between observed and predicted values were r² = 0.32 for CO, r² = 0.26 for H and r² = 0.52 for BA. The models obtained were able to adequately estimate BA and CO. In summary, it can be concluded that relief variables are good predictors of vegetation structure and enable the creation of forest structure maps in primary tropical rainforest with an acceptable uncertainty. 2016-05-13T09:57:12Z