Song as an attractant for male and female European starlings,and the influence of song complexity on their response

Summary We tested the hypothesis that song attracts females and repels males in the European starling. We broadcast recorded song from speakers attached to nestboxes, while paired boxes with silent speakers served as controls. As predicted, females were attracted to the song boxes. Contrary to prediction, males were also attracted to the `song' boxes. Singing by male starlings may be costly because it attracts competitors for limited nesting sites, but the cost cannot be avoided due to the need to attract a mate. In a second experiment simple song (composed of 20 different phrase types) and complex song (40 phrase types) were played simultaneously. More males were captured at boxes where simple song was played. Song complexity may function as an indicator of male quality and be used by male starlings to assess potential competitors.     

Woodstove emission measurement methods: Comparison and emission factors update

On February 26, 1988, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency promulgated Standards of Performance for residential wood heaters, or woodstoves. Over the past several years, a number of field studies have been undertaken to determine the actual level of emission reduction achieved by new technology woodstoves in everyday use. These studies have required the development and use of particulate and gaseous emission sampling equipment compatible with operation in private houses. Since woodstoves are tested for certification in the laboratory using EPA Methods 5G and 5H, it is of substantial interest to determine the correlation between these regulatory methods and the in-house equipment. Two in-house sampling systems have been used most widely. One is an intermittent, pump-driven particulate sampler which collects particulate and condensable organics on a filter and organic adsorbent resin. Oxygen concentration is measured by a sensor in the sample line. The sampler is controlled by a data logger which also records other parameters of interest. The second system uses an evacuated cylinder as the motive force. Particulate and condensable organics are collected in a condenser and dual filter. The sampler operates continuously whenever the stack temperature is above the set point. Average stack gas concentrations are measured from the evacuated cylinder at the conclusion of the sampling period. Both samplers were designed to operate unattended for 1-week periods. A large number of tests have been run comparing Methods 5G and 5H to both of the field samplers. This paper presents these comparison data and determines the relationships between laboratory certification sampling methods and field samplers.     

Analysing the sensitivity behaviour of two hydrology models

Recently, the New Morris Method has been presented as an effective sensitivity analysis tool for mathematical models. The New Morris Method estimates the sensitivity of an output parameter to a given set of input parameters (first-order effects) and the extent these parameters interact with each other (second-order effects). This method requires the specification of two parameters (runs and resolution) that control the sampling of the output parameter to determine its sensitivity to various inputs. The criteria for these parameters have been set on the analysis of a well-behaved analytical function (see Cropp and Braddock, Reliab. Eng. Syst. Saf. 78:77–83, 2002), which may not be applicable to other physical models that describe complex processes. This paper will investigate the appropriateness of the criteria from (Cropp and Braddock, 2002) and hence the effectiveness of the New Morris Method to determine the sensitivity behaviour of two hydrologic models: the Soil Erosion and Deposition System and Griffith University Representation of Urban Hydrology. In the first case, this paper will separately analyse the sensitivity of an output parameter on a set of input parameters (first- and second-order effects) for each model and discuss the physical meaning of these sensitivities. This will be followed by an investigation into the sampling criteria by exploring the convergence of the sensitivity behaviour for each model as the sampling of the parameter space is increased. By comparing these trends to the convergence behaviour from Cropp and Braddock (2002), we will determine how well the New Morris Method estimates the sensitivity for each model and whether the sampling criteria are appropriate for these models. It will be shown that the New Morris Method can provide additional insight into the functioning of these models, and that, under a different metric, the sensitivity behaviour of these models does converge confirming the sampling criteria set by Cropp and Braddock.     

Impact of desertification on temperature trends in the Middle East

The intense interest in desertification and climate change has stimulated detailed studies of temperature records in many areas of the world. In this investigation, the temperature records from the Middle East region are analyzed over the period 1950–1990. Results reveal a linear, statistically significant temperature increase of 0.07 °C/decade over the 41-year period. An analysis of spatial controls on these temperature changes reveals a warming effect associated with both overgrazing and the degree of human-induced desertification. The results of this study are consistent with theoretical and empirical studies predicting and demonstrating a warming signal associated with these land surface changes in the world's dryland areas.     

Environmental quality control and environmental games

Conclusion  In this paper we have considered a specific environmental game emphasizing both control-prevention efforts and the propensity to pollute by a firm which adopts a given pollution abatement technology. A random payoff game was constructed and solved under a risk neutral assumption and quadratic utilities for both the firm and the environmental controller. The game thus defined, provides a wide range of interpretations and potential approaches for selecting a control-inspection policies to prevent environmental risks. There are of course many facets to this problem, which could be considered and have not been considered in sufficient depth. For example, more complex control mechanisms and liabilities, the effects of insurance and risk sharing, the application of cooperative efforts and subvention of pollution abatement investments (through tax incentives and their like), etc. have not been considered [5,7]. These are topics for further research. The basic presumption of this paper is that it is very difficult to fully enforce pollution prevention by firms, as a result, some controls are needed to ensure that firms be controlled so that appropriate efforts are carried.     

Dynamic taxation schemes to manage irrigation-induced salinity

This paper uses a dynamic model to explore the issue of irrigation-induced salinity, which puts irrigation at risk in most irrigated areas throughout the world. We address the design of instruments that an irrigation district board could implement to induce irrigators to take sustainable irrigation decisions. In our approach, the irrigators located above an aquifer participate in the accumulation of groundwater, a stock pollution. We analyse input-based instruments to induce the agents to follow the optimal stock path.     

Integrating disciplinary research into an interdisciplinary framework: A case study in sustainability research

The complexity of today’s research problems increasingly demands that scientists move beyond the confines of their own discipline. In this special issue, the basics of a transdisciplinary framework are established and problems analyzed in a specific discipline are successfully integrated in this transdisciplinary network. The intent has been to go beyond only statements about the importance of enabling early stage researchers to work across disciplinary boundaries, and to show that important discoveries are being made at the intersection of disciplines. Embedding various research projects in a more global framework can meet the demands of an interdisciplinary or transdisciplinary approach (especially for early stage researchers) and contribute significantly to sustainable research.     

A study on the orbit of air temperature movement

In this paper, we describe an air temperature movement by mapping its time series to the polar coordinates: the value of the time series is plotted on the radial coordinate and the time on the angular coordinate. In this way, both the yearly and daily air temperature movements from five different locations of China are used to demonstrate that, in an intuitionistic view, air temperature movement is neither random nor chaotic, but has its own orbit. We then propose an elliptic orbit model for the air temperature movement. Our proposed model provides quite good results when it is applied to the evaluation of yearly air temperature movements in eight locations in various parts of the world, and the evaluation of daily air temperature movements in five locations in Hunan Province of China on December 17, 2005. Results show that our approach provides a concise and helpful model for air temperature analysis.     

Second derivative spectroscopy for the determination of volatilized ammonia from urea-amended soil

A second derivative spectrometer custom fitted with a 1 m stainless steel White cell and maintained at 105°C is used to make real-time measurements of volatilized NH₃ from urea-amended soil. Comparison of the technique to impinger data shows a 5–16% discrepancy between the two techniques; however, other experiments presented suggests that this is not real. Sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide interferences are discussed, though they were not found to be present in this study. Instrument response time is shown to be fast if 67% of the total response is achieved in less than 5 min. Fast response is achieved for ammonia if wall-adsorption effects are minimal and if ammonia mass flow is maintained at 0.2 μg min^-1.