Biodiversity protection funding preference: a case study of hotspot geoinformatics and digital governance for the Map of Italian Nature in the presence of multiple indicators of ecological value,ecological sensitivity and anthropic pressure for the Oltrepò Pavese and Ligurian-Emilian Apennine study area in Italy

The environmental decision-maker is aware of the increasing difficulties in finding sufficient financial resources for nature conservation. So he must focus his attention on ecological situations that more than the others merit considering and defending because of elevated value but also because of risk for their intrinsic characteristics and for human pressure acting on them. Usually an ecological scientist focuses his attention on the natural patches of the landscape, analyzing their peculiar ecological traits forgetting that, even if we want to protect some environmental critical situations, this can be done only moving to the administrative partition of the territory since the central and local environmental stakeholders have primary interest in providing funds to those involved in those critical situations. The present work shows a methodological approach, consisting of a set of statistical and geoinformational tools, considering both ecological and socio-demographical indicators. The goal is not simply to give some general guidelines for environmental policies to the involved stakeholders but focuses more on finding out which administrative local partitions in a study area are more worthy to receive urgently the priority funds for biodiversity protection to face critical environmental situations often due to a combination of intrinsic ecological parameters and external human pressure ones. Obtaining results that cover 5% of the Communes involved in the area seems to be a realistic result that a decision-maker can support and fund. Methodologically and geospatial data analytically, the investigation offers interesting challenges for surveillance geoinformatics of hotspot detection and prioritization, because of the presence of multiple hotspots and multiple sets of multiple indicators.     

Dissolved methane in Indian freshwater reservoirs

Emission of methane (CH₄), a potent greenhouse gas, from tropical reservoirs is of interest because such reservoirs experience conducive conditions for CH₄ production through anaerobic microbial activities. It has been suggested that Indian reservoirs have the potential to emit as much as 33.5 MT of CH₄ per annum to the atmosphere. However, this estimate is based on assumptions rather than actual measurements. We present here the first data on dissolved CH₄ concentrations from eight freshwater reservoirs in India, most of which experience seasonal anaerobic conditions and CH₄ buildup in the hypolimnia. However, strong stratification prevents the CH₄-rich subsurface layers to ventilate CH₄ directly to the atmosphere, and surface water CH₄ concentrations in these reservoirs are generally quite low (0.0028–0.305 μM). Moreover, only in two small reservoirs substantial CH₄ accumulation occurred at depths shallower than the level where water is used for power generation and irrigation, and in the only case where measurements were made in the outflowing water, CH₄ concentrations were quite low. In conjunction with short periods of CH₄ accumulation and generally lower concentrations than previously assumed, our study implies that CH₄ emission from Indian reservoirs has been greatly overestimated.     

Preliminary prioritization based on partial order theory and R software for compositional complexes in landscape ecology,with applications to restoration,remediation, and enhancement

The present purpose is to provide convenient computational capability and visualizations for preliminary partial or progressive prioritization based largely on concepts of partial order theory and implemented in R software as illustrated in a context of conservation and sustainable stewardship across landscapes with ecosystem services as a complex multidimensional domain that must be placed in public and private perspective in pursuit of multi-resource management. Practical perspective is promoted by graphic visualization with local partial order modeling (LPOM) methods for screening of settings and scenarios involving interactions of ecosystem elements as evidenced by environmental indicators. ORDIT ordering and precedence plots arise from ascribed advantage as an outcome of a rating regime. Representative ranks constitute criteria drawn from the rank distribution for the case in question. Distal data are determined with regard to remediation and retention. Median mismatches reflect interplay of indicators appearing as isolated instances in plotting patterns. A suggested strategy to circumvent computational constraints is partitioning the pool of cases into collectives by clustering, pursuing classes of partitions, and then prioritizing in particular partitions. When prime prospects have been obtained, detailed determinations can be done with partial ordering procedures involving Hasse diagrams and similarly complex constructs that are difficult to apply with many cases and/or indicator criteria.     

A multiscale hierarchical Markov transition matrix model for generating and analyzing thematic raster maps

A model is described for generating hierarchically scaled spatial pattern as represented in a thematic raster map. The model involves a series of Markov transition matrices, one for each level in the scaling hierarchy. In full generality, the model allows the transition matrices to be different at each level, potentially making available a large number of parameters for landscape characterization. The model is self-similar when the transition matrices are all equal. A method is presented for fitting the model to data that take the form of a single-resolution thematic raster map. Explicit analytic solutions are obtained for the fitted parameters. The fitting method is based on a relationship between the hierarchical transitions in the model and spatial transitions at varying distance scales in the data map, a categorical analogy of the geostatistical variogram.     

Cost analysis of composite sampling for classification

When an environmental sampling objective is to classify all the sample units as contaminated or not, composite sampling with selective retesting can substantially reduce costs by reducing the number of units that require direct analysis. The tradeoff, however, is increased complexity that has its own hidden costs. For this reason, we propose a model for assessing the relative cost, expressed as the ratio of total expected cost with compositing to total expected cost without compositing (initial exhaustive testing). Expressions are derived for the following retesting protocols: (i) exhaustive, (ii) sequential and (iii) binary split. The effects of both false positive and false negative rates are also derived and incorporated. The derived expressions of relative cost are illustrated for a range of values for various cost components that reflect typical costs incurred with hazardous waste site monitoring. Results allow those who are designing sampling plans to evaluate if any of these compositing/retesting protocols will be cost effective for particular applications.     

Modelling the Size Separated Particulate Matter (SSPM10) from Vehicular Exhaust at Traffic Intersections in Mumbai

The study was carried out to predict the size separated particulate matter below 10 microm size (SSPM10) from vehicular exhausts at traffic intersections using modified general finite line source model (GFLSM). Two air quality control regions (AQCRs) were selected in Mumbai City for this study. One was industrial area (AQCR1) containing the busy intersection, i.e. Marol link road, with the heavy inflow of two-three wheelers. And, the other was commercial busy district area (AQCR2) containing the busy intersection, i.e. Dadar circle, with a heavy traffic flow especially cars. The model was applied at both the traffic intersections. The data were collected for modelling study for three winter months in 1995 using cascade impactor of nine size ranges. The prediction results revealed that modified GFLSM underpredicted the SSPM10 concentrations for all the size ranges. However, showed considerable correlation between observed and predicted values for the size range below 4.7 microm at both the intersections. The relative high concentrations observed in the coarser range of 10-4.7 microm are attributed to the resuspension of the roadside particulate matter. Hence, the amount of underprediction was more for this range, which was due to the characteristics of model that does not take into account the factor for resuspension of roadside particulate matter caused by traffic movements. The model was also applied to predict the total particulate matter for downwind distances from the road intersection. The statistical evaluation of model was done, which indicated that the model's performance was good for the finer range of particles (below 4.7 microm) with r-square values of 0.49 and 0.57 found at both the intersections in AQCR1 and AQCR2, respectively. However, it is not unusual that the model uncertainty is likely to exist due to data input errors and stochastic fluctuations irrespective of the models accurateness. The statistical distribution model was therefore identified using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. At both the intersections, SSPM10 concentration data were found lognormally distributed.     

Effect of FSH and LH on testis during nonbreeding season in Calotes versicolor (Daud.)

Histological and biochemical studies carried out on the male reproductive organs of the Indian garden lizard, Calotes versicolor after the treatment with pituitary gonadotrophins (FSH and LH), showed a significant increase in the weight, protein content and diameter of testis, but decrease in its cholesterol. The spermatogonia, spermatocytes and spermatids increased significantly in the germinal epithelium of seminiferous tubule, and spermatozoa appeared in its lumen. The Leydig and Sertoli cells were hypertrophied with increase in their nuclear diameter. The epidymal weight, diameter and protein content also increased after gonadotrophins treatment. There was a significant decrease in the testicular cholesterol indicating the utilization of cholesterol for steroid hormone synthesis. The combined gonadotrophin (FSH + LH) treatment was more effective than the individual gonadotrophin treatment.