A grazing experiment was started in 1984 and 1989 respectively, in two parts of a dune grassland in the nature reserve ‘Zwanenwater’,
North Holland; a third part with similar geology and topography was used as a control area and not grazed. An evaluation of
the effects of grazing on vegetation patterns, species composition, vegetation structure and humus form was made with the
help of vegetation maps from 1986 and 1992 as well as field surveys.
Dense tall-grass communities dominated byAmmophila arenaria increased over the period 1986–1992 in the grazed areas, and especially in the non-grazed area (increase in area to 20%,
22% and 50%, respectively). Open communities decreased in the grazed areas, but are still prevalent, while in the ungrazed
area they virtually disappeared, with the result that the present percentage areas are 53%, 38% and 17%.
Field survey data were classified by TWINSPAN producing four vegetation types. These occur more or less equally in grazed
and ungrazed areas, albeit with different percentage areas: (1) open vegetation dominated byCorynephorus canescens; (2) open vegetation characteized, byKoeleria macrantha; (3) heathland dominated byEmpetrum nigrum; and (4) tall-grass communities dominated byAmmophila arenaria. Within a vegetation type, species composition was only marginally affected by grazing regime.
Within the open communities the number of species, vegetation height, vegetation cover and soil organic horizons were not
affected by grazing. In the tall-grass communities the number of species was significantly larger and the height of the vegetation
significantly lower in the area grazed since 1984. In the heathland community the number of species and cover of the moss
layer were significantly higher in the 1984 area and ectorganic and endorganic horizons significantly thicker in the ungrazed
area.
It is suggested that these effects are the result of an increased availability of light, but possibly also of a decreased
stock of organic matter and nutrients, due to a decreased input of litter and accelerated rates of decomposition. 相似文献
An increase in the likelihood of navigational collisions in port waters has put focus on the collision avoidance process in port traffic safety. The most widely used on-board collision-avoidance system is the automatic radar plotting aid which is a passive warning system that triggers an alert based on the pilot’s pre-defined indicators of distance and time proximities at the closest point of approaches in encounters with nearby vessels. To better help pilot in decision making in close quarter situations, collision risk should be considered as a continuous monotonic function of the proximities and risk perception should be considered probabilistically. This paper derives an ordered probit regression model to study perceived collision risks. To illustrate the procedure, the risks perceived by Singapore port pilots were obtained to calibrate the regression model. The results demonstrate that a framework based on the probabilistic risk assessment model can be used to give a better understanding of collision risk and to define a more appropriate level of evasive actions. 相似文献
Objective: This article discusses the characteristics and injury patterns of serious road injuries (Maximum Abbreviated Injury Scale [MAIS] 2+ inpatients) in The Netherlands.
Methods: In The Netherlands, the actual number of serious injuries is estimated by linking police data to hospital data. The distribution of serious road injuries over (1) travel mode and gender and (2) crash type and age are compared for the years 2000 and 2011. Moreover, the distribution of the injuries over the body regions is illustrated using colored injury body profiles.
Results: The number of serious injuries is higher for men than for women and increased from 16,500 in 2000 to 19,700 in 2011. In 2011, about half (51%) of the serious road injuries were due to a bicycle crash not involving a motor vehicle. The share of casualties aged 60 years and older is relatively high (43% in 2011) in these crashes. The injury body profiles show that head injuries (31%) and injuries to the lower extremities (37%) are most prevalent. Compared to other travel modes, pedestrians and riders of powered 2-wheelers relatively often sustain lower-leg injuries compared to other travel modes. Head injuries are most prevalent in cyclists who are injured in a crash with a motorized vehicle. Cyclists who are injured in a crash not involving a motor vehicle and casualties of 60 years and older relatively often include hip or upper-leg injuries.
Conclusion: The characteristics of serious road injuries differ from those of fatalities and the distribution of injuries over the body differs by travel mode, gender, and age. 相似文献