The role of agent-based models in wildlife ecology and management

Conservation planning of critical habitats for wildlife species at risk is a priority topic that requires the knowledge of how animals select and use their habitat, and how they respond to future developmental changes in their environment. This paper explores the role of a habitat-modeling methodological approach, agent-based modeling, which we advocate as a promising approach for ecological research. Agent-based models (ABMs) are capable of simultaneously distinguishing animal densities from habitat quality, can explicitly represent the environment and its dynamism, can accommodate spatial patterns of inter- and intra-species mechanisms, and can explore feedbacks and adaptations inherent in these systems. ABMs comprise autonomous, individual entities; each with dynamic, adaptive behaviors and heterogeneous characteristics that interact with each other and with their environment. These interactions result in emergent outcomes that can be used to quantitatively examine critical habitats from the individual- to population-level. ABMs can also explore how wildlife will respond to potential changes in environmental conditions, since they can readily incorporate adaptive animal-movement ecology in a changing landscape. This paper describes the necessary elements of an ABM developed specifically for understanding wildlife habitat selection, reviews the current empirical literature on ABMs in wildlife ecology and management, and evaluates the current and future roles these ABMs can play, specifically with regards to scenario planning of designated critical habitats.     

面向安全管理的安全情报服务能力影响因素研究*

为研究安全情报服务能力影响因素,根据安全情报与情报服务理论,提出安全情报服务定义及内涵,以4个基本原则为指导,面向安全管理全过程,构建并解析面向安全管理的安全情报服务能力影响因素模型,并提出安全情报服务能力建设的工作建议。研究结果表明:面向安全管理的安全情报服务能力影响因素包括安全情报服务顶层设计、安全情报服务机制和安全情报服务保障3个一级影响因素,且一级影响因素可进一步细分为10个二级影响因素。研究结果可为提升面向安全管理的安全情报服务能力提供重要支撑。     

Hidden Markov models for circular and linear-circular time series

We introduce a new class of circular time series based on hidden Markov models. These are compared with existing models, their properties are outlined and issues relating to parameter estimation are discussed. The new models conveniently describe multi-modal circular time series as dependent mixtures of circular distributions. Two examples from biology and meteorology are used to illustrate the theory. Finally, we introduce a hidden Markov model for bivariate linear-circular time series and use it to describe larval movement of the fly Drosophila. Received: September 2003 / Revised: March 2004     

知识经济在重庆可持续发展中的作用

知识经济是城市经济增长和社会可持续发展的重要基础,信息产业和高科技产业已成为推动经济增长的主导产业。结合重庆市的经济、资源环境发展现状,分析重庆发展知识经济的必要性和可行性,通过对重庆直辖以来资源环境可持续能力的评估和高新产业的发展调查,论证了高新产业的发展对资源环境的可持续发展的促进作用,并针对存在的不足提出了政策建议。     

我国规模化畜禽养殖业存在的环境问题与防治对策

近年来，由于我国畜禽养殖业的养殖规模、养殖方式和分布区域发生了巨大的变化，它所带来的环境污染问题总体呈现出总量增加、程度加剧和范围扩大的趋势，归纳了我国规模化畜禽养殖业环境污染的特点，从生产、技术、政策和管理上分析了影响我国畜禽养殖业环境污染的主要因素，并提出了污染防治的对策建议，即借鉴发达国家畜禽养殖业的环境管理经验，以减量化、资源化、无害化及实用、廉价为原则，合理规划、防治结合，努力探索一条具有中国特色的规模化畜禽养殖污染防治道路。     

大数据技术在环境执法工作中的应用研究

随着大数据技术在各领域的逐步应用,已经有不少成功的案例来证明其确实可以解决之前通过常规信息化手段无法解决的问题;特别是在将大数据与人工智能结合以后,基于底层海量数据的"智能"分析,对于实时性要求比较高的业务的决策辅助,有非常好的应用效果.而环境保护管理工作复杂、专业、涉及面广、信息量大的特点,非常适合采用大数据技术;特别对于排污企业的执法检查工作,通过打造"环境大数据平台"为环境执法者提供第二个大脑,将真正为环境执法工作对精细化、精准化发展的目标服务.     

Selecting suitable sites for animal waste application using a raster GIS

Rapid growth of intensive animal industries in southeast Queensland, Australia, has led to large volumes of animal waste production, which posses serious environmental problems in the Murray Darling Basin (MDB). This study presents a method of selecting sites for the safe application of animal waste as fertiliser to agricultural land. A site suitability map for the Westbrook subcatchment within the MDB was created using a geographic information system (GIS)-based weighted linear combination (WLC) model. The factors affecting the suitability of a site for animal waste application were selected, and digital data sets derived from up to 1:50,000 scale maps were acquired. After initial preprocessing, digital data sets were clipped to the size of the delineated subcatchment boundary producing input factors. These input factors were weighted using the analytical hierarchy process (AHP) that employed an objectives-oriented comparison (OOC) technique to formulate the pairwise comparison matrix. The OOC technique, which is capable of deriving factor weight independently, formulated the weight derivation process by making it more logical and systematic. The factor attributes were classified into multiple classes and weighted using the AHP. The effects of the number of input factors and factor weighting on the areal extent and the degree of site suitability were examined. Due to the presence of large nonagricultural and residential areas in the subcatchment, only 16% of the area was found suitable for animal waste application. The areal extent resulting from this site suitability assessment was found to be dependent on the areal constraints imposed on each input factor, while the degree of suitability was principally a function of the weight distribution between the factors.     

Ethics and farm animal welfare

In this paper the authors argue that ethical considerations are relevant for evaluating animal production systems and that in consequence agrologists should seriously consider the arguments of animal welfare supporters. Furthermore, the authors point out the ethical basis for some (though not all) of the conclusions proposed by supporters of animal welfare. In consequence it is necessary to determine the nature of animal welfare and methods of evaluating the welfare of animals and to recognize when production systems fail to satisfy the needs of animals.     

Organizing knowledge for tutoring fire loss prevention

The San Bernardino National Forest in southern California has recently developed a systematic approach to wildfire prevention planning. However, a comprehensive document or other mechanism for teaching this process to other prevention personnel does not exist. Anintelligent tutorial expert system is being constructed to provide a means for learning the process and to assist in the creation of specific prevention plans. An intelligent tutoring system (ITS) contains two types of knowledge—domain and tutoring. The domain knowledge for wildfire prevention is structured around several foci: (1) individual concepts used in prevention planning; (2) explicitly specified interrelationships between concepts; (3) deductive methods that contain subjective judgment normally unavailable to less-experienced users; (4) analytical models of fire behavior used for identification of hazard areas; (5) how-to guidance needed for performance of planning tasks; and (6) expository information that provides a rationale for planning steps and ideas. Combining analytical, procedure, inferential, conceptual, and expositional knowledge into a tutoring environment provides the student and/or user with a multiple perspective of the subject matter. Aconcept network provides a unifying framework for structuring and utilizing these diverse forms of prevention planning knowledge. This network structure borrows from and combines semantic networks and frame-based knowledge representations. The flexibility of this organization facilitates an effective synthesis and organization of multiple knowledge forms.