A short slideshow describing how we used citizen science data to assess the status and ecology of Secretarybirds (Sagittarius serpentarius) in South Africa.
This document summarizes findings from citizen science data on secretarybird populations in South Africa. Analysis of data from the Southern African Bird Atlas Projects and Coordinated Avifaunal Roadcounts showed that secretarybird reporting rates have declined in most provinces, with the strongest declines in the Eastern Cape, Free State, and Northern Cape. The data also indicated that secretarybirds prefer natural habitats to transformed habitats, though they are still seen more often in transformed areas in the Western Cape due to habitat loss. Overall, the South African secretarybird population appears to be declining due to habitat loss and bush encroachment.
Presented during the 17h Annual Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group Meeting organized by the NGO Sahara Conservation Fund in Senegal, from 4 to 6 May 2017. The Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) gathers every year about a hundred people who are interested in the field of Sahelo-Saharan species conservation.
Dr. Sakthi Kumaran Subburayalu - Which Soils Should Respond To Sulfur Applica...John Blue
Which Soils Should Respond To Sulfur Applications - Dr. Sakthi Kumaran Subburayalu, Central State University, from the 2018 Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference, March 6 - 7, Ada, OH, USA.
More presentations at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZBwPfKdlk4SB63zZy16kyA
Presented during the 17h Annual Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group Meeting organized by the NGO Sahara Conservation Fund in Senegal, from 4 to 6 May 2017. The Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) gathers every year about a hundred people who are interested in the field of Sahelo-Saharan species conservation.
Presented by Aklilu Mekasha and Mesfin Dejene (Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research) at the Workshop on Identifying Investment Opportunities for Livestock Feed Resources Development in the Eastern Africa Sub-Region, ILRI Addis, 13-15 December 2017
A diachronic study on the evolution of the main ecosystems Tassili / Ahaggar ...Sahara Conservation Fund
Presented during the 17h Annual Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group Meeting organized by the NGO Sahara Conservation Fund in Senegal, from 4 to 6 May 2017. The Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) gathers every year about a hundred people who are interested in the field of Sahelo-Saharan species conservation.
This slideshow uses the data from the Second Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP2) to show how Spotted Flycathers arrive and depart from southern Africa
SABAP2 is the most important bird conservation project in South Africa. This is because conservation interventions depend on knowing the distributions of species and how they are changing. This is a slideshare of the Barn Swallow Seasonality, Migration and Breeding.
This document summarizes findings from citizen science data on secretarybird populations in South Africa. Analysis of data from the Southern African Bird Atlas Projects and Coordinated Avifaunal Roadcounts showed that secretarybird reporting rates have declined in most provinces, with the strongest declines in the Eastern Cape, Free State, and Northern Cape. The data also indicated that secretarybirds prefer natural habitats to transformed habitats, though they are still seen more often in transformed areas in the Western Cape due to habitat loss. Overall, the South African secretarybird population appears to be declining due to habitat loss and bush encroachment.
Presented during the 17h Annual Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group Meeting organized by the NGO Sahara Conservation Fund in Senegal, from 4 to 6 May 2017. The Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) gathers every year about a hundred people who are interested in the field of Sahelo-Saharan species conservation.
Dr. Sakthi Kumaran Subburayalu - Which Soils Should Respond To Sulfur Applica...John Blue
Which Soils Should Respond To Sulfur Applications - Dr. Sakthi Kumaran Subburayalu, Central State University, from the 2018 Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference, March 6 - 7, Ada, OH, USA.
More presentations at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZBwPfKdlk4SB63zZy16kyA
Presented during the 17h Annual Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group Meeting organized by the NGO Sahara Conservation Fund in Senegal, from 4 to 6 May 2017. The Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) gathers every year about a hundred people who are interested in the field of Sahelo-Saharan species conservation.
Presented by Aklilu Mekasha and Mesfin Dejene (Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research) at the Workshop on Identifying Investment Opportunities for Livestock Feed Resources Development in the Eastern Africa Sub-Region, ILRI Addis, 13-15 December 2017
A diachronic study on the evolution of the main ecosystems Tassili / Ahaggar ...Sahara Conservation Fund
Presented during the 17h Annual Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group Meeting organized by the NGO Sahara Conservation Fund in Senegal, from 4 to 6 May 2017. The Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) gathers every year about a hundred people who are interested in the field of Sahelo-Saharan species conservation.
This slideshow uses the data from the Second Southern African Bird Atlas Project (SABAP2) to show how Spotted Flycathers arrive and depart from southern Africa
SABAP2 is the most important bird conservation project in South Africa. This is because conservation interventions depend on knowing the distributions of species and how they are changing. This is a slideshare of the Barn Swallow Seasonality, Migration and Breeding.
Examples of range-changes between SABAP1 and SABAP2Les Underhill
SABAP2 is the most important bird conservation project in South Africa. This is because conservation interventions depend on knowing the distributions of species and how they are changing. This slideshow gives some examples of changes between the first and second bird atlas projects, SABAP1 and SABAP2
SABAP2 is a bird atlas project that collects data on bird distributions in Southern Africa annually from 2007-2013 and in May 2014. The document summarizes data collected so far in 2014, noting increased numbers of observers, checklists, and visited areas compared to the same time last year. Coverage is over two-thirds for the original target region but priority regions identified for 2014 focus are the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Lesotho, northern Limpopo, central Free State, and western Swaziland.
Aanbieding vir bewaringsprojekte rev 15 septRenier Balt
Citizen science projects allow non-professional scientists to contribute to scientific research. This document discusses several citizen science projects in South Africa, including iBol which collects DNA barcodes from species, and the South African Bird Atlas Projects which involve volunteers collecting bird observation data. It explains how these projects generate valuable data to further scientific understanding of biodiversity while also providing a fun, educational experience for volunteers.
The document summarizes research estimating the breeding population of Booted Eagles in the Cape Province of South Africa. Key points:
- Researchers collected data over 25 years on 150 known nest sites to determine the eagles' breeding range and density.
- Using a geographic information system and digital terrain models, they defined suitable nesting habitat as areas with broken, hilly terrain based on topographical characteristics of known nest sites.
- By calculating the mean inter-nest distance of 9.7 km, they estimated a total breeding population of 702 nest pairs in the study area. However, in more intensely studied core areas, densities were even higher, so the estimate is considered conservative.
A landscape genomics approach in unravelling adaptive genetic diversity in g...ExternalEvents
A landscape genomics approach in unravelling adaptive genetic diversity in goats: A case study of South Africa presentation by Farai Muchadeyi, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
The document summarizes a study conducted by the Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust on the effects of mowing grassland set-asides (GSAs) on wildlife. The study compared mown and unmown GSAs and assessed vegetation, small mammals like voles, and raptor behavior. Key findings included greater vegetation cover in unmown GSAs, low vole abundance possibly due to population cycles, and northern harriers showing a preference for hunting in unmown GSAs over mown ones. The researchers recommend maintaining unmown GSAs over one year old to benefit wildlife.
Presented during the 17h Annual Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group Meeting organized by the NGO Sahara Conservation Fund in Senegal, from 4 to 6 May 2017. The Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) gathers every year about a hundred people who are interested in the field of Sahelo-Saharan species conservation.
This document summarizes a study on the effects of mowing grassland set-asides (GSAs) on raptor behavior in the Fraser River Delta. The study compared mown and unmown GSAs of different ages and measured vegetation cover, small mammal abundance, and northern harrier hunting behaviors. Key findings include greater vegetation cover in unmown GSAs, low small mammal abundance possibly due to population cycles, and a preference by northern harriers for hunting in unmown GSAs over 1 year old. The presentation recommends maintaining unmown GSAs and continuing long-term research.
Whether you’re happy snapping on instagarm or looking to get serious with more than one camera lenses & filters, you’ll have abundant of opportunities to shoot the charm of real South African bushes.
This document discusses research on groundwater in sub-Saharan Africa and its potential to improve lives. It summarizes the UPGro program, a 7-year research initiative focused on understanding groundwater availability and management in sub-Saharan Africa. The program involves research projects in over 10 countries and the creation of an Africa Groundwater Atlas. The document emphasizes that while research is important, decision-makers must be engaged for findings to create lasting change through improved projects and policies related to agriculture, infrastructure, and health. Quick impact areas are identified while acknowledging larger changes take time. Overall, the document examines turning groundwater research into real benefits for communities in sub-Saharan Africa.
Jardine et al RRV and GIS Muddy Lakes WA_AJTMH_May 2014Peter Neville
This study examined the dispersal of Aedes camptorhynchus mosquitoes from breeding habitat at Muddy Lakes in Western Australia and the associated risk of Ross River virus (RRV) in surrounding residential areas. Mark-release-recapture experiments found that Ae. camptorhynchus readily dispersed from Muddy Lakes up to 6.5 km away, with 91% recaptured within 3 km. A spatial analysis of 10 years of RRV case data found significantly higher rates of RRV within 2 km of Muddy Lakes, highlighting the disease risk posed to residents near mosquito breeding habitat. The findings suggest planning authorities should consider mosquito-borne disease risks when approving new residential developments near wetlands.
This document summarizes a presentation about surveys conducted for two species at risk: Flammulated Owl and Olive-sided Flycatcher. It provides introductions of the presenters and an overview of the project objectives to identify occupied habitat on reserves and build capacity with local technicians. Preliminary results of the road transect surveys for each species are described. It also discusses the importance of dry fir and pine habitat to Indigenous culture and how a previous Western Screech-Owl inventory led to transmission line relocation. The presentation closes with a discussion of balancing economic development and natural resource management.
This document summarizes the tours and services offered by a company called Natural Encounters, which specializes in small group tours focused on natural history and wildlife in South Africa and Botswana. They have over 20 years of experience and offer tours for wildlife enthusiasts, birders, botanists, photographers and others. Their tours cover various national parks and areas like Kruger, Kalahari, Chobe River, Okavango Delta, and include activities like hiking, wildlife viewing, and learning about habitats, plants, animals and more. Their goal is to provide enjoyable and informative wildlife tours while immersed in nature.
Spruce to Shore: Subarctic and low arctic vascular plant biodiversity of the ...Jeff Saarela
Saarela, J.M., P.C. Sokoloff and R.D. Bull
--Botany Section & Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration, Research & Collections, Canadian Museum
of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6P4
Oral presentation delivered at ArcticNet Annual Science Meeting 2015, Vancouver, December 2015. Presentation abstract book: pg. 107. Available from: http://www.arcticnetmeetings.ca/asm2015/docs/topical-abstracts.pdf (accessed 4 May 2016).
ABSTRACT: Exploration of the vascular plant flora of the Canadian Arctic has been ongoing for almost two hundred years, yet substantial gaps remain in our floristic understanding of this large, rapidly changing and difficult-to-access ecozone. Detailed baseline information on thediversity and distribution of Arctic plants is urgently needed to understand the potential impacts of climate change on the region’s flora. In July 2014 we explored the rich flora along a Subarctic to Arctic gradient along the Coppermine River valley in western Nunavut, including Bloody Falls/Kugluk Territorial Park and Kugluktuk and vicinity. In this botanically underexplored area the treeline reaches its northern limit in Nunavut, just 40 km south of the Arctic coast. Study of our >1000 new and all previous collections of vascular plants document some 304 species in the area, comprising a mixture of boreal taxa (most at their northern limit), Arctic taxa (some at their southern limit), and amphi-Beringian taxa (some at their eastern limit). Among our collections are many first records for Nunavut (Allium schoenoprasum, Botrychium tunux, Draba lonchocarpa, Eleocharis quinqueflora, Eremogone capillaris subsp. capillaris, Festuca altaica, Polygonum aviculare, Salix ovalifolia var. arctolitoralis, S. ovalifolia var. ovalifolia, Stuckenia pectinata), mainland Nunavut (Carex gynocrates, C. livida, Cryptogramma stelleri, Juncus alpinoarticulatus subsp. americanus, Salix pseudomyrsinites), numerous northern and southern range extensions for boreal and Arctic species (Anthoxanthum arcticum, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Betula occidentalis, Carex adelostoma, C. capitata, C. lachenallii, C. norvegica, C. petricosa subsp. petricosa, Castilleja raupii, Draba simmonsii, Epilobium arcticum, E. davuricum, Festuca viviparoidea subsp. viviparoidea, Hordeum jubatum subsp. intermedium, Juniperus communis subsp. depressa, Linnaea borealis subsp. americana, Potamogeton gramineus, Rubus arcticus subsp. acaulis, Sagina nodosa subsp. borealis, Stellaria borealis subsp. borealis, Shepherdia canadensis, Taraxacum phymatocarpum, Utricularia intermedia, U. vulgaris) and many first records for the study area, which fill in gaps in the known distributions of Arctic species. Several species in the area reach their known northern limits in Nunavut in Kugluk/Bloody Falls Territorial Park, a protected site. The many floristic novelties identified for the study area underscore the fact that there remains much to learn about vascular plant biodiversity in Canada's low Arctic.
Breeding Programme and Infrastructure - The Case of Red Maasai Sheep in KenyaSIANI
This presentation was held by Emelie Zonabend König at the interntional seminar 'Livestock Resources for Food Security in the Light of Climate Change' co-hosted by SIANI and SLU Global in Uppsala on the 11th of March 2016.
Kannur Bird Atlas, part of Kerala Bird Atlas, completed their atlas surveys and this presentation reviews the planning, execution and results
Authors: C Sashikumar & Roshnath R
Hoa Nguyen-Phuc - PhD Defense - 2015-08-03 Final VersionHoa Nguyen-Phuc
This document outlines a PhD research proposal on the spatial genetic characterization of neutral and adaptive variation in Red Junglefowl in South Central Vietnam. The study will investigate the spatial processes influencing neutral and adaptive genetic variation and its interaction with the environment. It will examine the major processes influencing broad and fine-scale neutral variation, whether landscape features impact fine-scale genetic variation, and if adaptive genes show more diversity than neutral genes in wild Red Junglefowl versus domestic chickens. The research will involve collecting samples from 7 field sites, analyzing genetic data using various statistical methods, and using Bayesian clustering to estimate distinct populations.
Crowdsourcing, computer vision, and data science for conservation - Tanya Ber...Sri Ambati
Presented at #H2OWorld 2017 in Mountain View, CA.
Learn more about H2O.ai: https://www.h2o.ai/.
Follow @h2oai: https://twitter.com/h2oai.
- - -
Photographs, taken by field scientists, tourists, automated cameras, and incidental photographers, are the most abundant source of data on wildlife today. Wildbook is an autonomous computational system that starts from massive collections of images and, by detecting various species of animals and identifying individuals, combined with sophisticated data management, turns them into high-resolution information database, enabling scientific inquiry, conservation, and citizen science. We will present the computer vision, machine learning, and data science under the hood of Wildbook.
Dr. Tanya Berger-Wolf is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she heads the Computational Population Biology Lab. As a computational ecologist, her research is at the unique intersection of computer science, wildlife biology, and social sciences. Berger-Wolf is also a co-founder of the conservation software non-profit Wildbook, which enables wildlife research and conservation from crowdsourced photographs with computer vision and AI. Berger-Wolf holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She received numerous awards for her research and mentoring, including NSF CAREER and AWIS Chicago Innovator Award.
This presentation explores a brief idea about the structural and functional attributes of nucleotides, the structure and function of genetic materials along with the impact of UV rays and pH upon them.
Examples of range-changes between SABAP1 and SABAP2Les Underhill
SABAP2 is the most important bird conservation project in South Africa. This is because conservation interventions depend on knowing the distributions of species and how they are changing. This slideshow gives some examples of changes between the first and second bird atlas projects, SABAP1 and SABAP2
SABAP2 is a bird atlas project that collects data on bird distributions in Southern Africa annually from 2007-2013 and in May 2014. The document summarizes data collected so far in 2014, noting increased numbers of observers, checklists, and visited areas compared to the same time last year. Coverage is over two-thirds for the original target region but priority regions identified for 2014 focus are the Northern Cape, Eastern Cape, Lesotho, northern Limpopo, central Free State, and western Swaziland.
Aanbieding vir bewaringsprojekte rev 15 septRenier Balt
Citizen science projects allow non-professional scientists to contribute to scientific research. This document discusses several citizen science projects in South Africa, including iBol which collects DNA barcodes from species, and the South African Bird Atlas Projects which involve volunteers collecting bird observation data. It explains how these projects generate valuable data to further scientific understanding of biodiversity while also providing a fun, educational experience for volunteers.
The document summarizes research estimating the breeding population of Booted Eagles in the Cape Province of South Africa. Key points:
- Researchers collected data over 25 years on 150 known nest sites to determine the eagles' breeding range and density.
- Using a geographic information system and digital terrain models, they defined suitable nesting habitat as areas with broken, hilly terrain based on topographical characteristics of known nest sites.
- By calculating the mean inter-nest distance of 9.7 km, they estimated a total breeding population of 702 nest pairs in the study area. However, in more intensely studied core areas, densities were even higher, so the estimate is considered conservative.
A landscape genomics approach in unravelling adaptive genetic diversity in g...ExternalEvents
A landscape genomics approach in unravelling adaptive genetic diversity in goats: A case study of South Africa presentation by Farai Muchadeyi, Agricultural Research Council, Pretoria, South Africa
The document summarizes a study conducted by the Delta Farmland & Wildlife Trust on the effects of mowing grassland set-asides (GSAs) on wildlife. The study compared mown and unmown GSAs and assessed vegetation, small mammals like voles, and raptor behavior. Key findings included greater vegetation cover in unmown GSAs, low vole abundance possibly due to population cycles, and northern harriers showing a preference for hunting in unmown GSAs over mown ones. The researchers recommend maintaining unmown GSAs over one year old to benefit wildlife.
Presented during the 17h Annual Sahelo-Saharan Interest Group Meeting organized by the NGO Sahara Conservation Fund in Senegal, from 4 to 6 May 2017. The Sahara Conservation Fund (SCF) gathers every year about a hundred people who are interested in the field of Sahelo-Saharan species conservation.
This document summarizes a study on the effects of mowing grassland set-asides (GSAs) on raptor behavior in the Fraser River Delta. The study compared mown and unmown GSAs of different ages and measured vegetation cover, small mammal abundance, and northern harrier hunting behaviors. Key findings include greater vegetation cover in unmown GSAs, low small mammal abundance possibly due to population cycles, and a preference by northern harriers for hunting in unmown GSAs over 1 year old. The presentation recommends maintaining unmown GSAs and continuing long-term research.
Whether you’re happy snapping on instagarm or looking to get serious with more than one camera lenses & filters, you’ll have abundant of opportunities to shoot the charm of real South African bushes.
This document discusses research on groundwater in sub-Saharan Africa and its potential to improve lives. It summarizes the UPGro program, a 7-year research initiative focused on understanding groundwater availability and management in sub-Saharan Africa. The program involves research projects in over 10 countries and the creation of an Africa Groundwater Atlas. The document emphasizes that while research is important, decision-makers must be engaged for findings to create lasting change through improved projects and policies related to agriculture, infrastructure, and health. Quick impact areas are identified while acknowledging larger changes take time. Overall, the document examines turning groundwater research into real benefits for communities in sub-Saharan Africa.
Jardine et al RRV and GIS Muddy Lakes WA_AJTMH_May 2014Peter Neville
This study examined the dispersal of Aedes camptorhynchus mosquitoes from breeding habitat at Muddy Lakes in Western Australia and the associated risk of Ross River virus (RRV) in surrounding residential areas. Mark-release-recapture experiments found that Ae. camptorhynchus readily dispersed from Muddy Lakes up to 6.5 km away, with 91% recaptured within 3 km. A spatial analysis of 10 years of RRV case data found significantly higher rates of RRV within 2 km of Muddy Lakes, highlighting the disease risk posed to residents near mosquito breeding habitat. The findings suggest planning authorities should consider mosquito-borne disease risks when approving new residential developments near wetlands.
This document summarizes a presentation about surveys conducted for two species at risk: Flammulated Owl and Olive-sided Flycatcher. It provides introductions of the presenters and an overview of the project objectives to identify occupied habitat on reserves and build capacity with local technicians. Preliminary results of the road transect surveys for each species are described. It also discusses the importance of dry fir and pine habitat to Indigenous culture and how a previous Western Screech-Owl inventory led to transmission line relocation. The presentation closes with a discussion of balancing economic development and natural resource management.
This document summarizes the tours and services offered by a company called Natural Encounters, which specializes in small group tours focused on natural history and wildlife in South Africa and Botswana. They have over 20 years of experience and offer tours for wildlife enthusiasts, birders, botanists, photographers and others. Their tours cover various national parks and areas like Kruger, Kalahari, Chobe River, Okavango Delta, and include activities like hiking, wildlife viewing, and learning about habitats, plants, animals and more. Their goal is to provide enjoyable and informative wildlife tours while immersed in nature.
Spruce to Shore: Subarctic and low arctic vascular plant biodiversity of the ...Jeff Saarela
Saarela, J.M., P.C. Sokoloff and R.D. Bull
--Botany Section & Centre for Arctic Knowledge and Exploration, Research & Collections, Canadian Museum
of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 6P4
Oral presentation delivered at ArcticNet Annual Science Meeting 2015, Vancouver, December 2015. Presentation abstract book: pg. 107. Available from: http://www.arcticnetmeetings.ca/asm2015/docs/topical-abstracts.pdf (accessed 4 May 2016).
ABSTRACT: Exploration of the vascular plant flora of the Canadian Arctic has been ongoing for almost two hundred years, yet substantial gaps remain in our floristic understanding of this large, rapidly changing and difficult-to-access ecozone. Detailed baseline information on thediversity and distribution of Arctic plants is urgently needed to understand the potential impacts of climate change on the region’s flora. In July 2014 we explored the rich flora along a Subarctic to Arctic gradient along the Coppermine River valley in western Nunavut, including Bloody Falls/Kugluk Territorial Park and Kugluktuk and vicinity. In this botanically underexplored area the treeline reaches its northern limit in Nunavut, just 40 km south of the Arctic coast. Study of our >1000 new and all previous collections of vascular plants document some 304 species in the area, comprising a mixture of boreal taxa (most at their northern limit), Arctic taxa (some at their southern limit), and amphi-Beringian taxa (some at their eastern limit). Among our collections are many first records for Nunavut (Allium schoenoprasum, Botrychium tunux, Draba lonchocarpa, Eleocharis quinqueflora, Eremogone capillaris subsp. capillaris, Festuca altaica, Polygonum aviculare, Salix ovalifolia var. arctolitoralis, S. ovalifolia var. ovalifolia, Stuckenia pectinata), mainland Nunavut (Carex gynocrates, C. livida, Cryptogramma stelleri, Juncus alpinoarticulatus subsp. americanus, Salix pseudomyrsinites), numerous northern and southern range extensions for boreal and Arctic species (Anthoxanthum arcticum, Arctostaphylos uva-ursi, Betula occidentalis, Carex adelostoma, C. capitata, C. lachenallii, C. norvegica, C. petricosa subsp. petricosa, Castilleja raupii, Draba simmonsii, Epilobium arcticum, E. davuricum, Festuca viviparoidea subsp. viviparoidea, Hordeum jubatum subsp. intermedium, Juniperus communis subsp. depressa, Linnaea borealis subsp. americana, Potamogeton gramineus, Rubus arcticus subsp. acaulis, Sagina nodosa subsp. borealis, Stellaria borealis subsp. borealis, Shepherdia canadensis, Taraxacum phymatocarpum, Utricularia intermedia, U. vulgaris) and many first records for the study area, which fill in gaps in the known distributions of Arctic species. Several species in the area reach their known northern limits in Nunavut in Kugluk/Bloody Falls Territorial Park, a protected site. The many floristic novelties identified for the study area underscore the fact that there remains much to learn about vascular plant biodiversity in Canada's low Arctic.
Breeding Programme and Infrastructure - The Case of Red Maasai Sheep in KenyaSIANI
This presentation was held by Emelie Zonabend König at the interntional seminar 'Livestock Resources for Food Security in the Light of Climate Change' co-hosted by SIANI and SLU Global in Uppsala on the 11th of March 2016.
Kannur Bird Atlas, part of Kerala Bird Atlas, completed their atlas surveys and this presentation reviews the planning, execution and results
Authors: C Sashikumar & Roshnath R
Hoa Nguyen-Phuc - PhD Defense - 2015-08-03 Final VersionHoa Nguyen-Phuc
This document outlines a PhD research proposal on the spatial genetic characterization of neutral and adaptive variation in Red Junglefowl in South Central Vietnam. The study will investigate the spatial processes influencing neutral and adaptive genetic variation and its interaction with the environment. It will examine the major processes influencing broad and fine-scale neutral variation, whether landscape features impact fine-scale genetic variation, and if adaptive genes show more diversity than neutral genes in wild Red Junglefowl versus domestic chickens. The research will involve collecting samples from 7 field sites, analyzing genetic data using various statistical methods, and using Bayesian clustering to estimate distinct populations.
Crowdsourcing, computer vision, and data science for conservation - Tanya Ber...Sri Ambati
Presented at #H2OWorld 2017 in Mountain View, CA.
Learn more about H2O.ai: https://www.h2o.ai/.
Follow @h2oai: https://twitter.com/h2oai.
- - -
Photographs, taken by field scientists, tourists, automated cameras, and incidental photographers, are the most abundant source of data on wildlife today. Wildbook is an autonomous computational system that starts from massive collections of images and, by detecting various species of animals and identifying individuals, combined with sophisticated data management, turns them into high-resolution information database, enabling scientific inquiry, conservation, and citizen science. We will present the computer vision, machine learning, and data science under the hood of Wildbook.
Dr. Tanya Berger-Wolf is a Professor of Computer Science at the University of Illinois at Chicago, where she heads the Computational Population Biology Lab. As a computational ecologist, her research is at the unique intersection of computer science, wildlife biology, and social sciences. Berger-Wolf is also a co-founder of the conservation software non-profit Wildbook, which enables wildlife research and conservation from crowdsourced photographs with computer vision and AI. Berger-Wolf holds a Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She received numerous awards for her research and mentoring, including NSF CAREER and AWIS Chicago Innovator Award.
Similar to Secretarybirds and Citizen Science in South Africa (20)
This presentation explores a brief idea about the structural and functional attributes of nucleotides, the structure and function of genetic materials along with the impact of UV rays and pH upon them.
Phenomics assisted breeding in crop improvementIshaGoswami9
As the population is increasing and will reach about 9 billion upto 2050. Also due to climate change, it is difficult to meet the food requirement of such a large population. Facing the challenges presented by resource shortages, climate
change, and increasing global population, crop yield and quality need to be improved in a sustainable way over the coming decades. Genetic improvement by breeding is the best way to increase crop productivity. With the rapid progression of functional
genomics, an increasing number of crop genomes have been sequenced and dozens of genes influencing key agronomic traits have been identified. However, current genome sequence information has not been adequately exploited for understanding
the complex characteristics of multiple gene, owing to a lack of crop phenotypic data. Efficient, automatic, and accurate technologies and platforms that can capture phenotypic data that can
be linked to genomics information for crop improvement at all growth stages have become as important as genotyping. Thus,
high-throughput phenotyping has become the major bottleneck restricting crop breeding. Plant phenomics has been defined as the high-throughput, accurate acquisition and analysis of multi-dimensional phenotypes
during crop growing stages at the organism level, including the cell, tissue, organ, individual plant, plot, and field levels. With the rapid development of novel sensors, imaging technology,
and analysis methods, numerous infrastructure platforms have been developed for phenotyping.
EWOCS-I: The catalog of X-ray sources in Westerlund 1 from the Extended Weste...Sérgio Sacani
Context. With a mass exceeding several 104 M⊙ and a rich and dense population of massive stars, supermassive young star clusters
represent the most massive star-forming environment that is dominated by the feedback from massive stars and gravitational interactions
among stars.
Aims. In this paper we present the Extended Westerlund 1 and 2 Open Clusters Survey (EWOCS) project, which aims to investigate
the influence of the starburst environment on the formation of stars and planets, and on the evolution of both low and high mass stars.
The primary targets of this project are Westerlund 1 and 2, the closest supermassive star clusters to the Sun.
Methods. The project is based primarily on recent observations conducted with the Chandra and JWST observatories. Specifically,
the Chandra survey of Westerlund 1 consists of 36 new ACIS-I observations, nearly co-pointed, for a total exposure time of 1 Msec.
Additionally, we included 8 archival Chandra/ACIS-S observations. This paper presents the resulting catalog of X-ray sources within
and around Westerlund 1. Sources were detected by combining various existing methods, and photon extraction and source validation
were carried out using the ACIS-Extract software.
Results. The EWOCS X-ray catalog comprises 5963 validated sources out of the 9420 initially provided to ACIS-Extract, reaching a
photon flux threshold of approximately 2 × 10−8 photons cm−2
s
−1
. The X-ray sources exhibit a highly concentrated spatial distribution,
with 1075 sources located within the central 1 arcmin. We have successfully detected X-ray emissions from 126 out of the 166 known
massive stars of the cluster, and we have collected over 71 000 photons from the magnetar CXO J164710.20-455217.
hematic appreciation test is a psychological assessment tool used to measure an individual's appreciation and understanding of specific themes or topics. This test helps to evaluate an individual's ability to connect different ideas and concepts within a given theme, as well as their overall comprehension and interpretation skills. The results of the test can provide valuable insights into an individual's cognitive abilities, creativity, and critical thinking skills
ESR spectroscopy in liquid food and beverages.pptxPRIYANKA PATEL
With increasing population, people need to rely on packaged food stuffs. Packaging of food materials requires the preservation of food. There are various methods for the treatment of food to preserve them and irradiation treatment of food is one of them. It is the most common and the most harmless method for the food preservation as it does not alter the necessary micronutrients of food materials. Although irradiated food doesn’t cause any harm to the human health but still the quality assessment of food is required to provide consumers with necessary information about the food. ESR spectroscopy is the most sophisticated way to investigate the quality of the food and the free radicals induced during the processing of the food. ESR spin trapping technique is useful for the detection of highly unstable radicals in the food. The antioxidant capability of liquid food and beverages in mainly performed by spin trapping technique.
Remote Sensing and Computational, Evolutionary, Supercomputing, and Intellige...University of Maribor
Slides from talk:
Aleš Zamuda: Remote Sensing and Computational, Evolutionary, Supercomputing, and Intelligent Systems.
11th International Conference on Electrical, Electronics and Computer Engineering (IcETRAN), Niš, 3-6 June 2024
Inter-Society Networking Panel GRSS/MTT-S/CIS Panel Session: Promoting Connection and Cooperation
https://www.etran.rs/2024/en/home-english/
BREEDING METHODS FOR DISEASE RESISTANCE.pptxRASHMI M G
Plant breeding for disease resistance is a strategy to reduce crop losses caused by disease. Plants have an innate immune system that allows them to recognize pathogens and provide resistance. However, breeding for long-lasting resistance often involves combining multiple resistance genes
The debris of the ‘last major merger’ is dynamically youngSérgio Sacani
The Milky Way’s (MW) inner stellar halo contains an [Fe/H]-rich component with highly eccentric orbits, often referred to as the
‘last major merger.’ Hypotheses for the origin of this component include Gaia-Sausage/Enceladus (GSE), where the progenitor
collided with the MW proto-disc 8–11 Gyr ago, and the Virgo Radial Merger (VRM), where the progenitor collided with the
MW disc within the last 3 Gyr. These two scenarios make different predictions about observable structure in local phase space,
because the morphology of debris depends on how long it has had to phase mix. The recently identified phase-space folds in Gaia
DR3 have positive caustic velocities, making them fundamentally different than the phase-mixed chevrons found in simulations
at late times. Roughly 20 per cent of the stars in the prograde local stellar halo are associated with the observed caustics. Based
on a simple phase-mixing model, the observed number of caustics are consistent with a merger that occurred 1–2 Gyr ago.
We also compare the observed phase-space distribution to FIRE-2 Latte simulations of GSE-like mergers, using a quantitative
measurement of phase mixing (2D causticality). The observed local phase-space distribution best matches the simulated data
1–2 Gyr after collision, and certainly not later than 3 Gyr. This is further evidence that the progenitor of the ‘last major merger’
did not collide with the MW proto-disc at early times, as is thought for the GSE, but instead collided with the MW disc within
the last few Gyr, consistent with the body of work surrounding the VRM.
Unlocking the mysteries of reproduction: Exploring fecundity and gonadosomati...AbdullaAlAsif1
The pygmy halfbeak Dermogenys colletei, is known for its viviparous nature, this presents an intriguing case of relatively low fecundity, raising questions about potential compensatory reproductive strategies employed by this species. Our study delves into the examination of fecundity and the Gonadosomatic Index (GSI) in the Pygmy Halfbeak, D. colletei (Meisner, 2001), an intriguing viviparous fish indigenous to Sarawak, Borneo. We hypothesize that the Pygmy halfbeak, D. colletei, may exhibit unique reproductive adaptations to offset its low fecundity, thus enhancing its survival and fitness. To address this, we conducted a comprehensive study utilizing 28 mature female specimens of D. colletei, carefully measuring fecundity and GSI to shed light on the reproductive adaptations of this species. Our findings reveal that D. colletei indeed exhibits low fecundity, with a mean of 16.76 ± 2.01, and a mean GSI of 12.83 ± 1.27, providing crucial insights into the reproductive mechanisms at play in this species. These results underscore the existence of unique reproductive strategies in D. colletei, enabling its adaptation and persistence in Borneo's diverse aquatic ecosystems, and call for further ecological research to elucidate these mechanisms. This study lends to a better understanding of viviparous fish in Borneo and contributes to the broader field of aquatic ecology, enhancing our knowledge of species adaptations to unique ecological challenges.
Deep Behavioral Phenotyping in Systems Neuroscience for Functional Atlasing a...Ana Luísa Pinho
Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) provides means to characterize brain activations in response to behavior. However, cognitive neuroscience has been limited to group-level effects referring to the performance of specific tasks. To obtain the functional profile of elementary cognitive mechanisms, the combination of brain responses to many tasks is required. Yet, to date, both structural atlases and parcellation-based activations do not fully account for cognitive function and still present several limitations. Further, they do not adapt overall to individual characteristics. In this talk, I will give an account of deep-behavioral phenotyping strategies, namely data-driven methods in large task-fMRI datasets, to optimize functional brain-data collection and improve inference of effects-of-interest related to mental processes. Key to this approach is the employment of fast multi-functional paradigms rich on features that can be well parametrized and, consequently, facilitate the creation of psycho-physiological constructs to be modelled with imaging data. Particular emphasis will be given to music stimuli when studying high-order cognitive mechanisms, due to their ecological nature and quality to enable complex behavior compounded by discrete entities. I will also discuss how deep-behavioral phenotyping and individualized models applied to neuroimaging data can better account for the subject-specific organization of domain-general cognitive systems in the human brain. Finally, the accumulation of functional brain signatures brings the possibility to clarify relationships among tasks and create a univocal link between brain systems and mental functions through: (1) the development of ontologies proposing an organization of cognitive processes; and (2) brain-network taxonomies describing functional specialization. To this end, tools to improve commensurability in cognitive science are necessary, such as public repositories, ontology-based platforms and automated meta-analysis tools. I will thus discuss some brain-atlasing resources currently under development, and their applicability in cognitive as well as clinical neuroscience.
Current Ms word generated power point presentation covers major details about the micronuclei test. It's significance and assays to conduct it. It is used to detect the micronuclei formation inside the cells of nearly every multicellular organism. It's formation takes place during chromosomal sepration at metaphase.
The binding of cosmological structures by massless topological defectsSérgio Sacani
Assuming spherical symmetry and weak field, it is shown that if one solves the Poisson equation or the Einstein field
equations sourced by a topological defect, i.e. a singularity of a very specific form, the result is a localized gravitational
field capable of driving flat rotation (i.e. Keplerian circular orbits at a constant speed for all radii) of test masses on a thin
spherical shell without any underlying mass. Moreover, a large-scale structure which exploits this solution by assembling
concentrically a number of such topological defects can establish a flat stellar or galactic rotation curve, and can also deflect
light in the same manner as an equipotential (isothermal) sphere. Thus, the need for dark matter or modified gravity theory is
mitigated, at least in part.
Travis Hills' Endeavors in Minnesota: Fostering Environmental and Economic Pr...Travis Hills MN
Travis Hills of Minnesota developed a method to convert waste into high-value dry fertilizer, significantly enriching soil quality. By providing farmers with a valuable resource derived from waste, Travis Hills helps enhance farm profitability while promoting environmental stewardship. Travis Hills' sustainable practices lead to cost savings and increased revenue for farmers by improving resource efficiency and reducing waste.
Travis Hills' Endeavors in Minnesota: Fostering Environmental and Economic Pr...
Secretarybirds and Citizen Science in South Africa
1. Secretarybirds
in South Africa:
what citizen science
can tell us
Sally Hofmeyr & Les Underhill
Animal Demography Unit
University of Cape Town
Craig Symes
University of the Witwatersrand
Dawie de Swardt
Sally Hofmeyr
2. Secretarybird (Sagittarius serpentarius)
• Eats insects, reptiles, mammals, birds, eggs
• Disturbs prey by stamping on ground; kills prey with bill
or by stamping on it
• Large territories: 50–60 km2 around nest
• Breeds in pairs in trees; usually seen in pairs, walking
around, hunting
• Mainly grassland and open savanna habitats
Beverly Joubert
• Vulnerable (2011 IUCN Red List),
declining throughout rest of Africa –
but how is it doing here in SA?
3. We used data from:
CAR project
(Coordinated Avifaunal
Roadcounts)
SABAP1 & SABAP2
(Southern African Bird
Atlas Projects 1 and 2)
4. Bird lists collected throughout
southern Africa, which is divided up
into grid cells based on latitude and longitude.
Comparing the two projects:
Southern African Bird Atlas
Projects (SABAP)
SABAP2:
• 2007 – ongoing
• Pentads (5 × 5)
• 5-day recording period
SABAP1:
• 1987 – 1992
• Quarter degree grid cells
(15 × 15)
• 30-day recording period
5. SABAP data analysis
• Compared reporting rates between SABAP1 and
SABAP2.
(Reporting rate = % of checklists for each grid cell that report the
species you’re looking at)
• Used a statistical method to test how likely the
differences are to be real
• Made a map with grid cells colour-coded
according to how sure we are that the difference
is real
6. SABAP data – changes in
Secretarybird reporting rates from
SABAP1 to SABAP2
22 May 2014
Johann du Preez
Red, orange, yellow =
DECLINES
Blue, green, green =
INCREASES
The darker the colour,
the more sure we are
that the change is
real, and reflects a
change in abundance.
7. SABAP data – changes in
Secretarybird reporting rates from
SABAP1 to SABAP2
22 May 2014
Johann du Preez
Red, orange, yellow =
DECLINES
Blue, green, green =
INCREASES
The darker the colour,
the more sure we are
that the change is
real, and reflects a
change in abundance.
Note that we needed ALL the
checklists for each grid cell to be able
to use this method.
Thus every checklist submitted was
used – not just those that reported
Secretarybirds!
8. 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Kruger National Park
Northern Cape
Eastern Cape
Free State
Western Cape
North West
Gauteng
Mpumalanga
KwaZulu-Natal
Limpopo
SABAP data – counts of each type of grid cell in each
province and in Kruger National Park
9. The CAR project
• Counts of large terrestrial birds in agricultural habitats
• Fixed routes, mostly about 60 km long; strict protocol
• Two counts per year – summer and winter – same day
countrywide
• Project started in 1993, spread across south-eastern
half of SA
• We used the habitat data to look at Secretarybirds’
habitat selection and habitat use
10. 340 routes;
~ 19 000 km
CAR route map – a huge chunk
of the country is sampled!
11. -0.6
-0.4
-0.2
0.0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
S W S W S W S W S W S W S W
Eastern Cape Free State Gauteng KwaZulu-
Natal
Mpumalanga Northern
Cape
Western Cape
Transformed|Natural
CAR data – habitat selection
Dawie de Swardt
S = summer, W = winter
E Cape F State Gauteng KZN Mpum. N Cape W Cape
This shows that except in Northern Cape in winter, Secretarybirds
prefer natural habitats to transformed. “Transformed” includes
everything from cultivated land to cities and mines. “Natural”
includes natural veld that is used as grazing land, however, so it does
not necessarily mean “pristine”.
12. CAR data – habitat use
The majority of Secretarybirds were
seen in natural habitats, except in
W Cape, where more than half were
in transformed areas.
In W Cape, cultivation has converted fynbos shrublands
into open habitats, more suitable for Secretarybirds.
Despite this, these long-legged marching birds still
actually prefer natural W Cape habitats – it’s just that
there’s so little of those left now.
Helen and Dicky Badenhorst
13. • SA population seems to be declining overall
• Main causes in SA are probably habitat loss and bush
encroachment
Most importantly, we could not have known this without
the hugely valuable contributions of thousands of
citizen scientists!
Read the full paper:
Hofmeyr SD, Symes CT, Underhill LG (2014) Secretarybird Sagittarius serpentarius Population
Trends and Ecology: Insights from South African Citizen Science Data. PLoS ONE 9(5): e96772.
doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0096772
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0096772
To conclude
Nico Myburg Dawie de Swardt