Contemporary Geographies of Indigenous Rights and Interests in Rural Australia

More than half of Australia's lands and coastal regions are now encompassed within the boundaries of native title claims. The claims and the 'native title communities' who have lodged them are shaping a new geography of Australia's lands and seascapes. These communities derive from traditional ownership and thus have a different, and more fundamentally authoritative, basis to the indigenous 'residential communities' whose representative organisations are the mechanism through which governments have promoted indigenous self-management and which dominate in public affairs. Recognition of native title provides some opportunities for indigenous people to negotiate for benefits which will address their marginalised and economically dependent status but these are limited by the protection given to non-indigenous interests and are often proving they can be very difficult to realise. Overcoming indigenous marginalisation, promoting co-existence between indigenous and other Australians, and securing sustainability in rural regions requires that institutional reform goes beyond legally bounded interpretations of where native title does and does not still exist. Rebuilding indigenous institutions for governance of country is fundamental to achieving necessary change but political will and resources to support the process are critically lacking.     

Dynamics of hunting territories and prey distribution in Amazonian Indigenous Lands

Indigenous Lands in the Brazilian Amazon intend to guarantee indigenous rights and conserve forests, although many do not correspond to peoples' territorial needs and may not effectively preserve wildlife. Most indigenous people rely on game for subsistence, and the spatial distribution of hunts and prey determine hunting sustainability and wildlife conservation. I examined the Kaxinawa hunting territory dynamics through the participatory monitoring and mapping of 10 ILs. The Kaxinawa are central-place foragers whose ideal hunting territories have a circular shape with a radius of 5 km. The geopolitics of the Kaxinawa combined with spatial occupation distort hunting territories to maintain indigenous control while respecting the territories of nearby villages. The fission of large villages leads to reduced hunting territories but increases the overall hunted area, consequently affecting game populations. Kaxinawa hunting did not lead species to extinction. The Kaxinawa hunted 65% of prey within 2.5 km of the villages and the other 30% within 5 km. Although all of the species were hunted close to villages, the prey were smaller, and several sensitive species were rarely hunted. The replacement of such sensitivity for more resilient low-ranked species on hunting bags suggests that these species might be depleted near villages. These findings provide objective standards for titling Indigenous Lands and for improving wildlife management within these lands.     

Oil Extraction and Benefit Sharing in an Illiberal Context: The Nenets and Komi-Izhemtsi Indigenous Peoples in the Russian Arctic

ABSTRACT

How can indigenous communities in illiberal regimes benefit from oil production? This paper compares the experience of two indigenous peoples in the Russian Arctic, the Nenets and the Komi-Izhemtsi, in their quest for environmental protection and the development of benefit-sharing arrangements with Lukoil, a Russian oil company. The Nenets people, recognized by the Russian state as indigenous, are marginalized political actors who identified a route to receiving compensation for loss of land and damage to the environment as well as economic benefits under the auspices of Russian law and Lukoil’s corporate policies. In contrast, the Komi-Izhemtsi, despite indigenous status in global institutions including the United Nations and the Arctic Council, are unrecognized as indigenous domestically and initially received no compensation. Their path to benefit sharing was more challenging as they partnered with local nongovernmental organizations and global environmentalists to pressure Lukoil to sign a benefit-sharing agreement. Ultimately, the comparison illustrates how transnational partnerships can empower indigenous people to gain benefits from natural resource exploitation even in illiberal political systems.     

Enhancing integrated indoor/outdoor mobility in a smart campus

A Smart City relies on six key factors: Smart Governance, Smart People, Smart Economy, Smart Environment, Smart Living and Smart Mobility. This paper focuses on Smart Mobility by improving one of its key components: positioning. We developed and deployed a novel indoor positioning system (IPS) that is combined with an outdoor positioning system to support seamless indoor and outdoor navigation and wayfinding. The positioning system is implemented as a service in our broader cartography-based smart university platform, called SmartUJI, which centralizes access to a diverse collection of campus information and provides basic and complex services for the Universitat Jaume I (Spain), which serves as surrogate of a small city. Using our IPS and based on the SmartUJI services, we developed, deployed and evaluated two end-user mobile applications: the SmartUJI APP that allows users to obtain map-based information about the different facilities of the campus, and the SmartUJI AR that allows users to interact with the campus through an augmented reality interface. Students, university staff and visitors who tested the applications reported their usefulness in locating university facilities and generally improving spatial orientation.     

The Drivers of Market Integration Among Indigenous Peoples: Evidence From the Ecuadorian Amazon

Knowledge of the driving forces behind indigenous participation in the market is essential for practitioners intending to integrate conservation and development policies in indigenous territories. Nevertheless, empirical research on the determinants of market integration among indigenous peoples is still scarce. This article uses household survey data and multivariate techniques to examine the drivers of market integration among indigenous groups in the Ecuadorian Amazon. We use multiple measures of market integration, including the sale of crops, timber, and wildlife; the use of credit; and participation in wage labor. The results show that the way in which indigenous peoples integrate into the market depends on their endowments of human, financial, and physical capital. More educated households are able to engage in commercial agriculture and nonagricultural wage work, whereas uneducated poor households in communities in conflict with outsiders are pushed to engage in poorly paid agricultural wage work and (often illegal) timber operations.     

Economic Notes

Abstract

This article introduces the development and validation of the spatial thinking ability test (STAT). The STAT consists of sixteen multiple-choice questions of eight types. The STAT was validated by administering it to a sample of 532 junior high, high school, and university students. Factor analysis using principal components extraction was applied to identify underlying spatial thinking components and to evaluate the construct validity of the STAT. Spatial components identified through factor analysis only partly coincided with spatial concepts used to develop the questions that compose the STAT and with the components of spatial thinking hypothesized by other researchers.     

Multidimensional visualisation of degrees of relevance of geographic data

The ever‐increasing number of spatial data sets accessible through spatial data clearinghouses continues to make geographic information retrieval and spatial data discovery major challenges. Such challenges have been addressed in the discipline of Information Retrieval through ranking of data according to inferred degrees of relevance. Spatial data, however, present an additional challenge as they are characteristically made up of geometry, attribute and, optionally, temporal components. As these components are mutually independent of one another, this paper suggests that they be ranked independently of one another. The representation of the results of the independent ranking of these three components of spatial data suggests that representation of the results of the ranking process requires an alternative approach to currently used textual ranked lists: visualisation of relevance in a three‐dimensional visualisation environment. To illustrate the possible application of such an approach, a prototype browser is presented.     

Negotiating Technology — (Re)considering the Use of GIS by Indigenous Peoples

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have been increasingly touted for their ability to help empower indigenous peoples. The opportunity to discuss the development of an iwi‐based GIS with Te Ruunanga O Raukawa provides a platform for reflecting critically on issues that impact the effective use of GIS by indigenous groups. The dialectical context of GIS is explored by (re)considering the opportunities and challenges of applying GIS as a cross‐cultural communication device. A position is negotiated which interprets GIS as conditionally empowering provided that indigenous peoples consider their symbolic representation in, and physical access to GIS before making an initial investment in the technology.     

Information-associated join indices for spatial range search

Abstract

Spatial join indices are join indices constructed for spatial objects. Similar to join indices in relational database systems, spatial join indices improve efficiency of spatial join operations. In this paper, a spatial-information-associated join indexing mechanism is developed to speed up spatial queries, especially, spatial range queries. Three distance-associated join index structures: basic, ring-structured and hierarchical, are developed and studied. Such join indexing structures can be further extended to include orientation information for flexible applications, which leads to zone-structured and other spatial-information-associated join indices. Our performance study and analysis show that spatial-information-associated join indices substantially improve the performance of spatial queries and that different structures are best suited for different applications.     

An Evaluation of University World Geography Textbook Questions for Components of Spatial Thinking

ABSTRACT

Geography textbooks contain chapter or review questions that may engage students in spatial thinking. This research used Jo and Bednarz’s (2009) Taxonomy of Spatial Thinking to evaluate the percentage of spatial thinking questions in four university-level world geography course textbooks. The results from this study were then compared to the findings in Jo and Bednarz’s (2009) analysis of high school geography textbooks. Thirty-five percent of university level textbook questions are related to spatial thinking compared to twenty-four percent in high school geography textbooks. The results provide information useful to stakeholders, such as teachers, administrators, and textbook writers and may help these stakeholders to consciously incorporate the three components of spatial thinking as defined by the National Research Council (2006). A simplified taxonomy for identifying spatial-thinking concepts in textbook review questions is also suggested.     

与跨国企业技术互动对本土企业创新绩效的影响 ——以中国高技术制造业为例

在技术溢出和技术互动效应理论辨析的基础上,以中国高技术制造业为例,基于分行业面板数据,在多元回归模型中引入连乘变量,从技术能力互动、研发行为互动2个方面,对与跨国企业技术互动对本土企业创新绩效的影响进行实证分析。结果显示：1）以双方技术实力为基础的技术能力互动对本土企业的创新绩效具有显著的正效应;2）研发行为互动同时促进双方研发行为的强化,对本土企业创新绩效也具有显著的正效应。3）控制变量中,产品进入国际市场能力与企业创新绩效存在显著的负相关,本土企业规模、资本强度及市场结构对企业创新绩效的影响在统计学上不显著。研究结果同时支持了跨国资本对地方企业研发行为的“控制变量,有助于丰富全球化与地方创新相互作用与机制的理解。     

Advanced spatial statistics for analysing and visualizing geo-referenced data

Abstract

Spatial statistics supplies advanced methods for analysing environmental data, and copes with observational interdependencies similar to the way principal components analysis treats multicollinearity. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) utilizes kriging from geostatistics for mapping and visualizing environmental data. A conceptual framework is articulated between the interpolation problem in kriging and the missing data problem in spatial statistics, with special reference to relations between the exponential semi-variogram and the conditional autoregressive models. Supercomputing experiments are summarized that simplify numerically the probability density function normalizing factor, which is of particular relevance to estimation tasks for the EMAP project.     

基于数据仓库的空间可持续发展决策支持技术研究--以东莞市耕地变化研究为例

以决策支持理论为指导，以遥感和信息系统为技术手段，构造基于数据仓库技术的耕地决策支持系统，以实现多源空间数据的集成、分析、模拟和决策，并以东莞市耕地可持续利用动态研究为例，完成了基于可持续发展研究的因子筛选、模型构建和基于数据仓库的决策分析，探讨了数据仓库技术在空间定量决策分析中的应用，为区域可持续发展研究进行了有益的实践。     

中国山地垂直带的数字集成与基本规律分析

首次归纳出我国63类垂直带(包括31类基带)；在ArcGIS 8．3平台上,以山地垂直带谱“数字引擎”为内核,成功研制了“中国山地垂直带谱信息系统(1．0)”,将我国约239个山地垂直带谱进行了数字集成,使我们对我国垂直带谱数据的掌握从残缺上升为相对完备。该研究工作不仅为我国山地垂直带谱规律的数字分析提供了强大的手段,也为世界山地垂直带谱的数字集成提供了必要的理论和技术方法。还利用该系统,对重要垂直带界线如雪线、林线、高山草甸进行了空间规律分析。结果表明,除高山草甸经向变化缺乏明显规律外,其他垂直带界线的经、纬向变化的二次曲线(抛物线)模式比其他模式具有更高的相关系数。因而,抛物线模式应是我国山地垂直带宏观尺度上的基本空间模式。今后垂直带谱研究应在界线精度、带谱结构的地理学／生态学解释等方面继续深入。     

闽南丘陵区典型小流域空间框架数据采集与应用

综合利用Photoshop、Geoway、MapInfo、ArcView等软件提供的处理技术,通过对扫描得到的地形、土地利用和水土流失等要素图进行图像剪切、拼接、配准、采样、跟踪、调整以及属性表的维护等一系列处理步骤,建立了大比例尺小流域地理空间框架数据集,提供了小流域空间框架数据采集与应用的技术流程与方法,提出应用各种软件进行大比例尺空间框架数据处理过程中应当注意的各种细节问题.最后,以闽南丘陵地区草子坝小流域为例,利用ArcView的3D Analyst、Spatial Analyst、Geoprocessing等扩展模块以及MapInfo SQL查询功能,对流域空间框架数据进行处理,得到了用于比较精细空间尺度上表达流域三维地形模型、坡度、坡向、河流垂直剖面、晕渲,不同高程上的土地利用类型等专题应用结果.     

闽南丘陵区典型小流域空间框架数据采集与应用

综合利用Photoshop、Geoway、MapInfo、ArcView等软件提供的处理技术,通过对扫描得到的地形、土地利用和水土流失等要素图进行图像剪切、拼接、配准、采样、跟踪、调整以及属性表的维护等一系列处理步骤,建立了大比例尺小流域地理空间框架数据集,提供了小流域空间框架数据采集与应用的技术流程与方法,提出应用各种软件进行大比例尺空间框架数据处理过程中应当注意的各种细节问题.最后,以闽南丘陵地区草子坝小流域为例,利用ArcView的3D Analyst、Spatial Analyst、Geoprocessing等扩展模块以及MapInfo SQL查询功能,对流域空间框架数据进行处理,得到了用于比较精细空间尺度上表达流域三维地形模型、坡度、坡向、河流垂直剖面、晕渲,不同高程上的土地利用类型等专题应用结果.     

Decisions of the U. S. Board of Geographic Names. June 5, 1900, To January 8, 1902 II

ABSTRACT

Spatial literacy is a new frontier in K–12 education. This article describes a place-based introductory GIS/GPS middle school curriculum unit in which students used measuring tools, GPS units, and My World GIS software to collect physical and spatial data of trees to create a schoolyard tree inventory. Maine students completed “memory maps” of their schoolyards as a pre/post exercise assessment. A statistically significant increase in students’ spatial awareness was documented. A technology-based curriculum can significantly increase students’ spatial awareness especially in a place and context relevant to each student.     

Benchmarking spatial joins a la carte

Spatial joins are join operations that involve spatial data types and operators. Spatial access methods are often used to speed up the computation of spatial joins. This paper addresses the issue of benchmarking spatial join operations. For this purpose, we first present a WWW-based benchmark generator to produce sets of rectangles. Using a Web browser, experimenters can specify the number of rectangles in a sample, as well as the statistical distributions of their sizes, shapes, and locations. Second, using the generator and a well-defined set of statistical models we define several tests to compare the performance of three spatial join algorithms: nested loop, scan-and-index, and synchronized tree traversal. We also added two real-life data sets from the Sequoia 2000 storage benchmark. Our results show that the relative performance of the different techniques mainly depends on the selectivity factor of the join predicate. All of the statistical models and algorithms are available on the Web, which allows for easy verification and modification of our experiments.