“It’s a gestalt experience”: Landscape values and development pressure in Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

Demand for both primary residences and second homes in high-amenity areas has led to escalating property values and widespread development pressure in coastal New Zealand. We focus on a major development proposal at Ocean Beach, a greenfield coastal site in the Hawke’s Bay region, and seek to explain the opposition it has provoked. In so doing, we address three questions: first, what landscape values are articulated within the planning process; second, what is the anticipated impact of 1000 new dwellings on those values; and third, how does place attachment figure in the ensuing debates. We address these questions though a thematic analysis of data derived from official reports and proposals, planning submissions, and key informant interviews. We find Ocean Beach to be a place that offers a quintessential coastal experience, often linked to youthful memories. Additionally, the site is valued for its accessibility and wilderness qualities - perceptions heightened by awareness that areas of undeveloped coastline relatively close to population centres are increasingly scarce. We contend that such sites are doubly valuable: in a formal sense, as natural landscapes whose processes and forms receive regulatory protection; and in an informal sense, as sites that generate human meaning, including emotions such as nostalgia, freedom and belonging.     

Mind maps of the Maori

In common with other oral societies, New Zealand Maori constructed mental maps by means of which they made sense of their phenomenological world. Their cognitive template, called whakapapa, consists of a genealogical framework upon which spiritual, spatial, temporal and biophysical information about a particular place is located. These many-layered cosmoscapes performed various roles in traditional society. Analysis of several whakapapa of plants and of lizards suggest that these include a folk taxonomy of the culturally important biota in a particular place; spatial delineation of environmental realms or territories that describe key ecosystems or habitats and their functional inter-relationships; the cosmogonical origins and history of the phenomena in that whakapapa; moral instruction; and provision of a useful mnemonic facilitating retention and recall. In common with other indigenous cultures, whakapapa can also be described as performance cartography in that they are dependent on oral transmission involving narrative, song, and other physical activities whereby the knowledge specific to a place comes to be known.     

Environmental awareness,the Transition Movement,and place: Den Selvforsynende Landsby,a Danish Transition initiative

The Transition Movement, originating in Ireland and the United Kingdom, gathers and supports community-led actions to meet the global challenges of climate change, peak oil and energy descent. In our study we analysed a Transition Network project, a Danish village built from scratch by its inhabitants and named the Self Sufficient Village (SSV). Employing the theories of constructed landscapes and place attachment, we studied how the Transition Movement ideology shaped the constructed landscape of the village and influenced the inhabitants’ attachment. The research team, following the grounded theory approach, conducted a field study staying in SSV. We collected data with focus groups, individual interviews and participatory observations, taking part in daily life of the community. The analysis revealed three, intertwined themes which altogether create the constructed landscape of SSV. They were named Community, Ideology, and Individual impact, respectively. Our findings showed that the community and strong social ties were predominant factors in shaping place attachment. Transition ideology and environmental awareness, although less pronounced, still turned out to be vital for the feelings of belongingness and empowerment, resulting in a positive impact of the village on the local scale. Using our case study as an example we discuss the importance of environmental concern and place attachment for similar grass-root initiatives.     

Fact and fiction: Geography and literature

Main epistemological reflections in Geography developed since the 1970s emphasize holistic perspectives in which intuition has an important cognitive. Bringing forward the ideas lifeworld and espace véçu important currents in this approach put in relief the sense of place, the affective ties with the environment, the aesthetic and landscape symbology, the genius loci and the spatial-temporal rythms connected to personal experiences. In this context, literary works (tales, novels, or short stories) are important because they provide authentic and indespensable testimony of the influence of human experience on place.The analysis of the vast bibliography on geographic interpretation of literary sources reveals typologies: studies on the links between real and literary landscapes, understanding of the sense of place, the concepts of rooting and uprooting, the definitions of inscapes and territorial consciousness. These five thematic foci allow the interpretation of the relationship existing between geography — regarded as landscape and place — and literary works —considered as the expression to define and fix the culture and feelings of a human group with respect to its own space and place.     

Possible spatial variability in the Selwyn Block of Central Victoria: evidence from Late Devonian felsic igneous rocks

The Neoproterozoic to Cambrian Selwyn Block in Central Victoria forms the mainly unexposed basement to the Paleozoic metasediments, granitic rocks and felsic volcanic complexes of the Melbourne Zone of the Lachlan Orogen. The Late Devonian felsic rocks are largely products of partial melting of the Selwyn Block, and their chemistry implies that their sources were most probably arc-related andesite, dacite, volcaniclastic greywackes and some pelites. When plotted against the median longitudes of the plutons and volcanic complexes, the average values for ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_t and ?Nd_t (at 370 Ma) reveal broad trends interpreted to reflect possible compositional and/or age structure in the Selwyn Block. Assuming that the trends are real, from W to E, I-type sources are progressively less crustally evolved, probably younging eastward. The S-type sources show no trend in ?Nd_t, suggesting that there was efficient sediment mixing. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_t values, however, become more evolved eastward (opposite in sense to the apparent variation in the I-type sources). This is interpreted as the original Selwyn Block sediments having been more pelitic eastward, perhaps suggesting a deepening of the basin in this direction, as well as structurally upward in the succession. The opposite senses of variation highlights the spatial separation of the S- and I-type sources and suggest that the granitic magmas here are unlikely to represent any sort of mixing continuum.     

Remote-sensing data-based Archaeological Predictive Model (APM) for archaeological site mapping in desert area,South Morocco

Morocco hosts numerous archaeological sites, some of which are part of the UNESCO world heritage. Many of these sites, especially funerary mounds also called tumuli, or rock engravings and ceramics, are located in remote areas with limited access, particularly in the Saharan Morocco desert. We developed a remote sensing and GIS model to identify areas with high potential for hosting archaeological sites in the Awserd region of southern Morocco. A field campaign in a “reference site” zone of 21 km² has revealed 233 archaeological sites. Here we use satellite images and Digital Elevation Models to examine with various techniques (spatial analysis, statistical techniques, and fuzzy logic functions) the relations between the distribution of the archaeological sites and geo-environmental variables such as ground geology, topographic elevation and slope, orientation (aspect), and distance to water sources. We derive empirical relations that reveal that the distribution of archaeological sites depends on the above geo-environmental variables. We then use the empirical relations to anticipate the potential locations of archaeological sites in a region of 980 km² enclosing the reference site area. The model proves capable of predicting 582 sites in the larger region. Subsequent field observations there confirmed that about 80% of the model anticipations were correct. Our Archaeological Predictive Model (APM) can be scaled to larger areas and varied geographic settings, and hence can be a useful guide for archeological studies in desert regions.     

Magnetic and ground probing radar measurements for soil pollution mapping in the industrial area of Val Basento (Basilicata Region, Southern Italy): a case study

The joint application of electromagnetic techniques for near-surface exploration is a useful tool for soil pollution monitoring and can also contribute towards describing the spatial distribution of pollutants. The results of a geophysical field survey that was carried out for characterizing the heavy metal and waste disposal soil pollution phenomena in the industrial area of Val Basento (Basilicata region, Southern Italy) are presented here. First, topsoil magnetic susceptibility measurements have been carried out for defining the spatial distribution of superficial pollution phenomena in the investigated area. Second, detailed and integrated measurements based on a high-resolution magnetic mapping and ground probing radar (GPR) profiling have been applied to investigate the subsurface in two industrial areas located in more polluted sites that were identified during the first phase. Our monitoring strategy discloses the way to rapidly define the zone characterized by high pollution levels deriving from chemical industries and traffic emissions and to obtain the way information about the presence of local buried sources of contamination.     

Formation processes affecting submerged archaeological sites:An overview

Although the formation processes operating on submerged archaeological sites are just as varied as those affecting terrestrial ones, nautical archaeologists have not yet devoted much attention to them. Most studies to date are concerned with formation processes at particular sites. This article provides an overview of the major depositional and postdepositional formation processes affecting underwater sites. The most obvious depositional process is shipwreck, which takes several different forms. Submerged sites may also be formed by the drowning of coastal areas due to tectonic or eustatic sea level changes. In these cases, rapid submergence preserves sites better than slow inundation, which allows time for waves and currents to tear the site apart. For both shipwrecks and coastal sites, once submergence occurs, the single most important factor for preservation is rapid burial by sediment. A cover of sediment protects both the artifacts themselves and their spatial patterning from destruction by water and marine organisms. Once deposited, underwater sites are subject to modification by both cultural and natural processes. The best understood postdepositional processes include salvaging, treasure hunting, and destruction by marine borers. Others, such as dredging, construction, and bioturbation, have hardly been investigated at this time. Archaeologists need to devote more attention to the effects of marine animals that live in close association with the seabed, as well as marine plants, whose roots may disturb sites located in shallow water. From this study it is clear that maritime archaeologists must consider formation processes when planning projects, rather than thinking of underwater sites as simply “time capsules.” © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Tree decline in industrialized areas of North America

Tree decline has been reported from several locations in North America in recent decades. The decline is widespread in areas remote from the classical point sources of air pollution. This paper describes the geographic and spatial extent of the decline, the symptomatology of affected trees, and the known and possible causes. In addition, a few case histories of tree decline in the vicinity of sulphur dioxide and fluoride emitting sources are described.     

Natural nuclear reactors and ionizing radiation in the Precambrian

The natural nuclear reactors were geological arrangements of uranium and water where, like the 2 Ga-old uranium deposits discovered in Oklo (Gabon, Africa), uranium chain fission processes took place. Ten years after its discovery the phenomenon of Oklo is still neglected in Precambrian evolutionary studies. We consider some probable reasons for this and show that natural reactors might have been important, specific, localized sources of ionizing radiation during both the criticality and shut-down periods. Some of the long-lived fission products which migrated from the reactor core could also have been effective radiation energy sources after fixation in the environment or upon uptake by the earliest forms of living matter. The results presented here concern the examination of conditions for nuclear criticality on the Precambrian Earth, the dose-rates of ionizing radiation available and the estimate of the number of natural nuclear reactors that could have been active in the past.     

Nanobubbles,hydrophobic effect,heterocoagulation and hydrodynamics in flotation

It has been shown in recent years that the long-range attractive interaction forces between hydrophobic surfaces in aqueous systems are caused by the capillary forces of gas bridges which form at the coalescence of nanobubbles adhering on the surfaces. The coalescence of nanobubbles on selectively hydrophobized particles with coarser bubbles initiates the jump into the three-phase contact at the attachment events in flotation. Therefore, one should no longer speak of hydrophobic forces in these events but of hydrophobic effects because they are caused by capillary forces. However, in the selective hydrophobization of particles by long-chain collectors (surfactants), there is another situation. Here, the association of nonpolar groups in the adsorption layers plays an important role in the energy balance of adsorption. This association is caused by “truly” hydrophobic interactions, which support the spotty distribution of the adsorbed collector ions on the particle surfaces and promote the formation of nanobubbles. This paper is intended to show to what extent the results obtained by basic research on the nanobubble formation as well as the force–distance dependence of collision events can be applied to flotation processes. This particularly requires the consideration of the highly turbulent flow conditions in the impeller stream of the flotation machines, in which the attachments almost exclusively occur. Various phenomena which occur in these machines and affect the reagent regime and the hydrodynamics point to the fact that nanobubbles can form, exist and even grow into microbubbles in that region. Therefore, so-called combined attachment events should predominate as already imagined several decades ago. The highly turbulent pressure fluctuations in the impeller stream in addition to the dispersion of the bubbles effect also their oscillations in size and shape, so that adsorption equilibria in the interfaces liquid/gas cannot be supposed. However, the pressure fluctuations present the possibility to overcome potential barriers in the wetting films at attachment events.     

Land degradation in gold mining communities of Ijesaland,Osun state,Nigeria

This paper identified 37 mining sites in ten gold mining communities of Ijesaland, Nigeria; examined the forms, levels and extent of land degradation resulted from mining activities; analyzed spatial pattern of land use and finally assessed the effects of mining on livelihood of the people. The study utilized global positioning system receiver to obtain geographic coordinates of mining sites. The forms of land degradation were captured through field observations and photographs while the levels and extent of the degraded lands were measured with measuring tape and the values were determined using mathematical formula for calculating area of a circle. Landsat datasets were used to analyze spatial pattern of land use and the effects of mining activities were examined through questionnaire administration on two hundred heads of household who were randomly selected. Focus group discussions (FGD) were organized among adult men and women to complement information obtained from questionnaire survey. The study discovered 354 mining pits as major form of land degradation, which ranges in sizes and depths. The average depth of mining pits was 3.4 m while an estimate of 25.8 ha. of land was degraded in the entire mining sites. There was a consensus among FGD participants and respondents of questionnaire survey that mining activities introduced adverse effects into their communities and attracted socio-economic benefits at the same time. The results of this study underscore the need for close monitoring of mining operations to reduce the negative impact of mining activities on the environment.     

Introducing the concept of tactile space: Creating lasting social and environmental commitments

This paper introduces into the literature the concept of tactile space. In tactile space, forms of representational and non-representational knowledge are exchanged, resulting in the decentering of the subject/objective dichotomy as well as the senses. In doing this, tactile space helps to instill within individuals a greater sense of relationality with others and the environment, which leads to long lasting attitudinal and behavioral changes (versus the superficial changes provided by, say, financial dis/incentives). To help clarify the concept, two different cases are examined. The first example looks briefly at the Sunnyside Environmental School, located in Portland, Oregon (US). The purpose of this first case is to provide some real world flesh to the concept of tactile space. A more detailed conceptual discussion of tactile space takes place in the following section. Here, attention focuses on an in depth study of two cases of community supported agriculture in Iowa (US). The paper concludes by reflecting upon the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead as we further develop our understanding of tactile space and the relations, sensations, and non-representational knowledges it helps to bring forth.     

强干扰区含噪电磁场的时空分布特征

噪声是限制电磁勘探应用效果的瓶颈之一,明确含噪电磁场数据的特征是强干扰区开展电磁法研究的首要问题。本文依据庐枞矿集区的干扰源调查及大量实测数据,通过对比不同条件、多种类型的电磁场数据,归纳了强干扰区电磁噪声源的主要类型,并总结了含噪电磁场数据的时间域、频率域及空间分布特征。结果表明：强干扰区噪声源可按多种形式进行分类;含噪电磁场数据在时间域常具有显著的形态、振幅、结构及相关性特征;时频谱常表现出不同的时间分段及频率分带特征;频域响应常呈分频带畸变特征,以"近源"型畸变最为典型;噪声影响的空间分布与场源类型、观测方位及地下结构等因素相关。     

Overbank sediment: a representative sample medium for regional geochemical mapping

In Scandinavia, most fluvial erosion takes place in the Quaternary glacial overburden at a restricted number of small source areas along individual drainage channels. As a consequence, a sample of active stream sediment is representative of only a very limited portion of the drainage area. This restriction makes stream sediment less reliable for regional exploration than generally expected. Overbank (levee or river-plain) sediment produced during large floods is an alternate more representative sampling medium. The sediment suspended during a flood has a much more widespread origin, and when the load is deposited upon the flood plain, nearly horizontal strata are formed and preserved at levels above the ordinary stream channel. A composite sample through a vertical section of such strata represents a great number of sediment sources that have been active at different times and forms an integrated sample of the entire catchment area. Because young sediments overlay older, the uppermost layers will be contaminated by pollutants in industrialized regions, but those at depth may remain pristine and will to a greater extent reflect the natural pre-industrial environment. In regional geochemical mapping, overbank sediment can be sampled at widely spaced sites, keeping costs per unit area low. Examples from Norway (1 sample station per 500 km²) show that overbank sediment produces broad geochemical patterns with high contrasts reflecting the bedrock geochemistry. Some patterns agree with known geological units and metallogenic provinces, but hitherto unknown major structures have also been indicated. A large Mo-deposit missed by a traditional stream survey is readily detected in the overbank sediment. It is concluded that overbank sediment is a promising alternate sample medium that should be tested in other physiographic regions.     

Historical space as narrative medium: on the configuration of spatial narratives of time at historical sites

This paper examines how narratives of history are organized spatially at historical sites and memorial spaces, especially in urban settings and in places invested with a sense of collective memory. Much recent research has focused on landscape, memory, and place and how relationships of political and social power influence the representation of historical events in public spaces. Although the meaning of such sites may be hotly contested for long periods of time, we focus here on narrative theory and the related, but unexplored, issue of how such historical stories are configured on the ground at actual historical sites. We identify a number of narrative strategies which are frequently used to configure historical stories in space. Declamatory strategies using markers presenting a snapshot of an event are common, but sequential and non-sequential linear strategies are also used, as are thematic strategies that cross-cut space and time to present complex historical stories at various spatial scales. Examples are drawn from a range of historical sites in North America, Europe and Israel.     

Uncertainty in structural interpretation: Lessons to be learnt

Uncertainty in the interpretation of geological data is an inherent element of geology. Datasets from different sources: remotely sensed seismic imagery, field data and borehole data, are often combined and interpreted to create a geological model of the sub-surface. The data have limited resolution and spatial distribution that results in uncertainty in the interpretation of the data and in the subsequent geological model(s) created. Methods to determine the extent of interpretational uncertainty of a dataset, how to capture and express that uncertainty, and consideration of uncertainties in terms of risk have been investigated. Here I review the work that has taken place and discuss best practice in accounting for uncertainties in structural interpretation workflows. Barriers to best practice are reflected on, including the use of software packages for interpretation. Experimental evidence suggests that minimising interpretation error through the use of geological reasoning and rules can help decrease interpretation uncertainty; through identification of inadmissible interpretations and in highlighting areas of uncertainty. Understanding expert thought processes and reasoning, including the use of visuospatial skills, during interpretation may aid in the identification of uncertainties, and in the education of new geoscientists.     

Sediment Suspension and Deposition Across Restored Oyster Reefs of Varying Orientation to Flow: Implications for Restoration

The eastern oyster, Crassostrea virginica, is a prominent ecosystem engineer, whose reefs exhibit strikingly consistent morphologies at multiple spatial scales throughout its North American range. These distinct morphologies are thought to form by interactions of nascent reef structures with hydrodynamics. We carried out two field studies to determine if historical reef configurations applied in a restoration context would improve reef persistence and restoration outcomes. We collected seabed and water column observations across constructed reefs of three orientations representative of those found historically throughout the oyster’s range: parallel or perpendicular to tidal currents or circular. Areas adjacent to reefs were sites of fine sediment trapping, with lower flow velocities, evidence of particle settling, and more fine sediments on the seabed relative to off-reef reference sites. The water column above the reef crest exhibited higher acoustic backscatter, higher flow velocities, and larger particles in suspension, consistent with local erosion of flocculated fine sediment from the reef crest. Perpendicular reefs produced conditions that were more conducive to reef persistence and improved oyster performance, including high flow velocities and enhanced resuspension of sediments from the reef, compared to parallel or circular reefs. Particle trapping in areas between reefs has the potential to inhibit reef growth between existing reef structures, providing support for hypotheses of landscape-scale reef pattern formation. Oyster reef restoration efforts can benefit from this improved understanding of biophysical interactions arising from reef orientation that contribute to sediment dynamics on constructed oyster reefs.     

Composition of particulate organic matter in the southern Chesapeake Bay: Sources and Reactivity

The distribution of two classes of lipid biomarker compounds (fatty acids and sterols) was used in conjunction with several bulk parameters (total suspended solids, chlorophyll a, and particulate carbon and nitrogen concentrations) to examine spatial and temporal variability in the sources of particulate organic matter (POM) important to southern Chesapeake Bay. Based on these geochemical parameters, we found that suspended and sedimentary organic matter in the southern Chesapeake Bay is derived from autochthonous sources including a mixture of fresh and detrital phytoplankton, zooplankton, and bacteria. The dominant factor contributing to temporal variability during our study was phytoplankton productivity. Enrichments in particulate organic carbon, chlorophyll a, total fatty acids, total sterols, and a number of biomarkers specific to phytoplankton sources were found in particles collected from surface (1 m) and deep (1 m above the bottom) portions of the water column at several sites during the spring bloom in March 1996 and during a localized bloom in July 1995. Comparison of sites at the mouths of two tributaries (York and Rappahannock rivers) to southern Chesapeake Bay with two sites located in the bay mainsterm indicates spatial variation in the composition of POM was not significant in this region of the bay. The energetic nature of this region of the Chesapeake Bay most likely contributes to the observed homogeneity. Comparison with biomarker studies conducted in other estuaries suggests the high levels of productivity characteristic of the Chesapeake Bay contribute to high background levels of POM.