Using Neural Nets to Model the Spatial Distribution of Seasonal Homes

Seasonal and second homes are important aspects of recreational tourism. Owning a summer cottage, time-share condominium, hunting cabin, or a part-time residence in a location away from home affects development patterns in significant ways. This paper presents the results of using an artificial neural network and a geographic information systems-based approach to identify and quantify the principal predictors of seasonal home distribution within the Lake States region of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Representative variables, such as proximity and spatial configuration of lakes, proximity to the Great Lakes shore, surrounding forest acreage, and public land access have been quantified using geographic information systems at the minor civil division (MCD) scale for the three states. The GIS data have then been fed into artificial neural networks to enable these pattern recognition tools to identify the principal predictors of seasonal home distribution in the Upper Great Lakes States.     

Patterns of lizard species richness within National Parks and Biosphere Reserves across North America's deserts

Warm deserts world-wide provide habitats for rich lizard species assemblages; North American deserts are no exception, however the desert regions of the US and Mexico are experiencing increasing habitat changes from multiple anthropogenic sources. Our objective here was to document current lizard species richness patterns across the North American deserts within the existing network of conservation areas. We identified 110 lizard species occurring across one or more of the 19 sites we analyzed. Three species richness hot spots were identified; a northern Baja California faunal extension into southern California in the US, and in Mexico, two sites within the state of Coahuila, as well as high endemism in the Cape Region of Baja California Sur. Species richness was associated with sites where desert ecoregions overlap and with insular isolation. Our uncertainty regarding how species will respond to the multifaceted aspects of global change is such that large protected natural areas with complex topography may be the most effective strategy for protecting desert lizards along with overall biodiversity. The 19 sites we analyzed represent the cores of a more robust conservation network that will be needed for the protection of biodiversity across North American Deserts.     

PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY EXPANDS TO FOUR ISSUES A YEAR IN 1986

The interannual variability in warm-season soil-moisture deficits were examined for the Southern United States from 1895-2005. Moisture deficit values are computed using the Thornthwaite/Mather water budget technique. Five soil-moisture deficit regions were identified, each has a distinct pattern and magnitude of deficit. No long-term trends were evident but considerable interannual variability is observed. Severe deficits across the South are associated with high potential evapotranspiration in addition to reduced rainfall. The reduced precipitation across the region is associated with a decrease in frequency rather than any change in intensity. The role of atmospheric indices on affecting deficits, precipitation, and potential evapotranspiration was explored. In particular, the Bermuda High and PNA indices show the strongest correlations with soil-moisture deficits during the warm season.     

MEASURED ALTITUDINAL PROFILES OF UV-B IRRADIANCE IN HAWAI'I

Erythemally weighted UV-B irradiance was measured between sea level and 4,205 m in several midday altitudinal transects and continuously for several months at sea level and 3,400 m on the Island of Hawai'i. Between sea level and 4,205 m, standardized UV-B increased 25% and 29% for solar zenith angles of 10° and 45°, respectively, under clear-sky conditions. The standardized diffuse component constituted 28% to 58% of the total as a function of optical path length. Under all sky conditions, the monthly average UV-B irradiance increased 50% in summer and 103% in winter from a cloudy, windward, sea-level location to a site at 3,400 m in generally clear skies above the trade-wind inversion. [Key words: solar radiation, ultraviolet-B irradiance, Hawai'i.]     

Fieldwork Unbound: Spaces of Association in Postconflict Vietnam

This article traces the ways in which the field emerges and becomes emplaced among three groups of people by presenting an inclusive reading of fieldwork in postconflict Vietnam. It employs a heuristic device called spaces of association to illustrate the different yet interrelated socio-spatial fields that surface when conducting fieldwork in an environment known for violence. In shedding light on the field's ability to extend beyond the territorially defined “field site,” this article speaks to debates surrounding the socio-spatial production of multiple and overlapping fields, describes the audiences engaged with and implicated in research, and contributes to understandings of ethical research engagement with postconflict field sites.     

中越北部湾划界双赢结果对解决南海划界问题的启示

分析了北部湾划界的特点,认为取得双赢结果的北部湾划界主要运用了公平原则、成比例方法、大陆架和专属经济区同一界线法的原则和方法。针对近期骤然升级的南海问题,在分析南海问题特点的基础上,提出北部湾划界的成功经验对解决南海海域划界问题的理论和实践意义。     

Plastic in the Thames: A river runs through it

Although contamination of the marine ecosystems by plastics is becoming recognised as a serious pollution problem, there are few studies that demonstrate the contribution made by freshwater catchments. Over a three month period from September to December 2012, at seven localities in the upper Thames estuary, 8490 submerged plastic items were intercepted in eel fyke nets anchored to the river bed. Whilst there were significant differences in the numbers of items at these locations, the majority were some type of plastic. Additionally in excess of 20% of the litter items were components of sanitary products. The most contaminated sites were in the vicinity of sewage treatment works. While floating litter is visible, this study also demonstrates that a large unseen volume of submerged plastic is flowing into the marine environment. It is therefore important that this sub-surface component is considered when assessing plastic pollution input into the sea.     

Emplacement and the dispossessions of cosmopolitan capital

Ananya Roy’s theorization of the urban land question in terms of ‘dis/possessive collectivism’ is a powerful, eloquent intervention at a pivotal moment of intensified, planetary urban land inequalities. In this commentary, we evaluate Roy’s call to identify sites of “strategic illegality” from which to challenge the racial and class inequalities of capitalist colonization of urban land and property. Our analysis focuses on three transformations – evolving jurisdictional geographies, expanded proliferations of disparate impact, and reinforced infrastructures of monetized universalization – in which old, familiar exploitations are produced through the new multicultural meritocracies of an increasingly transnational, cosmopolitan capitalism.     

Poverty and Disasters in the United States: A Review of Recent Sociological Findings

This article synthesizes the literature on poverty and disasters in the United States and presents the results from a wide range of studies conducted over the past twenty years. The findings are organized into eight categories based on the stages of a disaster event. The review illustrates how people of different socioeconomic statuses perceive, prepare for, and respond to natural hazard risks, how low-income populations may be differentially impacted, both physically and psychologically, and how disaster effects vary by social class during the periods of emergency response, recovery, and reconstruction. The literature illustrates that the poor in the United States are more vulnerable to natural disasters due to such factors as place and type of residence, building construction, and social exclusion. The results have important implications for social equity and recommendations for future research and policy implementation are offered.