Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Tree pits'

In urban areas, trees are often planted in bare soil sidewalk openings (tree pits) which recently are being covered with permeable pavements. Pavements are known to alter soil moisture and temperature, and may have implications for tree growth, root development and depth, drought resilience, and sidewalk lifting. Furthermore, tree pits are often the only unsealed soil surface and are important for water exchange between soil and atmosphere. Therefore, covering tree pits with pavement, even permeable, may have implications for the urban water balance and stormwater management. A better understanding of permeable pavement on tree pavement soil system functioning can inform improved tree pit and street design for greater sustainability of urban environments. We conducted experiments at two sites in Virginia, USA (Mountains and Coastal Plain) with different climate and soil. At each location, we constructed 24 tree pits in a completely randomized experiment with two factors: paved with resin-bound porous-permeable pavement versus unpaved, and planted with Platanus x acerifolia 'Bloodgood' versus unplanted (n = 6). We measured tree stem diameter, root growth and depth, and soil water content and temperature over two growing seasons. We also monitored tree sap flow one week in June 2017 at the Mountains. In addition, we calibrated and validated a soil water flow model, HYDRUS-1D, to predict soil water distribution for different rooting depths, soil textures and pavement thicknesses. Trees in paved tree pits grew larger, with stem diameters 29% (Mountains) and 51% (Coastal Plain) greater. Roots developed faster under pavement, possibly due to the increased soil water content and the extended root growing season (14 more days). Tree transpiration was 33% of unpaved and planted pit water outputs, while it was 64% for paved and planted pits. In June 2016, planted pits had decreased root-zone water storage, while unplanted pits showed increased storage. A water balance of the entire experimental site showed overall decreased soil water storage due to tree water extraction becoming the dominant factor. HYDRUS-1D provided overall best results for model validation at 10 cm depth from soil surface (NSE = 0.447 for planted and paved tree pits), compared to 30- and 60 cm depths. HYDRUS-1D simulations with greater pavement thickness resulted in changes in predicted soil water content at the Coastal Plain, with higher values at 10- and 30-cm depths, but lower values at 60-cm depth. At the Mountains, virtually no difference was observed, possibly due to different soil texture (sandy vs clayey). Tree pits with permeable pavement accelerated tree establishment, but promoted shallower roots, possibly increasing root-pavement conflicts and tree drought susceptibility. Paved tree pits resulted in larger trees, increasing tree transpiration, but reduced soil evaporation compared to unpaved pits. Larger bare soil pits surrounded by permeable pavement might yield the best results to improve urban stormwater retention. Also, HYDRUS 1D was successful at simulating soil water content at 10-cm depth and may be valuable to inform streetscape design and planning.
PHD

Le plateau tibétain, avec une altitude moyenne de 4000m, est appelé le « troisième pôle de la Terre ». Il est l’objet d’une attention particulière dans les études qui portent sur le changement climatique global. D’une part, il constitue un obstacle physique à la circulation atmosphérique et, d’autre part, il agit comme un régulateur thermique qui réchauffe l’air sus-jacent en été et le refroidit en hiver. Le climat du plateau tibétain n’est pas une composante isolée du climat global mais bien une composante interactive avec les autres systèmes. En particulier, le plateau joue un rôle décisif dans la variabilité de la mousson asiatique qui affecte une aire géographique conséquente et densément peuplée. Soixante pourcent des eaux du Fleuve Jaune, dont dépendent plus de 100 millions de personnes et une industrie en pleine expansion, proviennent du plateau (Zhao et al. , 2008). Or, le débit de ce fleuve a diminué régulièrement depuis les années 1950 (Liu and Xia, 2004; Chang et al. , 2007). Il est crucial de comprendre comment les variations climatiques locales et globales affectent l’approvisionnement en eau de cette région appelée le « Château d’eau » de la Chine. Les enregistrements instrumentaux, qui ont généralement démarré dans la seconde moitié du 20ème siècle, sont toutefois trop courts pour appréhender la variabilité climatique. Le plateau tibétain offre une variété d’archives climatiques permettant d’étendre notre connaissance de la variabilité du climat au-delà des séries instrumentales. Le climat de haute altitude permet la formation de cernes d’arbres qui peuvent être parfaitement datés et offrent l’accès à une résolution saisonnière à annuelle. La largeur des cernes et la composition isotopique d’arbres anciens permettent, dans certaines conditions, de quantifier des paramètres clés du climat. Le potentiel de ces proxies pour reconstruire la variabilité des paramètres liés au cycle hydrologique (précipitation, humidité relative, couverture nuageuse, débit des rivières) reste à explorer. Cette thèse vise à répondre aux questions concernant la variabilité climatique sur le plateau au cours des derniers siècles. Les objectifs spécifiques sont : a) de déterminer les relations entre les variables climatiques du plateau et les paramètres des arbres (largeurs de cernes et composition isotopique de l’oxygène et du carbone de la cellulose) sur la période instrumentale, b) d’obtenir de longues séries de valeurs de largeurs de cernes et de composition isotopique de la cellulose et de les interpréter en termes climatiques, c) de reconstruire la variabilité climatique à partir de ces données et de leur confrontation à d’autres enregistrements de la variabilité climatique passée
The Tibetan plateau, 4000m high, is called the earth’s third pole. No other area in the world is a water repository of such size, serving as a lifeline for much of a continent and millions of people in countries downstream. The water supply in this head water region accounts for instance for more than 60% of the total runoff to the Yellow River (Zhao et al. , 2008). Climate evolution in Tibet would potentially have serious impacts. The current climate change could thus cause a rapid retreat of the glaciers with significant consequences on water resources in the region. However, the glacier water balance is influenced not only by local temperature variations, but also by precipitation ones. In southern Tibet, precipitation events exhibit a strong interannual-to-decadal variability directly related to the variability of Indian monsoon rainfall. To decipher the causes and the driving forces of water supply variability in the ‘water tower’ of China, it is therefore crucial to understand how it is affected by local and global climate changes. The climate and river flow in the source region of the Yellow River are documented through instrumental records starting in the 20th century. The Tibetan Plateau can offer a variety of climate archives but high-resolution proxy data, which are needed to document long-term climate change impacts, are still scarce in this area. The width and the isotopic composition of tree-ring have shown to be very valuable proxies of climate parameters. However, the potential of these proxies for reconstructing parameters linked to the hydrological cycle (precipitation, relative humidity, cloud cover, river flow) in this area still needs to be investigated. This thesis aims at characterizing climate variability in the Southern Tibetan Plateau over the last centuries. The main goals are: a) to determine the relations between some key climate parameters and tree-ring parameters (ring-width and cellulose 13C and 18O) over the instrumental time-period, b) to reconstruct and interpret climate variability in the South-Eastern Plateau over the last centuries from new tree-ring chronologies

En aquesta tesi, es van estudiar patrons de variació genètica intraespecífica en caracters funcionals de Pinus halepensis Mill., Pinus nigra Arnold i Pinus sylvestris L. Un conjunt de tècniques de fenotipat ben establertes van ser combinades amb dades de teledetecció obtingudes amb un dron (unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV). Les imatges d’UAV van indicar una diferenciació genètica en estratègies adaptatives de P. halepensis, determinada per la variació en la disponibilitat d'aigua dins la distribució geogràfica de l’espècie. En P. nigra, la diferenciació genètica va ser determinada per les temperatures mínimes anuals. D'altra banda, la disponibilitat d'aigua va tenir una importància marginal com a determinant de la variació intraespecífica en aquesta espècie. Així mateix es va detectar una escassa diferenciació genètica en P. sylvestris en trets relacionats amb l'ús d'aigua. No obstant això, aquesta espècie va presentar una considerable variació plàstica en l'eficiència de l'ús de l'aigua. La informació proporcionada per aquesta tesi és crucial per comprendre la dinàmica futura d'aquestes espècies i emfatitza la vulnerabilitat de P. nigra i P. sylvestris en el context del canvi climàtic A més, els resultats d'aquesta tesi subratllen l'ús d'imatges derivades d'UAVs com potencials eines de fenotipat massiu en espècies forestals.
En esta tesis, se estudió la variación genética intraespecífica de rasgos funcionales de Pinus halepensis Mill., Pinus nigra Arnold y Pinus sylvestris L., combinando técnicas de fenotipado bien establecidas con datos de teledetección obtenidos un dron (unmanned aerial vehicle, UAV). Las imágenes de UAV revelaron una diferenciación genética en estrategias adaptativas de P. halepensis, determinada por la existencia de poblaciones adaptadas a la sequía. En P. nigra, la diferenciación genética fue determinada por las temperaturas mínimas anuales. Por otro lado, la disponibilidad de agua tuvo una importancia marginal como determinante de la variación intraespecifica en esta especie. Asimismo se detectó una escasa diferenciación genética en P. sylvestris en rasgos relacionados con el uso de agua. Sin embargo, esta especie presentó una considerable variación plástica en la eficiencia del uso del agua. La información proporcionada por esta tesis es crucial para comprender la dinámica futura de estas especies y enfatiza la vulnerabilidad de P. nigra y P. sylvestris en el contexto del cambio climático Además, los resultados de esta tesis subrayan el uso de imágenes derivadas de UAVs como potenciales herramientas de fenotipado masivo en especies forestales.
This thesis studied the intra-specific genetic variation in functional traits of Pinus halepensis Mill., Pinus nigra Arnold and Pinus sylvestris L. by combining well-established phenotyping techniques with remote sensing data obtained with an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). UAV-imagery revealed a genetic divergence in adaptive strategies in P. halepensis, related to the presence of drought-adapted populations. In P. nigra, genetic variation was related to winter temperatures, while water availability had a weak role as driver of intra-specific divergence. Similarly, a weak genetic differentiation emerged in P. sylvestris in water-related traits, although this species showed high plastic variation in water use efficiency. The information provided by this thesis is crucial to understand the future dynamics of these pines, highlighting the vulnerability of P. nigra and P. sylvestris in the context of climate change. In addition, this thesis provided a strong support for the use of UAV-derived imagery as phenotyping tool in forest species.

El bitter pit és la fisiopatia més important en molts cultivars de pomes. No obstant, no existeix una estratègia completament efectiva per al seu control, per aquest motiu, un mètode de predicció que identifiqui anys i plantacions amb un alt potencial de desenvolupar la fisiopatia permetrà evitar pèrdues econòmiques, especialment durant la conservació i confecció. L’objectiu principal de la present tesi doctoral va ser la posada a punt d’un sistema de predicció de la incidència del bitter pit en plantacions de poma ‘Golden Smoothee’. Per això, es van investigar diferents mètodes basats en tres tecnologies diferents: i) l’anàlisi mineralògic de fruits en diferent època (en estadis primerencs i a recol·lecció), ii) la inducció de símptomes (infiltració de Mg, banys amb etefón, embossat de fruits i mètode passiu) i iii ) l’espectroscopía VIS/NIR. Els diferents mètodes es van avaluar en diferents períodes de creixement del fruit. Paral·lelament, es va avaluar i quantificar l’eficàcia de diferents estratègies per mitigar l’aparició de bitter pit basades en aplicacions de CaCl2 a pre i postcollita (aplicacions radiculares, foliars i banys en poscosecha). L’anàlisi primerenc de Ca en fruit a 60 dies després de la floració (DDPF) va mostrar una precisió en la predicció similar o millor que l’anàlisi a recol·lecció. Es va definir un valor de referència de 60 DDPF de 11 mg de Ca 100 g-1 de pes fresc, per sobre del qual es minimitza la incidència de bitter pit. La majoria de mètodes basats en induir símptomes, a excepció de l’embossat, van mostrar eficàcia a partir dels 40 dies abans de la recol·lecció (DAR), amb una correlació amb el bitter pit de postcollita del 70-80%. La espectroscopía VIS/NIR va mostrar resultats poc satisfactoris per a la predicció del bitter pit, però va ser capaç de discriminar fruits afectats quan els símptomes eren visibles a postcollita. Finalment, es va disenyar un model de predicció per al bitter pit basat en l’anàlisi de Ca en fruit a 60 DDPF i el mètode passiu a partir de 40 DAR. Respecte la mitigació del bitter pit, els resultats obtinguts en els anys amb alta incidència van mostrar una reducció del 20% a un 12%, 8% o 3% mitjançant aplicacions foliars, banys de postcollita o la combinació d’ambdues, respectivament, per tant, les aplicacions foliars de CaCl2 així com els banys postcollita serien pràctiques a recomanar en els casos d’alt risc de bitter pit.
El bitter pit es la fisiopaía más importante en muchos cultivares de manzana. Sin embargo, no existe una estrategia de control completamente efectiva, por lo que un método de predicción que identifique años y plantaciones con alto potencial de desarrollar la fisiopatía permitirá evitar pérdidas económicas, especialmente durante la conservación y confección. El objetivo principal de la presente tesis doctoral fue la puesta a punto de un sistema de predicción de la incidencia de bitter pit en plantaciones de manzanas ‘Golden Smoothee’. Para ello, se investigaron diferentes métodos de predicción basados en tres tecnologías distintas: i) el análisis mineralógico de fruto (en estadios tempranos y en recolección), ii) la inducción de síntomas (infiltración de Mg, baños con etefón, embolsado de frutos y método pasivo) y iii) la espectroscopía VIS/NIR. Los distintos métodos se evaluaron en diferentes períodos de crecimiento del fruto. Paralelamente, se evaluó y cuantificó la eficacia de distintas estrategias para la mitigación del bitter pit basadas en aportaciones de CaCl2 en pre y poscosecha (aplicaciones radiculares, foliares y baños en poscosecha). El análisis temprano de Ca en fruto a 60 días después de plena floración (DDPF) mostró una precisión de predicción similar o mejor que el análisis de Ca en recolección. Se definió un umbral de referencia a 60 DDPF de 11 mg Ca 100 g-1 de peso fresco, por encima del cual se minimizó el riesgo de aparición del bitter pit. La mayoría de métodos basados en inducir síntomas, a excepción del embolsado de frutos, mostraron eficacia a partir de los 40 días antes de recolección (DAR), con una correlación con el bitter pit de poscosecha del 70-80%. La espectroscopía VIS/NIR mostró resultados poco satisfactorios para la predicción del bitter pit, sin embargo, sí fue capaz de discriminar frutos afectados cuando los síntomas eran visibles en poscosecha. Finalmente, se diseñó un modelo de predicción del bitter pit basado en el análisis de Ca en fruto a 60 DDPF y el método pasivo a partir de 40 DAR. Respecto la mitigación del bitter pit, los resultados obtenidos en años con alta incidencia mostraron una reducción de un 20% a un 12%, 8% o 3% mediante aplicaciones foliares, baños en poscosecha o la combinación de ambas, respectivamente, por lo que tanto las aplicaciones foliares de CaCl2 como los baños poscosecha serían prácticas a recomendar en el caso de riesgo de bitter pit.
Bitter pit is the most important physiological disorder in many apple cultivars. However, there is no a completely effective control strategy, therefore, a prediction method that identifies years and orchards with high potential to develop bitter pit will allow reducing economic losses, especially during storage and fruit packing. The main objective of this PhD thesis was the development of a system to predict the incidence of bitter pit for ‘Golden Smoothee’ apple orchards. For this, different methods to predict bitter pit based on three different technologies were investigated: i) mineral analysis (at early stages and at harvest period, ii) induction of symptoms (Mg infiltration, dips with etephon solution, bagging of fruit and passive method) and iii) VIS/NIR spectrophotometry. The different methods were tested in different fruit growth stages. At the same time, the efficacy of different strategies based on CaCl2 applications at pre- and postharvest (fertigation, foliar and postharvest dips) to mitigate bitter pit incidence, were evaluated and quantified. The accuracy of mineral analysis at early development fruit after 60 days after full bloom (DAFB) was better or equal than Ca analysis at harvest. A reference threshold at 60 DAFB of 11 mg Ca 100 g-1 fresh weight was defined. Values equal or higher indicated a low risk of bitter pit. Most methods based on inducing symptoms, with the exception of bagging fruit, showed efficacy from 40 days before harvest (DBH), with a correlation with bitter pit at postharvest of 70-80%. VIS/NIR spectrophotometry showed unsatisfactory results for bitter pit prediction, however, it was able to discriminate affected apples when the symptoms were visible at postharvest. Finally, a bitter pit prediction model based on the analysis of Ca in fruitlet at 60 DAFB and the passive method from 40 DBH was designed. Regarding bitter pit mitigation, the results obtained in seasons with a high incidence showed a reduction from 20% to 12%, 8% or 3% using Ca sprays, postharvest dips or the combination of both, respectively. Therefore, Ca sprays and postharvest dips in CaCl2 solutions are recommended practices when there is a diagnostic of high risk of bitter pit.

The toppling of trees forms mounds of disturbed sediment and pits from which the mound removes sediment, rocks, and organic matter. Sites of uprooted trees in Puerto Rico and Colorado were examined (1) to compare areas and volumes of mounds and pits relative to tree size, (2) to compare areas and volumes of mounds and pits formed during catastrophic events at the landscape scale, and (3) to consider decay of mounds and pits after formation. For a given basal area, the analyses found no difference among sites in area and volume of freshly formed individual mounds and pits. For landscape-level catastrophic uprooting, the percent of toppled trees in a plot can explain 85% and 87% of the areas and volumes, respectively, of the quantity of soil uplifted. Exponential decay coefficients developed by monitoring mound/pit complexes indicate that mounds and pits at the humid tropical site in Puerto Rico decay in about 74% and 57% of the time, respectively, of mounds and pits at a temperate Colorado site. Decay coefficients developed for the Colorado site indicate that mounds and pits are reduced to 10% of their original volume within 30 and 78 years, respectively. Coefficients for Puerto Rico suggest that a similar reduction in volume requires 17 years, whereas pits generally fill within a decade.

This thesis presents research carried out into the use of creative tools at the early stages of eco-innovation. Eco-innovation is a practical approach aiming to develop new products and processes which significantly decrease our impact on the environment. Designers are trained to develop profitable products that increase production and consumption. Eco-innovation is a new discipline in which designers can radically reduce the environmental burdens of production and consumption through the innovation of new types of products and services. The main aim of this research was to develop an approach that would promote significant environmental improvements whilst remaining a practical, design-focused discipline. Problems and under-investigated aspects of eco-innovation were identified: • Creative approaches at early stages of eco-innovation were under-investigated and few tools had been developed for use at the early stages. • Empirical design research techniques had rarely been used to assess new eco-innovation tools or to inform their subsequent development. The focus of the research work was the development and testing of tools to facilitate workshops at the early stages of eco-innovation. Not only was the goal to facilitate the generation of radical ideas but also to ensure that these were developed into appropriate solutions having the potential to be taken up in industry. The development of the tools was based on literature research, worked examples and interviews. The tools were tested in controlled workshop experiments and the results were analysed using various empirical techniques. First, an idea-recording technique to improve the efficiency of generating and harvesting ideas in a team design process was developed. This novel tool was called the Product Ideas Tree (PIT) diagram. The tool was tested for its ability to facilitate design workshops. Secondly, a structured approach to innovation - the theory of inventive problem solving (TRIZ) - was investigated. Worked examples using some of the tools from TRIZ were presented and a limited number of tools were selected and simplified for testing in team design workshops. The PIT diagram and TRIZ tools experiments established which attributes of the tools and approaches were most beneficial. The development and testing of these specific tools provided the following general contributions to eco-innovation: • A model for eco-innovation that describes the factors influencing the discipline and the attributes of good practice. • A recommended process to transform radical ideas into appropriate solutions to improve their potential to be taken up in industry. • General insights into the use of tools in early-stage workshops such as: tool selection, integration into existing processes, system-level problem solving and providing thematic information. • Suggested improvements for testing tools in controlled workshop experiments.

Författarna har haft ett samarbete med Panduro Hobby i samband med deras årliga miljökampanj. Syftet med examensarbetet har varit att med hjälp av befintliga produktutvecklingsprocesser och livscykelanalyser (LCA) ta fram en hållbar textil produkt med växtfärgning. Tanken var att konsumenter sedan själva skall kunna ta fram och växtfärga denna hållbara textilprodukt. Miljömedvetenhet och hållbarhet inom textilindustrin är ett aktuellt ämne. Trots det saknar dagens konsumenter förståelse för textilindustrins påverkan på miljön och har bristande kunskap om textila material för att kunna göra miljövänliga val ute i handeln. Både konsumenter och företag uttrycker att de gärna vill bidra till en mer miljövänlig textilindustri men att de saknar kännedom, resurser och verktyg för att göra det. Därför valde författarna av examensarbetet att undersöka hur en hållbar textil produkt kan tas fram med hjälp av livscykelanalyser, produktutvecklingsmetoden Product Ideas Tree (PIT) samt växtfärgning. Alla steg under produktutvecklingsprocessen valdes ur miljöhänsyn och efter de förutsättningar som krävs för att göra en så miljövänlig textil produkt som möjligt. Resultatet av undersökningen blev en växtfärgad tygkasse i 100 % lin. Efter framtagningen av produkten gjordes en livscykelanalys benämnd MET-matris för att analysera produktens miljöpåfrestning. Matrisen konstaterade att produkten inte har avsevärda miljöbrister. Med examensarbetet och den framtagna produkten vill författarna uppmuntra konsumenter och företag till att fortsätta visa engagemang och intresse för förändringar som gynnar miljön med förhoppningen om att få fler att agera mer hållbart.
The authors have had a collaboration with Panduro Hobby in addition to their annual environmental sustainability campaign. The aim of the thesis has been to develop a sustainable textile product with natural dye using existing product development processes and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA). The idea was that consumers later on would be able to produce this sustainable textile product and dye it themselves. Environmental awareness and sustainability in the textile industry is a topical subject. Nevertheless many consumers lack sufficient knowledge of textile materials to make environmentally friendly choices in the commerce. Both consumers and businesses express that they would like to contribute to a more environmentally friendly textile industry, but that they lack the knowledge, resources and tools to do it. Therefore, the authors of the thesis chose to explore how a sustainable textile product may be produced with the help of Life Cycle Assessment and the product development method Product Ideas Tree (PIT). All steps in the product development process were carefully chosen with consideration to the environment and the circumstances required to make the textile product as sustainable as possible. The study resulted in the development of a canvas bag made out of 100% linen dyed it with natural dye. After the product development a Life Cycle Analysis, referred to as MET Matrix, was done to analyse the product's environmental strain. The matrix noted that the product does not have significant environmental burdens. With the thesis and the produced product the authors would like to encourage consumers and businesses to continue to show commitment and interest in changes that benefit the environment, with the hope of getting more people to act more sustainably.

La presente investigación empírica tiene como objetivo principal analizar la aplicación de los Proyectos de Investigación en el Aula (PIAs) en una modalidad virtual con niños de tres años de una Institución Educativa Particular del distrito de Miraflores. La importancia de este estudio radica en la necesidad actual de modificar nuestras prácticas educativas debido al contexto de pandemia que se atraviesa; es por eso, que se describen los recursos pedagógicos utilizados para aplicar los PIAs en la virtualidad. Esta investigación es de carácter cualitativo, de nivel descriptivo y se enmarca en un estudio de caso. A partir de los resultados, se demuestra que, para poder llevar a cabo los PIAs en una modalidad virtual, es necesario el uso de tres recursos pedagógicos muy importantes. Los recursos humanos, como los son la docente y los padres de familia; los físicos, la casa se convierte en el nuevo espacio para crear experiencias PIAs; y los tecnológicos, los dispositivos móviles y plataformas digitales son herramientas necesarias para poder aplicar esta metodología en la virtualidad. Por lo tanto, esta investigación contribuye al quehacer docente mostrando la experiencia de niños de una sección que han podido adquirir competencias y capacidades en diferentes áreas curriculares de manera transversal por medio de las experiencias PIAs aplicadas desde la virtualidad gracias a los recursos pedagógicos empleados.
The main objective of this empirical research is to analyze the application of PIAs in a virtual modality with three-year-old children from a private educational institution in the district of Miraflores. The importance of this study lies in the current need to modify our educational practices due to the pandemic context we are going through; that is why the pedagogical resources used to apply the PIAs in virtuality are described. This research is qualitative, descriptive and is framed in a case study. From the results, it is shown that, in order to carry out PIAs in a virtual modality, it is necessary to use three very important pedagogical resources. Human resources, such as teachers and parents; physical resources, the home becomes the new space to create PIA experiences; and technological resources, mobile devices and digital platforms are necessary tools to be able to apply this methodology in virtuality. Therefore, this research contributes to the teaching task by showing the experience of children in a section that have been able to acquire competencies and skills in different curricular areas in a cross-cutting manner through PIA experiences applied from virtuality thanks to the pedagogical resources used.

Les images hyperspectrales sont des images complexes qui ne peuvent être partitionnées avec succès en utilisant une seule méthode de classification. Les méthodes de classification non coopératives, paramétriques ou non paramétriques peuvent être classées en trois catégories : supervisée, semi-supervisée et non supervisée. Les méthodes paramétriques supervisées nécessitent des connaissances a priori et des hypothèses sur les distributions des données à partitionner. Les méthodes semi-supervisées nécessitent des connaissances a priori limitées (nombre de classes, nombre d'itérations), alors que les méthodes de la dernière catégorie ne nécessitent aucune connaissance. Dans le cadre de cette thèse un nouveau système coopératif et non supervisé est développé pour le partitionnement des images hyperspectrales. Son originalité repose sur i) la caractérisation des pixels en fonction de la nature des régions texturées et non-texturées, ii) l'introduction de plusieurs niveaux d'évaluation et de validation des résultats intermédiaires, iii) la non nécessité d'information a priori. Le système mis en ouvre est composé de quatre modules: Le premier module, partitionne l'image en deux types de régions texturées et non texturées. Puis, les pixels sont caractérisés en fonction de leur appartenance à ces régions. Les attributs de texture pour les pixels appartenant aux régions texturées, et la moyenne locale pour les pixels appartenant aux régions non texturées. Le deuxième module fait coopérer parallèlement deux classifieurs (C-Moyen floue : FCM et l'algorithme Adaptatif Incrémental Linde-Buzo-Gray : AILBG) pour partitionner chaque composante. Pour rendre ces algorithmes non supervisés, le nombre de classes est estimé suivant un critère basé sur la dispersion moyenne pondérée des classes. Le troisième module évalue et gère suivant deux niveaux les conflits des résultats de classification obtenus par les algorithmes FCM et AILBG optimisés. Le premier identifie les pixels classés dans la même classe par les deux algorithmes et les reportent directement dans le résultat final d'une composante. Le second niveau utilise un algorithme génétique (GA), pour gérer les conflits entre les pixels restant. Le quatrième module est dédié aux cas des images multi-composantes. Les trois premiers modules sont appliqués tout d'abord sur chaque composante indépendamment. Les composantes adjacentes ayant des résultats de classification fortement similaires sont regroupées dans un même sous-ensemble et les résultats des composantes de chaque sous-ensemble sont fusionnés en utilisant le même GA. Le résultat de partitionnement final est obtenu après évaluation et fusion par le même GA des différents résultats de chaque sous-ensemble. Le système développé est testé avec succès sur une grande base de données d'images synthétiques (mono et multi-composantes) et également sur deux applications réelles: la classification des plantes invasives et la détection des pins
Hyperspectral and more generally multi-component images are complex images which cannot be successfully partitioned using a single classification method. The existing non-cooperative classification methods, parametric or nonparametric can be categorized into three types: supervised, semi-supervised and unsupervised. Supervised parametric methods require a priori information and also require making hypothesis on the data distribution model. Semi-supervised methods require some a priori knowledge (e.g. number of classes and/or iterations), while unsupervised nonparametric methods do not require any a priori knowledge. In this thesis an unsupervised cooperative and adaptive partitioning system for hyperspectral images is developed, where its originality relies i) on the adaptive nature of the feature extraction ii) on the two-level evaluation and validation process to fuse the results, iii) on not requiring neither training samples nor the number of classes. This system is composed of four modules: The first module, classifies automatically the image pixels into textured and non-textured regions, and then different features of pixels are extracted according to the region types. Texture features are extracted for the pixels belonging to textured regions, and the local mean feature for pixels of non-textured regions. The second module consists of an unsupervised cooperative partitioning of each component, in which pixels of the different region types are classified in parallel via the features extracted previously using optimized versions of Fuzzy C-Means (FCM) and Adaptive Incremental Linde-Buzo-Gray algorithm (AILBG). For each algorithm the number of classes is estimated according to the weighted average dispersion of classes. The third module is the evaluation and conflict management of the intermediate classification results for the same component obtained by the two classifiers. To obtain a final reliable result, a two-level evaluation is used, the first one identifies the pixels classified into the same class by both classifiers and report them directly to the final classification result of one component. In the second level, a genetic algorithm (GA) is used to remove the conflicts between the invalidated remaining pixels. The fourth module is the evaluation and conflict management in the case of a multi-component image. The system handles all the components in parallel; where the above modules are applied on each component independently. The results of the different components are compared, and the adjacent components with highly similar results are grouped within a subset and fused using a GA also. To get the final partitioning result of the multi-component image, the intermediate results of the subsets are evaluated and fused by GA. The system is successfully tested on a large database of synthetic images (mono and multi-component) and also tested on two real applications: classification of invasive plants and pine trees detection

Three studies were conducted. In the first study, 12 Yorkshire barrows (initial BW of 23.2 ± 2.0 kg) were allotted to 2 dietary treatments with 6 replications per treatment using a completely randomized design to determine apparent Ca and P digestibility (AD), true digestibility (TD) and endogenous output (EO) in a corn/SBM-based diet. All pigs were placed in individual feeder pens that allowed for easy collection of individual feces. The AD of Ca and P were 28.4% and 23.9%, respectively. Their TD of 42% and 40% for Ca and P respectively were significantly (P < 0.05) higher than the corresponding AD. EO was 0.8g for Ca and 1.3g for P per kg of dry matter intake (DMI). In the second study, the optimal dietary ratio of true digestible Ca and P was determined in terms of its effect on growing pig performance, excretion of Ca and P in feces and urine in a corn/SBM-based diet using a randomized complete block design. Thirty six growing barrows (initial BW: 24.2 ± 1.9 kg) were allotted to 6 dietary treatments with 6 replications per block. Six corn/SBM-based diets with very similar nutrient contents were formulated but differed in their dietary ratio of Ca to P. The balances of Ca and P and their true digestibility/retention were calculated for each diet. Animal performance and true retention of both Ca and P was optimal (P < 0.05) with diet 2 with a true digestible Ca to P ratio of 0.82: 1 compared to other experimental diets. The third study was conducted with a similar protocol to that used in experiment 1 involving 12 barrows (initial BW: 23.9 ± 1.1 kg) to determine Mg, Cu, Fe, Mn, Se and Zn TD values for the growing pig. Se and Zn AD of 73.9% and 9.5% significantly (P < 0.05) underestimated their TD of 82.1% and 15%, respectively. Se and Zn EO were 0.00004mg and 0.01 mg/kg of DMI, respectively. The TD and EO for Mg, Cu, Fe and Mn could not be estimated because of their negative AD.

Thesis (M.A. (Applied Ethics for Professionals))--University of the Witwatersrand, Faculty of Humanities, School of Social Sciences, 2015.
Plato in his dialogue the Republic designs an ideal polis, the Kallipolis, seeking ‗justice, our good and the knowledge of the good required for understanding and bringing justice, happiness and good government into our lives and society‘ (Santas 2010, p.7). The first step in the Kallipolis‘ development is a polis without formal government whose citizens live a modest, stable, sustainable lifestyle. Disparaged by Glaucon as a polis for pigs, Socrates‘ incongruous rejoinder is ‗the true polis… is the one we‘ve described, the healthy one, as it were‘ (Rep. 372e). Contemporary commentators are critical of this polis, questioning its role in the Republic. In trying to understand the polis for pigs, and Socrates‘ praise thereof, I posit it is a village, and consider it has virtue, is good and its citizens are happy. However, despite being true and healthy, it is not the best or an ideal polis, but it is crucial to the development of the Kallipolis.

碩士
國立臺灣大學
園藝學系研究所
86
AbstractThe objects of this research were to investigate the situations of pla nting pit of street trees in Taipei and evaluate the amelioration methods to p lanting pit for improving the growth of street trees.Eight major street trees, i.e. Ficus microcarpa、Cinnamomum camphora、Bombax ceiba、Alstonia scholaris 、Melaleuca leucadendra、Liquidambar formosana、Bischofia javanica and Ficus r eligiosa were investigated.The soil characteristics of planting pits in the ei ght species were similar. The soil hardness of the planting pits were higher t han that of park land. The soil oxygen diffusion rate (O.D.R.) of the planting pits were extremely lower than that of park land. The soil EC and pH of plant ing pits were both higher than that of park land. And the mulching of groundco vers could reduce the soil hardness of planting pits. The pits of side walk an d bus stop had higher soil hardness and lower O.D.R. than those of safety isla nd and campus. Their soil of the former also contained highly calcium ion cont ents, EC and pH value than those of the latter. The tree crown size on the pit s of side walk and bus stop were smaller than those of safety island and campu s. The pot plants of Cinnamomum camphora and Alstonia scholaris were treated w ith 1) P:2L ( peat:loam=1:2 ), 2) S:2L ( sand:loam=1:2 ), 3) P:S:L ( peat:sand :loam=1:1:1 ) and 4) L ( loam, the control treatment ) The results indicated : all the three soil improvement treatments had lower soil hardness and higher O.D.R. than the control. The Cinnamomum camphora plants with P:2L and P:S:L, a nd the Alstonia scholaris plants with P:2L, had higher growth rate than the co ntrol.The pot of Cinnamomum camphora plants were treated with 1) bark mulching , 2) vertical areation pipe, 3) annular gravel layer and 4) control treatments .The results indicated : all the three amelioration methods could improve soil physical characteristics.The plants with bark mulching treatment had highest growth rate, and those with annular gravel layer and areation pipe treatments had higher growth rate than the control plants.The nursery stocks of Bischofia javanica and Cinnamomum camphora were treated with 1) root-pruned, shoot-unpr uned(r/L) , 2) root-unpruned, shoot-unpruned(R/L) , 3) root-pruned, shoot-prun ed(r/l) and 4) root-unpruned, shoot-pruned(R/l) treatments.The results showed : the plants with R/l treatment had lowest △T (leaf temp — air temp) and hig hest growth vigor, those with R/L and r/L treatments had middle △T and middle growth vigor, and those with r/L treatment had highest △T and lowest growth vigor. Therefore, the plants with r/L treatment of Bischofia javanica had high er survival ratio (100%) than those of Cinnamomum camphora (50%).It was confir med that Bischofia javanica is an easier transplant species than Cinnamomum ca mphora .

Two experiments were conducted to determine the apparent (ATTD), standardized (STTD) and true total tract digestibility (TTTD) of phosphorus (P) and ATTD of calcium (Ca) in Brassica napus black (BNB) and Brassica juncea yellow (BJY) canola meal (CM) fed to growing pigs. In Experiment 1, eight semi-purified diets containing graded levels of P i.e., 0.8, 1.6, 2.4 and 3.3 g/kg of DM, from either BNB or BJY, were fed to growing pigs with an initial BW of 19.9 ± 0.22 kg (mean ± SEM) in a randomized complete block design. The total and basal EPL estimated with the regression analysis and P-free diet methods were 665 ± 0.03 and 209 ± 96 mg/kg of DMI, respectively. The TTTD and STTD of P were determined to be 33.3 and 31.0% for BNB and 32.0 and 28.3% for BJY, respectively. In Experiment 2, the effect of high level of phytase supplementation on the ATTD of P and Ca and STTD of P in growing pigs was studied. Forty-two growing pigs with an initial BW of 19.8 ± 1.22 kg (mean ± SEM) were randomly allocated to 7 dietary treatments with 6 pigs per treatment according to a completely randomised design in a factorial arrangement with the factors being: 1) 2 types of CM (BNB and BJY) and 2) 3 levels of phytase (i. e., 0, 500 and 2,500 U/kg). The ATTD of P increased from 39.1 to 69.3, and 78.0% in BNB and from 46.0 to 71.4, and 78.0% in BJY as phytase levels were added at 0, 500 and 2,500 U/kg, respectively. The STTD of P increased from 40.0 to 70.0, and 78.3% in BNB, and from 46.3 to 72.1, and 78.5% in BJY as phytase levels were added at 0, 500 and 2,500 U/kg. The basal EPL estimate was 117 ± 23.4 mg/kg DMI. Fecal P excretion in BNB and BJY were reduced by average value of 50.3 and 61.0% with the addition of both 500 and 2,500 FTU phytase II respectively. Results from these two experiments show that the values obtained for STTD and TTTD of P in BNB and BJY were similar.