• 2018-2022close
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Abstract N is known to be the most limiting element for vegetation growth in temperate and boreal forests. The expected increases in global temperature are predicted to accelerate N mineralization, therefore incrementing N availability in the soil and affecting the soil C cycle as well. While there is an abundance of C data collected to fulfill the requirements for national GHG accounting, more limited information is available for soil N accumulation and storage in relation to forest categories and altitudinal gradients. The data collected by the second Italian National Forest Inventory, spanning a wide range of temperature and precipitation values (10° latitudinal range), represented a unique opportunity to calculate N content and C/N ratio of the different soil layers to a depth of 30 cm. Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) models were applied to investigate the main determinants of soil N distribution and C/N ratio. Forest category was shown to be the main explanatory factor of soil N variability in seven out of eight models, both for forest floor and mineral soil layers. Moreover latitude explained a larger share of variability than single climate variables. BRT models explained, on average, the 49% of the data variability, with the remaining fraction likely due to soil-related variables that were unaccounted for. Accurate estimations of N pools and their determinants in a climate change perspective are consequently required to predict the potential impact of their degradation on forest soil N pools.

This research attempts to analyze the condition of agroindustry in Arjasa District. Agroindustry index (I A) is used to determine the superior agroindustry based on its raw material. Thus, the purpose of this study is the application of a strategic management model with the concept of integration between agroindustry and the potential resources. The Agroindustry Index Model (I A) uses quantitative data on variable land area and production. Data were obtained from Department of Industry and Commerce, Central Bureau of Statistics, Food Crop Agriculture Service, Horticulture and Plantation in Jember Regency. Whereas, the exponential comparison method (MPE) to determine the superiority of the product is based on the assessment of three agro-industry experts, namely from Department of Industry and Commerce, Office of Cooperatives and Micro Enterprises and a lecturer of the agroindustry management study program, Politeknik Negeri Jember. Based on the results that agroindustry made from corn became the superior agroindustry in Arjasa District. Analysis of superior products using the exponential comparison method (MPE) shows that products corn flour is the top seed followed by corn rice, corn cake, emping, and animal feed.

This work proposes a new methodology to build an Earth-wide mosaic using high-spatial resolution (15 m) Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) images in pseudo-true color. As ASTER originally misses a blue visible band, we have designed a cloud of artificial neural networks to estimate the ASTER blue reflectance from Level-1 data acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the same satellite Terra platform. Next, the granules are radiometrically harmonized with a novel color-balancing method and seamlessly blended into a mosaic. We demonstrate that the proposed algorithms are robust enough to process several thousands of scenes acquired under very different temporal, spatial, and atmospheric conditions. Furthermore, the created mosaic fully preserves the ASTER fine structures across the various building steps. The proposed methodology and protocol are modular so that they can easily be adapted to similar sensors with enormous image libraries.

Incotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) agriculture, very loose soil results inreduced seed emergence and stand establishment because the contact between soiland seed is deficient. Therefore, the use of a planker before planting may helpfirm seedbeds and improve stand establishment. The objective of this study isto determine the effects of different pass numbers of the planker on soil bulkdensity, moisture content and cotton seed emergence. Also, weed species andplant growth parameters were determined in the study. The five treatmentsincluding different soil planking levels (P0, untreated control; P1, one passof planker; P2, two passes of planker; P3, three passes of planker; P4, fourpasses of planker) was compared by using completely randomized block designwith three replications. The results of the study indicated that while the soilbulk density and moisture content was increased with increasing the pass numberof planker, multi-pass of planker significantly reduced seed emergence rate andSPAD value. The highest seed cotton yield per plant was found at P1 (one passof planker) treatment. Also, soil planking levels affected the weed species andthe density of this species. Control plots (P0) had higher weeds species than othertreatments. In conclusion, the findingsof this research suggest that multi-pass of planker may reduce seed emergenceand cotton yield although it increases the moisture content at 0-10 cm soildepth which has positive effect on seed emergence, under the soil and climateconditions like the experimental field. Pamuk (Gossypium hirsutum L.)tarımında, toprağın fazla gevşek olması, tohumun toprakla temasını azalttığıiçin bitkinin çimlenmesi ve çıkışında düşüşlere neden olmaktadır. Bu nedenle, bitkiçıkış oranını ve gelişimini artırmak için ekim öncesi tarlaya en az 2-3 keztapan çekilerek, toprak bastırılmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, tapanın farklı geçişsayılarının, toprağın hacim ağırlığı, nem içeriği ve tohum çıkış oranınaetkisinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Ayrıca, çalışmada yabancı ot türleri vebitki gelişim parametreleri belirlenmiştir. Beş farklı tapan geçiş sayısının(P0, kontrol; P1, tapanın bir defa geçişi; P2, tapanın iki defa geçişi; P3,tapanın üç defa geçişi; P4, tapanın dört defa geçişi) denendiği çalışma,tesadüf blokları deneme desenine göre, üç tekerrürlü olarak yürütülmüştür.Çalışmanın sonuçları, tapan geçiş sayısındaki artışın, toprak hacim ağırlığı venem içeriğinde artış meydana getirdiğini, fakat bitki çıkış oranını ve SPAD değeriniönemli ölçüde azalttığını göstermiştir. En yüksek bitkideki kütlü pamuk verimi,P1 uygulamasında elde edilmiştir. Ayrıca, tapan geçiş sayısının, denemealanındaki yabancı ot tür sayısını da önemli düzeyde etkilediği görülmüştür.Kontrol parsellerindeki yabancı ot tür sayısının daha yüksek olduğugözlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak, bu denemenin sonuçları, ekim derinliğindekitoprağın nem içeriğini olumlu yönde etkilemesine rağmen, aynı iklim ve toprakkoşullarında tapanın birden fazla geçiş sayısının bitki çıkış ve verimindedüşüşlere neden olabileceğini göstermektedir. 

The role of digital transformation in creating value for commercial banks has been interesting to researchers for a long time. While many commercial banks have significantly investigated digital transformation, researchers and managers have still met many difficulties examining the distribution of digital transformation to business performance. This paper aims to evaluate the impact of digital transformation on Vietnamese commercial banks’ performance by different sizes, from there proposing policy implications of digital transformation to improve the banking performance. To achieve this goal, we used a quantitative research method. Specifically, we applied the GMM system (SGMM) of Blundell and Bond for the data of 13 joint-stock commercial banks in Vietnam in the period from 2011 to 2019. Then Bayesian analysis is performed to test the robustness of the models estimated by the SGMM method. The result shows that the digital transformation has a positive impact on the performance of Vietnamese commercial banks. Besides, we also find that the larger the banks, the greater the positive impact of digital transformation on bank performance. Therefore, the efficiency of digital transformation depends on a bank scale.

Abstract The analyses of physical evidence recovered from clandestine single and mass graves have been demonstrated to be of significant evidential and/or investigative value for both court purposes and humanitarian investigations. The detection of these types of graves is, therefore, pivotal to forensic investigations. This article reviews different remote and ground-based methods that have been used to attempt to detect deliberately concealed burial sites and summarizes the experimental research that has, to date, been undertaken in order to improve grave detection. The article then presents the preliminary findings of research being undertaken at the Australian Facility for Taphonomic Experimental Research (AFTER). This research, the first of its kind to be undertaken in the southern hemisphere, is based on experimental single and mass graves using human cadavers. The research is centred on current remote sensing methods and techniques combined with the analysis of the effects of below-ground temperature and moisture and ground-based weather data. It is hoped that identifying successful sensors and detectors will be beneficial to national and international agencies that are involved in forensic as well as humanitarian investigations that require the detection of deliberately concealed gravesites.

Abstract. Water quality is an important index of the ecological environment, which changes rapidly and needs to be monitored chronically. In urban ecological environment, water quality problem is not only more serious, but also more complex in time and space. Remote sensing water quality monitoring can cover a large area in a short time. Therefore, remote sensing can be adopted to make up for the shortcomings of traditional water quality monitoring methods in space coverage and temporal resolution. In order to monitor the narrow rivers in urban area, low altitude remote sensing is needed. This paper proposes a multi-spectral water quality monitoring method based on UAV platform, which can quickly monitor an entire urban water area and conduct multi-temporal observation for key indices of water quality within one day. It is helpful to find and locate the polluted areas which affect the water environment quickly. Also, it can show the changes of water quality on the time axis. The result can provide a decision-making basis for water environment treatment.

Abstract The research was conducted to evaluate the problems and prospects of adopting conservation agriculture in Jamalpur and Bogra districts of Bangladesh. A total of 120 farmers (20 from focal and 100 from control group) were surveyed for collecting necessary data and information. A combination of descriptive statistics and mathematical techniques was used to analyze the data. Focal farmers followed the basic principles of conservation agriculture but control farmers continued conventional crop farming practices. Focal farmers were more profitable compared to control farmers in terms of wheat and bean production. Less production due to minimum tillage, difficulties in maintenance, lack of extension service etc. was the major problems faced by the farmers. Knowledge on soil conservation and soil quality improvement, use of organic fertilizer, etc. was found as strengths; management of crop residue, scarcity of cowdung, etc. were found as weaknesses; labour opportunities, market demand, etc. were found as opportunities; and climate change and price fluctuation were found as threats of adopting conservation agriculture. Regular extension contact, arrangement of training programmes and input support are to be ensured by different government and non-government organizations to motivate farmers for adopting conservation agriculture practice.