This study was designed to investigate concerns with respect to the delivery of special education services in reserve schools, to identify the special needs of children attending these schools, and to study means of identifying and assessing children with special needs. The information obtained was used to develop a special education funding formula which would be more sensitive and responsive to the specific needs of Indian students in schools on reserves in Saskatchewan.<p> The study which was an exploratory field study involved two or more days of intensive discussion between the researcher and various groups of people on each of six reserves. At the conclusion of the study, a committee comprised of representatives of each band met with the researcher to review the findings and to make recommendations.<p> The study addressed three main areas of concern-the identification and assessment of special education students, the special needs of students in reserve schools, and funding arrangements. Results indicated that current procedures for identifying and assessing special education students are vague, costly, and time-consuming. As well, bands do not have easy access to the qualified personnel to do the identification and/or testing. It was also discovered that large numbers of students in reserve schools are handicapped because they are severely disadvantaged, seriously age-grade misplaced, and/or severely emotionally deprived. These categories of handicap, although not recognized by the the special education funding formulas, do interfere with the academic achievement and success of the students. Bands are experiencing problems with the current funding arrangements. Inadequacy of funds to cover the costs of delivering appropriate programming, lack of firm policies and procedures for accessing and allocating funds or to direct the process of delivering funds to the band level, and ineffective systems at the band level for administering special education funds are the chief problems.<p> It was recommended that the funding formula should consist of three components--a low cost component to offset the costs of programming for the mildly to moderately handicapped; a special needs component to cover the costs of programming required beyond what is provided through the low cost component; a support services component to cover the costs of education psychologists, classroom consultants, speech therapists, and other consultant services. As well, it was stressed that for such a formula to be truly functional, well-defined policies and procedures would have to be developed and implemented.

Distributed generation (DG) is electricity generation by small generating units, which are interconnected at distribution level with capacity less than 50 MW. Environmental concerns and the idea of using cheap and domestic renewable resources increased the popularity of DG following the developments in equipment technology. In Turkey, interconnection of DG is realized through the distribution busbars of 154/36 kV substation. The interconnection of DG at 36 kV feeders is not allowed by distribution system authority. This thesis proposes an interconnection rule which includes technical analyses to be conducted before the permission of interconnection of DG at 36 kV feeders. Moreover, the protection functions and operational requirements needed for the proper and safe operation of distribution system in presence of DG are introduced. A sample distribution system with relevant parameters is used for the simulation studies in Digsilent software. In order to determine the operational reserve requirement against the variations in wind generation, a statistical method including Weibull distribution, standard deviation and monthly average wind speeds is used. Convenience of hydropower plants&rsquo / response for being backup generation against the fluctuations in wind generation is analyzed by a mid-term dynamic model of the power system. A secondary control mechanism for the integration of wind power is suggested. Finally, an economic comparison between the interconnection alternatives of hydropower and photovoltaic power plants at the distribution busbar of the 154/36 kV substation and the 36 kV feeder is done by present worth analysis using the up to date power plant costs and incentives.

A proposal for the spinning reserve assessment and allocation for El Salvador¡¦s Deregulated Electricity Market is formulated. Traditionally, the Independent System Operator calculates the spinning reserve as percentage of the forecast demand. And Automatic Generation Control (AGC) is allocated based on the partition factor. The reserve calculation neither reflects consistency achieving its main objective, reliability, nor is optimum performance control reached by the allocating mechanism. In the proposed method, the spinning reserve is estimated taking into account the generators outage ratio and AGC is allocated based on the North American Electric Reliability Corporation¡¦s Control Performance Standard-1. The allocation problem is solved with an improved Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm with a technique to modify the inertial factor on each iteration. The proposed method exhibits better results and it matches the Salvadorian technical requirements and market characteristics.

Im Rahmen der Arbeit wurden die Daten für Minutenreserveabrufe in den Jahren 2006 und 2007 nach Regelzonen analysiert und ein stochastisches Modell erstellt. Die detaillierte Analyse der Minutenreserveabrufe ergab eine Tageszeitabhängigkeit des Auftretens von Abrufen. In den Nachtstunden erfolgten sehr wenige bis keine Abrufe. Die jeweils abgerufenen Mengen lassen ebenfalls eine Tageszeitabhängigkeit erkennen. Auffällig war, dass die Minutenreserveabrufe in der RWE-Regelzone signifikant anders als in den übrigen Regelzonen erfolgten. Für die Modellbildung wurde ein zusammengesetzter Poisson-Prozess gewählt. Die Intensität λ blieb dabei konstant. Um die Tageszeitabhängigkeit einfließen zu lassen, wurde angenommen, dass die Mengen pro Abruf einer Normalverteilung mit tageszeitabhängigen Parametern μ und σ gehorchen. Mit Hilfe des Modells erfolgten Simulationen von Minutenreser-veabrufen für jede Regelzone. Zur Verifikation des Modells wurden die simulierten Abrufe mit den real eingetretenen Abrufen im Jahr 2008 verglichen. In Intensität der Abrufhäufigkeit und im Erwartungswert der Abrufmengen decken sich die Simulationen sehr gut mit der Realität (siehe Abbildung). Unter Anwendung des Modells lassen sich vielfältige Berechnungen beispielsweise zum Einsatz dezentraler KWK-Anlagen durchführen. In naher Zukunft ist die Er-weiterung des Modells um das in der Realität häufig eintretende Ereignis mehrerer direkt aufeinander folgender Abrufe in etwa derselben Höhe oder auch die Betrachtung negativer Minutenreserve wünschenswert.

Changes in freshwater inputs due to water diversions and increased urbanization may alter the function and properties of estuarine ecosystems in South Texas. Freshwater and nitrogen inputs from the Mission and Aransas rivers to the federally designated Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve (Mission-Aransas NERR) have received considerable attention in the past few years. However, freshwater inputs from two rivers (the San Antonio and Guadalupe rivers) that combine and drain into a neighboring bay (San Antonio Bay) may also provide a substantial nitrogen source to Aransas Bay, which is within the boundaries of the Mission-Aransas NERR. In order to study the influence of the San Antonio and Guadalupe rivers, an oyster species, Crassostrea virginica, was chosen to provide time-integrated information about freshwater contribution as a nitrogen source within the bays. Chapter One addresses variations in isotope values ([delta]¹⁵N and [delta]¹³C) in oyster adductor muscle tissue from 2009-2011 along a sampling transect from the head of San Antonio Bay through Aransas Bay. Stable carbon isotope values increased linearly from approximately -25 % to -17 %, while stable nitrogen isotope values decreased from approximately +16 % to +10 % along this transect. The patterns in stable carbon and nitrogen isotope values are consistent with substantial mixing of river-supplied water and nitrogen from San Antonio Bay into Aransas Bay. Variations in nitrogen isotopic signature between periods of sustained drought and flood conditions were relatively small, suggesting that riverine nitrogen contributions were similar regardless of the amount of freshwater inflow observed during the time frame of this study. Chapter Two addresses the isotopic equilibration time for adult oyster adductor muscle tissue using a year-long transplant experiment (November 2010-November 2011). Full representation of ambient water isotopic composition in oyster adductor muscle tissues was determined to occur roughly a year after transplant. Oyster adductor muscle could therefore be useful for long-term monitoring of nitrogen contribution from freshwater sources, and would be valuable to include in concert with water sampling and analysis of other tissues that have shorter integration rates for a comprehensive view of an estuarine system. / text

Spatial variation in tree community composition and assembly is due in large part to dispersal limitation, spatial variation in environmental conditions, and interactions among competing trees. The relative importance of these processes may be governed by landscape structure and environmental conditions. (I) The movement of frugivores between remnant forests and successional areas is vital for tropical forest tree species to colonize successional habitats. I found that avian frugivores crossing forest edges were generally insensitive to percent cover and clustering of pasture trees. If pastures were abandoned the distance from forest edges would not likely limit frugivore visitation and seed deposition under pasture trees in my study. (II) Relatively little is known from a theoretical conservation perspective about how reserve size affects communities assembled by abiotic and dispersal limitations. Simulated small reserve systems increased the distance between environments dominated by different species, diminishing the importance of source-sink dynamics. I found a trade-off between preserving different aspects of natural communities, with greater [alpha]-diversity in large reserves and greater [gamma]-diversity across small reserve systems. (III) Functional trait diversity of co-occurring organisms may be indicative of the processes that structure communities. Across spatial scales, an axis of leaf succulence exhibited the strongest evidence for niche-based assembly among co-occurring Ficus individuals, whereas specific leaf area (SLA) showed the strongest evidence for niche-based assembly among species. Trait analyses of co-occurring individuals had greater power than analyses at the species level, especially for traits with high intraspecific variation. Environmental filtering may be stronger at higher elevations due to drought stress. (IV) Individual fitness is a function of the interaction between traits and environment, or environmental selection. I estimated spatial selective gradients affecting a subtropical tree community and found that the trait axes with the strongest selection were also those with the least spatial variation. Interestingly, factors associated with selection were quite different for growth versus survivorship. The trait-by-environment interactions I identified are strong candidates for spatial niche differentiation, and may explain how tree species coexist in this diverse subtropical forest. / text

Sacred sites in Ysyk-Köl area of Kyrgyzstan represent areas of land and bodies of water which are spiritually and culturally meaningful for local people. The present study mapped about 130 sacred sites, which are conserved-through-use by local communities and represent traditional model of conservation. The entire territory of Ysyk-Köl region is a formal protected area as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. Thus, sacred sites, as traditional model of community conserved area, are embedded in the formal government-run Biosphere Reserve. The study scrutinizes how these two models of conservation (sacred sites and the Biosphere Reserve) co-exist in the same territory and interact with each other. Results indicate that these two models are parallel. However, recognition of sacred sites can improve formal conservation by: a) providing a complementary culture-based set of incentives for conservation, b) fostering a biocultural approach, and c) serving as a communication hub for YKBR managers and local communities. / February 2016

No description available.

The Natura 2000 Network is one of the European Unions many tools concerning nature conservation, and is without comparison the premier contribution when it comes to halting the loss of biodiversity. This essay is a case study on how the regional work with the Natura 2000-network has been carried out in four different counties. These counties are Södermanland, Västernorrland, Jämtland and Örebro. They have been compared based on the theoretical concept of sustainable development. This essay describes how the officials in the County Administrations view the regional implementation of Natura 2000 when it comes to the selection of Natura 2000-sites with forest habitats and the creation of an additional protective measure. This study takes its basis in a bottom-up approach which focuses on value conflicts that have emerged regionally and how different fundamental attitudes brings forward different aspects of sustainable development. Interviews with County Administration officials show that there are differences in the approach and different key factors that have affected the selection of sites and the work with area protection. One approach starts from an ecological point of view while the other takes the socio-economic aspect more into consideration during the selection process. Two main factors that have emerged are also the importance of the regional landowner-structure and the evident time- and staff shortage that has been experienced in all four counties. The results also show that the nature reserve form is the most common area protection for Natura 2000-sites with forest habitats in the four examined counties. / Natura 2000-nätverket är ett av EU:s många verktyg och i särklass det främsta bidraget till att hejda förlusten av den biologiska mångfalden. Denna uppsats är en fallstudie för att se hur det regionala arbetet med Natura 2000-nätverket sett ut i fyra olika län. Dessa län är Södermanland, Västernorrland, Jämtland och Örebro län. De har jämförts utifrån det teoretiska begreppet hållbar utveckling. Uppsatsen beskriver hur tjänstemän på länsstyrelserna ser på den regionala implementering av Natura 2000-nätverket när det gäller urval av Natura 2000-område med skogshabitat och tillblivelsen av ett ytterliggare områdesskydd. Studien utgår från ett underifrånperspektiv som fokuserar på de värdekonflikter som uppstått regionalt och hur olika grundinställningar lyfter fram olika aspekter av hållbar utveckling. Intervjuer med länsstyrelsens aktörer visar att det finns skillnader i tillvägagångssättet och olika nyckelfaktorer som påverkat urvalet av område och arbetet med områdesskyddet. Det ena tillvägagångssättet tar sin grund i ett mer ekologiskt synsätt medan det andra tar större hänsyn till de socioekonomiska aspekterna i urvalsprocessen. Två huvudfaktorer som framkommit är även betydelsen av den regionala markägarstrukturen och den upplevda personal - och tidsbrist som tydligt framgår i alla de fyra undersökta länen. Resultatet visar även att naturreservatsformen är det vanligaste områdesskyddet för Natura 2000-områden med skogshabitat i de fyra studerade länen

Magistro darbe tiriami Neries regioninio parko vabzdžiai , įtraukti į Raudonąją knygą. Darbo objektas- niūriaspalvis auksavabalis (Osmoderma eremita Sc.) , gencijoninis melsvys (Makulinea alcon D.& S.), Darbo tikslas- ištirti kai kurių vabzdžių , įtrauktų į Raudonąją knygą, paplitimą ir gausumą Neries regioniniame parke. Darbo metodai - duomenys buvo renkami naudojantis P.Ivinskio ir J.Rimšaitės bestuburių monitoringo metodika . Darbo rezultatai. Atlikus tyrimus ir įvertinus nustatyta , kad niūriaspalvis auksavabalis (Osmoderma eremita) labiau mėgsta senus , drevėtus , gerai apšviestus medžius. Labiausiai jam tinkamas ąžuolas. Gencijoninis melsvys (Makulinea alcon D.& S.), dažniausiai aptinkamas pietiniuose , gerai apšviestuose šlaituose ,kur vyrauja žema žolinė danga. Būtina sąlyga- augalai melsvieji gencijonai (Gentiana cruciata) ir Myrmica genties skruzdėlės Norint užtikrinti palankias sąlygas niūriaspalviam auksavabaliui , būtina išsaugoti kertines miško buveines ir senus , drevėtus medžius. Norint išsaugoti gencijoninį melsvį būtina prižiūrėti populiacijai tinkamus upių šlaitus ,neleidžiant užaugti aukštai žolinei dangai ir krūmams. / In the master’s of science work the Neris regional park’s insects included in the Red Book are being researched. The object of the work is Osmoderma eremite Sc. and gentian lycaena (Makulinea alcon D.& S.). The objective of the work is to research the diffusion and abundance of some insects included in the Red Book in the Neris regional park. The methods of the work. The data had been collected by using P. Ivinskis and J. Rimšaite methods of invertebrates‘ monitoring. After the research was carried out and the facts estimated, it was established that Osmoderma eremite prefers old, hollow and well-lighted up trees. Oak tree is the most suitable one. Gentian lycaena ( Makulinea alcon D. & S.) is most frequently discovered in southern, well-lighted up slopes where low grass prevails. Gentiana cruciata and ants of Myrmica genus are an indispensable condition. If one wishes to ensure auspicious conditions for Osmoderma eremite Sc., it is necessary to preserve the most important for them forestry habitats and old hollow trees. If one wishes to preserve gentian lycaena, it is necessary to look after river slopes suitable for the population not allowing to grow tall grass and bushes.