Prescribed burns are employed in the southern boreal forest of northwest Ontario, Canada, as a method of re-instating fire in this fire-dependent landscape. They are also used to manage fuel loads associated with tree mortality from defoliating insects and from blow-downs, as well as in-site preparation following harvest. The natural fire season in boreal Canada typically runs from April through September and is most often characterized by stand replacing fires. However, prescribed burns in northwestern Ontario are mostly scheduled for October when fire crews and equipment are available and fire hazard is reduced. In this study, three recent fires: a spring prescribed natural fire, a summer wildfire, and a fall prescribed burn were examined to assess the effect of season on post-fire legacies in red-pine mixedwood stands in Quetico Provincial Park, northwestern Ontario. Legacies were assessed by tree, shrub and herb species composition, and by measurements of structure such as litter depth, basal areas of live trees and coarse woody debris. Tree species diversity was nearly identical. Post-fire stand structure varied widely between the different sites. The spring treatment experienced the least mortality of trees (10% of basal area dead); the summer treatment had the highest mortality (100%); and the fall prescribed burn was intermediate with 49% dead. The effect of the fall burn on the forest was probably more intense than that of a comparable natural fall fire because of the way in which it was managed, thus partly compensating for the late season. <br /><br /> This research suggests that all fires are not equal. Different post-fire structure will have lasting ecological implications such as varying edge to interior ratios, and forest habitats. From a policy perspective this is important because maintaining ecological processes including fire is mandated for some provincial parks. In addition, the new Fire Policy for Ontario has established targets to limit wildfires, and permit ecologically renewing fires, without recognition of the variability of the effects of fire or fire legacies.

Prescribed burns are employed in the southern boreal forest of northwest Ontario, Canada, as a method of re-instating fire in this fire-dependent landscape. They are also used to manage fuel loads associated with tree mortality from defoliating insects and from blow-downs, as well as in-site preparation following harvest. The natural fire season in boreal Canada typically runs from April through September and is most often characterized by stand replacing fires. However, prescribed burns in northwestern Ontario are mostly scheduled for October when fire crews and equipment are available and fire hazard is reduced. In this study, three recent fires: a spring prescribed natural fire, a summer wildfire, and a fall prescribed burn were examined to assess the effect of season on post-fire legacies in red-pine mixedwood stands in Quetico Provincial Park, northwestern Ontario. Legacies were assessed by tree, shrub and herb species composition, and by measurements of structure such as litter depth, basal areas of live trees and coarse woody debris. Tree species diversity was nearly identical. Post-fire stand structure varied widely between the different sites. The spring treatment experienced the least mortality of trees (10% of basal area dead); the summer treatment had the highest mortality (100%); and the fall prescribed burn was intermediate with 49% dead. The effect of the fall burn on the forest was probably more intense than that of a comparable natural fall fire because of the way in which it was managed, thus partly compensating for the late season. <br /><br /> This research suggests that all fires are not equal. Different post-fire structure will have lasting ecological implications such as varying edge to interior ratios, and forest habitats. From a policy perspective this is important because maintaining ecological processes including fire is mandated for some provincial parks. In addition, the new Fire Policy for Ontario has established targets to limit wildfires, and permit ecologically renewing fires, without recognition of the variability of the effects of fire or fire legacies.

ABSTRACT There is a limited possibility for many of the concert-goers to go behind the stage and follow the work process with putting together a program for the concert season in a concert institution. The purpose of this study is to describe a concert institution's work with developing a concert program for each season. This is done through a presentation of the factors affecting the work. This is a descriptive essay and a case study of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra. Interviews have been made with people directly involved in the work or affected by the outcome of the work process. The results of the survey show that there are many opinions about the choice of repertoire and the program is greatly influenced by the chosen conductors and their preferences. The underlying repertoire ideology is a factor that permeates the work. The ideology and the view of symphony music as public education have to be compromised with the various interests involved in the working process. The survey also shows that the audience is not taken into account in the process as much as I expected before the survey. Key words: repertoire, symphony orchestra, concert, season, conductor

This study was conducted on two rangeland sites in south Texas with large populations of huisache (Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd.); the Bush Ranch in Goliad County, and the Hitchcock Ranch in Bee County. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effect of three herbicide treatments and three seasons of application on 1) apparent mortality of huisache, 2) huisache canopy cover, 3) huisache stem density, and 4) herbaceous ground cover. Herbicide treatments included aminocyclopyrachlor alone at a rate of 0.315 kg a.i. ha-1, aminocyclopyrachlor + triclopyr at a rate of 0.210 kg a.i. ha-1 + 0.420 kg a.e. ha-1, and triclopyr + picloram at a rate of 0.560 kg a.e. ha-1 + 0.560 kg a.e. ha-1. Herbicide treatments were applied over 3 x 30 m plots containing previously mowed huisache in May, July, and October of 2010 with ground-broadcast equipment at a rate of 140 L ha-1. Randomly selected huisache individuals and herbaceous ground cover at randomly selected points were monitored for the duration of the study. Statistical analyses of huisache mortality, canopy area, and stem densities revealed that at both sites one year after treatment, huisache mortality across the three seasons of application was consistently higher in plots treated with aminocyclopyrachlor + triclopyr (50 to 99%) versus those treated with aminocyclopyrachlor alone (16 to 78%) or triclopyr + picloram (4 to 70%). This mixture also provided the greatest reductions in huisache canopy area (60 to 99% reduction) and stem density (61 to 99% reduction). Also at both sites, spring applications consistently provided the greatest huisache control and canopy and stem reductions. Herbicide treatment and season of application had little effect on post-treatment herbaceous ground cover, likely due to extreme drought conditions in 2011. Of the possible combinations of seasons of application and herbicide treatments, the application in the spring of aminocyclopyrachlor plus triclopyr provided the most desirable results in terms of huisache mortality, canopy reduction, and stem density reduction. However, for sites invaded by huisache that are located near to potentially susceptible crops, the application of aminocyclopyrachlor plus triclopyr or aminocyclopyrachlor alone in the fall after the harvest of those crops may be more appropriate in order to avoid non-target injury while still providing acceptable huisache control.

The electric power is the modernized life cornerstone, is the economical development power. In recent years but as a result of the energy shortage, the fuel price anabatic wind rose, the peak load continued to grow, creates the electric power supply becoming serious. If the power supply cost is unable to respond in the electrovalence, how also creates the enterprise own to continue forever the management. This research main goal thoroughly is analyzing the Taiwan Telegraphic Transmission electrovalence structural model and the set price law, and the electrovalence difference¡£season electrovalence, the time electrovalence¡¤rationality, and on the external environment, faces the fuel price anabatic wind to rise and under the unreasonable low price electrovalence arduous situation, then discusses it in accordance to it road¡FFinally will attempt summarizes in accordance to the future transport business environment, the formulation electrovalence adjustment mechanism, will conform to present situation, will be full responded each kind of factor in the electrovalence, hoped for this research will be able to become the future to establish in the electrovalence model formulation process the reference. This study research for the document company, after the process material analysis, will establish "the most suitable electrovalence set price pattern" the factor induction to be as follows¡G (1) Brings into line with "the fuel cost". (2) To consider "the reserve capacity rate". (3) Enhancement breaks a contract the penal regulations. (4) To enhance the time electrovalence section several. (5) Change unreasonable electrovalence structure. (6) Reference various countries electrovalence model.

I have investigated the social grooming in kinship, rank, age and seasonal change among adult female Formosan macaques (Macaca cyclopis) that inhabit Mt. Longevity, Kaohsiung. The major study groups were C and Cd groups. Field observations were conducted from August 2000 to February 2003 covering three mating seasons and two non-mating seasons. The observations covered a total of 188 work days including 1248.8 hours. I actually had recorded C group for 660.6 hours, and Cd group for 244.5 hours. During my study, C group consisted of 8-13 adult males and 14-15 adult females, while group Cd had 1-3 adult males and 2-4 adult females. In order to analyze grooming data, I divided 15 adult females into sub-groups such as dominant/ submissive groups, old (>13) /young age (5-12), relative higher/lower ranking and related/unrelated. I have also divided adult males into troop-males and periphery males. Adult female allo-grooming activities accounted for 37.62% ¡Ó 13.59 (n = 15) of the behaviors in the daytime. I also found that adult females grooming infants and juveniles were greater than received from them (p < 0.001). The social grooming among adult females occurred mainly during non-mating seasons and its frequency was 2.12 times of mating seasons. Regardless of mating or non-mating seasons, the frequency of grooming among related females was significantly higher than among unrelated females (both p < 0.001). In addition, kinship affected the grooming frequency among female macaques with relative lower or higher ranking females during mating seasons (p < 0.05), while the dominant rank did not have the effect. However, the highest grooming frequency occurred in the high-ranking females who groomed relative lower ranking females within relatives (0.38 ¡Ó 0.40 bouts / 100 scans, n = 7). During non-mating seasons, kinship affected the grooming frequency among female macaques with relative lower ranking females (p < 0.05); the highest grooming frequency occurred in the old females who groomed relative lower ranking females within relatives (1.57 ¡Ó 1.74 bouts / 100 scans, n = 8). Moreover, seasons (mating or non-mating) and kinship relationship had significant effects on grooming frequencies among female macaques (both giving and receiving p < 0.01), as well as on the grooming frequency of females groomed with relative lower ranking females (p < 0.01). The highest grooming frequency occurred on females groomed with relative lower ranking females within relatives during non-mating seasons (1.25 ¡Ó 1.48 bouts / 100 scans, n = 11). Without kinship relationship, low-ranking females groomed relative higher ranking females more frequent than high-ranking females did (p < 0.05). Within adult females, 65% of social grooming was among relatives. However, 40% of adult females groomed equally with related and unrelated females, while 20% disproportionately groomed more with unrelated females than with related females. The grooming was kin-biased for 40%. About 8.68% of social grooming among unrelated females was being reciprocated. On the other hand, the ratio of related grooming female partners to the total number of available related females was higher than that with unrelated females (p < 0.05). It also indicated that the ratio of each female received grooming from high-ranking grooming partners was higher than that from low-ranking females (p < 0.01).On the other hand, the ratio of the number of old or young grooming partners of adult females had similar values. The grooming frequency of adult females gave or received from adult males during mating seasons was higher than non-mating seasons (both p < 0.05) while high-rank females groomed adult males more than low-rank females did. The socionomic sex ratios of these two social groups were similar during mating seasons (AM:AF = 1:1.8). Both troop and periphery males had significantly higher frequency of social grooming with adult females in mating seasons than in non-mating seasons. The types of males and social groups had significant effects on the allogrooming frequency among adult males in mating seasons (p < 0.05) but not in non-mating seasons (p > 0.1). Moreover, troop males had higher grooming partners than periphery males. Major grooming partners of troop males were adult females regardless of the seasons. Subordinate males were mostly the receivers in the grooming dyads with dominant males in the mating seasons, but the relationships changed during non-mating seasons. Agonistic interactions occurred mainly during mating seasons and its frequency among periphery males was 1.8 times of troop males (p < 0.05). The preference grooming sites between allo-grooming and auto-grooming of C and Cd groups had varied significantly (p < 0.001). The back region was the preferred grooming site in allo-grooming of C and Cd group and the ano-genital region was the least groomed site. In auto-grooming, monkeys paid much attention to the legs ignoring the back and face. The result indicated that when the adult individuals groomed the head, back and face which showed significant difference in the frequency among AM and AF (p < 0.05). The related female adults groomed head more frequently than unrelated female adults (p < 0.05), but dominance rank and age-class did not apparently affect the corresponding values for the frequency of grooming sites among adult females (both p > 0.1). The results indicated that social grooming among adult females took place more often during non-mating seasons, and more often in kin-related females than unrelated females. Moreover, the dominant females were likely to groom related females. Therefore social grooming among kin-related females may reinforce relationships while reciprocal grooming of unrelated females may serve to form alliance or ranking promotion in the social group. On the other hand, social grooming between adult male and female macaques more frequent in mating seasons than in non-mating seasons. This showed that adult male Formosan macaques employed complex strategies to achieve reproductive success. Nonetheless, the periphery males had more male grooming partners than troop males did which seemingly to enhance male coalitions.

Magistro darbe atliekama medienos tūrio nustatymo svėrimo būdu galimybių analizė. Darbo objektas – Apvalioji ir smulkintoji mediena naudojama medienos drožlių plokščių gamybai. Darbo tikslas - Ištirti apvaliosios ir smulkintos medienos, skirtos medžio drožlių plokštės gamybai, tankio kitimo dėsningumus ir jos svorio konvertavimo į tūrį ypatumus. Darbo metodai - Empirinio tyrimo metodas paremtas duomenų rinkimu medieną sveriant, atrenkant mėginius ir juos džiovinant. Kiekybinis palyginimas - statistinis duomenų apdorojimas paremtas dispersine ir regresine analize ir taikant koreliacinius ryšius. Visą empirinę medžiagą sudarė 180 medvežių imtis su spygliuočių, lapuočių ir smulkintoji mediena. Tiriama medienos tankio ir drėgnio koreliaciniai ryšiai, taip pat šių parametrų kintamumas nuo medžių rūšies, meteorologinių sąlygų: juos kertant ir sandėliuojant. Darbo rezultatai. Nustatyta, kad didžiausią įtaką medienos tankiui turi medienos drėgnis, o didžiausia drėgnos medienos masė yra žiemą. Pavasarį medienos masė mažėjo, o lengviausia buvo vasarą. Didėjant medienos santykiniam drėgniui, medienos tankis didėja nepriklausomai nuo medžių rūšies, tai rodo, kad medienos drėgnis ir jo kintamumas priklauso nuo metų laiko. Tiek lapuočių, tiek spygliuočių medienos masės priklausomybės nuo santykinio drėgnio kreivė žiemos metu yra aukščiausia, lyginat su pavasario ir vasaros kreivėmis. Tai dar kartą įrodo, kad mediena drėgniausia žiemos metu. Nustatytas drėgnio... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In this Master's paper an analysis is carried out to calculate the probability of estimating the volume of timber using the method of weighing. Work -study : Logs and flaked wood used for producing wood cutting panelling The aim of the work: Analysing the changes in thickness of logs and flaked wood used for producing wood cutting panelling and converting its weight into bulk. Methods of work: Empiric method based on weighing the timber, sorting out the samples and drying them. Quantitative analysis - processing the statistic data based on dispersive and regressive analysis and using correlation relations. The empiric analysis covered 180 trucks of softwood, deciduous wood and cutting.The correlation between the thickness and the humidity has been analysed. It has been also analysed how the thickness and humidity change in different species of trees, meteorological conditions, cutting down the trees and storing them. The results of the work: It has been decided that the greatest influence on the thickness of the wood has the density of the wood. The greater the relative density of the timber, the bigger the thickness of the timber. And it doesn't depend on the kind of the wood. It shows that the thickness of the wood and its changing depends on the season of the year. The curve of relative density in winter is the highest if ompared with the one in spring or in winter. The rate of the variation of density has been fixed from 11,5 to 32,2 %. As it is seen the range was great... [to full text]

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Understanding the nutrient dynamics of pastures is essential to their profitable and sustainable management.  Tall fescue [Schendonorus phoenix (Scop.) Holub.] is the predominant forage species in Virginia pasturelands.  Although tall fescue pasture is common, little research has attempted to document how soil and herbage nutrient concentrations change through time.  This thesis summarizes two studies conducted within the context of a larger grazing systems project near Steele's Tavern, VA.  The objectives were to: (1) examine temporal changes in plant available soil nutrient concentrations in four grazing systems, (2) determine how hay feeding and use of improved forages affected soil and herbage nutrient concentrations (3) examine the relationship between and variability within soil and herbage nutrient concentrations, (4) analyze the seasonal variation in herbage mineral concentration with regard to beef cattle requirements, and (5) create a statistical model to predict variation in herbage mineral concentration across the growing season.  Analysis of plant and soil nutrients through 5 years of grazing produced several important findings.  Soil pH, P, and Ca, Mg, and B declined through five years of grazing.  Higher concentrations of herbage N and K and soil P, K, Fe, Zn, and Cu were measured in hay feeding paddocks.  Herbage nutrient concentrations showed less variability in P and K than did soil test results.  Fertility testing in pastures is important to monitor changing nutrient concentrations, and this study showed that herbage analysis may provide a more stable and accurate assessment of pasture fertility than soil testing.  Pasture herbage, grown without fertilization, contained sufficient concentrations of macronutrients to meet the requirements of dry beef cows through the growing season and to meet the requirements of lactating beef cows in April.  A model was developed using soil moisture and relative humidity that predicted (R2 = 0.75) variation in herbage mineral concentration throughout the growing season.  As described in this thesis, use of modeling to predict nutrient dynamics in pasture could allow for more efficient mineral supplementation strategies that lead to improved profitability, nutrient retention, and livestock health. / Master of Science

abstract: Though for most of the twentieth century, dogma held that the adult brain was post-mitotic, it is now known that adult neurogenesis is widespread among vertebrates, from fish, amphibians, reptiles and birds to mammals including humans. Seasonal changes in adult neurogenesis are well characterized in the song control system of song birds, and have been found in seasonally breeding mammals as well. In contrast to more derived vertebrates, such as mammals, where adult neurogenesis is restricted primarily to the olfactory bulb and the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus, neurogenesis is widespread along the ventricles of adult amphibians. I hypothesized that seasonal changes in adult amphibian brain cell proliferation and survival are a potential regulator of reproductive neuroendocrine function. Adult, male American bullfrogs (Rana catesbeiana; aka Lithobates catesbeianus), were maintained in captivity for up to a year under season-appropriate photoperiod. Analysis of hormone levels indicated seasonal changes in plasma testosterone concentration consistent with field studies. Using the thymidine analogue 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU) as a marker for newly generated cells, two differentially regulated aspects of brain cell neogenesis were tracked; that is, proliferation and survival. Seasonal differences were found in BrdU labeling in several brain areas, including the olfactory bulb, medial pallium, nucleus accumbens and the infundibular hypothalamus. Clear seasonal differences were also found in the pars distalis region of the pituitary gland, an important component of neuroendocrine pathways. BrdU labeling was also examined in relation to two neuropeptides important for amphibian reproduction: arginine vasotocin and gonadotropin releasing hormone. No cells co-localized with BrdU and either neuropeptide, but new born cells were found in close proximity to neuropeptide-containing neurons. These data suggest that seasonal differences in brain and pituitary gland cell neogenesis are a potential neuroendocrine regulatory mechanism. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Biology 2012