Remote sensing has transformed coral reef science in the last decades. It is now possible to audit reef health and geomorphology at global scale and very high spatial resolution. This work utilizes the vast and no-cost archive of imagery housed within Google Earth (GE). GE was used to interrogate the morphometric properties (size, shape, complexity, etc) of the components that combine to yield a reef environment (reef structures, sediment sheets, and so forth). The data populated a morphometric database for reefs globally that are partitioned by their architecture. The database has been investigated using information theory. The aim of the work is to identify whether motifs of carbonate platforms within these reef types are predictable on the basis of environmental parameters. The results are relevant to assess depositional patterns to develop rules for predicting how facies are distributed in modern systems and ancient reservoirs.

[pt] O estado do Rio de Janeiro, a segunda maior economia do Brasil, exerce forte influência na Região Sudeste nas atividades de exportação e importação, principalmente por sua estrutura portuária privilegiada. Bilhões de dólares em mercadorias são exportadas e importadas anualmente através de terminais portuários no estado. Para auxiliar o planejamento dos sistemas de transporte do estado, torna-se necessário um diagnóstico das operações de comércio exterior, assim como o uso de um sistema de informação para apoio a decisões, devido ao grande volume de dados e da complexidade do problema. Essa dissertação aborda a proposta, os testes e a implementação de um modelo de sistema de informações para o armazenamento e análise de dados referentes a operações de exportação que envolvem o estado do Rio de Janeiro e seu entorno, juntamente com um modelo de interface de consultas que possibilite o diagnóstico dessas operações. A dissertação também aborda o uso de um Sistema de Informações Geográficas para a visualização dos resultados das consultas e auxílio ao diagnóstico. O principal resultado deste trabalho é tornar disponível um sistema de informações para diagnósticos logísticos. Entre diversas constatações feitas com o uso desta ferramenta, extraídas de dados entre os anos de 1999 e 2002, estão a confirmação da necessidade de um anel rodoviário circundando a cidade do Rio de Janeiro, que o importador principal são os Estados Unidos com 18% do total exportado e que a maior parte das exportações está ligada aos produtos da indústria de petróleo. / [en] Rio de Janeiro has the second strongest state economic movement in Brazil, as a consequence it has great influence over the Brazilian southeastern region in international trade operations, based on a privileged harbor infrastructure. Over the years, goods and products worth billions of dollars have been imported and exported through harbors located in Rio. A diagnostics of these operations is a necessary tool for the transportation systems planning in the state, as well as the use of information systems to support decision-making, since there`s a large amount of data to be handled and the ensuing complexity of the problem. This dissertation proposes, develops, tests and implements an information system model for storage and analysis of data concerning the international trade operations involving the state of Rio de Janeiro and its outskirts together with a query interface model for computer aided human diagnostics of these operations. This work also includes the use of Geographic Information Systems for visualization of query results and diagnostic assistance. The main result of this work is to make available a useful information systems tool for diagnostics in Logistics. Among various sample conclusions of a prototypical use of the tool with data in the range 1999- 2002 were: the confirmation of the need for a surrounding expressway, that the main foreign client is the US with 18% of the total and that the majority of the products belong to the Oil industry.

Bacillus anthracis is the causal agent of anthrax which primarily affects ungulates, occasionally carnivores and less frequently humans. The endospores of this soil-borne bacterium are highly resistant to extreme conditions, and under ideal conditions, anthrax spores can survive for many years in the soil. The bacterium is generally found in soil at sites where infected animals have died. When these spores are exposed, they have the potential to be ingested by a mammalian species which could lead to an anthrax outbreak. Anthrax is almost never transmitted directly from host to host, but is rather ingested by herbivores while drinking, grazing or browsing in a contaminated environment, with the exception of scavengers and carnivores consuming infected prey. Anthrax is known to be endemic in the northern part of Kruger National Park (KNP) in South Africa (SA), with occasional epidemics spreading southward into the non-endemic areas. The aim of this study is to identify and map areas that are ecologically suitable for the harbouring of B. anthracis spores within the KNP. Anthrax surveillance data and selected environmental variables were used as inputs to the maximum entropy (Maxent) species distribution modelling method. Five-hundred and ninety-seven anthrax occurrence records, dating from the year 1988 to 2011, were extracted from the Skukuza State Veterinary Office’s database. A total of 40 environmental variables were used and their relative contribution to predicting suitability for anthrax occurrence was evaluated using Maxent software (version 3.3.3k). Variables showing the highest gain were then used for subsequent, refined model iterations until the final model parameters were established. The environmental variables that contributed the most to the occurrence of anthrax were soil type, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), land type and precipitation. A map was created using a geographic information system (GIS) that illustrates the sites where anthrax spores are most likely to occur throughout the Park. This included the known endemic Pafuri region as well as the low lying soils along the Shingwedzi-Phugwane-Bubube rivers and the Letaba-Olifants river drainage area. The outputs of this study could guide future targeted surveillance efforts to focus on areas predicted to be highly suitable for anthrax, especially since the KNP uses passive surveillance to detect anthrax outbreaks. Knowing where to look can improve sampling efficiency and lead to increased understanding of the ecology of anthrax within the KNP. / Dissertation (MMedVet)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Production Animal Studies / unrestricted

African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) are the most endangered large carnivore in Southern Africa. There are as little as 5,000 individuals globally and less than 450 African wild dogs in South Africa alone. African wild dogs are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Therefore, the time has never been more crucial to conserve the species. With increased human encroachment and inhabitation in and around protected areas, so are increased conflicts between humans and carnivores. Human-wild dog conflict is likely to rise where a common resource is found. Human-carnivore conflicts have often been induced by the uncomfortably close inhabitation of humans in areas predominantly occupied by large carnivores. For this reason, it is becoming vital to establish a harmonious relationship between carnivores and humans. This research investigated the extent and causes of human-carnivore conflict specific to private landowners and the African wild dog in the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve, Limpopo Province, South Africa between April 2018 and January 2019. The causes of conflict in the Waterberg and levels of tolerance by the farmers for African wild dogs were investigated. The methodology was two-fold, using spatial analyses and an online survey. Three African wild dogs from the same pack were collared using telemetry collars (Tag 2651, Tag 2953 and Tag 3017). These data were used for the spatial analysis part of the research, using Geographic Information System (GIS) to determine the African wild dogs’ home ranges, movement patterns, and proximities to commonalities with humans and preferred land use. The private landowners possibly experiencing human-carnivore conflict were surveyed using an online survey (n = 81), and this information was used to determine the extent of conflict and tolerance of African wild dogs amongst the farmers in the Waterberg. The information gathered will be used by the Endangered Wildlife Trust to develop an early warning system for private landowners affected by the presence of free-roaming African wild dogs in the area. In general, English speaking farmers in the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve were more tolerant of African wild dogs compared with Afrikaans speaking farmers. Results also showed that areas near food and water sources are high potential conflict hotspots. The results also showed that African wild dog movement patterns in Waterberg Biosphere Reserve have an influence on conflict hotspot areas during denning season, wet and dry months, different phases of the moon, and overall hunting patterns of African wild dogs. This research facilitated an understanding of aspects of utilisation, persecution, and how to mitigate conflict between humans and African wild dogs within the Waterberg Biosphere Reserve. / Dissertation (MSc (Environment and Society))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / GreenMatter Fellowship Mapula Trust Endangered Wildlife Trust (EWT) National Research Foundation (NRF) / Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology / MSc (Environment and Society) / Unrestricted

Address data within geographic information systems (GIS) is used as reference data to link personal and administrative information, thus making it possible to locate and deliver goods and services to eligible persons. Preferably, every country must develop and maintain a single national address database (NAD) to eliminate data redundancy and provide a common point of reference across the board. In South Africa, the challenge is that there are separate address databases, which are developed and maintained by various public and private organizations – with little or no cooperation on data sharing. Currently, the establishment of a Committee for Spatial Information (CSI) which is tasked with the implementation of the South African Spatial Data Infrastructure (SASDI) and the publication of the South African Address Standard (SANS 1883) offer organizations an opportunity to collaborate towards the creation of a single address dataset. This research posits that the implementation of a successful data sharing initiative depends on the understanding of motivators and barriers of organizations participating in it. The research applied the case study method – with a semi-structured questionnaire – to assess the issues that motivate or obstruct GIS data sharing among three address organizations in South Africa. The results identified significant motivators that underlie the data sharing activities, e.g. reduced cost of data collection, improved data quality; and equally identified significant barriers that make organizations reluctant to enter into a data sharing initiative, e.g. data copyright and ownership, high staff-turnover, and lack of financial and technical resources. Although the case studies focused on address data in South Africa, the research findings can equally apply to other spatial datasets and are relevant for the successful implementation of the South African Spatial Data Infrastructure (SASDI). / Dissertation (MIT)--University of Pretoria, 2012. / Computer Science / Unrestricted

[pt] Este estudo apresenta uma avaliação do projeto BRT Transoeste, no município do Rio de Janeiro - RJ, sob a perspectiva da mobilidade e do desenvolvimento urbano sustentáveis. O BRT Transoeste consiste no primeiro sistema Bus Rapid Transit implantado no município e foi proposto inicialmente visando atender a compromisso, em termos de mobilidade urbana, da Prefeitura da Cidade do Rio de Janeiro com o Comitê Olímpico Internacional – COI para realização dos Jogos Olímpicos de 2016. Este sistema, que atravessa bairros das Áreas de Planejamento 4 (Barra da Tijuca) e 5 (Zona Oeste) da cidade, foi concebido para exercer a função de sistema estruturador de transporte de passageiros de sua área de influência. Com o auxílio de Sistema de Informações Geográficas - SIG, foram analisados indicadores associados à cobertura espacial do sistema, às condições de circulação no espaço urbano, ao uso e a ocupação do solo e ao ordenamento territorial em sua Área de Influência Direta. Os resultados obtidos a partir da análise destes indicadores espaciais foram avaliados através de seis princípios de desenho ou projeto para cidades sustentáveis desenvolvidos pelo Grupo de Pesquisa Móbile, da COPPE/UFRJ. Estes princípios evidenciam a necessidade de integração do planejamento de transporte e do uso do solo para promoção da mobilidade e do desenvolvimento urbano sustentáveis. / [en] This study presents a BRT Transoeste project evaluation in the city of Rio de Janeiro, from a sustainable mobility and urban development perspective. The BRT Transoeste is the first Bus Rapid Transit system implemented in the municipality and was proposed initially to fufill the agreement between Rio de Janeiro City Government and the International Olympic Committee for the 2016 Olympic Games. This system crossing the city neighborhoods in Planning Area 4 (Barra da Tijuca) and 5 (West Side) was envisioned to work as a passenger transportation structuring system for its area of influence. The Geographic Information System – GIS helped analyze indicators associated with the system s spatial coverage, urban space circulation conditions, land occupation, use and zoning laws in its direct area of influence. The Móbile Research Group (COPPE/UFRJ) developed six principles for sustainable city design to analyze results obtained for these spatial indicators. These principles make clear the need to integrate transportation and land use planning to promote sustainable mobility and urban development.

Neste trabalho é apresentado o resultado de estudo sobre a acidentalidade no transporte coletivo da cidade de São Carlos - Brasil, utilizando como fontes de informações os registros contidos em boletins de ocorrência de acidentes da polícia militar e em relatórios de ocorrências, elaborados pela empresa operadora do transporte coletivo, ambos relativos aos anos de 2005 e 2006. O método utilizado compreende as seguintes etapas: i) Coleta dos dados; ii) Processamento e sistematização dos dados; iii) Caracterização dos acidentes; iv) Análise das informações e preparação de diagnóstico; e, v) Elaboração de ações mitigadoras. O processamento e a sistematização dos dados foram realizados utilizando o Banco de Dados de Acidentes de Trânsito (BDAT) da cidade de São Carlos, ao passo que a caracterização foi realizada com foco na gravidade, tipologia, distribuição temporal e espacial dos acidentes. De forma a identificar os pontos, interseções, trechos e regiões críticas de ocorrência de acidentes de trânsito, utilizou-se um sistema de informação geográfica - SIG, aplicado à área de transportes. Como principais resultados obtiveram-se: i) maior ocorrência de acidentes que resultaram em danos materiais e de acidente do tipo colisão transversal; ii) acidentes que resultaram em vítimas não fatais ocorreram em maior número às sextas-feiras e os que resultaram em vítimas fatais aos finais de semana; iii) os acidentes encontraram-se espalhados por toda a cidade, com maior concentração no eixo norte-sul e próximo a pólos de serviços de saúde, dentre outros. As ações mitigadoras propostas foram de caráter geral, como por exemplo, melhoria da sinalização, realização de campanhas educativas, dentre outros; e de caráter específico, direcionada para o cruzamento que apresentou o maior número de acidente no período em estudo. / This work presents the results of a study on accident occurrence in public transportation (buses) in the city of São Carlos - Brazil, using as information sources the records from police accident reports from the local police and accident reports performed by the company responsible for the public transportation (buses), both for calendar years 2005 and 2006. The method applied comprises the following steps: i) Data collection; ii) Processing and data systematization; iii) Accident characterization; iv) Information analysis and diagnosis preparation; and v) Development of mitigation actions. Processing and data systematization were carried out using Traffic Accident Database (BDAT) from the city of São Carlos, whereas characterization was done focusing on severity, typology, temporal and spatial distribution of accidents. Geographic information system (GIS) applied to transportation field was used to identify intersections, road stretches and critical areas of traffic accident occurrence. The main results obtained were: i) most accidents resulted in property damage and side impacts ii) most nonfatal accidents occurred in greater number on fridays and fatal ones on weekends ii) accidents took place throughout the city, with greater concentration on north-south routes and around heath care centers, among others. Proposed mitigation actions were of general nature, such as improvements to signals, educational campaigns, among others; and specific ones towards the intersection that presented the highest number of accidents during this study.

No description available.

Neste trabalho é apresentado o resultado de estudo sobre a acidentalidade no transporte coletivo da cidade de São Carlos - Brasil, utilizando como fontes de informações os registros contidos em boletins de ocorrência de acidentes da polícia militar e em relatórios de ocorrências, elaborados pela empresa operadora do transporte coletivo, ambos relativos aos anos de 2005 e 2006. O método utilizado compreende as seguintes etapas: i) Coleta dos dados; ii) Processamento e sistematização dos dados; iii) Caracterização dos acidentes; iv) Análise das informações e preparação de diagnóstico; e, v) Elaboração de ações mitigadoras. O processamento e a sistematização dos dados foram realizados utilizando o Banco de Dados de Acidentes de Trânsito (BDAT) da cidade de São Carlos, ao passo que a caracterização foi realizada com foco na gravidade, tipologia, distribuição temporal e espacial dos acidentes. De forma a identificar os pontos, interseções, trechos e regiões críticas de ocorrência de acidentes de trânsito, utilizou-se um sistema de informação geográfica - SIG, aplicado à área de transportes. Como principais resultados obtiveram-se: i) maior ocorrência de acidentes que resultaram em danos materiais e de acidente do tipo colisão transversal; ii) acidentes que resultaram em vítimas não fatais ocorreram em maior número às sextas-feiras e os que resultaram em vítimas fatais aos finais de semana; iii) os acidentes encontraram-se espalhados por toda a cidade, com maior concentração no eixo norte-sul e próximo a pólos de serviços de saúde, dentre outros. As ações mitigadoras propostas foram de caráter geral, como por exemplo, melhoria da sinalização, realização de campanhas educativas, dentre outros; e de caráter específico, direcionada para o cruzamento que apresentou o maior número de acidente no período em estudo. / This work presents the results of a study on accident occurrence in public transportation (buses) in the city of São Carlos - Brazil, using as information sources the records from police accident reports from the local police and accident reports performed by the company responsible for the public transportation (buses), both for calendar years 2005 and 2006. The method applied comprises the following steps: i) Data collection; ii) Processing and data systematization; iii) Accident characterization; iv) Information analysis and diagnosis preparation; and v) Development of mitigation actions. Processing and data systematization were carried out using Traffic Accident Database (BDAT) from the city of São Carlos, whereas characterization was done focusing on severity, typology, temporal and spatial distribution of accidents. Geographic information system (GIS) applied to transportation field was used to identify intersections, road stretches and critical areas of traffic accident occurrence. The main results obtained were: i) most accidents resulted in property damage and side impacts ii) most nonfatal accidents occurred in greater number on fridays and fatal ones on weekends ii) accidents took place throughout the city, with greater concentration on north-south routes and around heath care centers, among others. Proposed mitigation actions were of general nature, such as improvements to signals, educational campaigns, among others; and specific ones towards the intersection that presented the highest number of accidents during this study.

A exploração excessiva dos recursos naturais e o uso desordenado do espaço buscando uma rentabilidade máxima dos sistemas, originou uma intensa preocupação com as implicações ambientais resultantes da falta de gestão do espaço natural. Para o estudo dos processos de degradação ambiental é necessário analisar os elementos do meio físico e antrópico que participam desse processo, onde a espacialização das informações requer a utilização de sistemas e modelos nos quais seja possível integrar os dados. Nesse sentido, o objetivo do presente trabalho foi avaliar e espacializar os graus de suscetibilidade à erosão na Bacia Hidrográfica do Alto Camaquã com base em geotecnologias, em especial o sensoriamento remoto e o Sistema de Informações Geográficas. Foram avaliados os aspectos físicos e antrópicos da bacia hidrográfica de acordo com o grau de suscetibilidade à erosão. Os resultados da suscetibilidade à erosão da Bacia Hidrográfica do Alto Camaquã tenderam à “estabilidade/ suscetibilidade mediana” com 3.111,5 km² (60,7%) e menor representação das classes “Estável” com 138,4 km² (2,7%), Moderadamente Estável” com 1358,4 km² (26,5%), “Moderadamente Suscetível” com 389,5 km² (7,6%) e “Suscetível” com 128,2 km² (2,5%), contudo, a avaliação dos parâmetros físicos e antrópicos analisados separadamente resultaram em duas regiões distintas. (1) Na região oeste os aspectos físicos tendem à estabilidade e os aspectos antrópicos à suscetibilidade, caracterizados pela mecanização agrícola sobre relevo plano à suave ondulado. (2) Na região leste, o meio físico tende à suscetibilidade e o uso da terra à estabilidade, cujo relevo apresenta, em grande parte, alta declividade e presença de morros com afloramento rochoso, condições inaptas às atividades agrícolas intensivas. / The excessive exploration of natural resources and the uncontrolled use of the territory, seeking a maximum profitability of the systems, has caused an intense concern about the environmental implications arising from lack of management of the natural areas. The environmental degradation processes are analyzed by the physical environment elements and the land covers and land uses included in the process, when data are integrated by geographical information systems and spatial models. In this sense, the objective of this study was to evaluate the susceptibility to erosion in the watershed of the Upper Camaquã river based on geotechnology, with emphasis in remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems. We evaluated the physical and anthropic aspects of the watershed according to the degree of susceptibility to erosion The Upper Camaquã watershed showed "stability/median susceptibility" with 3.111,5 square kilometers (60,7%) and lower representation of classes "Stable" with 138.4 km² ( 2.7%) “Moderately Stable " with 1358.4 square kilometers (26.5%) , " Moderately Susceptible" with 389.5 km² (7.6%) and "Susceptible" with 128.2 square kilometers (2.5%), however, two regions occurred when the physical and anthropogenic components were considered separately: (1) The western region with stable physical aspects, susceptible anthropogenic aspects and agricultural mechanization on flat to gently rolling terrains; (2) the eastern region with susceptible physical environment, stable land use, where terrain has largely, steep slopes and hilly terrains with rocky outcrop, unfit conditions to intensive agricultural activities.