Search results for " CONSERVATION"
showing 10 items of 1644 documents
On thermoeconomics of energy systems at variable load conditions: integrated optimization of plant design and operation
2007
Abstract Thermoeconomics has been assuming a growing role among the disciplines oriented to the analysis of energy systems, its different methodologies allowing solution of problems in the fields of cost accounting, plant design optimisation and diagnostic of malfunctions. However, the thermoeconomic methodologies as such are particularly appropriate to analyse large industrial systems at steady or quasi-steady operation, but they can be hardly applied to small to medium scale units operating in unsteady conditions to cover a variable energy demand. In this paper, the fundamentals of thermoeconomics for systems operated at variable load are discussed, examining the cost formation process an…
Advanced energetics of a Multiple Effects Evaporation (MEE) desalination plant
2010
This paper represents the Part I of a paper in two parts, aimed at proposing a 2nd principle and thermoeconomic analysis for a Multiple Effects Evaporation (MEE) process and discussing solutions for optimization and energy saving. After a brief analysis of the thermochemical fundamentals of desalination, the minimum theoretical work of separation is introduced to represent a reference condition for the assessment of plants' efficiency. A forward feed MEE configuration is then analysed, abandoning the conventional approach to “at overall plant-level”-analysis; a zooming strategy, based on focusing on the physical model of a generic stage (i.e. effect), is preferred to best recognize the marg…
Literature, social media and questionnaire surveys identify relevant conservation areas for Carcharhinus species in the Mediterranean Sea
2023
Sharks support ecosystems’ health, but their populations are facing severe declines worldwide. Knowledge gaps on shark distribution and the negative human perception of them still represent a barrier to the implementation of effective conservation measures. Here we carried out a regional-scale analysis in the Mediterranean Sea using data on requiem shark catches and sightings available in the scientific literature and on social media platforms to: 1) depict the distribution of Carcharhinus species across the basin, 2) identify potentially relevant areas for their conservation, and 3) evaluate people’s attitude toward shark protection. In addition, we administered 112 questionnaires in one o…
Local Extinction of Dragonfly and Damselfly Populations in Low- and High-Quality Habitat Patches
2010
Understanding the risk of extinction of a single population is an important problem in both theoretical and applied ecology. Local extinction risk depends on several factors, including population size, demographic or environmental stochasticity, natural catastrophe, or the loss of genetic diversity. The probability of local extinction may also be higher in low-quality sink habitats than in high-quality source habitats. We tested this hypothesis by comparing local extinction rates of 15 species of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) between 1930-1975 and 1995-2003 in central Finland. Local extinction rates were higher in low-quality than in high-quality habitats. Nevertheless, for the thre…
A comparison of three statistical methods for analysing extinction threat status
2013
SUMMARYThe International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List provides a globally-recognized evaluation of the conservation status of species, with the aim of catalysing appropriate conservation action. However, in some parts of the world, species data may be lacking or insufficient to predict risk status. If species with shared ecological or life history characteristics also tend to share their risk of extinction, then ecological or life history characteristics may be used to predict which species may be at risk, although perhaps not yet classified as such by the IUCN. Statistical models may be a means to determine whether there are non-threatened or unclassified species that s…
Falcon Conservation: azioni pratiche per la tutela del lanario Falco biarmicus feldeggii
2017
Il progetto Falcon Conservation nasce nel 2014 e dal 2016 è supportato dalla fondazione Nando ed Elsa Peretti, con lo scopo di acquisire nuovi dati sulla biologia e la conservazione dei Rapaci ed in particolar modo del lanario Falco biarmicus feldeggii e del pellegrino Falco peregrinus brookei. Falcon Conservation si basa sulla ricerca scientifica e sulla Citizen Science ed ha tra gli obiettivi la divulgazione e il coinvolgimento degli studenti universitari e dell’opinione pubblica in genere. Le azioni pratiche del progetto si sono concentrate sul monitoraggio di popolazione in tre aree-campione che corrispondono alla Sicilia occidentale, centrale ed orientale. I censimenti sul campo sono s…
Choice between alternative investments in agriculture: The role of organic farming to avoid the abandonment of rural areas
2015
Abstract Sicily has a long tradition in citrus fruit cultivation that, with vineyard and olive tree, represents the main Mediterranean tree crops. Since many Sicilian farmers in recent years have decided to abandon conventional lemon orchards, in this paper we have evaluated the financial sustainability of organic lemon production by comparing it with the conventional one. Financial analysis has been carried out in a case study on the northwestern coast of Sicily, considering a 50-year economic life of an orchard. The results, per hectare of area, showed a clear advantage of organic lemon orchard. This was due to fewer labor requirements and to greater market appreciation for organic produc…
PESI - a taxonomic backbone for Europe
2015
Reliable taxonomy underpins communication in all of biology, not least nature conservation and sustainable use of ecosystem resources. The flexibility of taxonomic interpretations, however, presents a serious challenge for end-users of taxonomic concepts. Users need standardised and continuously harmonised taxonomic reference systems, as well as highquality and complete taxonomic data sets, but these are generally lacking for nonspecialists. The solution is in dynamic, expertly curated web-based taxonomic tools. The Pan-European Species-directories Infrastructure (PESI) worked to solve this key issue by providing a taxonomic e-infrastructure for Europe. It strengthened the relevant social (…
Fauna Europaea: Diptera – Brachycera
2015
Fauna Europaea provides a public web-service with an index of scientific names (including important synonyms) of all extant multicellular European terrestrial and freshwater animals and their geographical distribution at the level of countries and major islands (east of the Urals and excluding the Caucasus region). The Fauna Europaea project comprises about 230,000 taxonomic names, including 130,000 accepted species and 14,000 accepted subspecies, which is much more than the originally projected number of 100,000 species. Fauna Europaea represents a huge effort by more than 400 contributing taxonomic specialists throughout Europe and is a unique (standard) reference suitable for many user c…
Web-based real-time data acquisition system as tool for energy efficiency monitoring
2013
A web-based data acquisition system is proposed as a research tool of the energy efficiency monitoring project of the test stands. Basic requirements for the architecture of the data acquisition system are discussed. The architecture of the data acquisition system is proposed to provide the real-time interface with sensors, to acquire and to log data from all sensors with fixed rate, and to deliver logged data through FTP to the end-user.