The intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH) and the dynamic equilibrium model (DEM) are influential theories in ecology. The IDH predicts large species numbers at intermediate levels of disturbance and the DEM predicts that the effect of disturbance depends on the level of productivity. However, various indices of diversity are considered more commonly than the predicted number of species in ...

BACKGROUND Many characteristics of urban parks and neighbourhoods have been linked to patterns of physical activity, yet untangling these relationships to promote increased levels of physical activity presents methodological challenges. Based on qualitative and quantitative data, this article describes patterns of activity within urban parks and the socio-demographic characteristics of park vis...

Networks of marine reserves are increasingly being promoted as a means of conserving marine biodiversity. One consideration in designing systems of marine reserves is the maintenance of connectivity to ensure the long-term persistence and resilience of populations. Knowledge of connectivity, however, is frequently lacking during marine reserve design and establishment. We characterise patterns ...

This study offers an adaptation of the Rugai method for the collection of cysts, eggs and parasite larvae from beaches, parks and public squares.

N.A. NICOROVICI1, A.A. ASATRYAN1, L.C. BOTTEN2, K. BUSCH3, R. C. MCPHEDRAN1, C. M. DE STERKE1, P. A. ROBINSON1, G.H. SMITH2, D.R. MCKENZIE1 and A.R. PARKER4 1School of Physics, University of Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia 2School of Mathematical Sciences,University of Technology, Sydney, NSW 2007, Australia 3Department of Physics,University of Karlsruhe, P. O. Box 6980, 76128 Karlsruhe, Germany 4D...

According to risk systems theory and the characteristics of the chemical industry, an index system was established for risk assessment of enterprises in chemical industrial parks (CIPs) based on the inherent risk of the source, effectiveness of the prevention and control mechanism, and vulnerability of the receptor. A comprehensive risk assessment method based on catastrophe theory was then pro...

Although livestock anthrax is declining in many parts of the world, with an increasing number of countries probably truly free of the disease, anthrax remains enzootic in many national parks and even in some game ranching areas. These infected areas can present a persistent risk to surrounding livestock, which may otherwise be free of the disease, as well as a public health risk. The authors us...

Only 25-35% of Canadian children and youth regularly engage in active transportation (AT; e.g., non-motorized travel modes such as walking and cycling) to/from school. Previous research shows that distance between home and school is the strongest barrier to AT. Based on social ecological theory, we describe several strategies to overcome this barrier. At the individual level, children and youth...