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Historical Role (historical + role)
Selected AbstractsThe implicit assumption of symmetry and the species abundance distributionECOLOGY LETTERS, Issue 2 2008David Alonso Abstract Species abundance distributions (SADs) have played a historical role in the development of community ecology. They summarize information about the number and the relative abundance of the species encountered in a sample from a given community. For years ecologists have developed theory to characterize species abundance patterns, and the study of these patterns has received special attention in recent years. In particular, ecologists have developed statistical sampling theories to predict the SAD expected in a sample taken from a region. Here, we emphasize an important limitation of all current sampling theories: they ignore species identity. We present an alternative formulation of statistical sampling theory that incorporates species asymmetries in sampling and dynamics, and relate, in a general way, the community-level SAD to the distribution of population abundances of the species integrating the community. We illustrate the theory on a stochastic community model that can accommodate species asymmetry. Finally, we discuss the potentially important role of species asymmetries in shaping recently observed multi-humped SADs and in comparisons of the relative success of niche and neutral theories at predicting SADs. [source] Fire regimes of China: inference from statistical comparison with the United StatesGLOBAL ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Meg A. Krawchuk ABSTRACT Aim, Substantial overlap in the climate characteristics of the United States and China results in similar land-cover types and weather conditions, especially in the eastern half of the two countries. These parallels suggest similarities in fire regimes as well, yet relatively little is known about the historical role of fire in Chinese ecosystems. Consequently, we aimed to infer fire regime characteristics for China based on our understanding of climate,fire relationships in the United States. Location, The conterminous United States and the People's Republic of China. Methods, We used generalized additive models to quantify the relationship between reference fire regime classes adopted by the LANDFIRE initiative in the United States, and a global climate data set. With the models, we determined which climate variables best described the distribution of fire regimes in the United States then used these models to predict the spatial distribution of fire regimes in China. The fitted models were validated quantitatively using receiver operating characteristic area under the curve (AUC). We validated the predicted fire regimes in China by comparison with palaeoecological fire data and satellite-derived estimates of current fire activity. Results, Quantitative validation using the AUC indicated good discrimination of the distribution of fire regimes by models for the United States. Overall, fire regimes with more frequent return intervals were more likely in the east than in the west. The resolution of available historical and prehistorical fire data for China, including sediment cores, allowed only coarse, qualitative validation, but provided supporting evidence that fire has long been a part of ecosystem function in eastern China. MODIS satellite data illustrated that fire frequency within the last decade supported the classification of much of western China as relatively fire-free; however, much of south-eastern China experiences more fire activity than predicted with our models, probably as a function of the extensive use of fire by people. Conclusions, While acknowledging there are many cultural, environmental and historical differences between the United States and China, our fire regime models based on climate data demonstrate potential historical fire regimes for China, and propose that large areas of China share historical fire,vegetation,climate complexes with the United States. [source] Social Science, Geophilosophy and InequalityINTERNATIONAL STUDIES REVIEW, Issue 2 2002Michael J. Shapiro This chapter begins with a treatment of the inauspicious debut of social science in Hawaii, noting how it aided and abetted colonization. However, although much of the analysis is aimed at elucidating current political issues in Hawaii, its organizing concern is with a general critique of the historical role of social and political science "knowledge." Accordingly, much of the chapter deals with a trajectory of discourses on political analysis, nation,building, and equality throughout the twentieth century, to which the primary contributions have been from American social science. Finally, I turn to a way of theorizing inequality that challenges the predicates of state,centric discourses on rights and equality before the law. [source] Re-imagining Relevance: A Response to Starkey and MadanBRITISH JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT, Issue 2001Christopher Grey Starkey and Madan (2001) propose that changing conditions of knowledge production mean that business schools face an increasing relevance gap which, if they do not respond, will be filled by management consultants and corporate universities. In this response, I question the core assumptions of their analysis, suggesting that they misunderstand both the historical role and present practices of universities and business schools. In particular they fail to understand the complexities of knowledge production, its relationship to practice and the importance of ,independence' which is the unique contribution that universities make to society. I argue that their proposal to bridge the relevance gap would, if adopted, have the effect of leaving business schools with no defensible social role. Thus, ironically, their ,solution' to the challenges facing business schools would in fact exacerbate the problems they currently face. [source] | ||||||||||