Size quantization effects in InAs self-assembled islands on InP(001) at the onset of 2D-to-3D transition

Photoluminescence spectroscopy has been used to investigate self-assembled InAs islands in InAlAs grown on InP(0 0 1) by molecular beam epitaxy, in correlation with transmission electron microscopy. The nominal deposition of 3.6 monolayers of InAs at 470 degrees C achieves the onset stage of coherent island formation. In addition to one strong emission around 0.74 eV, the sample displaces several emission peaks at 0.87, 0.92. 0.98, and 1.04 eV. Fully developed islands that coexist with semi-finished disk islands account for the multipeak emission. These results provide strong evidence of size quantization effects in InAs islands. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Exploring Scale Effects of Best/Worst Rank Ordered Choice Data to Estimate Benefits of Tourism in Alpine Grazing Commons

In many environmental valuation applications standard sample sizes for choice modelling surveys are impractical to achieve. One can improve data quality using more in-depth surveys administered to fewer respondents. We report on a study using high quality rank-ordered data elicited with the best-worst approach. The resulting "exploded logit" choice model, estimated on 64 responses per person, was used to study the willingness to pay for external benefits by visitors for policies which maintain the cultural heritage of alpine grazing commons. We find evidence supporting this approach and reasonable estimates of mean WTP, which appear theoretically valid and policy informative. © The Author (2011).

Utility in Willingness to Pay Space: A Tool to Address Confounding Random Scale Effects in Destination Choice to the Alps

We compare two approaches for estimating the distribution of consumers' willingness to pay (WTP) in discrete choice models. The usual procedure is to estimate the distribution of the utility coefficients and then derive the distribution of WTP, which is the ratio of coefficients. The alternative is to estimate the distribution of WTP directly. We apply both approaches to data on site choice in the Alps. We find that the alternative approach fits the data better, reduces the incidence of exceedingly large estimated WTP values, and provides the analyst with greater control in specifying and testing the distribution of WTP. © 2008 Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.

Landscape-scale effects of fire on bird assemblages : does pyrodiversity beget biodiversity?

Aim A common strategy for conserving biodiversity in fire-prone environments is to maintain a diversity of post-fire age classes at the landscape scale, under the assumption that 'pyrodiversity begets biodiversity'. Another strategy is to maintain extensive areas of a particular seral state regarded as vital for the persistence of threatened species, under the assumption that this will also cater for the habitat needs of other species. We investigated the likely effects of these strategies on bird assemblages in tree mallee vegetation, characterized by multi-stemmed Eucalyptus species, where both strategies are currently employed.

Location The semi-arid Murray Mallee region of south-eastern Australia.

Methods We systematically surveyed birds in 26 landscapes (each 4-km diameter), selected to represent gradients in the diversity of fire age classes and the proportion of older vegetation (>35years since fire). Additional variables were measured to represent underlying vegetation- or fire-mediated properties of the landscape, as well as its biogeographic context. We used an information-theoretic approach to investigate the relationships between these predictor variables and the species richness of birds (total species, threatened species and rare species).

Results Species richness of birds was not strongly associated with fire-mediated heterogeneity. Species richness was associated with increasing amounts of older vegetation in landscapes, but not with the proportion of recently burned vegetation in landscapes.

Main conclusions The preference of many mallee birds for older vegetation highlights the risk of a blanket application of the 'pyrodiversity begets biodiversity' paradigm. If application of this paradigm involved converting large areas from long unburned to recently burned vegetation to increase fire-mediated heterogeneity in tree mallee landscapes, our findings suggest that this could threaten birds. This research highlights the value of adopting a landscape-scale perspective when evaluating the utility of fire-management strategies intended to benefit biodiversity.

Bridging hydraulic diffusivity from aquifer to particle-size scale: a study on loess sediments from southwest Hungary

In situ megascale hydraulic diffusivities (D) of a confined loess aquifer were estimated at various scales (10 <= L <= 1500 m) by a finite difference model, and laboratory microscale diffusivities of a loess sample by empirical formulas. A scatter plot reveals that D fits to a single power function of L, providing that microscale diffusivities are assigned to L = 1 m and that differences in diffusivity observed between micro- and megascales are assigned to medium heterogeneity appraised by variations in the curvature and slope of natural hydraulic head waves propagating through the aquifer. Subsequently, a general power relationship between D and L is defined where the base and exponent terms stand for the aquifer storage capability under a confined regime of flow, for the microscale hydraulic conductivity and specific yield of loess, and for the changes in curvature and slope of hydraulic head waves relative to values defined at unit scale.[GRAPHICS]Editor Z.W. Kundzewicz

Criteria for use of ripple tanks : refraction scale effects /

Prepared for Assistant Secretary of the Army (R & D), Dept. of the Army.

Grain shape and size distribution effects in coastal models /

"July 1976."