Hong Kong Island, 1888 (Raster Image)

This layer is a georeferenced raster image of the historic paper map entitled: Map of Hong Kong with British Kowloon. It was published by Stanford's Geographical Estabt. in 1888. Scale [ca. 1:21,453]. The image inside the map neatline is georeferenced to the surface of the earth and fit to the Hong Kong 1980 Grid coordinate system. All map collar and inset information is also available as part of the raster image, including any inset maps, profiles, statistical tables, directories, text, illustrations, index maps, legends, or other information associated with the principal map. This map shows features such as drainage, cities and other human settlements, roads, tramways, selected buildings, coffee gardens, cemeteries, shoreline features, wharves, lighthouses, and more. Relief shown by hachures and spot heights. Includes index and manuscript annotations.This layer is part of a selection of digitally scanned and georeferenced historic maps from the Harvard Map Collection. These maps typically portray both natural and manmade features. The selection represents a range of originators, ground condition dates, scales, and map purposes.

Evolution of the landscape of Madeira Island: long-term vegetation dynamics

The aim of this thesis was to evaluate historical change of the landscape of Madeira Island and to assess spatial and temporal vegetation dynamics. In current research diverse “retrospective techniques”, such as landscape repeat photography, dendrochronology, and research of historical records were used. These, combined with vegetation relevés, aimed to gather information about landscape change, disturbance history, and vegetation successional patterns. It was found that landscape change, throughout 125 years, was higher in the last five decades manly driven by farming abandonment, building growth and exotic vegetation coverage increase. Pristine vegetation was greatly destroyed since early settlement and by the end of the nineteenth century native vegetation was highly devastated due to recurrent antropogenic disturbances. These actions also helped to block plant succession and to modify floristical assemblages, affecting as well as species richness. In places with less hemeroby, although significant growth of vegetation of lower seral stages was detected, the vegetation of most mature stages headed towards unbalance between recovery and loss, being also very vulnerable to exotic species encroachment. Recovery by native vegetation also occurred in areas formerly occupied by exotic plants and agriculture but it was almost negligible. Vegetation recovery followed the successional model currently proposed, attesting the model itself. Yet, succession was slower than espected, due to lack of favourable conditions and to recurrent disturbances. Probable tempus of each seral stage was obtained by growth rates of woody taxa estimated through dendrochronology. The exotic trees which were the dominant trees in the past (Castanea sativa and Pinus pinaster) almost vanished. Eucalyptus globulus, the current main tree of the exotic forest is being replaced by other cover types as Acacia mearnsii. The latter, along with Arundo donax, Cytisus scoparius and Pittosporum undulatum are currently the exotic species with higher invasive behaviour. However, many other exotic species have also proved to be highly pervasive and came together with the ones referred above to prevent native vegetation regeneration, to diminish biological diversity, and to block early successional phases delaying native forest recovery.

Macerals in surface sediments of the Laptev Sea (Arctic Ocean)

Surface sediments from the Laptev Sea and adjacent continental slope were studied for their composition of particulate organic matter (OM) by means of maceral analysis. The composition of macerals in sediments gives information about the environment, terrigenous supply from the hinterland, and marine OM. With reference to their biological sources, we distinguish between terrigenous and marine macerals. We found that the particulate OM in the surface sediments of the Laptev Sea is predominantly of terrigenous origin (mean: 78%). However, distinct variations exist when looking in detail. In the shelf area, sediments may contain up to 99% terrigenous OM. Freshwater algae occur directly north of the river mouths, reflecting the strong fluvial influence. Relatively high amounts of marine OM (20-40%) are restricted to the upper continental slope, the Vilkitsky Strait and west of the New Siberian Islands, explained by increased surface-water productivity due to increased fluvial nutrient supply, open-water conditions, and phytoplankton blooms at the ice-edge.

(Table A1) Annual biomass of plants and animals recorded on Bylot Island between 1993-2009

Determining the manner in which food webs will respond to environmental changes is difficult because the relative importance of top-down vs. bottom-up forces in controlling ecosystems is still debated. This is especially true in the Arctic tundra where, despite relatively simple food webs, it is still unclear which forces dominate in this ecosystem. Our primary goal was to assess the extent to which a tundra food web was dominated by plant-herbivore or predator--rey interactions. Based on a 17-year (1993-2009) study of terrestrial wildlife on Bylot Island, Nunavut, Canada, we developed trophic mass balance models to address this question. Snow Geese were the dominant herbivores in this ecosystem, followed by two sympatric lemming species (brown and collared lemmings). Arctic foxes, weasels, and several species of birds of prey were the dominant predators. Results of our trophic models encompassing 19 functional groups showed that <10% of the annual primary production was consumed by herbivores in most years despite the presence of a large Snow Goose colony, but that 20-100% of the annual herbivore production was consumed by predators. The impact of herbivores on vegetation has also weakened over time, probably due to an increase in primary production. The impact of predators was highest on lemmings, intermediate on passerines, and lowest on geese and shorebirds, but it varied with lemming abundance. Predation of collared lemmings exceeded production in most years and may explain why this species remained at low density. In contrast, the predation rate on brown lemmings varied with prey density and may have contributed to the high-amplitude, periodic fluctuations in the abundance of this species. Our analysis provided little evidence that herbivores are limited by primary production on Bylot Island. In contrast, we measured strong predator-prey interactions, which supports the hypothesis that this food web is primarily controlled by top-down forces. The presence of allochthonous resources subsidizing top predators and the absence of large herbivores may partly explain the predominant role of predation in this low-productivity ecosystem.

Proceedings and transactions of the Liverpool Biological Society.

Mode of access: Internet.

Has government been "reinvented"? : hearing before the Oversight of Government Management, Restructuring, and the District of Columbia Subcommittee of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Sixth Congress, second session, May 4, 2000.

Shipping list no.: 2001-0068-P.

High risk : human capital in the federal government : hearing before the Oversight of Government Management, Restructuring, and the District of Columbia Subcommittee of the Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate, One Hundred Seventh Congress, first session, February 1, 2001.

Shipping list no.: 2001-0303-P.

The British colonial library, comprising a popular and authentic description of all the colonies of the British empire, their history - physical geography - geology - climate - animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms - government - finance - military defence - commerce - shipping -monetary system - religion - population, white and coloured - education and the press - emigration, social state, &c.

Published in 1834-35 under the title: History of the British colonies.

Report of the survey of certain aspects of the public school system of Providence, Rhode Island : school year 1923-24 /

Includes tables.

Exploration for heavy minerals on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.

Includes bibliography.

New poems by James I of England : from a hitherto unpublished manuscript (Add. 24195) in the British museum /

Vita.

A voyage of discovery to the North Pacific Ocean, and round the world : in which the coast of north-west America has been carefully examined and accurately surveyed : Undertaken by His Majesty's command, principally with a view to ascertain the existence of any navigable communication between the North Pacific and North Atlantic Oceans, and performed in the years 1790, 1791, 1792, 1793, 1794, and 1795, in the Discovery sloop of war, and armed tender Chatham, under the command of Captain George Vancouver : in three volumes, Vol. III.

Mode of access: Internet.

Historial and descriptive sketches of the maritime colonies of British America.

Account of Prince Edward Island--Account of Cape Breton--Sketches of Nova Scotia--New Brunswick--Newfoundland.

Report addressed by the Royal society of northern antiquaries to its British and American members.

p. 1-138 tr. from the Danish by George Gordon Macdougall; the remainder by John M'Caul.

Reports ...

Issued in parts.