Geographical Studies of Underwater Light Dynamics in the Coastal Archipelago of SW Finland, Baltic Sea

The underwater light field is an important environmental variable as it, among other things, enables aquatic primary production. Although the portion of solar radiation that is referred to as visible light penetrates water, it is restricted to a limited surface water layer because of efficient absorption and scattering processes. Based on the varying content of optical constituents in the water, the efficiency of light attenuation changes in many dimensions and over various spatial and temporal scales. This thesis discusses the underwater light dynamics of a transitional coastal archipelago in south-western Finland, in the Baltic Sea. While the area has long been known to have a highly variable underwater light field, quantified knowledge on the phenomenon has been scarce, patchy, or non-existent. This thesis focuses on the variability in the underwater light field through euphotic depths (1% irradiance remaining), which were derived from in situ measurements of vertical profiles of photosynthetically active radiation (PAR). Spot samples were conducted in the archipelago of south-western Finland, mainly during the ice-free growing seasons of 2010 and 2011. In addition to quantifying both the seasonal and geographical patterns of euphotic depth development, the need and usability of underwater light information are also discussed. Light availability was found to fluctuate in multiple dimensions and scales. The euphotic depth was shown to have combined spatio-temporal dynamics rather than separate changes in spatial and temporal dimensions. Such complexity in the underwater light field creates challenges in data collection, as well as in its utilisation. Although local information is needed, in highly variable conditions spot sampled information may only poorly represent its surroundings. Moreover, either temporally or spatially limited sampling may cause biases in understanding underwater light dynamics. Consequently, the application of light availability data, for example in ecological modelling, should be made with great caution.

Geographical studies.

Translation of the author's Einleitung zur allgemeinen vergleichenden geographie, Berlin, 1852.

Residents’ perception of the benefits of cultural tourism: the case of Guimarães

In many cities throughout Europe and the rest of the world, cultural tourism plays a major role in local economic development. Tourism also acts to preserve cultural heritage, as it provides a way to acquire the revenue needed to restore and preserve historical buildings, and encourages local people to value their traditions and festivals. However, tourism success can be a double-edged sword with tourist flows having a strong impact on the quality of life of residents when certain tourist thresholds are surpassed. This paper aims to address local residents’ perception of the benefits of cultural tourism. To capture their perception, a survey was implemented, addressed to both the city centre inhabitants and the non-urban residents of the Guimarães municipality.

SAKWeb – Spatial autocorrelation and kriging web, a W3 geocomputation perspective

A thesis submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Information Systems

Orientalism and Imperialism in French West Africa. Considerations on travel literature, colonial tourism, and the desert as a “commodity” in Mauritania

In this article we intend to make a summary overview of the influence that literary production, originated under colonial mapping missions or later in travel writing, had in the construction and establishment of a discourse to advertise and promote tourism in Mauritania. To this end we will draw on travel narratives that are illustrative of different periods and that correspond in some way to discourses of otherness. In this specific case, such discourses relate to the “Moors” of the West African coast and were produced in various historical contexts. We will also consider the discourse present in the tourism promotion materials of the colonial period and we will demonstrate to what extent it can be engaged in a dialogue with 19th and 20th centuries’ Western colonial literature.

Градобитие на территории Грузии

По материалам наблюдений 50 метеорологических станций Грузии за период 1961–2012 годы исследованы число дней с градом, периоды его выпадения, интенсивность, продолжительность, количество, изменчивость и ареалы градобитий. Разработаны классификация интенсивности и геоинформационная карта числа градобития. Полученные результаты будут использованы при возобновлении работ борьбы с градом.

Children's sociospatial (re)production of disability within primary school playgrounds

There is a contemporary shift in the institutional context of 'disabled' children's education in the United Kingdom from segregated special to mainstream schools. This change is tied to wider deinstitutionalised or reinstitutionalised geographies of disabled people, fragile globalised educational 'inclusion' agendas, and broader concerns about social cohesiveness. Although coeducating children is expected to transform negative representations of (dis)ability in future society, there are few detailed explorations of how children's everyday sociospatial practices (re)produce or transform dominant representations of (dis)ability. With this in mind, children's contextual and shifting performances of (dis)ability in two case study school playground (recreational) spaces are explored. The findings demonstrate that children with mind-body differences are variously (dis)abled, in comparison with sociospatially shifting norms of ability, which have body, learning, and emotional-social facets. The discussion therefore places an emphasis on the need to incorporate 'intellectual' and 'emotional' differences more fully into geographical studies of disability and identity. The paper has wider resonance for transformative expectations placed on colocating children with a variety of 'axes of difference' (such as gender, 'race, ethnicity, and social class) in schools.

Praia de Ponta Negra: uma abordagem da paisagem costeira de 1970 a 2010, Natal/RN

With process urbanization process the Brazilian cities have been goin through, Natal/RN does not differ from the other ones, it has had a fast, inordinate and planned urbanization, but not applied, it has caused a high increase of social environmental problems. One of the worrying problems observed is the change in the coastal landscape, which has caused serious damage to the city‟s population, more specifically, of Ponta Negra beach neighborhood. For the geographical studies, the issue, concerning the occupation of the beaches that has been getting higher and higher in the last decades is extremely important because these, in addition to being used as homes in the new urban configuration, have incorporated new ways of environmental interference, without a simultaneous advance of knowledge which would be necessary for a more suitable and rational use of litoral spaces. Thus, the current assignment aimed to focus the coastal landscape of Ponta Negra Beach, in the city of Natal/RN, checking and analyzing the effects caused by anthropic and natural action, and the way it reflects in the quality of life of the resident, working population and of the frequenters as well as the landscape transformations in the area which is object of study, from 1970 through 2010. The methodology used followed to stages, the first concerned the theoretical work bibliographic surveying and composition; and second one the empirical work marking of the environmental characterization and application of the questionnaires. So, we can measure that Ponta Negra, is very susceptible to environmental changes, the ones caused by the natural dynamics of the beach, as well as the human actions (society) in this really fragile and mutable space, so it needs, a more profound systematic study about the coastal landscape. In order to reach a minimization of the change of the landscapes in the coastal zones there must be an integrated management of the environments, based on the planning of actions and territorial reordination of the occupations of these so important spaces, environmentally, as well as socioeconomically. Whereas, only this way, we will have a sustentable development and a suitable use of that space

O uso das fractais e multifractais na analise geografica

The fractal and multifractal approaches in the geographical analysis. This paper results from a bibliographical research showing the applications of the fractal and multifractal approaches in the geographical studies. At first describes some text books about fractals and, after, focuses the works did concerned with Physical Geography, Meteorology, Climatology, Geomorphology, Pedology and Human Geography.

Metodologias de pesquisa para o estudo geográfico da sociabilidade juvenil

This study aims to present the methodologies of research used to carry out the dissertation requirements related to the different times and spaces linked to the youth sociability. The methodologies are about qualitative features not at all unknown to the geography studies despite the little account taken on them. The methodologies are: eyewitness accounts, Oral History, interviews and groups of debate. With this purpose, this work intends to bring some contribution to geographers and beginners that have been looking for methodological references to their researches it also tries to facilitate the discussion on the methodological dimension in the geographical studies.

Ocorrência de eventos climáticos extremos e sua repercurssão sócio-ambiental no litoral norte paulista

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Travessias: mulheres migrantes nos bairros periféricos Bonsucesso e Novo Wenzel em Rio Claro, SP

The aim of this study is to have a better understanding on the context of migration of the women that live in the neighborhoods of Bonsucesso and Novo Wenzel in the city of Rio Claro, state of São Paulo, and if this migration allows them to enjoy basic services, such as housing, education, health and leisure. In order to achieve that, this research has tried to deepen the geographical studies on internal migrations in Rio Claro, investigating the reasons that led these women to migrate, tracing a map of the regions where they come from originally and analyzing the main characteristics of the interviewed, as to comprehend which are the historical relations that have influenced the migration (in Brazil, in general) that may apply to the context of the women living in these specific neighborhoods. The data were obtained through semi-structured interviews and research in different data banks

Rastros em chão branco: o sertão de João Guimarães Rosa entre percepções e memórias de travessias

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)