Showing papers on "Disturbance (geology) published in 2019"

A Disturbance Observer Based Sliding Mode Control for a Class of Underactuated Robotic System With Mismatched Uncertainties

Abstract: In this note, a high-order disturbance observer for a class of underactuated robotic systems with mismatched uncertainties is proposed To improve its estimation performance, a choice method of optimal gain matrices of the high-order disturbance observer is obtained as the solution of an optimization problem A high-order disturbance observer based sliding mode control method is also designed for this class of underactuated robotic system with mismatched disturbance The stabilities of both the disturbance observer and the controlled closed-loop system are proved by the Lyapunov theorem Simulations on a benchmark Acrobot system demonstrate the efficiency of proposed approaches

Responses of ant communities to disturbance: Five principles for understanding the disturbance dynamics of a globally dominant faunal group.

Abstract: Ecological disturbance is fundamental to the dynamics of biological communities, yet a conceptual framework for understanding the responses of faunal communities to disturbance remains elusive. Here, I propose five principles for understanding the disturbance dynamics of ants-a globally dominant faunal group that is widely used as bioindicators in land management, which appear to have wide applicability to other taxa. These principles are as follows: (1) The most important effects of habitat disturbance on ants are typically indirect, through its effects on habitat structure, microclimate, resource availability and competitive interactions; (2) habitat openness is a key driver of variation in ant communities; (3) ant species responses to disturbance are to a large degree determined by their responses to habitat openness; (4) the same disturbance will have different effects on ants in different habitats, because of different impacts on habitat openness; and (5) ant community responses to the same disturbance will vary according to ant functional composition and biogeographical history in relation to habitat openness. I illustrate these principles using results primarily from studies of ant responses to fire, a dominant agent of disturbance globally, to provide a common disturbance currency for comparative analysis. I argue that many of the principles also apply to other faunal groups and so can be considered as general ecological "laws." As is the case for ants, many impacts of habitat disturbance on other faunal groups are fundamentally related to habitat openness, the effects of disturbance on it and the functional composition of species in relation to it.

Overcrowding, overtourism and local level disturbance: How much can Munich handle?

Abstract: City tourism has been booming for years. As a result, the number of tourists per inhabitant increases in many city destinations. This can lead to conflicts over the simultaneous (over-)use of space...

Sampled-Data-Based Event-Triggered Active Disturbance Rejection Control for Disturbed Systems in Networked Environment

Abstract: This paper develops a methodology on sampled-data-based event-triggered active disturbance rejection control (ET-ADRC) for disturbed systems in networked environment when only using measurable outputs. By using disturbance/uncertainty estimation and attenuation technique, an event-based sampled-data composite controller is proposed together with a discrete-time extended state observer. Under the presented new framework, the newest state and disturbance estimates as well as the control signals are not transmitted via the common sensor-controller network, but instead communicated and calculated until a discrete-time event-triggering condition is violated. Compared with the periodic updates in the traditional time-triggered active disturbance rejection control, the proposed ET-ADRC scheme can remarkably reduce the communication frequency while maintaining a satisfactory closed-loop system performance. The proposed discrete-time control scheme provides the engineers with a manner of direct and easier implementation via networked digital computers. It is shown that the bounded stability of the closed-loop system can be guaranteed. Finally, an application design example of a dc–dc buck converter with experimental results is conducted to illustrate the efficiency of the proposed control scheme.

Adaptive sliding mode disturbance rejection control with prescribed performance for robotic manipulators.

Abstract: This study proposes an adaptive sliding mode disturbance rejection control with prescribed performance for robotic manipulators. A transformation with respect to tracking error using certain performance functions is used to ensure the transient and steady-state performances of the trajectory tracking control for robotic manipulators. Using the transformed error, a nonsingular terminal sliding mode surface is proposed. A continuous terminal sliding mode control (SMC) is presented to stabilize the system. To compensate for the uncertainty and external disturbance, a novel sliding mode disturbance observer is proposed. Considering the unknown boundary of the derivative of a lumped disturbance, an adaptive law based on the idea of equivalent control is designed. Combining the adaptive law, continuous nonsingular terminal SMC, and sliding mode disturbance observer, the adaptive sliding mode disturbance rejection control with prescribed performance is developed. Simulations are carried out to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach.

Increasing disturbance demands new policies to conserve intact forest

Abstract: We thank the Bavarian Forest National Park administration for funding the travel costs of RN and DL in support of this manuscript. ABL acknowledges support from grants P12-RNM-2705 and FJCI- 2015–23687.

Frequency of disturbance alters diversity, function, and underlying assembly mechanisms of complex bacterial communities

Abstract: Disturbance is known to affect the ecosystem structure, but predicting its outcomes remains elusive. Similarly, community diversity is believed to relate to ecosystem functions, yet the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we tested the effect of disturbance on the structure, assembly, and ecosystem function of complex microbial communities within an engineered system. We carried out a microcosm experiment where activated sludge bioreactors operated in daily cycles were subjected to eight different frequency levels of augmentation with a toxic pollutant, from never (undisturbed) to every day (press-disturbed), for 35 days. Microbial communities were assessed by combining distance-based methods, general linear multivariate models, α-diversity indices, and null model analyses on metagenomics and 16S rRNA gene amplicon data. A stronger temporal decrease in α-diversity at the extreme, undisturbed and press-disturbed, ends of the disturbance range led to a hump-backed pattern, with the highest diversity found at intermediate levels of disturbance. Undisturbed and press-disturbed levels displayed the highest community and functional similarity across replicates, suggesting deterministic processes were dominating. The opposite was observed amongst intermediately disturbed levels, indicating stronger stochastic assembly mechanisms. Trade-offs were observed in the ecosystem function between organic carbon removal and both nitrification and biomass productivity, as well as between diversity and these functions. Hence, not every ecosystem function was favoured by higher community diversity. Our results show that the assessment of changes in diversity, along with the underlying stochastic-deterministic assembly processes, is essential to understanding the impact of disturbance in complex microbial communities.

Analysis and Tuning of General Linear Active Disturbance Rejection Controllers

Abstract: General linear active disturbance rejection control (LADRC) is studied in the paper First, it is shown that there are some limitations in the conventional LADRC, and then some properties of general LADRC are analyzed It is proved that any strictly proper controller with integration can be implemented via a general LADRC, thus extends the application range of LADRC Finally, a method is proposed to tune the general LADRC using the same bandwidth idea as the conventional LADRC

Transient population dynamics impede restoration and may promote ecosystem transformation after disturbance.

Abstract: The apparent failure of ecosystems to recover from increasingly widespread disturbance is a global concern. Despite growing focus on factors inhibiting resilience and restoration, we still know very little about how demographic and population processes influence recovery. Using inverse and forward demographic modelling of 531 post-fire sagebrush populations across the western US, we show that demographic processes during recovery from seeds do not initially lead to population growth but rather to years of population decline, low density, and risk of extirpation after disturbance and restoration, even at sites with potential to support long-term, stable populations. Changes in population structure, and resulting transient population dynamics, lead to a > 50% decline in population growth rate after disturbance and significant reductions in population density. Our results indicate that demographic processes influence the recovery of ecosystems from disturbance and that demographic analyses can be used by resource managers to anticipate ecological transformation risk.

Influence of Dynamic Disturbance on the Creep of Sandstone: An Experimental Study

Abstract: Dynamic disturbance such as blasting may significantly affect the creep of rock. Quantification of the influence of dynamic disturbance on the creep behavior of rock is a prerequisite to the understanding of the long-term behavior of rock around excavations. In this study, a new creep-impact test machine that is capable of testing the rock failure behavior under combined creep loading and dynamic disturbance was introduced. We performed creep experiments on sandstone while a dynamic disturbance was applied. Axial strain, volumetric strain and acoustic emission (AE) events were measured. The results from the creep-impact experiment show that the rock creep was greatly affected by the dynamic disturbance. Dynamic disturbance may introduce further damage on rock and shorten the time-to-failure of creeping rock specimens. Combination of creep stress and dynamic disturbance resulted in two failure conditions: failure along with accelerating creep and failure during dynamic disturbance. If the dynamic disturbance was not followed by failure, the axial strain consisted of an instantaneous response as the dynamic disturbance was applied, followed by a primary phase of decelerating creep and a steady-state creep phase. This pattern was repeated after the next dynamic disturbance until the last dynamic disturbance that led to the failure. The creep resulted from micro-fracturing in the rock, which can be characterized by the cumulative AE energy if the AE events were monitored during the creep-impact test of rock. The creep behavior was more sensitive to dynamic disturbance under higher creep stress. Under the same creep stress, a dynamic disturbance with higher impact energy resulted in a higher axial strain rate, absolute volumetric strain rate and AE energy rate. Dynamic disturbance not only increased the axial strain rate but also promoted the dilatancy of the rock specimens. The failure of the rock specimens was mostly in the shear mode, and this failure pattern was merely affected by the dynamic disturbance, even though the specimens became more fragmented under the higher creep stress and higher impact energy.

Disturbance Speed Measurements in a Circular Jet via Double Focused Laser Differential Interferometry

Abstract: Measurements and calculations of the phase speed of disturbances observed in turbulent jets of three diameters are made at speeds between 80 m/s and 300 m/s, via crosscorrelation of signals from a double focused laser differential interferometer (D-FLDI). A consistent trend in correlation-derived disturbance propagation speeds is observed with varying jet velocity, and the strength of the correlation decreases as the jet is moved laterally through the interferometer away from the focus point. The correlation curves also collapse across varying jet velocities when normalized. The dual FLDI beams are imaged and separation distances characterized using a beam profiler. Spectral density curves from the D-FLDI and hotwire anemometer at similar locations are compared. The effect of orienting FLDI bundles parallel with and at a 45° angle to the mean flow direction is assessed and shown to be minimal in terms of the disturbance velocity computed via cross-correlation.

Human disturbance impacts on rainforest mammals are most notable in the canopy, especially for larger‐bodied species

Abstract: Aim: Community‐level assessments of how biodiversity responds to disturbance within forest habitats are often biased towards terrestrial‐based surveys. However, recent research suggests that arboreal communities of several indicator groups (ants, amphibians, beetles and butterflies) are more susceptible to human disturbance than their terrestrial counterparts, but what about wildlife at higher trophic levels? We assess responses to disturbance, from forest floor to canopy, of a key conservation flagship group: medium to large rainforest mammals. Location: The Manu Biosphere Reserve, southeast Peru. Methods: We deploy both arboreal and terrestrial camera traps to directly compare the response of arboreal and terrestrial mammal communities to rainforest degradation and disturbance. Results: We show that the arboreal mammal community is more susceptible to habitat disturbance than the terrestrial community. Furthermore, the largest‐bodied arboreal species, which are major seed dispersers, showed the greatest negative response to forest disturbance. The strongest predictors of occupancy probability for arboreal communities were focal tree connectivity and canopy cover, whereas surrounding forest loss and canopy height were there strongest predictors of terrestrial community occupancy, although these also had effects similar in size and magnitude on the arboreal community. Main conclusions: Conservation conclusions drawn from camera‐based studies focused on the terrestrial realm likely underestimate the impact of rainforest degradation to arboreal communities and on arboreal rainforest biodiversity in general. We highlight the importance of implementing arboreal research methods, capable of investigating conservation implications of anthropogenic disturbance across all vertical strata, for accurate conservation assessments and improving rainforest management and restoration strategies.

WAMS-Based Online Disturbance Estimation in Interconnected Power Systems Using Disturbance Observer

Abstract: In the event of a generator loss or disturbance, the power system frequency declines quickly and overall system stability is at risk. During these scenarios, under frequency load shedding is triggered to restore the power system frequency. The main stage of modern adaptive under frequency load shedding techniques is disturbance estimation. However, the swing equation is widely used in disturbance estimation but has some critical estimation errors. In this paper, instead of using the swing equation we proposed the use of a disturbance observer to estimate the curtailed power. By making use of wide area measurements, a system frequency response model, which is a representative of the whole power system, can be realized in real time. Using different power system states of the developed model, a disturbance observer can be designed as well. The main advantage of the disturbance observer is that it can accurately estimate the disturbance magnitude and its location in a very short time. Further investigations show that by using the disturbance observer disturbances, which occur at the same time or at different times in different areas regardless of the magnitude or size, accurate estimations can be made. To ascertain the efficiency of the proposed scheme, simulations are done for a four-area power system using Matlab/Simulink.

Anthropogenic Disturbance in a Changing Environment: Modelling Lifetime Reproductive Success to Predict the Consequences of Multiple Stressors on a Migratory Population

Abstract: Animals make behavioural and reproductive decisions that maximise their lifetime reproductive success, and thus their fitness, in light of periodic and stochastic variability of the environment. Modelling the variation of an individual's energy levels formalises this tradeoff and helps to quantify the population-level consequences of stressors (e.g. disturbance from human activities and environmental change) that can affect behaviour or physiology. In this study, we develop a dynamic state variable model for the spatially explicit behaviour, physiology and reproduction of a female, long-lived, migratory marine vertebrate. The model can be used to investigate the spatio-temporal patterns of behaviour and reproduction that allow an individual to maximise its overall reproductive output. We parametrised the model for eastern North Pacific blue whales Balaenoptera musculus, and used it to predict the effects of changing environmental conditions and increasing human disturbance on the population's vital rates. In baseline conditions, the model output had high fidelity to observed energy dynamics, movement patterns and reproductive strategies. Simulated scenarios suggested that environmental changes could have severe consequences on the population's vital rates, but that individuals could tolerate high levels of anthropogenic disturbance. However, this ability depended on where, when and how often disturbance occurred. In scenarios with both environmental change and anthropogenic disturbance, synergistic interactions caused stronger effects than in isolation. In general, larger body size offered a buffer against stochasticity and disturbance, and, consequently, we predicted juveniles to be more susceptible to disturbance. We also predicted that females prioritise their own survival at the expense of the current reproductive attempt, presumably the result of their long lifespan. Our approach provides a general framework to make predictions of the cumulative and synergistic effects of human disturbance and climate change on migratory populations, which can inform effective management and conservation efforts.

Disturbance Observer-based Trajectory Following Control of Robot Manipulators

Abstract: Robotic manipulators are usually subject to different types of disturbances. If the effects of such disturbances are not taken into account, it can lead to unsatisfactory tracking performance of the robot and may even destabilize the robot control system. In this paper a novel nonlinear disturbance observer-based controller is designed for robotic manipulators. Previous disturbance observer-based controllers which are designed for robotic systems undergo the restricting assumption that the external disturbance is constant. In this paper a novel two-stage procedure is proposed to design a disturbance observer that improves disturbance attenuation ability of current disturbance observer-based controllers. The proposed method can cope with non-constant disturbance. Furthermore, it is shown that even for the fast time varying disturbance, the controller achieves satisfactory tracking performance. The proposed controller guarantees semi-global asymptotic position and velocity tracking and moreover, removes restrictions of previous studies on the number of degrees of freedom (DOFs), joint types, and manipulator configuration. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified against different types of external disturbance applied on the robot manipulator and the results are compared with the results of previous methods. Furthermore, the results support the theoretical conclusions.

Drivers of chaparral type conversion to herbaceous vegetation in coastal Southern California

Abstract: Editor: Tomas Vaclavik Abstract Aim: In Southern California, native woody shrublands known as chaparral support exceptional biodiversity. However, largescale conversion of chaparral into largely exotic herbaceous cover is a major ecological threat and serious conservation concern. Due to substantial uncertainty regarding the causes and extent of this vegetation change, we aimed to quantify the primary drivers of and map potentially vulnerable locations for vegetation type conversion from woody into herbaceous cover. Location: Santa Monica Mountains National Recreational Area, Southern California, USA. Methods: We used air photograph image interpretation to quantify the extent to which chaparral shrublands transitioned to herbaceous cover from 1943 to 2014 across nearly 800 randomly located plots. Comparing plots that remained chaparral to those that converted to herbaceous cover, we performed hierarchical partitioning to quantify the independent contribution of a range of explanatory variables, and then used classification trees to explore variable interactions. We also developed a spatial model to create a seamless map delineating relative probability of type conversion. Results: Of the original plots that were chaparral in 1943, 284 (36%) changed cover by 2014, with 79 completely converting, and 142 mostly converting to herbaceous cover. The primary mechanism behind shrubland decline and replacement was short intervals between fires (<=10 years), and type conversion was most likely to occur in arid parts of the landscape with low topographic heterogeneity and close proximity to trails and roads. Predictive maps delineated several hotspots with environmental conditions similar to those of typeconverted plots. Main conclusions: Chaparral type conversion is a widespread conservation concern, and results here suggest that shortinterval fire and landscape disturbance are the most likely factors to exacerbate it, particularly in waterlimited portions of the landscape where chaparral is subject to greater physiological stress and slower recovery. Reducing fire ignitions and mapping vulnerable areas may be important strategies for prevention.

Soil Bacterial and Fungal Communities Exhibit Distinct Long-Term Responses to Disturbance in Temperate Forests.

Abstract: In Appalachian ecosystems, forest disturbance has long-term effects on microbially driven biogeochemical processes such as nitrogen (N) cycling. However, little is known regarding long-term responses of forest soil microbial communities to disturbance in the region. We used 16S and ITS sequencing to characterize soil bacterial (16S) and fungal (ITS) communities across forested watersheds with a range of past disturbance regimes and adjacent reference forests at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory in the Appalachian mountains of North Carolina. Bacterial communities in previously disturbed forests exhibited consistent responses, including increased alpha diversity and increased abundance of copiotrophic (e.g., Proteobacteria) and N-cycling (e.g., Nitrospirae) bacterial phyla. Fungal community composition also showed disturbance effects, particularly in mycorrhizal taxa. However, disturbance did not affect fungal alpha diversity, and disturbance effects were not consistent at the fungal class level. Co-occurrence networks constructed for bacteria and fungi showed that disturbed communities were characterized by more connected and tightly clustered network topologies, indicating that disturbance alters not only community composition but also potential ecological interactions among taxa. Although bacteria and fungi displayed different long-term responses to forest disturbance, our results demonstrate clear responses of important bacterial and fungal functional groups (e.g., nitrifying bacteria and mycorrhizal fungi), and suggest that both microbial groups play key roles in the long-term alterations to biogeochemical processes observed following forest disturbance in the region.

Stabilization of One-Dimensional Wave Equation With Nonlinear Boundary Condition Subject to Boundary Control Matched Disturbance

Abstract: In this paper, we consider the stabilization of a one-dimensional wave equation with nonlinear van der Pol type boundary condition that covers the antistable boundary, and subject to boundary control matched disturbance on the other side. Due to the nonlinear boundary condition and disturbance, the uncontrolled system may present spatiotemporal chaotic, period-doubling bifurcation, and some other dynamical behaviors. We will deal with this disturbance, which is supposed to be bounded only, by the integral sliding mode control. The well-posedness of the system for the closed-loop system is proved and the “reaching condition” is obtained. Finally, we provide some numerical simulations to illustrate the theoretical outcomes.

Mittag-Leffler stabilization for an unstable time-fractional anomalous diffusion equation with boundary control matched disturbance

Abstract: 1School of Mathematics and Statistics, Central South University, Changsha, China 2School of Mathematics and Big Data, Foshan University, Foshan, China 3School of Mathematics and Physics, North China Electric Power University, Beijing, China 4Key Laboratory of System and Control, Academy of Mathematics and Systems Science, Academia Sinica, Beijing, China 5Mechatronics, Embedded Systems and Automation (MESA) Lab, University of California, Merced, California

Testing conceptual models of early plant succession across a disturbance gradient

Abstract: Studies of succession have a long history in ecology, but rigorous tests of general, unifying principles are rare. One barrier to these tests of theory is the paucity of longitudinal studies that span the broad gradients of disturbance severity that characterize large, infrequent disturbances. The cataclysmic eruption of Mount St. Helens (Washington, USA) in 1980 produced a heterogeneous landscape of disturbance conditions, including primary to secondary successional habitats, affording a unique opportunity to explore how rates and patterns of community change relate to disturbance severity, post‐eruption site conditions and time. In this novel synthesis, we combined data from three long‐term (c. 30‐year) studies to compare rates and patterns of community change across three ‘zones’ representing a gradient of disturbance severity: primary successional blast zone, secondary successional tree blowdown/standing snag zone and secondary successional intact forest canopy/tephra deposit zone. Consistent with theory, rates of change in most community metrics (species composition, species richness, species gain/loss and rank abundance) decreased with time across the disturbance gradient. Surprisingly, rates of change were often greatest at intermediate‐severity disturbance and similarly low at high‐ and low‐severity disturbance. There was little evidence of compositional convergence among or within zones, counter to theory. Within zones, rates of change did not differ among ‘site types’ defined by pre‐ or post‐eruption site characteristics (disturbance history, legacy effects or substrate characteristics). Synthesis. The hump‐shaped relationships with disturbance severity runs counter to the theory predicting that community change will be slower during primary than during secondary succession. The similarly low rates of change after high‐ and low‐severity disturbance reflect differing sets of controls: seed limitation and abiotic stress in the blast zone vs. vegetative re‐emergence and low light in the tephra zone. Sites subjected to intermediate‐severity disturbance were the most dynamic, supporting species with a greater diversity of regenerative traits and seral roles (ruderal, forest and non‐forest). Succession in this post‐eruption landscape reflects the complex, multifaceted nature of volcanic disturbance (including physical force, heating and burial) and the variety of ways in which biological systems can respond to these disturbance effects. Our results underscore the value of comparative studies of long‐term, ecological processes for testing the assumptions and predictions of successional theory.

Anti-disturbance backstepping control for air-breathing hypersonic vehicles based on extended state observer

Abstract: In this paper, we propose an anti-disturbance backstepping control approach with extended state observer (ESO) for tracking control of air-breathing hypersonic vehicles. Considering the large uncertainties, the external disturbances, and especially the lack of aerodynamic knowledge, several ESOs are introduced in the backstepping controller. With the total disturbance estimation ability of ESOs, almost no aerodynamic knowledge is needed for the controller design. Meanwhile, ESOs are also used to estimate the derivatives of the virtual control signals. The problem of “explosion of terms” is avoided. A key strategy of the controller is that each step of backstepping is activated successively. Consequently, the closed-loop system has time-scale structure. Rigorous stability proof can be obtained. At last, compared simulation results verify the superior tracking performance of the proposed controller.

Object-Based Classification of Forest Disturbance Types in the Conterminous United States

Abstract: Forest ecosystems provide critical ecosystem goods and services, and any disturbance-induced changes can have cascading impacts on natural processes and human socioeconomic systems. Forest disturbance frequency, intensity, and spatial and temporal scale can be altered by changes in climate and human activity, but without baseline forest disturbance data, it is impossible to quantify the magnitude and extent of these changes. Methodologies for quantifying forest cover change have been developed at the regional-to-global scale via several approaches that utilize data from high (e.g., IKONOS, Quickbird), moderate (e.g., Landsat) and coarse (e.g., Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)) spatial resolution satellite imagery. While detection and quantification of forest cover change is an important first step, attribution of disturbance type is critical missing information for establishing baseline data and effective land management policy. The objective here was to prototype and test a semi-automated methodology for characterizing high-magnitude (>50% forest cover loss) forest disturbance agents (stress, fire, stem removal) across the conterminous United States (CONUS) from 2003–2011 using the existing University of Maryland Landsat-based Global Forest Change Product and Web-Enabled Landsat Data (WELD). The Forest Cover Change maps were segmented into objects based on temporal and spatial adjacency, and object-level spectral metrics were calculated based on WELD reflectance time series. A training set of objects with known disturbance type was developed via high-resolution imagery and expert interpretation, ingested into a Random Forest classifier, which was then used to attribute disturbance type to all 15,179,430 forest loss objects across CONUS. Accuracy assessments of the resulting classification was conducted with an independent dataset consisting of 4156 forest loss objects. Overall accuracy was 88.1%, with the highest omission and commission errors observed for fire (32.8%) and stress (31.9%) disturbances, respectively. Of the total 172,686 km2 of forest loss, 83.75% was attributed to stem removal, 10.92% to fire and 5.33% to stress. The semi-automated approach described in this paper provides a promising framework for the systematic characterization and monitoring of forest disturbance regimes.

A landscape-scale assessment of tropical mammals reveals the effects of habitat and anthropogenic disturbance on community occupancy

Abstract: With biodiversity facing unparalleled threats from anthropogenic disturbance, knowledge on the occurrences of species and communities provides for an effective and fast approach to assess their status and vulnerability. Disturbance is most prominent at the landscape-level, for example through habitat loss from large-scale resource extraction or agriculture. However, addressing species responses to habitat changes at the landscape-scale can be difficult and cost-ineffective, hence studies are mostly conducted at single areas or habitat patches. Moreover, there is a relative lack of studies on communities, as opposed to focal species, despite the former may carry more comprehensive information. Here, we used a multi-region, multi-species hierarchical occupancy model to study a meta-community of mammals detected by camera traps across five distinct areas within a heterogeneous landscape in Tanzania, and aimed to assess responses to human disturbance and environmental variables. Estimated species richness did not vary significantly across different areas, even though these held broadly different habitats. Moreover, we found remarkable consistency in the positive effect of distance to human settlements, a proxy for anthropogenic disturbance, on community occupancy. The positive effect of body size and the positive effect of proximity to rivers on community occupancy were also shared by communities. Results yield conservation relevance because: (1) the among-communities consistency in responses to anthropogenic disturbance, despite the heterogeneity in sampled habitats, indicates that conservation plans designed at the landscape-scale may represent a comprehensive and cost-efficient approach; (2) the consistency in responses to environmental factors suggests that multi-species models are a powerful method to study ecological patterns at the landscape-level.