Showing papers on "Occupancy published in 1992"

Changes in occupancy, niche breadth and abundance of three Gyrinus species as their respective range limits are approached

Abstract: Three widely distributed Gyrinus species were studied in seven different habitat types over a wide range of latitudes in northern Europe. All three species have a broad habitat range and are opportunistic exploiters of temporary and fluctuating habitats. The distribution range of the two southern species, G. natator and G. substriatus, overlaps with that of the boreal-subarctic G. opacus in south-central Sweden, creating an inland area of sympatry, where all three species coexisted in 10% of the waters sampled. For the two southern species occupancy increased with distance from their respective range limits. The occupancy level of G. opacus in its southernmost inland zone was higher than those of the other two species in their respective northernmost zones. Levels of maximum occupancy were similar for all species. Patterns of habitat occupancy partly differed within and between species. Although temporary pools, which represented the most unpredictable habitat, were highly frequented in the south by G. substriatus, occupancy levels associated with them declined sharply before reaching the northern range limit. The niche breadth of the two southern species increased as the distance from their respective northern range limits increased and was broadest for G. substriatus in southern Sweden, north of its geographical range centre (southern Poland), where pollution has no doubt severely affected the original distribution. The habitat range of G. opacus did not change as its southern range limit was approached, but fewer habitat types appeared to be used in the very far north. Abundance of all three species in temporary pools increased with distance from their respective range limits, and there was a regional correlation between occupancy and abundance for G. substriatus and G. natator in this habitat.

Monitoring Boreal Owl Populations with Nest Boxes: Sample Size and Cost

Abstract: Evaluating the economic and sampling efficiency of potential monitoring programs is a first step in validation. Thus, we established a system of nest boxes in the Payette National Forest to evaluate the feasibility of using a system of nest boxes to monitor response of boreal owl (Aegolius funereus) populations to habitat change. We recorded nest site occupancy and productivity as measures of foraging habitat trend. Using monitoring results from 3 years, we evaluated alternative survey sampling techniques for occupancy and determined sample sizes necessary to estimate occupancy and clutch size within specified relative bounds. We also examined the cost of establishing a nest box system and monitoring nest box use

An Assessment of High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) Facilities in North America - Executive Report

Abstract: This executive report provides an overall summary of the major elements of the assessment of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane projects located either on freeways or in separate rights-of-way in North America. The report includes a discussion of the purpose of the assessment, an overview of the status of HOV facilities in North America, suggested procedures for evaluating HOV projects, detailed information on selected HOV case studies, proposed future HOV projects, and areas for further research. This report summarizes information contained in the four major reports that have been prepared as part of the three-year assessment. Those reports are: A Description of High-Occupancy Vehicle Facilities in North America; Suggested Procedures for Evaluating the Effectiveness of Freeway HOV Facilities; High-Occupancy Vehicle Project Case Studies: History and Institutional Arrangements; and High-Occupancy Vehicle Project Case Studies: Historical Trends and Project Experiences. Implementation Statement This report was funded by the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) through the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT). It represents the final report of a three-year assessment of high-occupancy vehicle lane projects located either on freeways or in separate rights-of-way in North America. High-occupancy vehicle (HOV) facilities represent one approach being used in many metropolitan areas to respond to increasing traffic congestion, declining mobility levels, air quality and environmental concerns, and limited resources. HOV facilities, which can offer priority treatments to buses, Vanpools, and Carpools, focus on increasing the person-movementrather than vehicle-movement-efficiency of a roadway or travel corridor. The three-year research study was undertaken to provide an assessment of HOV lanes on freeways and in separate rights-of-way in North America. The assessment included an examination of the design treatments, operating scenarios, enforcement techniques, utilization levels, and general experiences with the different HOV facilities. Further, a more detailed analysis of selected HOV project case studies was conducted to examine the institutional arrangements associated with the development and operation of the projects, historical trends in use, and the impacts of the facilities. A suggested approach and procedure for evaluating freeway HOV lanes was also developed to provide a national model for areas interested in conducting before-and-after evaluations and ongoing monitoring activities. The results of all these activities, which are summarized in this report, should be of benefit to transportation professionals and others interested in ensuring that HOV projects are planned, designed, implemented, and operated to maximize the potential benefits from the use of these facilities.

Occupancy taxes: No free lunch

Abstract: Many municipalities have enacted room or occupancy taxes as a means of gaining "free"revenue—money from travelers, who are not constituents. But this form of taxation withoutrepresentation also has its down side, in the form of reduced occupancy

Development of an expert system for the fire protection requirements of the national building code of Canada

Abstract: In Canada, the standard for fire safety for new buildings, reconstruction of buildings including alterations and additions, and buildings involving a change in occupancy, is established in Part 3, Use andOccupancy, of the National Building Code of Canada. While the fire protection requirements contained in this section of the Code are very explicit, inexperienced or infrequent users of the Code often find it confusing and overwhelming because of the number of requirements which apply or seem to apply to a given building. An experienced code user or expert understands what information is relevant and will generally use a systematic process to determine the fire protection requirements that are applicable. Because the human approach to fire protection analysis is, in fact, systematic and logically sequential, and because the knowledge contained in codes and standards is largely in the form ofrules, an expert system can be developed to effectively simulate human competence in fire protective design. This paper describes the development of a user-friendly expert system that closely mimics the human approach used in the fire protection analysis of those buildings regulated by Part 3, Use and Occupancy of the National Building Code of Canada. The principal fire protection requirements of the Code have been incorporated into the expert system. The resulting expert system will be useful to the experienced code user as a code assistant, and to theinexperienced or infrequent code user who requires code information when no expert is available.