Species-area Relationship of Herpetofaunas in West Indies

Species-area Relationship of Herpetofaunas in West Indies De Gao 1. Introduction 1.1. Biodiversity and crisis on West Indies Oceanic islands, due to their discrete geographic isolation, differ distinctly from terrestrial  ecosystem, offer great opportunities for species conservation, and are regarded as the natural  laboratory for the study of biogeography and evolutionary ecology (Adsersen, 1995; Crawford  and Stuessy, 1997; Ricklefs and Bermingham, 2008). Island habitat heterogeneity and the gene  flow barrier between the island and its neighboring islands or land are the most important driving  forces leading to new species differentiation and formation (Cherry et al. 2002). The colonized  species from continents or nearby islands are then subjected to unique evolutionary processes,  for example, geographic isolation, character displacement, and adaptive radiation. The  accumulated mutations gradually and ultimately make colonized species into new indigenous  species that are genetically different from the original one. One of the most distinctive features of  the biota on oceanic is lands is the large number of endemics occurring in small areas (Francisco-Ortega et al. 2000). West Indies was identified as a biodiversity hotspot by Myers et al. (2000). A significant  percentage of the Earth’s known terrestrial biota is distributed on islands of the West Indies,  many of these species are endemic to the region, to individual islands, and even to isolated areas  within some islands (Hedges, 2001). But a large majority of the vast complex of islands in West  Indies is changing rapidly, resulting in dramatic alterations of habitats, and nearly all of them are  mediated by human activities (Powell and Henderson, 2012). Small population size, gene drift,  isolated gene flow, and the complexity of island environment have already made the endemic  herpetofaunal species easy to be endangered or extinct, human disturbances undoubtedly worsen  the situation. Therefore, critical conservation concerns in West Indian region are increasingly  important and required. 1.2. Species-area relationship (SAR) The species-area relationship is one of the most fundamental patterns in macroecology and an  important tool in assessing species diversity, extinction rates and species hotspots (Tjà ¸rve, 2009). According to the equilibrium theory (MacArthur and Wilson, 1967), the relationship between  immigration and the extinction of species to island depends on the island size and its distance to  mainland. MacArthur-Wilson’s theory provided impetus for numerous studies on species-area  relationships (SARs) that have provided biological interpretations for several taxa and have  suggested factors and mechanisms that can determine species richness (Simaiakis et al. 2012). And the theory has an enormous influence on perspectives of species conservation and nature  reserves design. The main objective of this chapter is to discuss SARs for herpetofaunas in West Indies regions,  with the aim of discover which factors may determine their distribution over the whole range of  island sizes. We choose to fit some candidate models including the power model and some  sigmoid models to see whether a J-shaped part exists at the lower end of the curve. Small-island  effect (SIE) holds that, on islands smaller than a certain critical minimum area, one cannot  observe an increase in species number with increasing area (Simaiakis et al. 2012). We choose to  fit candidate models including the power model and some sigmoid models to see whether a J-shaped part exists at the lower end of the curve. If the best fitted model has a sigmoid shape, a J-shaped part will exist at the lower end, and then we accept SIE. If the best fitted model has a  convex shape, a J-shaped part will not exist at the lower end, and then we deny SIE. There are  also other reasons why it is so important to know the shape of species-area curve. Based on the  curve shape, we could estimate total species diversity from limited numbers of samples, or  estimate species extinction as a result of habitat loss and fragmentation (Tjà ¸rve, 2003). Candidate species-area models are proposed from two sources. The first source is species-area  literature which has traditionally fit data with power or exponential models, the second source  involves a broader search of the literature for models that increased monotonically to an  asymptote (Flather, 1996). Although the shape of the curve has been extensively debated over the years, power and  exponential curves are the most commonly applied and best known ones, lately, an increasing  number of authors have argued some SARs are perhaps best represented by functions that are  sigmoid in arithmetic space and there are also a number of recent studies where sigmoid models  have been fitted to empirical data (Tjà ¸rve, 2003). Some sigmoid models behave similar with  others, for instance, the Extreme value function behaves quite similar to the Logistic and  Gompertz models; The Cumulative beta-P distribution behaves similarly to the Weibull  distribution (Tjà ¸rve, 2003). 2. Aims In this study, we are trying to solve 3 questions: Question 1: What is the species-area relationship (SAR) for herpetofaunas in West Indies? Is the  SAR same for native and invasive species? And is it the same among each animal group  classification under amphibian and reptile? Question 2: Due to human’s help, invasive species are supposed to have a higher dispersal  ability as compared to the native. So, in the linear form of the power model (LogS/LogA) is there  a higher z-value for the invasive species than the native species? Question 3: What geographic factors may determine species richness over the whole range of  island sizes? Are these factors also applicable to other group of islands that located in similar  latitude areas to determine their species richness? 3. Material and Methods Data on species occurrences originate from Powell and Henderson (2012). Multiple basemaps in  ArcMap 10 and ArcGlobe 10 will be used to digitize islands map. We use different scales to  digitize islands with various areas. Fractal Analysis will be used to estimate the perimeters at a  uniform scale (Farina, 2007). For comparisons of the fit of different models, the Akaike’s  information criterion (AIC) was applied (Burnham and Anderson, 2002). Model selection  analyses will run using â€Å"mmSAR† package (Guilhaumon et al. 2010) for the R statistical and  programming environment (R Development Core Team, 2011). Aim 1: Model selection we use the 8 most general models composed in â€Å"mmSAR† package (Guilhaumon et al. 2010) to  fit the data, which include 5 convex models (Power, Exponential, Negative exponential, Monod,  Rational function) and 3 sigmoid models (Logistic, Lomolino, Cumulative Weibull). Aim 2: LogS/LogA linear regression We analyze the linear function of the LogS/LogA and compare parameter values with vertebrates  from global oceanic islands (Triantis et al. 2012). Aim 3: Find out the geographic factors affect species richness/Steps Initially selected variables are X1 Distance to mainland X2 Latitude of island centroid X3 Longitude of island centroid X4 Island No. within 0.1km X5 Island No. within 0.1-1km X6 Island No. within 1-5km X7 Island No. within 5-10km X8 Islands Area within 0.1km X9 Islands Area within 0.1-1km X10 Islands Area within 1-5km X11 Islands Area within 5-10km X12 Area of the island X13 Perimeter of the island X14 Perimeter/Area X15 Percentage of vegetation X16 Percentage of human area X17 Rivers within the island X18 Invasive spp. within the island X19 Percentage of invasive spp. X1 and X3 are used to examine species dispersal from mainland; X2 is used to examine the  nearness to equator; X4, X5, X6, X7 are used to examine stepping stones in each loop circle; X8,  X9, X10, X11 are used to examine total area of stepping stones in each loop circle; X12 is used to examine area effect; X13 and X14 are used to examine shape (irregularity) of island; X15,  X17 are used to examine habitat quality; X16, X18, X19 are used to examine human disturbance  and invasive species. Principal Component Analysis and Hierarchical Partitioning Analysis will be made based on the  residuals distribution of LogS/LogA linear regression to examine which geographic factors are  the significant contributions of species richness in West Indies.

Drive

In the film Drive directed by Nicolas Winding Refn a sudden act of violence by protagonist, Driver, is an interesting surprise. The build-up, kiss, bashing and exit involved in the scene of the incident help us to understand the character of Driver. The visual and oral features of camera shots, dialogue and lighting are used to create a surrealist incident. The Driver’s romantic love affair with Irene and his care for her young child sets the film as a romance and a drama, as the love he experiences for the two, both Platonic and Eros, ultimately leads him to unleash his true beast though he attempts so hard to hide it in everyday life.The lifestyle he has chosen for himself prior to Irene inevitably arises once the mafia he crosses paths with leads to violence of the most cinematic type while invoking elements of suspense within each beat. In the film we see four key elevator scenes that display the development of the bond between Driver (Ryan Gosling) and Irene (Carey Mullig an), his innocent looking neighbour. The build-up to the incident is where Irene slaps Driver after his pathetic attempt to communicate. They then both enter the elevator where a man in a tan suit stands.Frequently used in this scene are over the shoulder shots and close ups. Very rarely are there cuts to mid-shots which would break continuity. When Irene slaps Driver; the camera cuts to a mid-shot to show the momentum of the action. The second time this happens is when the man in the tan suit is introduced into the scene. The mid-shot reveals the character to the audience and states his importance. Once in the elevator, low angle shots are used. These create a claustrophobic atmosphere for the audience.It also allows the suspicion Driver has towards the man in the tan suit to be built up. Close ups are used to show the raw emotion between the two characters as well as creating tension when Driver notices the gun the man is carrying, hidden under his jacket. This is a cinematic tech nique where props are exaggerated by the shot type. When Irene steps into the elevator, Driver first left to stare at the man in the tan suit. This makes the audience feel uncomfortable as the empty space is awkward and implies something bad is going to happen.The immediate suspicion Driver has towards the man in the suit leads him to be wary over him. Driver’s ability to place this suspicion we can assume has most likely stemmed from his past which is unknown to the audience as nothing about Driver’s past is revealed. However, we can assume that this The build-up to the entrance of the elevator is then followed by the kiss between Driver and Irene. While the elevator descends, Driver notices the gun in the jacket pocket of the man in the tan suit.All sound ceases as Driver reaches his hand behind him to where Irene stands and pushes her back. As he does the lights dim and focus between Driver’s face and Irene’s face. The dark and light shading on their h eads is reminiscent of French poetic-realism and is used to show the audience that Driver has both a good and bad side. This scene is also shot in slow motion which not only adds a sense of surrealism to the scene but also shows how both characters savour the kiss.Both the pacing and the lighting shift gears as Driver realizes the potential danger her and Irene are in. The average elevator lighting changes to a dark-lit environment which spotlights Driver and Irene specifically, isolating them almost completely from the rest of reality. The sound is back and we're in the midst of some raucous violence: a pair of hollow, crashing sounds as Driver smashes the hit man’s head into the elevator walls; then more clunking as he falls to the ground and Driver starts stomping on his head, once, twice, three times, with his boot.The sound of leather on skin shifts as the assault goes on toward a blend of moisture and crunch. At the 12th stomp, it's clear from the audio that bones are b reaking, and by the end of the sequence, after 15 seconds and 17 stomps, the dry and featureless thud has been transformed into a deathly squish. The elevator doors slide open again, with the same faint squeak they did before—Bender calls this a â€Å"sonic signature†Ã¢â‚¬â€and Irene flees into the garage. The incident ends with a close-up of Driver’s jacket with the gold scorpion on the back.A scorpion is seen as dangerous and deadly. However, in the same way that a scorpion in the wild remains hidden from view and only attacks when threatened, the same can be said for Driver. Driver worked in a garage, lived alone in a small, dingy apartment, but attacked violently when he felt himself or those he cared for were threatened. The twist to this is that it is in fact the man in the tan suit is killed in a brutal way by Driver. This shock factor makes the audience question their sympathy towards our protagonist.The next semiotic we see is the elevator door shuttin g on Driver separating him from Irene. This representation shows the closure of their relationship indicating that there is no going back, the rupture between the two of them is final. We realise that the kiss between Driver and Irene had taken place as more of a goodbye kiss. This is because Driver is aware of the harm he could potentially bring to Irene and Benicio if her were to stay with them. His ability to suddenly act with rage and violence proves that he is uncontrollable and unstable. ConclusionIn conclusion the surprising incident in the elevator helps us learn more about the character Driver. The build-up, kiss, bashing and exit scenes of the incident result in the audience being able to see into the real Driver. The two elements of sound and colour work coherently with each other in exhibiting a scene which imitates a heaven-like landscape turned dark alley way. The approach of not only the lighting, but also the spatial distance between non-diegetic sound and diegetic s ound as the latter starts to take prominence after Driver shows his romantic side.

The Electric Lighting Industry ( Behr 40 ) - 1158 Words

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Dangerous Minds Movie Analysis - 1526 Words

On the surface, Dangerous Minds is a film about a teacher who helps her students to change their lives for the better. The start of the film begins with LouAnne Johnson accepting a full time teaching job at Carlmont High School. Ms. Johnson did not know that the kids she would be teaching were tough and rowdy kids that come from under-privileged backgrounds. As the film goes on, Ms. Johnson wins the hearts of her students by connecting with them and standing up for them against a resistant administration. By doing this she inspires her students to reach their full potential. By the end of the film, her students are begging her to stay for another year because she has changed their lives for the better (Smith et al., 1999). This sounds like†¦show more content†¦When Ms. Johnson tries to ask her students where they left off with the last teacher, she is ignored and one student assertively told her not to ask about her and called her â€Å"white bread†. 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