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CHAPTER 3 Biodiversity
Book: A Perfect Storm in the Amazon Wilderness: Development and Conservation in the Context of the Initiative for the Integration of the Regional Infrastructure of South America (IIRSA)
Author(s): Timothy J. Killeen
https://doi.org/10.1896/978-1-934151-07-5.43
Collectively and individually, IIRSA projects represent an enormous threat to the conservation of the biodiversity of the South American continent. All but one of the ten IIRSA corridors intersects with a Biodiversity Hotspot (Andes, Cerrado, Atlantic Coastal Rainforest) or Wilderness Area (Amazon, Pantanal, Gran Chaco, Caatinga). The IIRSA highway corridors planned for Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru, the Arco Norte in the Guayana Shield region, and the PPA investments in the Brazilian Amazon are particularly worrisome because they will radically increase access to wilderness areas with very high levels of biological endemism. IIRSA will expose the western Amazon and the Andean foothills to potent global and regional economic forces, and the region's interconnected ecosystems will be inalterably changed. Climate change and geological history have left their mark on today's ecosystems and their species. The distribution of biodiversity is radically different in each of the region's major biomes due to the distinct physical attributes of mountains versus lowlands, and terrestrial versus aquatic ecosystems. Consequently, IIRSA and other development phenomena will have variable impacts across the Amazon, Andes, and the Cerrado biomes. Designing mitigation programs and conservation strategies must be predicated on a thorough understanding of the regional nature of biodiversity.
Montane forests are the most biologically diverse habitats within the Andes Mountains, occupying the terrain between the grasslands of the Andean highlands and the humid forests of the Amazonian lowlands. Landscapes include broad valleys, narrow canyons, slopes of varying steepness, cliff faces, and ridge tops situated between 500 and 3,500 m in elevation. Tropical montane forests are characterized by strong gradients related to topography and manifest as differences in elevation, precipitation, humidity, soil type, slope, aspect, and radiation. Species adapt to these gradients in often contrasting ways, and their distribution depends on the characteristics that define their reproduction and survival (Kessler et al. 2001, Young et al. 2002). For example, the diversity of epiphytic bromeliads is correlated with elevation, as this functional group is adapted to cool and humid cloud forest habitats, whereas aroids are more abundant in warm and humid forest communities. Terrestrial bromeliads and cacti are most abundant in dry valleys where high levels of incident radiation reach the forest floor; fern richness is correlated with moss cover, because the fern gametophytes depend on the water captured and held by moss (Kessler 2000, 2001, 2002). Trees, the most important functional group in the ecosystem, are most diverse at lower elevations, but species composition changes over multiple gradients. Birds and bats decrease in species richness with elevation, but the diversity of rodents is unrelated to elevation (Patterson et al. 1998). Forest communities are subject to periodic disturbances from landslides due to high precipitation and mountainous terrain (Veblen et al. 1981). Because of disturbances and multiple gradients, montane forests are extraordinarily complex spatially; thus, habitat diversity and species turnover are prominent attributes of this ecosystem.
Lower montane forest communities are similar to lowland rain forests; however, with increasing altitude, montane species become more abundant and lowland species more rare (Gentry 1988, 1992a, 1992b). At the top of the montane forest sequence are "cloud forests," where ridge tops in the foothills and the flanks of the eastern cordillera intersect with the cloud layer that forms over the adjacent lowlands. Cloud forests have unique environmental conditions characterized by mist, low temperatures, and limited solar radiation. Because they are surrounded by forest types that are radically different in structure, function, and composition, patches of cloud forest are effectively geographically isolated (Killeen et al. 2005). One of the central tenets of conservation biology is that island-like habitats are important in establishing the reproductive isolation that drives allopatric speciation (Stebbins 1950, MacArthur & Wilson 1967). The effective isolation of cloud forests is manifest in the negative relationship between mean range size and mean elevation; essentially, species with the smallest range sizes occur at higher altitudes (Kessler 2002).
Environmental differences among patches of cloud forest are caused by elevation gradients and the frequency of cloud formation (Figure 3.1). The Andean foothills are composed of a series of parallel ridges of increasing altitude situated between the lowland plain and the eastern cordillera. Evaporation over the valleys leads to cloud formation over the adjacent ridges in a diurnal cycle that exaggerates both the humidity on ridges and the evapotranspiration in the valleys (Troll 1968, Kessler et al. 2001, Killeen et al. 2007a); consequently, cloud-impacted communities occur at elevations as low as 1,000 m and as high as 3,500m. High levels of endemism are particularly pronounced for higher taxa and functional groups such as amphibians (Köhler 2000, Kattan et al. 2004) epiphytic orchids (Vasquez et al. 2003), aroids (Vargas et al. 2004), and mosses (Churchill et al. 1995). Taxa that are well represented in other biomes also have experienced a radiation of species in montane forests: Ericaceae (Luteyn 2002), Inga (Pennington 1997), Solanaceae (Knapp 2002), and the Podocarpaceae (Killeen et al. 1993). Animal species such as hummingbirds have coevolved with plant taxa (Ericaceae and Bromeliaceae) that are both abundant and speciose in montane forests (Stotz et al. 1996). Many species are known to exist at a single locality, making them extremely vulnerable to extinction (Figure 3.2).
Figure 3.1. Cloud forests are unique habitats that vary according to local topography and wind flow; consequently, they are inherently fragmented and spatially complex as shown by this composite image of the Andean foothills in Bolivia. This image is derived from MODIS images taken at approximately 10:30 and 13:30 local time from the NASA Terra and Aqua satellites. White areas are those with frequent cloud cover (© Michael Douglass).
Figure 3.2. The Alliance for Zero Extinction (AZE) identified locations that contain the only known populations of one or more endangered species. Amphibians top the list and include these South American species: (a) Colostethus ruthveni and (b) Cryptobatrachus boulengeri, both from Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta National Park in Colombia (© ProAves), (c) Phyllobates terribilis from Río Saija in Colombia (© John White), and (d) Telmatobius gigas from Bolivia (© Ignacio de la Riva).
Mid-level and lower montane forest communities provide additional complexity. Some of the valleys of the eastern Andes experience annual precipitation greater than 6,000 mm (Hijmans et al. 2004), but rain shadow and the diurnal cycles in deep canyons create semiarid habitats with precipitation less than 1,000 mm (Troll 1968, Killeen et al. 2007a). Montane dry forests occur as isolated habitats from Argentina to Venezuela. Although they share a common biogeographic history, they have experienced thousands of years of divergent evolution. Andean dry forests contain numerous endemic species or infraspecific regional variants (Pennington et al. 2005); many have been heavily affected by human populations.
The magnitude of IIRSA-related impacts on montane forests is impossible to map with any level of precision because the environmental gradients and the resulting habitat mosaic of these forests is complex. Nonetheless, the consequences of road improvement and expansion in the humid montane regions of Bolivia, Ecuador, and Peru are very predictable. Due to the extremely high levels of endemism associated with cloud forests, there is a high probability that any highway construction will directly lead to species extinction (Ricketts et al. 2005). Deforestation on the adjacent piedmont may reduce cloud cover and raise the height of the cloud base during the dry season (Lawton et al. 2001, Nair et al. In press), possibly altering the environmental conditions of the cloud forest during a critical time of the year. If such a trend develops, then cloud forest species will have to shift their distribution upward or be exposed to environmental conditions different than those to which they are adapted. Many will not be able to migrate upward in response to a rapidly changing altitudinal gradient or adapt to the changing conditions at their current elevation distribution. If so, these species will become extinct.
In lower montane forests the largest impacts will be indirect because they are associated with increased deforestation and forest fragmentation (see discussion on lowland tropical rainforests below). Fortunately, montane forests of the central Andes Mountains are still largely intact; a dozen highway corridors connect the Andean highlands and the Amazon lowlands, but large forest blocks remain unsettled and wild. IIRSA threatens to change this rare wilderness area, permanently degrading a global biodiversity hotspot. Several of the planned transportation corridors will transect areas that have been inhabited for decades (Yungas and Chapare in Bolivia, Huallaga Valley in Peru, Napo in Ecuador), but road improvement will accelerate the expansion of secondary roads into the intact forest blocks, degrading forest remnants. The construction of the Interoceanic Corridor in southern Peru53 will produce even greater impacts because it will improve a road that is closed during several months of the year and that is sparsely settled where it transects montane forests. The situation is even more critical in Colombia, Ecuador, and Venezuela, where montane forest ecosystems have been occupied by human civilizations for centuries. The montane forests of the northern Andes are already highly fragmented, and the cloud forest habitats have been encroached upon from above and below the cloud zone.54 The potential impact from IIRSA investments in the northern Amazon basin will take place on landscapes that have already been substantially altered by human activities. Consequently, special care needs to be taken so that the few remaining patches of native habitat are identified and provided maximum protection.
LOWLAND TROPICAL RAINFOREST
The Amazon region is sometimes described as a monotonous expanse of tall forest that covers more than half of the continent; however, this apparent uniformity is deceiving: the variability in species composition is manifest at the basin, the regional, and the local scale. Botanical research has shown that the floras have strong regional differentiation (Prance 1972, 1989, Mori & Prance 1990, Baker et al. 2004) and that plant communities vary over latitudinal and longitudinal gradients (ter Steege et al. 2000). The distribution of vertebrates is constrained by rivers, leading to many endemic species and subspecies (Wallace 1852, Emmons 1997, Patton & da Silva 1998, da Silva et al. 2005). Scientists with different taxonomic and disciplinary perspectives have fiercely debated the origin and evolution of biodiversity in the Amazon (Haffer 1969, Colinvaux 1993, Nelson et al. 1993, Irion et al. 1995, Marriog & Cerqueira 1997, Lovejoy et al. 1998, Burnham & Graham 1999, Maslin 2005, Mayle & Bush 2005). There is no argument, however, over the distinctiveness of the regional biota and that IIRSA projects will impact some regions more than others.
Studies of vertebrate taxa have identified eight subregions of the Amazon separated by rivers and differentiated according to the distribution of endemic frog, lizard, bird, and primate species (see review in da Silva et al. 2005). The most commonly accepted hypothesis is that the largest Amazonia tributaries and the main trunk of the Amazon River are situated in very old valleys that have acted as barriers to the distribution of forest species over millions of years. Given this geographic isolation, a characteristic suite of endemic species or subspecies has emerged within each subregion. Each one of these biogeographic subregions (Figure 3.3) represents a basic unit of conservation planning because the species in it cannot be affected by conservation measures in the other subregions. One of the central tenets of conservation planning is the need to protect large blocks of forest (Tarabelli & Gascon 2005); however, if a large block is composed of two or more separate subregions that are differentiated by endemism, then the effective size of that forest block is proportionally reduced. Consequently, the large forest remnants in the southern and eastern Amazon are not as effective conservation units as they may seem. Regional endemism should be the primary consideration in designing conservation corridors (da Silva et al. 2005). Unfortunately, IIRSA corridors have been designed without consideration of their potential impact on regional endemics. Regional endemism is less important in defining geographic stratification on the Andean piedmont, where landscapes are younger and there is little evidence that rivers have acted as barriers to the distribution of species (Aleixo 2004); nonetheless, there are still regions of high endemism that must be considered in development planning. Botanical studies show a gradual change in forest composition between Bolivia and Ecuador (Smith & Killeen 1998, Terborgh & Andresen 1998, Pitman et al. 2001). However, the latitudinal gradient does not correspond simply with the precipitation gradient that is responsible for a concomitant reduction in biodiversity. There are three regions that experience anomalously high rainfall at some distance from the equator (Hijmans at al. 2004); each of these regions is floristically distinct and contains high levels of species richness and endemism (Killeen et al. 2007a). They have been hypothesized to be climatically stable and probably remained wet during the Pleistocene, when the distribution of humid forest species was reduced.55 Habitat conversion in these regions is particularly unfortunate, especially because these areas are prime candidates for biological reserves that are resistant to future climate change (Killeen et al. 2007a).
Figure 3.3. The Amazon has different biogeographic regions, each characterized by endemic vertebrates: (a) Equatorial saki (Pithecia aequatorialis) is endemic to the Napo region in Ecuador and northern Peru; (b) White-faced saki (Pithecia pithecia) is endemic to the Guiana region; (c) Emperor tamarin (Saguinus imperator), is endemic to the Inambari region and (d) Prince Bernhard's titi monkey (Callicebus bernhardi) is endemic to a restricted area in the Rondônia region. Deforestation has already severely affected the eastern and southern regions, while IIRSA investments will impact the Inambari and Napo regions.
The structure and composition of Amazon forest communities make them particularly susceptible to deforestation and fragmentation because they are characterized by a small number of oligodominant tree species (usually ten to twenty) that are more or less abundant, constituting up to 50 percent of all stems (Pitman et al. 2001, 2002). Oligodominants tend to have very wide distributions and can be viewed as successful species in terms of their ability to reproduce, disperse seeds, and recruit adult individuals into the forest canopy. However, the rest of the tree community is composed of hundreds of species that are represented by only one to a few individuals per hectare. Rare species represent the bulk of tree diversity in tropical forest communities (Pitman et al. 2001, 2002, Condit et al. 2002). Detailed studies on the range distribution of rare species have not been undertaken, but it is reasonable to hypothesize that most are regional endemics. Because of their low population densities, they are particularly susceptible to forest fragmentation and deforestation, which will tend to homogenize the Amazon forest as these rare regional endemics are eliminated, leaving the widespread oligodominants.
The deleterious effects of forest fragmentation are well documented (Laurance et al. 2002, Tabarelli & Gascon 2005). Most deforested landscapes retain patches of natural forest surrounded by a matrix of human modified landscapes that include crops, pastures, and secondary forest. Forest fragments are relatively small and have a large edge-to-interior ratio that exposes the fragment to further degradation. Edge effects include greater penetration of light and wind, which leads to drier conditions in the understory, impedes the regeneration of native species, and exposes adult trees to increased mortality from wind sheer (Laurance & Wiliamson 2001). In addition, fire is an increased threat because forest fragments are often surrounded by pasture that is periodically burned for weed control; fire invades forest remnants, increasing adult mortality and further degrading the forest structure (Cochrane & Laurance 2002). Because forest remnants are located in areas with relatively high population density and reduced regional fores cover, logging is also more intensive to meet the local population's ongoing need for timber and firewood. Similarly, intensive hunting quickly leads to the local extinction of the vertebrate fauna, which limits the dispersal of seeds and genetically degrades tree populations. Edge effect has been shown to penetrate up to 300 m into forests, and because remnants are often quite small, there is often no place free from some sort of edge effect (Laurance et al. 2002). Disturbance from adult mortality, logging, and fire promote the regeneration of pioneer species that are both invasive and widely distributed; all of these processes lead to further homogenization of the forest flora (Tabarelli & Gascon 2005).
Lowland forests will be degraded over an extensive area due largely to the economic and social forces unleashed by the IIRSA projects (Fearnside & Graça 2006). Highway construction in remote areas stimulates human migration, which leads to accelerated land use change and increased habitat fragmentation. Because the land on the piedmont and adjacent plains is essentially flat, secondary roads will proliferate, bringing extensive deforestation, forest fragmentation, and forest degradation (Laurance et al. 2001). It is not unreasonable to predict that at least 250,000 km2 will be deforested in the Amazon over the next decade, with a total of at least 50,000 km2 in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru combined.56 If the proposed highways are constructed, forest habitats on the eastern slope of the Andes and the adjacent piedmont will be fragmented into at least eight distinct blocks with several highways transecting proposed biodiversity conservation corridors. Even larger areas will be subject to forest degradation caused by logging and fire.
GRASSLANDS, CERRADOS, AND DRY FORESTS
The regions adjacent to the Amazon support a variety of ecosystems adapted to the seasonal climates of the dry tropics (Daly & Mitchell 2000). The largest and the most biologically diverse of them is the Cerrado Biodiversity Hotspot, a complex of savannas and shrublands that stretches across the southern Amazon from Maranhão to eastern Bolivia (Machado et al. 2007). Structurally similar but floristically distinct are the grasslands in Colombia and Venezuela (Llanos de Orinoco); Bolivia (Llanos del Moxos); and on the border of Bolivia, Brazil, and Paraguay (Gran Pantanal), which are recognized as wilderness areas because the greatest part of their surface area remains essentially intact. Natural grasslands also occur in the Guayana Shield region of Venezuela (Gran Sabana), Guayana (Rupinini), and Brazil (Roraima), as well as on isolated patches associated with poor soils or seasonally inundated landscapes in the Brazilian Amazon, such as the Araguaia River (Ilha do Bananal) and white sand caatingas of the central Amazon. Savannas and scrublands predominate on these landscapes due to environmental factors such as seasonal drought, poor soils, and impeded drainage, with fire almost always playing an important role in modulating the density of the woody cover. Savannas almost always occur within a landscape mosaic with a seasonal forest habitat where the edaphic constraints that limit forest formation are less severe. Dry or seasonal forest formations exist on landscapes with relatively fertile soils, such as in eastern Bolivia (Chiquitano, Gran Chaco), northeastern Brazil (Caatinga), and Venezuela (Pennington et al. 2005).
The Cerrado biome is renowned for its high levels of diversity and endemism, with an estimated 40 percent of its woody plants and 38 percent of its reptiles occurring only in this biogeographic region (Colli 2005, Ratter et al. 2006). One of the key ecological attributes of the Cerrado ecosystem is its habitat diversity, which ranges from open grasslands to dense scrubland and gallery forests along water courses; specialized species are often most abundant or even restricted to a specific habitat type (Figure 3.4). Habitat diversity leads to complex landscape mosaics with multiple ecotones. Gallery forests are particularly important for providing cover for wildlife, and most savanna fauna depend on this habitat type within the savanna ecosystem. The biodiversity of the Cerrado Hotspot has not been adequately mapped, but the distribution of woody plant species reveals that there is strong regional differentiation (Ratter et al. 2006), and a gap analysis performed for 244 threatened and endemic amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and plants demonstrated that almost 30 percent of the Cerrado biodiversity is not represented in the existing protected areas (Machado et al. 2007).
Figure 3.4. The Cerrado Biodiversity Hotspot is well known for its endemic plant species: (a) Actinocephalus bongardii (A. St. Hil.) Sano (© Haroldo Castro/CI); (b) Quarea parviflora Mart.; (c) Caryocar brasilensis Camb., and (d) Vellozia squamata Mart. ex Schult. (© Dr. Jimmy Ratter, Royal Botanical Garden of Edinburgh). The Cerrado has already lost much of its natural habitat to agricultural production; an improved transportation infrastructure will increase the competitiveness of Cerrado agriculture, leading to an intensification of land use.
Modern development in the Cerrado region began in the 1950s and 1960s with the expansion of cattle ranching on the Planalto de Mato Grosso. However, because most native grasses are coarse and unpalatable, landowners cleared them to plant cultivated grasses that allowed them to increase their livestock herds and improve animal management. Beginning in the late 1980s, agronomists learned that the application of lime (CaCO2) to Cerrado soils could dramatically improve soil fertility. Landholders then began to convert ranches into cropland, and the Cerrado has since become the largest soybean producing region, making Brazil the largest exporter of soy in the world. The original extent of the Cerrado habitat has been estimated at 2.2 million km2, but approximately 55 percent has been converted to either pasture or cropland. The rate of habitat conversion was estimated at 1.36 to 2.2 million ha per year between 1985 and 2002, and some models predict that what remains of the Cerrado will disappear by 2030 (Machado et al. 2004, 2007). Unfortunately, only 2.2 percent of the original Cerrado area has been set aside as protected areas (Klink & Machado 2005, Rylands et al. 2005).
Rapid land use change and habitat degradation are similarly occurring in seasonally dry forest formations, where climates and soils have long favored human settlement and agriculture (Olson & Dinerstein 1998). These geographically separate forests share a common biogeographic history (Prado & Gibbs 1993, Pennington et al. 2005). Apparently, they coalesced near the equator during the last glacial maximum surrounding a much reduced rainforest ecosystem in the central and western Amazon (Mayle et al. 2004); nonetheless, today, each subregion of seasonally dry forest has its own group of endemic species or subspecies (Pennington et al. 2005). Nonsustainable logging practices are particularly damaging in these ecosystems because of the inherently slow growth rates of species adapted to these climatic regimes (Dauber 2003). The Caatinga region is the most degraded of the seasonal forest regions due to the long history of human settlement and colonization in northeastern Brazil. Recent deforestation has impacted dry forest regions in Bolivia, Venezuela, and southern Brazil.
Fortunately, the savannas of the Llanos de Orinoco, Moxos, and the Gran Pantanal are still relatively intact due largely to the seasonally inundated landscapes, which inherently limit cultivation. Nonetheless, cattle ranchers do graze livestock on the native grasses of these regions, which are more palatable than the native grasses on the upland savannas, and some areas are locally impacted by overgrazing. In addition, there are recent experiments to convert seasonally inundated habitats to paddy rice cultivation in Bolivia, and there is clearing of woody plants in the Gran Pantanal.
IIRSA and PPA investments will accelerate habitat degradation in most, if not all, of the extra-Amazonian ecosystems. The Cerrado Biodiversity Hotspot is the most endangered due largely to its suitability for mechanized agriculture. Although the Federal Government of Brazil makes repeated commitments to conserve the Amazon, similar actions to conserve in the Cerrado region are weighed against national priorities to expand agricultural production (Figure 3.5). Thus, although the Amazon ecosystem faces extensive degradation and fragmentation due to IIRSA investments over the medium term, the Cerrado faces virtual annihilation over the next half century (Machado et al. 2007). Considering the advanced state of the destruction of this biome, protected area creation should be part of any strategy that seeks to mitigate the effects of the PPA's investments in modern highways. The Brazilian forest code requires that 20 percent of private properties be left as native habitat within the Cerrado biome. These efforts to conserve gallery forests within private lands could significantly reduce the effect of habitat conversion within savanna ecosystems.57
Figure 3.5. Emas National Park is an island of native habitat surrounded by farmland in the Cerrado. Gallery forests along rivers and scattered remnants of native habitat provide opportunities for a regional conservation strategy (Google Earth ™ Mapping Services).
The Amazon River system is the world's largest freshwater ecosystem, with nearly 20 percent of the Earth's freshwater discharge (Goulding 1980). The aquatic biodiversity of the Amazon is the consequence of geological history, the sheer size of the basin, the contrasting nature of the constituent sub-basins, and the extraordinary habitat heterogeneity of each individual floodplain. The Amazon's sub-basins have been traditionally classed into three broad categories on the basis of turbidity, color, and pH of the water: 1) white water rivers originating in the Andes are characterized by high sediment loads and approximately neutral pH; 2) black water rivers drain lowland landscapes with white sand soils dominated by plants with very high tannin58 levels, so their runoff is very dark and acidic; 3) clear water rivers arise in moderate terrain, particularly the Brazilian and Guayana Shield, and have relatively clear water of nearly neutral pH (Sioli 1968, Junk 1983). Recent studies have emphasized the diversity of aquatic habitats associated with the morphological variability of channels, lakes, and wetlands, as well as distinct hydrological regimes in upstream, midstream, and downstream sections of the river (Mertes et al. 1996, Goulding et al. 2003). Like their terrestrial counterparts, aquatic ecosystems are characterized by high levels of biodiversity and species endemism (Figure 3.6). Estimates of the number of Amazonian fish species vary between 1,300 and 3,000, but the true number may be much higher as systematists revise the status of headwater populations of widespread but poorly studied taxonomic groups (Ruffino 2001).
Figure 3.6. The inundated forests of the Amazon are strategically important for biodiversity conservation: (a) Igapo forest near Manaus is home to plant and animal species adapted to the acidic conditions of black water rivers; (b) Varzea forests have muddy, nutrient-laden waters and are among the most productive wetlands in the world (©CI and Tim Killeen/CI).
Migration is a behavioral trait characteristic of many Amazonian fish. Some of the most economically important commercial species such as the piramutaba (Brachyplatystoma vaillantii) and the dourada (B. flavicans) migrate long distances between the estuary and upstream sections of the basin. Other species are less pelagic in their migration, moving within certain sectors of the basin, such as the tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), pacú (Mylossoma spp.), jaraqui (Semaprochilodus spp.), and curimatã (Prochilodus nigricans), among others (Barthem & Goulding 1997, Ruffino 2001). One of the most salient features of the Amazon River system is the importance of the floodplain in providing multiple niches for aquatic organisms, and many fish species migrate locally between the channel and flood plain habitats in accord with annual fluctuations in river levels (Goulding 1980, Goulding & Ferreira 1996). Along white water rivers, floodplain forests known as varzea are particularly productive because the sediments washed down from the Andes bring essential chemical nutrients. Frugivorous fish migrate into varzea during periods of high water to spawn and feed on a rich assortment of fruits, then return to the river channels during low-water periods (Barthem & Goulding 1997).
Modifications to the Amazon's aquatic systems through the construction of dams and reservoirs will bring obvious direct impacts in the immediate area of each project. The most serious are those relating to fish populations. At the Tucuruí dam on the Tocantins River in Brazil, a program to monitor fish populations before and after the flooding of the reservoir showed declines in species diversity upstream (25 percent) and downstream (19 percent); in addition, species diversity was down 27 percent compared with the preexisting riverine habitat (LaRovere & Mendes, 2000). Another recent study of mercury contamination in the Caroni River in Venezuela revealed that mercury levels in fish populations were several-fold higher within the reservoir than in populations below the reservoir. Apparently the high organic content of lake bed sediments (the result of flooding tens of thousands of kilometers of forest vegetation) creates anoxic conditions that enable mercury-methylate to form, a type of mercury that is rapidly absorbed by biological organisms (Veiga 1997, Fearnside 2001a, 2005a).
Aquatic systems are particularly susceptible to secondary long-term impacts: upstream effluents and sediments are conveyed downstream, while downstream obstacles impede the migration of species to headwater regions. Consequently, the impacts of IIRSA investments on aquatic systems will be apparent both locally and regionally. Deforestation of upland forest in lowland landscape will bring about a pulse of nutrients associated with ash and increased sedimentation, as well as long-term changes in temperature and chemistry (Bojsen & Barrigo 2002). Muddy streams that meander through cattle pasture bear little resemblance to the cool, shaded, clear water habitats that existed prior to deforestation. Paddy rice cultivation is not common in the Amazon, but recent experiments in Bolivia are encouraging new migrants to adopt this production system in the accessible areas of the Llanos de Moxos of the Beni. The conversion of savanna wetlands for paddy rice cultivation will also have important, if poorly understood, impacts on fish populations.
Savanna fishes are known to be diverse, although they represent the most poorly studied segment of freshwater fishes in tropical America (Schaefer 2000). Deforestation of inundated forests is particularly devastating because it directly affects the prime feeding and spawning ground of the most economically important fish species. Road-building in mountainous regions will have severe short-term impacts. Because roads typically are built on slopes above rivers, earth-moving equipment can dump tens of thousands of tons of soil and rock into watercourses during construction. Highways and rivers usually run parallel for dozens of kilometers; thus, the riparian environment will be permanently altered.
A major emphasis of IIRSA is the renovation and improvement of hydrovias. This promotion of river transport will have fewer negative impacts than highway construction, and the creation of river ports will pose moderate impacts. Nonetheless, a revitalized Amazonian hydrovia will potentially lead to increased population density along major and minor rivers. This would almost certainly lead to increased fishing pressure, and may also foster increased deforestation in both upland and flooded forests. IIRSA investments to construct dams for energy production would constitute a long-term, permanent impact on dozens if not hundreds of migratory fish species. Damming the major tributaries of the Amazon River may have catastrophic effects on fish migration and fish populations and bring about huge economic consequences.
The Amazon, Andes and Cerrado are among the richest and most diverse regions of the planet. (Top: ©Haroldo Castro/CI; Bottom: ©John Martin/CI)
Figure 1.1. IIRSA is composed of ten hubs that incorporate investments in modern paved highways, railroads, waterways, and grids. The upgraded road networks will span the Amazon, while waterways (hydrovias in IIRSA terminology) will open up vast areas of the western Amazon to commerce and development (map modified from IDB 2006).
Figure 5.3. During the 1990s, large tracts of land were ceded to traditional communities in recognition of their historical claims to forest and aquatic resources; most of these lands are zoned for forest management and are an important complement to the protected area system throughout the Amazon.
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Tables A.1 through A.4 provide simple models that estimate the value of the carbon stored in Amazonian forests (Table A.1), the value of the carbon released each year via deforestation (Table A.2), the potential value of a 5 percent reduction in deforestation in the eight countries of the greater Amazon Wilderness Area compared against the documented baseline deforestation rates (Table A.3), and the potential value of a 5 percent reduction in deforestation for four Andean countries when compared to a Business as Usual Scenario (Table A.4). Tables A.5 through A.7 provide statistics on protected areas and indigenous lands.
Table A. 1 A model estimating the economic value of the Amazon forest based on the carbon stored in its biomass; forest cover estimates are derived from published and on-line studies using satellite images; the value of 125 metric tons of carbon per hectare is a conservative estimate derived from plot-based biomass studies (Baker et al. 2004); the market value of a metric ton of carbon ($10) is near the current value quoted on the Chicago Climate Exchange for carbon financial instruments.
Table A. 2 A model estimating the economic value of the Amazon forest based on the carbon released each year into the atmosphere from deforestation. Cover estimates are derived from published and online studies using satellite images; the value of 125 metric tons of carbon per hectare is a conservative estimate derived from plot-based biomass studies conducted in the Amazon (Baker et al. 2004); the price of a metric ton of carbon ($10) is near the current value quoted on the Chicago Climate Exchange for carbon financial instruments.
Table A.3 A model estimating the economic value of a Sustainable Scenario where Amazonian countries agree to reduce the annual rate of deforestation by 5 percent every year for 30 years. The Baseline Scenario is based on estimates of deforestation derived from published and online studies using satellite images (see Table A2). The value of 125 metric tons of carbon per hectare is a conservative estimate derived from plotbased biomass studies conducted in the Amazon (Baker et al., 2004); the price of a metric ton of carbon ($10) is near the current value quoted on the Chicago Climate Exchange for carbon financial instruments.
Table A.4 A model estimating the economic value of a scenario where four countries (Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and Colombia) agree to reduce the annual rate of deforestation by 5% every year for 30 years (Sustainable Scenario) compared to a scenario with an annual increase of 2.5% in deforestation that may accompany IIRSA highway projects on the Andean piedmont (Business As Usual Scenario). The baseline value is derived from published and on-line studies using satellite images (see table A2); the value of 125 metric tons of carbon per hectare is a conservative estimate derived from plot-based biomass studies conducted in the Amazon (Baker et al., 2004); the market value of a metric ton of carbon ($10) is near the current value quoted on the Chicago Climate Exchange (CCX) for carbon financial instruments.
Table A.5 Protected Areas and Indigenous Lands in the Amazon Wilderness Area (See Figure 5.3).
Table A6 Protected Areas and Indigenous Lands in the Legal Amazon of Brazil (modified from the Instituto Socioambiental (http://www.socioambiental.org/uc/quadro_geral).
Table A.7 Protected Areas and Indigenous Lands in the Countries of Northern South America
Figure A. 1. IIRSA investments in the northwest Amazon and on the Andean piedmont will link the waterways of Amazonian tributaries (Putumayo, Napo, Marañon, and Ucuyali) via trans-Andean highways to the Pacific Coast. However, these East - West highways will also create a piedmont corridor that stretches from Pucallpa in central Peru to the Putumayo in Colombia. Development and deforestation along that corridor will isolate the Andean and Amazonian biota and limit the ability of numerous species to adapt to future climate change.
Figure A. 2. The southwest Amazon and adjacent regions of the central Andes will be heavily impacted by four IIRSA highway corridors that will connect the Brazilian Cerrado with Pacific ports: (1) the Bioceanic Corridor between Mato Grosso do Sul and the Chilean coast via Santa Cruz, Bolivia; (2) the Bolivian Northern Highway, will connect the Bolivian Altiplano with the frontier regions adjacent to Acre and Rondônia in Brazil; (3) the Inter-Oceanic Highway of southern Peru will connect Acre and Rondônia with the Pacific coast of Peru; and (4) the Rio Branco-Cuzeiro de Sul-Pucallpa Highway, which will transect some of the most remote regions of the western Amazon. In the other direction, the Maderia– Mamore hydrovia will be linked to the main trunk of the Amazon River by the dams and locks between Puerto Velho, Brazil and Riberalta, Bolivia.
Figure A. 3. The ArcoNorte refers to the highway system that will integrate the countries of the Guayana Shield in the northeastern Amazon. This sparsely populated region is generally considered to be the least threatened region of the Amazon, and large areas in Brazil have been designated as protected areas; however, the exploitation of the region's rich mineral and timber resources may become economically attractive following the completion of IIRSA investments.
Figure A. 4. The southeastern Amazon is also known as the arc of deforestation because most development has occurred here over the past 30 years. Investments in transportation will accelerate this trend by improving regional highway networks and hydrovias. New railroads will provide export corridors for the region's agricultural commodities.
[] 53 The Interoceanic Corridor is a project in the Peru–Brazil–Bolivia Hub rather than a component of the Central Interocenic Hub that spans Bolivia and Brazil to the south (see Figure 1.1 and Figure A.2).
[] 54 In Colombia, potatoes are cultivated near the ecotone between cloud forest and high altitude paramo grasslands.
[] 55 The presence of humid forest refugia in the Pleistocene does not imply that Amazonian speciation occurred during that period (e.g., Refugium Hypothesis), which is generally believed to be a Tertiary phenomenon (see Maslin 2005), but only that several disjunctive or loosely connected areas on the Andean piedmont would have provided appropriate conditions for humid forest species (Killeen et al. 2007a).
[] 56 Annual land use change in the Brazilian Amazon is approximately 20,000 km2 yr−1 (Laurence et al. 2004); in Bolivia it is 2,400 km2 yr−1 (Killeen et al. 2007b). Studies are underway in Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, and the Guayanas, with a sum of 3,000 km2 yr−1 being a conservative estimate for these countries (see Table A.2).
[] 57 Conservation International–Brazil is working with farmers and ranchers to restore areas cleared beyond the legally allowed amount; voluntary certification schemes are being promoted to reward farmers in compliance by providing secured access to European markets.
[] 58 Tannins are chemical compounds that plants have evolved as defense mechanisms against herbivores. They are particularly common in plants from areas with very sterile soils where the leaf nutrients are difficult to replace.
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How lucky are we that we are Muslims?
Indeed we are, but do we realise that? The answer is simple – just have a look at your life, and see if in all your actions, speech, thoughts and desires, you reflect the personality of a Muslim – the personality of Muhammad (PBUH).
It could be argued that the Muslim of today is unaware of the spiritual wealth that he possesses and can be likened to the baby who, when given a diamond in one hand and a lollipop in the other, chooses the lollipop because it does not yet understand the value of the diamond.
This, then, is the state of the Muslim of today – ditching the diamond of Allah's Mercy and Jannat-ul-Firdaus (Paradise) for the lollipop that is the Dunya (World) and all its seedy, short lived pleasures, because he does not yet understand the value and fundamental importance of Islam.
May Allah forgive us and give us the love and correct understanding of Islam. Ameen.
[...] We wanted to show everybody how the Muslims had forgotted the true value of Islam and its real pricelessness in this world.


Consider joining as a crew level member. Benefits include 20% discount and participation in open sailing events.
For those who have completed the Introduction to Sailing (12 hour) keelboat course, this course is the NEXT STEP!
In this course, you will hone your Figure-8 Rescue, improve your tiller extension usage, and develop a solid departing and docking methodology.
If you are new to the DSC, please contact Stuart via Stuart@downtownsailing.org to make sure you are placed in the appropriate class. Sailing is a lifetime sport and we want to make sure you have as much success as you possibly can.
THIS IS NOT AN INTRODUCTORY COURSE. SAILORS SHOULD BE PROFICIENT WITH MATERIAL COVERED IN "INTRO TO SAILING"
This course is Part 2 of a 3-Part US Sailing Basic Keelboat Certification program. Successful completion of the "Intro to Sailing 12 hour course" is a prerequisite for the "Beyond Intro" Course. Consider taking the "Basic Keelboat" course in full if you have mixed sailing experience or are looking for a sailing certification.
Space is limited to 3 sailors per class so full payment is required to guarantee your spot in the course.
Stopping in and backing-out-of "irons"
Introduction to the "Quick Stop Rescue"


text:
NI: Russia is too strong to allow Syria to become the " Afghanistan "
Russia fundamentally improved relations with Iran, Iraq, Egypt and Israel, which gives her the opportunity to cover All areas of middle East policy. All of this indicates that the capital of Russia is so strong in the field As ever, and the Syrian Arab Republic, As if neither really wanted the American leader Barack Obama, not for Russia "second Afghanistan," said Dov a Zakhaym, the former Deputy Secretary of defense. About this in his article for The National Interest.
"at the moment, as long as Everyone recognizes that Putin wants to maintain Russia's presence in the Syrian Arab Republic, few realize that Moscow is in a much stronger position in the middle East than it ever was even the USSR," writes the Creator.
Ex-official of the Ministry of defence refers to the history of relations of the USSR with the countries of the Middle East and indicates that support for Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war did relations between the Soviets and Iran strained. In addition, he continues, were difficult and relations between Moscow with Cairo and Jerusalem.
"Anwar Sadat (the former leader of Egypt - ed.) sent 20 thousand Soviet military advisers in 1972, after which Cairo said a strong Alliance with the West. Finally, despite the respect Israel after a short time after its Declaration of independence, Moscow broke off relations with Israel after the war and never restored during the remaining years of the USSR, " writes the Zakhaym.
along with this, he continues, today the situation is very different.
"Let's start with the fact that Iran and Russia currently represent the main bastions of Assad. Russia maintains its friendly relations with Iraq, which is becoming stronger. Russia has strengthened its ties with Egypt: two presidents exchanged state visits for the past 2 years. Finally, Russia has an excellent relationship with the most powerful state in the middle East, namely with the Jewish state. As with Egypt, trade between 2 States continues to grow, including trade deals in arms. In truth, Jerusalem is so attentive to the desires of the capital of Russia, which stopped the supply of arms to Georgia after the Georgian-Ossetian conflict of 2008 and does not resume it until now. Israel also ranges to sell drones and other weapons Ukraine ", - says ex-Deputy Minister of the Ministry of defense.
All these circumstances, he continues, explain why Putin is in a stronger position on the Russian operation in the Syrian Arab Republic, it can be the other in this situation.
"really, Putin covers All the flanks in the middle East, Apart from Jordan and the Gulf countries, but it seems that no one can have any negative impact on its intervention in the Syrian conflict on the side of the Assad government," the Zakhaym.
Ivan III of Russia Great

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


English Abstract: We present a novel method using particle importance to accelerate the traditional Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics based fluid simulation. Reynolds number and vorticity are exploited as the new criteria to evaluate the importance for each particle. If a particle is unimportant, its current acceleration and velocity are used to update values in the next time step with the complex state updating step removed, in this way the computation time is saved. We also propose an improved surface tension model. The experiments demonstrate that this new method is not only easy to implement, but also greatly improves the simulation speed without visual quality sacrifice. © 2009 IEEE.
Yuanzhang Chang,Kai Bao,Youquan Liu,et al. particle importance based fluid simulation[C]. 见:2009 6th International Conference on Computer Graphics, Imaging and Visualization: New Advances and Trends, CGIV2009. Tianjin, China. August 11,.


text:
Q: Given a dictionary of word and frequency pairs, how to proceed with text mining in scikit I already have word frequencies and categories like this:
y = ['animals', 'restaurants', 'sports']
x = [{'cat':1, 'dog':2}, {'food':4, 'drink':2}, {'baseball':4, 'basketball':5}]

How should I proceed with building the pipeline per the tutorial as follows:
>>> from sklearn.pipeline import Pipeline
>>> text_clf = Pipeline([('vect', CountVectorizer()),
...                      ('tfidf', TfidfTransformer()),
...                      ('clf', MultinomialNB()),
... ])

>>> text_clf = text_clf.fit(twenty_train.data, twenty_train.target)

CountVectorizer is expecting a string... I guess I could create a string from the dictionary and repeat each word the number of times it occurs?
http://scikit-learn.org/stable/tutorial/text_analytics/working_with_text_data.html
http://scikit-learn.org/stable/modules/generated/sklearn.feature_extraction.text.CountVectorizer.html

A: If you already have word frequencies then use a DictVectorizer:
from sklearn.feature_extraction import DictVectorizer

pipeline = Pipeline([('dvect', DictVectorizer()),
                     ('tfidf', TfidfTransformer()),
                     ('clf', MultinomialNB())])
model = pipeline.fit(x, y)

Then you can do:
>>> model.predict([{'cat':1}])[0]
'animals'

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Profile Creative - Actors, Writers, Directors
Profile Speakers
© Profile Talent Management 2020 Website by Rock Agency
Sam Mac
Sam Mac is a clever, quick witted media performer who has developed his own unique presenting style that resonates with audiences across TV, radio and the digital space.
In January 2016, Sam was announced as the new weather presenter on Channel Seven's Sunrise, a role which has seen him bungee jump live on the show, perform aerial acrobatics in a vintage Tiger Moth plane, and re-release a rap version of Nikki Webster's Strawberry Kisses.
Sam is also the narrator of Seven's successful dating show First Dates, and was host of the prime-time comedy panel show Best Bits!
A sports enthusiast, Sam has been a regular on Googly Box, the digital series, during the 2015/2016 summer cricket season and is one half of Comedy Football Team The B-League.
Sam was host of the 2015 on-line series Fall out Zone which was the TenPlay spin off live stream of I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here. In 2014, Sam was co-host of The Thursday Night Sports Show live on Channel One with Mel McLaughlin. He has also been a regular guest on Network Ten's The Project and injected his own flavour to the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games coverage for Network Ten.
Sam was previously a field reporter on Ten's brekkie show Wake Up covering news and entertainment and putting his own signature twist on interviews.
Originally from Adelaide, Sam got his big break in radio when he won the SAFM Who Wants to Be a Co-Host on Air competition. This led to Sam hosting his own late night show on SAFM. From there he joined Triple M's Wil and Lehmo show as their writer, panel operator and on-air segment host. Sam has also hosted Austereo's National Hot 30 Countdown.
For three years Sam was in Perth on Austereo's Em & Sam Mac Show & Lisa, Baz and Sam. He moved to Sydney in 2013 and is heard regularly on Triple M and Nova.
As the roving weather presenter on Sunrise, Sam is still based in Sydney but spends a lot of time on the road.
Sam is an ambassador for Sydney Dogs and Cats Home and a passionate supporter of Beyond Blue.
Melissa Harvey
mharvey@profiletalent.com.au
323 Montague St, Albert Park
View Office on Google Maps
Fax: + 61 3 8598 7877
About Profile Talent
Profile Creative
© Copyright Profile Talent 2020.
Website by Rock Agency.


text: docker build -t roadster/sparkles:latest .

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Led display problem can be occur to the Nokia LCD, in this case the Nokia 6600. The screen showing the picture but it look dark. It has two possibilities, the screen is damaged or there are a broken path in the LCD circuit. Here, mobile repair share a pictures help to repair the led display problem caused by broken path. Download the picture below.


The 200 level side sections are nice small sections located along the edge of the stage. These sections are a great alternative if the 100 level or floor are out of the price range you are looking for. The lower rows of these side sections can even feel closer than the top rows of 100 level sections at larger stadiums.
Totally under-rated seats, loved em!
"Decent Side of Stage Seats"
Problem is, there is a railing that gets in the way for the walkway. The main view is kind of behind the stage but not horrible.


text:
Documents on Irish Foreign Policy
Dr. Michael Kennedy, Executive Editor (m.kennedy AT ria.ie)
Dr John Gibney, Assistant Editor, DIFP
Dr Eoin Kinsella, Assistant Editor DIFP (to commence 1 May 2019)
Royal Irish Academy
Royal Irish Academy,
19 Dawson Street,
D02 HH58.
The 1996 White Paper on Irish Foreign Policy, 'Challenges and Opportunities Abroad' announced (paragraph 16:48) that the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Royal Irish Academy would jointly establish a series of volumes of documents on Irish foreign policy.
The Documents on Irish Foreign Policy (DIFP) project commenced operation at the RIA in the summer of 1997 and began the production of a multi-volume documentary history of Ireland's foreign relations from 1919 using material contained in the archives of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of the Taoiseach (now deposited in the National Archives of Ireland) as well as items from other relevant collections.
The aim of the DIFP series is to make available, in an organised and accessible manner, to people who may not be in a position easily to consult the National Archives, documents from the archived files of government departments relating to Irish foreign policy, particularly the Department of Foreign Affairs. Through its publications the project also aims to promote the wider use by the public of the Irish foreign policy archive. DIFP is a public resource for the study of the history of Irish foreign policy and diplomacy.
Description of scope: DIFP seeks to cover the development and execution of Irish foreign policy in a chronological format since 1919.
DIFP I 1919-1922 (published 1998);
DIFP II 1923-1926 (published 2000);
DIFP III 1926-1932 (published 2002);
DIFP IV 1932-1936 (published 2004);
DIFP V 1937-1939 (published 2006);
DIFP VI 1939-1941 (published 2008);
DIFP VII 1941-1945 (published 2010);
DIFP VIII 1945-1948 (published 2012);
DIFP IX 1948-1951 (published 2014);
DIFP X 1951-1957 (published 2016);
DIFP XI 1957-1961 (published 2018).


text:
KidsBay
On the Ground (español)
Workforce Transition
Wimauma - (español)
Tampa Bay WaVE: Diversity highlights latest tech cohort
Cheryl Rogers | Monday, March 05, 2018
Jonathan Truong, co-founder of Verapy, a start-up at Tampa Bay Wave's Accelerator Build program. by Amber Sigman
Sean Lux, left, and Greg Ross-Munro of Data and Sons, a start-up at Tampa Bay Wave. by Amber Sigman
Emma Wolgast, a social media intern at Tampa Bay Wave, in the company's co-working space. by Amber Sigman
Rich Heruska, interim accelerator director, at Tampa Bay Wave. by Amber Sigman
Richard Munassi, left, talks with Tom Coffin and Anne Devlin of Simply Reliable at Tampa Bay Wave. by Amber Sigman
Chris Kafer, left, and Robert Kropp work in semi-private spaces at Tampa Bay Wave. by Amber Sigman
Jonathan Truong has parlayed a painful lesson into an innovative new business.
After he was injured playing tennis, Truong frequently skipped physical therapy because he found it boring and repetitive. But he learned that was a bad idea: It took his ankle two years, instead of eight months, to heal.
Jonathan Truongo, co-founder of Verapy, a start-up at Tampa Bay Wave's Accelerator Build program.Now a senior in the entrepreneurial program at the University of Tampa, Truong is at the helm of a company to help other patients get it right. "We utilize virtual reality to create immersive games for physical therapy," explains Truong, CEO of Verapy in Tampa. "Our goal is to make therapy a lot more fun and engaging for patients."
Verapy's first game targets patients who need to exercise their wrists. "It's very simple. You are a bird. You are dropped onto an island and you're trying to collect coins in a ring," explains the Dallas native of Vietnamese descent.
It takes only two to three minutes to play the digital game, which is to be tested in UT athletics and local therapy clinics early this year.
The game uses a wearable device and encourages patients to do therapy when they are supposed to. "We try to provide a more gamified version of therapy," he says. "It's all about making it fun and engaging."
Sean Lux and Greg Ross-Munro followed a different path. Lux, an Army vet teaching at the University of South Florida, was looking for something new when a barroom conversation with Ross-Munro led to their new venture: Data and Sons.
Sean Lux, left, and Greg Ross-Munro of Data and Sons, a start-up at Tampa Bay Wave.
The company enables people to buy, sell or share data. "We want to be the eBay or Etsy for data," Lux says.
Founded in May 2016, the service became available in November after spending the summer in beta testing.
"We're looking to grow aggressively," Lux says, adding they are hiring market makers or category managers to different market sectors.
Lux brings to the business his background in academia and military discipline while Ross-Munro, who hails from Johannesburg, South Africa, brings with him a wealth of experience with coding as CEO of Tampa's Sourcetoad, which develops custom software. Learn more about Sourcetoad here.
Meanwhile a St. Petersburg company, Simply Reliable, started by contractors, is revving up with help from a women with a Wall Street background. Key players include Tom Coffin, president and CEO, whose background is in smart-home contracting, and Anne Devlin, VP of Strategic Development.
Richard Munassi, left, talks with Tom Coffin and Anne Devlin of Simply Reliable at Tampa Bay Wave. The company's goal is to streamline contractors' workloads, making their jobs easier through its cloud-based service. It offers help with change orders, proposals, invoices, purchasing, inventory and scheduling.
Devlin joined the company, founded in late 2012 by Coffin and Chief Visionary Officer Jonathan Knapp, to prepare it for capitalization. "I came on board not looking just at what we are doing today, but where we are going to be two, three years from now," Devlin says.
They are looking to hire between five and 23 in the next year, and another 20 the following year, starting with customer service representatives, a software architect and coders.
"Right now we're very much a virtual company," Coffin says. "The intention is to grow that right here. We're going to need to find developers, sales people."
These three tech companies are part of the largest applicant class at Tampa Bay WaVE, a nonprofit accelerator for tech businesses. The 90-day WaVE program, which gives participants experience making pitches in different formats, is ending with an exclusive, invite-only Demo Day on Tuesday, March 6, in which companies can present to investors.
Located in the Channel District and in downtown Tampa, the WaVE is a go-to place for businesses that want to connect with other businesses to build, launch, or grow.
The WaVE initially went through almost 100 applications to narrow the field to 13. Twelve made it through the program. The cohort has a nigh number of women, minority or veteran owned or led businesses. "We're casting a wider and a more diverse net," explains Rich Heruska, the WaVE's Interim Accelerator Director.
Diversity has a positive effect on an organization's performance, according to a 2015 study by McKinsey and Co. entitled Diversity Matters. Not only does diversity broaden the talent pool, enabling an organization to find the most qualified individuals, but it improves decision making by incorporating a variety of perspectives and ideas, the study shows. It also enhances a company's image and increases employee satisfaction while helping to forge better relationships with customers.
"What we've done is we've looked at what are the top three needs of our companies," he says. "They want capital. They want mentoring and they want connections. Everything that we do is designed to give them opportunities in those three areas."
After the program ends, the companies can choose to stay on for help with building, launching or growing their business. "We have a pretty high retention rate," Heruska says.
Other companies in the cohort include:
• The Lakeland-based Inzata, a data analytics platform for any kind of data, has raised more than $2 million from angel investors. It uses artificial intelligence to help users work with raw and unstructured data to obtain powerful data models, real-time analytics and visualizations.
• 180byTwo, an Alexandria, VA-company aimed at helping marketers understand their customers better, has had more than $1.5 million in sales. It was recognized as a top data company by Adexchanger.
• Anchor, an app that lets you call for a pickup at any dock, offers riders an alternative to water taxis and boat charters. Rates vary depending on the number of passengers, traveling distance, and type of boat. Anchor has gathered a number of awards including winner of the Capital Innovators Pitch Contest, an Ozark Fund Pitch Finalist, and nominee for Best of the Lake as best new business for 2017. It was founded in St. Louis, but is relocating to Tampa.
• A finalist on Startup Bus 2017, the Tampa-based Course Align helps universities create curriculum that train students in relevant skills. The company took first place at the 5th Annual Veteran Entrepreneur Training Symposium.
• The Tampa-based Preferhired is an online staffing company for jobseekers, referrers and hiring managers. The company, which pays referrers to recruit for hiring managers, was the 1776 Challenge Festival Global Finals Wildcard Winner. It also claimed first place in the Technology Track at the GAIN Shootout in Gainesville.
• The St. Petersburg-based Records Rescue helps law firms retrieve medical records for their clients and potential clients, saving time and money. The service, which is compliant with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 and Service Organization Control, includes a secure electronic signature feature.
• RxLive is a St. Petersburg-based telehealth network of experienced clinical pharmacists who counsel patients, providers, pharmacies, employers, and others on the phone or through video chat.
• SimpleShowing, a licensed real estate brokerage in Florida and Georgia, has been featured on Netlify and chosen as a presenter at Switchyard B2C Pitch, Show #19. The Atlanta-based company's affordable rate structure helps buyers and sellers save money on real estate commissions.
• The Tampa-based Wabi Social is a dating app that relies on social networks and shared experiences to make online dating more accountable. The company was co-founded by Jason Casher and Carlos Fernandez, Chief Technology Officer, who hopes it will promote community and grow long-lasting relationships.
It derives its name from the Japanese term Wabi Sabi, a worldview that appreciates beauty even in imperfect things. "I thought [that] was a great summation of dating, in that there is beauty to be found in everyone and on many levels. We just have to take the time to see it," Casher explains.
To suggest additional story ideas, email 83 Degrees.
To subscribe to our free weekly e-magazine, follow this link.
Read more articles by Cheryl Rogers.
Cheryl Rogers is a freelance writer and editor who enjoys writing about careers. An ebook author, she also writes Bible Camp Mystery series that shares her faith. She is publisher of New Christian Books Online Magazine and founder of the Mentor Me Career Network, a free online community, offering career consulting, coaching and career information.
Connections, Diversity, Downtown Tampa, Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Talent, Technology
Tampa, St. Petersburg
Give us your email and we will give you our weekly online magazine.
Here's how Metro Detroit city planners are preparing their communities for next-generation mobility
Source: Detroit Driven
24 Hours in Cleveland: DJ personality Rachel Hunt lines up her perfect day in the city
Source: Cleveland - Freshwater Media
A winter guide for all: 18 things to do in Midland to make the most of the season
Source: Midland
Are you actually living eco-friendly? How to 'go green' without getting greenwashed
Source: Input Fort Wayne
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Learning to dance can be quite a personal and self-exploring process. MIL PASOS dance school knows that very well. That's why the instructors, true salsa lovers, have a big passion for sharing this love of dance with their students.
We have had the pleasure of working with MIL PASOS – Salsa Cubana team, and making something beautiful and effective through our connection. A local campaign, as well as the marketing and communication strategies we took on social media, resulted in creating a strong brand refresh.


text:
Silver Linings Playbook Review (Seen November 19th)
Posted by FilmGamer on December 11, 2012
Director: David O. Russell
Writer: David O. Russell, Matthew Quick (novel)
Starring: Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Robert De Niro, Jacki Weaver, Chris Tucker, and Julia Stiles
Distributor: Weinstein Company
Running Time: 2 Hours and 2 minutes (2:02)
Release Date: November 16th, 2012 (limited release)
Production Budget: 21 million
Plot Summary: After a stint in a mental institution, former teacher Pat Solitano moves back in with his parents and tries to reconcile with his ex-wife. Things get more challenging when Pat meets Tiffany, a mysterious girl with problems of her own.
Review: I went into Silver Linings Playbook with a sense of optimism. I had gotten free tickets to this through a promotional deal so I had no personal investment going in. Being advertised as the feel good movie of the year I must say that this movie totally delivers, it wasn't even until I left the theatre that I realized I was watching a romantic comedy.
The movie walks a thin line between adult-oriented family drama, and romantic comedy. It is a tricky tone to establish if any major department comes up short. Fortunately, the writing clicks, the direction is solid, and the actors have enough chemistry to make you forget your watching a movie; at least until the curtains come up.
I usually don't like Bradley Cooper (38) as he often plays too much of a jerk in his movies; typecast as a cocky womanizer in most of his other roles, but I was surprised he was able to put together a performance where he was just crazy enough for the audience to relate to, but not too far gone to be alienating.
Having just seen "The Hunger Games", I initially figured Jennifer Lawrence (22) was far too young to play a widow, but she is often able to bring a certain amount of maturity to the roles she takes on. This is vital to a film that casts to lead actors with 15 years between them to carry on a chemistry that is believable and it mostly works.
As for the rest of the acting Robert De Niro seems to have more life in him in this role than we've seen in years. I particularly loved the scene where he is speaking to Bradley Cooper's character asking him to spend some quality father and son time watching a football game with him. The emotions of disappointment wash over his face in one of the films standout moments.
The remaining cast acts as filler serving the main performances. You get fills Jacki Weaver acting as a stereotypical old age mother, and have Chris Tucker also pops in for a few funny scenes to sport extra comic-relief. Overall the ensemble works just as it should with performances that slightly elevate standard rom-com material.
In a crowded holiday season, I like to look for a real gem and this movie stands out as one of the better films of 2012, and will most likely get Oscar attention from the academy come awards season.
Overall Grade: +2/ B+
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ESCONDIDO, Calif. -- During this season of giving, thieves have been stealing cars and sometimes the only mode of transportation from hard-working people.
Escondido police previously told FOX 5 that over the past three years, on average, about 45 vehicles are stolen each month. In recent months, an auto theft detective said he has been seeing a trend of people leaving their keys or fobs in their car. He also noted that older model Hondas are a prime target for thieves.
Just a week after her college shut down, nursing student Beverly Brown said her Honda was stolen from her apartment complex off of El Norte Parkway.
"I'm kind of lost. I'm still trying to collect myself with everything happening," Brown said.
The young mother said her car was found in Oceanside and is now at a tow yard. She said she was disappointed when she went to see that it was gutted and her personal belongings were gone.
"My medical books, I still have some, but some of my maternity books they took and then it's just strange -- pictures of my daughter. Everything was cleared out of my car," Brown said. "It's messed up. I don't know. I've been there before. I've been homeless as well and I've never done something like that."
Down the road, Robert Hollon woke up to find his wife's brand new Mercedes was missing. He said he discovered that while he was sleeping, someone came into his home, in his gated neighborhood, and stole the keys hanging near the front door.
The thieves, or thief, got away with the car and his wallet.
"It could have been a lot worse. Someone came in when we were asleep so we're just lucky that nothing happened to us," Hollon said.
These victims may be ending the year feeling violated, but the Hollons are starting the new year with a new security system, as Brown is looking forward to a fresh start.
"Hopefully 2019 brings something better," Brown said.
Police said if you do not have an alarm system for your car, you should look into getting one, or at least get a steering wheel lock.


text:
/**
 * External dependencies
 */
import { __, _x } from '@googleforcreators/i18n';

/**
 * Internal dependencies
 */
import type { MetaData } from '../../types';

export default {
  slug: 'technology-advice',
  creationDate: '2021-08-25T00:00:00.000Z',
  title: _x('Technology Advice', 'template name', 'web-stories'),
  tags: [
    _x('Technology', 'template keyword', 'web-stories'),
    _x('Studio', 'template keyword', 'web-stories'),
    _x('Tips', 'template keyword', 'web-stories'),
    _x('Modern', 'template keyword', 'web-stories'),
    _x('White', 'template keyword', 'web-stories'),
  ],
  colors: [
    {
      label: _x('White', 'color', 'web-stories'),
      color: '#fff',
      family: _x('White', 'color', 'web-stories'),
    },
    {
      label: _x('Cod Black', 'color', 'web-stories'),
      color: '#444849',
      family: _x('Black', 'color', 'web-stories'),
    },
    {
      label: _x('Cosmonaut Gray', 'color', 'web-stories'),
      color: '#dedede',
      family: _x('Gray', 'color', 'web-stories'),
    },
  ],
  description: __(
    'With its smooth gray shades and corner frame accents, this template is like your very own professional tech review studio. Use photos and videos and create informative, sleek-looking product reviews, comparisons and buying guides for your audience.',
    'web-stories'
  ),
  vertical: _x('Technology', 'template vertical', 'web-stories'),
} as MetaData;


text:
Lockheed-Martin (GD) F-16A(M) Fighting Falcon
Single-engine single seat fighter
In 1973 the search began to find a replacement for the Lockheed F104G Starfighter, which resulted on June 9th, 1975 with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the purchase of the General Dynamics F16 Fighting Falcon. The initial contract for 116 aircraft (96 F16A single-seaters and 20 F16B dual-seaters was signed on May 5th, 1977. The Belgian aircraft (as where the Danish aircraft) were to be assembled at the SABCA factory at Gosselies, using components produced in the other participating countries (Belgium, the Netherlands, Denmark and Norway). A second follow-on buy for 44 aircraft (Block 15 OCU) was signed in February 1983, with deliveries taking place between 1987 and 1991 (40 F16As and 4 F16Bs). This second batch was bought to replace some of the Mirage 5Bs. Over the years the F16-fleet has been updated and modernised continuously, the largest update being the Midlife Update that was initiated in 1989. This was a result of a study started in 1987 to find a replacement for the F16, but budgetary constraints for all participating countries resulted in the MLU-project that aimed to bring the F16A/Bs to the latest Block 50 level and an extended life until approximately 2015. The Belgian Air Force decided to bring 90 of its aircraft up to MLU-level.
The F16 initially equipped 2 Fighter Wings, No 1 at Beauvechain (349 & 350 Squadrons) and No 10 at Kleine Brogel (23 & 31 Squadrons). Deliveries of the 44 aircraft from the follow-on contract meant that a third Wing, No 2 at Florennes could be converted to the F16. The end of the cold war however initiated some serious budget cuts, and in march 1996 No 1 Wing at Beauvechain was disbanded and its flying units dispersed over the two remaining wings, 349 Squadron and the Operational Conversion Unit moved to Kleine Brogel and 350 Squadron moved to Florennes. A first batch of older F16s were withdrawn from service and put into storage at Weelde.
Further re-organisations meant the disbandment of 2 Squadron at Florennes (in April 2001) and 23 Squadron at Kleine Brogel (in March 2002). The latest plans call for the reduction of the number of aircraft to about 60 by 2015.
F-16A FA-01 > FA-45
F-16A FA-91 > FA-136