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Events

Forthcoming LEC events are listed here, from open days to seminars and conferences.

UCAS Open Day - Environmental Science schemes

Saturday 11th February 2012
Lancaster Environment Centre

Environmental Science schemes open day.

The Predatory Bird Monitoring Scheme - assessing chemical threats to biodiversity

Professor Richard Shore, CEH Lancaster

Wednesday 15th February 2012, 1600-1700
LEC Training Rooms 1 And 2

Sustainable Water Stewardship - Gaps and Opportunities

Professor Tim O’Riordan OBE FBA, Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia

Monday 20th February 2012, 1530-1630
LEC Training Rooms 1 And 2

Emeritus Professor of Environmental Sciences at the University of East Anglia, Professor O'Riordan has recently contributed to the Sustainable Water Stewardship: The Next Big Step Forward - a summary of the workshop organised by the Universityof Cambridge Programme for Sustainability Leadership and sponsored by Anglian Water.

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UCAS Open Day - Environmental Science Schemes

Tuesday 21st February 2012
Lancaster Environment Centre

Environmental Science schemes open day.

Generalised Models for Uncertainty with Applications in Engineering

Professor Michael Beer, University of Liverpool

Wednesday 22nd February 2012, 1200-1300
LEC Training Room 2

Uncertainty and imprecision in structural parameters and in environmental conditions and loads are challenging phenomena in engineering analyses. They require an appropriate mathematical modelling and quantification to obtain realistic results when predicting the behaviour and reliability of engineering structures and systems. But the modelling and quantification are complicated by the characteristics of the available information, which involves, for example, sparse data, poor measurements and subjective information. This raises the question whether the available information is sufficient for a probabilistic modelling or rather suggests a set-theoretical modelling. The framework of imprecise probabilities provides a mathematical basis to deal with these problems which involve both probabilistic and non-probabilistic characteristics of information. A common feature of the various concepts of imprecise probabilities is the consideration of an entire set of probabilistic models in one analysis. But there are differences between the concepts in the mathematical description of this set and in the theoretical connection to the probabilistic models involved. This seminar provides an overview on selected concepts of imprecise probabilities, which are increasingly adopted for the solution of engineering problems. Specific features and relationships between the models are discussed. Particular attention is devoted to the concept of fuzzy probabilities. Examples of applications in engineering underline the usefulness of the concepts discussed.

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What does rural-urban migration mean for Amazonian people and forests?

Dr Luke Parry, Lancaster Environment Centre

Wednesday 29th February 2012, 1600-1700
Furness Lecture Theatre 3

Rural-urban migration has contributed to the rapid growth of urban areas in developing countries, including in tropical forest regions. The consequences of urbanization for conservation and development goals are highly contested. Rural depopulation and land abandonment may facilitate forest recovery and prevent the extinction of forest species. Alternatively, the increased demand for forest resources by migrants with strong rural ties could increase the ecological footprints of expanding cities, undermining the potential benefits of rural depopulation for threatened forests. We examined the well-being of rural-urban migrants in two rainforest cities in the Brazilian Amazon. We also assessed food security and household reliance on rural areas for income and food. Our results from 156 randomly selected households indicate that the majority of families in the two cities along the River Madeira had migrated from rural areas, motivated by a desire for education and other factors, including extreme climatic events. Compared to non-migrants, migrant households had low cash incomes and often lacked access to reliable water and electricity supplies. We found that recent migrant households frequently maintained a rural livelihoods portfolio although rural-urban linkages reduced over time since arrival in a city. All households consumed wild forms of animal protein, particularly fish. For the first time we document widespread consumption of hunted forest animals and river turtles by urban consumers in the Amazon. However, recent migrants consumed particularly high quantities of forest and river-sourced animal protein and gradually switched to farmed foods. We consider the policy levers available to facilitate poverty alleviation in growing urban centres and minimize the ecological impacts of urban consumption in rainforest regions.