Miroslaw Swietek captures stunning macro images of insects covered in dew. He takes his photos early in the morning in the forest near his village in Jaroszow, Poland. At that hour, insects and other bugs are still in a state of torpor and aren't disturbed by the camera, Swietek told LiveScience.
Like many a shutterbug, Polish amateur photographer Miroslaw Swietek is fascinated with getting up-close-and-personal photos of insects. But Swietek's photos have an extra layer of amazing: He creeps up on bugs early in the morning when they're in a state of torpor and covered in dew.
Through the camera lens, the dew-covered insects look like they're encrusted with diamonds. The effect is even more stunning when droplets of water magnify the bugs' multi-lens compound eyes.
LiveScience caught up with Swietek to talk macro photography and sleepy insects.
LiveScience: How did you get involved with macro photography?
Swietek: My story with macro photography was just an accident. In 2007, I wanted to do a bike tour to Norway and one of my purchases was a camera (Fuji S6500 FD). I looked at the Internet on how to take photos of landscapes, because I needed to learn, but I also saw macro photos and really enjoyed them. So I put off taking photos of landscapes and I've started taking macro photos. [See a gallery of Swietek's work]
LiveScience: Where do you find the spiders and insects you photograph? Often, I go to the forest next to my village and there I find them.
LiveScience: How about the dew-covered insects? How do you photograph them without disturbing their diamond-like look? The dew-covered insects I also find in that same forest next to my village. At that early in the morning, insects are very sleepy so the camera doesn't disturb them.
LiveScience: What draws you to photographing insects? I already enjoy going to the forest, because it's a really good way to relax, but only in insect photography [do I get] that amazing look when you take a photo in super-zoom and you see the awesome colors and stunning appearance. Most people don't know what beautiful creatures live around us.
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Abstract: The aim of this article is a synthetic presentation of the results of the assessment of the current state of the Polish real estate market, achieved after twenty-five years of its functioning in the conditions of market economy. The assessment was based on the SWOT analysis method in which supplementally, for the quantification of individual factors characterising the market, the method of Geneva (indicator method) was used. It was estimated that in 2014 the sum of: • positive characteristics reached a total of 175 points compared to 200 possible (the Polish real estate market does not use approximately 12.5% of the value associated mainly with stimulating demand and the activation of our market for foreign investors); • negative characteristics reached a total of 105 points out of 200 possible (the Polish real estate market is facing the neutralisation of a half of imperfections, resulting mainly from the poor economic condition of households, poor land management in urban areas).
Abstract: The study aims to provide a better understanding of the ways in which forest resources are used in Nepal. Its focus is to examine systematically the costs and benefits of present and possible future sustainable and biodiversity-friendly management practices from household, national, and global perspectives. The authors define the analytical framework and the costs of financial and economic alternatives. They also present the economic, social, institutional and legal issues, and recommend strategies for change. The report should be of use to national and donor agencies concerned with the management of natural resources and conservation of biodiversity in Nepal, providing a framework for possible future donor support to the sector. It highlights issues that are of importance in the formulation and implementation of natural resource management programs by government and non-government agencies.
Abstract: By assuming a forest growing logistically and a local population that harvests wood illegally in a manner similar to predation, a bio-economic model gives the following results: 1) when local population is very low, optimal deterring effort is zero; 2) as long as the population is sufficiently low, no deterring effort is required to avoid complete deforestation; 3) when population is above minimum threshold, optimal deterring effort is determined by the cost of deterrence relative to the value of wood; 4) when human population grows above a higher threshold, deterring effort must be greater than zero to avoid complete deforestation; 5) the larger the population grows, minimum deterring effort to avoid exhaustion approaches maximum effort; 6) when human population is very large, the relative cost of deterrence must be low, or the price of wood very high, to make deterrence worth wile.
Ring-porous to semi-ring-porous. Growth ring boundaries undulating. Earlywood pore ring discontinuous. Latewood pores and vascular tracheids in clusters with a diagonal to dendritic orientation. Parenchyma diffuse, apotracheal.
Radial section
Simple perforation plates. Distinct spiral thickenings in vessels and vascular tracheids. Homogeneous rays, occasionally heterogeneous with one or two enlarged marginal cells. Libriform fibres present, fibre-tracheids absent.
Tangential section
Rays 5- to 7-seriate, rarely narrower or wider, very rarely uniseriate rays. Sheath cells occasionally present. Ray height up to 10 mm.
Key characters
Ring-porous. In latewood clusters of pores and vascular tracheids with a diagonal to dendritic orientation. Wide, high rays, generally homogeneous. Simple perforation plates, spiral thickenings.
Abstract: In general most nature-based recreational goods and benefits are considered positive externalities of production, as they are usually not subject to trade. So far, a low degree of rivalry among most user groups and legally defined rights has secured these benefits as almost a public good. Yet, the increasing intensity of use and the arrival of new demanding user groups are quickly changing the picture. In some regions, rivalry among user groups is strong, changing the situation to one of a common-pool resource and declining quality of the good. This provides an option for landowners to offer tailored goods and services to specific user groups, offering to improve the quality of their recreational experience against a payment. Using a two-stage game theoretical model, we show that in spite of apparent potential first-mover advantages in this developing market, demand uncertainty and sunk costs may equally well result in widespread presence of non-movers on the supplier side. While most of the first-mover literature analyse the potentials for sustained first-mover gains, we focus on the presence of non-movers. In a simple model, we show that social gains can be made from offering a subsidy towards the sunk costs. The efficient scheme takes into account the underlying first-mover game.
Abstract: In order to speed up the production of small-sized thinning wood chips in young stands, the Finnish State provides financial incentives for the production of small-diameter wood chips. Financial support is provided according to the Sustainable Silviculture Foundation Law (Kemera). Currently (Summer 2008), the Kemera support provides subsidies for smallsized wood chips in early thinnings 7–10 €/MWh maximum in typical harvesting conditions (whole-tree chip removal 40–70 m3/ha, and average stem size of removal 10–40 dm3). Metsäteho Oy undertook a study on the total production costs of small-sized thinning wood chips with and without the Kemera supports. The results gave a clear indication that small-sized wood chips cannot currently be produced without the Kemera supports from young stands with typical harvesting conditions. If operating without the Kemera supports, the average stem size of whole trees harvested must be greater than 80 dm3, at the current price level of small-diameter wood chips in order for the harvesting of small-diameter energy wood from young stands to be economically profitable in Finland.
Abstract: This paper presents a case study of BIM implementation for Design for Manufacture and Assembly (DfMA). The project is a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) between the University of Salford and Links FF&E, a design, manufacture and fit-out SME based in the UK. The project aims to implement BIM as a catalyst for a Lean transformation, streamlining process and operations. Initially, organisational process are reviewed, which is followed by implementing appropriate technologies to enable subsequent people and process transformation. The 30 month project is organized in 6 key stages. This paper presents findings from the first four stages that have been completed to date of 1. Establishing best practice knowledge in BIM; 2. Conducting a review and analysis of the organisation's current situation, 3. Developing a BIM-based collaborative strategy, and the fourth, which is currently progressing, 4. Pilot implementation of BIM collaborative strategy for DfMA. The remaining stages will conduct a project evaluation, before finally implementing an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
Abstract: The global energy demand has been increasing rapidly due to depletion of fossil fuels, continuous growth of world population and industrialized economy. India has surpassed to Japan and Russia and become the third largest oil consumer in the world. Unfortunately, India’s primary energy consumption has increased due to reduced oil and gas production. The increased consumption of imported oil could lead to turbulence in economic growth. Due to increasing demand of oil fuels and consequent impact of global warming issues, development of alternate energy is a top priority in research and developments sector. The bioenergy produced from the biomass is being a sustainable alternate energy source which received high acceptance in various sectors include public, industries and government policies. from the Government, public, industries and researches for its sustainability. This review focuson bioprospecting of biomass from terrestrial and marine resources for non conventional energy production and the stepping stones of biofuel for near future. These carbohydrates can be converted into various forms of biofuels either directly or indirectly by exploiting microorganisms. However, the production process and chemical transformation is being an expensive process and therefore commercial supply of biofuel in largescale is not yet successful. Hence an economic and efficient production process is essential to commercialize biomass based biofuels. This article highlights the overview of sustainable and renewable resources for biofuel and stepping stones of biofuel commercialization.
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Abstract: After a 50-year armed conflict, negotiations with guerrilla groups are likely to lead to peace agreements in Colombia. A post-conflict context would open up the possibility of modernizing agriculture, improving living standards in rural areas and making good use of the vast natural resources. Sustainable bioenergy combined with improved land use strategies is of particular interest in this context. However, while bioenergy is today the second largest renewable resource after hydropower, no official plans exist for exploiting it in a post-conflict context.
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