Appropriate land management decisions are important for current and future use of the land to ensure its sustainability. This requires that land management units (LMUs) be specified to enable the identification of specific parameters employed in decision making processes. This paper presents the development of a conceptual model, within geographic information systems (GIS), for defining and assessing LMUs from available biophysical information. The model consists of two main components (sub-models): land quality-based suitability analysis and soil erosion estimation. Using a fuzzy set methodology, the first sub-model was constructed to derive a land suitability index (LSI) for a cropping land utilization type. The LSI thus highlights the suitability grades of every pixel in the study area on a continuous basis. A submodel of soil erosion was established based on the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) utilising the same spatial data bases employed for structuring the LSI. Using a soil loss tolerance principle, a fuzzy membership function of average annual soil loss (called soil loss index, SLI) was established, leading to compatibility between LSI and SLI for data integration. LMUs were then derived from various combinations of LSI and SLI. The methodology developed shows the significance of the model for refining available land suitability evaluation systems, which take no account of expected land degradation (from erosion) due to a nominated land use. It also provides a valuable guideline for cost-effective GIS applications in the identification and assessment of homogeneous land units, using available spatial information sets, at a finer scale.

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Today, competing land use is continuing to occur in many developed regions. In the Agricultural Development Zone of Western Sydney Region, which is characterised by complex landscape patterns, land use competition is widespread. From a land use planning perspective, identification of suitable locations for a given type of land use is necessary for decision makers to formulate land use alternatives in different locations, based on existing land potential and constraints. For such a region, use of a simple method that implements a categorical system and considers only inherent land characteristics in the analysis is often inadequate to arrive at an optimal spatial decision. The primary aim of this paper is to develop spatial modelling procedures for agricultural land suitability analysis using compromise programming (CoPr) and fuzzy set approach within a geographical information systems (GIS) environment. Five main sets of spatial data for use as decision criteria were developed by using fuzzy set methodology: a land suitability index (LSI) for maximising the land productivity objective; an erosion tolerance index (ETI) for minimising the erosion risk objective; a runoff curve number (CN) for maximising the water discharge regulation objective; an accessibility (RP) measure for maximising the land accessibility objective; and the proximity to water body (WP) for minimising the water pollution objective. An L p -metric was used in the analysis utilising different strategies with representative indices ranging from a situation where full tradeoff among criteria occurs to a noncompensatory condition. Different weighting combinations were also applied, and decision analysis was carried out by using values ranging from 0 to 1.0, where 1.0 is considered as an ideal point. The CoPr model demonstrated in this paper yielded a promising result, as several different techniques of sensitivity analysis show reasonably good results. Likewise, an overlay of that result with the present land use/land cover indicates a good corresponding spatial matching between existing land use (orchard and cultivated land), and the cells (land parcels) classified as the best in CoPr. The results are amenable to various map display techniques, either using continuous values or by defining different cut off points in the data space within a raster GIS environment.

At the junction between the scyphistoma's scyphopharynx-filament complex and its endoderm is a narrow zone of simple columnar cells. These cells can transform into amoebocytes which collect together and work their way to the aboral end of the polyp, where they secrete a cuticular encasement, thus forming the podocyst.Light and electron microscopy, as well as histochemistry, show the podocyst to be a lamellated tanned chitin-protein complex covering the protoplasmic contents, which have a nucleated outer clear cytoplasmic layer and a yolky central zone which may be liquefied in places.

ABSTRACT. The microanatomy of a cubopolyp (polypoid stage of Cubomedusae) is described for the first time. The 0.5-1.0 mm long polyp of Tripedalia cystophora has an oral cone with special lip cells at the mouth. Next is a baggy calyx occasionally followed by a slender stalk. The basal region is surrounded by a thin periderm. A single row of teI~tacles is at the oral cone/calyx junction. The mesoglea is thin and non-cellular. The muscular system of the ectoderm is composed of smooth longitudinal epitheliomuscular cells in the oral cone, tentacle, stalk and calyx. The calyx ectoderm also sends longltudinal muscle fibers into the mesoglea. The mesogleal muscle fibers seem to contain paramyosin and perhaps are doubly innervated: one set of neurites for contraction and one for relaxation. A circular endodermal system of filaments, probably actin, is found in aI1 regions. The tentacles have a solid core of a single row of endodermal cells capable of phagocytosis. The ectodermal tip is swollen with longitudinally aligned nematocysts. The distal part of the tentacle contains striated ectodermal myofibers. The nervous system is unique in having an endodermaI/ectodermaI nerve ring pair at the calyx/oral cone junction. Ganglion cells are not apparent. Presumed sense cells have complicated microvilli and no flagellar rootlet. A cell fitting the description of a neurosecretory neurone is especially prominent in the oral cone's endoderm. It has a major process reaching the coelenteron. Round macrogranular cells corresponding to the amoebocytes of the Scyphozoa and Anthozoa are found. There are no interstitial ceils. The oral cone's flagellated endoderm is made up of mucous cells, cells with small dark granules, cells with large granules and rodlets in the cytoplasm, and a few absorptive ceils. The calyx endoderm is very thick (120 #m) a~d is made up of flagellated absorptive, mucous and granular cells. In~ested food is transformed into basal droplets. 4 size and shape types of the microbasic eurytele category make up the cnidome. The largest nematocyst types are found at the tentacle's tip. Like a hydropolyp, the cubopolyp lacks gastral septa and is in other features radially symmetrical. Like a scyphopolyp, the cubopolyp has mesogleal muscles and no interstitial cells. Unique histological features are the nerve rings and tentacular striated muscles.