Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Ecological Considerations'

Papyrus swamps form ecological buffer zones at the land-water interface, protecting lake shallows from sedimentation and reducing the risk of eutrophication in open water. Many communities living near papyrus swamps, particularly in East Africa, derive socioeconomic benefits from these highly productive ecosystems. Loss of the buffering capacity of papyrus at Lake Naivasha, Kenya, explains much of the observed increase in the lake’s trophic state. Multiple authors have called for Naivasha’s wetlands to be restored; however, the social and ecological factors that would need to be considered before doing so have received insufficient attention. Case studies of recent restoration programmes at Lake Victoria illustrate the means by which degraded wetlands can be rehabilitated. Analysis of attitudes towards papyrus at Lake Naivasha reveals a general lack of awareness surrounding the benefits of local wetlands, forming a potential barrier to successful restoration there. An assessment of the lake’s riparian zone demonstrates that both anthropogenic and natural pressures present significant challenges for the survival of lake-fringing wetlands, highlighting changes that have occurred within the ecosystem over the last few decades. Potential means of addressing both the social and ecological limitations to papyrus restoration are offered, with explicit linkages to the benefits of doing so made clear. Floating islands are shown to be the most appropriate reference for ecological restoration at Lake Naivasha, which can be replicated through artificial technology. The establishment of a consumptive use value for harvested papyrus at Naivasha would help to raise stakeholders’ awareness of wetlands; a novel means of producing biomass briquettes was met with positive responses from local residents and may be used to encourage community participation in restoration. A vision for wise use of this internationally renowned Ramsar site is set out, with recommendations made as to how papyrus wetlands could be managed sustainably over the long term.

School climate has been established as an important construct to measure because of its connections to student psychological, social, and academic outcomes. Existing research has examined school climate in relation to individual (i.e., race and gender) and school level (i.e., teacher characteristics or school size) variables. The current paper presents a cultural-ecological model for research on school climate. The cultural-ecological model of school climate supports future research incorporating a broadened view of culture, extending beyond race and ethnicity, and a more comprehensive examination of ecological contexts such as the family and community in understanding student perceptions of school climate. Within this model, individual, family, school, and community variables that may influence student perceptions of school climate are described and a research agenda is presented for utilizing the cultural-ecological model of school climate in future school climate research and for developing, implementing and evaluating strategies designed to enhance school climate and school performance based on prevention and intervention. The current study examined the relationship between cultural and ecological variables at the individual, school, and community levels and student perceptions of school climate. A multi-level (HLM) model examining the relationships between individual, cultural, and ecological variables and school climate was evaluated. Results of the current study indicated that for the relationship between student and school characteristics and school climate remain relatively consistent for both groups. Specifically, both individual and school variables influenced student perceptions of school climate. However, this data also confirms the need to further examine additional cultural and ecological variables in order to increase our understanding of how such variables are related to perceptions of climate.

Wind energy is quickly becoming a critical technology for providing Americans with renewable energy, and rapid construction of wind facilities may have impacts on both wildlife and human communities. Understanding both the social and ecological issues related to wind energy development could provide a framework for effectively meeting human energy needs while conserving species biodiversity. In this research I looked at two aspects of wind energy development: public attitudes toward wind energy development and wind facility impacts on local bat populations. These papers present aspects of wind energy development that have been the subject of increasing study. This preliminary research is intended to demonstrate the responsibility we have to making well-informed decisions as we continue to expand wind energy development. Additionally, I hope to generate interest in interdisciplinary study as a means to broaden the scope of research by making use of the diverse tools available within different disciplines.

The growth and virulence of the major human pathogen Staphylococcus aureus, is dependent upon a cell-to-cell signalling mechanism known as quorum sensing (QS). QS co­ordinates the production of virulence factors at a group level via the production and sensing of autoinducing peptide (AIP) signal molecules by the agr locus. Here, the role and social nature of QS is examined in 1) a virulence model using waxmoth larvae and 2] a motility model whereby S. aureus colonies expand on soft agar surfaces. Infection of waxmoth larvae showed that 1) QS in S. aureus is a cooperative social trait, which provides a benefit to cells at the group or population level; 2] wild-type cells are exploited by agr mutants, which act as social cheats within the group and invade wild-type populations; 3) the presence of agr cheats results in reduced virulence during infection and 4) population diversity but not transmission rate affects whether QS is maintained. These results provide a possible explanation as to why agr mutants show reduced virulence in animal models but can be isolated from infections of humans. qqr-dependentQS also controls spreading motility, which has been previously described as a passive form of motility. Here it is shown that S. aureus is capable of a form of active motility called gliding, and thatS. aureus can move as 'comets’ of cells that are encased in a matrix. As S. aureus is generally believed to be non- motile, this discovery may provide new insights into how S. aureus survives in the environment and during infection. Finally, an investigation into S. aureus phenotypic and antibiotic susceptibility diversity from a single clinical sample was performed. S. aureus colonies isolated from a case of bacteraemia associated with a gluteal abscess revealed no variation in antibiotic susceptibility or growth yield in the population. Overall, research in this thesis provides new insights into social behaviours regulated by qqr-dependent QS in 5. aureus and demonstrates for the first time that QS is social in S. aureus.

This thesis outlines research conducted as part of a collaborative project between Virginia Tech and Plant and Food Research New Zealand (PFRNZ) to introduce Heringia calcarata (Loew) (Diptera: Syrphidae) to New Zealand (NZ) for biological control of woolly apple aphid (WAA), Eriosoma lanigerum (Hausmann) (Hemiptera: Aphididae). Ultimately, the introduction of H. calcarata to New Zealand will be contingent upon satisfying regulatory requirements and concerns, including documentation that it will not have an adverse effect on the existing biological control of WAA by Aphelinus mali (Haldeman) (Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae). As well, it will be critical to develop methods for sustained rearing of H. calcarata in captivity. Basic and applied studies were conducted toward providing essential information for advancing this project. Apple shoot sections with a WAA colony that did or did not contain mummified aphids parasitized by A. mali were deployed in pairs at the base of apple trees. There was no significant difference in the mean number of H. calcarata eggs deposited between shoots with parasitized (1.5 ± 0.34 SE) and non-parasitized colonies (1.75 ± 0.42 SE), although female H. calcarata laid eggs less frequently on colonies with a high percentage parasitization. In choice-test feeding studies, larvae were offered non-parasitized aphids in combination with aphids in an early stage of parasitization or mummified aphids. Larvae consumed significantly fewer aphids in an early stage of parasitization (10.8 ± 0.48 SE) than non-parasitized aphids (13.4 ± 0.42 SE) and very few mummies (0.4 ± 0.14 SE) compared with non-parasitized aphids (14.2 ± 0.4 SE). In no-choice feeding trials, larvae consumed significantly more non-parasitized aphids (25.3 ± 1.93 SE) than aphids in an early stage of parasitization (19.7 ± 1.85 SE) or mummified aphids (2.2 ± 0.71 SE) and significantly fewer mummified aphids were consumed than early parasitized aphids. WAA colonies in situ on the branches of potted apple trees were exposed to H. calcarata, A. mali, or both. Exposure to H. calcarata larvae independently and in combination with A. mali was shown to have a significant effect on the number of WAA compared with control colonies, and H. calcarata larvae did not affect the number of mummified aphids produced within colonies. Heringia calcarata eggs were collected by deploying excised apple shoot sections containing at least one WAA colony at the base of apple trees for 8-12 h. One or more eggs were laid on 29% of shoots (n = 233 shoots). On shoots with eggs, 2.4 ± 0.21 SE eggs per shoot were recorded. In 2012, four shipments of H. calcarata eggs and larvae (total of 178) were sent from Virginia to a quarantine containment facility in NZ. This demonstrated that juvenile H. calcarata could be successfully transported internationally. In total, 124 adult flies were generated in NZ, representing 69.9% of the number of eggs and larvae recovered upon delivery to quarantine. Field-collected gravid female H. calcarata oviposited on WAA colonies under captive conditions: 63% in 2011 (n = 8) and 80% in 2012 (n = 15). In 2012, 98% of the eggs deposited hatched. Virgin females reared from eggs in the laboratory developed mature oocytes regardless of access to pollen. The findings of this research offer valuable insights into the biology and ecology of H. calcarata that are directly relevant to the project goals and that will help guide the development of H. calcarata as a classical biological control agent for WAA in NZ.
Master of Science in Life Sciences

When do novel adaptations arise as rearrangements of ancestral components and when do they arise de novo? Answering this question requires direct study of the proximate mechanisms behind novel phenotypes that arise from diverse starting points along different historical contingencies. Here we capitalize on uniquely replicated historical sequences of population establishment in the house finch (Haemorphous mexicanus) to study the evolution of color-producing enzymatic pathways that underlie population divergence in color phenotypes. We first evaluated genetic diversity and differentiation in a neutral marker (the mitochondrial NADH II dehydrogenase gene) across 12 study populations, both in the ancestral range in Arizona and across the Continental Divide in Montana at the range edge. We uncovered 29 haplotypes in our samples, describing 17 new haplotypes for this species. We then examined the influence of inter-population differences (such as habitat, age, and genetic relationships) on variation in the network of enzymatic reactions that produce carotenoid-based coloration in this species. Placing these comparisons in the framework of historical sequence of population establishment allows us to elucidate likely evolutionary trajectories of novel feather color phenotypes in this species.

This thesis was to examine selective logging practices in Ghana and to gather and apply relevant ecological and silvicultural knowledge to rules governing the selection of trees for felling (specifically minimum felling diameters and harvest intensities) and seed tree retention.  The work involved reviews of historical data as well as field-based studies, including experimental and descriptive work.  A review of forest regulation between 1900 and 1989 revealed that timber harvesting in permanent forest reserves has primarily been regulated through minimum felling limits.  These regulations appear to have been insufficient to ensure regeneration of the valuable species, as suggested by examination of stem stocking and species composition data from six reserves that differ in levels of historical exploitation.  The stock of timber trees in the logged forest is dominated by shade tolerant species indicating a need for silvicultural interventions.  Census of seedlings and saplings within 50m of mother trees for 15 species revealed that more than 60% of their seedlings occur within 30m of parents indicating spatial limitation to seedling recruitment.  The result also indicated that 14 of the species have reproductive size threshold lower than their respective minimum felling diameter (MFD) suggesting that decisions about seed tree retention could be uncoupled from MFDs.  Logging studies to compare logging damage (ground area disturbed, stems damaged and canopy change) between two levels of harvest intensities (26.3m³ ha^-1 and 52.6m³ ha^-1) and two sizes (large and small) of tree selected for felling showed that doubling of harvest intensity increased the ground area disturbed by only 40%, but the higher felling intensity was associated with greater amount of canopy opening (mean loss of 21%) than the low intensity (mean loss of 9%).

Thesis advisor: Juliet B. Schor
In an era of increasing awareness about the impacts of everyday consumption on ecological sustainability, this study investigates the factors that influence mothers' selection of household cleaning products. The data for this study are from 28 in-depth interviews with mothers who maintain diverse preferences across a cleaning product profile spectrum. Incorporating the concepts of risk, trust, and convenience, the analysis highlights the ways in which considerations of ecological health in relation to cleaning products influence purchasing decisions of some participants but not others. This study contributes to understandings of how consumer practices shift toward environmental sustainability
Thesis (MA) — Boston College, 2011
Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Sociology

Although rarely included in environmental sociology, settler colonialism significantly structures eco-social relations within the United States. This work considers the range of environmental practices and epistemologies influenced by settler colonial impositions in law, culture and discourse. In this dissertation I also introduce the term colonial ecological violence as a framework for considering the outcomes of this structuring in terms of the disproportionate impacts on Indigenous peoples and communities.
2020-09-06

Pertinent abiotic and biotic factors and their interdependencies necessary to comprehend the ecology of saline systems are investigated and evaluated. A designed saline ecosystem is proposed as a constructive method to reduce waste volume. Landscape pattern is investigated as the vehicle for an evapotranspiration induced directional saline gradient. A demonstration site is used to explore conceptual design application of the idea of ecosystem pattern consisting of a linear sequence of ecotopes, each displaying its own ecological community in relation to salinity range and site context. Biota is relinquished to self-organization. Potential for research use of the ecosystem is illustrated.

The ecological design considerations are focusing on the built environment and the living process of the building. It considering the environment impact in designing building, and integrating ecological responsive design methods. While the traditional Chinese building shared the same design philosophy. Our ancestors are really concerning the connection between their living space with the broader environment, not only in the time they occupying the building, but also when they construct and demolish it. They use the word "harmony" to describe this relationship with the environment, and consider it as the high-quality pursuit of life. Wooden building has been a major building type in China for thousands of years, however, over 40 thousand traditional Chinese building has been demolished in the past 30 years, most of them are wooden buildings. Since the steel, concrete and other emerging materials has become the major materials for the modern building, wooden building seems to step down from the stage of history. Not until in recent years, wooden building come into people’s view again, it’s increasingly appeared in all over the world and take part in a major role in mordent architecture. Since the wood is a sustainable and renewable building material, and a good carbon sink, it is more environmental friendly than steel, concrete or some other building materials. The wooden building has a great potential to discover its ecological benefits and as a carrier of traditional Chinese culture. In seeking the development of wood as a building material, and the future of sustainable buildings, I integrate the theory with practice that human population is growing rapidly, the high-rise wooden building might be a best solution for this quest. I expect to explore the application of wood in high rise building’s envelope and structure, integrate the wood with other material to expand its performance, emotionally and reality connect the traditional Chinese culture and people’s memory of the land to the present day.

Sensilla styloconica on the proboscis of 107 species of North American and tropical butterflies were comparatively studied using the scanning electron microscope. Focus was on 76 species of North American Nymphalidae representing 45 genera and 11 subfamilies. Nomenclature for generalized and specific types of nymphalid sensilla is proposed. Written descriptions and micrographs are presented for each species studied. Morphological features were generally consistent for all or most species within genera and sometimes within subfamilies, with specified exceptions. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences for six of eight variables tested between two distinct feeding guilds of North American Nymphalidae. Average number, density, extent of proboscis coverage with sensilla, their total length, and shoulder spine length were all significantly greater in the non-nectar feeding guild than in nectar feeders, and may indicate adaptation for greater efficiency in feeding on flat surfaces. The greater frequency of apical shoulder spines in non-nectar feeders may represent adaptation for protection of sensory pegs from mechanical abrasion during feeding, or for anchoring the flexible proboscis tip to the surface. Correlation analysis revealed 9 out of 28 positive correlations in nectar feeders and 5 out of 28 in non-nectar feeders. Results of preliminary cladistic analysis were not considered to be meaningfully robust due to few available characters. The stylar characters identified in this study should be more useful in future analyses when included with characters from other lines of evidence. The presence of sensilla styloconica in all subfamilies of Nymphalidae, except Danainae, largely supports Ehrlich's (1958) higher classification concept for the family. The presence of less conspicuous sensilla in the Danainae, and other characteristics are presented as further evidence that they should be reconsidered for full family status. Sensilla styloconica in nymphalid butterflies appear to function as extensions that provide greater sensory reach during feeding. The role of these sensilla in liquid uptake, pollen feeding, and host plant selection is discussed.

Microfinance offers one way to combat poverty by providing access to credit and financial services to low-income borrowers. We argue that the interconnectedness of the socioeconomic and ecological system as well as the reliance on ecosystem services make it important to provide microcredit from a full sustainability perspective. We used the Framework for Strategic Sustainable Development, a scientific based systematic and strategic approach, to create a principle-based model of a microfinance institution operating in a socioeconomic and ecologically sustainable manner. This model was then compared with the circumstances in which these institutions currently operate. We then explored how taking a full sustainability perspective could meet current challenges and maximise opportunities. After a prioritisation process, we made recommendations on how these organisations could strategically move towards sustainability.

Natural systems face pressures exerted by natural physical-chemical forcings and a myriad of co-occurring human stressors that may interact to cause larger than expected effects, thereby presenting a challenge to ecosystem management. This thesis aimed to develop new information that can contribute to reduce the existing knowledge gaps hampering the holistic management of multiple stressors. I undertook a review of the state-of-the-art methods to detect, quantify and predict stressor interactions, identifying techniques that could be applied in this thesis research. Then, I conducted a systematic review of saltmarsh multiple stressor studies in conjunction with a multiple stressor mapping exercise for the study system in order to infer potential important synergistic stressor interactions. This analysis identified key stressors that are affecting the study system, but also pointed to data gaps in terms of driver and pressure data and raised issues for potentially overlooked stressors. Using field mesocosms, I explored how a local stressor (nutrient availability) affects the responses of saltmarsh vegetation to a global stressor (increased inundation) in different soil types. Results indicate that saltmarsh vegetation would be more drastically affected by increased inundation in low than in medium organic matter soils, and especially in estuaries already under high nutrient availability. In another field experiment, I examined the challenges of managing co-occurring and potentially interacting local stressors on saltmarsh vegetation: recreational trampling and smothering by deposition of excess macroalgal wrack due to high nutrient loads. Trampling and wrack prevention had interacting effects, causing non-linear responses of the vegetation to simulated management of these stressors, such that vegetation recovered only in those treatments simulating the combined prevention of both stressors. During this research I detected, using molecular genetic methods, a widespread presence of S. anglica (and to a lesser extent S. townsendii), two previously unrecorded non-native Spartinas in the study areas.

This study investigates the transition from hunting and gathering economies to mixed economies involving both agriculture and hunting and gathering. Specifically, the problem of when, why, and how the transition to agriculture occurred in the arid-semiarid river basins of southeastern Arizona is explored. Modern environmental conditions are described, and the nature and sources of climatic, biotic, and fluvial systemic variability are considered. Anthropological and ecological models of hunter-gatherer adaptations to arid environments are used to reconstruct the general subsistence economy of preagricultural societies in the region, and to portray the process of the spread of agricultural production strategies. Two models of the transition are presented, one involving the adoption of agriculture by indigenous hunting-gathering societies, and the other involving the arrival of immigrant societies already practicing agriculture to a significant degree. Previous studies of the transition to agriculture in the American Southwest are reviewed, and new data are presented from excavated Late Archaic (ca. 3000-2000 BP) sites in southeastern Arizona. These data show that agriculture appeared by at least 2800 BP in this area, and that it spread rapidly across the American Southwest. It was already an important subsistence strategy and was associated with semisedentary village sites that have no known predecessors in the archaeological record. It is concluded that the adoption of agriculture, with its associated storage technology, is an important strategy by which human populations can mitigate some of the risks associated with foraging in an environment characterized by predictable seasonal variation in resource availability and unpredictable, climatically-induced fluctuations in the productivity of wild resources over time.

Trees provide countless environmental, economic, and societal benefits to the urban environment, and may become increasingly important to maintaining environmental quality and human well-being in the face of increasing urbanization and climate change. However, trees in these urban areas are rapidly diminishing across the United States. Much of this loss can be prevented with proper planning and management, focused on selecting tree species that are both well-suited to the area’s growing conditions and able to survive the many stress factors in an urban setting. Choosing which tree species to plant in Massachusetts is especially challenging considering the lack of resources specific to the state’s growing conditions and the urban environment. I conduct a literature review to answer two research questions: (1) What ecological considerations should be made before tree selection, and (2) Which species should be planted in the urban environments of Massachusetts. My results yielded a comprehensive guide, in book form, detailing the five ecological considerations I recommend to make before selection, and profiles of 75 tree species recommended to plant in these areas. This book may act as a resource for tree wardens and homeowners to help choose the best species for their specific planting site, prompt other states to create or update their own state-specific selection guide, and encourage tree nurseries to grow and distribute favorable species, ultimately providing their communities with the benefits that trees provide.

Known as Golden Algae in popular media, Prymnesium parvum causes harmful algal blooms. When stressed, it secretes increased amounts of toxic chemicals called prymnesins, which have resulted in major fish kills in Texas. Although many options exist for mitigation of blooms, a feasible protocol for control of blooms on large-scale impoundments has yet to be identified. Chemical control of P. parvum using six different enzyme inhibiting aquatic herbicides was explored in laboratory experiments. Of the six chemicals screened, one (Flumioxazin) was selected for further study due to a significant decrease in P. parvum cell numbers with increasing chemical concentration. It was applied to natural plankton communities during in-situ experiments (Lake Granbury, Texas). The first experiment was conducted during a period of P. parvum bloom initiation (March) and the second experiment conducted during a post bloom period (April). Experiments were carried out in 20 L polycarbonate carboys covered in 30% shade cloth to simulate natural light, temperature and turbulence conditions. Flumioxazin was additionally screened in the laboratory on the common game/forage fish bluegill sunfish (Lepomis macrochirus) for six weeks with weekly re-application of flumioxazin to treatment tanks. Cell counts via light-microscopy, showed the chemical flumioxazin caused significant decreases in P. parvum, but no significant differences in zooplankton abundance during the period of bloom initiation. However, significant decreases in adult copepods were observed during the post bloom period, most likely due to decreased light penetration and inhibition of the photosensitive mode of action, but no significant decreases in P. parvum. No significant effects of flumioxazin were observed on growth, survival or feed conversion ratio for L. macrochirus.

Tese de doutoramento, Biologia (Biologia da Conservação), Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2018
The uptake of natural living resources for human consumption has triggered serious changes in the balance of ecosystems. In the archipelagos of Macaronesia (NE Atlantic), limpets have been extensively exploited probably since islands were first colonized. This has led to profound consequences in the dynamics of rocky shore communities. The specific objectives of this thesis were to: 1) develop and characterize species-specific microsatellite markers for the limpets Patella candei (d’Orbigny 1840) and Patella aspera (Röding 1798), endemic to the Macaronesia archipelagos; 2) assess their genetic diversity, population structure and contemporary levels of connectivity throughout Macaronesia; 3) conduct a morphometric analysis of the P. candei complex to complement molecular data; 4) evaluate the temporal and spatial variation in recruitment of P. candei and study its association with real-time environmental data; 5) assess the effect of temperature on larval development of P. candei; and 6) provide general recommendations to foster the sustainable exploitation of limpets in Macaronesia. A total of twelve and seventeen microsatellite markers were described for P. candei and P. aspera, respectively. These showed clean polymorphisms and speciesspecific markers were combined in three optimized multiplex reactions. For P. candei, a highly significant genetic break between archipelagos following isolation by distance was detected. Contrastingly, significant genetic differentiation among islands (i.e. Azores) was absent possibly indicating ongoing gene flow via larval exchange between populations. Significant shell shape differences among archipelagos were also detected using both distance-based and geometric morphometric analyses. Adaptive processes associated with niche differentiation and strong barriers to gene flow among archipelagos may be the mechanisms underlying P. candei diversification in Macaronesia. As for P. aspera, genetic analyses showed significant population structure between populations from Azores and populations from Madeira and Canaries, and absence of current or historic gene flow between these. Results also suggest that both population clusters have experienced demographic changes over time. Heterozygote deficits were common across populations, which can be better accounted for by inbreeding than by null alleles or Wahlund effect. Such levels of inbreeding are likely a consequence of a significant reduction of reproductive units due to decades of intense exploitation. The monitoring program applied to track P. candei recruitment showed that early recruits occurred throughout the entire duration of the program, but its intensity varied in space and time. In general, a marked peak in recruitment occurred during winter/spring months, the period of greatest reproductive activity, when sea surface temperatures are lower and wave turbulence higher. Significant wave height was probably the most important proximate cue triggering the recruitment of P. candei, which eventually depends on adequate ultimate drivers for spawning and reproduction (i.e. temperature). Indeed, as a winter-breeder, P. candei larvae seem to perform better and attain higher fitness at colder temperatures. In fact, experimental treatments on larval rearing showed that larval development was faster at increasing temperatures but cumulative survivorship decreased; about 25% of larvae at higher temperatures survived to the end of the experiment, a 2-fold decrease from the average survivorship of ~ 50% at lower temperatures. Overall, the outcomes of this thesis fill a gap in our knowledge about processes involved in determining the connectivity patterns between limpet populations and the environmental factors influencing such patterns across the Macaronesia region. The present study is an important first step in this direction of using multi-faceted approaches to understand complex processes operating at the marine environment, while providing a fundamental asset to define stocks and thus inform specific conservation strategies that foster the sustainable exploitation of limpets throughout Macaronesia archipelagos.
A exploração de recursos naturais biológicos para o consumo humano tem provocado alterações graves no equilíbrio dos ecossistemas. Nos arquipélagos da Macaronésia (NE Atlântico), as lapas têm sido extensivamente exploradas, provavelmente desde que as ilhas foram colonizadas. Isso levou a profundas consequências na dinâmica das comunidades litorais. Os objetivos específicos desta tese foram: 1) desenvolver e caracterizar marcadores de microssatélites específicos para as espécies de lapas Patella candei (d’Orbigny 1840) e Patella aspera (Röding 1798); 2) avaliar a sua diversidade genética, estrutura populacional e conectividade na Macaronésia; 3) realizar uma análise morfométrica do complexo de espécies P. candei para complementar os dados moleculares; 4) avaliar a variação temporal e espacial no recrutamento de P. candei e estudar sua associação com dados ambientais; 5) avaliar o efeito da temperatura no desenvolvimento larvar de P. candei; e 6) fornecer recomendações gerais para promover a exploração sustentável de lapas na Macaronésia. Um total de doze e dezassete marcadores de microssatélites foram caracterizados para P. candei e P. aspera, respetivamente, e amplificados em reações multiplex devidamente otimizadas. Para P. candei, foi detetada uma diferenciação genética significativa entre os arquipélagos. Ao invés, não se verificou diferenciação entre ilhas (isto é, Açores), o que constitui provavelmente um sinal da existência de fluxo migratório de indivíduos (larvas) entre populações. Foram também detetadas diferenças significativas na forma da concha entre os arquipélagos. Processos adaptativos associados à variabilidade de nichos e fortes barreiras ao fluxo genético entre os arquipélagos podem constituir os mecanismos subjacentes à diversificação de P. candei na Macaronésia. Quanto a P. aspera, as análises genéticas mostraram uma diferenciação populacional entre populações dos Açores e as populações da Madeira e Canárias. Os resultados também sugerem que ambos os grupos populacionais sofreram mudanças demográficas ao longo do tempo. Os défices heterozigóticos revelaram-se comuns em todas as populações, provavelmente uma consequência de processos endogâmicos associados a uma redução significativa dos indivíduos reprodutores, devido a décadas de exploração intensa. O programa de monitorização do recrutamento de P. candei permitiu verificar que surgem novos recrutas durante todo o ano, embora a sua abundância varie no espaço e no tempo. Em geral, um pico acentuado ocorre durante os meses de inverno/ primavera, coincidente com o período de maior atividade reprodutora, no qual as temperaturas da superfície da água do mar são baixas e é maior a agitação marítima. A par da temperatura (sobretudo pelo seu papel na atividade reprodutora), a altura significativa das ondas é provavelmente o fator mais importante a desencadear o recrutamento de P. candei. Por outro lado, os dados de desenvolvimento larvar revelaram que o desenvolvimento é mais acelerado a temperaturas superiores, mas a sobrevivência acumulada diminuiu; cerca de 25% das larvas expostas a temperaturas mais elevadas sobreviveram até ao final da experiência, sendo que cerca de metade das larvas sobreviveu a temperaturas inferiores. Em geral, os resultados desta tese preenchem uma lacuna no conhecimento sobre os processos envolvidos na determinação dos padrões de conectividade entre populações de lapas e os fatores ambientais que influenciam esses padrões na região da Macaronésia. O presente estudo constitui um importante primeiro passo no uso de abordagens multidisciplinares para compreender processos complexos que operam no meio marinho, proporcionando uma ferramenta fundamental para definir stocks e assim propor estratégias de conservação específicas que promovam uma exploração sustentável de lapas em toda a Macaronésia.
Fundo Regional para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FRCT), M3.1.2/F/021/2011

White-tailed deer (WTD) (Odocoileus virginianus) were studied within the Greater Winnipeg Area (GWA) to investigate urban deer home range size, habitat use, and seasonal movement patterns. A comparative analysis was also completed in Riding Mountain National Park (RMNP) in order to assess the similarities and differences between urban and rural deer spatial and temporal movement patterns. The study revealed differences in the spatial land use patterns of these two cohorts with substantially smaller urban WTD monthly and seasonal home range sizes than in RMNP. Building on the findings derived from the animal-borne locational data, an investigation into the human social dynamics associated with the urban deer herd indicated that human behavior heavily influences urban deer movement. Using a critical case study approach, the research investigated the wildlife value orientations and the emotional dispositions associated with the human behavior of intentionally supplying artificial food sources for deer. The spatial and temporal occurrences of urban deer-vehicle collisions (DVCs) and the factors associated with high risk DVC roadways were not random, and human social behavior is correlated to the frequency and location of DVC occurrences in the GWA. This research identifies management strategies to successfully mitigate human-wildlife conflict and the associated human-human conflict within the GWA, as well as the need for, and challenges associated with, an integrated approach to urban wildlife management.

This paper explores disjunctions in the Diptera fauna of the Mediterranean Province and southern Africa, drawing from eight families of Diptera, the more ancient Psychodidae and Vermileonidae, and the more recent Acroceridae, Asilidae, Bombyliidae, Dolichopodidae, Pipunculidae and Sciomyzidae. Information from recent published revisions is geo-referenced and plotted onto maps using GIS software. These distribution patterns are interpreted and probable means and routes of dispersal between the two regions are discussed. The concept of an Afrotropical sub-Saharan boundary is outlined and it is argued that although the vast, arid and virtually abiotic Sahara acts as a barrier to dispersal today, relict floral and faunal populations of Mediterranean provincial origin still occur on the Hoggar and Tibesti Mountains of the central Sahara, indicating that the aridification of the Sahara is a very recent event. The presence of extensive palaeolakes formerly covering ca 10% of the present-day Sahara is regarded as evidence in support of this hypothesis. These lakes and their associated catchments, situated in basins between the central Saharan mountains, could clearly have acted as a humid route of dispersal as recently as 4000 BP, when these lakes began to recede, and this route is here regarded as a "central high Africa corridor"; a filter-bridge between the Mediterranean Province and southern Africa. Examples of Mediterranean provincial species of Ephydridae and the muscid genus Lispe Latreille, 1796, occurring as far south as the AÏr Massif in northern Niger are cited as examples of relict montane Diptera of Mediterranean provincial origin in the southern Hoggar Mountains; these groups being associated with the margins of standing water. Balinsky's (1962) concept of an "arid corridor" is also re-examined, using examples from the larger, less mobile Diptera, and it is concluded that such a pattern may not be the result of aridity, but represent an "eastern high Africa corridor", broadly corresponding to the "African Supers well". Other perceived distribution pathways between the Holarctic and Afrotropical Regions are mapped. Anemochore dispersal is considered, and the extent of the Afrotropical Region is discussed. Mediterranean tectonic evolution on both a globe of constant size and on a smaller Jurassic globe is also considered. It is concluded that if all the transitional zones between the zoogeographical regions are to be given more-or-less equivalent treatment, we must avoid setting boundaries based on earlier faunal distributions. For this reason the current boundary between the Palaearctic and Afrotropical Regions, arbitrary as it is, should be retained, despite evidence suggesting recent continuity between sub-Saharan Africa, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, corresponding broadly to the African and Arabian lithospheric plates.

碩士
國立中興大學
農村規劃研究所
94
There is a directly interactive relationship between rural environment and ecological environment as both are similar to each other. Any damage or pollution done to the rural area would impose immediate and negative impact on the ecological environment. In short, rural areas play a critical role in protecting ecology. Therefore, special attention should be paid to land use planning in these areas as they affect the ecological environment tremendously. The research intends to set up principles of village land use planning based on ecological aspects. Hereby, firstly, documentary analysis is discussed; secondly, questionnaire interviews are conducted for the evaluation from experts and scholars. The statistical software of SPSS is applied for descriptive statistics, estimation of reliability, validity analysis and nonparametric correlations. After gradually selecting step by step, significant factors based on experts’ and scholars’ opinions are chosen for reference of evaluating village land use planning in Beishan and Gangnan in order to initiative strategies An applicable framework to most situations will be established in compliance with the strategies and the generalization process. Hereby, the ecological components in the village will be organized and incorporated into the spatial pattern from the perspectives of landscape ecology resulting in “patch”, “edge”, “corridor” and “mosaic”. The method for planning will be analyzed and explained in a specific manner to serve as the criterion for land use planning in accordance with the consideration of ecological aspects in villages.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2001.
Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 90-92).

碩士
臺灣大學
土木工程學研究所
98
In this study, the optimal decisions for agricultural benefits, area and location of fallow with consideration to environmental, ecological and productive functions in the drought period are obtained and estimated by the optimal drought model in the scenarios of different exceed probability of river discharge. The characteristics of water usage in the study area are analyzed and the appropriate probability distributions of river discharge to Ji-Ji weir are obtained for generating river discharge of each time step to calculate and assess the results of water supply in different drought situations when river discharges are generated with some exceed probabilities (50% to 90%). The optimal fellow model is constructed on the base of water transportation loss and consideration to environmental, ecological and productive functions, and the analytical result shows in the study area the total benefits are 54 billion dollars. In the total benefits, the benefits of environmental and ecological functions occupy 90% and the benefit of productive function occupies 10%, and the total benefits decrease as the exceed probability of river discharge increases.