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Kuznetsova, O. "Spatial data infrastructure for ecological environment." Thesis, Сумський державний університет, 2013. http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/31623.
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The main objective is to ensure the sustainable development of Energy, requires the development of enterprise geographic information systems (GIS) for the modeling of energy systems. The corporate GIS in Ukraine will increase the energy efficiency of the management of energy companies.
When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/31623
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Ivanova, Olena. "Ecological safety." Thesis, Дніпропетровський національний університет залізничного транспорту ім. академіка В. Лазаряна, 2017. https://er.knutd.edu.ua/handle/123456789/9330.
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The article deals with the environment and human being interdependence. The changes in the relationship between man and environment depend upon the change in organization and attitude of society. The authors emphasize that one should stick to some rules to become a civilized society in order to improve environmental standard and to maintain ecological balance.В статті розглядається взаємозалежність навколишнього середовища та людини. Зміни у відносинах між людиною та навколишнім середовищем залежать від зміни в організації та відношенні суспільства. Автори підкреслюють, що слід дотримуватися деяких правил, щоб стати цивілізованим суспільством в цілях вдосконалення екологічного стандарту та підтримання екологічної рівноваги.
В статье рассматривается взаимозависимость окружающей среды и человека. Изменения в отношениях между человеком и окружающей средой зависят от изменения в организации и отношении общества. Авторы подчеркивают, что следует придерживаться некоторых правил, чтобы стать цивилизованным обществом в целях улучшения экологического стандарта и поддержания экологического равновесия.
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Kettle, Nancy M. "Climate, Neo-Spinozism, and the Ecological Worldview." Scholar Commons, 2013. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/4908.
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The global community faces ecological problems with the natural environment and cultural impediments to solving them. Natural systems are constantly changing and so are cultural practices. Humans need to address both: the interaction between those dynamic systems, the natural and cultural, because what happens in one system changes things in the other. The changes to the ecosystems are rapid and sometimes irreversible while dealing with them has been inadequate. Environmental movements, including deep ecology, have been at the forefront of the efforts to engage the public, various groups, politicians, and world governments to address environmental problems on a coordinated large scale, but their efforts have not produced substantive results. Cultural, ideological, and other reasons provide some insights into the reasons why this has happened. They show that the ecological crisis is now at the point at which deep ecological principles offer a way out of the crisis more clearly, given that it offers a new, ecological worldview for humans to adopt. This worldview suggests there is inherent unity between the human and natural worlds based on the concept of interdependence. This paper attempts to show that such inherent unity exists and that humans need to use precaution because the risks are too great to ignore.
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Sang, Ziye. "Probing the environmental fate of emerging contaminants and their ecological impacts on aquatic environment." HKBU Institutional Repository, 2016. https://repository.hkbu.edu.hk/etd_oa/295.
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In recent years, new classes of aquatic pollutants have received growing concerns from the environmentalists due to their unclear effects and increasing release into the water environment. Generally, before entering the aquatic ecosystem, many of these emerging contaminants are deemed safe active ingredients in the commercial products. This may lead to the underestimation of their potential impacts to the environment, once these substances were drained into the natural waters. So far, a wide range of emerging contaminants are still not well studied. In this thesis work, the environmental behaviors for two typical groups of emerging contaminants, which are frequently used in personal care products, are systematically probed in the aquatic ecosystem. One is the hydrophilic compounds - artificial sweeteners and the other one is the moderate hydrophobic compounds - ultraviolet (UV) filters. Acesulfame and sucralose are two of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners, which are a newly recognized class of emerging contaminants due to their widespread occurrence and extreme persistence in water environment. To date, however, their environmental behaviors, fates as well as long term ecotoxicological contributions in our water resources still remain largely unknown. In this work, a photodegradation investigation with UV/TiO2 was performed on these two artificial sweeteners, which projected their potential impacts under prolonged exposure to intensive solar irradiation. Real-time observation of the degradation profiles in both sweeteners illustrated that formation of new photo by-products under prolonged UV irradiation is highly viable. For the first time, acute toxicity for the degradates of these two sweeteners were measured and the enhancement in their ecotoxicity has been observed during the irradiation. In an attempt to neutralize this prolonged environmental threat, the feasibility of UV/TiO2 as an effective mineralization process in wastewater treatment was evaluated for both sweeteners. As a result, relatively higher removal efficiencies for acesulfame and sucralose were achieved in this study. For UV filters, a comprehensive investigation on their environmental behaviors and impacts was described in this thesis, covering the occurrence study in surface water and biota, environmental fate and their ecological risks. In the first step, an analytical method based on ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) was developed for the simultaneous determination of twelve UV filters in the environmental waters, which achieved good sensitivity to sub-ng/L levels. To monitoring their occurrence in local marine environment, the regional distribution of these sunscreen compounds was monitored along the coastline of Hong Kong. At the same time, considering the intensive consumption of sunscreen products in hot weathers, seasonal variation of UV filters between summer and winter was taken into consideration in our occurrence study. Additionally, we also monitored their occurrence in the drinking water supply system of Hong Kong, including the source water in Dongjiang, raw water in local reservoirs and tap water collected from urban communities, to support a good management on the reliable water supply. Furthermore, the distribution results indicated that the incomplete removal of UV filters in the effluents could be a major source for their release into the environmental waters. Aiming to achieve the complete removal of such compounds, a powerful technique of ozonation was employed in this study and the preliminary operational conditions were further provided. Secondly, in order to gain a better understanding of their environmental fate in surface water, a simulative catalytic photodegradation study with UV/TiO2 were performed to investigate the photostability, phototoxicity and the transformation pathways of seven selected UV filters. During the photodegradation, several transformation products were primarily identified. Thirdly, since lipophilic sunscreens were easily accumulated in the biota, we also made efforts to monitor their occurrence in marine organisms of different species, including farmed fish, wild mussels, prawns and sea urchin, which were collected from local offshore areas. Last but not the least, according to the measured concentrations of UV filters in Hong Kong marine environment, we further performed the ecological risk assessment with the approach specific to the marine aquatic compartment, so as to provide the overall understanding on the environmental impacts of these UV filters.
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Litscher, Jeanette. "Influences of ecological consciousness /." Connect to online version, 2009. http://minds.wisconsin.edu/handle/1793/45126.
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Soder, Michael, Kathrin Niedermoser, and Hendrik Theine. "Beyond growth: new alliances for socio-ecological transformation in Austria." Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group, 2018. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/14747731.2018.1454680.
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Trade unions and environmental movements are often seen as political opponents most prominently discussed in the form of the "jobs vs. environment dilemma". Based on historical examples of the conflict relations between trade unions and environmental groups in the Austrian energy sector, this paper showcases how the relationship between the two groups has changed from enmity to first attempts at alliance building. Drawing from analysis of union documents and problem-centred interviews conducted with Austrian unionists, it shows that newly emerging alliances between unions and environmental movements contain the seeds for a broad societal movement that can help overcome the paradigm of growth and actively engage in the creation of policies that support a social-ecological transformation.
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Boal, Clint William 1961. "An urban environment as an ecological trap for Cooper's hawks." Diss., The University of Arizona, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/288705.
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I studied a population of Cooper's hawks (Accipiter cooperii) nesting in the metropolitan city of Tucson, Arizona, from 1994 to 1997. I identified 51 Cooper's hawk territories distributed across Tucson with pockets of nesting density as great as 1 pair/64.7 ha. Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.) (70.8%), aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis ) (25.0%), and cottonwood trees (Populus fremontii) (4.2%) were used as nesting structures more frequently than expected based on availability. Nest trees were primarily located in residential yards (48.3%) and high-use recreational areas (28.3%). Nest sites had a greater basal area, canopy cover, stem density, and number of trees >10 m tall than random sites. I compared the breeding ecology of urban Cooper's hawks with those in exurban areas. Urban pairs tended to have larger clutches (urban x̄ = 3.64: exurban x̄ = 3.20) (P = 0.085) and more nestlings (urban x̄ = 3.11; exurban x̄ = 2.78) (P = 0.145) than exurban pairs. Nestling mortality, however, was greater among urban nests (51%) than exurban nests (5%). The primary cause of death among urban nestlings was trichomoniasis (80%), a disease caused by the parasitic protozoan Trichomonas gallinae ; the disease was not a mortality factor among exurban nests. Raptors develop the disease by eating infected prey. Doves (Columbidae) are hosts for the protozoan and accounted for 83% and 10% of the diet of urban and exurban Cooper's hawks, respectively. Breeding age Cooper's hawks were 99% free of infection independent of nesting area. Infection rates were greater among urban nestlings than exurban nestlings (P < 0.0001). Breeding urban Cooper's hawks have high probabilities of survival (0.792) and recapture (0.947), but the estimated juvenile survivorship is low (0.199). Age-specific fecundity and survival suggests the urban population is declining by 8% annually, but has the capacity to increase by at least 2% annually. Paradoxically, the population appears to be stable or increasing, probably due to immigration of Cooper's hawks from outside the study area. Population sinks in human altered landscapes have been described as "ecological traps" because animals are attracted to them but suffer from low productivity or high mortality once they are there. My results suggest Tucson may be an ecological trap for Cooper's hawks.
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Gledhill, David G. "Ponds, people and the built environment : a socio-ecological perspective." Thesis, University of Salford, 2010. http://usir.salford.ac.uk/26691/.
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Blue / green spaces within urban areas offer a variety of services to human populations as well as habitats for other species. Ponds, despite their designation as nationally important habitats in the UK, are among the least well studied urban habitats. Urban planning policy in the UK is moving towards increasing urban density rather than urban expansion. While compact cities offer benefits in terms of resource utilisation and transportation, they also place increased pressure on blue/green spaces. Ponds offer an ideal microcosm for exploring issues of urban ecology within differing urban settings. Data were collected from thirty seven ponds (a 10% random sample) in the urban area of Halton, northwest England over a three year period (2005 - 2007). A range of complimentary methods were employed to analyses the impact of ecological, chemical and physical parameters, landscape structure and socio-economic factors on pond ecology within both traditional urban centres and a designated New Town development. These data were compared to data, collected in 2006, from fifty one ponds in the adjacent rural landscape of Cheshire. This allowed analysis of variations in pond ecology along an urbanisation gradient. While the species richness of ponds within Halton was comparable with national indicators, they were significantly lower than their rural neighbours in Cheshire. Data also showed that increasing urban density, in already urbanised areas, has less impact on species richness than urban expansion into more rural locations. The most significant impact on pond species numbers was the density of ponds within the surrounding landscape. This research offers insights into the impact of urban development on pond ecology, and suggests the potential impact of future developments and how this may be ameliorated.
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Zhang, Jngjie. "A structurally dynamic approach to ecological and environmental models /." Cph. : The Danish University of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Department of Analytical Chemistry, 2004. http://www.dfh.dk/phd/defences/jingjiezhang.htm.
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Simus, Jason Boaz. "Disturbing Nature's Beauty: Environmental Aesthetics in a New Ecological Paradigm." Thesis, University of North Texas, 2009. https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc11008/.
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An ecological paradigm shift from the "balance of nature" to the "flux of nature" will change the way we aesthetically appreciate nature if we adopt scientific cognitivism-the view that aesthetic appreciation of nature must be informed by scientific knowledge. Aesthetic judgments are subjective, though we talk about aesthetic qualities as if they were objectively inherent in objects, events, or environments. Aesthetic judgments regarding nature are correct insofar as they are part of a community consensus regarding the currently dominant scientific paradigm. Ecological science is grounded in metaphors: nature is a divine order, a machine, an organism, a community, or a cybernetic system. These metaphors stimulate and guide scientific practice, but do not exist independent of a conceptual framework. They are at most useful fictions in terms of how they reflect the values underlying a paradigm. Contemporary ecology is a science driven more by aesthetic than metaphysical considerations. I review concepts in the history of nature aesthetics such as the picturesque, the sublime, disinterestedness, and formalism. I propose an analogy: just as knowledge of art history and theory should inform aesthetic appreciation of art, knowledge of natural history and ecological theory should inform aesthetic appreciation of nature. The "framing problem," is the problem that natural environments are not discrete objects, so knowing what to focus on in an environment is difficult. The "fusion problem" is the problem of how to fuse the sensory aspect of aesthetic appreciation with highly theoretical scientific knowledge. I resolve these two problems by defending a normative version of the theory-laden observation thesis. Positive aesthetics is the view that insofar as nature is untouched by humans, it is always beautiful and never ugly. I defend an amended and updated version of positive aesthetics that is consistent with the central elements of contemporary ecology, and emphasize the heuristic, exegetical, and pedagogical roles aesthetic qualities play in ecological science.
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Tsai, Chih-Wei. "Riverine thermal environment and ecological function across a rural-urban gradient." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2014. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/5279/.
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Ribeiro, Gustavo. "Perception and design in the urban environment : towards an ecological approach." Thesis, University of York, 1990. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/10829/.
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Xiaoxing, Zhu. "The influence of ecological environment problem to Chinese market economy development." Thesis, Видавництво СумДУ, 2007. http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/8372.
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Smart, Brent Maxwell. "Perception without processing : J.J. Gibson's ecological approach." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28283.
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The ecological movement in the psychology of perception, founded by James J. Gibson, hold that traditional approaches to perception are based upon certain fundamental mistakes. The chief one, ecological theorists claim, is that perceptual information pickup consists of the application of certain cognitive processes to sensory input which is not specific to features of organisms' environment. Gibson's fundamental claim is that perception does not require the processing of some form of sensory input. In this sense, the ecological approach is said to be a theory of direct perception.
An important debate over the Gibsonian view concerns the question of whether or not perceptual information pickup without cognitive processing is a coherent notion. Among the more recent writers who claim that the ecological view will not work as it stands are Jerry A. Fodor and Zenon W. Pylyshyn. They claim, essentially, that Gibson's approach has no means for accounting for intentionality. Fodor and Pylyshyn are answered by four prominent Gibsonians who claim such criticisms are utterly baseless. These ecological theorists, Michael Turvey, Robert Shaw, Edward Reed, and William Mace endeavour to show how their approach can indeed account for intentionality. This debate between Fodor and Pylyshyn on the one hand, and Turvey, Shaw, Reed, arid Mace on the other is a perfect example of the kinds of misunderstandings that have arisen between Gibsonians and proponents of traditional view.
In this thesis, I supply a detailed description of Gibson's model as it relates to the issue of how intentionality could survive perception without processing. Fodor and Pylyshyn's understanding and assessment of the Gibsonian position will then be examined. Although these defenders of traditional views have, some important concerns,.they also seem not to have a proper grasp of some Gibsonian concepts. In particular, Fodor arid Pylyshyn have an unsatisfactory grasp of the notion of an invariant.
There are more serious misunderstandings evident in the response to Fodor arid Pylyshyn given by Turvey et al. I point out that these ecological theorists have difficulties with philosophical terms and theories they employ in defense of Gibson. As a result of evident confusions over notions of intension, extension, and property, arid confusions over the nature of Fred I. Dretske's theory of natural laws and Hillary Putnam's theory of natural kinds, Turvey et al do not manage to show how Gibson's approach could account for intensionality.
I conclude by suggesting that the ecological approach nevertheless is compatible with the idea, of analyzing perceptual information pickup in terms of behaviour, or dispositions to behave. On such an interpretation,
the ecological approach is similar in many important respects to the D.M. Armstrong's philosophical theory of perception. The comparison
provides ecological theorists with a precedent as well as philosophical
model to consult in order to better, understand the philosophical language and terminology. On the other hand, the comparison with Armstrong
provides philosophers of perception with a means for approaching Gibson's view and the problems with which it will he confronted.Arts, Faculty of
Philosophy, Department of
Graduate
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Perez, Oren. "Ecological sensitivity and global legal pluralism : rethinking the trade and environment debate." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.251644.
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Gomez, Carlos E. "Ecological and physiological constraints of deep-sea corals in a changing environment." Diss., Temple University Libraries, 2018. http://cdm16002.contentdm.oclc.org/cdm/ref/collection/p245801coll10/id/535228.
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BiologyPh.D.
Deep-water or cold-water corals are abundant and highly diverse, greatly increase habitat heterogeneity and species richness, thereby forming one of the most significant ecosystems in the deep sea. Despite this remote location, they are not removed from the different anthropogenic disturbances that commonly impact their shallow-water counterparts. The global decrease in seawater pH due to increases in atmospheric CO2 are changing the chemical properties of the seawater, decreasing the concentration of carbonate ions that are important elements for different physiological and ecological processes. Predictive models forecast a shoaling of the carbonate saturation in the water column due to OA, and suggest that cold-water corals are at high risk, since large areas of suitable habitat will experience suboptimal conditions by the end of the century. The main objective of this study was to explore the fate of the deep-water coral community in time of environmental change. To better understand the impact of climate change this study focused in two of the most important elements of deep-sea coral habitat, the reef forming coral Lophelia pertusa and the octocoral community, particularly the gorgonian Callogorgia delta. By means of controlled experiments, I examined the effects of long- and short-term exposures to seawater simulating future scenarios of ocean acidification on calcification and feeding efficiency. Finally In order to understand how the environment influences the community assembly, and ultimately how species cope with particular ecological filters, I integrated different aspects of biology such functional diversity and ecology into a more evolutionary context in the face of changing environment. My results suggest that I) deep-water corals responds negatively to future OA by lowering the calcification rates, II) not all individuals respond in the same way to OA with high intra-specific variability providing a potential for adaptation in the long-term III) there is a disruption in the balance between accretion and dissolution that in the long term can shift from net accretion to net dissolution, and IV) there is an evolutionary implication for certain morphological features in the coral community that can give an advantage under stresfull conditions. Nevertheless, the suboptimal conditions that deep-water corals will experience by the end of the century could potentially threaten their persistence, with potentially negative consequences for the future stability of this already fragile ecosystem.
Temple University--Theses
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Ermakov, D. S. "Education for sustainable development: social ecological and economic aspects of the environment." Thesis, Видавництво СумДУ, 2004. http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/23455.
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Simus, Jason Boaz Callicott J. Baird. "Disturbing nature's beauty environmental aesthetics in a new ecological paradigm /." [Denton, Tex.] : University of North Texas, 2009. http://digital.library.unt.edu/permalink/meta-dc-11008.
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Mathenjwa, Fezile. "Exploring the ecological and social benefits of the Khayelitsha Wetlands Park." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27484.
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In a world confronted by rapid urbanization linked with dramatic population growth rates, there is a general consensus that quality urban green spaces are important components of urban landscapes. Urban green spaces are defined as open spaces in urban areas primarily covered with vegetation, which are available to users within the community. They have the ability to shape the image of cities and provide various important socioecological benefits, which can contribute to improving the quality of life within these urban communities. In Cape Town, the provision of readily accessible quality urban green spaces is often overridden by other conflicting demands, such as biodiversity conservation and infrastructure development demands. The literature suggests that Cape Town has ample available green spaces. However, the accessibility of this green space is linked to issues of poor management and maintenance, and as a result poor urban spaces are often associated with criminal activities, and are therefore unavailable to benefit urban communities. This is particularly evident in areas which have a low socioeconomic status. This study explores the ecosystem services offered by the Khayelitsha Wetlands Park in the Khayelitsha Township on the Cape Flats. A variety of methods were used to establish the condition of the Wetlands Park and assess the impacts of various uses (e.g. recreation, agriculture etc.) on the vegetation structure and water quality. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were also conducted to assess the local community's uses and perceptions of this green space. A Complex Adaptive Landscape (CAL) approach was adopted to derive the positive and negative social-ecological impacts of the Khayelitsha Wetlands Park. The vegetation structure assessment results showed a dominance of emergent and invasive vegetation, such as Typha capensis and Acacia cyclops, and indicates a high level of degradation and a lack of indigenous vegetation species. The water quality analysis reveals high concentrations of physiochemical and microbial pollutants, where a majority exceeded the Targeted Water Quality Ranges (TWQR) recommended by the Department of Water Affairs for livestock watering, irrigation and human use. Findings from the semi-structured interviews, revealed that a majority of users v visit the Park for multiple activities offered by the Park. These include relaxation, creating and maintaining social relations, sports and recreation and agricultural use. The CAL framework revealed negative and positive feedback mechanisms at play in this urban green space. The negative feedback effects are illustrated and confirmed by poor water quality and a predominantly alien infested vegetation structure. The poor ecological condition of the Wetland is linked to a number of anthropogenic influences, including the discharge of treated waste and untreated waste from both agricultural and urban waste sources, indicating the complexity of managing the Khayelitsha Wetlands Park. Since a number of users and management institutions are connected to the Khayelitsha Wetlands Park, their involvement in the management thereof is crucial for effectively solving the issues identified.
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Tilikidou, Irene. "Ecologically conscious consumer behaviour : a research project conducted in Thessaloniki, Greece." Thesis, University of Sunderland, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.327317.
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Russi, Luigi. "Ecological and physiological aspects of seeds of annual grasslands in a Mediterranean environment." Thesis, University of Reading, 1989. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.330301.
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Baggs, Edward. "Acting in a populated environment : an ecological realist enquiry into speaking and collaborating." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/16200.
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The thesis seeks to develop an account of collaborative activities within the framework of ecological realism—an approach to psychology developed by James J. Gibson in the course of work on visual perception. Two main questions are addressed; one ontological, and one methodological. The ontological question is: given that collaborative activities take place within an environment, what kinds of structure must this environment contain? The response emphasizes the importance of relations which exist between entities, and which connect a given perceiver-actor with the other objects and individuals in its surroundings, and with the relations between those entities. It is held that activities take place within a field of relations. This description draws on the radical empiricist doctrine that relations are real, are external, and are directly perceivable. The present proposal insists that, in addition to being directly perceivable, relations can also be directly acted upon: throwing a ball for a dog is acting on a relation between dog and ball in space. The relational field account of collaboration naturally extends to an account of speaking: people, through their history of acting in an environment populated by other speakers, come to stand in a set of relations with objects and events around them, and these relations can be directly acted upon by others through the use of verbal actions. Verbal actions serve to direct the attention of others to relevant aspects of the environment, and this allows us as speakers to coordinate and manage one another’s activity. The methodological question is this: granting that the environment may be structured as a field of relations, how are we to conduct our empirical investigations, such that we can ask precise questions which lead to useful insights about how a given collaborative activity is carried out in practice? The central issue here concerns the concept of the task. Psychologists are in the habit of using this term quite loosely, to denote the actions of an individual or a group, in a laboratory or outside. This creates confusion in discussions of collaborative phenomena: who is the agent of a ‘collaborative task’? The definition offered here states that a task is a researcher-defined unit of study that corresponds to a change in the structure of the environment that has a characteristic pattern and that is meaningful from the first-person perspective of a particular actor. On this definition, the task is a tool that allows ecological psychologists to carve up the problem space into specific, tractable questions; the task is the equivalent of the cognitivist’s mental module. Task-oriented psychology encourages us to ask the question: which specific resources is the individual making use of in controlling this particular activity? The methodology is developed through an examination of the alarm calling behaviour of vervet monkeys, which is explained in terms of actions on the relational field, and through an analysis of corpus data from a laboratory-based collaborative assembly game. The relational field model promises to provide a way of studying social and collaborative activities on ecological realist principles. The concluding chapter identifies two particular areas in which the model might fruitfully be developed: in the study of learning, and in the theory of designing objects and spaces for interaction.
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Gray, Claudia Louise. "Riparian reserves in oil palm plantations : biodiversity, ecological processes and ecosystem services." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2014. http://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:7ef877f4-717d-4785-a8bc-fb95411e78c9.
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- As the human population expands, agricultural expansion and intensification will exert an increasing pressure on remaining habitats, especially in the tropics. Oil palm is one of the most rapidly expanding crops in these regions, and identifying management strategies that conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services in these landscapes is therefore a priority. I assess whether riparian forest fragments (riparian reserves) conserve species and the functions they support within oil palm landscapes. Riparian forests are legally required for their beneficial impact on hydrological dynamics and their potential to contribute to the conservation of terrestrial species is poorly documented. I focussed on two ecologically important indicator groups (ants and dung beetles) and the ecosystem processes that they support. Whilst protecting primary forest will remain the most important strategy for biodiversity conservation, I found that riparian reserves do support species of ants and dung beetles that would not otherwise persist in oil palm landscapes. However, the extent to which riparian reserves maintained key ecological functions differed between these two taxa. The amount of nutrient distribution carried out by ants in riparian reserves was similar to logged forest areas, and higher than in oil palm. In contrast, dung removal functions did not vary between these land uses. I also investigated how the vegetation structure and landscape context of riparian reserves affects the dung beetle communities they support. Increasing reserve width and proximity to other forest fragments had a positive impact on the species richness and diversity of dung beetles in riparian reserves. There was little evidence that riparian reserves enhance the provision of dung removal or pest control services in adjacent areas of oil palm. >The results provide evidence to support the introduction and/or enforcement of legislation to protect riparian forest reserves in order to conserve biodiversity and ecological processes in oil palm landscapes.
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Okes, Nicola Catherine. "Conservation ecology of the Cape clawless otter, Aonyx capensis, in an urban environment." Doctoral thesis, University of Cape Town, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/27353.
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Coastal cities have impacted negatively on freshwater and marine ecosystems - primarily through habitat loss, fragmentation and pollution. Globally, it has been found that otter's dependence on these ecosystems exposes them to a myriad of threats, including loss of habitat, human-wildlife conflict and the bioaccumulation of toxic pollutants. The Cape clawless otter, Aonyx capensis, is the most widely distributed otter species in southern Africa and persists in human-modified habitats, including large cities. The Cape Peninsula provides a unique opportunity to study the impacts of urbanisation on otters as it presents a gradient from densely populated urban areas in the north (City of Cape Town) to sparsely populated areas interspersed with large expanses of natural habitat (Table Mountain National Park) in the south. In this thesis, I investigate the distribution, diet and threats to otters living on the Cape Peninsula. I use sign-based occupancy surveys to determine both broad and fine scale drivers of otter presence within the Peninsula's river systems and predicted that otters would avoid densely populated urban areas and rivers or sections thereof that are heavily transformed and polluted. I collected spraint from living otters and vibrissae from dead otters to investigate their diet. I predicted that otters would show an increased reliance on marine foods in areas where freshwater habitats were degraded in addition to seasonal variation in diet associated with the marked seasonal variation in rainfall and primary productivity typical of temperate Mediterranean ecosystems. I explored both immediate and long-term threats to otters by collating all records of conflict, injury and mortality reported over 5 years in addition to determining PCB levels from road-killed otters. Contrary to my predictions, otters did not avoid urban areas, and were more frequently detected in transformed lowland freshwater river systems close to Marine Protected Areas (MPA). Within rivers otters avoided the relatively pristine, yet unproductive, upper reaches of rivers as well as canalised sections and those with consistently high E.coli counts. I found that otters were feeding on both marine and freshwater prey in both polluted and nonpolluted systems. Where large, transformed lowland wetlands were in close proximity to MPAs, otter diet consisted largely of a combination of freshwater crabs and exotic fish from the polluted systems as well as marine fish and rock lobster from the relatively unpolluted MPA. Isotope results complemented the faecal analyses and confirmed that otters show significant variation in diet between seasons, sites and individuals, suggesting an opportunistic and generalist foraging strategy. Importantly, the dietary results reinforce the distribution model that otters rely heavily on the interface between coastal and lowland wetland and river ecosystems close to the MPA, for both foraging and breeding habitat. However, these are the areas that are transformed and heavily impacted by urban development, and therefore the area where otters would most likely be at risk. I developed a hotspot map of otter conflict across the Peninsula and found that the Peninsula otter population experiences low to moderate levels of conflict throughout most of their current range. High conflict areas are associated with optimal habitat that has been fragmented by canalisation and urban development. Road-killed otters showed signs of accumulation of PCBs in liver tissue suggesting that despite otters being adaptable generalists, their dependence on polluted freshwater systems may have long-term health impacts. Mitigating these threats is possible with improved urban planning, waste water treatment and education of the public. However the success of these approaches requires long-term monitoring which is unlikely to be prioritised by resource constrained conservation authorities. I thus explored whether the large citizen science community in Cape Town can be used to monitor the population. I used Maxent to model otter distribution using citizen reported sightings over 5 years and compared the results with the occupancy model outputs. The predicted Maxent distribution mirrored that provided by occupancy models, and highlighted further areas of suitable otter habitat and routes for dispersal. Together my findings suggest that Cape clawless otters, like many other meso-carnivores in South Africa and globally, display a remarkable ability to adapt to human-modified environments using the interface between degraded freshwater systems and the inshore region to feed on a diverse range of prey. Of concern are the moderate to high levels of conflict with people and dogs, vehicle accidents and the accumulation of toxins. Long-term monitoring of the population and the effect of proposed interventions can be achieved by creating a platform for citizen sightings to be recorded in perpetuity at low cost. This platform can also serve as tool for educating the public on the global challenges of conserving biodiversity within and adjacent to large cities.
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Mörtberg, Ulla. "Landscape Ecological Analysis and Assessment in an Urbanising Environment - forest birds as biodiversity indicators." Doctoral thesis, KTH, Land and Water Resources Engineering, 2004. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-3768.
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To achieve a sustainable development, impacts onbiodiversity of urbanisation, infrastructure, land use changesand other developments must be considered on a landscape andregional scale. Landscape ecology can provide a conceptualframework for the assessment of consequences of long-termdevelopment processes like urbanisation on biodiversity on alandscape scale, and for evaluating the impacts of alternativeplanning scenarios. The aim of this study was to explore theeffects of habitat quality, quantity and connectivity on forestbird diversity in an urban-rural gradient. The purpose of theanalyses was to develop knowledge and methods for integratingbiodiversity issues in planning and assessments in anurbanising environment, on landscape and regional scales.
The study area was situated in and around Stockholm, thecapital of Sweden, covering the city centre, suburbs andperi-urban areas. Data on breeding forest birds were collectedthrough bird censuses in an urban-suburban gradient. In orderto embrace also the peri-urban areas for a more completeurban-rural gradient, data on two fragmentation-sensitiveforest grouse species were obtained through a questionnaire tohunters in the whole study area. Response variables in theanalyses were forest bird species richness and diversity,relative species richness and occurrence of single sensitivespecies like selected sedentary forest birds, including theforest grouse species, and red list species. Habitat quality,quantity and connectivity were analysed using available data onabiotic conditions, including urban disturbances, andvegetation in geographical information systems. In addition, afield study on vegetation structure and composition wasperformed in a subset of the smaller sample sites.Relationships between the response variables and habitatquality, quantity and connectivity were explored usingstatistical methods like multivariate statistics and regressionmodelling. Further, for some models, spatial dependencies werequantified and accounted for. When habitat models wereretrieved, they were used for spatial predictions of habitatsuitability. They were also applied on future planningscenarios in order to predict and assess the impacts onsensitive species. In the urban-rural gradient, the foreststructure and composition changed, so that in more urban areas,coniferous forest on rich soils, wet forests and wetlandsbecame less abundant and more scattered. Sensitive birdspecies, tied to these habitat types, were shown to besensitive to habitat fragmentation caused by urbanisation.Large, well-connected habitat patches and aggregations ofsuitable habitat in the landscape had a higher probability ofoccupancy when compared to other patches. For the forest grousespecies, effects of car traffic added to the explanation oftheir distribution. By contrast, deciduous forest was stillquite common in predominantly urban areas, due to both latechanges in land use and a history of human preferences. Certainred listed bird species tied to deciduous forest did not seemto be affected by isolation, and also occurred in suitablehabitats in some highly urbanised areas. Furthermore, relativespecies richness in the urban-suburban gradient was related tomulti-layered deciduous forest habitats with a large amount ofdead wood. Such habitats were associated with natural shorelineand with old pastures and parks. From the derived statisticalmodels, describing the relationships between sensitive speciesand environmental variables, predictive habitat maps could becreated for the present situation and for planning scenarios.The predictions of the impacts on habitats of sensitive speciesmade it possible to quantify, integrate and visualise theeffects of urbanisation scenarios on aspects of biodiversity ona landscape scale.
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Mahmoud, Noha Gamal El-Din Abdel Hamid Hassan. "Green infrastructure in a Middle Eastern environment : promoting social-ecological connectivity in Greater Cairo." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.554214.
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This thesis explores different meanings and practices of green infrastructure (GI). In particular. it examines the scope for GI in the Greater Cairo Region (GCR) of Egypt. In a number of countries. especially in North America and Europe, the nature of GI is increasingly \\e11 established and there have been some successful attempts at implementation. However practice in Egypt appears to be encountering a number of problems. These are principally associated with the aridity of the country (although it has a long tradition of irrigation from the Nile). weaknesses of planning and implementation procedures. rapid urbanisation and pressure for land. and weak integration of the green- space resource. However, there are also some promising opportunities associated with social and cultural functions of open space. recent planning visions. and a range of natural environmental assets. This thesis focuses on three main case studies in the GCR. Evidence is gathered through IKONOS GIS maps of Greater Cairo, interviews with specialists who have responsibilities for spatial planning either in academic or professional sectors in Egypt, site visits and critical interpretation of planning documents. The key findings concerning substantive aspects relate to GI concepts elements, and education. Primarily the findings indicate that there is potential for the GCR to be linked through a GI which integrates natural. ecological and social-cultural functions. They findings concerning procedural aspects emphasize the need to bridge the gaps between planning processes and organizations by considering G I as a fundamental layer in planning strategies. The findings also point to a need to change the traditional view of aridity as a negative feature into an advantageous aspect, particularly in Middle Eastern environments. The thesis concludes that improvements in both substantive and procedural aspects of landscape planning are necessary if the GCR is to have an effective GI.
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Suever, Andrea. "Untapped Potential: Creating a Hydrologically Responsible Urban Environment." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1490699269373902.
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Zala-Larman, Catherine Elizabeth. "Communication networks and the implementation of biodiversity strategies." Thesis, University of Hertfordshire, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.247305.
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Fluin, Jennie. "Degradation of alpine streams : the ecological effects of sewage discharge on the alpine aquatic environment /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1995. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09AR/09arf646.pdf.
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Gislason, Maya K. "Health and the environment : a critical enquiry of the construction and contestation of ecological health." Thesis, University of Sussex, 2012. http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/39727/.
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A crucial contemporary public health issue is the construction and contestation of the relevance of the natural world to human health. Taking a critical approach, this thesis examines how the natural environment as a health determinant is positioned in relation to the 'social' within social epidemiological studies of health, illness and disease. Using conceptual and empirical forms of enquiry, this study shows how current constructions of natural environmental health drivers contour public health practice in the UK and that by challenging the limits of existing structures, innovative responses emerge, which can generate new frameworks for health policy and practice. Having identified a lacuna in research on the 'natural' environment in medical sociology, this inductive qualitative research project brings into conversation the findings from extensive desk and field research. Specially, a study of the elaboration of environmental health discourses within the UK public health policy arena and disciplinary wide discourse analyses of key academic journals are read together to describe the discursive practices shaping environmental public health work in the UK. Linking theory to practice, data from in-depth interviews with sixty health professionals working on health and the environment in the UK and internationally are used to investigate how public health practitioners produce the environment within their work remits. The research breaks ground for further social scientific studies of health and the environment and in particular substantiates the call for an extended notion of the 'environment' using ecological principles. Methodologically, the interdisciplinary reach of this research draws attention to the tensions that arise when working across the medical, natural and social sciences. Practical and philosophical questions about the challenge of expanding the sociological imagination in the contemporary moment are also considered. Empirically, to medical sociology the 'EcoBioPsychoSocial' framework is offered as a tool for studying health at the nexus between the 'social' and the 'natural environment.' Finally, the ways informal public health institutions are serving as 'invisible' forces impeding the uptake of prevention oriented environmental health policies are findings offered to the health policy arena.
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Tymoshenko, O. "Ecological and economic aspects of resource provision of mining enterprise." Thesis, Sumy State University, 2015. http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/40865.
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Mining companies use ore reserves incompletely, that is due to, on the one hand, unfavorable geological conditions of ore deposits occurrence, on the other – the low and slow-performing solution for complete and integrated use of existing reserves.
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Goncharenko, O. "Ecological and economic potential of secondhand markets for dematerialization of the economy." Thesis, Sumy State University, 2014. http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/36071.
Full textAbstract:
Since the 1970s, a growing body of research by environmental scientists has suggested that greater material efficiency, use of better materials, reuse and recycling, and the growth often service economy are contributing to the "dematerialization" of the economy.
In this context, it is often suggested that the recycling and reuse of products, materials, and wastes have significant potential for increasing material efficiency and reducing environmental impacts. Taking this idea to its limit, Graedel and Allenby (1996) have suggested that the ultimate goal of environmental management could be the evolution of the economy into a system in which all materials are reused and recycled. But despite the interest in dematerialization and reuse of materials, there is as yet no theoretical framework for understanding the future evolution of material use in industri¬alized societies.
When you are citing the document, use the following link http://essuir.sumdu.edu.ua/handle/123456789/36071
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Hovden, Eivind. "The problem of anthropocentrism : a critique of institutionalist, Marxist and reflective international relations theoretical approaches to environment and development." Thesis, London School of Economics and Political Science (University of London), 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.245219.
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Prothero, Andrea. "The impact of ecologicalism on marketing : the greening of the cosmetics industry." Thesis, Cardiff University, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.324098.
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Omae, Kimiho. "Genomic and molecular ecological studies on thermophilic hydrogenogenic carboxydotrophs." Kyoto University, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/2433/253321.
Full textAbstract:
Kyoto University (京都大学)0048
新制・課程博士
博士(農学)
甲第22485号
農博第2389号
新制||農||1075(附属図書館)
学位論文||R2||N5265(農学部図書室)
京都大学大学院農学研究科応用生物科学専攻
(主査)教授 吉田 天士, 教授 澤山 茂樹, 教授 菅原 達也
学位規則第4条第1項該当
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Fleming, Kristen M. "Generating a New Ohio River: Ecological Transformation in the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2019. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1573571453097256.
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Murphy, Susan Barbara. "Making sense of school: an ecological examination of students' definitions of reading tasks." Diss., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/49864.
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What students do as they work to complete academic tasks will determine what they learn from those tasks, Teachers often receive unexpected responses on completed tasks, indicating that the students did, perhaps, unexpected things as they completed those tasks, The purpose of this study was to describe how students, given similar instruction, responded differently to academic reading tasks in the elementary school classroom.
This study describes what students did as they worked through classroom reading tasks--the ways they defined the tasks, the goals they set, and the strategies and resources they used to complete the tasks, It also describes the factors within the classroom which may have influenced what those students did--the dimensions of the task as set by the teacher and the text, as well as the social and environmental demands impacting on the student.
The principal research question was: what are the dimensions of the task environment and the features of task definitions that contribute to students' successful or unsuccessful completion of assigned tasks in elementary classrooms?
Data was collected from one fifth-grade classroom. Four focal students, differing in their success as school readers, were selected for in-depth study. Participant observation, interviews, and protocol analysis were the primary data collection techniques used in this study.
Analysis of the data indicated that though students were asked to complete some comprehension and rote memory tasks, most reading tasks which required a written response were procedural. Those tasks which were ambiguous or procedurally complex were the most problematic for the students.
This study suggests that though students sometimes did not attend, occasionally chose not to respond. and at times lacked content knowledge crucial to task completion, these were not the main reasons for their failure to respond to tasks as the teacher expected. Most often they provided unexpected responses to reading tasks because the tasks were ambiguous and they did not understand what the task was asking them to do.Ed. D.
incomplete_metadata
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Murphy, Susan B. "Making sense of school: an ecological examination of students' definitions of reading tasks." Diss., Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1987. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/49864.
Full textAbstract:
What students do as they work to complete academic tasks will determine what they learn from those tasks, Teachers often receive unexpected responses on completed tasks, indicating that the students did, perhaps, unexpected things as they completed those tasks, The purpose of this study was to describe how students, given similar instruction, responded differently to academic reading tasks in the elementary school classroom.
This study describes what students did as they worked through classroom reading tasks--the ways they defined the tasks, the goals they set, and the strategies and resources they used to complete the tasks, It also describes the factors within the classroom which may have influenced what those students did--the dimensions of the task as set by the teacher and the text, as well as the social and environmental demands impacting on the student.
The principal research question was: what are the dimensions of the task environment and the features of task definitions that contribute to students' successful or unsuccessful completion of assigned tasks in elementary classrooms?
Data was collected from one fifth-grade classroom. Four focal students, differing in their success as school readers, were selected for in-depth study. Participant observation, interviews, and protocol analysis were the primary data collection techniques used in this study.
Analysis of the data indicated that though students were asked to complete some comprehension and rote memory tasks, most reading tasks which required a written response were procedural. Those tasks which were ambiguous or procedurally complex were the most problematic for the students.
This study suggests that though students sometimes did not attend, occasionally chose not to respond. and at times lacked content knowledge crucial to task completion, these were not the main reasons for their failure to respond to tasks as the teacher expected. Most often they provided unexpected responses to reading tasks because the tasks were ambiguous and they did not understand what the task was asking them to do.Ed. D.
incomplete_metadata
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Preston, Benjamin Lee. "Toxicant interactions with the biotic and abiotic environment of freshwater rotifers : implications for ecological risk assessment." Diss., Georgia Institute of Technology, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1853/25217.
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Shay, Shaina. "Muslim Brotherhoods, Islam, and the Environment: Can Their Intersection Result in Changing Ecological Discourses in Senegal?" Thesis, The University of Arizona, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/244781.
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This paper evaluates the capacity for knowledge transmission and the range of influence of Muslim brotherhoods in Senegal. It then evaluates the potential to use the power structures of Muslim brotherhoods and the non-formal education they provide for communities, to influence and change local environmental discourses. The method proposed to create this change is a theoretical narrative founded on the ecological ethics present in both the Quran and the documented sayings and practice of the prophet Muhammad (the sunnah). The method I propose to introduce this narrative is to integrate the ecological ethic present in Islam into the curriculum provided in Quranic schools, daaras, by the religious teachers, marabouts. Marabouts play the dual role as religious figureheads and Islamic teachers who deliver religious education to youth (the majority young boys), called talibe. A large number of the students in the daaras of Dakar are composed of children sent by rural families to get some form of education. Through a theoretical analysis, a literature review, and an interview, it was determined that there is a possibility, although extremely slim, to use the non-formal religious education system created by Muslim brotherhoods to shape the ecological consciousness of future Senegalese society.
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Talbot, Roger Douglas. "Perspectives on age, health and the environment : socio-ecological imperatives and the care of the elderly." Thesis, University of Edinburgh, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/1842/20822.
Full textAbstract:
The study recognises and defines interdependent demographic, ecological and health-equity imperatives which, individually and collectively, threaten to have profoundly adverse, destabilising and inequitable effects on the most marginalised members of populations - in particular the elderly - unless and until a new and unified approach is adopted to the problems of age, health and the environment. The consequences of a failure to respond effectively to the demographic imperative imposed by the ageing of populations is perceived as a further threat to the health and status of the old who are identified as amongst the most disadvantaged members of contemporary societies. The consequences of a failure to respond effectively to the wider health-equity imperative is seen as the continued impoverishment of the hundreds of millions of people worldwide who are without the basic human needs of adequate food, shelter, clothing and health services. The consequence of a failure to respond effectively to the ecological imperative is identified as environmental degradation, loss of essential habitats, loss of biological and genetic diversity, depletion of finite natural resources, acute global-scale poverty, social dislocation, threats to the health of vulnerable groups and the reinforcement of inequities in health status both between and within populations. Overall the threats are perceived as threats to a sustainable future for mankind. A review of the health of the elderly and of contemporary social and environmental policies in Britain confirms that social policies for the care of the elderly fail adequately to address emerging environmental concerns whilst existing and proposed environmental policies lack a necessary social dimension and fail therefore to account properly for the needs of vulnerable groups such as the old and the poor. Such deficiencies are held to be rooted in the lack of a unified approach to social and environmental policy and to the failure to base policy upon an appropriate model of health. From the position that equitable social policies will help to secure and enhance the health of the planet whilst sound environmental policies will enhance the well-being of populations, a fundamental and radical reshaping of socio-environmental policy, based upon an holistic concept of health, is advocated.
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Shapiro, Ellen Sara. "The role of family environment in an ecological study of preschool children attending family day care." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 1988. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/28281.
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This thesis is an exploratory ecological study of the role of the family environment as it relates to a number of variables under investigation in the Vancouver Day Care Research Project's extensive contextual study of children enrolled in family day care settings. These variables include child language scores, indices of socio-economic status, conditions of maternal employment and attitudes related to maternal employment, other measures of the home environment, and parental attitudes to childrearing. In addition, the family environments of the family day care caregivers were examined in relation to the quality of care provided. The Moos Family Environment Scale (1986) was administered to parents and caregivers enrolled in the study. Scores from its ten subscales were correlated with measures of the variables of interest and then tested for significance. Data was then analyzed for important trends, patterns and highlights. Results showed that exposure of family members to stimulating ideas and activities is facilitative of child language skills, while an emphasis on achievement seems to have a negative effect. Families from higher socio-economic status homes seemed to be more likely to provide these opportunities for their children, particularly if they are well-educated. Findings also indicate that mothers who are satisfied with their employment tend to provide more positive family environments for their children than those who are working reluctantly. Mothers who worked part-time also appeared to provide better family environments than did those who experienced the increased stress of full-time employment. Adult-centered parenting values which stressed obedience were associated with family environments which were less facilitative of child cognitive development, whereas homes with child-centered parenting values appeared to be more positive. Family day care caregivers who provided superior childcare were found to be more organized in their own families, more supportive of one another, and more able to allow their family members to function independently than were other caregivers. There was considerable overlap in the results for each variable of interest; many similar features were found in the environments which were considered optimal in terms of language development, socio-economic factors, conditions of maternal employment, attitudes to childrearing, and high quality care for children. The study results strongly support the importance of exposure to a wide range of intellectual and cultural stimuli, participation in activities outside the home, expression of feelings amongst family members, and well-organized family functioning in the creation of optimal family environments; an emphasis on achievement, and the use of rigid rules and doctrine were found to be deleterious to the creation of positive home environments.Education, Faculty of
Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education (ECPS), Department of
Graduate
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Matthews, Linda Jan. "An elementary habitat curriculum for the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2006. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2870.
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This place-based curriculum, developed to address the alienation that children often feel from the natural environment around them, is an inquiry-based, hands-on teaching module for third and fourth grade children. It is designed around a one-day field trip to vernal pool habitat at the Santa Rosa Plateau Ecological Reserve. Three pre-visit and three post-visit lessons are included. The lessons enable students to acquire required California academic content standards, and also incorporate education principles stated in California's Education and the Environment Initiative.
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Pettey, Ryan Patrick. "Hartbeespoortdam butterfly conservancy an ecological splurge /." Diss., Pretoria : [s.n.], 2004. http://upetd.up.ac.za/thesis/available/etd-05282004-085314.
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Usik, Katherine Anne. "The hunt for Ma’iingan: Ojibwe ecological knowledge and wolf hunting in the Great Lakes." Thesis, University of Iowa, 2015. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1781.
Full textAbstract:
With the removal of the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) from the United States Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 2012, several states legalized wolf hunting as part of wildlife management programs and the protection of livestock. However, the legalization of wolf hunting has created much conflict between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations in the Great Lakes region. Many Anishinaabeg, or Ojibwe, in the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan object to the state-sanctioned wolf hunting because of their long-standing religious and ecological relationship to wolves as relatives. In the Anishinaabe creation story, the Creator Gitchi Manitou sent Ma'iingan, or Wolf, as a brother and companion to the original human, where the lives of Anishinaabe peoples and wolves would forever become intertwined.
While the wolf hunting conflict appears to be one between religion and the broader secular state, it is a complex issue, involving historical religious conceptions of land and power among Anishinaabe and non-Indigenous Americans. Power and traditional ecological knowledge in Anishinaabe culture originates from non-human sources, where humans must establish relationships with other-than-human beings to survive and achieve bimaadiziwin, or "the good life." In a bimaadiziwin framework, wolves are a source of power, knowledge, and well-being for humans, suggesting that they and other non-human beings are valid models of potential ways in which humans may develop ecological models and environmental relations. A methodology based on Indigenous environmental theory and non-human power may provide a broader and more inclusive framework for environmental conflicts, incorporating the roles of all the beings that are indigenous in a certain area. In my thesis, I will show how the wolf-hunting conflict in the Great Lakes region is an example of clashing hierarchical and non-hierarchical systems of relations and knowledge, and explore how an Anishinaabe wolf-based epistemology and ontology is a valid non-hierarchical ecological model for the Great Lakes region and beyond.
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CROWELL, JERI L. "AN EXPLORATION OF URBAN TEACHERS' WORK FROM AN ECOLOGICAL PERSPECTIVE." University of Cincinnati / OhioLINK, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ucin1172520180.
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Coleman, Cynthia Christina. "Unearthing an educator's ecological niche: A heuristic inquiry." Scholarly Commons, 2011. https://scholarlycommons.pacific.edu/uop_etds/27.
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The purpose of this study is to better understand how the natural environment influences who we have become as adults. Recognizing the importance of childhood experiences, with and within nature, the intent of this study is to interpret the essential meanings associated with these experiences and how these, in turn, are situated in our beliefs and relationship with nature. The targeted respondents for the study were all K-12 educators teaching in schools in Central California. The driving research question is stated as In what ways do childhood experiences with and within the natural environment impact who we are as adults? Three sub-questions were also explored: What personal meanings are associated with childhood memories and experiences of being with and within the natural environment? In what ways do individuals assimilate childhood experiences of the natural environment into their adult beliefs about their relationship with nature? In what ways does the exploration of early childhood nature experiences affect the decision to become environmental advocates? Moustakas' (1990) six-stage heuristic inquiry process was adhered to. The initial data collection began within myself, the researcher. Aspects of the experience, which became the collected data by means of conversations with co-researchers, journal writing, and other personal documents, were filtered by way of my own self-inquiry, sense of eco-literacy and experience with my childhood experiences with and within the natural environment. From the organization and analysis I have derived the essential elements of the experience. Nature as the common denominator, Nature awakens inner passions, Nature as lived through a relational awareness, Nature experiences support and guide our every day lives, and Nature stimulates a child's potential were the key thematic elements that embraced my own experience and that of my co-researchers.
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O'Brien, Jill. "Images of God, Roles of Humanity, and Ecological Ramifications: Hope and Realism in the Renewal of Creation." Thesis, Boston College, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2345/3710.
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Thesis advisor: Lisa S. CahillNaïve optimism pervades theological literature regarding human responses to ecological crises. What is needed is both hope and realism--despair will not resolve anything, but neither will an ecotheologian's vision of a "redeemed," harmonious restoration of the divinely intended natural order. A comparison of two theologians whose views seem at first to be in irresolvable conflict with one another may help to show what a "realistic hope" could look like. How do James M. Gustafson and Sallie McFague conceive of God as relating to human beings, and what do their conceptions imply for how humans should relate to nonhuman creation? These questions will necessarily examine their respective models of God, and how they utilize those models or images in their ecological ethics. I will argue that a synthesis of their views provides hope (despite the claims of those who dismiss McFague as naïve and Gustafson as overly pessimistic) through a third perspective akin to Douglas Ottati's notion of "hopeful realism." For Gustafson, the primary model of God is a sovereign, rather distant power--yet, Gustafson claims that humans are still responsible for attempting to discern what God enables and requires us to be and do. The weakness of his model is that it could lead to a sense of isolation from God as we strive to respond to the cries of creation seemingly on our own. Its strength is a realism that allows us to persevere in the face of ecological crises. Divine grace is present and enables human activity, even if this activity does not effect the changes we think it should. In contrast, for McFague, the primary model of God is an immanent deity whose compassion extends to all of creation--for her, the earth can be seen as God's body, and humans can be seen as co-caretakers or even partners with God as we seek to protect the earth. We should relate to non-human creation as we relate to God and to other humans--as subjects, and as "good" in and of themselves. We get the sense that God is with us in the trenches of ecojustice. The weakness of her model is its possible naïveté regarding historical possibilities and their theological significance. Its strength is its appeal to the inspiring nearness and salvific activity of God in this world, here and now. Divine grace is concrete and almost visible in its clear intention. Their models conflict, and yet these theologians share an ecological concern that is informed by their theological influences and their personal experiences of nature and human relationships. To demonstrate the complementary aspect of their views (and the relevance of this project in addressing ecotheological naïveté), I will also explore the practical application of their views to land ethics in primarily urban settings
Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2013
Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
Discipline: Theology
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Mercado, Sofía Isabel Basto. "Soil seed banks and ecological restoration : above and below ground effects of environment, management and intraspecific variation." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.574481.
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The aim of this thesis is to contribute to the understanding of how the response of communities (above and below ground) to environment degradation are reflected in seed banks and, how this knowledge can be used to suggest improved application of ecological restoration processes. Two study areas were selected, one at Buxton Climate Change Impacts Laboratory, a site near Buxton, and the other at Wardlow Hay-Cop, in Cressbrook Dale National Nature Reserve, both located in the Derbyshire, UK. This study is organized in the following four sections. I. Chapter 11 examines the impact of the long-term management and changes in precipitation on calcareous grassland seed banks. More than two decades of dereliction have had the largest effects followed by the effects of more than ten years of summer drought. Both changed species composition and, declined seed abundance. In addition, species richness decreased in dereliction. 3. Chapter III investigates the effects of the long-term nitrogen deposition on acid grassland seed banks. More than one decade of N deposition caused shifts in species composition. decrease richness, seed density and. the abundance of functional groups. Moreover, seed bank populations were unable to recover after more than 4 years of ceasing N deposition. 4. Chapter IV explores the effects of soil pH on seed persistence. Seed density, grasses seed abundance the probability that Hypericum pulchrum seeds persist declined as soil pH increased. 5. Chapter V investigates the extent to which the intraspecific trait variation in the same community differs between the components of mature plant population and seed bank, arising from a possible trade-off between investment in seed banks and vegetative growth. Seed bank were not representative of mature plant population. Overall, larger individuals invested more in sexual reproduction than the smaller and, per unit of total biornass, seed- originating individuals invested more in vegetative than in reproductive traits. Therefore, there is no evidence of the potential trade-off between investment in seed banks (via seed production) and vegetative growth in the calcareous grassland species at Buxton. We concluded that the potential of seed banks to assist the restoration is lower in calcareous than acid grass lands. Moreover, the relevance of seed banks is lower in those affected by dereliction and summer drought and, in acid grass lands affected by N deposition the potential is very limited. In addition, the genetic diversity of calcareous grassland species cannot be recovered by using seed banks. Therefore, the recovery of seed banks and above-ground vegetation should be integrated together into restoration programmes.
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Lo, Chia-jung, and 羅嘉容. "Search for Rolston's Intrinsic Value of Ecological Environment." Thesis, 2014. http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/84211381235366640963.
Full textAbstract:
碩士國立中央大學
哲學研究所
102
This thesis aims to study environmental ethicist Holmes Rolston, III how to illustrate the objective intrinsic value of ecological environment and reflect. Rolston claims natural pre-existing human and he illustrate the intrinsic value, instrumental value and systemic value all into relationships. Rolston believes ecosystems also have intrinsic value in itself, and thus propose systemic value. Hope to search Rolston’s intrinsic value of the system which can justify the ecological environment has objective intrinsic value. Consequently, human should have an appropriate respect for the ecological environment and will be in harmony with it.