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1
Lothian, Andrew. "Landscape quality assessment of South Australia." Title page, table of contents, abstract and detailed contents only, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/37804.
Full textAbstract:
The object of this thesis is to provide, through a thorough analysis of human perception and interaction with aesthetics and landscape quality, a comprehensive basis on which to develop a credible methodology for the large scale assessment of perceived landscape quality. The analysis of human perception and interaction with aesthetics and landscape quality is gained by inquiring in depth into a range of theoretical constructs from key disciplines, cultural aspects, and empirical studies covering : 1. the contribution of philosophers to aesthetics 2. the psychology of perception and colour 3. the contribution of Gestalt psychology to aesthetics 4. the psychoanalytical construct of human responses to aesthetics 5. the influence of culture on landscape preferences, tracing the changing perceptions of mountains, the portrayal of landscapes in art, and the design of parks and gardens 6. a review of over 200 surveys of landscape quality in the late 20th century, including typologies and theories of landscape quality Based on the analysis of these and the knowledge gained, an empirical study is formulated and conducted, comprising a study of landscape quality of South Australia, an area of nearly 1 million km - 1. This involves, firstly, the acquisition of data covering the delineation of landscape character regions for the State, photography of these landscapes, derivation of a set of representative slides, and rating of these by groups of participants. Secondly, these preference ratings are comprehensively analysed on the basis of the attributes of the scenes covering land form, land cover, land use, water bodies, naturalism, diversity and colour. Thirdly, the results are applied as follows: 1. a map of landscape quality of South Australia is derived 2. the results are used to predict the effect that changes in land use ( e.g. clearance of trees ) will have on landscape quality 3. the theoretical constructs of landscape quality are evaluated on the basis of the preference ratings 4. a protocol is detailed to guide the undertaking of large - scale landscape quality assessment. The thesis thus fulfils the objective of conducting a thorough analysis of human perception and interaction with, aesthetics and landscape quality, to provide a basis for developing a credible methodology for the large - scale assessment of perceived landscape quality.Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Social Sciences, 2000.
2
Caton, Brian. "The conservation of scenic coasts : an examination of the English heritage system and its possible use in South Australia /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1991. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envc366.pdf.
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3
Reeve, Martin. "Fragmented landscape and fragmented law : threatened species management in South Australia /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1998. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envr331.pdf.
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4
Spry, Melissa J., and n/a. "The Regolith and landscape evolution of a low relief landscape: Cobar, Central New South Wales, Australia." University of Canberra. Resource, Environmental & Heritage Management, 2003. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20050704.162445.
Full textAbstract:
Construction of a 1:250,000 scale regolith-landform map of the Cobar area of central New
South Wales (NSW) Australia, demonstrates the presence of a wide range of previously undescribed
regolith materials, landforms and landscape features in the region. The map covers the east-west extent
of the Cobar Basin, extends to the west onto the Darling River Floodplain, and east onto rocks of the
Girilambone Group. The mapping area is centred on the Cobar township and covers -14,730 krn2
between 303113 and 446113 E and 6483184 and 6586183 N (AGO 66, MGA Zone 55). 48 regolithlandform
units have been identified, including both transported (alluvial, colluvial, aeolian, lacustrine)
and in situ materials. A range of siliceous, ferruginous and calcareous indurated materials are also
present.
Four major drainage types have been identified based on lithological, sedimentological and
topographic differences in alluvial materials. The 4 drainage types include: 1) modern drainage; 2)
maghemite and quartzose gravels elevated 1-2 m relative to the modern drainage; 3) higher
topographically inverted, and at least partly silicified, gravels; and, 4) sediments of Cretaceous origin.
Multiple phases of drainage stability and instability from the Cretaceous to the present are indicated
within the sediments. Breaching of drainage divides and increased dissection of the modern drainage,
especially to the south of Cobar, indicate possible tectonic movement across a major regolith-landform
boundary in the southern map area. Colluvial materials are more widespread to the north of Cobar
reflecting the increased landscape dissection to the south. Colluvial fans are preserved adjacent to
major rangefronts. Aeolian and lacustrine materials include longitudinal dunefields of the Darling
River floodplain, source bordering dunes, and small lunettes associated with the Barnato Lakes system.
Regolith-landform mapping at Cobar has been used to assess the applicability of previously
developed landscape evolution models of the Cobar Block and surrounding region, and to develop a
new landscape evolution model for the region. The new landscape evolution model of Cobar indicates
minimal deposition of Cretaceous sediments, succeeded by high-energy early Tertiary fluvial regimes
across the Cobar landscape. Weathering and sediment deposition continued into the Miocene, coupled
with deep valley incision on the Cobar Block associated with early Oligocene regression. By the close
of the Miocene, the Cobar Block had eroded to predominantly bedrock terrain and widespread filling of
previously incised valleys occurred. A decrease in erosion and fluvial activity led to the formation of
the modern drainage during the Pliocene-early Quaternary, followed by the formation of alluvial,
aeolian and lacustrine deposits in the later Quaternary. Regionally, Eromanga Basin sediments were not
extensive over the Cobar Block, and low rates of erosion are recorded at Cobar from the Cretaceous to
the present. Former northerly drainage did exist in this area in the Cretaceous, but was limited in
distribution. By at least the Early Tertiary the Cobar area was a structural high and drainage systems of
the region had assumed their current configuration. These findings do not support interpretations of
AFTT data of significant cover and subsequent stripping over the Cobar Block in the Early Tertiary.
Evidence of landscape evolution from the Cretaceous to the present suggests that the Cobar
landscape has been responding to changes in the primary landscape forming factors of lithology,
climate and to a lesser degree, tectonics. Variations in the these three primary landscape forming
factors have contributed to ongoing weathering, relatively continuous deposition, and periods of
relative stability and instability, particularly in response to climatic and baselevel fluctuations, within a
dynamically evolving landscape throughout the entire Tertiary. Former landscape evolution models of
peneplanation and pediplanation, based on correlation of palaeosurfaces including duricrusts, a deep
weathering profile developed during extended planation in the Early Tertiary, and tectonism during the
late Tertiary in the Cobar area, are not supported by evidence preserved in regolith-landform features at
Cobar.
5
Callow, John Nikolaus. "River response to land clearing and landscape salinisation in southwestern Australia." University of Western Australia. School of Earth and Geographical Sciences, 2007. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2007.0085.
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[Truncated abstract] Land clearing is known to increase runoff, and in many dryland landscapes is also associated with rising saline watertables, causing increased stream salinity and degrading riparian vegetation. The limited understanding of how river morphology responds to these changes and the potential for vegetation-based strategies to offer river management options under these conditions, has prompted this research. In southwestern Australia the severity of salinity and recent nature of land clearing provides an appropriate setting to investigate river response. A data-based, multidisciplinary methodology was applied to determine how land clearing and landscape salinisation has altered landscape sensitivity through changes in erosive potential, system connectivity and material threshold mechanisms, and how these affect patterns of river response. The study investigated the responses of morphologically similar reaches across fifty two study sites in the Kent River and Dalyup River catchments, in the south coastal rivers region of Western Australia. Land clearing was found to have significantly altered the hydrologic regime and erosive potential in both frequency and magnitude, with flow becoming more perennial, and increased annual discharge, flood peaks and bankfull flow frequency. While sediment transport rates have also increased since land clearing, they remain low on a global scale. Human response to a reduced rainfall regime and related water security pressures has caused large hillslope areas to be decoupled from the main channels by bank and farm dam construction, and have reduced downstream transmission of change. ... By contrast, steeper-sloped mid-catchment areas with minimal vegetation degradation caused by salinity are associated with higher erosive potential. A more erosive response is observed in these reaches where floodplains have been cleared for agricultural purposes. A conceptual model of vegetation growth across the salinity gradient observed in the study catchments was developed, and applied to selected river styles to assess the potential that vegetation-based strategies offer for river management. This work identifies the unsuitability of river restoration strategies, but the potential for river restoration or remediation in a saline landscape. Hydraulic modelling demonstrated that river rehabilitation strategies such as improving the vegetation condition of the riparian buffer using native or commercial species on areas elevated above saline flow can stabilise reaches. For river styles in wide and flat valleys, there is limited potential for vegetation-based river rehabilitation under the current salinity gradient. Field observation and modelling suggest that river remediation may offer geomorphic management options in salt-affected reaches through channelisation to lower watertables, and further research on this is warranted. This work found a consistent response for river styles across the two study catchments. Based on the understanding of river response and the potential for vegetation-based river management for each style, this research offers a regional-scale tool for river management in a saline landscape.
6
McCarthy, Megan Emma. "Strategic environmental assessment: developing a framework for South Australia." Adelaide, 1995. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envm123.pdf.
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7
Quigley, Mark Cameron. "Continental tectonics and landscape evolution in south-central Australia and southern Tibet /." Connect to thesis, 2006. http://eprints.unimelb.edu.au/archive/00002963.
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8
Collins, Margaret Thora. "Factors affecting the recovery of orchids in a post-mining landscape." University of Western Australia. School of Earth and Geographical Sciences, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2008.0022.
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[Truncated abstract] Currently, Alcoa World Alumina Australia (Alcoa) mines and undertakes procedures to rehabilitate approximately 550 ha of jarrah forest each year at two open-cut bauxite mines in South-West Western Australia. Alcoa aims to establish a self-sustaining jarrah forest ecosystem that maintains the functions of the landscape prior to mining, including biodiversity, on areas that have been mined for bauxite. Indigenous terrestrial orchids form a significant proportion of the indigenous geophytic plant species that either fail to colonise rehabilitated areas or do so very slowly. Terrestrial orchids are considered to be particularly sensitive to competition from weeds and disturbance, which combined with the obligate nature of the orchid-mycorrhizal fungus association suggests that orchids would colonise rehabilitation areas only when both microhabitat sites and soil microflora have established. Occurrence of certain orchids may therefore be expected to be useful as indicators of ecosystem health, the success of vegetation establishment and the recovery of edaphic conditions suitable for orchid mycorrhizal fungi. Vegetation surveys were undertaken to compare orchid species richness and population size of a chrono-sequence of rehabilitation areas with adjacent unmined forest. ... Orchid taxa present in each vegetation assemblage were generally not exclusive to these assemblages, with the following broad exclusions: D. bracteata was found only in species assemblages associated with rehabilitation areas; and Eriochilus sp. and T. crinita were found only in species assemblages associated with unmined forest. No single orchid species appears to be an indicator of ecosystem recovery. However, the presence of populations of C. flava, P. sp. crinkled leaf (G.J.Keighery 13426) or P. recurva in combination with the absence of the disturbance opportunist orchid taxa D. bracteata and M. media appears to be a measure of the maturity of the rehabilitation vegetation. Orchid species richness and clonal orchid population size were correlated with changes in vegetation structure, but apart from the absence of orchids in 1 year old rehabilitation areas, these orchid population characteristics did not show any direct relationship with rehabilitation age or vegetation maturity. Only two orchid taxa appeared to have potential as indicators of vegetation characteristics: T. crinita as an indicator of undisturbed jarrah forest; and D. bracteata as an indicator of disturbed ecosystems. The results of this study suggest that most jarrah forest orchid taxa will readily colonise the post bauxite mining landscape, but that the unassisted colonisation by recalcitrant orchid taxa may be a prolonged process. It is recommended that field-based transplantation and/or seeding trials be undertaken with these recalcitrant taxa to determine if these procedures will enhance recruitment. The results of this work have applications not only in the management of post-mining landscapes but also in vegetation monitoring and conservation work in Western Australia and elsewhere.
9
Boden, Susan, and n/a. "'an unsettled state': the real and the imainary in Australian cinematic and designed landscapes." University of Canberra. Design, 2002. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060426.161116.
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This thesis considers varied representations of landscape in
Australian narrative film and designed landscape. Landscape is
taken as an active concept that combines the associative meanings
of place and the dynamism of space. Sixteen film and designed
landscapes are examined to derive their landscape sources, forms
and ideas, using the methodology of 'contextual poetics', Each of
these landscapes is considered under a specific theme: landscape as
delight, absence, nation or hope.
In addition to detailing specific landscape responses by the
designers of the examined landscapes, this project aims to
contribute to an enhanced conversation about the effective, just
practice of landscape architecture.
The topic derives from a question central to landscape architectural
practice in a post-colonial context, such as Australia. In a cultural
setting where no single, agreed definition of landscape is allowed
by the conditions of its history, which versions do practitioners of
landscape architecture take up? What should be their limits, where
are their inspirations and whose landscape narratives are ignored in
these decisions?
10
Mhlongo, Nanikie Charity, and n/a. "Competency-Based assessment in Australia - does it work?" University of Canberra. Education and Community Studies, 2002. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20050530.094237.
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South Africa since the liberation in 1994 has faced a lot of changes. The changes
include being a member of the international community. As part of the international
community, South Africa is finding itself largely faced by the challenges associated
with this position. Looking at other countries South Africa is realizing that the world
is looking at better ways of educating their people and organizing their education and
training systems so that they might gain the edge in an increasingly competitive
economic global environment. Success and survival in such a world demands that
South Africa has a national education and training system that provides quality
learning and promotes the development of a nation that is committed to life-long
learning.
Institutions of higher education in South Africa are currently changing their present
education system to conform to a Competency-Based Training (CBT) system. This
system has only been planned but not implemented yet and it is not clear how CBT
will be implemented, especially how the learners are going to be assessed.
Competency-Based Assessment (CBA) is an integral part of CBT that needs
particular attention if the new system is to succeed.
The key aims of this thesis are to investigate the current assessment policy and
practice at the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) underpinned by Competency-
Based Training system. The project will describe and analyze the Competency-Based
Assessment system used within CIT's CBT system. The project will focus on:
Observing classroom practice of CBA, analyzing students' and teachers' perceptions
of their involvement with CBA, and analyzing employers' perceptions of the
effectiveness of CBA.
The main aim of this thesis is to suggest recommendations for an assessment model
that will be suitable to implement within hospitality training institutions in South
Africa.
11
Bickford, Sophia Anastasia. "A historical perspective on recent landscape transformation: integrating palaeoecological, documentary and contemporary evidence for former vegetation patterns and dynamics in the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia." Title page, contents and abstract only, 2001. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phb583.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Includes bibliographical references (p. 301-319). Palaeoecological records, documented historical records and remnant vegetation were investigated in order to construct a multi-scaled history of vegetation pattern and change in the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia over the last c. 8000 years. Aims to better understand post-European landscape transformation and address the inherently historical components of the problems of regional biodiversity loss, land sustainability and the cumulative contribution to global climatic change.
12
Southwell, Mark, and n/a. "Floodplains as dynamic mosaics : sediment and nutrient patches in a large lowland riverine landscape." University of Canberra. n/a, 2008. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20081217.144116.
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Rivers around the world are under increasing pressure from a variety of human activities.
Effective management of riverine landscapes requires an ecosystem approach and one that
recognises the complex interactions between their physical, chemical and biological
components. Perceptions of pattern and process are central to our understanding of riverine
landscapes. Pattern and process operate over multiple scales to produce heterogeneous
mosaics of landscape patches that change over time. Hierarchical patch dynamics provides a
useful approach to unravel pattern and process at multiple scales in riverine landscapes. This
thesis adopts a hierarchical patch dynamics approach to investigate floodplain sediment and
nutrient dynamics within the Barwon-Darling River in South Eastern Australia.
The flow regime of the Barwon-Darling River is highly variable. As a result, it has a complex
channel cross section featuring inset-floodplain surfaces that occur at multiple elevations
within the channel trough. These surfaces formed the focus of this study. The texture of inset- floodplain
surface sediments displays a patchy spatial distribution and one that did not reflect
lateral or longitudinal gradients within this floodplain landscape. Rather a sediment textural
patch mosaic was identified. Nutrient concentrations associated with the surface sediments of
the inset-floodplains were also shown to vary significantly resulting in a nutrient patch
mosaic. This spatial nutrient mosaic was enhanced by factors including the surface elevation
of the floodplain surface.
Sediment and nutrient exchange between the river channel and inset-floodplain surfaces was
measured during several flows in 2001, 2002 and 2005. Pin and sediment trap data showed
that significant quantities of sediment were exchanged between the river channel and
floodplain surfaces during inundation with both cut and fill processes occurring. Patterns in
sediment exchange appear to be related to local sediment supply and seasonal sediment
exhaustion, rather than the top down geomorphic constraints considered. These material
exchanges resulted in a change to the spatial configuration of the sediment textural patch
mosaic. Distinct new sediment textural patches were created following inundation, while
other patches were lost post inundation and other patches changed sediment textural character
to move into pre-existing patches. Thus a truly dynamic sediment textural mosaic exists
within this floodplain landscape.
Nutrient concentrations associated with floodplain sediments also changed over time. While
nutrient concentrations increased after the December 2001 flow event, they generally
decreased after the March 2002 event, highlighting their dynamic nature over time. The
spatial distribution of nutrient concentrations also varied over time, with a 40 percent change
to the nutrient mosaic as a result of the March 2002 flow event. In addition to the influence of
the changing physical template (sediment texture mosaic), nutrient concentrations were
shown to be influenced by rainfall processes on non flooded surfaces, and also a number of
top-down constraints and bottom-up influences operating over multiple spatial scales.
Overall, the inset-floodplains studied in this thesis acted primarily as sediment and nutrient
sinks, and were a source for dissolved nutrients. Nutrient exchange was associated with the
exchange of sediments in this riverine landscape, over both inter-flow and decadal timescales.
It was demonstrated that water resource development within the catchment reduced the
number, magnitude and duration of flow events down the Barwon-Darling River and as a
result reductions in the exchange of sediment, associated and dissolved nutrients between
inset-floodplains and the main river channel were calculated. The greatest reductions were
with the release of dissolved nutrients (42-25 percent) and the exchange of sediment and
associated nutrients from high level surfaces (43 percent).
Effective conservation and management of riverine ecosystems must occur at the correct
scale. This study identified potential nutrient hotspots at several scales in the Barwon-Darling
floodplain landscape that could be targeted by management. The low predictability of the
location of nutrient hotspots at the inset-floodplain scale over time means that environmental
flows should be targeted at high level surfaces (<25 000 MLD-1) that provide long term
sources of carbon to the river channel. Conserving flows of this magnitude will also reinstate
flow variability, an important facet of the Barwon-Darling River?s hydrology that has been
changed by water resource development. The research presented in this thesis highlights the
importance of not only considering pattern and process at multiple scales, but also the way in
which these processes influence landscape patterns over time, leading to the identification of
the appropriate scales that can best be targeted for the conservation of these systems.
13
Riffkin, Penelope A., of Western Sydney Hawkesbury University, and Faculty of Science and Technology. "An assessment of white clover nitrogen fixation in grazed dairy pastures of south-western Victoria." THESIS_FST_xxx_Riffkin_P.xml, 1999. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/31.
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Australia is amongst the more efficient milk producers in the world.Milk production in the region of south-western Victoria relies mainly on rainfed white clover/perennial ryegrass pastures.As the demand for efficient and competitive milk production increases, the value of N2 fixation must be maximised. The objective of this thesis was to assess N2 fixation in grazed dairy pastures in south-western Victoria. Several tests and experiments were conducted and results noted. Studies revealed low white clover yields to be the major factor limiting N2 fixation in the region. For N2 fixation to have a significant impact on pasture quality and production, problems associated with legume persistence need to be addressed. Strategies may include the breeding of white clover cultivars with greater tolerance to water stress, improved winter production and increased competitiveness with companion species. Alternatively, the introduction of different legume species, better suited to the environment, may be appropriate. Where N2 fixation is unlikely to satisfy N demands, it may be necessary to introduce the strategic use of supplementary feeds or nitrogenous fertilisers. However, this would need to be carefully considered to ensure high input costs did not jeopardise the competitive advantage of low input pasture-based systemsMasters Thesis
14
Cushen, Jason R. A., and n/a. "Images of the interior : landscape perceptions of the South Island high country." University of Otago. Department of Geography, 1997. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20070530.151028.
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How individuals perceive their environment determines how they relate to and interact with it. This research takes a specific landscape, the South Island high country, and identifies and evaluates how it is perceived. It is evident that the way in which individuals perceive landscape reflects not only their physical enviroment, but their culture. Culture gains even greater importance in this process, when one considers the perceptions of community and society.
Landscape perception concerns how individuals view and interact with their environment. It is the initial step in developing opinions and positions on issues relating to a specfic area. Experience of, and participation are identified as crucial components of the perception process. Those who indicated they were actively involved in the high country were more likely to have richer and more acute perceptions of the area than those who were not so involved. The latter group tended to reflect the imagery of the media and other sources.
Current perceptions of the high country were found to be oriented around images of pastoral farming, wilderness experience, recreation and tourism activity. The location of the high country, as perceived by respondents, centred on the lakes district of inland Otago and South Canterbury. Where survey respondents resided was clearly of influence on their perceived high country.
While the perceived high country reflected much of the historical imagery, it also reflected socioeconomic change in the area. The move from pastoralism to recreation and tourism was apparent, as was resistance by the public to alienation of high country land through sale of Crown land to overseas interests and its use in Treaty settlements. There was general acceptance, especially amongst experts, that change in the area (lease reorganisation and economic activity in particular) will have an important impact on landuse and how the public perceives the high country.
The future of the high country is seen by lay-person and expert alike as lying with the expansion of tourism and recreation. This will see more people visiting and living in the area. All interviewees agreed that pastoral farming will play a decreasing role in the area and that a greater diversity of landuse and, in turn, perceptions of the high country will result from these shifts.
15
Marchesan, Doreen. "Presence, breeding activity and movement of the yellow-footed antechinus (Antechinus flavipes), in a fragmented landscape of the southern Mt Lofty Ranges." Title page, contents and abstract only, 2002. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09AS/09asm316.pdf.
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"September 2002" Bibliography: leaves 77-85. Examines the persistence of the yellow-footed antechinus using live trapping in small, remnant patches and strips of forest, to document autecological sata and the investgate occurrence, breeding activity and inter-patch movements. Radio-tracking was conducted to compare home range properties of lactating females in restricted and unrestricted habitat.
16
com, rxysharma76@gmail, and Rajesh Sharma. "Soil and Landscape Factors Affecting Phosphorus Loss from the Fitzgerald River Catchment in South West of Western Australia." Murdoch University, 2009. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20100331.90105.
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Following over 100 years of agriculture and continuous phosphorus (P) fertilizer application in the south west of Western Australia, there is a growing risk of P transport from cropping and pasture land to streams. However, soil and landscape factors affecting the likelihood of P losses and of stream water contamination have not yet been assessed for the South coast region of Western Australia. The present investigation was conducted in the Fitzgerald River catchment located ~ 400 km south east of Perth, to identify risk of P losses from agricultural land to streams, through an understanding of how P is retained within complex landscapes and released via surface and subsurface flow paths. The 104,000 ha catchment is in a moderately dissected landscape (average annual rainfall 450 mm) and discharges into the World Heritage listed Fitzgerald Biosphere. The main use of cleared land in the catchment is broad-scale agriculture, primarily winter grain cropping and pasture for livestock.
The aim of an initial study was to identify the areas with high soil P concentrations and their relationship to factors such as soil type, topography, management (e.g. fertilizer and manure inputs, and uptake by crops or forage) and how variations in soil P concentrations were related to soil physico-chemical properties, P fertilizer management and landscape position. A wide variation in P concentrations was observed across the catchment, but few of the samples exceeded Colwell extractable P levels of 30 mg/kg in the 0-10 cm layer which is regarded as a critical level for crop and pasture productivity. The western area of the catchment, which was cleared earlier (before 1966) than the eastern area had a greater prevalence of loam soils, and higher Colwell-extractable P concentrations (average)22 mg/kg vs. 13 mg P/kg) due to soil type effects and higher P accumulation over time. Risk of P loss from the east and west of the catchment is expected to vary due to textural and topographic differences and P history (P fertilizer input and uptake by crops). The CaCl2-extractable P in the catchment was negatively correlated with oxalate extractable Fe (Feox) in soils. This suggests that P may be transported as particulate P (PP) on loam and clay soils due to sorption of P on oxides surfaces, while on sand soil leaching losses may be more likely. On loam and clay soils, higher sodicity and the dispersive nature of subsoils may increase the risk of both dissolved P (DP) and PP loss due to the effects on hydraulic conductivity of the profile.
Hedley's fractionation scheme was used to quantify P fractions in the order of decreasing lability, viz: resin-P > NaOH-Pi > NaOH-Po > acid-P (H2SO4-P) > residual-P. Surface soil had higher resin and NaOH-Pi, which are regarded as water-soluble and readily exchangeable P forms, respectively and expected to contribute to DP in the runoff losses. The residual P was the largest fraction followed by the hydroxide extractable organic-P fraction (NaOH-Po): the former was positively correlated (r) with clay content, organic carbon (OC) and pyrophosphate extractable Fe and Al (0.48**, 0.61**, 0.69** and 0.58**, P < 0.01). A relatively higher value of NaOH-Po in the subsurface layer and positive correlation with OC (r = 0.45**, P < 0.01) suggests potential mobility of P as soluble organic P in run-off, throughflow and leachate.
Phosphorus sorption and its relationship to soil properties was used to assess the potential P release from the catchment soils. Values of P sorption maxima varied from 1111-3333 mg/kg for surface soils and 1010-2917 mg/kg for subsoils. The P sorption isotherms conformed better to the Freundlich equation than the Langmuir equation. A highly significant negative correlation between CaCl2 extractable P and Feox in surface soils (r = -0.65**, P < 0.01) suggests that P was bound to hydrated Fe oxide surfaces and this may determine the concentration and dynamics of loosely bound P equilibrating with leachates and eroded particulate materials. On the other hand, high surface organic matter and the high proportion of total dissolved P in organically bound form may inhibit P sorption on clays and sesquioxides, which would increase P mobility through leaching or runoff losses.
The relationship between soil P concentration and degree of P stratification in the top 0-10 cm of soils along five toposequences was examined to predict the effect on runoff P losses. The total Colwell-P content of the 0-10 cm layer of soils in the catchment was very low in comparison to other studies on P losses from agricultural soils, but soils showed higher P concentration at 0-1 cm depth compared to 5-10 cm (average 37 mg/kg vs. 19 mg/kg). The higher extractable P concentration in the 0-1 cm layer will create a greater P mobilization risk in surface runoff and leachate than analysis of the 0-10 cm layer might suggest. Assessment of P risk using the 0-10 cm data would still be reliable as P concentration in the 0-1 cm layer was linearly related (R2 = 0.59) with concentration in the 0-10 cm layer. The sampling at varied soil depths will result in different critical P levels for estimating the risk of P enrichment in runoff.
In a glasshouse study with intact soil columns, initial high P concentrations in leachate decreased with leaching events suggesting that macropore flow dominated in initial leaching events changing later to matrix flow. The hydraulic behavior of clay and loam soil below 10 cm depends largely on structure and the type of clay minerals and exchangeable Na. Higher levels of exchangeable Na in the subsoil might increase dispersion of clay particles resulting in low permeability leading to ponding of surface water or lateral movement of water at the interface of sand A and clay B horizons. Lateral water movements increase the risk of P losses in the form of DP, dissolved organic P (DOP) or PP. The P concentration in all the P forms (DRP, DOP and TDP) increased significantly with P rates of application (P < 0.01). The DRP concentration was < 2 mg/l in unfertilized columns but an increase to 11 mg/l was observed with P application at 40 kg P/ha. The higher proportion of DOP relative to DRP and its correlation with TDP indicates that the DOP was the major form of P in leachate. However, the estimation of DOP which was by subtraction of DRP from TDP generally overestimates OP concentration.
The TDP load from unfertilized soil was < 0.20 mg/l in runoff and < 2.40 mg/l in throughflow but increased with P application (20, 40 kg P/ha) for both packed box and field studies. Under field conditions, higher P loss was found with broadcast P application compared to drill placement. The higher load of DOP as a proportion of TDP and its significant relationship with TDP in runoff (R2sand = 0.81; R2clay = 0.79) and throughflow (R2sand = 0.94; R2clay = 0.98) in field and box studies also suggests DOP was the major form of P loss from soil. Dissolved OP concentration increased significantly with increase in soluble organic carbon (SOC) in soil solution at 5 cm depth (P < 0.05). Consequently, the amount of organic matter dissolved in soil solution may influence P sorption and mobility. Relatively higher affinity of soil for sorption of DRP compared to DOP might allow DOP to be more mobile through the profile. Higher PP load in clay soil in throughflow indicates subsurface lateral flow along the interface with the horizon of dispersive clay might be an additional risk factor regarding P mobility in clay soils of the catchment.
The runoff, throughflow and leachate were dominated by eroded particles of clay and colloidal organic materials. However, the soil solution collected though 0.1 m pores in the Rhizon samplers had a similar dominance of DOP to the < 0.45 jum filtered samples in runoff and throughflow. This reduces the likelihood that the so-called DOP fraction was mostly P associated with PP in the 0.1 to 0.45 jum size fraction. The composition of DOP in soil solution collected through Rhizon samplers (< 0.1 jum) might provide important insights for P mobility since this more effectively excluded PP than in the < 0.45 jum filtrate used for runoff and throughflow samples. The DOP in soil solution (< 0.1 jum) might be associated with fine colloidal compound such as silicates, metallic hydroxides, humic acids, polysaccharides, fulvic acids and proteins. If so, then most, but not all of the DOP fraction would be organically bound. However, this requires verification.
In conclusion, soil P levels across the catchment were never very high when assessed in the 0-10 cm layer, but levels in the 0-1 cm layer were more than twice as high. Overall, < 1 % of land area of the upper Fitzgerald River catchment had Colwell-P levels > 30 mg/kg (0-10 cm) and hydrological connection to streams. In addition, another 7 % of land had Colwell-P levels > 15 mg/kg, which appears to be a change point in soils for the release of CaCl2 extractable P. These areas, which are predicted to represent critical source areas of the catchment, need careful management. The high proportions of TDP as DOP in runoff, throughflow and soil solution suggest DOP was the major form of P loss from soil. Phosphorus losses from the catchments are also likely in the form of PP in clay and loam soil but leaching losses are more likely in sand. High exchangeable Na in the subsoil of loam and clay soils increases dispersion of clay particles resulting in low permeability of subsoil and greater lateral P mobility as throughflow at the interface of sand and clay textured horizons.
In general, soils of Fitzgerald River catchment had low soil P, but nevertheless significant risk of P loss at Colwell-P > 15 mg/kg. This study provides baseline information for P loss risks in the wheatbelt of WA. Stream water quality monitoring instruments were installed in the upper Fitzgerald River Catchment at 5 stream locations by CSIRO to measure base line concentrations of P. The measured P concentrations were higher than ANZECC trigger values (> 0.05 mg P/l) for management response over the three-year monitoring period (2005-07). Hence this and many other catchments on the south coast and wheatbelt of south west Western Australia need assessment for P loss risks. Previous emphasis in south west Western Australia on P losses from sandy coastal soils under pasture may need to be reconsidered. In the South coast region, cropping land in the medium rainfall zone may still represent a risk of P loss to waterways and risk to water quality. The present study evaluated the risk of P loss based on soil P forms and their mobility. It suggests greater attention needs to be given to the difference between clay and loam soils with dispersive or non-dispersive sub-soils, and to the composition and mobility of DOP. However, a more complete understanding of P loss risks depends on follow-up studies on hydrological flow and connectivity in the upper Fitzgerald River catchment and similar landscapes of south west Western Australia.
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Sharma, Rajesh. "Soil and Landscape Factors Affecting Phosphorus Loss from the Fitzgerald River Catchment in South West of Western Australia." Sharma, Rajesh (2009) Soil and Landscape Factors Affecting Phosphorus Loss from the Fitzgerald River Catchment in South West of Western Australia. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2009. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/1690/.
Full textAbstract:
Following over 100 years of agriculture and continuous phosphorus (P) fertilizer application in the south west of Western Australia, there is a growing risk of P transport from cropping and pasture land to streams. However, soil and landscape factors affecting the likelihood of P losses and of stream water contamination have not yet been assessed for the South coast region of Western Australia. The present investigation was conducted in the Fitzgerald River catchment located ~ 400 km south east of Perth, to identify risk of P losses from agricultural land to streams, through an understanding of how P is retained within complex landscapes and released via surface and subsurface flow paths. The 104,000 ha catchment is in a moderately dissected landscape (average annual rainfall 450 mm) and discharges into the World Heritage listed Fitzgerald Biosphere. The main use of cleared land in the catchment is broad-scale agriculture, primarily winter grain cropping and pasture for livestock.
The aim of an initial study was to identify the areas with high soil P concentrations and their relationship to factors such as soil type, topography, management (e.g. fertilizer and manure inputs, and uptake by crops or forage) and how variations in soil P concentrations were related to soil physico-chemical properties, P fertilizer management and landscape position. A wide variation in P concentrations was observed across the catchment, but few of the samples exceeded Colwell extractable P levels of 30 mg/kg in the 0-10 cm layer which is regarded as a critical level for crop and pasture productivity. The western area of the catchment, which was cleared earlier (before 1966) than the eastern area had a greater prevalence of loam soils, and higher Colwell-extractable P concentrations (average)22 mg/kg vs. 13 mg P/kg) due to soil type effects and higher P accumulation over time. Risk of P loss from the east and west of the catchment is expected to vary due to textural and topographic differences and P history (P fertilizer input and uptake by crops). The CaCl2-extractable P in the catchment was negatively correlated with oxalate extractable Fe (Feox) in soils. This suggests that P may be transported as particulate P (PP) on loam and clay soils due to sorption of P on oxides surfaces, while on sand soil leaching losses may be more likely. On loam and clay soils, higher sodicity and the dispersive nature of subsoils may increase the risk of both dissolved P (DP) and PP loss due to the effects on hydraulic conductivity of the profile.
Hedley's fractionation scheme was used to quantify P fractions in the order of decreasing lability, viz: resin-P > NaOH-Pi > NaOH-Po > acid-P (H2SO4-P) > residual-P. Surface soil had higher resin and NaOH-Pi, which are regarded as water-soluble and readily exchangeable P forms, respectively and expected to contribute to DP in the runoff losses. The residual P was the largest fraction followed by the hydroxide extractable organic-P fraction (NaOH-Po): the former was positively correlated (r) with clay content, organic carbon (OC) and pyrophosphate extractable Fe and Al (0.48**, 0.61**, 0.69** and 0.58**, P < 0.01). A relatively higher value of NaOH-Po in the subsurface layer and positive correlation with OC (r = 0.45**, P < 0.01) suggests potential mobility of P as soluble organic P in run-off, throughflow and leachate.
Phosphorus sorption and its relationship to soil properties was used to assess the potential P release from the catchment soils. Values of P sorption maxima varied from 1111-3333 mg/kg for surface soils and 1010-2917 mg/kg for subsoils. The P sorption isotherms conformed better to the Freundlich equation than the Langmuir equation. A highly significant negative correlation between CaCl2 extractable P and Feox in surface soils (r = -0.65**, P < 0.01) suggests that P was bound to hydrated Fe oxide surfaces and this may determine the concentration and dynamics of loosely bound P equilibrating with leachates and eroded particulate materials. On the other hand, high surface organic matter and the high proportion of total dissolved P in organically bound form may inhibit P sorption on clays and sesquioxides, which would increase P mobility through leaching or runoff losses.
The relationship between soil P concentration and degree of P stratification in the top 0-10 cm of soils along five toposequences was examined to predict the effect on runoff P losses. The total Colwell-P content of the 0-10 cm layer of soils in the catchment was very low in comparison to other studies on P losses from agricultural soils, but soils showed higher P concentration at 0-1 cm depth compared to 5-10 cm (average 37 mg/kg vs. 19 mg/kg). The higher extractable P concentration in the 0-1 cm layer will create a greater P mobilization risk in surface runoff and leachate than analysis of the 0-10 cm layer might suggest. Assessment of P risk using the 0-10 cm data would still be reliable as P concentration in the 0-1 cm layer was linearly related (R2 = 0.59) with concentration in the 0-10 cm layer. The sampling at varied soil depths will result in different critical P levels for estimating the risk of P enrichment in runoff.
In a glasshouse study with intact soil columns, initial high P concentrations in leachate decreased with leaching events suggesting that macropore flow dominated in initial leaching events changing later to matrix flow. The hydraulic behavior of clay and loam soil below 10 cm depends largely on structure and the type of clay minerals and exchangeable Na. Higher levels of exchangeable Na in the subsoil might increase dispersion of clay particles resulting in low permeability leading to ponding of surface water or lateral movement of water at the interface of sand A and clay B horizons. Lateral water movements increase the risk of P losses in the form of DP, dissolved organic P (DOP) or PP. The P concentration in all the P forms (DRP, DOP and TDP) increased significantly with P rates of application (P < 0.01). The DRP concentration was < 2 mg/l in unfertilized columns but an increase to 11 mg/l was observed with P application at 40 kg P/ha. The higher proportion of DOP relative to DRP and its correlation with TDP indicates that the DOP was the major form of P in leachate. However, the estimation of DOP which was by subtraction of DRP from TDP generally overestimates OP concentration.
The TDP load from unfertilized soil was < 0.20 mg/l in runoff and < 2.40 mg/l in throughflow but increased with P application (20, 40 kg P/ha) for both packed box and field studies. Under field conditions, higher P loss was found with broadcast P application compared to drill placement. The higher load of DOP as a proportion of TDP and its significant relationship with TDP in runoff (R2sand = 0.81; R2clay = 0.79) and throughflow (R2sand = 0.94; R2clay = 0.98) in field and box studies also suggests DOP was the major form of P loss from soil. Dissolved OP concentration increased significantly with increase in soluble organic carbon (SOC) in soil solution at 5 cm depth (P < 0.05). Consequently, the amount of organic matter dissolved in soil solution may influence P sorption and mobility. Relatively higher affinity of soil for sorption of DRP compared to DOP might allow DOP to be more mobile through the profile. Higher PP load in clay soil in throughflow indicates subsurface lateral flow along the interface with the horizon of dispersive clay might be an additional risk factor regarding P mobility in clay soils of the catchment.
The runoff, throughflow and leachate were dominated by eroded particles of clay and colloidal organic materials. However, the soil solution collected though 0.1 m pores in the Rhizon samplers had a similar dominance of DOP to the < 0.45 jum filtered samples in runoff and throughflow. This reduces the likelihood that the so-called DOP fraction was mostly P associated with PP in the 0.1 to 0.45 jum size fraction. The composition of DOP in soil solution collected through Rhizon samplers (< 0.1 jum) might provide important insights for P mobility since this more effectively excluded PP than in the < 0.45 jum filtrate used for runoff and throughflow samples. The DOP in soil solution (< 0.1 jum) might be associated with fine colloidal compound such as silicates, metallic hydroxides, humic acids, polysaccharides, fulvic acids and proteins. If so, then most, but not all of the DOP fraction would be organically bound. However, this requires verification.
In conclusion, soil P levels across the catchment were never very high when assessed in the 0-10 cm layer, but levels in the 0-1 cm layer were more than twice as high. Overall, < 1 % of land area of the upper Fitzgerald River catchment had Colwell-P levels > 30 mg/kg (0-10 cm) and hydrological connection to streams. In addition, another 7 % of land had Colwell-P levels > 15 mg/kg, which appears to be a change point in soils for the release of CaCl2 extractable P. These areas, which are predicted to represent critical source areas of the catchment, need careful management. The high proportions of TDP as DOP in runoff, throughflow and soil solution suggest DOP was the major form of P loss from soil. Phosphorus losses from the catchments are also likely in the form of PP in clay and loam soil but leaching losses are more likely in sand. High exchangeable Na in the subsoil of loam and clay soils increases dispersion of clay particles resulting in low permeability of subsoil and greater lateral P mobility as throughflow at the interface of sand and clay textured horizons.
In general, soils of Fitzgerald River catchment had low soil P, but nevertheless significant risk of P loss at Colwell-P > 15 mg/kg. This study provides baseline information for P loss risks in the wheatbelt of WA. Stream water quality monitoring instruments were installed in the upper Fitzgerald River Catchment at 5 stream locations by CSIRO to measure base line concentrations of P. The measured P concentrations were higher than ANZECC trigger values (> 0.05 mg P/l) for management response over the three-year monitoring period (2005-07). Hence this and many other catchments on the south coast and wheatbelt of south west Western Australia need assessment for P loss risks. Previous emphasis in south west Western Australia on P losses from sandy coastal soils under pasture may need to be reconsidered. In the South coast region, cropping land in the medium rainfall zone may still represent a risk of P loss to waterways and risk to water quality. The present study evaluated the risk of P loss based on soil P forms and their mobility. It suggests greater attention needs to be given to the difference between clay and loam soils with dispersive or non-dispersive sub-soils, and to the composition and mobility of DOP. However, a more complete understanding of P loss risks depends on follow-up studies on hydrological flow and connectivity in the upper Fitzgerald River catchment and similar landscapes of south west Western Australia.
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Cooper, Robyn Elizabeth. "A 'Greater Britain' : the creation of an Imperial landscape, 1880-1914." Thesis, University of Leicester, 2013. http://hdl.handle.net/2381/28235.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis examines the representation of the settler societies of the British Empire during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Australia, New Zealand, Canada and South Africa were represented as a distinct part of the Empire, united by the idea that these parts of the Empire were ‘more British’ than the rest, and, had a shared heritage and culture and a predominant British settler population. It was represented as a landscape of opportunity built on layers of representations in the sources of the period from advertisements and panoramas to travel accounts and emigration literature. The settler societies were represented as a ‘Greater Britain’ or ‘Better Britains’, an imagining of the settler societies based on what the British wanted for themselves rather than as a true representation of four parts of the Empire. The notion of ‘Better Britains’ delves into British ideas of their past, present and future. If they were ‘better’, what were they improving on? What qualities and aspects of society were included and excluded? It was an idealised image but also flexible, a malleable landscape where the British could live out desires. Opportunity was found in the land, resources and climate, but also within the modernity of the cities and ideas of social advancement and of the freedom of the frontier.
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Donald, Ann Jean. "Landscape function analysis and ecological management of an agricultural landscape." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/2842.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (MSc (Geography and Environmental Studies))--University of Stellenbosch, 2005.In the past, development was allowed in agricultural areas which would not be acceptable under current planning policy. There is a growing need to develop and maintain highly productive and ecologically stable agricultural systems. One approach to encourage better land management and utilisation is the international certification of a farm’s production practices.
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Fanning, Patricia C. "Beyond the divide: a new geoarchaeology of Aboriginal stone artefact scatters in Western NSW, Australia." Australia : Macquarie University, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/45010.
Full textAbstract:
Thesis (PhD)--Macquarie University, Division of Environmental & Life Sciences, Graduate School of the Environment, 2002.Includes bibliographical references: p. 228-232.
Geomorphology, archaeology and geoarchaeology: introduction and background -- Surface stone artefact scatters: why can we see them? -- Geomorphic controls on spatial patterning of the surface stone artefact record -- A temporal framework for interpreting surface artefact scatters in Western NSW -- Synthesis: stone artefact scatters in a dynamic landscape.
Surface scatters of stone artefacts are the most ubiquitous feature of the Australian Aboriginal archaeological record, yet the most underutilized by archaeologists in developing models of Aboriginal prehistory. Among the many reasons for this are the lack of understanding of geomorphic processes that have exposed them, and the lack of a suitable chronological framework for investigating Aboriginal 'use of place'. This thesis addresses both of these issues. -- In arid western NSW, erosion and deposition accelerated as a result of the introduction of sheep grazing in the mid 1800s has resulted in exposure of artefact scatters in some areas, burial in others, and complete removal in those parts of the landscape subject to concentrated flood flows. The result is a patchwork of artefact scatters exhibiting various degrees of preservation, exposure and visibility. My research at Stud Creek, in Sturt National Park in far western NSW, develops artefact and landscape survey protocols to accommodate this dynamic geomorphic setting. A sampling strategy stratified on the basis of landscape morphodynamics is presented that allows archaeologists to target areas of maximum artefact exposure and minimum post-discard disturbance. Differential artefact visibility at the time of the survey is accommodated by incorporating measures of surface cover which quantify the effects of various ephemeral environmental processes, such as deposition of sediments, vegetation growth, and bioturbation, on artefact count. -- While surface stone artefact scatters lack the stratigraphy usually considered necessary for establishing the timing of Aboriginal occupation, a combination of radiocarbon determinations on associated heat-retainer ovens, and stratigraphic analysis and dating of the valley fills which underlie the scatters, allows a two-stage chronology for huntergatherer activity to be developed. In the Stud Creek study area, dating of the valley fill by OSL established a maximum age of 2,040±100 y for surface artefact scatters. The heatretainer ovens ranged in age from 1630±30 y BP to 220±55 y BP. Bayesian statistical analysis of the sample of 28 radiocarbon determinations supported the notion, already established from analysis of the artefacts, that the Stud Creek valley was occupied intermittently for short durations over a relatively long period of time, rather than intensively occupied at any one time. Furthermore, a gap in oven building between about 800 and 1100 years ago was evident. Environmental explanations for this gap are explored, but the paiaeoenvironmental record for this part of the Australian arid zone is too sparse and too coarse to provide explanations of human behaviour on time scales of just a few hundred years. -- Having established a model for Stud Creek of episodic landscape change throughout the late Pleistocene and Holocene, right up to European contact, its veracity was evaluated in a pilot study at another location within the region. The length of the archaeological record preserved in three geomorphically distinct locations at Fowlers Gap, 250 km south of Stud Creek, is a function of geomorphic dynamics, with a record of a few hundred years from sites located on channel margins and low terraces, and the longest record thus far of around 5,000 years from high terrace surfaces more remote from active channel incision. But even here, the record is not continuous, and like Stud Creek, the gaps are interpreted to indicate that Aboriginal people moved into and out of these places intermittently throughout the mid to late Holocene. -- I conclude that episodic nonequilibrium characterizes the geomorphic history of these arid landscapes, with impacts on the preservation of the archaeological record. Dating of both archaeological and landform features shows that the landscape, and the archaeological record it preserves, are both spatially and temporally disjointed. Models of Aboriginal hunter-gatherer behaviour and settlement patterns must take account of these discontinuities in an archaeological record that is controlled by geomorphic activity. -- I propose a new geoarchaeological framework for landscape-based studies of surface artefact scatters that incorporates geomorphic analysis and dating of landscapes, as well as tool typology, into the interpretation of spatial and temporal patterns of Aboriginal huntergatherer 'use of place'.
Mode of access: World Wide Web.
vii, 232 p. ill., maps
21
Williams, Matthew R. "Diversity of butterflies and day-flying moths in urban habitat fragments, south-western Australia." Curtin University of Technology, Department of Environmental Biology, 2009. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=129025.
Full textAbstract:
This study adapted and developed methods of assessing and modelling biodiversity of butterflies and day-flying moths in habitat fragments, and determined those factors affecting their presence, abundance and species richness in a sample of 46 isolated urban remnants in south-west Western Australia. The specific objectives were to: (i) assess the effectiveness of transect–based sampling to quantify the species richness of habitat fragments; (ii) examine patterns of species richness in habitat fragments and quantify the detectability of each species recorded; (iii) review and rationalize the methods used to fit species–area–habitat models; and (iv) model species incidence, abundance and total richness of butterflies in urban habitat fragments and determine implications and priorities for their conservation.These objectives were achieved and the principal findings of the research are: (i) The transect method provides an accurate assessment of butterfly species richness in isolates provided that the level of sampling (proportion of area surveyed) is adequate, that sufficient surveys are conducted during the flight season to ensure high levels of detectability, and that surveys are conducted at appropriate times and during suitable weather conditions. Although randomly placed transects are preferable, logistic constraints often dictate the use of existing pathways, roadsides or management tracks – which requires the use of longer transects but is more practical in urban remnants.
(i) The transect method provides an accurate assessment of butterfly species richness in isolates provided that the level of sampling (proportion of area surveyed) is adequate, that sufficient surveys are conducted during the flight season to ensure high levels of detectability, and that surveys are conducted at appropriate times and during suitable weather conditions. Although randomly placed transects are preferable, logistic constraints often dictate the use of existing pathways, roadsides or management tracks – which requires the use of longer transects but is more practical in urban remnants.
(iii) Almost a century of fitting species–area curves has failed to produce agreement on which function is the best model of the relationship. Many of the proposed functions are identical, special cases of others or have arisen from transcription errors. Empirical comparison of these functions requires methods suited to the distribution of species number such as the generalized linear model, method of maximum likelihood and the information-theoretic approach, and proper attention to covariates and their interactions.
(iv) Site area and vegetation condition were the dominant determinants of the presence, abundance and total species richness of resident butterflies and day-active moths in 46 urban habitat fragments in south-west Western Australia. Larger sites with more high quality (undisturbed) vegetation favoured 16 of 20 native species and only one benefited from disturbance. A further nine species not sufficiently widespread or abundant to enable individual analysis were collectively more prevalent in larger sites. Resource quality and quantity dominated the patterns of site occupancy, and increased site connectivity did not favour any species – results consistent with habitat resources, not metapopulation effects, determining current distribution patterns. As expected, the presence of non-resident species was unaffected by site area. The total number of resident species at each site reflected the collective responses of the individual species: increasing with area and declining with vegetation disturbance. The effects of area and vegetation quality were not simply additive: disturbance had a far greater impact on small remnants. This interaction is inconsistent with the area per se hypothesis: in the absence of disturbance there was no evidence of a species–area effect.
This study is the first comprehensive, quantitative assessment of the distribution and ecology of butterflies and day-flying moths in Australian urban habitat fragments and provides a baseline against which future changes in species distributions may be measured. The results have important implications for the conservation of butterflies and day-flying moths in the region. Maintenance of vegetation quality is of paramount importance and is vital in smaller remnants. Large remnants, being less susceptible to local extinctions, will be essential for the persistence of many species. Many functions have been proposed to model the species–area relationship but empirical comparisons have been hindered by methodological problems – this study conducted a re-examination of the relationship and presents an appropriate framework to compare functions. This study is also one of few to demonstrate and quantify the importance of interactions in explaining patterns of species richness and should stimulate future research into the importance of these effects.
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Weyer, Vanessa Derryn. "Surface-strip coal mine rehabilitation risk assessment : the development of an integrated rehabilitation risk assessment model for use in South Africa and Australia." Thesis, University of Pretoria, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/77899.
Full textAbstract:
Surface-strip coal mine rehabilitation planning in South Africa and Australia is immature.
Rehabilitation risk assessment, despite being advocated by leading practice guidelines
and in some instances by legislation, is conducted with minimum requirements often met
by rehabilitation professionals. Specialist data is gathered during mine approval and for
the environmental impact assessment process. However, the focus of this is toward
assessing mining impacts and not for rehabilitation risk assessment. Quantitative,
integrated, multi-disciplinary rehabilitation risk assessment is seldom undertaken. This
thesis provides a methodology towards the development of a quantitative, integrative,
multi-disciplinary rehabilitation risk assessment model. Its purpose being to 'profile'
surface-strip coal mine sites, in terms of their rehabilitation risk and potential for
rehabilitation failure, from the outset of mine operations, with adjustments possible
progressively during mine operations. The methodology was developed by first
reviewing techniques suitable for the development of the model, as well as techniques
developed by others. Bayesian networks (BN) were found to be the most suited. A R2AIN
framework was then provided as a process towards developing several BN risk event
models that can amalgamate to form a synthesis rehabilitation risk assessment model. A
case study soil compaction BN model was used to demonstrate the framework in South
Africa and Australia. The case study showed that it is possible to integrate and quantify
rehabilitation risk, and most importantly to segregate risk into discrete contributing multidisciplines
for analysis. Risk percentages can be calculated per multi-discipline, per mine
phase, per site, to aid site risk ‘profiling’. It is recommended that further risk event BN
models be prioritised for development and that a rehabilitation risk assessment model be
developed to synthesise these into one model. This will require continuous improvements
in the method, to build confidence, including extensive risk event and synthesis BN
model evaluation and testing; improved BN input node states and values; and
simplification of the conditional probability table construction method. Adaptation to
other mining types, development activities and other regions should be investigated, as
well as spatial linkages to geographic information systems. This research contribution
improves upfront mine rehabilitation planning and decision making, providing improved
tools and techniques than what currently exist.Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2020.
Geography, Geoinformatics and Meteorology
PhD
Unrestricted
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Rule, Beau Brenton. "Ediacaran biodiversity : palaeoecological assessment of successive latest Proterozoic (Neoproterozoic) faunal assemblages in the Western Flinders Ranges, South Australia /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 2000. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09SB/09sbr9352.pdf.
Full text
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Keightley, Janet Vila. "The gatekeeping function in educational policy making : a study of an assessment authority in South Australia 1985-87." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1988. http://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/10019667/.
Full text
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Taylor, Carl. "Site assessment and landscape planning strategy for the Student Garden at the College of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina." Thesis, College of Charleston, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10160172.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis project created a landscape design framework for the Student Garden at the College of Charleston that took into account stakeholder needs and landscape constraints, thereby allowing the Garden to better fulfill its mission. Steps for this project were to perform a stakeholder analysis to determine perceptions of mission, vision, and needs for the Garden. This was then paired with a landscape suitability assessment. The assessment was performed in GIS using available soil data from the Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO) to analyze for agricultural suitability.
Based on interview data, stakeholders considered the main mission of the Garden to lie in three areas: education, student research projects, and vegetable production. Landscape suitability analysis determined that the Garden was situated in the least favorable location within its available land area from an ecosystem standpoint. The landscape design incorporated the stakeholder needs of education, research, and production while proposing an expansion in a new, more centralized location that has soil better suited for agriculture along with new infrastructure. It incorporated a centralized building with office, rest area, and shaded work area that has facilities approved for vegetable processing for the CSA. Adjoining the building are beds showcasing sustainable agricultural techniques, greenhouses for seed starting and production, area for a food forest, and open fields for row crops.
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Davis, Jane. "Longing or belonging? : responses to a 'new' land in southern Western Australia 1829-1907." University of Western Australia. History Discipline Group, 2009. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0137.
Full textAbstract:
While it is now well established that many Europeans were delighted with the landscapes they encountered in colonial Australia, the pioneer narrative that portrays colonists as threatened and alienated by a harsh environment and constantly engaged in battles with the land is still powerful in both scholarly and popular writing. This thesis challenges this dominant narrative and demonstrates that in a remarkably short period of time some colonists developed strong connections with, and even affection for, their 'new' place in Western Australia. Using archival materials for twenty-one colonists who settled in five regions across southern Western Australia from the 1830s to the early 1900s, here this complex process of belonging is unravelled and several key questions are posed: what lenses did the colonists utilise to view the land? How did they use and manage the land? How were issues of class, domesticity and gender roles negotiated in their 'new' environment? What connections did they make with the land? And ultimately, to what extent did they feel a sense of belonging in the Colony? I argue that although utilitarian approaches to the land are evident, this was not the only way colonists viewed the land; for example, they often used the picturesque to express delight and charm. Gender roles and ideas of class were modified as men, as well as women, worked in the home and planted flower gardens, and both men and women carried out tasks that in their households in England and Ireland, would have been done by servants. Thus, the demarcation of activities that were traditionally for men, women and servants became less distinct and amplified their connection to place. Boundaries between the colonists' domestic space and the wider environments also became more permeable as women ventured beyond their houses and gardens to explore and journey through the landscapes. The selected colonists had romantic ideas of nature and wilderness, that in the British middle and upper-middle class were associated with being removed from the land, but in colonial Western Australia many of them were intimately engaged with it. Through their interactions with the land and connections they made with their social networks, most of these colonists developed an attachment for their 'new' place and called it home; they belonged there.
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MacDonald, David Ross. "The assessment of LANDSAT multi-spectral scanner and thermatic mapper data for geological investigation, using four examples from South Australia /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1988. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09S.B/09s.bm1351.pdf.
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Hancock, Andrew (Boze) T. "The biology and fishery of Roe's abalone Haliotis roei Gray in south-western Australia, with emphasis on the Perth fishery." University of Western Australia. School of Animal Biology, 2004. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2004.0068.
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The Roe’s abalone (Haliotis roei) fishery near Perth, Western Australia, is uniquely accessible, and highly vulnerable to overexploitation. The sustainability of this intensively utilized fishery requires robust assessment. To facilitate an assessment, this research aimed to provide rigorous and detailed biological information with appropriate interpretation. Four critical aspects of the species’ biology and population dynamics were investigated: (1) the stock structure; (2) the recreational catch; (3) an appropriate growth curve and description of size at age; and (4) abundance measures against which to assess the impact of fishing mortality. Allozyme electrophoresis was used to investigate stock structure across the species’ distribution. Standardized variance in allelic frequencies between 10 sites in south-western Australia indicated high levels of gene flow across the 3000 km sampled (mean FST = 0.009). An isolation-by-distance was evident when pairwise measures of GST were related to geographic distance (r=0.45, P<0.001). The area of complete genetic mixing was estimated from samples within the Perth fishery to be less than the distance between the two nearest sites, or 13 km. Consequently, the Perth fishery comprises numerous discrete stocks, each requiring independent assessment. A possible mechanism for this population structure is the retention of larvae in the wind driven currents oscillating in the near-shore lagoons, with rare pulses of long distance dispersal via the southerly Leeuwin current, running further offshore. The presumed impact of intensive recreational fishing, combined with substantial commercial quotas for the Perth fishery, had led to tight restrictions on fishing effort, without any quantitative measure of the recreational catch. A stratified creel survey was adapted to estimate the effort, catch rate and mean weight of abalone harvested by the recreational sector. Catches were estimated for reef complexes, or stocks, of less than 10 nautical miles (18.5 km) of coast. Between 1997 and 2000 the recreational catch varied from 30 to 45 tonnes whole weight, approximately equivalent to the commercial quota of 36 tonnes. On average 88% of the recreational catch came from two stocks, while 98% of the commercial catch came from these two, and one additional, stocks. The incidental mortality from recreational fishing, measured as the number of abalone left dead on the reef as a proportion of the estimated catch, was approximately 7% and 20% at two sites surveyed. Spatial and temporal patterns of growth were examined on the west coast of Western Australia. Growth increments were measured for abalone larger than about 30 mm from tagging studies at five sites in the Perth fishery, a site at the northern extent of the species’ distribution and a site in the southwest. Mean annual growth increments of the 0+ year class were obtained by fitting components to length frequencies from five sites in the Perth fishery, and combined with growth increments from each Perth tag site for model fitting. A von Bertalanffy growth curve provided a slightly better fit to the tag data, but a Gompertz growth curve was a much better fit when the mean increment from the 0+ to 1+ cohort was included, with the inflection occurring at about 40 mm, the size at sexual maturity. There was no difference in annual growth between the two years studied. There was significant variation in growth between the reef platform and adjacent sub-tidal reef, but this variation was site specific and faster growth rates were not consistently associated with either habitat. There was no latitudinal trend in growth rate. Growth at the Perth sites was the fastest and similar at all five sites with growth increments greater in summer than in winter. Size and abundance of abalone were measured using fixed transects and quadrats. Abalone densities were highest on the outer edge of the platform, intermediate in the middle of the reef platform, and lowest on both the inner platform and the sub-tidal reef. The pattern of mean lengths of abalone was the inverse of the density. Mean length and abundance were driven by the presence of post-settlement juveniles on the outer and middle reef habitats. There was a high spatial variation in abundance, with densities varying between transects at the same site, but the trend between years for each transect at a site was not significantly different. Abalone abundances, by size class, were examined from sites sampled between 1996 and 2002. A low density of post-settlement juveniles at all sites in 1997 was reflected in low densities of the 1+ and 2+ year classes in subsequent years. Abalone abundances at an unfished site were steady over the seven years. Two sites were located within each of the main stocks utilised by the recreational fishery. Abundance was stable or increasing in one stock, corresponding to a stable total catch. In the second stock the total catch increased over time and abundances declined. Perth is the focus of the Roe’s abalone fishery, with recreational and commercial fishers take about equal shares of the annual catch. Stocks are highly subdivided, with most of this catch coming from only 3 stocks occupying about 20 nautical miles of coast. Growth rates were found to be lower than previous estimates, and more similar to other commercial species of abalone. All life history stages are highly habitat specific, particularly the recruits, and the distribution and abundance through time indicate that the main stocks are near, or slightly over, the limit of sustainable fishing.
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Dall’Osso, Filippo <1977>. "Coastal flood vulnerability assessment with geomatic methods: Test sites of western Thailand, Sydney (Australia) and aeolian islands (south tyrrhenian sea, Italy)." Doctoral thesis, Alma Mater Studiorum - Università di Bologna, 2010. http://amsdottorato.unibo.it/2484/.
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The work undertaken in this PhD thesis is aimed at the development and testing of an innovative methodology for the assessment of the vulnerability of coastal areas to marine catastrophic inundation (tsunami). Different approaches are used at different spatial scales and are applied to three different study areas:
1. The entire western coast of Thailand
2. Two selected coastal suburbs of Sydney – Australia
3. The Aeolian Islands, in the South Tyrrhenian Sea – Italy
I have discussed each of these cases study in at least one scientific paper: one paper about the Thailand case study (Dall’Osso et al., in review-b), three papers about the Sydney applications (Dall’Osso et al., 2009a; Dall’Osso et al., 2009b; Dall’Osso and Dominey-Howes, in review) and one last paper about the work at the Aeolian Islands (Dall’Osso et al., in review-a).
These publications represent the core of the present PhD thesis. The main topics dealt with are outlined and discussed in a general introduction while the overall conclusions are outlined in the last section.
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Guy, Mark A. "Modelling landscape change in south-west England : an assessment of the impacts of policy-based assumptions on land cover pattern." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.435459.
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Ryan, Ned. "Assessment of techniques to determine the nature and extent of contamination from the Olympic Dam copper smelter, at Roxby Downs, South Australia /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1998. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09S.B/09s.br9892.pdf.
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Prow, Natalie A. "Epidemiology of Ross River virus in the south-west of Western Australia and an assessment of genotype involvement in Ross River virus pathogenesis." University of Western Australia. Microbiology and Immunology Discipline Group, 2006. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2006.0132.
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[Truncated abstract] Ross River virus (RRV) causes the most common arboviral disease in Australia, with approximately 5000 new cases reported each year, making this virus a major public health concern. The aim of this thesis was to link results from virological, pathogenesis and epidemiological studies to further define RRV disease in the south-west (SW) of Western Australia (WA), a region of endemic and epizootic RRV activity. A crosssectional seroprevalence study was used to show that 7.8 percent of SW communities were seropositive to RRV, comparable to other regions of Australia with similar temperate climates to the SW . . . RRV-specific IgM antibodies were found to persist for at least two years following RRV infection. A murine model was used to conclusively show differences in pathogenesis between RRV genotypes, the SW and northern-eastern (NE) genotypes, which are known to circulate throughout Australia. The SW genotype, unique to the SW of WA induced only poor neutralising antibody production and nonneutralising antibodies after the acute phase of infection. In comparison, the NE genotype which currently predominates in mosquito populations in the SW of WA, induced the most efficient neutralising antibody response and consequently produced the mildest disease in the mouse. These data in the mouse suggest that the infecting genotype will mostly likely influence disease outcome in humans and could at least partially explain why more severe and persistent disease has been reported from the SW of WA. Collectively, results from this thesis provide an important benchmark against which future investigations into BFV and RRV diseases can be measured.
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Vos, Elizmay. "Land cover change and its effect on landscape function in the Koue Bokkeveld." Thesis, Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/95941.
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Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2014.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Natural vegetation and wetlands in regions of the Western Cape are being replaced by agricultural development. Previous studies on one such region - the Koue Bokkeveld, a high mountainous region at the source of three major drainage basins, demarcated for study purposes to cover nearly 2500 km2, have failed to provide a comprehensive overview of such change and its landscape outcomes. This research aimed to detect, capture, record and classify the spatial nature, extent and change dynamics of various landscape elements and functions due to change in the land cover of this region. It assembled a comprehensive spatial database by digitising existing maps, aerial photograph mosaics and satellite imagery. Land cover maps were created for three historical and land cover change analyses were performed for the interim periods. Morphological landscape images were derived from a DEM and used to explain and interpret the location of land cover types and trends in change patterns. The effects on three landscape functions were determined, namely modelled run-off production, biodiversity deduced from landscape pattern structure and SANBI ratings, and carbon storage potential based on published figures. The research found that the regional landscape has undergone substantive land cover change , since the reference state. Increased intensity and productivity of agriculture and its related infrastructure increased its coverage to nearly 45 000 ha or 20 % of the total area. Perennial agriculture (nearly 10 000 ha of orchards and plantations) and annual (intensive vegetable growing and diminishing cereal crops) agriculture, accompanied by improved enabling infrastructure, such as irrigation technology (large storage dams, pipelines, micro delivery modes), transportation, roads, product cooling and packing plants, have extensively replaced natural vegetation. Located in valley bottoms and along toe-slope locations, where they compete for space directly with expanding and constantly intensifying agricultural activities, wetlands, shale fynbos and renosterveld face complete replacement. Land use and land cover changes have profoundly affected landscape functioning. Modelled rainfall run-off has increased (2% overall) in most subregions, opening possibilities for sedimentation and erosion. A high degree of fragmentation of the vulnerable and affected vegetation types threatens biodiversity. Increased carbon storage in perennial agriculture offers a benefit of change, as opposed to the negative outcomes on biodiversity of change in the Koue Bokkeveld. The research recommends improved institutional provision of the data required for system and regional modelling of processes like run-off in developing communities and for meeting the requirements of more sophisticated and accurate landscape models. Improved availability and appropriateness of GIT software solutions to conduct regional research and the use of more economical open software for GIS applications are to be encouraged. Ongoing and improved management and control are advocated for the expanding and intensified agriculture in a sensitive fynbos setting and for the maintenance of healthy landscape functioning. Concerning the discipline of geography, the exploitation of landscape functioning as a transdisciplinary focus inherent to a new regional geography is encouraged to arrest disciplinary drift. Specifically, future research should intensify the examination of the linkages between land use, land cover, change and ecological landscape functioning.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Natuurlike plantegroei en vleilande in substreke van die Wes-Kaap word voortdurend vervang deur landbou-ontwikkeling. Vorige studies oor een so 'n streek - die Koue Bokkeveld, 'n hoogliggende bergagtige streek op die oorsprong van drie groot dreineerbekkens, wat afgebaken vir studie-doeleindes byna 2500 km2 dek bied geen omvattende oorsig van sodanige verandering en die landskapsuitkomste daarvan nie. Hierdie navorsing was daarop gemik om die ruimtelike aard, omvang en veranderingsdinamika van verskillende landskapselemente en -funksies as gevolg van die verandering van grondbedekking van hierdie streek na te spoor, op te teken en te klassifiseer. 'n Omvattende ruimtelike databasis is saamgestel uit versyferde bestaande kaarte, lugfoto-mosaïeke en satellietbeelde. Grondbedekkingskaarte vir drie historiese tydsnitte is geskep en verandering oor die tussentydse periode is ontleed. Morfologiese landskapselemente is uit 'n DEM onttrek en gebruik om die patroon van grondbedekking en tendense in veranderingspatrone te verklaar en te verduidelik. Die nagevolge op drie landskapsfunksies, naamlik reënval-afloop produksie, biodiversiteit soos afgelei van die landskap se patroonstruktuur en SANBI graderings, en koolstof-opgaringspotensiaal gebaseer op gepubliseerde syfers, is bepaal. Die navorsing het bevind dat die streekslandskap sedert die vroegste verwysingstaat wesenlike grondbedekkingsverandering ondergaan het. Verhoogde intensiteit en produktiwiteit van die landbou en sy verwante infrastruktuur het die dekking daarvan vergroot tot byna 45 000 ha of 20% van die totale oppervlakte. Permanente (nagenoeg 10 000 ha boorde en plantasies) en jaarlikse (intensiewe groente en dalende graangewas verbouing) landbou, saam met verbeterde infrastruktuur, soos besproeiingstegnologie (groot opgaardamme, pypleidings, mikroleweringstoerusting), vervoer, paaie, produkverkoeling en -verpakkingsgeriewe, het natuurlike plantegroei grootskaals vervang. Geleë in valleivloere en aanliggende heuwelhange, waar hulle direk om ruimte meeding met die uitbreidende en voortdurend intensiferende landbou-aktiwiteite, is vleilande, skalie-fynbos en renosterveld onderhewig aan volledige vervanging. Grondgebruik- en bedekkingsverandering raak landskapsfunksionering wesenlik. Gemodelleerde reënvalafloop het toegeneem (2% in totaal) in die meeste substreke en vergroot so die moontlikhede vir sedimentasie en erosie. ‘n Hoë vlak van landskapsfragmentasie in die kwesbare en geaffekteerde plantegroeitipes bedreig biodiversiteit. Verhoogde koolstofopgaring in meerjarige landbougewasse impliseer wel 'n positiewe opbrengs van grondbedekkingsverandering, in teenstelling tot die negatiewe biodiversiteitsuitkomste van verandering in die Koue Bokkeveld. Die navorsing beveel aan dat institusionele voorsiening van data wat benodig word vir stelsel- en prosesmodellering (bv. reënvalafloop) in ontwikkelende gemeenskappe, en die vereistes van meer gesofistikeerde en akkurate landskapsmodelle, verbeter word. Die beskikbaarheid en geskiktheid van GIT sagteware-oplossings vir streeksnavorsing, en die gebruik van meer ekonomiese oop-programmatuur vir GIS-toepassings, word aangemoedig. Vir praktiese doeleindes word deurlopend-verbeterde bestuur en beheer oor die uitbreiding en intensifering van van landbou in 'n sensitiewe fynbosomgewing en die instandhouding van gesonde landskapsfunksionering bepleit. Met betrekking tot die dissipline van geografie, moedig die navorsing die ontginning van die landskap se funksionering as 'n transdissiplinêre fokus inherent aan 'n nuwe tipe streeksgeografie aan, om dissiplinêre uiteenloping te stuit. Toekomstige navorsing kan spesifiek die ondersoek van die skakels tussen grondgebruik, grondbedekking, verandering en ekologiese landskapsfunksionering verskerp.
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Jessop, Peter. "Response of arid vegetation to cattle grazing and the development of indicators for range assessment with particular reference to the rangelands of northern South Australia /." Title page, contents and summary only, 1995. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09AS/09asj58.pdf.
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Carroll, Rachel Art College of Fine Arts UNSW. "What kind of relationship with nature does art provide?" Awarded by:University of New South Wales. Art, 2007. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/43308.
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The relationship with nature through art has been explored as a two fold bond. The first considers a relationship with nature via art and science, where the history and contemporary application of scientific illustration in art is explored; while the second explores past and present connections with nature via art and the landscape, particularly the panoramic tradition. Historically these relationships have predominately been about dominating nature, mans dominion over the land. Science was seen as the only authority, while our relationships with the land in art, positioned the viewer at a commanding distance above and over the land, as seen in the post colonial panoramic tradition. In contrast, -The Coorong Series- explores a lived history with nature rather than the historical role of dominance. -The Coorong Series" explores a relationship of knowledge, understanding, and the experience of nature; through two parts. The first combines art and science in -The Coorong Specimen Series', to explore the facts and knowledge that science has provided about certain plants, birds and marine life from the Coorong. Inspiration has been derived from 19thC scientific illustrations and the lyrical prints of the Coorong by Australian Artist John Olsen. Part two explores the immersive experience of the iconic landscape in ???The Coorong Landscape Series" providing a relationship that seeks to understand the functionality of the location and to celebrate the unique beauty of this diverse region. Inspiration has been gained from the landscapes by l8th and 19th C artists John Constable and Claude Monet, along with landscapes by contemporary artists, John Walker and Mandy Martin. Through aesthetic notions such as scientific illustration, panoramic landscape, immersive scale, the collection of work, an expressionistic use of paint, and labeling of each piece like a museum display. -The Coorong landscape series" provides an exploration of a region that immerses the viewer in an experience of the location. The series portrays a relationship with nature through art that educates the viewer about The Coorong region. Connections are made between the land, birds, plants, fish, and human interaction; which results in an ecological consideration of the Coorong. Ultimately it is the educational experience that art provides allowing the viewer to explore a plethora of relationships within nature, and to explore how these relationships have changed or continue to exist within this era.
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Duncan, Imogen May. "Contrasting biodiversity values in four states of Eastern Province thornveld." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1003759.
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Land use and land transformation are major threats to biodiversity. Only a small percentage of land and thus biodiversity is protected within reserves. The majority of biodiversity lies in the hands of private and communal farmers and in order to protect biodiversity they must perceive it as having some value and have the means and incentive to conserve it. This study examined two things: (i) the relationship between biodiversity and measures of ecosystem health, range condition, primary production and presence of useful plants that would be expected to be of relevant use to land users, (ii) the perceptions of farmers of vegetation states that differ in the abovementioned attributes. Within the Eastern Province Thornveld of the Smaldeel area, four different vegetation states were selected for the study, namely park-like grassland with scattered Acacia karroo (“savanna”), heavily infested Acacia karroo grassland (“acacia”), thicket-grassland mosaic (“thicket”) and heavily utilised thicketgrassland in communal lands (“communal”). The four states are a consequence of different patterns of browsing and fire, in both pre-colonial and recent times. Different ecological attributes were assessed and compared for each state and the relationships between the different attributes determined. Ecosystem health, in terms of stability or resistance to erosion, infiltration/water-holding capacity, and nutrient cycling were compared using Landscape Function Analysis. The agricultural value of the different landscapes was measured using range condition assessment techniques. Plant species richness and other measures of diversity, along with their conservation and usefulness values, were compared between states. Plant productivity and biomass were compared using satellite data. The thicket state was found to be the most functional due to the added habitat complexity provided by the vegetation. It was the most biodiverse, the most useful and contained many, but not all of the important conservation species. The communal state had high biodiversity and was be fairly resilient to heavy usage, not showing the expected signs of land degradation. The savanna state, although thought of as the optimum state for cattle production, was not significantly different from the other states in terms of agricultural potential, but had the lowest values for plant diversity, browse potential, abundance of useful plant species and biomass. The acacia state had the highest and least stable values in terms of biomass production, however it was found to contain species of conservation importance. The preference that four groups of land users, namely men and women from commercial and communal farming areas, expressed for the four vegetation states was assessed using semi-structured interviews in conjunction with A3 colour photographs. The men and women from the communal areas and the men from the commercial areas valued the thicket state highly for its farming potential. The male commercial farmers also valued the savanna state highly as they perceived it as being most productive for cattle farming. Both the thicket state and the savanna state were found aesthetically pleasing by all the user groups, in line with theories of preference for modified savannas and for familiar environments. There appears to be potential for preserving biodiversity on farmland. The farmers in this study, with their very utilitarian perspective, were found to intuitively gauge the health of the landscape and recognise biodiversity as indicating good farming land. The commercial farmers were strongly influenced by economic motives and thus attracted to the savanna state, but also recognised the opportunity for a wider variety of farming activities in the thicket state. The communal farmers have a high dependence on the land for their livelihoods and preferred the thicket state for its overall usefulness. The views of the farmers indicate that the opportunity for conservation is good, however much of the thicket state lies in the communal land, where the openaccess land use system makes managing for biodiversity difficult.
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Flynn, Warren. "Fragments of the moon (novel) ; and." University of Western Australia. School of Social and Cultural Studies, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2008.0073.
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Fragments of the Moon is a novel set mostly in South Korea, examining relationships between people, interpersonal spaces, architectural spaces and landscape through a cross-cultural context. Matt, a graduate architect from Perth, Australia, finds himself increasingly vulnerable to cultural confusion as he adjusts to life away from his home and friends. Having initially assumed that Seoul's western facade echoes its social dynamic, Matt increasingly discovers that the Confucianism which underpins much of contemporary Korean society makes all relationships far more complex than his assumptions had allowed. Together with a Canadian student who is seeking to find the essence of a different Korea through her investigation of Buddhism, and through meeting diverse Korean characters, readers will discover several of the many facets of contemporary Korean culture. Readers will be encouraged to test the slippery surfaces on which familiar and unfamiliar attitudes to bodies, landscape and created spaces rest. 'Body, Space, Ideas of Home: Cross-cultural Perspectives' (thesis) The thesis examines the interaction of body space, architectural space, landscape, and emotional states in contemporary literary fiction from several cultural perspectives. Bodies, landscapes, and architectural spaces are shown to be devices through which contemporary authors with different cultural backgrounds have expressed character and explored ideas, especially thematic concerns related to cultural or cross-cultural confusion or understanding. Notions of 'feeling at home' and 'being alien' are investigated through the work of authors who either have a cross-cultural heritage (e.g. Jhumpa Lahiri a Bengali/American), or who write about a culture which is not their own (e.g. Dianne Highbridge, an Australian writing about Japan). Several chosen authors explore the relationships between the spiritual and the physical, the metaphysical and the corporeal. These elements are particularly highlighted when examining the narratives of Tim Winton (The Riders, 1994) and Simone Lazaroo (The World Waiting To Be Made, 1994); and two of Japan's most popular writers, Haruki Murakami (Norwegian Wood, 2000) and Banana Yoshimoto (Lizard, 1995). For some writers, this exploration of spaces forms the focal point of their work; for others, it is an important facet of their narrative world, which helps to ground their writing for contemporary readers whose own backgrounds must also influence their understandings.
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Luo, Qunying. "Assessment of the possible impacts of future atmospheric change on South Australian wheat production / Qunying Luo." 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/21978.
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"March 2003"Bibliography: leaves 195-209.
Systems requirements: IBM PC or compatible; CD-ROM drive.
x, 209, A4 leaves : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. + 1 CD-ROM (4 3/4 in.)
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2003
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McCarthy, Megan Emma. "Environmental impact assessment and organisational change in Transport SA & ETSA Corporation / Megan Emma McCarthy." 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/19898.
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Includes bibliographical references (leaves 379-409)2 v. : ill. ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
Develops a framework for evaluating environmental impact assessment (EIA) and organisational change, and examines the influence of the EIA system on two government organisations within South Australia, Transport SA and ETSA . Finally analyses patterns of organisational change process in South Australia in comparision with experience in the United States.
Thesis (Ph.D.(Arts))--Adelaide University, Dept. of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2001
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Braccini, Juan Matias. "Assessment of ecological risks from effects of fishing to Piked Spurdog ( Squalus megalops ) in South - Eastern Australia." 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/37791.
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Target species in some Australian shark fisheries are adequately managed, but there has been little attention given to non - target shark species and there is limited information on the biology of their local populations. Among this group of non-target species, the piked spurdog - Squalus megalops ) is of special interest because it is a dominant and ecologically important species with high natural abundance. Hence, the main purpose of the present research was to improve knowledge of the basic biology of this species and to provide essential data for its management, sustainable use and conservation. Squalus megalops had a complex population structure, segregating by sex, size and breeding condition. The sex ratio was biased towards females and there was sexual size dimorphism with females attaining a larger maximum size than males. Conversion factors from partial lengths to total length and from partial masses to total mass were determined due to the common commercial fishing practice of eviscerating, beheading and finning sharks. Comparisons of total and partial length - length and mass - length relationships between males and females using different ranges of size showed that there was no effect of size range on measurements reflecting only somatic growth ( fork and carcass lengths ; carcass, pectoral fin and caudal fin masses ). However, for variables reflecting somatic and reproductive growth ( total and liver masses ), different outcomes can be expected when different ranges of size are compared. Examination of dietary composition revealed that S. megalops is an opportunistic predator that consumes a wide range of prey items. High variability was found when overall importance of prey items was estimated. Dietary composition varied in space and time, exhibiting differences among regions, seasons and size classes. Therefore, the intrinsic natural variability in the dietary composition of S. megalops and its spatial and temporal variation in diet suggest that information on the ecological relationships among species is likely to be missed when predator - prey interactions are only inferred from overall diet. Reproductive parameters were determined for population assessment. For both sexes, length - at - maturity differed depending on the criterion adopted for defining maturity. Mature males are capable of mating throughout the year. Females have a continuous asynchronous reproductive cycle. The sex ratio of embryos is 1 : 1 and litter size and nearterm embryo size increase with maternal length. Females have an ovarian cycle and gestation period of two years. Although all females are mature at 600 mm, only 50 % of them are in maternal condition, contributing to annual recruitment each year. Hence, for chondrichthyan species with reproductive cycles of two, three or more years, if maturity ogives are used in population assessments instead of maternity ogives, the models will over - estimate recruitment rates. Age and growth information was also determined for population assessment. Precision estimates, the relationship between spine total length and body length, edge analysis, and agreement between counts on the inner dentine layer and the enameled surface support the use of the first dorsal fin spine for the age estimation of S. megalops. Based on goodness - of - fit criterion, the best growth model for males and females was a two - phase von Bertalanffy function. However, model selection cannot be based on quality of statistical fit only and results should be interpreted with caution. Regardless of the model used, the growth rate of S. megalops, particularly of females, is very low, even within the range of growth rates reported for shark species. A three - levelled hierarchical risk assessment approach was trialed to evaluate the suitability of the approach for S. megalops. Integration of qualitative, semi - quantitative, and quantitative biological and fishing impact data showed that S. megalops is potentially highly susceptible to the effects of fishing. A qualitative assessment indicated that the only fishing related activities to have moderate or high impact on S. megalops were those associated with ' capture fishing ' of the otter trawl, Danish seine, gillnet and automatic longline methods. A semi - quantitative assessment ranked S. megalops at risk because of its low biological productivity and, possibly, its catch susceptibility from cumulative effects across the separate fishing methods. Finally, a quantitative assessment showed that population growth is slow even under the assumption of density - dependent compensation where the fishing mortality rate equals the natural mortality rate. Therefore, conservation and management for sustainable use of S. megalops will require a close control of fishing mortality due to the low capacity of this species to withstand fishing pressure.Thesis (Ph.D.)--School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2006.
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Braccini, Juan Matías. "Assessment of ecological risks from effects of fishing to Piked Spurdog (Squalus megalops) in South-Eastern Australia." 2006. http://thesis.library.adelaide.edu.au/public/adt-SUA20060519.153928.
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Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Discipline of Environmental Biology, 2006."January 2006" Bibliography: pages 188-209. Also available in print form.
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Hutson, Kate S. "Parasite interactions between wild and farmed yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) in southern Australia." 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/47938.
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Metazoan parasites threaten the development and expansion of yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) sea-cage aquaculture in Australia. There is international speculation that parasite transmission from farmed to wild fish leads to increased incidence of parasitism in wild fish. Conversely, transfer of parasites from wild fish to farmed fish can negatively impact upon the health of farmed fish. Baseline information on the parasite assemblage of wild S. lalandi in Australia will: 1) allow informed judgments to be made in order to responsibly monitor, and perhaps remedy, potentially negative impacts and; 2) enable identification of parasite species of potential harm to the Australian S. lalandi aquaculture industry. I collected wild Seriola spp. (Carangidae) throughout southern Australia and examined them for metazoan parasites. Fifty-six metazoan parasite species are identified, including one new species. A taxonomic listing is provided for the metazoan parasites found. Taxonomic descriptions are made for the blood fluke Paradeontacylix godfreyi n. sp. (Digenea: Sanguinicolidae) and a redescription is provided for the parasitic copepod Naricolax chrysophryenus (Cyclopoida: Bomolochidae). A qualitative risk assessment was devised for the metazoan parasite taxa identified for the sea-cage aquaculture of S. lalandi in South Australia. Risk was interpreted considering the likelihood and consequence of parasite establishment and proliferation. The monogeneans Benedenia seriolae and Zeuxapta seriolae were considered extremely likely to establish and proliferate. Benedenia seriolae also poses high potential negative consequences for cost-effective S. lalandi sea-cage farming. However, the absence of potential mitigation methods and parasite management for Paradeontacylix spp. (Digenea), Kudoa sp. and Unicapsula seriolae (Myxozoa) indicates that these species may also present high negative consequences for S. lalandi aquaculture in Australia. The nature of wild Seriola migrations is critical for an understanding of the potential impact of disease and parasite interactions between wild and farmed fish. A small-scale tagging programme of wild-caught S. lalandi and S. hippos in South Australia provided insight into the movements of these species. Recapture results indicate that large S. lalandi remain in, or return to, northern Spencer Gulf. S. lalandi also move past sea-cage farms in Fitzgerald Bay, northern Spencer Gulf, which is an important consideration in view of potential expansion of the S. lalandi sea-cage industry in Spencer Gulf. There is surprisingly little experimental assessment on parasite transmission from farmed fish to wild fish. Studies assessing parasite interactions between wild and cultured fish employ models to quantify parasite population levels of cultured, wild and escaped fish, while others carry out comparative surveys of parasite prevalence and intensity over time, in areas close to and distant from farming activity. I provide preliminary data on ectoparasite prevalence and intensity on wild S. lalandi in areas close to, distant from and where there is no sea-cage farming in southern Australia. I review methods employed in the northern hemisphere to assess sea-louse transfer between wild and farmed salmon and propose methods for assessing monogenean parasite transmission from farmed to wild S. lalandi in Australia. In summary, this thesis provides insight into the potential for parasite interactions between wild and farmed S. lalandi. I document the parasite assemblage of wild and farmed S. lalandi and wild S. hippos and provide baseline data on ‘natural’ parasite prevalence and intensity. I provide a taxonomic description of a new species of blood fluke. I indicate the likelihood of parasite transfer from wild fish to farmed S. lalandi, and identify parasite taxa with potentially negative consequences for sea-cage aquaculture. I provide the first firm data that wild S. lalandi move past one area where kingfish are farmed in sea-cages in South Australia. Finally, I propose procedures to better understand the potential for monogenean parasite transmission from farmed S. lalandi to wild fish. This thesis reports new information that is important when considering and managing expansion of the S. lalandi sea-cage aquaculture industry throughout Australia. It also provides baseline data on natural parasite levels to enable ongoing monitoring of the potential impacts of the industry on wild fish populations.http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1294807
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, 2007
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Atkinson, Victoria. "Mine and industrial site revegetation in the semi-arid zone, North-Eastern Eyre Peninsula, South Australia." 2005. http://arrow.unisa.edu.au:8081/1959.8/46701.
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This research aims to develop the present knowledge of arid zone rehabilitation by scientifically testing topsoiling and seeding treatments on the Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, in a way that enables the widest application and comparison to other mining leases throughout the arid lands.
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Lyon, Paul John. "A systematic assessment of fault seal risk to hydrocarbon exploration in the Penola Trough, Otway Basin, South Australia." 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/49488.
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A new depth-based method of seismic imaging is used to provide insights into the 3D structural geometry of faults, and to facilitate a detailed structural interpretation of the Penola Trough, Otway Basin, South Australia. The structural interpretation is used to assess fault kinematics through geological time and to evaluate across-fault juxtaposition, shale gouge and fault reactivation potential for three selected traps (Zema, Pyrus and Ladbroke Grove) thus providing a full and systematic assessment of fault seal risk for the area. Paper 1 demonstrates how a depth-conversion method was applied to two-way time seismic data in order to redisplay the seismic in a form more closely representative of true depth, here termed ‘pseudo-depth’. Some apparently listric faults in two-way time are demonstrated to be planar and easily distinguishable from genuine listric faults on pseudo-depth sections. The insights into fault geometry provided by pseudo-depth sections have had a significant impact on the new structural interpretation of the area. Paper 2 presents the new 3D structural interpretation of the area. The geometry of faulting is complex and reflects variable stress regimes throughout structural development and the strong influence of pre-existing basement fabrics. Some basement-rooted faults show evidence of continual reactivation throughout their structural history up to very recent times. Structural analysis of all the live and breached traps of the area demonstrate that traps associated with a basement rooted bounding fault host breached or partially breached accumulations, whereas non-basement rooted faults are associated with live hydrocarbon columns. Papers 3 and 4 demonstrate that for all the traps analysed (Zema, Pyrus and Ladbroke Grove), initial in-place seal integrity was good. The initial seal integrity was provided by a combination of both favourable across fault juxtaposition (Ladbroke Grove) and/or sufficiently well developed shale gouge over potential leaky sand on sand juxtaposition windows to retain significant hydrocarbon columns (Zema, Pyrus). The palaeocolumns observed at Zema and Pyrus indicate that there has been subsequent post-charge breach of seal integrity of these traps while Ladbroke Grove retains a live hydrocarbon column. Evidence of open, permeable fracture networks within the Zema Fault Zone suggest that it is likely to have recently reactivated, thus breaching the original hydrocarbon column. Analysis of the in-situ stress tensor and fault geometry demonstrates that most of the bounding faults to the selected traps are at or near optimal orientations for reactivation in the in-situ stress tensor. The main exception being the Ladbroke Grove Fault which has a NW-SE trending segment (associated with a relatively high risk of fault reactivation and possible leakage at the surface) and an E-W trending segment (associated with a relatively low risk of fault reactivation and a present day live column). The free water level of the Ladbroke Grove accumulation coincides with this change in fault orientation.http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1339545
Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Adelaide, Australian School of Petroleum, 2008
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Langley, Gail. "Seed viability in topsoil stockpiles used for arid zone minesite rehabilitation in the Middleback Ranges of South Australia." 2002. http://arrow.unisa.edu.au:8081/1959.8/46671.
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The aim of this research is to assess various options for the management of topsoil stockpiles on disturbed lands and to evaluate the viability and germinability over time of the seedbanks in these stockpiles for use in rehabilitation. To predict their success, experimental trials were designed and conducted.
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McComas, Magers Robyn, University of Western Sydney, of Arts Education and Social Sciences College, and School of Contemporary Arts. "Interactions in the space of one tree." 2002. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/25847.
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This exegesis forms part of a cycle in the author's ongoing journey into the space of one tree, Eucalyptus gummifera. Many previously unchartered zones of experience give rise to experiences which are perceived slowly, with an open mind, in order to communicate an assemblage of experiences, objects and data which have come together to represent a reading of elements of the landscape of the Sydney Basin, one place where Eucalyptus gummifera grows. Each element has a niche within a specific grid of interaction that takes place in this lived environment. The work surveys fields of physical objects and relationships, inspiring new readings and translations of the landscape of one's own discoveries. Here the world acquires perspective and significance which enables fresh understandings and the deeper accquisition of knowledge. Thus the interactions in this sequence of the author's journeys into the space of one tree reveal further elements of the spatial landscape of Eucalyptus gummifera.Master of Arts (Hons)(Contemporary Arts)
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Wijayanto, Yagus. "Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA) in spatially unconstrained area using geographical information systems (GIS) and water quality modelling : thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy / Yagus Wijayanto." 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/21817.
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Includes bibliographical references (leaves [268]-285)xiv, 285, [85] leaves : ill. (some folded), maps (col., folded) ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geographical and Environmental Studies, 2002
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Rambhoros, Mizan. "South African commemorative architecture : a critical assessment of selected contemporary struggle sites within a transforming post-apartheid socio-spatial landscape." Thesis, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/10413/342.
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Breedlove, Gwen. "A systematics for the South African cultural landscapes with a view to implementation." Thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/27059.
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This study proposes a systematics for South African cultural landscapes. This study further aims to strengthen the analytical potential of the system by identifying a suitable platform for collaboration to supplement biophysical ecologies with the cultural ecologies. Item 4 of the aims of the National Heritage Resources Act No 25 of 1999 specifically states: that it is necessary to introduce an integrated system for the identification, assessment and management of the heritage resources of South Africa. Although all the aims mentioned in the Act are required for a complete management system for South African cultural resources, without a workable identification and assessment process, management will be ineffectual. This study addresses and proposes a systematics to accomplish this fundamental requirement of a complete management system. The research project is a proposal to the South African community of concerned individuals, institutions and agencies dealing with the conservation and protection of the cultural resources of the country. It is presented for consideration and adoption as alternative and supplemental management procedures. This research for cultural landscape management tools and techniques will supplement current programs by the relevant agencies who are considered to be holistic, combining African cultural perspectives on environmental values with the traditional western approach to conservation, thus amalgamating cultural and biophysical issues. The study is both qualitative and quantitative. It identifies and describes current conditions, and through the review of case study field data to test and correlate the documented data. All hypotheses are successfully proven and substantiated with both the critical review of the literature, the key interviews and the case study reviews. The sub-problems investigated each of the aspects to compile such a systematics. This thesis thus successfully proposes a systematic for the cultural landscapes of South Africa. This study recommends that the research into cultural differences and the relationship of various cultures to the biophysical landscape be extended and, furthermore, an alternative to the western way of documentation and mapping culture must be sought.Thesis (PhD(Landscape Architecture))--University of Pretoria, 2004.
Architecture
unrestricted
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"Residential mobility and capital accumulation : an assessment of the magnitude of capital gains derived by households from residential mobility within Adelaide and South Australia." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1997. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phh3143.pdf.
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