With the growth in human pressures on the marine environment and the increase in competition for space and resources there has been recognition by many governments of the need to use the marine environment sustainably and allow for its acceptable allocation for each sector. The aim of this thesis is to evaluate the use of Marxan and Marxan with Zones as practical tools to enable the production of marine plans that integrate environmental and socioeconomic data and to suggest best practice in the types of data used. In this thesis three key aspects of data type and integration were identified and evaluated. The resolution and complexity of data required to protected marine biodiversity was assessed. The effects of using different substrate data resolution on the selection of sites to protect a range of biotopes using Marxan are determined. The nature of the data used in marine planning has significant implications for the protection of marine biodiversity. Using less complex data, of any resolution, did not adequately protect marine biodiversity. There is a need to determine what is an acceptable allocation of marine resource to each sector. Two case study areas were used to determine how to integrate conservation and socioeconomic data and objectives in a marine plan. Objectives for all the sectors could not be met completely in a single marine plan and each sector had to compromise. This research highlighted the potential compromises required and indicates that if marine heritage and biodiversity are to be protected each sector will have to change the impact it has on the marine environment. Currently marine conservation assumes that all data on habitats and species presented for use in marine planning are equal, in accuracy, precision and value. This is not always the case, with data based on a wide range of sources including routine government monitoring, specific innovative research and stakeholder based data gathering. A case study area was used to evaluate the impacts of using confidence levels in habitat data on marine biodiversity. It was found that data outputs that best protected marine biodiversity used data over 20% and over 30% confidence. With the data currently available for the UK marine environment it is not possible to be confident that a representative MPA network can be created. Together these studies contribute key recommendations for best practice in marine planning and demonstrate that the use of spatial decision support tools (Marxan and Marxan with Zones) are essential for the integration of data in marine planning, to assess how using different types of data will impact marine planning and marine biodiversity protection and to explore implications of different management actions.

Coral reefs are a vital resource in the low-island Republic of Maldives, where the sustainable use of these resources is central to the continued economic success of the country's two largest sectors: tourism and fisheries. This recognition has led to numerous reef conservation and protection activities, including the establishment of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). As in many MPAs of the world, those in the Maldives exist only as paper parks: areas protected on paper but not in practice. Despite general recognition of the importance of reef resources, insufficient funds are allocated by government to implement these parks. This situation is compounded by the absence of specific information and detailed understanding by policy makers of the true value and economic benefits of reef resources. This thesis examines the an economic valuation of improved management of MPAs in the Maldives using Dhigali Haa, an MPA in Baa Atoll, Maldives, as a case study. A contingent valuation survey to elicit the willingness to pay of tourists visiting Baa Atoll to see improved management at the MPA was used in estimating the potential benefits. In addition, local community consultations were conducted to understand local perceptions of MPAs and their effectiveness, and to develop a feasible improved management scenario. The local consultations confirmed that Dhigali Haa was not effectively managed, leading to continued illegal use and degradation of the reef. The results of the CV survey revealed support from tourists visiting Baa Atoll to pay for improved management of Dhigali Haa. A one-off conservation fee per visit for all tourists visiting Baa Atoll was preferred over a user fee solely for divers visiting Dhigali Haa. The estimate for the mean WTP for the conservation fee was US$35±5 compared to a mean WTP of US$15±5 for the user fee. Comparisons between the cost of implementing improved management and the benefits gained from tourist fees showed that a conservation fee would be more beneficial than a user fee. The estimated net present value for funding the improved management via a conservation fee was US$8.65 million.

This research is an ethnographic case study of the emerging ecotourism economies in the agricultural village of San Gerardo de Rivas, Pérez Zeledón, Costa Rica. Due to the village’s location as the main entry point to climb the country’s tallest mountain within Chirripó National Park, the majority of households in San Gerardo now derive some income from tourism. I conducted twenty household surveys, followed by twenty-one semi-structured interviews with male and female heads of households and representatives of local organizations and tourism businesses. Drawing on local perspectives, I found that ecotourism was a complementary income source to agriculture and that men and women were engaging differently in ecotourism employment. Local organizations were involved in the participatory management of ecotourism activities within Chirripó National Park. Ecotourism has affected environmental practices and local people are strategically negotiating the direction of tourism development, including through using environmental discourses, to optimize the benefits to their community.

<p>Predmet Disertacije je lovni turizam u za&scaron;tićenim područjima Vojvodine. Prostor&nbsp; Vojvodine dominantno čine poljoprivredne povr&scaron;ine dok se&nbsp; očuvani prirodni<br />kompleksi &scaron;tite kroz zakonski determinisana za&scaron;tićena područja. Na velikom broju za&scaron;tićenih područja odvijaju se aktivnosti lova i lovnog turizma. Kako Vojvodina tradicionalno ima razvijen lovni turizam u za&scaron;tićenim područjima, ovaj oblik&nbsp; turizma je<br />dominantan a često i jedini oblik turističkih aktivnosti. Odvijanje lova i lovnoturističke aktivnosti u za&scaron;tićenim područjima je, naročito u poslednjih, ne&scaron;to vi&scaron;e od dve<br />decenije, stalan izvor nesuglasica i konflikata. Sa jedne strane su protivnici lova i lovnog turizma koji smatraju da ovim aktivnostima nije mesto na za&scaron;tićenim područjima, dok su sa druge oni koji smatraju da ove aktivnosti nemaju &scaron;tetnih efekata po za&scaron;tićena područja. Postoje i oni koji smatraju da lov i lovni turizam, ukoliko&nbsp; se odvijaju uz po&scaron;tovanje zakonskih odredbi i akta o za&scaron;titi, kao i uz usklađivanje interesa svih<br />korisnika prostora, ne mogu da na&scaron;tete za&scaron;tićenim područjima. U radu su pored analize teorijskih sadržaja koji tretiraju predmetnu problematiku analizirani rezultati ankete ispitanika koji su radno angažovani u za&scaron;tićeni područjima, lovstvu i nevladinim<br />organizacijama koje se bave problematikom za&scaron;tite prirode kao i rezultati intervjua koji su urađeni sa eminentnim stručnjacima iz nave denih oblasti. Takođe je&nbsp; analiziran odnos lova i lovnog turizma na 15&nbsp; odabranih za&scaron;tićenih područja. Op&scaron;ti zaključak ovog<br />istraživanja je da je sprovođenje lovnog turizma u za&scaron;tićenim područjima Vojvodine moguće, opravdano i celishodno pod uslovom da se sprovodi u skladu sa naučnim standardima i relevantnim zakonskim propisima.</p> / <p>The Dissertation topic is hunting tourism in the protected areas of Vojvodina Province. Vojvodina region predominantly consists of agricultural areas while preserved natural complexes are protected through legally established protected areas. In a large number of protected areas there are activities of hunting and hunting tourism. As Vojvodina has traditionally developed hunting tourism in protected areas, this form of tourism is dominant and often the only aspect of touristic activities. The activities of hunting and hunting tourism in the protected areas are, especially in a few recent decades, a constant source of disagreements and conflicts. On the one hand there are opponents to hunting and tourist hunting who claim that protected areas are not&nbsp; the place for these activities at all, while on the other hand there are those who believe that these activities do not have any harmful effect on the protected areas. There are also those who think that hunting and hunting tourism, if enforced while respecting the law and the protection&nbsp; act, as well as with compromising the interest&nbsp; of all users of the region, that they cannot do any harm to the protected areas. Besides the analysis of the theoretical contents which deal with the issues on the subject, the work also analyses the results of a poll given by respondents who were hired to work in protected areas, in hunting and non-government organisations which deal with the problem of environment protection, and also analyses the results of the interviews made with eminent experts in the mentioned fields. Furthermore the ratio between hunting and hunting tourism was analysed in 15 selected protected areas. General conclusion of this research is that enforcement of hunting tourism in the protected areas of Vojvodina is&nbsp; possible, justified and expedient, if and only if it is enforced in accordance with the scientific standards and relevant law.</p>

To evaluate the niche of coastal fish populations in the Beaufort Sea, stable isotopes (SI) and fatty acids (FA) were used to characterize species-specific niches, niche overlaps and resource partitioning (nicheROVER) of the Shingle Point fish populations. Fishes were grouped into three isotopic groups: marine, coastal, and freshwater (Ward’s clustering analysis), and five dietary groupings (using FA), where benthic feeding strategies were prevalent (correspondence analysis). Niche metrics were used to evaluate if total mercury (THg) could contribute complementary trophic information (residual permutation procedure (RPP)). Three THg groups (high, intermediate, low) were identified (boxplot analysis). High THg was identified in high trophic and benthic feeders, high THg ranges were observed in species with large niche sizes, high trophic feeding, and freshwater influences (RPP). The bioavailability of freshwater introduced THg to marine biota was assessed, however further research needs to be performed. Combining dietary indicators SI, FA, and THg, allowed for the characterization of the diet and habitat use of coastal fish populations, better understanding of the niches of these species, and developed baseline information for future monitoring in an MPA, as climate change continues to effect the Beaufort coastal environment. / February 2017

Protection of the appellation of origin under Czech law and international treaties This thesis deals with the topic of appellation of origin. Appellation of origin is governed by Czech law, European Union law and by international multilateral and bilateral treaties. Appellation of origin is an exceptional measure because it provides an indefinite number of users meeting prescribed conditions with protection. The paper is divided into four chapters. The first chapter deals with history and with theoretical introduction into the topic of appellations of origin. Following three chapters describe the protection in the Czech Republic, European Union and on the international level. There are examples of concrete appellations of origin at the end of each of these three chapters. The examples are used in order to better demonstrate different ways of possible use of the appellations of origin. The work uses legal enactments as well as administrative and court decisions. Specialized publications and opinions of some of the users are used as well. The core of legal regulations governing appellations of origin in many countries is formed by multilateral international treaties. This applies also in case of the Czech Republic and the European Union. Application for registration of an appellation of origin may be filled...

This thesis deals with the historical development and the positive law of the territorial protection of nature. A lot of treaties and other documents were made on the international and the European level. The legislation of the European Union is also very important in Europe, especially two directives, that gives a basis to the creation of the Natura 2000 network. The Czech Act on the Protection of Nature and the Landscape regulates the general territorial protection of nature, the system of six catagories of the special territorial protection of nature and other related institutions of law.

Protected areas such as national parks are an important part of nature-based tourism all over the world. Over the past years there have been an increase of visitors to Sweden’s 30 national parks. Most of the visitors are domestic, however about 7% of the international tourist travel to Sweden in the purpose of visiting a national park. The aim of this thesis is to examine different factors that potentially could impact the visitor numbers. Factors such as availability for disabled, transport modes, population and visitor centers. Furthermore, the presence of certain elements is compared in a qualitative analysis. According to the results the presence of a visitor center, naturum, have a positive impact on the number of visitors. As well as national parks established after 1960. During the 1960s grater investments were made to make nature accessible for everyone. This thesis shows that there is a connection between high visitor numbers and easily accessible national parks, which could be a result of the change in the 1960s. At the same time, the most inaccessible national parks have seen an increase of visitors over the past years.

<p>In 2017, Shea Moisture, a company that created natural hair products targeted primarily toward Black women, released an online video in which ostensibly white and multiracial women discussed the struggles they encountered in accepting their natural hair. This video led to a public relations crisis for the organization as a result of its perceived exclusion of the organization’s core public--Black women with 4C hair, who arguably experience the highest levels of discrimination on account of their natural hair. This study explored the role of identity and identification in this crisis by conducting a qualitative content analysis of identification types in Black men and women’s online responses to the video. Emotions present in the online posts were used as rhetorical indicators of deidentification, ambivalent identification, identification or disidentification. The findings of this study, contextualized within the socio-political context of the crisis, suggest that responses to Shea Moisture’s video were informed by : its public’s identification with one another, their construal and co-construction of the organization’s identity as a Black business, and their identification with the organization on the basis of this identity. This study reinforces the role played by publics in co-constructing an organization’s identity and reveals the importance of sociopolitical realities and uneven power relations to publics’ identification. This study also introduces the concept of “protected identification” to describe a mode of identification that informed by a socio-political context wherein marginalization exists, comes with a unique set of expectations for the actions of an organization. </p>

Deadwood has increased over the last 25 years, but it remains unclear to what extent this is driven by forestry practices or storms. Therefore, I wanted to study the change in volume, decay stage and tree species during a 22-year period, to see if there was a correlation between increase of deadwood and storm. This study included data from southern Sweden, collected by the Swedish National Forest Inventory between 1994-2016. Deadwood in production forest have doubled over the last 25 years and almost quadrupled in protected forest. The increase does not depend on storm since much of the fallen wood was probably removed following year. In protected forest there was an increase in deadwood of broadleaved trees and a drastic decrease in Pinus sylvetstris. While in production forest, conifer trees dominate and there was no lasting effect due to the storm Gudrun (2005) on Picea abies. Hard deadwood decreased in production forest, possibly due to increased removal of branches and treetops, used as forest fuel in forest management. Possible reasons for the increase in deadwood could be the awareness in forestry, especially certification system and voluntarily set asides. Though, there is still necessary to increase the volume of deadwood in production forest, since it covers the largest parts of Swedish forests and does not seem to reach the national environment objective in 2030.