Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2012. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Non-native species are recognized as a major component of global environmental change. Their ecological impacts are numerous and include the alteration of whole ecosystem processes as well as the loss of native biodiversity. As such, understanding the processes that drive the invasion of non-native species is essential for the control and management thereof. Numerous research approaches have been used to provide insight on the history and ecology of non-native species invasions. However, recent approaches employing molecular techniques have greatly helped in solving taxonomic issues associated with some of these species; identifying sources of invasions; and shedding light on colonization dynamics. Lantana camara, a globally invasive and highly variable species complex, is one of the most notorious plant invaders in South Africa. The species has been associated with negative impacts in agricultural areas, decreased invertebrate diversity, livestock mortality, and where it occurs along riparian areas- decreased water quality and obstruction to accessing water sources. This project aimed to review L. camara invasions in South Africa and to unravel patterns of spread in L. camara along the Sabie-Sand catchment in South Africa’s flagship protected area, the Kruger National Park, using a molecular approach. The findings of the first part of the study highlight that L. camara has successfully spread across South Africa with only four known introduction events, and this can be attributed to the species’ broad ecological tolerance, its use in the horticultural industry, and a variety of dispersal vectors (birds, humans and rivers). Furthermore, although sale of the species is prohibited in the country, it will continue to spread naturally and also has the potential to expand its distribution under changing climate scenarios. The second part of the study highlights that spread along the Sabie-Sand catchment is primarily river-driven and that the Sand tributary is the invasion source in the system. Because the Sand tributary originates outside the Kruger National Park, and only a small portion is under park management, the implications for spread are important. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Nie-inheemse spesies word erken as 'n belangrike komponent van die globale omgewing verandering. Hulle ekologiese impak is talle en sluit in die verandering van ekosisteem prosesse asook die verlies van inheemse biodiversiteit. As sodanig, die begrip van die prosesse wat lei tot die inval van 'n nie-inheemse spesies is noodsaaklik vir die beheer en bestuur daarvan. Talle navorsingsbenaderings is gebruik om insig te gee oor die geskiedenis en ekologie van nie-inheemse spesies invalle. Onlangse benaderings soos die gebruik van molekulêre tegnieke, help in die oplossing van taksonomiese kwessies wat verband hou met 'n paar van hierdie spesies,in die identifisering van bronne van invalle, en om lig te werp op die kolonisasie dinamika. Lantana camara, 'n wêreldwye indringende en spesie kompleks, is een van die mees berugte plantindringer in Suid-Afrika. Die spesie is geassosieer met negatiewe gevolge in landbou gebiede, afgeneem ongewerwelde diversiteit, vee mortaliteit, en waar dit voorkom saam oewer gebiede - afgeneem kwaliteit van die water en obstruksie tot waterbronne. Hierdie projek is daarop gemik om om L. camara invalle in Suid-Afrika te hersien en patrone van verspreiding te ontrafel in L. camara langs die Sabie-Sand-opvanggebied in Suid-Afrika se vlagskip beskermde gebied, die Kruger Nasionale Park, met behulp van 'n molekulêre benadering. Die bevindinge van die eerste deel van die studie wys dat L. camara het suksesvol versprei oor die hele Suid-Afrika met slegs vier bekende inleiding gebeure, en dit kan toegeskryf word aan die spesie se breë ekologiese verdraagsaamheid, die gebruik daarvan in die hortologie bedryf, en 'n verskeidenheid van die verspreiding vektore (voëls, mens en riviere). Verder, hoewel die verkoop van die spesie in die land verbied word, sal dit natuurlik voortgaan om te versprei en het ook die potensiaal om uit te brui onder veranderende klimaat scenario's. Die tweede deel van die studie wys dat versprei langs die Sabie-Sandopvanggebied hoofsaaklik rivier-gedrewe is en dat die Sand sytak die inval bron is. Omdat die Sand sytak buite die Kruger Nasionale Park ontstaan, en slegs 'n klein gedeelte onder park bestuur is, is die implikasies vir verspreiding belangrik. / Financial support from the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence for Invasion Biology and the Working for Water (WfW) Programme through their collaborative project on “Research for Integrated Management of Invasive Alien Species” and Stellenbosch University’s Subcommittee B Young Researcher's Fund

Both the natural and civilized worlds establish a context within which I may understand my own existence. My search for “self” and the emotive qualities of life within these contexts provides the impetus for my work. I create juxtapositions: from found art assemblages to, more recently, intimate experiences in public park environments. Within these curated experiences I challenge myself to open up to unknown experiences derived from my relationship to the landscape and the life forms found within. My videos are a kind of self-surveillance fostering absurdly promiscuous behavior when I am alone, in front of a camera. These conjured “secret acts” appear to exist within a realm of magic, science fiction or spirituality. They are sincere attempts at socialization, which more accurately convey the ineffective, naive and pathetic tenderness of a rookie’s efforts.

6 Abstract Title: Public opinion research of visitors of the Olympic Park Sochi - Letna 2014 Goal: To evaluate the importance of the Olympic Park Sochi - Letna 2014 based on public opinion of visitors. To propose conceptual improvements for the following Olympic parks during the Summer and the Winter Olympic Games. Methods: Quantitative questionnaire was used as the main method to determine public opinion. Qualitative in-depth interview with representatives of sports institutions and analysis of documents from internal resources served as a secondary analysis. Results: The Olympic Park Sochi - Letna 2014 was visited mainly by sport active people from Prague and Central Bohemia. Most of them were satisfied with the concept of the park and they would visit this kind of park in the next years, for which they would recommend bigger capacity and fitting refreshments. People came to the park to play sports and to try lesser known sports. They think that the concept of Olympic park would help to motivate public to practise sports. Key words: Public opinion, sport and population, Olympic Park Sochi - Letna 2014, Winter Olympic Games

Title: Motivations and objectives of the Czech Olympic team partners Supervisor: Mgr. William Crossan PhD Objectives: The aim of the thesis is to identify motivations of companies for entering into partnership with the Czech Olympic team. Furthermore, to examine objectives sought through the sponsorship agreement and determine their importance for each company. Findings are subsequently compared with those of similar studies made in past. Part of this thesis is dedicated to the analysis of marketing of the Czech Olympic committee and partners opinion concerning the Olympic park Sochi - Letná 2014. Methods: Qualitative research through semi-structured interviews conducted with sponsor representatives and the marketing director of the Czech Olympic committee. In-depth study of similarly oriented sponsor motivation research was also made. Sponsors were also asked to rank the importance of given sponsorship objectives. Results: The main motivation behind the decision to become a Czech Olympic team partner was found to be the connection with a strong, unique brand, as well as the desire to exploit the positive perception of the Olympic attributes with the possibility of its transfer to the partner. The most important objectives found were increasing brand value and enhancing company image. Another...

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science. / Central to the study of animal ecology is the usage an animal makes of its environment. In arid and semi-arid environments worldwide, the availability of surface water largely determines the behaviour, distribution and abundance of animals. As a consequence, the distribution and quality of water are factors that influence carrying capacities of protected areas in environments such as the Kruger National Park, South Africa. Just as wildlife may select water sources according to water quality, they may also select drinking locations according to perceived predation risk. Predation risk can therefore strongly influence the patch use and resource selection of animals. Similarly, human traffic and activity in natural areas can also have an effect on the behaviour and resource use of resident wildlife. This research investigates mammal usage patterns at selected water sources within the Makuleke Wetland System in Kruger National Park to contribute towards management planning for this important Ramsar Wetland Site. The research examines daily and seasonal trends in usage as well as possible links to water quality, land cover and human disturbance. Camera traps were set up seasonally at perennial pans and rivers within the Makuleke Wetland system to determine mammal species’ usage patterns. Environmental characteristics associated with each water source, such as water quality, vegetation cover and extent of human activity were also determined. A cluster analysis and Canonical Correspondence Analysis (CCA) were run in order to determine how environmental variables may influence mammal species’ seasonal drinking site selection. Overall, mammals appear to be selecting for drinking sites with increased distances to ground cover where they are more likely to see predators in advance. Mammal species appear to be avoiding the Zimbabwean border as a result of human activity in the Zimbabwean side of the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park. The perennial pans and rivers appear to be a significant water source during the dry months to large herbivore and large carnivore species, which display the greatest seasonal fluctuations. Elephants show the greatest demand for water during the dry season and access the perennial water sources throughout the day and night. The Makuleke wetland system, and in particular the perennial water sources, provide an important dry season refuge for the northern Kruger National Park’s and the Greater Limpopo Transfrontier Park’s elephant population. The Luvuvhu River and its associated pan (Nwambe), within its floodplain, are sources of water for the greatest diversity and richness of species when compared to the water sources associated with the Limpopo floodplain, within the Makuleke Wetland System. Information from this study may aid South African National Parks management with their “adaptive management” strategy for Kruger National Park, to manage the park in an ever changing environment. It is widely accepted that emphasis be placed on the major role river systems play in biodiversity, and hence their high priority in conservation.

The main goal of the thesis is to analyze and compare the degree of protection of the large-scale nature conservation areas in the legal orders of the Czech Republic, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and, in the conclusion of the thesis, to answer the question of whether these countries' regulation provides a sufficiently effective protection to these areas. Legal orders of the examined countries are analyzed with regard to the scope and effectiveness of the large-scale nature conservation legal instruments. Administrative instruments are examined and compared, including the degree of proprietary rights restrictions and related compensations of property loss. Furthermore, the conceptual and economic instruments (both positive and negative stimulation) are also examined. The analysis also focuses on the regulation of legal liability in regard to the large-scale nature conservation. Next, the thesis focuses on the institutional framework of the large-scale nature conservation in the examined countries and on the evaluation of the scope of the nature protection authorities' competence. Another point of interest is the degree to which the rights of the relevant subjects (owners, municipalities, environmental NGOs) are affected by the designation of a...

Memoria para optar al título de Arquitecta / La identidad cultural es fundamental para el desarrollo de una comunidad, ésta permite que se consolide como agrupación, además, tengan la iniciativa de fortalecerse principalmente las tradiciones y costumbres, siendo transmitidas de generación en generación. La pérdida de identidad y la falta de reconocimiento del patrimonio, es la principal razón que la comunidad pierda el interés en proteger los inmuebles con las zonas de relevancia histórica del territorio. Un caso de esto, es en la comuna de San Esteban, ubicada en la región de Valparaíso, en donde se encuentra el parque y casona La Ermita, un inmueble ícono y único en su estilo, que está en un estado de deterioro avanzado, trayendo como consecuencia el olvido de una parte de la historia comunal. El proceso metodológico del proyecto se dividió en tres etapas, la primera de reconocimiento de una problemática general, un tema de importancia a nivel nacional y el terreno donde aplican estas. La segunda, es una profundización del lugar por medio de análisis que abarca de lo territorial a lo micro del terreno, determinación de FODA a través de conclusiones, problemáticas secundarias y elección de usuarios basados en carencias comunales. Finalizando en una tercera etapa de master plan y luego el diseño del proyecto. Como resultado de este proceso se observó el avanzado deterioro del patrimonio comunal y la falta de equipamiento tanto cultural como comercial para la comuna. Para lograr entregar soluciones a la comunidad se realiza el proyecto de rehabilitación de la ZCH más importante de la comuna, el parque La Ermita, permitiendo contar con servicios básicos y nuevos áreas verdes recreativas. Este proyecto actúa como un conector de áreas verdes y de la trama urbana, permite la autonomía y consolidación de la zona central de San Esteban, rescatar las costumbres y tradiciones rurales chilenas y valorizar el patrimonio. / The cultural identity is fundamental for the development of a community, this allows it to be consolidated as a group, besides, they have the initiative to strengthen for chiefly the traditions and customs, being transmitted from generation to generation. The loss of identity and the lack of recognition of heritage, is the main reason whence the community loses interest in protecting the buildings with the zones of historical relevance of the territory. A case of this is in the San Esteban commune, located in the region of Valparaíso, where La Ermita park and house is located, an iconic and unique property in its style, which is in a state of advanced deterioration, bringing as a consequence the forgetting of a part of the communal history. The methodological process of the project was divided into three stages, the first to recognize a general problem, a topic of importance at the national level and the terrain where they apply. The second is a deepening of the place by means of analysis that covers from the territorial to the micro level of the terrain, determination of FODA through conclusions, secondary problems and the selection of users based on communal deficiencies. Finishing in a third stage of master plan and then the design of the project. As a result of this process we observed the advanced deterioration of the communal heritage and the lack of both cultural and commercial equipment for the commune. In order to deliver solutions to the community, the rehabilitation project of the most important HCZ of the commune is carried out, the La Ermita Park, allowing to have basic services and new recreational green areas. This project acts as a connector for the green areas and the urban scene, allows the autonomy and consolidation of the urban area of San Esteban, rescue the Chilean customs and rural traditions and appraise the heritage.

Many herpetofaunal species are imperiled, and the causes of this are often a synergy of multiple factors. In wetlands specifically, two of the possible determinants of species occurrence and faunal community assemblage are fish presence and wetland permanence, which are not always correlated. Twenty wetlands were sampled in Jonathan Dickinson State Park, Florida, USA to observe how wetland herpetofaunal communities vary with fish, wetland permanence and other environmental factors. Herpetofaunal communities with and without fish were significantly different from one another and differences between herpetofaunal communities were primarily due to the contribution of four species of frogs, two generalist ranids and two specialist hylids. Wetland permanence had no observable effect on community structure. Fishless wetlands were significantly more species-rich and possessed higher numbers of individuals even for species that occurred in both fishless and fish wetlands, regardless of their permanence. These findings have implications for wetlands restoration and herpetofaunal conservation. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Made available in DSpace on 2016-08-10T10:45:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 EDIVANIA ALVES TRIGUEIRO.pdf: 2726333 bytes, checksum: 23ee07079c1e09cd4fc8dd6711876ce6 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-06-16 / The present study approaches the pertinent subject to the Enterprise Hot Rio Resorts in what it refers to the use of potentials hídricos of the State of Goiás and the degradation operated in the areas explored with the construction of the enterprise being analyzed the performance of the collectivity and of the Public Power in the execution of the constitutional beginnings that treat of the protection of the environment as well of use common of the people of the presents and future generations. Among the treated subjects, they are the environmental subject in Brazil, level of importance of the environment, the mobilization degree and participation of the collectivity in the knowledge of the subjects of difficult solution that you/they involve the environment, being discussed, still, the existent tensions in the in the facts and in the experience of rules and your it executes application in the environmental protection. Of the context, they are had that measured of the juridical sphere they are adopted before the conflict of interests characterized by the wide action of the initiative deprived in the materialization of your objectives, inside of the possibility of exploration of resources hídricos, doing with that the Public Administration, so much in the acts entrusted of commission as the ones that are stopped accomplishing it suffers several types of controls of the law and the ones that are not accomplished due to the judiciary authority. / O presente estudo aborda a questão pertinente ao Empreendimento Rio Quente Resorts no que se refere ao aproveitamento de potenciais hídricos do Estado de Goiás e a degradação operada nas áreas exploradas com a construção do empreendimento analisando-se a atuação da coletividade e do Poder Público no cumprimento dos princípios constitucionais que tratam da proteção do meio ambiente como bem de uso comum do povo das presentes e futuras gerações. Dentre os assuntos tratados, encontram-se a questão ambiental no Brasil, nível de importância do meio ambiente, o grau de mobilização e participação da coletividade no conhecimento das questões de difícil solução que envolvem o meio ambiente, discutindo-se, ainda, as tensões existentes nos fatos e na experiência de regras e sua efetiva aplicação na proteção ambiental. Do contexto, têm-se que medidas da esfera jurídica são adotadas diante do conflito de interesses caracterizado pela ação ampla da iniciativa privada na concretização de seus objetivos, dentro da possibilidade de exploração de recursos hídricos, fazendo com que a Administração Pública, tanto nos atos encarregados de comissão quanto os que se deixam de cumprir sofra vários tipos de controles da lei e os que não são realizados diante da autoridade judiciária.

Les recherches multiculturelles en management prévalent sur les organisations à but lucratif, tandis que les études interculturelles sur les zones naturelles protégées constituent encore un domaine relativement peu exploité. Cette thèse propose des modèles interculturels adaptés (issus du modèle existant de Hofstede, complétés des concepts appartenant aux domaines du marketing et du management) pour l’analyse de la gestion de parcs et des expériences des visiteurs vécues au sein des parcs naturels européens (protégés). Parmi les différentes méthodes utilisées, les plus pertinentes s’avèrent être la conduite d’entretiens semi-directifs avec des dirigeants de parcs et l’enquête effectuée auprès des visiteurs, tandis que l’analyse de documents et les observations complètent nos résultats. À partir de nos analyses sur la gestion des parcs, les parties prenantes, les activités outdoor et les expériences des visiteurs, nous concluons que les différences culturelles influencent à la fois la gestion du parc et les expériences des visiteurs, mais d’une façon distincte. Bien que les différences culturelles soient constatées entre les visiteurs français et hongrois, leurs modes de consommation montrent des signes de facteurs internationaux/globaux, tandis que le choix des activités physiques et des caractéristiques démographiques s’avèrent également façonner les expériences des visiteurs. Les opérations et les directions de la gestion des parcs ont également confirmé être influencées par les différences culturelles dans une plus large mesure, bien qu’elles soient aussi déterminées par les caractéristiques géographiques des sites naturels. Cependant, les considérations managériales sont aussi liées au comportement du visiteur, au contexte législatif et aux caractéristiques géographiques du site. / Cross-cultural investigations in management prevail over those on for-profit organizations, while intercultural studies on protected natural areas is a relatively untapped field of research. This thesis proposes cross-cultural models (adapted from the existing model of Hofstede, along with marketing and management concepts) for the analysis of the park management and visitor experiences at (protected) European natural parks. Among the various methods used, the most relevant were the semi-directed interviews with actors of the park management and the visitor survey, while document analysis and observations also completed our findings. Using our analysis of the park management, stakeholders, physical activities, and visitor experiences, we concluded, that cultural differences influence both the park management and visitor experiences, though, in different ways. While cultural differences were found between the French and Hungarian visitors, their recreational consumption patterns show signs of international/global considerations, whereas the choice of physical activities and demographic characteristics also proved to shape visitor experiences. In turn, operations and directions of park management were confirmed to be affected by cultural differences to a larger extent, while these were also influenced by the geographical characteristics of the natural sites. However, managerial considerations were found to be interrelated with the visitors’ behavior, the legislative background and the geographical features of the area.