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In this thesis, a study was undertaken on the premise that the world population living in urban centers is expected to increase from 3.8 billion to 5.2 billion, from 2005 to 2025, representing 54% and 65% of total world population, respectively. The urban population (UP) growth will produce remarkable amounts of urban food waste (UFW) that will add more pressure on already overloaded municipal solid waste (MSW) management systems of cities. This problem is more serious in countries experiencing major economic growth such as China where UP is expected to increase from 44% to 66% of the total country population, from 1995 to 2025. Asia produces the largest amount of UFW, which is expected to increase from 251 million ton to 418 million ton (45% to 53% of total world UFW) from 1995 to 2025. On site treatment of UFW along with a limited movement of world population from rural to urban areas are suggested to reduce pressure on MS W management system for the upcoming decades. / In this thesis, a project was also undertaken to develop compost recipes for urban center such as downtown Montreal. Monthly (June to August) average residential FW production was found to 0.61 (+/-0.13) kg capita-1 day-1 and that of a restaurant was found to be 0.56 (+/-0.23) kg customer-1 day-1. From trial tests, the best compost recipes mixed 8.9 kg, 8.6 kg and 7.8 kg of UFW for every kg of wheat straw, hay and wood shaving, on a wet mass basis. However, quantity and characteristics of FW vary from one month to another; therefore, regular adjustment of compost recipe is recommended. When using wood shavings as bulking agent, it is strongly recommended to correct the acid pH.

This study examined leaf area index (LAI) and relationships with corresponding tree growth, climate and soil characteristics across New Zealand forest plantations. The aim of this study was to determine if quick measures of projected leaf area across environmental gradients of New Zealand were an accurate indicator of site quality. Projected leaf areas of Pinus radiata D Don and Cupressus lusitanica Mills seedlings were measured using a Li-Cor LAI-2000 plant canopy analyser at 22 locations representing the soil and climatic diversity across New Zealand plantation forests. Seedlings planted at 40 000 stems per hectare were used to test treatment effects of fertiliser, site disturbance and species over a 4 year period. It was hypothesised that collected climate and soil information would explain differences in LAI development patterns across sites as the canopies approached site and seasonal maxima. Averaged across sites Cupressus lusitanica 7.28 (± 2.59 Std.) m2 m-2 had significantly (p = 0.0094) greater projected LAIs than Pinus radiata 6.47 (± 2.29) m2m-2. Maximum site LAI (LAImax) varied from 2.9 to 11.8 m2 m-2 for Pinus radiata and from 3.1 to 12.6 m2 m-2 for Cupressus lusitanica. LAImax of both species was significantly and positively correlated with vapour pressure deficit, soil carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and CEC, but negatively with solar radiation, temperature and soil bulk density. A seasonal model of LAI across sites illustrated an 8.5% fluctuation in LAI of established canopies over the course of a year. Despite considerable variation in climate and soil characteristics across sites the combined effects of LAI at harvest and temperature were significantly correlated with site productivity (r2 = 0.84 and 0.76 for Pinus radiata and Cupressus lusitanica respectively). A national model of LAImax (r2 = 0.96) was proposed for Pinus radiata across climate and soil environments and the significance of LAImax as a component of site quality monitoring tools is discussed.

The purpose of this study was to describe the composition, structure and spatial distribution of plant communities at Wilbur Wright Fish and Wildlife Area (WWFWA) in order to provide baseline information to which future conditions can be compared. The plant communities of WWFWA were delineated, sampled, and subsequently classified using the framework of the National Vegetation Classification System. Data were collected for three strata of vegetation: overstory, understory and groundcover. Five permanent plots were established in the forested communities to monitor changes in vegetation over time.Eleven general habitat types were described for WWFWA. Plant communities varied from highly diverse mature woods to successional communities dominated by exotic vegetation. The composition and structure of plant communities appears to be closely related to previous land-use. Management practices are recommended in order to improve the condition of depauperate plant communities and to maintain the integrity of native plant communities. / Department of Biology

This thesis has mainly focused on investigating the effect of communication network on the power system operation. The main objective of this research has been to develop a set of communication network simulation tools and verify their suitability for realistic cosimulation of a power system and an associated data-communication network within a power system simulation environment. Based on a background study, a set of communication components have been developed for the PSCAD/EMTDC power system simulation software, which can simulate communication delay and packet losses. Furthermore, an analytical method based on queuing theory has also been developed to evaluate the communication delay and packet loss probability of a typical PMU-PDC communication network. Finally, the communication components developed in this thesis have been integrated into the simulation of a wide area power system application to investigate the effect of communication network parameters on the power system operation.

De gamla ängs- och betesmarkerna hör till Sveriges artrikaste biotoper, ofta med en mycket hög arttäthet inom både flora och fauna. Ängs- och betesmarker har minskat kraftigt under det senaste århundradet vilket har lett till en utarmning av den biologiska mångfalden.  Denna undersökning sker i samarbete med Täby kommun och syftet är att undersöka 10 olika ängs- och betesmarker för att få en uppdaterad bild av hävdtillståndet och vilka åtgärder som är mest lämpliga att sätta in. Detta arbete avser att fungera som en grund där framtida undersökningars resultat kan jämföras med för att se vilket resultat de insatta åtgärderna gett. Metoderna som använts är en allmän artinventering, art/area analys och successionskategorier utarbetade av Urban Ekstam samt studier av indikatorarter och lokalernas allmänna utseende exempelvis om mycket gammalt gräs finns i lokalen. Art/area- kurvorna studeras vilka genom sin lutnig och form visar vilken arttäthet som råder i det studerade växtsamhället. Flera av de undersökta lokalerna visar tecken på igenväxning och domineras främst av konkurrenskraftiga kvävegynnade arter. Dock finns ofta mindre bestånd kvar av hävdgynnad flora vilka skulle få en chans till expansion om en intensivare hävd sätts in. Art/area- kurvorna visar också oftast på ett finkornigt, ojämlikt växtsamhälle vilket innebär en mindre arttäthet där högväxta konkurrensstarka arter börjat ta över. Dock finns undantag som i Hagby och Torslunda gård vilka håller en artrik flora där de hävdgynnade arterna börjat expandera sina populationer. Sverige har antagit flera miljömål där bevarandemålen, Ett rikt odlingslandskap och Ett rikt växt och djurliv ingår. Även på kommunal nivå ska miljömålen eftersträvas att nås, Täby kommun har även det egna målet att halva Täby ska vara grönt. Täby har flera fina ängs- och betesmarker vilka i kombination med andra värdefulla naturtyper bidrar till att skapa ett varierat landskap och bidrar till en rik biologisk mångfald. Ju fler av dessa marker som bevaras desto större kommer kommunens artrikedom att bli.

Research has outlined numerous factors that impact on HIV risk behaviours of African people. These include a history of sexually transmitted diseases, number of sexually transmitted diseases, number of sexual partners, the perceived behaviour of peer groups and perceived vulnerability to HIV. Little is known regarding the factors that promote perceptions of vulnerability to HIV and the role this constraint plays in the maintenance of AIDS risk-reduction practices among African people in rural areas. This research paper gives an overview of the vulnerability to HIV among African people in a rural area. The information has been collected in the Kuruman district. The multi-disciplinary survey was undertaken with one of the objectives to investigate the vulnerability to HIV amongst African people in a rural area. The aim was achieved by means of a study of the relevant literature and through empirical research. The available literature on the subject was consulted to determine whether any research has been conducted in this field. The empirical research was conducted to confirm previous research findings. In this study the survey method was used as a systematic fact gathering procedure. Data was gathered by means of an interview schedule. The researcher administrated the schedules by conduction personal interviews with respondents. In this research, which forms part of the Thusano project, the focus was on the vulnerability to HIV/AIDS of people living in a rural area in the Kuruman district. The Thusano project forms part of a multi-disciplinary research project of the Potchefstroom Campus of the North-West University, entitled the Social-motor Empowerment of Families in Impoverished Circumstances under the Leadership of Professor A.E. Pienaar of the School of Biokinetics, Recreation and Sport Science. "Thusano” means to help each other and this is a Nelson Mandela funded project which has to address the needs of families in impoverished circumstances living in seven communities in the Kuruman district. The project is driven by the social worker, Ms Tineke Uys, and field workers. An early childhood programme aiming at school readiness has been implemented by them. However, many other needs are identified by the social worker which they are not able to address properly, such as HIV prevention and counselling, family violence, identification of motor delays and other health related problems. The research was conducted in seven communities of the Kururnan district with regard to 50 respondents from different households. The findings of this research reflect that there definitely are factors such as practising unsafe sex, poverty, poor education and over-crowded households that play an important role in the people's vulnerability to HIV/AIDS in the seven communities of the Kuruman district. / Thesis (M.A. (MW))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2006.

The main purpose of this study was to determine the differences in the energy commitments of two economically different groups of subjects. The two groups were selected poverty subjects and selected non poverty subjects in rural Appalachia. A second purpose was to determine the degree that the verbalized commitments became energy expenditures over a three months period. Thirdly, the study was concerned with the application of the Energy Commitment Theory, developed by Joseph and Lucile Hollis, which was the theoretical framework of this study.Energy commitments as defined in this study is the consigning of a person's energy to be expended in the future. Energy commitment is viewed as having three dimensions--direction, thrust, and flexibility. Each energy commitment has a direction which was classified as toward people, objects, or ideas. Thrust was sub-divided into three categories of priority, force, and amount.The subjects were selected for each group according to a previously established criteria. These criteria common to both groups were age, sex, marital and family status, education, physical and mental condition, geographic location of residence, and place of birth. Subjects in the poverty group were receiving Federal assistance in the form of food stamps. Subjects. in the non-poverty group were not receiving food stamps because of ineligibility due to family income.The study had six major hypotheses with a total of 24 sub-hypotheses. Four hypotheses were concerned with energy commitments and two hypotheses were concerned with energy expenditures.Reliability for classification of energy commitments was checked by tape recording all interviews. Energy commitments for one-half of the subjects were later classified by trained raters. Their rating was compared to the researcher's.In addition to tape recordings, the instruments used in this first interview to record energy commitments were the Interview Guidelines-1 and the Interview Rating Sheets -1. Each subject was interviewed again three months later to record his energy expenditures as they had been during the period of time between the two interviews. The instruments employed during the second interview were the Interview Guidelines-2 and the Interview Rating Sheet-2. The second interviews were not tape recorded.One treatment of the data was to derive the mean values for priority, force, amount and flexibility of the energy commitments. A second treatment of the data was a comparison of the two groups on a percentage basis and also to establish a ratio of the differences between the two groups.Based on the results from both the first and the second interviews the following indications were concluded:1. The poverty group had more energy commitments than non-poverty in regard to:A. direction toward objects B. priority toward objectsC. amount of energy and time slightly more committed toward objectsD. flexibility as to changing commitments to ideas and slightly more flexible in changing commitments to people, thus less flexible toward changing energy commitments toward objects2. The non-poverty group had more energy commitments than the poverty group in regard to:A. direction toward peopleB. priority toward people and ideasC. force toward people, objects, and ideasD. amount of energy and time more committed to people and ideasE. slightly more flexible as to changing commitments to objects than to people and ideas3. The total energy expenditures were in the same relative relationship. between the two groups as were the total energy commitments. The non-poverty group did follow through on energy commitments more than the poverty group.4. All data supported the propositions of the Energy Commitment Theory that were applicable.

Urbanization in all over the world has created pressure on the remaining open space, especially green areas,in the cities. Hence, the importance of green areas has become more relevant. It has been acknowledged thatthey are economically valuable as they promote the identity of cities and stimulate for example tourism.They also have a major impact on both physical and mental health and preserve ecological balance.However, knowledge on their social values to users has not been explored that much. Young architectAlexander Ståhle has developed a concept of sociotope that explores green space social values from the userperspective and therefore gives deeper understanding on how people perceive their environment. Sociotopemapping in turn is a way to present sociotopes on an easily understandable form; map. Recent research ongreen areas social values has found indication of different background variables such as age, socio-economicstatus, culture, effect on how people value green spaces. Hence, this case study was an attempt to gain moreknowledge of sociotopes in a Finnish municipality of Lempäälä from the adolescents’ perspective. Theresults showed that adolescents appreciated social values and used green areas arenas for social interaction.

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