Although the conventional methods of predicting growth of trees and stands by the measurements of variables on the ground yield a considerable degree of accuracy, they take a long time and are expensive. Therefore, prediction of growth of trees and stands by the use of aerial photographs as developed herein may be preferable in some situations. A survey was made of ten series of aerial photographs taken at various times during the year with the use of several kinds of photography. One series was omitted because of too much exaggeration of relief. Of the nine series, three were regarded as inadequate for growth studies due to poor photography. Repeated measurements were made for 135 sample trees on different series of photographs in terms of total height and crown width. The tree images were classified as good, medium and poor according to the visibility of both top and the base of tree, and the accuracy of height measurements was defined in terms of standard error of the mean difference from photo-measurements and the ground data. In addition to the conventional method of taking an average of four parallax readings or two identical readings, the writer set up a checking method by which a high degree of accuracy was secured. The standard error of the mean difference for 95 heights of good image trees was ± 0.23 feet. When the good image trees were classified as conifers or hardwoods, the standard errors of the mean differ- ences were ± 0.30 feet and ± 0.41 feet respectively. Generally the measurements of height for conifers appeared to be more accurate than those for hardwood. There was no consistent result indicating which species gives better measurements. For height growth estimation, Height/Age curves were used as a supplement to ground data, and a method of pooling errors was applied. The use of this method for determining the accuracy of growth prediction was assumed to be applicable, and height estimates based on direct measurements on different series of photographs yielded a considerable degree of accuracy, if good quality photographs were available. The accuracy of crown width measurements was fairly high. The smallest standard error of the mean difference was ± 0.21 feet for 53 Douglas fir and the largest standard error of the mean difference was ± 0.58 feet for 12 alders. For growth estimates of crown width, the indirect approach of using Crown width/dbh ratios was used as a substitute for ground control. It was concluded that the prediction of growth of crown width can be made from a series of aerial photographs. The application of theoretical values as criteria in determining the acceptability of growth estimates of crown width might be practicable because variation will be reduced by the joint computation of two pairs of observations. However, when Crown width/dbh ratios are used as control, there tends to be a great deal of error, partly because of the use of ratios. Accuracy of growth studies on three different groups of plots varies with the composition of stand. The group of young natural regeneration plots showed a relatively high degree of accuracy. It was concluded that where the stand is comparatively open, growth estimates on the photographs would give a useful degree of accuracy. / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate

Classification of site of forest land is possible on aerial photographs. This classification can be based on topographic features, physiographic features, forest cover types, or on their combinations. Aerial photographs of the University Research Forest were typed using the following topographic features: exposure, percentage of slope, shape in profile, and shape in contour. Data on topographic and physiographic features were collected on 238 sample plots within topographic types in 30-year-old stands, on 83 permanent sample plots in 70-year-old stands, and on 26 sample plots in old-growth stands. Both graphical and mathematical analyses were carried out to determine relationships among site index and thirteen site factors. Simple correlation coefficients for site index of each of 320 plots were highly significant for each of local and general position on slope, per cent of slope, elevation, soil depth, moisture regime, permeability, soil texture, and thickness of A₂ later. Shape in profile was significantly associated with site index. Aspect, shape in contour, and thickness of the humus layer were not significantly associated with site index. The best of the single factors was moisture regime, but use of this by itself could only account for 20 per cent of the variation inplot site indices. Linear multiple-regression equations were computed to estimate site index from various combinations of topographic and physiographic variables. These equations were not used further in this study for determination of site index because of their relatively high standard error of estimate; however, several potentially useful equations were recognized. The best multiple-regression equation was highly significant statistically but accounted for only 31 per cent of the variation in plot site index. It included aspect, local and general position on slope, per cent of slope, shape in profile, elevation, and moisture regime. A procedure was developed to estimate site indices directly from aerial photographs by stereoscopic examination. Photo-estimation of site index was much more accurate than the computed equations based on all data collected in the field. Standard errors of estimate were reduced from 23 feet to 16 feet by direct estimation of site index. Regression equations were developed for conversion of site index of Douglas fir, western hemlock, and western red cedar from one species to another and to the average of all three species. Site maps were prepared for the 30-year-old stands which had not been mapped in the 1950 inventory of the University Research Forest. Preliminary site and forest cover types were recognized and general stand and stock tables were developed to describe these 30-year-old stands. / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate

The photo-interpreter has a difficult task when he is asked to identify the images of tree species recorded on aerial photographs. When a tree is examined on an aerial photo for such a purpose, the difficulty becomes more and more evident as it is realized that the different species can not always he identified by eyesight, even on large-scale photographs, but must be viewed stereoscopically, and the variations in appearance within the same species, even growing under the same conditions, are very great. In comparison with identification on the ground, the interpreter must take an entirely new approach in the determination of various species from aerial photographs. This approach involves training the eyes to recognize plants appearing with various hues and grey tones on black and white photographs, at much smaller scale than usual in ground studies, in most cases from above or half-oblique view of the tree, which is strange to the inexperienced interpreter. Most of the trees appear on aerial photographs in vertical or oblique views, when the branching habit and the crown shape of a tree are easily visible. For this purpose it is desirable to know the characteristic branching habit and typical crown shapes of trees in order to use these factors in species identification. This leads up to the problem that will be presented in this thesis. Factors which influence the ground characteristics of three major tree species in British Columbia are examined and analyzed. Various crown forms, with which Douglas fir, western hemlock and western red cedar occur in the vicinity of Haney and Vancouver, are described. The basic pictorial elements, with which these species appear and enable us to recognize them on aerial photographs, are analyzed. Influence of different films and filters on the appearance of species on air photos are also discussed. The thesis presents an analysis of identifications of species made by several interpreters. Requirements for photo-interpretation are also discussed. Finally, a dichotomous key is presented, which is constructed for Douglas fir, western hemlock and western red cedar, taking into account their appearance at various ages and locations. / Forestry, Faculty of / Graduate

There is an on-going battle in the Department of Defense between reason and the faith in technology. Those ascribing to technological fundamentalism are blind to the empirical evidence that their faith in technology is obscuring the technological limitations that are evident. The desire for information dominance to reach the state of total transparency of the opponent in order to win the war is untenable. The reasoning voiced by skeptics should be heeded but the technological fundamentalists are deaf to their views. The use of UAVs have provided for limited visibility of the opponent and not the perfect Panopticon as envisioned. / Master of Public and International Affairs

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Clostridium difficile-associated diarrhoea (CDAD) is a frequently occurring healthcare-associated infection, which is responsible for significant morbidity and mortality amongst elderly patients in healthcare facilities. Environmental contamination is known to play an important contributory role in the spread of CDAD and it is suspected that contamination might be occurring as a result of aerial dissemination of C. difficile spores. However previous studies have failed to isolate C. difficile from air in hospitals. In an attempt to clarify this issue we undertook a short controlled pilot study in an elderly care ward with the aim of culturing C. difficile from the air. In a survey undertaken during February (two days) 2006 and March (two days) 2007, air samples were collected using a portable cyclone sampler and surface samples collected using contact plates in a UK hospital. Sampling took place in a six bedded elderly care bay (Study) during February 2006 and in March 2007 both the study bay and a four bedded orthopaedic bay (Control). Particulate material from the air was collected in Ringer's solution, alcohol shocked and plated out in triplicate onto Brazier's CCEY agar without egg yolk, but supplemented with 5 mg/L of lysozyme. After incubation, the identity of isolates was confirmed by standard techniques. Ribotyping and REP-PCR fingerprinting were used to further characterise isolates. On both days in February 2006, C. difficile was cultured from the air with 23 samples yielding the bacterium (mean counts 53 ¿ 426 cfu/m3 of air). One representative isolate from each of these was characterized further. Of the 23 isolates, 22 were ribotype 001 and were indistinguishable on REP-PCR typing. C. difficile was not cultured from the air or surfaces of either hospital bay during the two days in March 2007. This pilot study produced clear evidence of sporadic aerial dissemination of spores of a clone of C. difficile, a finding which may help to explain why CDAD is so persistent within hospitals and difficult to eradicate. Although preliminary, the findings reinforce concerns that current C. difficile control measures may be inadequate and suggest that improved ward ventilation may help to reduce the spread of CDAD in healthcare facilities.

abstract: “In Spirit - An Archetypal Journey of the Soul” is a document illustrating the process of creating an evening length autobiographical aerial dance theater performance, In Spirit, through the investigation of theoretical, kinesthetic and choreographic research of archetypal symbolism, as well as aesthetic, choreographic and pedagogical aspects of aerial dance. The Jungian research specifically informed the identification of symbolism and the roles that archetypes play in creating a clear storyline within aerial dance theatre. In addition, research of aesthetic voice and current aerial dance practitioners became important and gave perspectives on creative pedagogical engagement in contemporary dance and aerial dance-making. For the duration of the process of creating In Spirit image-based creative tools, tarot symbolism, Jungian archetypes, aerial dance training and collaboration were explored with the cast of ten dancers. Through this research and embodying the spirit of collaboration, the choreographer and dancers worked diligently to train dancers with no previous experience in aerial dance to perform in aerial roles. The evening-length performance of In Spirit synthesized contemporary dance, aerial dance, theatre and symbolism regarding rebirth. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Dance 2020