Les changements globaux récents affectent la physiologie, la distribution et la phénologie des espèces, ainsi que la dynamique des populations et les interactions entre espèces. Les interactions plantes-pollinisateurs sont particulièrement menacées par les changements globaux et la perturbation de ces interactions peut avoir des conséquences importantes sur le système de reproduction des espèces végétales. Dans ce contexte des changements globaux, nous avons déterminé les cortèges de visiteurs de Rhododendron ferrugineum le long de gradients environnementaux et étudié comment la variabilité de leur efficacité affectait le système de reproduction de cette espèce. Nous nous sommes également intéressés à l’histoire biogéographique de cette espèce et comment elle a répondu à des changements passés tels que les dernières glaciations. Nous avons mis en évidence que R. ferrugineum est visité par une large diversité d’espèces d’insectes. L’efficacité des cortèges de visiteurs varie le long de gradients environnementaux mais ne semble pas avoir un impact sur le système de R. ferrugineum. Cette espèce présente un système mixte de reproduction, avec une capacité à l’autofécondation mais les taux élevés de dépression de consanguinité limitent le développement des individus issus d’autofécondation. Cette forte dépression de consanguinité a permis un maintien relativement élevé de la diversité génétique dans les Pyrénées. Un tel niveau de dépression de consanguinité ne permet pas l’évolution de l’autofécondation et maintient ainsi le système mixte de reproduction chez R. ferrugineum. La capacité d’autofécondation de R. ferrugineum pourrait lui permettre de coloniser de nouveaux milieux ou de survivre aux changements globaux. Durant les dernières glaciations, R. ferrugineum a survécu dans de grands refuges de basse altitude ainsi que dans des nunataks (refuges de haute altitude). Quelques populations marginales présentent un taux significatifs de consanguinité (FIS> 0) et des niveaux de diversité génétique particulièrement faibles. Ce patron génétique est consistant avec des évènements de fondation accompagnés de perte de diversité génétique et d’hétérozygotie durant les périodes d’expansion de l’aire de répartition de l’espèce. Ces données suggèrent que la dépression de consanguinité dans ces populations devait être faible et que l’assurance reproductive a joué un rôle fondamental dans l’établissement de ces populations. / Recent global changes affect the physiology, distribution and phenology of species, also they impact population dynamic and interactions among species. Plantpollinators interactions are particularly threated by global changes and perturbations of these interactions may lead to important changes in plant mating system. In this context of globalchanges, we determined the pollinator assemblages of Rhododendron ferrugineum and howthe variability of their efficiencies affects the mating system. We also studied thebiogeographic history of R. ferrugineum and how it responds to past climatic changes.We have shown that R. ferrugineum is visited by a large variety of insects. Visitorassemblages efficiency varied along environmental gradients but did not seem to impact themating system of R. ferrugineum. This species presents a mixed mating system, indeed it isable to self-fecundate but high levels of inbreeding depression are limiting the development of self-fecundate descendants. High levels of inbreeding depression maintain high genetic diversity in the Pyrenees. Also, it did not allow the evolution of selfing and maintain a mixed mating system. The ability to self-fecundate may favor the colonization of new habitats.During the last glaciation, R. ferrugineum survived in large lowland refugia and in nunataks at high altitude. Some marginal populations present a high level of selfing (FIS> 0) and low genetic diversity. This genetic pattern is consistent with foundation events and loss of genetic diversity and heterozygosity along colonization rods. Our data suggest that inbreeding depression in these populations should have been low and the reproductive assurance played akey role in the establishment of these populations.

As alpine skiing is becoming more and more popular the need for sustainable products are increasing in order to enable great skiing and snowy winters in the future. The ski industry is unfortunately far behind many other industries when it comes to sustainability and the shift towards sustainable skis is going slow. Norse Skis is a unique ski manufacturer as they have a sustainable profile and are always in the lookout for new possibilities to take that forward. The goal in this master thesis project is to develop a pair of sustainable skis that will widen Norse Skis’ product catalog. The project was conducted in collaboration with Norse Skis as a master thesis project within the degree of Industrial Design Engineering at Luleå University of Technology. During the development of the skis, the user-centered design process Design Thinking Process was used. The process was divided into three phases; Inspiration, Ideation, and Implementation. During the design process, most of the energy was put on creating a ski that meets the user needs and is as sustainable as possible. Through constant dialog with the users, feedback and evaluation were gained to customize the product to the needs and opinions of the users. To develop skis that are as sustainable as possible, the project has had its base in the three aspects of sustainability; ecological, economic, and social, which are defined in the Brundtland report (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987).  At the beginning of the project, a deep understanding of alpine skis and alpine skiing was gathered. This was followed by a thorough examination of the users through surveys and user observations. It was identified that the users spent most of their time skiing on the piste, but had a vision of being an off-piste skier. This led to the conclusion of designing a ski that is high performing on-piste but also gives the user the possibility to great off-piste skiing. In a benchmarking, Norse Skis’ current skis were compared to their competitors’ to identify Norse Skis’ strengths and what could be improved. When an understanding of the product and the users was gained, the project proceeded into the ideation phase. In the ideation phase solutions on lengths, shapes, names, colors, graphics, and materials were created. Through user surveys, three concepts were created which eventually resulted in one final design. The project result is a pair of 90 mm wide skis with focus on sustainability that are high performing and playful in the piste while providing a nice off-piste ride as well. From the social aspect, they are created with the skier in mind instead of either men, women, or some specific age group. By using materials that are more environmentally friendly than what is used in Norse Skis’ skis today and that either have the same or lower price, the skis are more sustainable from both an ecologic and economic perspective. The design has been approved by the users which led to the recommendation of broadening Norse Skis’ current product catalog with the ski that was the result of this master thesis project. / Samtidigt som skidåkning blir mer och mer populärt för var dag som går så ökar behovet av hållbara produkter som möjliggör framtida snöiga vintrar och bra skidåkning. Tyvärr ligger dagens skidtillverkare långt bakom många andra branscher när det kommer till hållbarhet och skiftet mot hållbara skidor går trögt. Norse Skis är en unik skidtillverkare då de har en hållbar profil och ständigt letar efter möjligheter att komma ännu längre fram i utvecklingen. Målet i detta examensarbete är att utveckla ett par hållbara skidor som kan bredda Norse Skis produktkatalog. Projektet utfördes i samarbete med Norse Skis som ett examensarbete på Civilingenjör Teknisk Design med inriktning produktdesign vid Luleå Tekniska Universitet. Under utvecklingen av skidorna användes den användarcentrerade designprocessen Design Thinking Process som är uppdelad i tre faser; Inspiration, Ideation, och Implementation. Under designprocessen låg fokus på att skapa en skida som uppfyller användarbehoven och samtidigt är så hållbar som möjligt. Genom att hela tiden återkoppla med användarna för utvärdering och feedback kunde produkten anpassas efter deras behov och tycke. För att utveckla en så hållbara skida som möjligt har projektet utgått från de tre perspektiven av hållbarhet; ekologisk, ekonomisk, och social som identifieras i Brundtlandsrapporten (World Commission on Environment and Development, 1987).  I projektets startskede införskaffades en djup förståelse alpina skidor och alpin skidåkning. Detta följdes av djupdykning i användaren genom enkäter och användarobservationer. Det identifierades att användaren spenderar mest tid i pisten, men har en vision om att vara en off-pist åkare. Detta ledde fram till slutsatsen att designa en skida som är högpresterande i pisten med också ger användaren möjlighet till bra off-pist åkning. I en benchmarking jämfördes sedan Norse Skis nuvarande skidor med konkurrenternas för att identifiera Norse Skis styrkor och vad som kunde göras bättre. När en förståelse över produkten och användarna skapats gick projektet in i idégeneringsfasen. Där skapade olika lösningsförslag på längder, former, namn, färg, grafik, och material. Genom användarundersökningar kunde tre slutkoncept tas fram som slutligen resulterade i ett slutgiligt resultat. Projektresultatet är ett par 90 mm breda skidor med fokus på hållbarhet som är högpresterande och lekfulla i pisten som även ger en härlig åkning utanför. Ur den sociala aspekten är de gjorda för skidåkare istället för enbart män, kvinnor eller någon specifik åldersgrupp. Genom användning av material som är miljövänligare än de som Norse Skis tidigare använt och antingen har samma eller lägre pris så är skidor både hållbarare ur både ett ekologisk och ett ekonomiskt perspektiv. Designen har bekräftats av användarna vilket ledde till att rekommendationen att bredda Norses Skis produktkatalog med skidorna som var resultatet av detta examensarbete.

Temporary streams and their dynamics have often been largely overseen in hydrological research and there is relatively little knowledge about how the occurrence of flow in these streams varies temporally and spatially. Temporary streams are important from a hydro- logical perspective because they affect water quantity and quality in downstream peren- nial reaches, and from an ecological perspective because they provide habitat to unique species. In order to gain knowledge about these important streams, this maser thesis was conducted, within the Msc program in Water and Environmental Engineering at Uppsala University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, in collaboration with the Hydrology and Climate group at the University of Zurich. In this study, the temporal and spatial variation of the temporary streams in a small pre-Alpine catchment in Switzerland were investigated, both in terms of the presence of flowing water and stream chemistry. The 20 ha Studibach catchment is typical for the pre-Alpine area, with frequent precipi- tation. The streams in the lower part of the Studibach catchment were mapped in the field during September 2020. The temporal and spatial variations of the presence of flow and stream chemistry within the stream network was investigated in September and October 2020 during varying weather conditions. During ten field campaigns the flow state of the streams was classified and the Electrical Conductivity (EC) of the streams was mea- sured approximately every 20 meter. The findings from the field campaigns were related to topographic indices, in particular the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) and Upslope Accumulated Area (A), in order to see how topography influenced the presence of stream- flow and stream EC. The results show a high temporal and spatial variation in both stream chemistry and streamflow. The active network length expanded by a factor of two in re- sponse to precipitation events. The stream EC also had a large spatial variation, and the streams in the southeast part of the catchment had a higher EC than the other streams. This spatial variation is expected to reflect the large variability in groundwater EC within the catchment. The spatial variation of the streamflow demonstrated a difference between the north-middle and the south part of the catchment, where the south part responded quicker to events and drained and retracted faster after the event. The findings also indicate that topographic indices can predict the occurrence of flow in the stream network, with sites with higher topographic index values having a higher probability of flowing water in the stream. Topography also influences the stream chemistry. The variation in stream chem- istry was smaller for sites with higher values for the topographic indices, something that can be explained by the Representative Elementary Area (REA) concept, because sites with higher topographic index values are located further downstream and water at these locations is a mixture of the smaller streams that feed these streams. / Temporära bäckar och dess dynamik har länge varit förbisedda inom hydrologisk forskn- ing, och en djupgående kunskap rörande temporära och rumsliga variationer saknas. Tem- porära bäckar är viktiga utifrån ett hydrologisk perspektiv eftersom de påverkar både kvantitet och kvalitet på vattnet nedströms, och från ett ekologiskt perspektiv eftersom de bidrar med habitat till unika arter. Detta examensarbete har genomförts för att öka kunskapen kring dynamiken i dessa temporära nätverk. Examensarbetet genomfördes inom Civilingenjörsprogrammet i Miljö och Vattenteknik vid Uppsala Universitet och Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, i ett samarbete med Hydrologi- och Klimatgruppen vid University of Zurich. Studien har undersökt temporära och rumsliga variationer i ett tem- porärt bäcknätverk med avseende på flöden och kemin i vattnet, i ett mindre pre-alpint avrinningsområde i centrala Schweiz. Bäckarna i den nedre delen av avrinningsområdet Studibach karterades i fält för hand med karta och kompass under september 2020. Avrin- ningsområdet är på 20 ha och räknas som typiskt för ett pre-Alpint område, med frekvent nederbörd. Tio fältkampanjer genomfördes där temporära och rumsliga variationer un- dersöktes genom klassificering av flöden och mätningar av Elektrisk Konduktivitet (EC) i bäckarna ungefär var 20e meter, under september och oktober 2020 i varierande väder- förhållanden. Resultaten från fältkampanjerna relaterades till de topografiska indexen Topographic Wetness Index (TWI) och Upslope Accumulated Area (A) för att undersöka hur topografin påverkar flöden och bäckkemin. Studien kom fram till att bäckarna i den nedre delen av Studibach visar både en temporär och en rumslig variation för både flöde och bäckkemi. De aktiva bäckarna i nätverket visade på en expansion med en faktor två som svar på nederbörd. En rumslig variation för flödet påträffades även mellan den södra och nord-centrala delen av nätverket där den södra svarade snabbare mot event och även drogs ihop snabbare. Kemin i bäckvattnet visade på en stor rumslig variation, med högt EC i den sydöstra delen av avrinningsområdet, vilket förmodas bero på den stora rumsliga variationen av EC i grundvattnet. Resultaten visar även på att topografiska index kan till viss del förutspå flöden i bäckarna, där platser med högre topografiska index har högre sannolikhet att det flödar i bäcken. Topografin påverkar även bäckkemin. Variationen i bäckkemin var mindre för platser med högre topografiska index, vilket kan förklaras med Representative Elementary Area (REA) konceptet, eftersom platser med högre to- pogragiska index värden återfinns längre nedströms och vattnet på dessa platser är en blandning av de mindre bäckarna som tillför vattnet till de större.

Objectives of this master's thesis are to process review of technologies used to treat wastewater in alpine environment in Slovakia and in foreign countries. Thesis also includes mapping of situation of chosen alpine cottages in High Tatras. For cottages with unsuitable technology will be suggested more suitable solution.

La combustion de la biomasse est l’une des sources majoritaires de particules atmosphériques en périodes hivernales dans les vallées alpines, et particulièrement en vallée de l’Arve où des dépassements des seuils européens sont très régulièrement observés. Ceci a conduit à la mise en place d’un large programme de remplacement des dispositifs de chauffage au bois les moins performants dans le cadre d’une des actions du Plan de Protection de l’Atmosphère, le Fond Air Bois. Le projet DECOMBIO (DÉconvolution de la contribution de la COMbustion de la BIOmasse aux PM10 dans la vallée de l’Arve) a ainsi été mis en place en octobre 2013 afin de mesurer l’impact de cette politique de rénovation des appareils de chauffage au bois sur la qualité de l’air. C’est dans ce programme que s’inscrivent ces travaux de thèse dont l’objectif principal est de valider les méthodologies mises en place en routine pour permettre une déconvolution rapide de la combustion de la biomasse et mettre en relation les éventuels changements observés avec les avancées des remplacements de dispositifs de chauffage au bois domestiques.Pour mener à bien ce travail, trois sites, représentant les différentes situations de la vallée de l’Arve, ont été instrumentés (Marnaz, Passy et Chamonix) afin de suivre en continu, et tout au long du projet DECOMBIO, l’évolution des concentrations atmosphériques du Black Carbon (BC) et des traceurs moléculaires permettant de distinguer la contribution de la combustion de la biomasse des autres types de combustion. Un important jeu de données a été acquis entre novembre 2013 et octobre 2014 grâce à des prélèvements réguliers sur filtre permettant une caractérisation très fine de la composition chimique des particules atmosphériques. L’utilisation de l’approche statistique « Positive Matrix Factorization » (PMF) a permis de mieux appréhender les différentes sources entrant en jeu dans les émissions de particules au sein de cette vallée avec notamment un intérêt particulier pour les émissions de la combustion de la biomasse. Le développement de cette méthodologie d’attribution et de quantification des sources de particules basé sur l’utilisation de traceurs organiques spécifiques, de contraintes particulières appliquées à ce modèle et de données de déconvolution de la matière carbonée constitue une avancée importante dans la définition des facteurs sources issus de ce modèle.Les méthodologies développées au cours de ce travail, permettant une amélioration des connaissances et des contributions des sources, constituent donc des outils directement utilisables par les Associations Agréées de Surveillance de la Qualité de l’Air (AASQA), notamment pour l’évaluation quantitative des mesures prises pour améliorer la qualité de l’air dans le cadre de Plans de Protection de l’Atmosphère, entre autres celui de la vallée de l’Arve. / Biomass burning is one of the major sources of atmospheric particles during wintertime in Alpine valleys, and more especially in the Arve valley where exceedances of the European regulated limit value are regularly observed. This situation led to the establishment of an important program of replacement of old wood stoves with new ones as part of an action of an Atmospheric Protection Plan (APP), the “Fonds Air Bois”. The research program DECOMBIO (“DÉconvolution de la contribution de la COMbustion de la BIOmasse aux PM10 dans la vallée de l’Arve”) has been set up in October 2013 to estimate the impact of this wood stoves renewal policy on air quality. This thesis works be incorporated within this program and have for main objective to validate methodologies used in routine to enable a fast deconvolution of the biomass burning source and to compare any observed changes with progress of wood stove changeout.To complete this work, three sites, representing the different situations of the Arve valley, were instrumented (Marnaz, Passy and Chamonix) to monitor the continuing evolution of atmospheric concentrations of Black Carbon (BC) and molecular markers enabling to distinguish between the biomass burning contribution and that of other types of combustion. A large dataset was acquired between November 2013 and October 2014 thanks to regular filter samples enabling a vast chemical characterization of PM10. The use of statistical analysis “Positive Matrix Factorization” (PMF) has led to an enhanced appreciation of particle emission sources within this valley with a focus on biomass burning emissions. The development of this methodology of identification and source apportionment based on the use of specific organic markers, specific constraints and data from carbonaceous matter deconvolution is an important progress in definition of factors from this model.The developed methodologies during this work, enabling an improvement of knowledges and source apportionment, are tools directly usable by French Accredited Associations for Air Quality Monitoring, especially for the quantitative assessment of actions introduced to improve air quality as part of Atmospheric Protection Plans, for example the one in the Arve valley.

Les prairies de montagne offrent de nombreux services ecosystémiques qui sont menacés par le changement global. Les traits fonctionnels constituent un outil prometteur pour caractériser les réponses des communautés à des changements de conditions environnementales et leurs répercussions sur les services associés. Cependant, des résulats de plus en plus nombreuses soulignent l’importance de la variabilité intra-spécifique des traits a également été mise en évidence. Pour étudier ces effets, je propose un nouveau modèle à base d’agents, MountGrass, qui combine la modélisation de communautés végétales riches en espèces avec des processus de plasticité phénotypique. Ces deux éléments au coeur du modèle sont associés grâce à des compromis d’allocation basés sur des patrons empiriques établis de stratégies d’utilisation des resources.Avec MountGrass, j’ai exploré l’impact de la plasticité phénotypique sur la croissance individuelle et les propriétés principales des communautés prairiales. À l’échelle individuelle, le modèle paramétré a révélé un fort impact positif de la plasticité phénotypique sur la croissance mais aussi sur la niche fondamentaledes espèces. Des phénomènes de convergence et de réduction de la sensibilité aux variations de conditionsexpliquent ces effets. À l’échelle des communautés, les simulations ont confirmé de forts effets de la plasticité sur la structure des communautés et leur diversité spécifique. Ces effets sont expliqués par l’effet combiné de la réduction du filtre abiotique et de la réduction des différences de compétitivité. Cependant, aucun effet majeur sur la stratégie dominante ou la productivité n’a pu être mis en évidence.Des implémentations alternatives ou des extensions du modèle devraient permettre de tester la robustesse des résultats obtenus et d’analyser d’autres schémas de dynamiques des communautés. En conclusion, ce travail ouvre la voie à une meilleure considération et une meilleure compréhension du rôle des variabilités intra-spécifiques dans les dynamiques des communautés végétales. / Mountain grasslands provide numerous ecosystem services that are likely to be impacted by global change. Plant functional traits hold great promise to succinctly characterise plant community response to changing environmental conditions and its effect on associated services; with growing evidence of the importance of intra-specific trait variability. I propose here a novel agent-based model, MountGrass, that combines the modelling of species rich grassland communities with phenotypic plasticity. These two key components are integrated via allocation trade-offs based on established empirical patterns of strategic differentiation in resource-use.With MountGrass, I explored the impact of phenotypic plasticity on individual plant growth and on main properties of grassland communities. At the individual level, the parametrised model revealed a strong impact of plasticity on growth and species’ fundamental niches, with potentially large impacts on community properties. These effects are explained by the convergence of species’ strategies and the reduction of the sensitivity to variable conditions. At the community level, simulations confirmed the strong effect of plastic allocation on community structure and species richness. These effects are driven by the cumulative effect of a reduction of both abiotic filtering and fitness differences between species. However, no clear effect on the dominant strategy or productivity could be detected.Going further, the robustness of these findings and other patterns of community dynamics should be analysed with alternative or extended implementations of MountGrass. In sum, this work opens a door towards a better integration and understanding of the role of the intra-specific variability in complex plant community dynamics.

Head injuries caused by impacts are among the most critical and dangerous types of accidents that can occur while practising sports. Alpine skiing is one of the activities with the highest incidence of head injuries. Over the years, specific regulations have been introduced to protect athletes where possible, but the perception is that the level of protection needed to manage the forces to which they are exposed has yet to be achieved. This thesis project aims to examine video sequences of accidents in alpine ski competitions (Giant Slalom, Super-G, Downhill, Ski Cross) to better understand the translational violence exerted on the head during impacts. After an in-depth analysis, it was shown that, in at least 41% of the videos investigated, the translational impact speeds exceeded the standards adopted in helmet certifications by 44.3% and 52.2%, respectively. Besides, in 60% of these accidents, the blow was located on the upper semicircle of the helmet, which is believed to be due to the ever-increasing use of airbags for the torso. / Huvudskador orsakade av slag är bland den alvarligaste typen av olyckor som kan inträffa vid utövande av idrott. Alpin skidåkning är en av de sporter med den högsta förekomsten av skador på huvudet. Under årens lopp har särskilda regler införts för att skydda atleterna där så är möjligt, men uppfattningen är att den skyddsnivå som krävs för att hantera de krafter åkarna utsätts för ännu inte har uppnåtts. Detta examensarbete syftar göra videoanalys på olyckor vid alpina skidtävlingar (Storslalom, Super-G, Störtlopp, Ski Cross) för att bättre förstå translationsvåldet mot huvudet vid olyckor. Efter en djupgående analys visades att i minst 41% av de undersökta fallen översteg translationshastigheten de hastigheter som används vid hjälmcertifieringar med 44.3% respektive 52.2%. För 60% av olyckorna skedde slaget högt upp på bakre delen av hjälmen, något som tros bero på den ökande användningen av krockkuddar för torso.

<p dir="ltr">Alpine glacier meltwater is an important source of recharge supporting groundwater flow processes in the high mountains. In the face of rapid ice loss, knowledge of response times of mountain aquifers to loss of glacial ice is critical in evaluating the sustainability of alpine water resources for human communities and alpine ecosystems. Glaciers are very sensitive to changes in climate, they advance during periods of global or regional cooling, and they retreat in response to global or regional warming conditions. When the glaciers grow, the equilibrium-line altitude separating the zone of accumulation and zone of ablation on the glacier moves downslope; it moves upslope when they retreat. The latter is not a sustainable condition for the glacier. Previous studies have shown that glacial meltwater is an important source of groundwater recharge. However, we lack fundamental information on the importance of glacial meltwater in mountain groundwater processes such as supporting baseflow generation to alpine streams, perennial flow to alpine springs, and the geochemical evolution of groundwater in mountain aquifers. Thus, continued glacial ice loss may have severe consequences for alpine hydrological and hydrogeological systems.</p><p dir="ltr">Glacier National Park (GNP) and Mount Hood National Forest (MH), both have alpine glaciers. These two study sites show different responses to climate change since their glaciers are in different states of retreat. GNP glaciers are in advanced stages of retreat compared to MH glaciers. Groundwater samples were collected from springs, seasonal snow, glacial ice, and glacial melt (subglacial flow) in GNP and MH. The samples were analyzed for a suite of environmental isotopes and geochemical tracers to address the following questions: 1) How are isotopic fingerprints of glacial meltwater preserved in mountain-block aquifers? What does the isotopic fingerprint of subglacial flow tell us about melting, meltwater processes, and mixing processes? 2) Is the preservation of the isotopic fingerprint of glacial meltwater affected by aspect controls on ice preservation? Aspect is defined as the compass direction of the slope where the glacier is found. 3) What controls groundwater flow and flowpath connectivity from high elevations (near glacier) to lower elevations? What geologic units support groundwater flow to local- and regional-scale springs and flowpath connectivity across spatial scales in each study site?</p><p dir="ltr">The flow of groundwater in mountainous terrain is heavily dependent on the hydraulic properties of the bedrock including presence/absence of dipping layers and structural features, primary and secondary porosity, and presence/absence of ongoing tectonic activity. Strontium isotopes (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr) were used to identify the rock units that host groundwater flowpaths and to quantify flowpath connectivity across spatial scales in both study sites. The ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr data show that flowpaths in GNP are primarily hosted in the Helena Formation and permeable facies in the Snowslip Formation. Groundwater also flows through alluvium and younger bedrock units, and there is some flow along or through the volcanic sill in the Helena Formation. Hydrostratigraphy also affects groundwater flow and the spatial distribution of alpine springs in GNP. At MH, the rock units hosting flowpaths are young reworked volcanic rock units that are Quaternary in age. Flowpaths in MH appear to be connected across spatial scales since warm springs emerging along the lower southern slopes of Mount Hood preserve stable isotopic signatures of glacial meltwater. In comparison, nearly all the sampled springs in GNP emerge on south-facing slopes. This is not an indication of ice preservation, instead it’s controlled by hydrostratigraphy. In fact, it’s unlikely that high-elevation groundwater is strongly connected to low-elevation sites due to hydrostratigraphy. There are more springs on south-facing slopes at MH as well; however, they do not preserve an isotopic signature of recharge from glacial meltwater except for the warm springs. Springs on north-facing slopes in MH, however, do preserve the signature.</p><p dir="ltr">Tritium (³H) and chlorine-36 (³⁶Cl/Cl) were measured to assess how the isotopic fingerprint of glacial meltwater is preserved in mountain aquifers. The ³H activities in spring water are elevated in GNP and it’s difficult to differentiate between modern precipitation and glacial meltwater. Tritium activities are lower in MH, but it’s also difficult to differentiate between potential endmembers. This discrepancy could imply that glacial meltwater doesn’t contribute to groundwater recharge, but this doesn’t support the Bayesian stable isotope mixing model results of an earlier study. Instead, I infer that englacial mixing processes are affecting the isotopic fingerprint of subglacial melt. An englacial mixing model (EMM) was developed to explain how the isotopic fingerprint of subglacial flow (glacial meltwater) changes in relation to the stage of retreat. The stage of retreat is important because it controls the proportion of glacial meltwater to runoff from snowmelt and rain that enters the englacial network from the surface of the glacier. Mixing occurs in the englacial network, and the mixed water is transported to the base of the glacier. Englacial mixing in conduits, fractures, and moulins affects the ³H and ³⁶Cl/Cl fingerprint of subglacial flow and will, in turn, affect the isotopic fingerprint of recharge from glacial meltwater. For this study, the ³H is not robust by itself; however, ³⁶Cl/Cl shows some additional benefits over ³H. The EMM suggests that the impact of englacial mixing and the influence of modern precipitation on the isotopic composition of subglacial flow increases as the glacier retreats in both GNP and MH. This model is novel to the best of our knowledge. Additional testing of the EMM should be prioritized in the near future.</p>

Contemporary debate on the future of urban areas is open and far from finding a convergence point among disciplines. As environmental concerns rise globally and connections between urbanity and ecology are being developed, urban-rural fringes are still an overlooked territory. The thesis proposes a shift in the focus as traditional frameworks have proven to be inadequate to track land-use changes in these hybrid spaces. Starting from selected key concepts, a compelling narrative on hybrid urban-rural fringes is proposed. The thesis benefited from the work done within the Interreg Alpine Space project “Los_Dama!”. This allowed to bridge the gap between research and practice and to directly investigate local planning tools in their adoption process to understand the approach to urban-rural fringes and investigate the role of agriculture. The comparison of the tools and direct fieldwork with local stakeholders supported the understanding of barriers in the implementation of hybrid performative landscapes.

In alpine ski racing, a few hundredths of a second can determine the winner. Analysing the start performance could lead to minor yet significant improvements and thus possibly enhance the overall race performance of skiers. This thesis aims to investigate the start performance by analysing how changes in launch technique, pole length and acceleration strategy affect run time and speed. Additionally, it interprets these results biomechanically and compares the time measurement system and wearable sensor used in an experimental setup. Through a case study, these three factors are varied on a flat slope of 45 meters. To evaluate the start performance, sector times are recorded with four light curtains, the path trajectory with a GNSS sensor and the kinematics of the human movement by two synchronized cameras running on OpenCap. The analysis results indicate that lengthening the poles from 128 to 133 cm reduces the total run time by an average of 0.13 seconds. Changes in the acceleration strategy, which depends on the slope characteristics, lead to smaller time differences, while no difference is found when altering the launch technique. The kinematic findings from OpenCap reveal speed differences that contradict the initial data analysis, requiring further research as this software only focuses on the push-off start phase. Hardware analysis shows that the wearable sensor effectively tracks position but lacks velocity accuracy. The implementation of these findings into the training of the start phase may improve the overall race performance of skiers. This study demonstrates the value of employing new technology in field experiments, paving the way for future research. / I alpin skidtävling kan några få hundradelar av en sekund avgöra vem som vinner. Att analysera startprestationen kan leda till små men ändå betydande förbättringar och på så sätt eventuellt bidra till att förbättra den tävlingsprestationen för skidåkarna. Denna uppsats syftar till att undersöka startprestanda genom att analysera hur ändringar i startteknik, stavlängd och accelerationsstrategi påverkar åktid och hastighet. Resultaten tolkas även biomekaniskt och en jämförelse görs mellan tidmätningssystemet och den bärbara sensorn som används i en experimentell uppställning. Genom en fallstudie varieras dessa tre faktorer på en flack backe på 45 meter. För att utvärdera startprestanda registreras sektortider med fyra ljusbarriärer, banan med en GNSS-sensor och kinematiken i den mänskliga rörelsen med två synkroniserade kameror som körs på OpenCap. Resultaten av analysen visar att en förlängning av stavarna från 128 till 133 cm minskar den totala åktiden med i genomsnitt 0.13 sekunder. Förändringar i accelerationsstrategin, beroende på backens egenskaper, leder till mindre tidsskillnader,  medan ingen förändring kan observeras när starttekniken justeras. De kinematiska resultaten från OpenCap visar hastighetsskillnader som motsäger den ursprungliga dataanalysen, vilket kräver vidare forskning eftersom denna programvara endast fokuserar på push—off fasen. Hårdvaruanalysen visar att den bärbara sensorn  effektivt spårar position men saknar hastighetsnoggrannhet. Genom att implementera dessa lärdomar i startträningen kan den totala tävlingsprestationen för skidåkare ökas. Denna studie demonstrerar värdet av att använda ny teknik i fältexperiment, vilket banar väg för framtida forskning. / Im alpinen Skirennsport können wenige Hundertstelsekunden über den Sieg entscheiden. Eine Analyse der Startleistung könnte zu kleinen, aber signifikanten Verbesserungen beitragen und möglicherweise die Gesamtleistung der Skifahrer verbessern. Ziel dieser Arbeit ist es, die Startleistung zu untersuchen, indem analysiert wird, wie sich Änderungen der Starttechnik, der Stocklänge und der Beschleunigungsstrategie auf Zeit und Geschwindigkeit auswirken. Zusätzlich werden diese Ergebnisse biomechanisch interpretiert und ein Vergleich zwischen einem Zeitmesssystem und einem tragbaren Sensor in einem Versuchsaufbau vorgenommen. Anhand einer Pilotmessung werden diese drei Faktoren auf einer flachen Piste mit einer Länge von 45 Metern variiert. Um die Startleistung zu bewerten, werden die Sektorzeiten mit vier Lichtschranken aufgezeichnet, der Weg mit einem GNSS-Sensor und die Kinematik der menschlichen Bewegung mit zwei synchronisierten Kameras, die auf OpenCap betrieben werden. Die Ergebnisse der Analyse zeigen, dass die Verlängerung der Stöcke von 128 auf 133 cm die Gesamtlaufzeit um durchschnittlich 0.13 Sekunden reduziert. Änderungen der Beschleunigungsstrategie, die von den Pistenverhältnissen abhängt, führen zu geringeren Zeitunterschieden, während bei der Änderung der Starttechnik kein Unterschied festzustellen ist. Die kinematischen Ergebnisse von OpenCap zeigen Geschwindigkeitsunterschiede, die der ursprünglichen Datenanalyse widersprechen und weitere Untersuchungen erfordern, da sich diese Software nur auf die Abstoßphase konzentriert. Die Hardware-Analyse zeigt, dass der am Körper getragene Sensor die Position effektiv misst, aber die Geschwindigkeit ungenau ist. Die Umsetzung dieser Erkenntnisse in das Training der Startphase könnte die Gesamtleistung der Skiläufer im Rennen verbessern. Diese Studie demonstriert den Wert des Einsatzes neuer Technologien in Feldexperimenten und ebnet den Weg für zukünftige Forschung.