Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Sveriges lantbruksuniv. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Determining the dynamic nature of animal movement has been an important component in a wider understanding of animal population ecology. Generally, this is because temporal change in the density of a population at a specific geographic location is not only a function of births and deaths but also of movements, including migration. The increased availability of remote telemetry and biologging systems in recent years has enabled many studies tracking marine predators, such as turtles, seabirds and marine mammals, but a general understanding of spatial dynamics in large sharks remains less well developed. This is in part due to few studies having achieved sufficiently long-term, multi-year tracks to detect changes in movement behaviour over time. Determining the timing, repeatability and potential motivations for movements of large sharks is necessary to understand the ecological and evolutionary role of such behaviour more generally in marine predators. Furthermore, given global concerns of declining shark populations, a detailed appreciation of shark movements can reveal the extent 6 of overlap with area-focused human activities (e.g. fishing), as well as inform assessments of population trends and spatial management options. In order to demonstrate how shark migratory behaviour and spatial dynamics can vary dramatically depending on the species and location, with subsequent contrasting conservation implications, the present work used longterm, remote telemetry to reveal detailed patterns in shark movement behaviour at two very different geographical scales: broad-scale movements of larger species that encompass ocean basins, versus fine-scale movements of reef-associated species at a remote atoll. First, using satellite telemetry, it was revealed for the tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier, that adult males undertake annually repeated, roundtrip migrations of over 7,500 km in the northwest Atlantic. Second, acoustic telemetry was used to determine the fine-scale spatial dynamics of a multispecies shark assemblage at a small, remote atoll in the Seychelles, Indian Ocean, where a number of species displayed perennial residency. While the fine-scale movements of reef sharks in the Seychelles suggest an MPA of moderate size may be an effective management option, the long-distance migrations of the tiger sharks in the Atlantic reveal that conservation efforts targeting them must account for dynamic fisheries interactions over large geographical scales, potentially requiring time-area closures to be effective. Examining the long-term movement behaviour of different shark species over contrasting geographical scales has emphasised the importance of understanding spatial dynamics when informing management decisions, and has contributed to a wider understanding of the population ecology of these species.

Magister Scientiae (Biodiversity and Conservation Biology) - MSc (Biodiv and Cons Biol) / The guttural toad, Amietophrynus gutturalis, Power 1927, is a common toad with a broad geographic range through much of temperate, sub-tropical and tropical southern and central Africa. Introduced to the islands of Mauritius and Reunion in the 1960’s, and subsequently to Cape Town in the 1990’s, the species has become invasive in its extra-limital ranges. Determining the invasion history of a species provides valuable information for conservation biologists and managers and it is fundamentally important for improving our understanding of the underlying processes of biological invasions. This study aimed to determine the source populations of the extra-limital populations from Mauritius and Cape Town. Furthermore, studies investigating genetic diversity and demographics of African Bufonidae are largely absent from the literature. Understanding the evolutionary history of the species may also assist with determining their invasive ability and identifying similar features in other bufonids such as Amietophrynus regularis and A. xeros. Using mtDNA sequence data from the 16S and ND2 markers four geographically distinct clades were identified through Bayesian phylogenies and haplotype networks. However, a spatial analysis of molecular variance (SAMOVA) indicated a grouping structure of three clades. A total of 16 haplotypes were identified from 53 samples for the 16S marker and 22 haplotypes were identified from 43 samples for the ND2 marker. Both the Mauritius and Cape Town invasive populations were found to have originated from the eastern clade. However, they matched the common haplotype from this region which was found across a vast area that spans the KwaZulu-Natal province and into the Mpumulanga and Limpopo provinces. This did not allow for identifying a more precise region for the origin of the founder populations. The presence of haplotypes unique to the Cape Town invasive population, which group with the eastern clade, indicates that there has potentially been more than one introduction event. Demographic analysis revealed a recent population expansion in both the northern (Fs = -2.92) and the eastern clades (Fs = -5.03). Significant genetic variation was found among groups (93.92%), with low variation among populations and among populations within groups. Population pairwise differences were found to be significantly different between all clades except between the central and the southern clade. There was a negligible difference in the genetic diversity of the invasive populations when compared to the eastern clade. The eastern clades’ genetic diversity was low compared to the two other clades and demographic analysis revealed that this region has undergone the most recent population expansion. The negligible difference between the eastern clades’ genetic diversity and both invasive populations indicate that founder effects and genetic bottlenecking should have no impact on the invasive populations. / National Research Foundation (NRF)

Coral reefs and the ecological, social, and economic benefits that they provide are seriously endangered by a colossal number of threats. This study was conducted in marine protected area (MPA) in the Mexican Caribbean. The purpose of this study was to provide results that can be directly applied by MPA managers to improve coral reef conservation and management. Characterization of four coral reef sites and stressors described in a proxy map were integrated into a comparative resilience assessment. Sites ranged from 16.5% to 3.5% coral cover and 47.5% to 12% macroalgal cover. Stressor distribution and intensity was highest near the Puerto Morelos town center and followed general water current patterns. Fishing, tourism, and pollution were identified as major stressors on which management can positively influence. The results of this study provide managers throughout the Caribbean a managerial tool chest to improve management efficacy and bolster conservation initiatives.

The Bearded Vulture, Gypaetus barbatus, was previously distributed across southern and western South Africa, as far south as Cape Town. Today, the entire population in southern Africa is restricted to the Lesotho highlands and the Drakensberg escarpment and nearby mountains in South Africa, where the population continues to decline. Research has shown that territorial abandonment is apparently associated with the density of human settlements within 10km of a territory. This pattern was assumed to be linked to the increased risk of unnatural mortalities in areas with higher human presence. However, habitat use and habitat selection, especially whether the species actively avoids human settlements has not yet been explored and could contribute to this pattern. In this study, we used data from nine adult Bearded Vultures fitted with Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite tags to determine which habitat is being selected. We modelled habitat selection in relation to various topographic and habitat variables, including information on built-up areas (i.e., areas with a high density of buildings). We predicted that birds would select areas of grassland and avoid areas with high building density and adjoining areas. We found that Bearded Vultures selected areas closer to their nest sites and supplementary feeding sites, with steeper slopes, and highly rugged terrain. In terms of habitat, they selected areas with grassland and avoided areas with forest, while cropland was neither selected nor avoided. As predicted Bearded Vultures avoided built-up areas and their vicinity. These results suggest that the Bearded Vulture may be sensitive to the negative impacts of a changing landscape in its distribution range. These results can help conservation managers in guiding development (e.g., human settlement expansion and afforestation) and protecting priority habitats (e.g., grassland) within the breeding range of adult Bearded Vultures.

With the development of digital technology during the last decade and the improvement of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), it has become easier for various scientific fields to predict and extrapolate data. Various organisations and institutions continuously develop algorithms and software to assist with specific challenges in multiple fields of science. These technologies and principles have also been effectively applied in the soil science field of pedology. Traditional soil mapping, although effective, is time consuming, arduous and expensive. It is thus important to develop methods whereby the soil forms of an area can be identified faster while providing accurate information to the reader/ user. Conservation areas, such as Phinda Private Game Reserve (Phinda), which covers a large area (greater than 28 000 ha) can benefit from a soil map. The importance of a proper soil map has a great many uses in conservation, but not every organisation or individual can afford it. This is where digital soil mapping (DSM) or Predictive Soil Mapping (PSM) comes into its own. Substantial research and development have been done in the form of methodology and software systems for DSM although it has not been effectively applied to conservation management. By applying these techniques, accurate and interactive soil maps were developed without the burdensome expenses or dangers associated with traditional soil observations in a conservation area. The application of DSM and the use of the soil land inference model (SoLIM) at Phinda resulted in maps based on the Fey soil-form classification as well as a soil sensitivity index (SSI). The SSI was developed based on the various soil forms present at Phinda and the factors that determine its sensitivity to various types of degradation. These digital maps indicated accuracies of 71% (Fey classification) and 72% for the SSI. The kappa values indicated a substantial agreement (0.63) for the Fey classification map and a moderate agreement (0.57) for the SSI map. The SSI was then combined with the predator sightings and the location of infrastructure and commercial lodges to derive the agreement of activities, game drives, which includes off-road driving (ORD) on sensitive soils. As erosion is a concerning problem, predominantly caused by human activities within Phinda, it was necessary to use the SSI map as a base of comparison. This digitally produced soil map will be presented to the conservation management at Phinda whereby planning can be conducted, literally, from the ground up. Proper planning will thus prevent a loss of soil and consequently a loss of biodiversity. All the information was then combined to developed recommendations for Phinda as to improve the overall road network by upgrading, removing and rehabilitating certain roads and provide advice concerning ORD. These decisions, in turn, prevent long-term soil and biodiversity loss while still providing clients with a true African bush experience. / College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences

Grazing is widely used as a tool in conservation management. Many plant communities of conservation importance are dependent on grazing for their existence, maintenance of species diversity and other valued characteristics. Plant community response to grazing depends on many factors, including site productivity and dominant plant species; setting appropriate grazing levels can therefore be challenging. The problems are magnified when more than one species or plant community is the target of conservation goals as they may need different levels of grazing. Where multiple plant communities are present in a mosaic, grazing pressure on the higher productivity community (usually the more attractive to herbivores) can affect the utilisation of the lower productivity communities: grazing on the less productive community is elevated in close proximity (a few metres) to the productive community. This increases the possibility of conflict in managing grazing for the conservation of both communities as low productivity communities can sustain only low levels of grazing. Less well studied are the effect of community layout at larger spatial scales (100s – 1000s of metres) and the effect of vegetation pattern on grazing on the productive community. It is also not well known how the spatial pattern of grazing is affected by changes in herbivore density. I investigated the consequences of the spatial pattern of plant communities and changing herbivore density for grazing patterns on a complex multi-community mosaic and assessed the probable consequence for conservation of these plant communities. The plant mosaic comprised a mixture of species-rich grassland and several less productive communities, primarily heaths and bogs; the main grazers were red deer (Cervus elaphus). The grassland needs higher grazing levels than the others to meet management goals. I used small scale experiments to investigate the effects of reducing grazing on grassland and how the effects varied within the grassland community. Elimination of grazing caused a rapid switch from short, herb-rich grassland towards a graminoid dominated, less diverse sward, as expected. The degree of change in diversity and herb cover was dependent on productivity. Experimental reduction in grazing had mixed consequences for grassland in relation to conservation goals due to pre-existing variation in intensity of grazing on the grassland. The condition of areas of initially heavily grazed and short vegetation improved, whilst taller grasslands deteriorated. Analysis of large-scale datasets was used to investigate the influence of spatial pattern of community types and differences in large scale deer density on the distribution of grazing. There was increased grazing pressure on less productive plant communities where grassland was abundant within 1km and this was fairly consistent across communities and across different grazing indicators. There was an effect on grazing levels on grassland, but the explanatory power was generally lower and the effect less consistently present across indicators of grazing. Sward height and litter depth measures from one dataset indicated heavier grazing with more grassland present nearby (250m); however, lower grazing pressure was indicated by sward height and a combined grazing index when there was more grassland in a more distant zone (500-1000m). Deer density had limited power to explain large scale variation in impacts, probably due to the coarse scale of the information available and correlation with other variables. This limited the ability to thoroughly test the consequences of changes in deer density on the spatial pattern of impacts or investigate whether there was an interaction between deer density and spatial pattern. The inherent conflict in conservation management of grazed communities of different productivities is increased by the influence of the spatial distribution of plant communities on the distribution of grazing; conservation management goals need to account for this and identify a suitable trade-off.

Management of water resources has become more complex in recent years as a result of changing attitudes towards sustainability and the attribution of greater attention to environmental issues, especially under a scenario of water scarcity risk introduced by climate changes and anthropogenic pressures. This thesis addresses the conflicts in optimizing multi-purpose hydropower operations under an environment where objectives are often conflicting and uncertain. Mathematical programming formulations can be used to achieve flexible, feasible and optimal operation and planning solutions to satisfy expectations of multiple stake-holders, including regulatory environmental compliance and sustainability. Innovative optimization models using MINLP with binary variables, fuzzy set theory, partial constraint satisfaction and multi-objective formulations incorporating unit commitment problem and adaptive real-time operations are developed and applied to a real life case study. These methodologies provide advances and valuable insights on optimal operations of hydropower systems under uncertain decision making environments. / by Andre Rodrigues Ferreira. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2009. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2009. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Managed forest landscapes in Sweden are dominated by boreal coniferous forest and are deficient in broad-leaved trees. Both beavers (Castor fiber) and ungulate browsers prefer broad-leaved trees to conifers, and the interaction between multiple herbivores may have a considerable impact on the recruitment of deciduous trees in riparian areas. To evaluate the relative importance of beavers and browsers on tree recruitment, I conducted an inventory of broad-leaved tree species at five beaver sites in Färnebofjärden National Park, Sweden. At each site, five transects were established perpendicular to the shoreline in the riparian zone, resulting in a grid of 35 sample plots at each beaver site. Foraging activity of both beavers and browsers (e.g. ungulates) was concentrated to a narrow band in the riparian zone and there was a decrease in the proportion of beaver-cut and browsed trees further away from the shoreline. Beavers preferred birch (Betula spp.) and grey willow (Salix cinerea) while browsers preferred oak (Quercus robur). Beavers targeted larger trees while browsers targeted seedlings <1 cm in diameter. Old-growth trees of high conservation value, such as aspen (Populus tremula) and birch, are at risk to be cut by beaver, yet long-term protection of broad-leaved stands requires a shift in focus towards strategies that enhance tree recruitment by considering and mitigating pressure from multiple herbivores. / Svenska skogslandskap domineras av boreal barrskog med en brist på lövträd. Både bäver (Castor fiber) och betande klövvilt föredrar lövträd framför barrträd, och interaktionen mellan dessa herbivorer kan ha en betydande påverkan på föryngring av lövträd i strandnära skogar. För att utvärdera den relativa betydelsen av bävrar och betare på trädföryngring så genomförde jag en inventering av lövträdsarter och betestryck vid fem bäverlokaler i Färnebofjärden Nationalpark, Sverige. Vid varje bäverlokal lades fem transekter i rät vinkel mot strandkanten i den strandnära zonen, med provrutor var femte meter längs varje transekt, vilket resulterade i ett nätverk av 35 provrutor vid varje lokal. Både bävrars och betares (dvs. klövvilts) födosökande var begränsat till ett smalt band längs strandkanten, och andelen bävergnagda och betade trädstammar minskade med ökat avstånd från strandkanten. Bäver föredrog björk och gråvide medan betare föredrog ek. Bäver föredrog större träd medan betare föredrog groddplantor <1 cm i diameter. Gamla lövträd som är viktiga att bevara, såsom asp och björk, hotas av bäveraktivitet, men långsiktigt bevarande av lövträdsbestånd kräver ett fokus på strategier som främjar trädföryngring, bland annat genom att beakta och begränsa den sammantagna påverkan av olika herbivorers betning.

WORK PROGRAMME FOR THE PAINTING INTERNSHIP 1982,UNDERTAKEN IN THE CONSERVATION UNIT OF THE NATIONAL LIBRARY, CANBERRA The program included five major areas: 1. Treatment projects 2. Conservative management 3. Storage projects 4. General assistance with conservation projects 5. Visits to other institutions, meetings and conferences. 1. TREATMENT PROJECTS Four paintings in category 1, requiring urgent conservation treatment. The paintings are part of the National Library's Historical Collection, and reflect differing historical and aesthetic significance. Technically, the major conservation problems present in these four paintings represent conditions often found in aged, neglected and previously restored works of art. The diversity of treatment procedures required presented an ideal opportunity for study assessment and practical application of contemporary conservation methods. 2. CONSERVATION MANAGEMENT 18 miniatures on ivory, held as components of various collections within the National Library. A complete survey of the condition of all the miniatures was undertaken. Treatment proposals were compiled, proposed and completed. Detailed reports on all aspects of the conservation work undertaken on both the paintings and the miniatures is 1 presented with this dissertation. 3. STORAGE PROJECTS This work centred on the stabilisation of over twenty paintings, involving reframing techniques, the making of new stretchers, and correct storage within the Library compactors. Supervision of the display and hanging of exhibitions was also undertaken, along with packaging of material for external exhibitions. 4. GENERAL ASSISTANCE WITH CONSERVATION PROJECTS This work involved many aspects, from photography, object survey, consultation with visitors, general laboratory maintenance, ordering and I.C.C.M. Bulletin production. During the interim period between painting Conservator appointments, I was able to maintain the ongoing programme, treating several category 1 works. 5. VISITS TO OTHER INSTITUTIONS, MEETINGS AND CONFERENCES During the internship, I visited and later worked for, four months in the Fine Art Conservation Laboratory, of the Australian War Museum, where I have been appointed as Assistant Conservator. Visits to other institutions have included the National Gallery Conservation units, the National Archives in Mitchell, and the Gallery of N.S.W., Sydney. Meetings attended have included I.C.C.M. functions, the Museums of Australia Association meetings (I am a member of that organisation), and the October 1982 Museums Association 2 Conference held in the National Library, Canberra. I intend visiting Conservation Laboratories in South Africa during my coming visit in December 1982.