Species-species and species-habitat interactions have been demonstrated to be important in influencing diversity across a variety of ecosystems. Despite generalities in the importance of these interactions, appropriate mechanisms to explain them are absent in many systems. In sandhill systems of the southeast U.S., gopher tortoises have been hypothesized to be a crucial species in the maintenance of diversity and function. However, the mechanisms and magnitude in which they influence their communities and habitats have rarely been empirically quantified. I examined how habitat structure influences tortoise abandonment of burrows and how tortoise densities influence nonvolant vertebrate community diversity. Tortoise burrow abandonment is directly influenced by canopy closure, with each percent increase in canopy cover relating to a ~2% increase in the probability of burrow abandonment. In addition, tortoise burrow density was positively correlated with diversity and evenness, but not species richness. This influence was directly proportional to burrow density, supporting a dominance role for this species and rejecting the commonly asserted keystone species mechanism. I also quantified the influence of tortoises in influencing diversity relative to other environmental and habitat variables. Through this research, I have demonstrated that disturbance and habitat structure are important, but diversity responds most to density of burrows in the habitat. These findings demonstrate the intricate relationships interacting to maintaining diversity in sandhill systems. In particular, habitat change leading to declines of gopher tortoises may have drastic negative impacts on vertebrate species diversity.

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Aim: The work is about construction companies in Sweden that use BIM in their operations. The goal is to study different engineers within these companies and focus on what they require in their everyday work. With the help of the respondents'experiences and needs, an analysis can be made, and suggestions given about how BIM can be implemented without major problems. Method: The report is based on information taken from interviews aimed at supervisors,project managers and contracting engineers spread between four different construction companies. A literature study has been done to create a basis for the interviews that were conducted with all respondents. Result: Information needs vary depending on the respondent. Most people want accurate information, as much information as possible, visualization of the informationand a way to coordinate this. BIM is seen as a solution to information needs, but there are several obstacles with implementation such as lack of training, that it is a large investment and time-consuming to implement. Some of the respondents believe that a full BIM model should be sought after, while others are content to use BIM as a complement to their current working methods. Analysis: Most information needs can be met with BIM. The respondents generally see several advantages of BIM. They do not seem to understand how it should be implemented, which may indicate a lack of knowledge about what BIM is. The level of knowledge around the use of BIM needs to be increased. Discussion: In order to fully implement BIM, new routines need to be created and this can be done through training or recruiting a new role that works specifically with BIM.This person can delegate digitization within a company and thus contribute to an easier implementation of BIM. This is something that previous studies support as an idea. / Syfte: Arbetet handlar om byggentreprenadsföretag i Sverige som använder BIM i sinverksamhet. Målet är att studera olika ingenjörer inom dessa företag och fokusera påvilka informationsbehov de har i deras vardagliga arbete. Med hjälp av respondenternaserfarenheter och behov kan en analys göras och förslag tas fram på hur BIM kanimplementeras utan stora problem. Metod: Rapporten bygger på information tagen från intervjuer som riktas tillarbetsledare, projektledare och entreprenadingenjörer utsprida mellan fyra olikabyggentreprenadföretag. Litteraturstudie har gjorts för att skapa grund för intervjuernasom utfördes med alla respondenter. Resultat: Beroende på respondent varierar informationsbehov. De flesta vill ha noggrann information, så mycket information som möjligt, visualisering avinformationen samt ett sätt att samordna detta. BIM ses som en lösning påinformationsbehoven men det uppstår flera hinder med implementeringen såsom bristpå utbildning, att det är en stor investering och tidskrävande att implementera. Några av respondenterna anser att en fullständig BIM modell borde vara eftertraktad medan andra är nöjda att använda BIM som komplement till deras nuvarande arbetsmetoder. Analys: De flesta informationsbehov går att bemöta med BIM. Respondenterna ser generellt flera fördelar med BIM. De verkar inte förstå hur det ska implementeras, något som kan tyda på brist på kunskap kring vad BIM är. Kunskapsnivån kring användning av BIM behöver ökas. Diskussion: För att implementera BIM helt behöver nya rutiner skapas och detta kanske genom utbildning eller rekrytering av en ny roll som jobbar just med BIM. Denna person kan delegera digitaliseringen inom ett företag och på så sätt bidra till en lättare implementering av BIM. Detta är något som tidigare studier stödjer som en idé.

Cavity-nesting communities are structured by the creation of and competition for cavities as nest-sites. Viewing these communities as interconnected webs can help identify species interactions that influence community structure. This study examines cavity-nesting bird community interactions within the fire-maintained longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) ecosystem at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. In chapter 1, I provide a background review of the ecology of my study system. In chapter 2, I use nest webs to depict the flow of cavity-creation and use at Eglin. I identified 2 webs into which most species could be placed. One web contained 6 species associated with pines. The second web contained 5 species associated with hardwoods. Red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) and northern flickers (Colaptes auratus) created most cavities used by other species within this community. In chapter 3, I describe snag densities and nest-site selection of the cavity-nesting bird community at Eglin. Large, mature pine snags were abundant, exceeding other reported densities for southern pine forests. Pine snags were heavily-used, despite the abundance of available red-cockaded woodpecker cavities in living pine. Hardwood snags accounted for 10% of nests found, and were used by 12 of 14 species. Diameters of nest-trees and available snags were below the range of optimal nest-snag diameters reported in other studies, indicating the need for site-specific snag management guidelines. In chapter 4, I combine a study of basic ecological principles with endangered species management to examine interactions within the cavity-nesting bird community at Eglin. I used a nest web to identify a potential indirect interaction between the red-cockaded woodpecker and large secondary cavity-nesters, mediated by the northern flicker. I used structural equation modeling to test a path model of this interaction. By experimentally manipulating cavity availability, I blocked links described in the model, confirming cavity creation and enlargement as mechanisms that influence this indirect relationship. I demonstrated that a red-cockaded woodpecker cavity-management technique could disrupt this indirect relationship by affecting northern flicker behavior, and provided an empirical example of how, in interactive ecological communities, single-species management can have indirect effects on non-target species. / Ph. D.

Syfte - I Sverige står bygg- och fastighetssektorn för cirka en femtedel av de totala växthusgasutsläppen. Detta är ett problem och det är bråttom med åtgärder och lösningar om Sverige ska kunna nå sina klimatmål att år 2045 inte ha några nettoutsläpp av växthusgaser. Tillverkning av byggmaterial är en av de mest bidragande orsakerna för branschens utsläpp. Det finns fler än ett sätt att tackla denna utmaning på, men genom att titta på en byggnads mest klimatpåverkande delar, är den största möjligheten att minska en byggnads klimatpåverkan genom att se över valet av stommaterial. Trots detta byggs fortfarande cirka 80 procent av alla flerbostadshus med betongstomme kontra 14 procent med trä. Det är bevisat att en ökning av användandet av trä skulle kunna sänka koldioxidutsläppen avsevärt. I denna studie undersöks byggnadskonstruktörens möjligheter att påverka valet av stommaterial genom att identifiera i vilket skede beslut tas, vilka de beslutsgrundande faktorerna är och vilka möjligheter och utmaningar som byggnadskonstruktörer upplever påverkar deras inflytande. Metod - Undersökningen är en fallstudie med kvalitativ inriktning där intervjuer och dokumentstudie valdes som datainsamlingstekniker. Intervjuerna genomfördes med beställare, projektledare och byggnadskonstruktörer som varit eller är delaktiga i projekt där korslimmat och/eller limträ ingår som konstruktionselement. Dokumentstudien genomfördes på förfrågningsunderlag som syftade till att komplettera studiens mål. Resultat och analys – Kunskapen om trä som stommaterial anses relativt låg. Flera respondenter har mest kunskap inom betong och stål. Vetskapen om hållbart byggande är stor, men det är svårare att realisera det i praktiken. Beslut om stommaterial tas oftast i förstudien eller programskedet. Beställaren har störst inflytande i valet av stommaterial och den ekonomiska faktorn är vanligtvis avgörande. Byggnadskonstruktörens möjligheter att påverka är goda men begränsade och varierar beroende på entreprenadform, projekt och beror även på i vilket skede som konstruktören involveras. För att ge konstruktören ett större inflytande i valet av stommaterial visar resultatet att det krävs högre miljökrav, men även fler politiska initiativ. Diskussion – Resultatet går i linje med tidigare forskning och studiens teoretiska ramverk. Det är träets klimatfördelar som har störst positiv påverkan på användningen av trä men resultatet visar att kostnad är den mest avgörande faktorn. Teorier visar att utmaningar med fukt, brand, akustik och kunskapsbrist bromsar användningen av trä, vilket denna studie samstämmer med. Resultatet går i linje med teorier som belyser att ingenjörer har relativt lågt inflytande i byggvärdekedjan. Beställare och entreprenörer har störst inflytande. Byggnadskonstruktörens möjligheter att påverka är därför begränsade och varierar beroende på entreprenadform och projekt. Teorierna stärker att det krävs högre miljökrav för att gynna användningen av trä. / Purpose – In Sweden, the construction and real estate sector accounts for around one fifth of the total greenhouse gas emissions. This is a problem and requires urgent action and solutions if Sweden is to meet its climate targets of zero net greenhouse gas emissions by 2045. The production of building materials is one of the main contributors to the industry’s emission. There is more than one way to approach this challenge, but by looking at the most climate-impacting parts of a building, it shows that the biggest opportunity to reduce a building’s climate impact is to review the choice of frame material. Despite this, around 80 percent of apartment buildings are still built with a concrete frame and only 14 percent with wood, which has been proven to significantly reduce carbon emissions. This study aims to examine the structural engineer’s ability to influence the choice of frame material by identifying the stage at which decisions are made, what the decision-making factors are, and what opportunities and challenges structural engineers experience that affect their influence. Method – The study is a case-study with qualitative focus where interviews and document study were chosen as data collection techniques. The interviews were conducted with client, project managers and structural engineers who have been or are involved in projects where cross laminated timber and/or glulam are included as structural elements. The document study was carried out on tender documents and aimed to complement the objectives of the study. Results and analysis – Knowledge of wood as a structural material is considered relatively low. Several respondents have most knowledge of concrete and steel. The awareness of sustainable building is high but is considered difficult to put to practice. Results show that decisions on frame materials are usually made in the pre-study or program phase. The client has the greatest influence and role in the choice of frame material and results show that the cost is decisive. The structural engineer’s opportunities to influence are good but limited and vary depending on the type of contract, project and the stage at which the engineer is involved. To give the structural engineer more influence in the choice of frame materials, the results show that more sustainability requirements and political initiatives are needed. Discussion – The results are in line with previous research and the theoretical framework of the study. The climate benefits of wood have the greatest positive impact on the use of wood, while the results show that cost is the biggest obstacle. Theories show that challenges with moisture, fire, acoustics and lack of knowledge slow down the use of wood, which this study agrees with. Results are in line with theories that highlight that engineers have relatively low influence in the construction value chain. Clients and contractors have the greatest influence. The structural engineer’s opportunities to influence are therefore limited and vary depending on the type of contract and project. According to respondents, more sustainability requirements and political initiatives are needed to increase the use of wood and the structural engineers influence in the choice of materials – which is supported by the theory.

ITC/USA 2011 Conference Proceedings / The Forty-Seventh Annual International Telemetering Conference and Technical Exhibition / October 24-27, 2011 / Bally's Las Vegas, Las Vegas, Nevada / This paper describes new concepts of test mean and processes to perform flight test for all Airbus aircraft family. The FTI (Flight Test Installation) designed for A320, A340, A380 and A350 programs include acquisition system, recorder, data processing, visualisation, Flight Test Engineer Station and optional functionalities (video acquisition, DGPS, telemetry ...) In the past, these test means were specific for each test aircraft. Due to the large number of Aircraft development in parallel Airbus has designed and standardized new tests means for development and production aircraft. The first goal is to generate significant benefits regarding time and costs savings by simplifying installation and reusing all the test installations components. This paper shows the opportunities and challenges of these new concepts.

Syfte – Studien syftade till att undersöka den interna interaktionen i en liten, tillverkande ETO-verksamhets kundorderprocess samt hur boundary object underlättar dess gränsöverskridande interaktion. För att uppfylla studiens syfte kommer följande frågeställningar att besvaras: Vad kännetecknar den gränsöverskridande interaktionen i en liten, tillverkande ETO-verksamhets kundorderprocess? Hur kan boundary object underlätta den gränsöverskridande interaktionen i en liten, tillverkande ETO-verksamhet? Metod – För att uppfylla studiens syfte har en fallstudie genomförts hos Premould AB. Via intervjuer och dokumentstudier har deras kundorderprocess undersökts och interaktionsobjekt i processen identifierats. Insamlad data låg sedan till grund för hur det teoretiska ramverket upprättades. Med hjälp av den empiriska insamlingen och det teoretiska ramverket har en analys genomförts som i sin tur genererat studiens resultat. Resultat – Genom att undersöka kundorderprocessen, i en ETO-verksamhet, har olika kännetecken för den gränsöverskridande interaktionen kunnat urskiljas. Interaktionsobjekt, som belyses som boundary object, har identifierats i processen. Boundary object kan underlätta den interna interaktionen om de används utefter den nivå av komplexitet av kunskapsridning som finns i gränssnitten mellan funktioner. Implikationer – Resultatet att boundary object underlättar den gränsöverskridande interaktionen ger ett praktiskt bidrag till små, tillverkande ETO-verksamheter. Genom valet av boundary object ska det gå att förenkla kunskapsspridning och genom det effektivisera arbetsprocesser. Det ges även ett teoretiskt bidrag till vidare forskning om boundary object i ETO-kontexter. Begränsningar – En av begränsningarna i studien är att det kan vara svårt att generalisera utifrån resultatet eftersom studien var av enfallsdesign. Gränsöverskridande interaktion är dessutom komplext att undersöka med strukturella metoder och det saknades därför möjlighet att djupt undersöka de identifierade interaktionsobjekten. Nyckelord – Engineer to order (ETO), gränsöverskridande interaktion, kunskapsgränser, kunskapsspridning, boundary object. / Purpose – The purpose of the study was to investigate the internal interaction of a small, manufacturing ETO-business's customer order process, as well as how boundary objects facilitate its boundary-crossing interaction. In order to fulfill the purpose of the study the following questions will be answered: What characterizes boundary-crossing interaction in a small, manufacturing ETO-business's customer ordering process? How can boundary objects facilitate boundary-crossing interaction in a small, manufacturing ETO-business? Method – To fulfil the purpose of the study, a case study has been conducted at Premould AB. Through interviews and document studies, their customer order process has been investigated and interaction objects in the process been identified. The collected data then formed a base for the establishment of the theoretical framework. With the empirical collection and the theoretical framework, an analysis has been conducted which, in turn, generated the results of the study. Findings – By examining the customer ordering process, in an ETO-business, different characteristics of boundary-crossing interaction has been identified. Interaction objects, which are used according to the principles of boundary objects, have been identified in the process. Boundary objects can facilitate internal interaction if used at the proper level of complexity of knowledge sharing found in the interfaces. Implications – The result that boundary objects facilitate boundary-crossing interaction provides a practical contribution to small, manufacturing ETO-business. Through the choice of boundary object used, it is possible to simplify knowledge sharing and make more effective work processes. There is also a theoretical contribution to further research on boundary objects in ETO-contexts. Limitations – One of the limitations of the study is that it can be difficult to generalize from the result, due to the use of a single-case design. Moreover, boundary-crossing interaction is complex to investigate with structural methods, and it was therefore difficult to closely investigate the identified objects. Keywords – Engineer to order (ETO), boundary-crossing interaction, knowledge boundaries, boundary object.