abstract: As a significant level of the reformation and transformation of our society has been provoked by environmental deterioration, ecological approaches in environmental design have drawn much attention from professionals as an alternative world view and also as a practical design approach. Particularly in landscape architecture, ecological understanding has been at the very core of the profession since its emergence and plays an important role in the decision making processes. While ecology supports the profession with an objective rationale, aesthetics plays another major role in providing various understandings about the aesthetic experience of people, which is rather subjective. However, the ways to seek the balance between them are still controversial. Furthermore, the conventional aesthetic value system of landscape appears to have limitations for guiding us to an appropriate appreciation, especially in dealing with newly emerging urban landscape patterns such as regeneration of post-industrial landscapes. Understanding these issues, there have been continuous attempts to describe the relation between ecology and aesthetics, suggesting that a new approach known as "ecological aesthetics," can bring us a new set of viewpoints seeking a reunion of nature and culture, and science and art. It asserts that "there is a type of beauty" in the landscape associated with its ecological health which people could aesthetically appreciate; and therefore, revealing the "hidden" beauty of nature in more visible ways should be the primary concern of today's ecological designers. This research mainly consists of extensive literature research and a case study on two landscape restructuring projects of post-industrial landscapes in Seoul, Korea. The literature research redefines the tasks of landscape architecture based on the idea of ecological aesthetics, and the case study seeks the potentials and limitations of current design projects. This research proposes a framework for landscape perception and reflects on the lessons that would be useful for better practice and research. / Dissertation/Thesis / Ph.D. Environmental Design and Planning 2011

We live in a severely unequal world. Pressing questions are, then, what changes the global advantaged should bring about to improve the situation of the global disadvantaged, and why they should do so in the first place. Chapters 1, 2 and 3 answer the latter question whereas chapters 4 and 5 answer the former. Chapter 1 considers Peter Singer’s ‘non-relationist’ and Thomas Pogge’s ‘relationist’ approaches to global justice. The chapter argues that Pogge’s argument is more compelling than Singer’s, but that it is incomplete. To make a relationist argument more plausible, the chapter draws on two critical social theorists: Alf Hornborg and David Harvey. Based on their analyses, and employing the perspectives of ‘human time’ and ‘ecological space’, the chapter concludes that the advantaged are in violation of a stringent negative duty by being complicit in the harmful global system. The chapter also introduces two kinds of debt – ‘temporal debt’ and ‘ecological debt’ – that the advantaged may owe the disadvantaged. Chapter 2 argues that the global system is not only harmful but severely harmful: it is likely to reproduce ‘absolute harm’ (a harm that infringes upon minimum human well-being). Chapter 3 discusses what positive action the advantaged ought to take because of the negative-duty violation and the problem-solving ability they have. Focusing on two kinds of action – reparation and remedy – the chapter argues that achieving reparation may face practical problems, but that the advantaged should act immediately to provide remedy – in particular, institutional remedy – for the disadvantaged. In doing so, the chapter commends the ‘advantaged remedy’ principle. Chapters 4 and 5 consider remedial institutions which the advantaged should strive to create and uphold. Chapter 4 focuses on one which we already have: the UN Global Compact. The chapter argues that this institution is necessary in the light of present global circumstances and also advances a set of principles appropriate to protect minimum human well-being. But it concludes that this reformist institution may turn out to be insufficient. Based on this conclusion, chapter 5 supports a more radical proposal: a market-socialist proposal offered by Leslie Sklair. Sklair’s account, however, does not explain why it is market socialism, rather than a non-market alternative, that should be pursued. Neither does it show how market-socialist institutions would remedy the global-systemic problems that are likely to afflict the disadvantaged. The chapter offers answers to these questions by drawing on David Miller (for the first question) and David Schweickart (for the second question). The chapter then argues that market socialism, if accompanied by an appropriate ethos, would serve to remedy the situation of the global disadvantaged. Meanwhile, the shift to market socialism would, and should, take time. So, this project concludes by considering a supplementary institution that may need to be implemented in the meantime: an ecological space tax.

This thesis is focused on territorial system of ecological stability. In the two cadastral areas are described all the individual parts of the local USES including the characteristics of actual condition. New elements were built, to strengthen the old ones.

The analysis of the present level of the agrotourism/ecoagrotourism development in the microregions Blanik and Podblanicko. In this work the potency of the tourist trade in connection with these microregions are characterized and some farms are closely introduced. According to the questionnaire research the situation on the ecological farms has been analysed and the community interest in the agrotourism/ecoagrotourism, has been studied.

Diploma thesis ?Possibilities of plant production for ensuring of feed materials for poultry in Ecological Agriculture? deals with the availability of ecological feed materials in the Czech Republic, further it ascertains how much of new agricultural area is needed for ensuring the independence during the production of these feed materials and last but not least suggests the measures leading to ensuring of sufficiency feed materials in organic food quality for poultry. The aim of the diploma thesis is firstly to inform about availability of ecological feed materials for poultry bred in ecological agriculture, also to suggest measures which would lead for ensuring of organic food sufficiency. To accomplish the given aim, the diploma thesis is divided into two main sections. The first section is a literary overview and the second one is a practical section. The literary overview introduces the ecological agriculture in the Czech Republic discussing plant and animal production. In the section concerning plant production is dealt with basic conditions which must be observed to lead to good yield. Animal production focuses on breeding of poultry in ecological agriculture and analyses main specifics of their breeding. The practical part of the diploma thesis was created on the basis of ascertained information from poultry breeders and specialized literature materials. Gained information were evaluated. The result of the practical should be: 1. availability of ecological feed materials for poultry bred in ecological agriculture in the Czech Republic 2. suggestion of possible measures leading for ensuring of organic food sufficiency for poultry 3. suggestion of alternatives for shortage feed materials in organic food Contribution of the diploma thesis is in findings of necessity of new agricultural areas for ensuring of feed material base for poultry as dynamically developing sector of ecological agriculture.

Thesis (MTech (Construction Management))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2017. / The study investigates the predominant factors responsible for increase in the cost of building materials and the effect of this cost increase on housing delivery in Western Cape, South Africa. Sustainable housing is buildings produced to meet the present housing needs of people without conceding the ability of the future generation to meet their future needs. However, a significant increase in the cost of building materials has been a major constraint to the delivery of sustainable housings, as made evident in the literature, leading to project cost and time overruns or even project abandonment. However, building materials consume up to 65% of the total cost of construction. This factor on cost has, over the years, threatened the ability of the construction industry to deliver projects within budgeted cost, at stipulated time, and at satisfactory quality. This prompted the need to proffer solutions to these factors identified which are causing increases in the cost of building materials towards sustainable housing delivery in Western Cape. Based on this research study, housing is termed to be sustainable when it is available and affordable for the masses timely and at quality expected. The research study adopted a mixed methodological approach, involving the use of semi-structured qualitative interviews and closed-ended quantitative questionnaires administered to construction stakeholders (architects, quantity surveyors, engineers, construction managers, project managers, site supervisors and material suppliers) in the Western Cape Province of South Africa. SPSS version 24 software was used for analysing the quantitative data collected and ‘content analysis’ method was used to analyse the information collected through the qualitative interviews. The findings revealed that the major factors responsible for increasing the cost of building materials are inflation, wastages of building materials by labourers, cost of transportation and distribution of labour, design changes, client contribution to design change and change in government policies and regulation. Moreover, the research showed that fluctuation in the cost of construction and high maintenance costs due to poor workmanship also impact the cost increase of building materials for housing delivery. In addition, research findings affirmed that for optimum materials usage for the enhancement of sustainable construction, the following criteria should be considered in the selection of building materials: maintenance cost, energy consumption and maintainability. The adoption of these findings by construction stakeholders in the South African construction industry would enhance the delivery of affordable housing at reduced cost, at the required time and at the expected quality. Therefore, an adequate implementation of the framework presented in this study will enhance sustainable housing delivery.

Orientador: Thomas Michael Lewinsohn / Texto em português e inglês / Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-25T08:21:56Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Jorge_LeonardoRe_D.pdf: 3849903 bytes, checksum: 25f081be452b20c896ee7884cb1f9a07 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2014 / Resumo: Nesta tese propomos um desenvolvimento do conceito de especialização no uso de recursos, de forma a incluir aspectos pouco considerados, principalmente no contexto de interações: afinidades entre os tipos de recursos, sua disponibilidade e padrões de coocorrência. Por meio da incorporação de avanços recentes em estudos ecofilogenéticos e em modelos nulos, propomos novas métricas para a especialização de espécies e comunidades, e aplicamos esses avanços para responder a questões particulares. No primeiro capítulo, o arcabouço conceitual é apresentado de forma mais geral, e uma métrica para a especialização de espécies é proposta e exemplificada. O segundo capítulo, de natureza metodológica, estende essa métrica para comunidades e propõe uma partição da variação em especialização entre espécies e entre locais de forma hierarquizada. O terceiro capítulo investiga a capacidade destas ferramentas de evidenciar relações entre a especialização e a distribuição geográfica de espécies de insetos endófagos de capítulos de Asteraceae no Brasil. Por fim, o quarto capítulo utiliza o mesmo conjunto de dados para investigar o papel da diversidade filogenética de recursos na determinação da riqueza de insetos que os utilizam / Abstract: In this thesis we propose a development of the resource specialization concept to include aspects usually not taken into account, especially for trophic interactions: affinities among resource types, their availabilities and cooccurrence patterns with consumers. By incorporating recent advances in ecophylogenetics and null modelling, we propose new metrics for the specialization of species and communities and apply these advances to address particular questions. In the first chapter the general conceptual framework is presented and a metric for the specialization of species is proposed and exemplified. The second chapter, mostly methodological, expands this metric for communities and proposes a hierarchical partitioning of the variation in specialization among species and locations. The third chapter tests this toolset in showing the relationship between specialization and geographic distribution ranges of endophagous insects feeding in Asteraceae flowerheads in Brazil. Finally, the fourth chapter uses the same dataset to investigate the role of phylogenetic diversity of resources in determining the richness of insect herbivores using them / Doutorado / Ecologia / Doutor em Ecologia

In a globalizing world, trade has become essential to supporting the needs and wants of billions of people. Virtually everyone now consumes resource commodities and manufactured products traded all over the world; the ecological footprints of nations are now scattered across the globe. The spatial separation of material production (resource exploitation) from consumption eliminates negative feedbacks from supporting eco-systems. Most consumers remain unaware of the impacts that their trade dependence imposes on distant ecosystems (out of sight out of mind). I take the first steps in developing a conceptual and practical framework for an ‘interregional ecology’ approach to exploring and analyzing sustainability in an increasingly interconnected world. Such an approach accounts for some of the ‘externalities’ of globalization and international trade. It underscores the increasing dependence and impact of almost any country on resources originating from others and recognizes that the sustainability of any specified region may be increasingly linked to the ecological sustainability of distant supporting regions. I empirically describe and quantify some of the interregional material linkages between selected countries. I document the flows of renewable resources into the U.S. and quantify the U.S. external material footprint (EF) on specific countries. I then document the physical inputs involved in production of most agricultural export products from Costa Rica and Canada. Finally, I focus on major export products such as bananas, coffee and beef in Costa Rica and agricultural activities in the Canadian Prairies and document some of the ecological consequences (loss of habitat, soil degradation, water contamination and biodiversity loss) of that production. My research findings show increasing U.S. imports, increasing reliance on external sources and growing external ecological footprints. They also show how production activities mostly for overseas consumption led to changes in ecological structure and function in the studied export countries. This dissertation adds a missing trans-national dimension to the sustainability debate effectively integrating the policy and planning domain for sustainability in one region with that in others. While my research focuses mainly on documenting the nature and magnitude of interregional connections I also consider some of the implications of the interregional approach for sustainability planning. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Community and Regional Planning (SCARP), School of / Graduate

Nest site selection and nesting success of plains sharp-tailed grouse were examined on the Grand River National Grassland in South Dakota during the nesting season from 2009-2012. We used conditional logistic regression to assess vegetation production, ecological site description, and landscape position on nest site selection. Two competing models regarding nest site selection: top model consisted of non-native forbs and native cool-season grasses, second best model included all grass and forb. Nine ESDs were used for nesting; loamy and clayey ecological sites most frequently used and produced the highest standing crop. Most frequent observed nest site State were Annual/Pioneer Perennial and Introduced and Invaded Grass. Top model for nest daily survival rates included litter, second-best model included ESD; second-best model showed negative effect for nests initiated in thin claypan, limy backslope, and sandy ecological sites. Based on daily survival estimate and 23-day incubation period, nests were 59% successful.

No description available.