This thesis focuses on pro-environmental attitudes and behaviors and the interactions between recycling behavior, food buying attitudes, food buying behaviors, and ecological beliefs. Following an introductory chapter, I present an article-length paper on recycling behavior to be submitted to Environment and Behavior. Data for this study came from a telephone survey of Tennessee residents (N=270). Using OLS regression analysis, I find that recycling behavior is significantly related to access to recycling facilities. I do not find a significant interaction effect between access to recycling facilities and willingness to recycle. I conclude by suggesting that pro-environmental policies need to make structural resources more available to all in order to promote recycling (and protect the environment in general). Positive attitudes alone do not get us very far. My additional thesis research goal of developing an accurate measure of ecological food buying attitudes and behaviors needs further work.

Investigation of first and second generation Korean-American ego and ethnic identity formation was explored through semi-structured, in-depth interviews. Seventeen self-identified Korean-American young adults, aged twenty-one to twenty-nine, were asked to describe their identity development within Bronfenbrenner's five ecological realms. Grounded theory methodology was used to link Erikson's theory of identity formation (1968) with Bronfenbrenner's Theory of Ecology (1979). Unlike Erikson's prescribed identity crisis for adolescents, Korean-Americans were found to delay their identity exploration until college or young adulthood when they were able to gain geographical and emotional distance from their parents. This was found to be primarily due to Korean culture's emphasis on three main areas--importance of family, respect for elders, and strive for excellence--which served to reinforce collective identity with one's family along with strong parental authority, which inhibited deviation from parental expectations. Subsequently, Korean-American ego identity was found to be significantly influenced by parental adherence to Korean culture. Furthermore, Korean-Americans during adolescence were found to marginalization their Korean culture, due to experiences of discrimination and prejudice from American peers. Depending on the degree of experienced prejudice and discrimination from American peers along with degree of socialization and exposure to other Koreans, Korean-Americans' ethnic identity either proceeded in stages or became fluid, where their ethnic identity changed depending on the environment . / Master of Science

A direct consequence of disorganized human population growth and the indiscriminate use of natural resources are the reduction of area and the fragmentation of native ecosystems, as they transform into agricultural areas. In this scenario, agroforestry systems (AFS) may be an alternative to reconcile restoration, conservation and local agricultural production. However, there is a diversity of AFS, and its use as a forest restoration strategy is still uncertain, mainly because we lack evaluations based on ecological indicators from those systems. Thus, we compared ecological indicators measured in a coffee agroforestry system in the Pontal do Paranapanema with those inform conventional restoration plantings of the same age and with regional reference ecosystems. We measured natural regeneration density and richness; canopy cover by native species and aboveground biomass and compared among sites using an ANOVA, followed by Tukey\'s test for mean comparison. Aiming to understand the factors influencing the ecological indicators of forest restoration in coffee AFS, we performed generalized linear models (GLM) using density of coffee and native trees, biomass, percentage of animal-dispersed trees, distance to the nearest forest remnant and richness of tree species as predictor variables and percentage of canopy cover and density and richness of natural regeneration as response variables. The reference forests had the highest values for forest structure indicators, followed by AFS and finally by the conventional restoration plantings. However, we found a greater diversity of tree species planted in the AFS and a natural regeneration similar to that found in the reference ecosystems. Despite coffee density in the AFS negatively influencing natural regeneration, the coffee AFS had greater ecological performance than the conventional restoration, being a viable alternative for forest restoration. We conclude that AFS with coffee and native tree species play an important ecological role in the FLR in Pontal do Paranapanema, reconciling productivity with forest restoration. / Um reflexo direto do crescimento desordenado da população humana e das atividades antrópicas é a diminuição e a fragmentação da área ocupada por ecossistemas nativos e sua substituição por áreas agrícolas. Neste cenário, os sistemas agroflorestais (SAF) podem ser uma alternativa para conciliar restauração, conservação e produção agrícola local. No entanto, tendo em vista a diversidade de SAFs, sua adoção como estratégia de restauração florestal ainda carece de estudos que avaliem os níveis de indicadores ecológicos de cada sistema. Neste sentido, comparamos os indicadores ecológicos de sistemas agroflorestais com café e espécies arbóreas nativas no Pontal do Paranapanema, com os de plantios convencionais de restauração florestal de mesma idade (12-15 anos) e ecossistemas de referência regionais. Medimos a densidade e a riqueza da regeneração natural, a cobertura do solo por espécies nativas e a biomassa acima do solo e as comparamos entre as áreas pela análise de variância ANOVA seguida da comparação de médias pelo teste de Tukey. Buscando compreender os fatores que influenciam os indicadores ecológicos da restauração florestal no SAF, analisamos modelos lineares generalizados, tendo biomassa, porcentagem de árvores zoocóricas, distância do remanescente florestal mais próximo, densidades de café, riqueza e densidade de árvores nativas como variáveis preditoras, e porcentagem de cobertura do dossel, densidade e riqueza da regeneração natural como variáveis respostas. As florestas de referência tiveram os maiores valores para indicadores de estrutura florestal, seguidas pelos SAFs e pelos plantios convencionais de restauração florestal. Entretanto, encontramos elevada diversidade de espécies arbóreas nos SAFs e valores próximos aos das florestas de referência para a diversidade da regeneração natural. Embora a densidade de plantas de café influencie negativamente a regeneração natural, os SAFs apresentaram um melhor desempenho ecológico que as áreas de restauração convencional, correspondendo à uma alternativa viável para restauração florestal. Desta forma, concluímos que os sistemas agroflorestais estudados desempenham um papel ecológico importante na restauração da paisagem florestal no Pontal do Paranapanema, conciliando produção com restauração florestal.

This research was aimed at determining the ethno-ornithological knowledge of three Mushere villages close to the Dulu Forest, Nigeria to determine whether this might hold potential for developing a local conservation programme to protect the forest. The conservation objective of the research was aimed at determining the drivers of forest degradation, and possible means of mitigation. Using a mixed method approach, quantitative/qualitative data were collected in two years from different demographics (men, women, children, age differentials, occupation, urbanization). Oral interviews, semi-structured interviews, picture elicitation tasks, free-listing exercises and focus group discussions were employed in the data collection process. The findings revealed a relatively low ethno-ornithological knowledge, and a general indifference (ornitho-apatheia) towards birds. Knowledge transmission was predominantly through oral means while TEK acquisition was mainly through vertical and horizontal methods. While adults perceived birds as not valuable, children generally perceived birds as valuable. Cultural utilization and ecological salience were the main drivers of bird naming and knowledge. However, there was a high valuing of the Dulu forest, with the main drivers of the forest degradation being timber extraction. Overall, I concluded that the indifference of the Mushere towards birds revealed a lack of cultural appreciation of birds, leading to little TEK of birds, insufficient to encourage the use of TEK of birds in the conservation of the Dulu forest, and the use of birds as flagship domain for promoting conservation. However, a sustained approach towards encouraging birding activities could improve the perception of birds. I therefore suggest using an ecosystem approach in the conservation of the Dulu forest. Engaging the locals in dialogue, establishing a leadership structure for the management of the Dulu forest, providing alternative means of livelihoods are suggested as ways of mitigating the degradation of the Dulu forest.

Orientadores: Augusto Alberto Valero Flores, Fosca Pedini Pereira Leite / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Biologia / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-21T03:35:42Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Vieira_EdsonAparecido_M.pdf: 2249686 bytes, checksum: fc1be273f482d859b6318c714194a62b (MD5) Previous issue date: 2012 / Resumo: Os processos que afetam o desenvolvimento e estruturação de comunidades incrustantes é um tema central em Ecologia. Entender como distúrbios naturais e antrópicos interagem com esses processos, e identificar os mecanismos responsáveis por sua recuperação, ou pela transferência da comunidade para outro estado de equilíbrio, são questões muito importantes, principalmente devido às diversas modificações recentes promovidas pela ação humana. Numa primeira fase, investiguei experimentalmente como as comunidades incrustantes do sublitoral são afetadas por diferentes pressões de predação, exclusão de predadores e diferentes taxas de recrutamento. Observei um fraco efeito da predação como um todo, não havendo relação entre o padrão de riqueza e a estrutura das comunidades com o padrão de pressão de predação. Além disso, a exclusão de consumidores teve efeitos pontuais, tanto para riqueza quanto para a estrutura da comunidade. O padrão de recrutamento mostrou grande associação com o padrão de riqueza, entretanto esse fator também não foi importante para explicar a variação na estrutura da comunidade. A grande variação em pequena escala da estrutura das comunidades indica que esses são processos locais, que podem não ser perceptíveis em uma escala maior, onde outros processos atuam. Interessado no efeito de distúrbios na estruturação de comunidades, simulei uma alteração no regime de predação e recrutamento, transplantando comunidades em desenvolvimento entre locais com valores extremos desses fatores. No geral, as comunidades transplantadas ficaram mais similares aos destinos do que à origem, independente da direção do transplante e no momento em que ele foi feito. Esse resultado evidencia a importância de condições pós-distúrbio na trajetória da comunidade em direção a um novo estado de equilíbrio. Entretanto, apesar de mais similares, elas não ficaram idênticas ao destino, evidenciando a existência de um legado dos momentos iniciais de desenvolvimento / Abstract: Processes affecting the development and the structure of incrusting communities are of central importance in Ecology. Understanding how natural or anthropogenic disturbance interact with such processes, and identifying the mechanisms by which communities recover, or otherwise develop to new stable states, is a very important question, particularly at present, after increased habitat modifications promoted by humans. I had first investigated, experimentally, how incrusting communities are affected by different predation pressure, exclusion of consumers and different recruitment rates. I observed a weak overall effect of predation and no relation between richness and levels of predation pressure. Besides that, the exclusion of predators showed only local effects, either on species richness or community structure. Recruitment rate was correlated to richness, but also it was not important to explain variations in community structure. The large variation at a very small scale, within localities, indicates that predation and recruitment act locally, and their effects may not be noticed in a large scale, where other processes are important. I was also interested in the effect of disturbance in the structure of communities, so I simulated an alteration of predation and recruitment regimes by transplanting developing communities between localities with extreme values of these factors. Overall, transplanted communities became more similar to destination, regardless of direction and moment of transplant. This result shows an important role of post-disturbance conditions guiding community development towards a new equilibrium state. However, although similar, transplanted communities did not become equal to destination, evidencing the existence of some legacy from early moments of development / Mestrado / Ecologia / Mestre em Ecologia

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I denna rapport undersöks på vilka sätt Stockholms stad försöker minska invånarnas klimatpåverkan när det gäller konsumtion av mat och transporter. Med utgångspunkt i teorierna om ekologisk modernisering (EM) och ecological citizenship (EC) studeras Stockholms stads dokument och planer för klimatarbete. Vad gäller transporter så genomför Stockholms stad åtgärder för att minska biltrafiken och användningen av fossila bränslen, effektivisera godstrafiken samt öka cykel, gång och kollektivtrafik. Det finns betydligt färre åtgärder som rör livsmedel. De som finns är informativa styrmedel riktade till privatpersoner och företag med tips på hur klimatpåverkan från mat kan minskas, till exempel genom att äta mindre kött. Sammantaget har Stockholms stads åtgärder ett mer lokalt än globalt fokus, åtgärderna bygger mer på innovationer än beteendeförändringar. Den uttalade anledningen för förändring handlar om god livskvalitet i Stockholm snarare än global rättvisa. Detta leder till slutsatsen att Stockholms stads klimatarbete präglas av EM i betydligt större utsträckning än EC. Detta är inte oväntat eftersom EM länge varit dominerande i den miljöpolitiska debatten. EM har fått mycket kritik för att sakna globalt perspektiv, därför kan dess effektivitet för att lösa globala problem ifrågasättas.

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Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Lee R. Skabelund / Throughout the history of Kansas City, the Brush Creek Corridor has experienced severe flooding which, on numerous occasions, has resulted in loss of life. This urban stream supports a high profile area of the city. It is located adjacent to what is considered Kansas City’s most elite shopping district, the JC Nichols Country Club Plaza, the University of Missouri - Kansas City urban campus, as well as numerous high density residential units. The stream corridor has been confined due to the encroachment of the surrounding urban environment which has minimized many opportunities for the future management of Brush Creek. There have been many flood control projects but these solutions have not been effective in reducing along the entire corridor. Previous projects have been done in a way that alienates urban dwellers from Brush Creek and does not allow pedestrians to utilize the stream corridor as an effective urban green space. The Brush Creek Corridor can be redesigned to revitalize the existing area by embracing natural ecological processes in order to create a more sustainable urban stream system. Brush Creek can be envisioned in a way that will enhance visitor experience by exposing and revealing the ecological processes to the users without inhibiting the functionality of those natural processes. Four project goals have been identified through research: improve, connect, and educate. In order to achieve the project goals, a set of sites are to be selected from the corridor. A corridor study is done to identify sites by assessing factors related to the site’s ability to improve, connect, and educate. Once the sites have been identified and defined, programming and site design strategies will be implemented to relate to the project goals. The selected sites within the Brush Creek Corridor will be models for experience oriented urban stream design. The project area will harbor healthy ecosystems with integrated pedestrian oriented spaces that connect the corridor, improve environmental conditions, and support environmental education. These projects will be catalysts for experience oriented ecological design solutions throughout the Brush Creek Corridor in the future.