One of the major contributions of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child(UNCRC) to the context of children’s rights was the introduction of participation.In addition to the right to provision and protection, participation gives children theright to express their opinions in all matters affecting them. Furthermore, theyhave to be provided the opportunity to be heard. As part of their continuedcommitment towards children’s rights, Sweden has now decided to incorporatethe UNCRC to its legislation. Based on this context and drawing from literatureabout children's rights and participation, and a study case of youth participationand culture, the project seeks to create a model that promotes and improvechildren’s and young people’s participation an influence. Thus, the project aimsto contribute to the applied research field and inform on practical approaches tochildren’s participation and influence. As a result, the project proposes HejÅsikter! An ecosystem for children’s and young people’s participation, wheredifferent stakeholders benefits from collaborative and coordinated work andultimately achieve children’s acknowledgement and empowerment.

The environmental health of aquatic ecosystems depends amongst others, on the chemical pollution coming from activities in the catchment's area. In the Swan River Estuary, Western Australia, the chemical pollutants of concern released into the river are petroleum hydrocarbons and sodium pentachlorophenate (NaPCP). Decreased water quality causes a loss of biotic diversity especially amongst fish populations. The health of aquatic ecosystems can be monitored by fish health, especially fish located at higher levels in the food chain. Pink snapper (Pagrus auratus), an endemic Western Australian fish species, was tested for its potential as a bioindicator of aquatic environmental health. This thesis presents data on the responsiveness of pink snapper to the contaminants of concern, using biomarkers such as serum sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH), mixed function oxygenase (MFO), metabolic enzymes such as citrate synthase (CS), cytochrome C oxidase (CCO) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and the histological alteration such as hepatic cell lesions (hyperplasia and hypertrophy), and glycogen and lipid droplets. The metabolic enzymes CCO and LDH as well as the hepatic MFO induction and histopathology were proven to be the most suitable biomarkers for use for routine monitoring of the Swan River Estuary using pink snapper as a bioindicator. However, CS activity and hepatic cell lesions (hyperplasia and hypertrophy) did not respond to exposure to contamination and are therefore not suited as biomarkers of effects in pink snapper. The first phase of the study aimed at investigating the responsiveness of juvenile pink snapper to an MFO inducer. Polychlorinated biphenyl isomer # 126 was selected as a model MFO inducer for this study. In the initial experiment, MFO activity was measured as a biomarker of exposure, and serum SDH activity was assessed as a biomarker of liver damage. / MFO and SDH activities were of special interest as these biochemical tools have not previously been validated for any Western Australia fish species. Juvenile pink snapper were injected intraperitoneally (i.p.) with 0, 10, 100, 500, 1000 microgram PCB-126 per kilogram. Fish were sacrificed 10 days postinjection, and liver and blood were collected for MFO and SDH analysis, respectively. Doses of 10 and 100 microgram PCB-126 per kilogram caused the highest MFO induction, while doses of 0 and 1000 microgram PCB-126 per kilogram did not result in higher MFO activity relative to carrier-injected (peanut oil) control fish. SDH activities were not significantly different among treatments indicating that hepatocellular damage was not responsible for the reduced MFO activity at the highest dose. Metabolic enzymes in pink snapper exposed by NaPCP were studied in the second phase of the experiment. The aim of this second experiment was to test the responsiveness of pink snapper to contaminants known to cause metabolic perturbations in vertebrates. Juvenile pink snapper were intraperitoneally (i.p.) injected with 0, 5, 10, 20 mg per kilogram. Oxidative enzymes were assessed by measuring CS and CCO activities and glycolytic enzyme was assessed by measuring LDI-1 activity in liver and white muscle tissues. CS activity remained unchanged in both the white muscle and in the liver. CCO activity was significantly enhanced in liver in all treated fish relative to control fish, but not in the white muscle. LDH activity was also higher in liver in all treated fish as compared to control fish, while in white muscle, LDH activity significantly increased at the highest dose injected. / The use of a suite of biochemical markers is useful in determining the effects of xenobiotic exposure of aquatic organisms, because it provides a holistic approach with biomarkers at different levels of biological organization. For the third and final phase of the study the suite of biomarkers selected were MFO, metabolic enzyme (CS, CCO and LDH) activities, and histological alternations in combination with physiological indices. The aim of this last experiment was to investigate if a modified liver metabolic activity would alter the MFO induction potential. To test if altered liver metabolism would influence liver detoxication capacities, juvenile pink snapper were i.p. injected with peanut oil (control), or pentachlorobiphenyl # 126 (PCB 126), with sodium pentachlorophenate (NaPCP), or combination of PCB 126+NaPCP. Relative to controls, ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase (EROD) activity was induced in the PCB 126 and PCB 126+NaPCP fish, but not in the NaPCP group. In the liver, CCO activity was enhanced by the treatments while CS activity remained unchanged and LDH activity was increased in the NaPCP treatment only. In the white muscle, only the PCB 126+ NaPCP treatment enhanced CCO activity, with all other enzymatic activities remaining unchanged. Low serum sorbitol dehydrogenase (sSDH) activity and histopathology of the liver indicated no significant alteration of cellular structure, albeit the lipid droplet size was increased in the PCB 126 and in the PCB 126+NaPCP treatments. / It is concluded that the hepatic metabolic changes correspond to histopathological observations, but an altered metabolic capacity does not influence the metabolism of xenobiotics by liver enzymes, as measured by EROD activity. These experiments answered the need to identify a suitable fish species for routine monitoring of the aquatic environment in Western Australia. It also identified the most suitable biochemical markers of exposure and effects, and the suitability of the pink snapper as a bioindicator. Finally, the experiments investigated interactions between biomarkers and provided new knowledge useful to scientists using MFO and/or metabolic enzymes in field or laboratory toxicology.

This thesis is written at a time when the world faces many challenges. Gross violation of human rights persists, discrimination against and alienation of marginalized groups continues, the gulf between rich and poor yawns ever wider, and the rapid degradation of the environment continues to gain momentum. One area upon which environmental degradation impacts most crucially is water. In terms of vulnerability and scarcity as a commodity, water has come to be called by some 'the new oil'. Already, water has influenced political strategies and been the cause of wars. The aim of this thesis has been, firstly, to identify the status and trends in inland water ecosystems and their immediate dependents, with particular reference to indigenous communities living close to the water source, and hence more directly affected. If the destruction of inland water ecosystems is allowed to continue unchecked, it will inevitably have disastrous universal consequences. The thesis also discusses the protection of indigenous knowledge and innovations, provided by intellectual property and other instruments, and attempts to analyse developments in international law, which have relevance for indigenous peoples in connection with the conservation, management and sustainable use of inland water systems.

A series of physical and chemical analyses were conducted over a fifteen month period to establish the ecological risk, if any, of discharging minewater into aquatic ecosystems. Organic and inorganic analyses were used to determine the extent of contamination of minewater with soluble hydraulic fluids and other contaminant species. Throughout the sampling period the pithead discharge water exhibited a neutral pH and low levels of iron, manganese, zinc and potassium were found. Parallel toxicological and chemical studies identified elevated zinc levels above published toxicity levels for the test species Ceriodaphnia Dubia, but were not confirmed by subsequent study. The presence of organic species in the pit head discharge water was also identified, but the levels were found to be quite variable. Treatment processes involving the detention of the surface minewater and subsequent passage through wetlands exhibited a beneficial effect in reducing pollutant levels prior to disposal. Comparisons of the chemical composition of the minewater discharge with those of local waters were carried out and found to be similar in nature. / Master of Science (Hons)

The potential for life to control its environment was first suggested by Lovelock (1972). Charlson et al (1987) proposed a role for marine planktonic ecosystems in global climate regulation via the production and ventilation to the atmosphere of dimethylsulphide (DMS), a by-product of phytoplankton metabolism. Once in the atmosphere DMS contributes to the formation of cloud condensation nuclei, and increases the amount and brightness of cloud. This affects the albedo of the planet, reflecting more incident sunlight back into space, and cooling the earth. In common with many other 'hypotheses' regarding complex adaptive systems, the hypothesis proposed by Charlson et al (1987) is not experimentally testable. The production and ventilation to the atmosphere of DMS is the result of complex interactions between biological, chemical and physical processes. Consequently, increasing use is being made of mathematical models that simulate these processes to advance understanding of it (Archer et al. 2002). This study examines one of the fundamental mechanisms proposed by the Charlson et al (1987) hypothesis, that increasing global temperatures will lead to increased ventilation of DMS from the ocean to the atmosphere. The study develops one-dimensional biogeochemical models of DMS production by upper ocean ecosystems, based on the model proposed by Gabric et al. (1993b). The models are examined to elucidate their fundamental mathematical properties, and are subjected to sensitivity analysis to identify important processes and parameters. These investigations identify a simpler model that can reproduce the predictions of the Gabric et al. (1993b) model. Predictions derived from model simulations forced by climatologies of measured physical data are compared to a global database of measurements of sea surface DMS concentrations, and to observed depth profiles of DMS in the upper ocean. These comparisons confirm that all models are in good qualitative agreement with measured data. The fifteen global climate prediction models currently in use around the globe all predict substantial warming effects from the ventilation of anthropogenic carbon dioxide to the atmosphere. A simplified DMS model is calibrated to climatologies of Antarctic chlorophyll and DMS data and reproduces the data with great precision. The calibrated model is applied in global warming scenarios to 'test' the efficacy of the mechanism proposed by the Charlson et al (1987) hypothesis. This simulation provides evidence that the response predicted by the hypothesis is indeed feasible, and that substantial increases (up to 45%) in the ventilation of DMS to the atmosphere could be possible in some circumstances. The results of the modelling study provide impetus for further examination of field data. If couplings between marine biota and atmosphere are feasible, then they may be operating contemporarily, and may be detectable. Atmospheric DMS is oxidised to form aerosols (Miller et al. 2002) that influence the aerosol optical depth of the atmosphere. Archives of remote sensed ocean chlorophyll a concentration and aerosol optical depth are examined for evidence of the biologically mediated couplings. A clear coupling between aeolian dust and marine phytoplankton is evident from this analysis, suggesting that the deposition of dust from the atmosphere is a major factor controlling phytoplankton growth in many parts of the ocean. A second coupling between marine phytoplankton and atmospheric aerosols is also detected. This coupling is apparently not related to dust and is symmetrical about the equator, despite the substantial differences in the atmospheres and oceans of each hemisphere. It is speculated that this coupling may reflect the influence of the ventilation of DMS produced by marine phytoplankton on the atmosphere. This thesis provides new evidence supporting the important role of marine ecosystems in global climate regulation by the production of DMS. This evidence is principally obtained from a biogeochemical modelling approach, but is supported by analyses of empirical data. The concordance of results obtained from different approaches suggests that the contribution of marine ecosystems to global climate regulation is real, important and currently active.

The secondary productivity of communities is inherently influenced by the availability and quality of food resources. Movement of organic matter (OM) across landscapes can connect adjacent systems by providing subsidies of carbon and nutrients, implying that alterations of environments from their natural state may affect the productivity of neighboring food webs. The intact terrestrial and marine environments of Fiordland provide a setting to study linkages between the land and the sea. The first general objective of this study was to determine if large but nutritionally poor (nitrogen-poor, carbon-rich) inputs of forest litter support marine secondary production, and to identify pathways for incorporation of this material into upper trophic levels. Pools of marine and terrestrial OM had distinct values of [delta]�⁵N, [delta]��C and [delta]�⁴S, providing high power to estimate the relative use of these sources by the food webs of the fjord-head deltas. Deposit feeding invertebrates (e.g. Echinocardium cordatum, Pectinaria australis) directly assimilated plant detritus. Heterotrophic bacteria on the surface of the sediment assimilated forest litter and provided a potential food source for invertebrates. Chemoautotrophic bacteria fix CO₂ that originates from decomposing forest litter, thus providing an indirect pathway for incorporation of forest litter into the food webs. In the deep basins the strength of the flux of uptake by chemoautotrophic bacteria through the benthic food web into the upper trophic levels was demonstrated by hagfish (Eptatretus cirrhatus) obtaining 38-51% of their nutrition from these bacteria. The ability of a community to utilize discrete sources of OM relies on the presence of specific functional feeding guilds. Marine algae provide a highly nutritive (nitrogen-rich) food source for the fjord communities and fluxes of algae into food webs are facilitated by grazing invertebrates and filter feeders. The second general objective of this study was to determine how the effective loss of filter feeders from inner Doubtful Sound would alter the flux of marine-derived OM to the food webs of the delta communities. The low salinity environment imposed by the hydroelectric power station in Doubtful Sound caused a large reduction in the abundance of the infaunal bivalves Austrovenus stutchburyi and Paphies australis from delta habitats. Clams could tolerate periods of freshwater exposure of [less than or equal to]20 days duration, but the constant freshwater conditions in Doubtful Sound decreased survivorship. In 2004/05 the biomass of these species in inner Doubtful Sound (7.28 tonnes) was 29 times smaller than in Bradshaw Sound (214.12 tonnes). The associated loss of biodeposits (~91 tonnes(DW) yr⁻� in Bradshaw Sound vs. 1 tonne(DW) yr⁻� in inner Doubtful Sound) may have also altered the flux of nutritive OM to the infaunal community. The river delta communities in inner Doubtful Sound appear to have a higher reliance on forest litter than those in Bradshaw Sound, which is apparent as low values of [delta]�⁵N and [delta]��C for estuarine fish (Notolabrus celidotus, Hemerocoetes monopterygius), which act as integrators of the benthic community. This study demonstrates important linkages between terrestrial and coastal marine ecosystems and highlights the role of functional diversity in facilitating fluxes of organic material through food webs.

Se estudiaron los efectos de la recurrencia del fuego en comunidades vegetales Mediterráneas dominadas por el árbol germinador P.halepensis Mill. (pino carrasco) a nivel regional en Cataluña. Entre 8 y 11 años tras la ocurrencia del fuego, se compararon la estructura y la composición florística de las comunidades vegetales, las poblaciones de P.halepensis, los horizontes orgánicos del suelo y el crecimiento de tres especies leñosas (Q.ilex, P.lentiscus, and R.officinalis) entre áreas quemadas una vez (en 1994) y dos veces (entre 1975 y 1993, y de nuevo en 1994) a lo largo de dos décadas. Se observó un patrón general de pérdida de resiliencia en las comunidades de P.halepensis quemadas dos veces a intervalos entre incendios menores de 17 años. / This work assessed the effects of fire recurrence on Mediterranean plant communities dominated by the seeder tree Pinus halepensis (Aleppo pine) at a regional level in Catalonia. It compared structure and floristic composition of plant communities, P.halepensis populations, soil organic horizons and plant growth of three woody species (Q.ilex, P.lentiscus, and R.officinalis) between areas burnt once (in 1994) and twice (between 1975 and 1993, and again in 1994) along 2 decades in the medium term after fire (between 8 and 11 years). A general trend of resilience loss was observed in P.halepensis communities burnt twice at fire intervals shorter than 17 years.

El projecte MELiSSA (Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative) de l'Agència Espacial Europea (ESA) és un ecosistema artificial concebut com una eina per estudiar i desenvolupar la tecnologia per a sistemes de suport de vida biològics requerits per a missions tripulades de llarga durada a l'espai. El fet que el projecte internacional MELiSSA es desenvolupa en cooperació amb organitzacions de diferents països ha permès que el treball experimental d'aquesta tesi es realitzés part a la Planta Pilot MELiSSA (MPP), ubicada a la Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain), i part a Controlled Environmental Systems Research Facility de la University of Guelph (Canada). Inspirant-se en un ecosistema natural aquàtic, el bucle MELiSSA produeix aliments, aigua i oxigen a partir de la degradació dels residus orgànics (biomassa no comestible, femta, orina i CO2) utilitzant l'activitat combinada de diferents microorganismes i plantes superiors, que colonitzen cinc compartiments interconectats. L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi és avançar en el desenvolupament dels compartiments fotosintètics del bucle per tal de ser integrats a la MPP. Concretament, el treball s'ha estructurat en 3 unitats principals. I - Compartiment d'Arthrospira: S'han realitzat cultius en continu a diferents velocitats de dilució i intensitats lumíniques (seleccionades segons un disseny central composat tipus Box Wilson) per determinar els límits operacionals i la màxima productivitat del fotobioreactor a escala pilot d'Arthrospira. La productivitat més alta aconseguida fou de 27 mg·L-1·h-1 a una velocitat de dilució de 0.044 h-1 i 194 W·m-2. S'ha estudiat la resposta dels cultius davant de pertorbacions afectant el pH i els cabals de líquid i gas. De forma més detallada, s'ha avaluat l'efecte de l'amoni en la producció i composició de l'Arthrospira, determinant que per tal d'evitar l'inhibició del creixement d'Arthrospira cal mantenir les concentracions d'amoni a l'estat estacionari per sota de 5.6 mM.II - Compartiment de Plantes Superiors: S'han realitzat cultius de remolatxa i enciam dins de cambres de plantes estanques per obtenir dades de referència de productivitat, composició, consum de nutrients i fixació de carboni. La productivitat mitjana entre els 3 cultius en discontinu i els 2 en etapes és de 15.31 g dw·m-2·d-1 per remolatxa i de 13.85 g dw·m-2·d-1 per enciam. La mesura de la fixació neta de carboni és una bona tècnica per estimar el creixement i la producció de les plantes dintre les cambres sense utilitzar mètodes destructius. A més, s'ha provat que el consum de nutrients permet estimar el contingut mineral total dins la cambra utilitzant la producció de biomassa. També s'ha avaluat l'adequació d'un model fotosintètic per estimar la producció de biomassa dins la cambra. S'ha conclòs que el model hiperbòlic és adequat per descriure la resposta fotosintètica d'una fulla a diferents intensitats lumíniques. A més l'estimació dels corresponents paràmetres ha permès determinar que ni el rendiment quàntic (?), ni la velocitat fotosintètica màxima (Pmax) ni la velocitat de respiració (Rd) depenen de l'edat de la planta i únicament la Pmax depèn de la concentració de CO2.III - Integració dels Compartiments Fotosintètics:S'han dimensionat i dissenyat les cambres de plantes que s'integraran pròximament a la MPP. Les 3 cambres de plantes amb una àrea de producció de 5 m2 cada una tindran una producció de biomassa comestible (remolatxa, enciam i blat) equivalent al 20% dels requeriments diaris d'un humà. La configuració seleccionada (una cambra allargada amb dues subcàmares estanques a cada banda) permetrà obtenir una producció semicontínua de biomassa i assegurar d'estanqueïtat del sistema. Finalment, s'ha avaluat l'impacte de la integració dels compartiments fotosintètics a la MPP desenvolupant un model que permet calcular els balanços de nitrogen, CO2 i O2 dins del bucle i determinar en quines condicions és possible aconseguir el tancament dels mateixos. / The MELiSSA project (Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative) of the European Space Agency is an artificial ecosystem conceived as a tool to study and develop technology for a future biological life support system required for long term manned space missions. The fact that the MELiSSA project is formed by several independent organizations of different countries made possible that part of the experimental work of this thesis was carried out in the MELiSSA Pilot Plant (MPP) located at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (Spain) and the Controlled Environmental Systems Research Facility located at University of Guelph (Canada). Based on the principle of an aquatic ecosystem, MELiSSA aims to produce food, fresh water and oxygen from organic wastes (inedible biomass, faeces, urine and CO2) using the combined activity of several microorganisms and higher plants, which colonize five interconnected compartments. The main contribution of this thesis is in the engineering of the photosynthetic compartments and their integration into MPP. Particularly, the work has been structured in the following three main units.I - Arthrospira Compartment: Several continuous cultures have been carried out at different dilution rates and light intensities, planned using a Box-Wilson Central Composite Design, to determine the operational limits and maximum productivity of Arthrospira pilot plant photobioreactor. The highest Arthrospira productivity attained is 27 mg·L-1·h-1 at a dilution rate of 0.044 h-1 and a light intensity of 194 W·m-2. Disturbances of normal operating conditions affecting pH, liquid and gas flow rate influence Arthrospira growth has been studied. The effect of ammonium on Arthrospira production and composition has been evaluated in detail and it is determined that to avoid inhibition of the Arthrospira growth, the steady-state ammonium concentration must be lower than 5.6 mM.II - Higher Plant Compartment: Three batch and two staggered cultures in sealed environment chambers have been performed to collect baseline data of productivity, tissue composition, nutrient uptake and canopy photosynthesis from beet and lettuce trials. The mean total plant productivity among batch and staggered cultures is 15.31 g dw·m-2·d-1 for beet and 13.85 g dw·m-2·d-1 for lettuce. The net carbon exchange rate technique is a good alternative to classical growth analysis for estimating plant growth and production inside the chamber without using destructive analyses. In addition to this, the ionic uptake of the nutrient solution has been proven to be a good predictor of total canopy mineral content using the estimated biomass. Moreover, the photosynthetic study performed at leaf level has contributed to estimates of light energy related parameters for the canopy model. The rectangular hyperbola model is suitable in defining the leaf photosynthetic response to light at different CO2 levels and crop ages. No significant differences are detected for the quantum yield (?) and dark respiration rate (Rd) among CO2 levels, but in contrast, the maximum photosynthetic rate (Pmax) was found to depend on CO2 concentration. Moreover, it is observed that that ?, Pmax and Rd values remain constant through crop development. III - Photosynthetic Compartments Integration:The HPC prototype to be integrated into the MPP has been designed. It is concluded that 3 HPC prototypes with 5 m2 of growing area each, will be constructed to provide 20% of the daily crew diet with beet, lettuce and wheat. The selected configuration, an elongated chamber with two air-locks at each end, allows the semi-continuous biomass production while ensuring gas environment isolation. Finally, the impact of the integration of the photosynthetic compartments into the MPP has been evaluated using a static mass balance model for assessing the nitrogen, CO2 and O2 balances, while determining the conditions under which the closure of the mass balances can be expected.

Tropical agroforestry systems are perceived to have the capacity to be resilient to future changes in climate. This study quantifies the response of two tropical agroforestry tree seedlings; Gliricidia sepium (Jacq.) Walp and Cedrela odorata L. to increases in atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO2) (800 ppm), temperature (+2°C daytime and +3°C nighttime) and the combined conditions. As well, this study analyzes the microbial community structure and nutrient concentration in response to elevated concentrations of CO2 on tropical silvopastoral soil, conventional pastoral soil and a regenerated forest soil. Both tree species demonstrated very individual responses to the different climate scenerios. While no significant CO2 fertilizer effect was observed in either species the combined treatment demonstrated a significant increase in seedling height for both species. The response of G. sepium to the combined treatment was similar to its response to the temperature treatment which could be a result of achieving the optimal range in temperature for growth. As well, an increase in C:N ratio from G. sepium seedling leaves under the combined treatment indicates the possibility of the nutrient concentration diminishing thereby reducing the role of this species as a provider of high nutrient biomass. The soil microbial community showed very little change in response to elevated concentrations of CO2 and differences in community structure between sites were also negligible. Soil nutrient concentration maintained the best balance over the course of both twelve week incubations for the regenerated forest site followed by the silvopastoral site and lastly the conventional pasture site. The response of soil nutrient concentration to elevated concentrations of CO2 was negligible reflecting the response of the soil microbial community.

The interaction between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere continues to be a central research theme within climate, hydrology, and ecology communities. This interest is stimulated by research issues pertinent to both the fundamental laws and the hierarchy of scales. To further explorer such topics over various spatial and temporal domains, in this study, biosphere-atmosphere interactions are studied at two different scales, leaf-to-canopy and canopy-to-atmospheric boundary-layer (ABL) scales, by utilizing both models and long-term measurements collected from the Duke Forest AmeriFlux sites. For the leaf-to-canopy scale, two classical problems motivated by contemporary applications are considered: (1) ‘inverse problem’ – determination of nighttime ecosystem respiration, and (2) forward problem – estimation of two-way interactions between leaves and their microclimate ‘’. An Eulerian inverse approach was developed to separate aboveground respiration from forest floor efflux using mean CO2 concentration and air temperature profiles within the canopy using detailed turbulent transport theories. The forward approach started with the assumption that canopy physiological, drag, and radiative properties are known. The complexity in the turbulent transport model needed for resolving the two-way interactions was then explored. This analysis considered a detailed multi-layer ecophysiological and radiative model embedded in a hierarchy of Eulerian turbulent closure schemes ranging from well-mixed assumption to third order closure schemes with local thermal-stratification within the canopy. For the canopy-to-ABL scale, this study mainly explored problems pertinent to the impact of the ecophysiological controls on the regional environment. First, the possible combinations of water states (soil moisture and atmospheric humidity) that trigger convective rainfall were investigated, and a distinct ‘envelope’ of these combinations emerged from the measurements. Second, an analytical model as a function of atmospheric and ecophysiological properties was proposed to examine how the potential to trigger convective rainfall shifts over different land-covers. The results suggest that pine plantation, whose area is projected to dramatically increase in the Southeastern US (SE), has greater potential to trigger convective rainfall than the other two ecosystems. Finally, the interplay between ecophysiological and radiative attributes on surface temperature, in the context of regional cooling/warming, was investigated for projected land-use changes in the SE region. / Dissertation