As in many arctic regions, impacts of increasing environmental stressors such as climate change and industrialization (particularly mineral exploration and mine development) have led local Inuit in northern Labrador to notice changes in their environment. In addition, they have expressed concerns that research and monitoring programs aimed at understanding and tracking these changes are lacking in many areas and do not accurately reflect their knowledge and concerns. Many communities feel powerless in the face of these changes as they lack the resources needed to respond. In consideration of this, an integrated regional approach has been initiated in Nunatsiavut to ensure concerns from all stakeholders, including Inuit as well as major industrial and governmental organizations, are adequately addressed. The purpose of this study was to further the understanding of environmental changes in Anaktalâk Bay (the shipping route to the Voisey’s Bay Nickel mine) and the effects of these changes on local Inuit in order to inform the development of a multi-partner monitoring (MPM) program for the area. The research was conducted using a participatory approach that included documenting Inuit knowledge (IK) obtained during a workshop involving 14 long-term residents of Nain (>25 years; both genders) in December 2006. Trends identified during the transcript analysis highlight that often the most severe perceived effects on Inuit occur when environmental stressors work synergistically. Key linkages between environmental changes and effects were also identified. The workshop findings document the local desire for a monitoring program to track ecosystem-based changes, as well as the social, economic and environmental effects of these changes, to ensure that Inuit are able to mitigate these changes, and adapt when mitigation is not possible or sufficient. Workshop participants voiced an interest in participating in future monitoring activities and it is anticipated that program development will give both researchers and community members an opportunity to continue to work together and learn from each other, in order to develop and implement relevant and appropriate local solutions. Ultimately, this program should begin to address the Inuit desire in this region to strengthen and protect their relationship with the environment. / Thesis (Master, Environmental Studies) -- Queen's University, 2007-11-20 12:02:32.619 / Queen's University Environmental Sciences Group Nunatsiavut Government ArcticNet

<p> This paper proposes an approach for research into environmental change. It is argued that research should take into account the subjective level of a person's experience in order to gain an understanding of the human consequences of change. Two methods of investigating subjective interpretations and evaluations of environmental change are discussed: phenomenological description and personal construct theory. However, it is contended that analysis of behavioural responses to change requires consideration of group processes and conditions operating independently of any one individual. In this regard, the problems and constraints associated with collective actions to protest environmental decisions are examined. The proposed approach thus attempts to link the micro-situation of the individual with the aggregate processes of environmental change.</p> / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

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0 / SPK / specialcollections@tulane.edu

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Plankton play a key role in regulating nutrient and carbon cycles in freshwater ecosystems. The uptake and processing of nutrients in planktonic biomass are highly sensitive to changes in the environment, such as alterations in the availability of limiting nutrients, increasing temperature due to climate change, and changes to the composition of interacting species. The focus of this thesis is to use a variety of experimental and theoretical methods to assess and predict the impact of multiple perturbations on community structure, dynamics and ecosystem function, with a particular focus on interactions between phytoplankton and their consumers (zooplankton). Increases in both temperature and phytoplankton species diversity independently decreased CO2 concentrations when the number of non-resource species (those inedible to the zooplankton) were high. Using structural equation modeling I show that the effect is indirect, resulting largely from the positive impacts on total biomass of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton are limited by a range of resources, and differences in the functional traits used to utilize light and nutrients can explain the distributions of species under different temperature regimes. I found that under light and nitrogen limitation, resource requirements are generally lowest at intermediate temperatures, and that changes in temperature may therefore alter the competitive hierarchy amongst species. Using the model freshwater phytoplankton Chlamydomonas reinhardtii, I also find that previous selection environments govern future competitive abilities in phytoplankton. Adaptation to a high salt and low nutrient stress increases competitive ability under light limited conditions, indicating a strong dependency of selection environment for overall competitiveness. This thesis provides a mechanistic insight into the role of diverse plankton communities for community dynamics and ecosystem functioning.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2006. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (April 26, 2007) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis examines the response of Taiwanese hotels to climate change. Climate change is increasingly recognised by industry, governments and researchers as one of the most substantial challenges to the sustainability of tourism at both a destination and business level in both the short and long-term. Hall (2008) observed that tourism was explicitly recognised by the IPCC as one of the most important industries in Asia, yet the lack of research on tourism and climate change in an Asian context was identified, with especially little explicit research on the climate change response of the hospitality and accommodation sector. This is also despite the accommodation sector being the most significant tourism sector contributor to emissions after aviation (United Nations World Tourism Organisation [UNWTO] and United Nations Environment Programme [UNEP] 2008; World Economic Forum [WEF] 2009; Scott et al. 2012). Therefore this research seeks to explicitly respond to this knowledge gap by examining the response of the Taiwanese hotel sector to climate change. It is also the first known study that explores the extent to which the hotel sector meets the specific recommendations of the UNWTO-UNEP (2008) with respect to accommodation sector measures in relation to climate change. In order to provide a firm basis of methodological comparison with the previous international literature on environmental studies of the accommodation sector, this thesis conducted a baseline survey to investigate the response of Taiwanese hotels towards environment and climate change with respect to four main dimensions, including perception, attitudes, actions, and influencing factors for environmental and climate change practices. Overall, 270 hotel participants answered the email-based questionnaire survey of the total population of Taiwanese hotels, reflecting a response rate of approximately 10%. Taiwanese hotel respondents acknowledged the existence of climate change, but rarely related this phenomenon to their daily business operations. Their attitude towards their own hotel’s contribution to climate change was especially reserved. In addition to waste management, energy-saving practice, and the offer of local-produced cuisine, the level of implementation of environmental practices in Taiwanese hotels was relatively limited. There were also low compliance rates with existing environmental policy, although they were aware of environmental schemes. The factors of size and extreme weather event experience were identified as the more significant variables to differentiate Taiwanese hotel response to environment and climate change. The significance of hotel size, standard, and experience of weather extreme variables were also examined. Finally, this research discussed the prospective contributions and issues of the results of this study, and argues for their application in the fields of climate change research, benchmarking development, education and and training, government regulation and policy, and hotel management.

This thesis describes late Holocene environmental changes in the Basin of Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico. Using palaeolimnological evidence it is possible to conclude that the Basin of Pátzcuaro has suffered at least three episodes of disturbance within the last 3,600 years. A minor episode of erosion began about 3,500 years ago and is believed to have been triggered by the onset of sedentary agriculture within the basin. A second, more severe phase of disturbance, occurred between about 2,500 and 1,200 years B.P. during which time there was extensive degradation in the northern part of the catchment; widespread gullying is believed to have occurred at this time. The recent, most intense period of erosion began about 850 years B.P., coinciding with the arrival of the Purépecha in the basin. There is no evidence to suggest that degradation within the catchment intensified after the arrival of the Spanish 470 years B.P. However, a change in the style of erosion from predominantly sheet-wash to gully erosion occurred at approximately 400-500 years B.P. and may reflect the introduction of new agricultural techniques by the Spanish. Fluctuations in the level of Lake Pátzcuaro have been used to infer late Holocene climatic change. Prior to 4,000 years B.P. dry conditions prevailed. An abrupt change to wetter conditions occurred between about 3,600 and 3,200 years B.P. before becoming more arid. Wetter conditions between 2,500 and 1,200 years B.P. can be inferred from the lake sediment record. The driest period in the record occurred between 1,200 and 850 B.P. Fluctuations in the level of the lake over the last 600 years have been determined from historical records. The lake rose between 600 and 470 years B.P. and remained high until approximately 300 years B.P. after which time the lake level fell once again.