Yes

Marine seaweeds constitute one of the most productive plant systems known on Earth and a rich fauna including juvenile fish and crustaceans is dependent on the habitats they form. Human influence on marine costal ecosystems has resulted in large scale changes to the abundance and distribution of species, where species introductions constitute an obvious part. The aims of this thesis were to 1) explore how non-native seaweeds impact on ecosystem functions (primary production and decomposition), and 2) study how interactions between non-native seaweeds and native communities affect invasion success. I used a combination of laboratory assays, outdoor mesocosms and field experiments. Paper I and II revealed that the impact on ecosystem functions were substantially different depending on the identity of the invader. The highly successful non-native red alga Heterosiphonia japonica had a large effect on community productivity. Due to the rapid growth of the invader, the primary production increased by more than four times in mixed species communities with the invader compared to  communities with only native species. In contrast, the morphologically similar and equally successful non-native red alga Bonnemaisonia hamifera grew slowly and had no effect on community production. But B. hamifera produces a potent defense compound that deters native herbivores and reduces the growth of micro-organisms. As a direct or indirect effect of this chemical defense, the litter from B. hamifera decomposed considerably slower compared to native seaweed litter. Rapid growth and defense against predation are likely important in explaining how the two invaders have become successful in the invaded range. These results show that traits related to invasion success may determine impacts on native communities. Paper III shows that the rapidly growing invader H. japonica is avoided as food by native herbivores, which likely enables the invader to survive during colder seasons with sub-optimal growth conditions.  In paper IV I found that competition from the native brown alga Fucus vesiculosus decreased growth of the non-native congener Fucus evanescens. Native herbivores caused more damage to the native competitor but it did not relieve F. evanescens from competitive pressure. Several native brown algae grow in the niche of F. evanescens, which may explain why the species only is growing sparingly in the invaded range. The results indicate that competition with native seaweeds have potential to reduce the success of non-native seaweeds in the new range. In summary, this thesis shows that non-native seaweeds differ strongly in their effect on ecosystem functions. Knowledge of which traits are present among abundant non-native species and how these traits relates to different effects may enable us to gain a better understanding of invasion impacts on native communities. The thesis also highlights that competitive interactions can be of importance for invasion success in seaweed communities. / <p>At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 2: Manuscript. Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript.</p> / Alien-native trophic interactions: consequences for invasion success and ecosystem effects of invasions

South Africa is engaged in social redress and Education at all levels reflects this commitment. The period of transition from the apartheid policy of the National Party, (1948 – 1994), to the democratic policy of the African National Congress and its alliances, (1994 - ), continues to be in a state of flux. Education authorities struggle to maintain a balance between widening access to previously disadvantaged students whilst maintaining standards at the same time. Much of the recent debate on good teaching and learning practices suggests that teachers not only need to have a firm grasp of their discipline knowledge but that they also need to perform competently in pedagogic practice. This debate recognises sociological change in knowledge-discourses, fair and transparent assessment policy, and teacher and learner profiles, thereby creating an urgent need for a new professional identity for teachers. Efficient and effective teaching practices require school teachers to be sensitive to innovative and wide ranging culture-sensitive content as proposed by the Revised National Curriculum Statement (RNCS). This is a refined version of South Africa’s first national education policy, C2005, introduced to schools in 1998 and streamlined in 2000 by the Review Committee of C2005 to produce the RNCS. Music now fits into Arts and Culture, one of eight integrated learning areas. The Generalist-Specialist Music Educator is a new identity meant to empower classroom trainee-teachers in primary and secondary education who are new to the discipline of music. The majority of the teacher-trainees who have elected to take the Music in Education module at the University of The Witwatersrand’s School of Education are admitted under discretionary rules, and as a consequence they have little or no experience of formal music education. The Generalist-Specialist Music Educator comes from such a background and her aim would be to fast track her way towards a music orientation that would equip her to advise her own students who might want to learn music at school. Specifically, the Generalist-Specialist should enhance the open relationship between learner and teacher as well as contribute effectively to the multidisciplinary nature of today’s school curriculum.

<p>The application of the LSS law and how the public organization (Municipality of Hudiksvall) later had to reform their organization to fit the new demands is the foundation to this master's thesis. An internal evaluation was performed due to this reorganisation process within the social care department (LSS unit). The aim was to investigate and evaluate if the reorganization resulted in a better working environment and if the work load (distribution of work) became more evenly divided between the different unit managing directors. The primary empirical information to this master's thesis is collected from that evaluation report. The main aim of this master’s thesis is to answer if the organisational choice between specialised or de-specialised working tasks has an effect (experienced and measured) on the level of stress among the unit managing directors. We have found that it is a question about moral stress rather than a question about stressed managing directors in general. In this thesis the definition of “moral stress” is the discrepancy between one persons ethical properties and the actions that person have to take due to appointed level of power and the responsibility that follows with this power. Our main recommendation is to find an organisational structure based on the premises of the LSS-law while at the same time attending to the problems of the more and more difficult working situation amongst the employees. This can be achieved by gaining approval for a new prioritizing order form the politicians, the clients, and the employees. Such a reformation process (Sw “omnormeringsprocess”) would imply less moral stress. If the managing directors have a basic employment as a generalist the working tasks will be more evenly divided amongst the employees. Teams of 5-7 employees that encompasses specially qualified generalist and that meets on a regular basis is essential to relieve pressure from colleagues. This is essential to be able to make the most out of the special knowledge of the directors. In the extension of this change the assistants should be included in the existing substitutes-pool and each assistant’s special competence should be clarified.</p>

Questions: 1. Are there differences among species in their preference for coniferous vs. deciduous forest? 2. Are tree and shrub species better colonizers of recent forest stands than herbaceous species? 3. Do colonization patterns of plant species groups depend on tree species composition? Location: Three deciduous and one coniferous recent forest areas in Brandenburg, NE Germany. Methods: In 34 and 21 transects in coniferous and deciduous stands, respectively, we studied the occurrence and percentage cover of vascular plants in a total of 150 plots in ancient stands, 315 in recent stands and 55 at the ecotone. Habitat preference, diaspore weight, generative dispersal potential and clonal extension were used to explain mechanisms of local migration. Regression analysis was conducted to test whether migration distance was related to species’ life-history traits. Results: 25 species were significantly associated with ancient stands and ten species were significantly more frequent in recent stands. Tree and shrub species were good colonizers of recent coniferous and deciduous stands. In the coniferous stands, all herbaceous species showed a strong dispersal limitation during colonization, whereas in the deciduous stands generalist species may have survived in the grasslands which were present prior to afforestation. Conclusions: The fast colonization of recent stands by trees and shrubs can be explained by their effective dispersal via wind and animals. This, and the comparably efficient migration of herbaceous forest specialists into recent coniferous stands, implies that the conversion of coniferous into deciduous stands adjacent to ancient deciduous forests is promising even without planting of trees.

The application of the LSS law and how the public organization (Municipality of Hudiksvall) later had to reform their organization to fit the new demands is the foundation to this master's thesis. An internal evaluation was performed due to this reorganisation process within the social care department (LSS unit). The aim was to investigate and evaluate if the reorganization resulted in a better working environment and if the work load (distribution of work) became more evenly divided between the different unit managing directors. The primary empirical information to this master's thesis is collected from that evaluation report. The main aim of this master’s thesis is to answer if the organisational choice between specialised or de-specialised working tasks has an effect (experienced and measured) on the level of stress among the unit managing directors. We have found that it is a question about moral stress rather than a question about stressed managing directors in general. In this thesis the definition of “moral stress” is the discrepancy between one persons ethical properties and the actions that person have to take due to appointed level of power and the responsibility that follows with this power. Our main recommendation is to find an organisational structure based on the premises of the LSS-law while at the same time attending to the problems of the more and more difficult working situation amongst the employees. This can be achieved by gaining approval for a new prioritizing order form the politicians, the clients, and the employees. Such a reformation process (Sw “omnormeringsprocess”) would imply less moral stress. If the managing directors have a basic employment as a generalist the working tasks will be more evenly divided amongst the employees. Teams of 5-7 employees that encompasses specially qualified generalist and that meets on a regular basis is essential to relieve pressure from colleagues. This is essential to be able to make the most out of the special knowledge of the directors. In the extension of this change the assistants should be included in the existing substitutes-pool and each assistant’s special competence should be clarified.

According to optimal foraging theory, generalist predators, such as spiders, are thought to feed indiscriminately on prey according to its availability, especially when food is scarce. In contrast, generalists can display selective feeding decisions under regimes of high prey abundance, but few studies have tracked changes in prey choice on a seasonal basis under open field conditions. Additionally, adaptations to surviving winter have been largely ignored in the research of foraging behavior. To elucidate this, I monitored prey availability and collected common forest-dwelling wolf spiders for molecular gut-content analysis, in parallel for 18 months, to assess the temporal changes occurring in spider preferences of common leaf litter prey. In addition, to determine if any physiological improvements to resisting low temperature mortality were affecting spider foraging, I also collected spiders monthly to track changes in spider supercooling points. The results revealed that spiders do exhibit selective feeding throughout the year, and appear to do so in a way that diversifies their diets. Also, despite low litter temperatures putting them in severe freezing risk, cold tolerance in these spiders remained unchanged throughout the winter, which suggests opportunity for growth during this uncompetitive period is paramount to accumulating survivorship-increasing, but also mobility-decreasing, cryoprotectants.

Plant-pollinator networks have shown to be highly dynamic systems as species and interactions change in time and space. Few studies have incorporated several habitats in their network. In this work I investigate interacting plant and pollinator communities of three adjacent habitats at Gotska Sandön, an island in the Baltic Sea. The networks varied in size between the habitats, and the larger networks of the dune and meadow displayed both nested and modular structure while the smaller forest network was more randomly organised. We found species present in more than one habitat that connected the networks by forming inter-habitat modules of tightly linked species. Species took on different topological roles in the networks depending on how many links they formed and where these attached. The habitat generalists were important to overall network structure as role correlated with habitat generalisation level.

No description available.

The focus of this thesis is on describing and analysing recently graduated physicians’ and engineers’ experiences of the relationship between the professional education programs and the respective professional practices. The aim is to explore the professionals’ reasons for their educational and career choices, what they learn in professional education, the demands they encounter in the workplace, and the perceived needs and opportunities for learning and further development in their professional practices. This study is based on a comparative design and the empirical data have been collected in interviews with physicians and master’s level engineers in information technology. The theoretical framework is structured around three parts, consisting of theories of professionalisation, theories concerned with the functions of higher education, and theories concerned with the concepts of knowledge, competence and qualifications. There is a close relationship between the process of professionalisation, the authority of the professions, the legitimacy of professional knowledge, and the higher education institutions. The results indicate that theory and practice are intimately integrated in the physicians’ professional education, whereas the engineers’ experiences of the educational program are characterised by little overlap between theory and practice. Furthermore, the physicians emphasise the importance of theoretical specialist knowledge and socio-communicative competence while the engineers instead stress the importance of generalist competence. The educational knowledge base is relatively static for both physicians and engineers. However, whereas there is a correspondence between the educational and the professional knowledge base in the case of the physicians they are only a loosely coupled in the case of the engineers. This can be attributed to the changing nature of the engineers’ professional knowledge base, which is characterised by constant change. The physicians regard their professional education as a rational preparation for the world of work. Although education does provide a general foundation for further professional development and learning, the engineers associate their professional education more with a symbolic ritual. For physicians, the formal credentials are a legal requirement to practise the profession. Education is regarded as constituting an important credential also for the engineers as it increases individual employability. The physicians tend to emphasise the use value of the educational program, while the engineers instead stress the exchange value of their educational program.