This study analyses and interprets the location of the 18 historical execution sites in the Swedish province of Västergötland. The purpose of the study is to analyse eventual patterns in the sites’ locations which could help future research and protection of the sites as well as locating additional sites. The main question is how the placement of execution sites in the landscape relates to previously discussed theories on the selection of the execution sites. The study will be a GIS-based analysis of geographical data, historical maps, and relevant literature in the hope of finding patterns and reasons for the execution sites’ location. The study will use and compare earlier theories regarding the location of execution sites such as being located on heights, near roads and crossroads, boundaries, water, bogs, on unfertile soil and on prehistoric gravesites as well as the locations’ connection to ideas of accessibility and visibility. The results show that execution sites are often located on heights in the landscape, near roads and crossroads, on unfertile soil and near water and bogs. The other criteria, being near boundaries and being located on prehistoric gravesites appear to be less significant for the selection of execution sites of Västergötland.

Magister Artium (Development Studies) - MA(DVS) / The seaweed Gracilaria gracilis has been shown in previous studies to have potential for mariculture along the West Coast of South Africa. However, the selection of suitable sites is crucial for the success of a farming enterprise. The variables important in the success or sustainability of suspended raft culture, and the environmental factors influencing these variables, were identified through a literature review. A suitable site was defined as a site with surface water temperature of between 10 and 17 "C, water depth of between 2 and 10 m below surface, and wave heights of less than 4 m. Data and information about these factors were obtained from sources such as the Sea Fisheries Research Institute, the SADCO database, the CSIR and from volunteers in St Helena Bay. The objectives of this study were to convert available data into formats that could be used in a Geographical Information System (GIS), and to predict suitable and available sites for suspended cultivation of Gracilaria gracilis in Saldanha Bay, Langebaan Lagoon and St. Helena Bay. Data were converted to digital format and data layers created. Each data layer represented suitable and unsuitable areas. Areas with existing mariculture, harbours, ship traffic zones and other uses were excluded to determine the real available areas. The Saldanha Bay-Langebaan lagoon system and St Helena Bay, have sites that show potential for suspended cultivation of G. eracilis. The total sizes of the areas selected as suitable are 975.4 ha in Saldanha Bay and 474.8 ha in St. Helena Bay. Some sites predicted as suitable are located in areas known to be subject to conditions not suitable for seaweed mariculture, and led to the conclusion that the accuracy of input data or method of analysis must be improved.

<p> This research examined the geographic variability as well as the individual-and neighbourhood-level determinants of overweight and obesity in Canada. Overweight and obesity represent a significant public health problem with grave implications for individuals as well as populations. Over the past two decades, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has reached epidemic proportions with the most substantial increases observed in economically developed countries. The World Health Organization indicated that globally 1.6 billion adults (age 15+) are overweight and at least 400 million adults were obese. In a Canadian context, recent data from Statistics Canada confirms that over the past twenty-five years, adult obesity rates in Canada have doubled (23% ), while childhood obesity rates have nearly tripled. </p> <p> Until recently, research has focused on biological and behavioural determinants of obesity, and currently there is a great deal of knowledge regarding the relationships between weight status and various risk factors at the individual-level (e.g. age, sex, socioeconomic deprivation, diet, physical activity). However, the majority of existing research has ignored the potential role played by the environment in the development of these conditions, despite a growing consensus that environmental and/or societal constraints may be major influences on increasing prevalence rates. </p> <p> Using data from the Canadian Community Health Surveys and the Desktop Mapping Information Technologies Incorporated spatial database, this research addressed the following objectives: (I) to examine sex-specific spatial patterns of overweight/obesity in Canada as well as investigate the presence of spatial clusters (2) to investigate the prevalence and determinants of overweight and obesity in Canada using spatial analysis and geographical information systems (GIS) and (3) to identify heterogeneities associated with the relationships between individual and socioenvironmental determinants and overweight and obesity at the individual-and community-levels. </p> <p> Results revealed marked geographical variation in overweight/obesity prevalence with higher values in the Northern and Atlantic health-regions and lower values in the Southern and Western health-regions of Canada. Significant positive spatial autocorrelation was found for both males and females, with significant clusters of high values or 'hot spots' of obesity in the Atlantic and Northern health-regions of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario. Results also demonstrate the important role of the built-environment after adjustment demographic, socio-economic and behavioural characteristics. With regard to the built environment measures, landuse mix and residential density were found to be significantly associated with BMI. This study also demonstrated significant differences at the area-level of analysis, supporting related research that has suggested that individual-level factors alone cannot explain variation in obesity rates across space. In particular, average dwelling value was related to BMI independently of individual-level characteristics. Ultimately, this research has demonstrated that Canadian urban environments play a small but significant role in shaping the distribution of BMI. Yet, reversing current trends will require a multifaceted public health approach where interventions are developed from the individual-to the neighbourhood-level, specifically focusing on altering obesogenic environments. </p> / Thesis / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Gully erosion is a major environmental problem not only having direct influences on site but also indirect influences felt further down the catchment. Combating gully erosion has proven to be elusive due to the difficulty in finding the causal factors and developing mechanisms involved. Soil is the medium in which gully erosion occurs yet few research have investigated it as a driving factor behind gully development and those that have has done it in a very elementary way. The first aim of this project was to physically and chemically characterise and classify the discontinuous gully system at Malansdam to establish the relationship between landscape hydrology and geomorphologic gully development with a focus on control factors. This was done by field observations, physical measurements and spatial and hydrological analyses with a Geographical Information System (GIS). The Malansdam gully system was the first ever recorded Strahler stream order (SSO) 5 classical gully system with the most active region being in the upper reaches where a steeper slope is experienced. Although piping was observed the V-shape channels and SAR data from traditional wet analysis indicated runoff to be the dominant formation process. A duo of factors, consisting of one anthropogenic and one natural factor respectively, was found that the major control factors behind the gully formation. A unique anthropogenic factor that has never been published beforehand was found to be the anthropogenic driving factor namely the ploughed contour cultivation technique employed by the farmers in the Sandspruit catchment. The ploughed contours act as channels firstly collecting and secondly moving water that would have drained naturally downwards in the valley to one exit point in the gully system. This allows increased erosive energy because of the larger volumes of water entering one single point in the upper reaches of the gully system where a steeper slope is experienced. The driving factor in the natural group was determined to be weak soil structure due to an abundant amount of exchangeable Mg2+ cations occupying the exchange sites on the clay fraction. This would cause soil to disperse in the presence of water even with a low amount of exchangeable Na+. Combat methods would accordingly exist in the form of rectifying the soil structure and finding an alternative to the ploughed contour system currently employed, but also planting vegetation especially grass or wheat in the gully channels. The second aim of this project was to determine the capability of Near Infrared (NIR) spectrometry, with wavenumbers 12 500 – 4 000 cm-1, to predict indicators used in soil science to establish the dispersive nature of a soil. These indices included the Exchangeable Sodium Percentage (ESP), Sodium Absorption Ratio (SAR), Magnesium Saturation Percentage (MS%), Electrical Conductivity (EC), Potential Hydrogen (pH) as well as the four main exchangeable cations namely calcium (Ca2+), potassium (K+), sodium (Na+) and magnesium (Mg2+). Surface and subsurface soil samples were collected from active gully heads. These samples were minimally pre-processed thus only dried, milled and sieved. Thereafter it was subject to NIR analysis making use of the Bruker multi-purpose FT-NIR Analyser (MPA; Bruker Optik GmbH, Germany) with a spectral range of 12 500cm-1 to 4000cm-1 which is. Partial Least Square Regression (PLSR) models were built for each index and the exchangeable cations making use of QUANT 2 utility of OPUS 6.5 (MPA; Bruker Optik GmbH, Germany) software. Five different regrssion statistics namely the coefficient of determination (r2), Root Mean Square Error of Cross Validation (RMSECV), Ratio of Performance to Deviation (RPD), Bias and the Ratio of Performance of Quartiles (RPIQ) were used to assess the legitimacy of each PLSR model. Upon validation all the PLSR models performed in line with previously published work and in certain cases better. The only exception was MS% which would require further investigation. NIR thus possess the capability to predict a soil’s dispersive nature in a fast, reliable, inexpensive and non- destructive way, thus implying whether or not it contributes to gully erosion at a significant level or only minimally. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Donga erosie is 'n groot omgewingsprobleem. Dit het nie net ‘n direkte invloed op die area waar dit geleë is nie, maar het ook ‘n indirekte invloed wat elders in die opvangsgebied ervaar word. Bekamping van donga erosie is moeisaam aangesien die faktore wat aanleiding gee tot die vorming en dryf daarvan moeilik is om te bepaal. Grond is die medium waarin erosie plaasvind, maar daar is nogtans steeds min navorsing wat grond ondersoek het as ‘n moontlike faktor aanleiding gee tot donga erosie. Die wat dit al wel ingesluit het, het dit slegs op n baie elemntêre manier ondersoek. Die eerste doel van hierdie projek was om die diskontinue donga stelsel fisies en chemise te karakteriseer en klassifiseer om soedoende die verhouding tussen die landskap hidrologie en geomorfologiese donga ontwikkeling te bepaal met n fokus op die faktore wat dit dryf. Dit was gedoen deur middel van observasies gedoen terwyl veldwerk uitgerig was, fisiese metings asook ruimtelike en hidrologiese analises deur gebruik te maak van n Geografiese Inligting Stelsel (GIS). Die klassieke Malansdam donga stelsel is ‘n Strahler stroomorde (SSO) van 5 toegeken en is die eerste een ooit wat dit behaal het. Die mees aktiefste area was in die bolope waar die steilste helling ervaar was. Alhoewel ondergrondse pyp formasie waargeneem was het die V-vormige donga kanale en SAR data van die tradisionele nat analise aangedui dat afloop die dominante vorming proses was. Daar was gevind dat 'n duo van faktore, wat bestaan uit een menslike en een natuurlike faktor onderskeidelik, die faktore was wat donga ontwikkeling in die area dryf. 'n Unieke menslike faktor wat nog nie vantevore gepubliseer is, was bevind as die menslike faktor wat aanleiding gee tot donga erosie. Hierdie faktor is die bewerkiingsmetode wat in die Sandspruit opvangsgebied gebruik word naamlik geploegde kontoerbewerking. Die geploegde kontoere tree op as kanale om eerstens water te versamel en tweedens om die vloeirigting daarvan te wysig. Water wat onder natuurlike toestande afwaarts sou dreineer tot in die vallei word vasgevang deur die kontoere en gekanaliseer na een invloei punt in die donga. Hierdie proses verhoog die erosiekrag van die water aangesien groter volumes by 'n enkele punt in die steiler bolope van die donga stelsel invloei. Die dryf faktor in die natuurlike groep was swak grond struktuur. Die oorsaak hiervan was die besetting van ‘n grootmaat uitruilbare Mg2+ katione op die uitruil plekke van die kleifraksie. Dit sou veroorsaak dat grond in die teenwoordigheid van water maklik sou dispergeer, selfs in die teenwoordigheid van 'n lae hoeveelheid uitruilbare Na+ katione. Metodes om donga erosie te bekamp sal dienooreenkomstig bestaan uit die herstel van die grondstruktuur en die toepassing van 'n alternatiewe gondbewerkings stelsel. Die aanplanting van plantegroei, veral gras en koring binne die donga kanale sal verder help met die veg tot bekamping Die tweede doel van hierdie projek was om te bepaal indien naby infrarooi (NIR) spektrometrie (met golfnommer van 12 500 – 4 000cm-1) oor die vermoë beskik om aanwysers wat traditioneel in grondkunde gebruik word om die dispergering van grond te meet te voorspel. Hierdie aanwysers sluit vyf indekse in naamlik die Veranderlike Natrium Persentasie (ESP), Natrium Absorpsie Verhouding (SAR), Magnesium Versadiging Persentasie (MS%), Elektriese Geleidingsvermoë (EC) en die Potensiële Waterstof (pH) sowel as die vier hoof uitruilbare katione naamlik kalsium (Ca2+) , kalium (K+), natrium (Na+) en magnesium (Mg2+). Oppervlak en ondergrondse grondmonsters is ingesamel by die punt van oorsprong by aktiewe dongas. Hierdie monsters is minimaal voorberei, dus slegs gedroog, gemaal en gesif. Daarna was dit onderworpe aan die NIR analise. Die Bruker meerdoelige FT-NIR Analiseerder (MPA; Bruker Optik GmbH, Duitsland) met 'n spektrale omvang van 12 500cm 1 4000cm-1 is hiervoor gebruik. Parsiële kleinste kwadraat regressie (PLSR) modelle is gebou vir elke indeks asook die uitruilbare katione deur gebruik te maak van die nutsprogram Quant 2 van die OPUS 6.5 (MPA; Bruker Optik GmbH, Duitsland) sagteware. Vyf verskillende regressie statistieke naamlik die bepalingskoëffisiënt (r2), vierkantswortel fout tydens kruis validasie (RMSECV), verhouding van prestasie teenoor voorspellingsafwyking (RPD), sydigheid en die verhouding van prestasie van kwartiele (RPIQ) was gebruik om die geldighied van elke PLSR model te asseseer. Alle PLSR modelle het goed presteer, behalwe vir MS% wat verdere navorsing vereis. NIR beskik dus oor die vermoë om die aard van dispergering van grond te bepaal op 'n vinnige, betroubare, goedkoop en nie afbrekende manier. Dit kan dus effektief aangewend word as ‘n substitusie vir die traditionele metodes om te bepaal as grond a beduidende faktor is of nie.

Thesis (PhD (Geography and Environmental Studies))—Stellenbosch University, 2008. / GIS has revolutionized geographic analysis and spatial decision support and has greatly enhanced our understanding of the real world though it’s mapping and spatial modelling capabilities. Although GIS software is becoming more powerful, less expensive and more userfriendly, GIS still remains the domain of a selected few who can operate and afford these systems. Since the introduction of web mapping tools such as Google Earth, accessibility to geographic information has escalated. Such tools enable anyone with access to a computer and the Internet to explore geographic data online and produce maps on demand. Web mapping products have, however, a very narrow range of functionality. In contrast to GIS that focuses on spatial data capture, storage, manipulation, analysis and presentation, the function of web mapping tools is to visualize and communicate geographical data. The positive impact of web mapping tools suggests, however, that GIS has not yet developed to a level where anyone can use the technology to support spatial decisions and enhance productivity. A possible solution is to close the functional gap between web mapping tools and GIS to make spatial analysis more accessible, thereby promoting geographical awareness and supporting better spatial decisions.

Cette thèse constitue une nouvelle approche pour la prédiction des maladies des plantes dans une plantation par combinaison de fusion de données et modélisation spatio-temporelle. La maladie des plantes est un problème majeur dans le monde de l'agriculture. Par exemple en Malaisie, la maladie de la pourriture de basal de la tige (BSR) causée par le champignon Ganoderma Boninense est la maladie la plus grave pour les plantations de palmiers à huile. Le champignon infecte les palmiers à huile,causant des pertes de rendement et détruisant au final les arbres. Divers facteurs ont été précédemment signalés, qui influencent l'incidence de la BSR, tels que les cultures précédentes, les techniques de replantation, les types de sols et l'âge des arbres. Une gestion efficace et durable des stratégies pour contrôler le BSR se heurte principalement à un manque de compréhension des mécanismes d'établissement de la maladie, de son développement et de sa propagation. La présente recherche est une tentative d'appliquer la technique de fusion de données et la modélisation temporelle en système d'Information géographique (SIG) pour étudier le comportement des maladies des plantes dans un domaine particulier (zone artisanale). Cette recherche portera sur comment les SIG peuvent aider à évaluer la distribution des maladies des plantes dans une plantation de petite échelle. Avec les progrès simultanés dans les systèmes de positionnement global (GPS) et l'utilisation des systèmes d'Information géographique, ces techniques ont fourni de puissants outils d'analyse pour l'agriculture de précision. Les données pour l'analyse proviennent de palmiers à huile des expériences de densité de plantation aux stations de recherche MPOB à Teluk Intan, Perak, Malaisie.Dans le cas de la maladie de la BSR, les résultats de l'émission de modélisation prédictive ont observé une corrélation entre les maladies BSR prédites avec celles visuellement données par le BSR. Il a été constaté que la modélisation prédictive proposée a bien prédit la présence de la maladie de la BSR. Même si au début d'infection des maladies BSR, le modèle n'a pas fixé exactement la distribution de la maladie, la performance du modèle sera améliorée avec la sélection de la source de données. Dans l'ensemble, le modèle a bien prédit la présence de maladies avec une précision allant jusqu'à 98,9 %. / This thesis represents a new approach for predicting plant disease in a plantation through combination of data fusion and spatio-temporal modelling. Plant disease is a major problem in the world of agriculture. Example in Malaysia, basalstem rot disease (BSR) caused by Ganoderma Boinense is the most serious disease for oil palm plantation in Malaysia. The fungus infects oil palm trees, initially causing yield loss and finally killing the trees. Various factors were previously reported to influence incidence of BSR, such as previous crops, techniques for replanting, types of soils and the age of trees. At present effective and sustainable management strategies to control BSR are hampered mainly by a lack of understanding of mechanisms of disease establishment, development and spread. The present research is an attempt to apply data fusion technique and temporal modelling in Geographical Information System (GIS) to investigate the behaviour of plant disease in a specific area (small skill area). This research will focus on how GIS can help to assess the distribution plant disease in a small scale plantation. With concurrent advances in global positioning systems (GPS) and the use of geographical Information Systems(GIS) techniques have provided powerful analysis tools for precision agriculture. Data for analysis were obtained from oil palm planting density experiments at MPOB research stations at Teluk Intan, Perak, Malaysia. In the case of BSR disease, the results of the predictive modelling show a significance correlation between predicted BSR diseases with visually observed BSR data. It found that the proposed predictive modelling has well predicted the presence of BSR disease. Although at the beginning stage of BSR diseases infection, the model has not fitted exactly the distribution of the disease, we believe that with the proper selection of the source of data, the performance of the model will be improved.Overall, the model has well predicted the presence of diseases with accuracy up to 98.9%.

Esta pesquisa tem em sua linha principal a avaliação da infraestrutura da via permanente dos sistemas de transporte público urbano sobre trilhos. A avaliação é alcançada a partir da proposta de utilização de um sistema de gerência de pavimentos (SGP), aliado a um sistema de informações geográficas (SIG) e a um banco de dados relacional que suporte operações geográficas. O trabalho também sugere um conjunto de indicadores, para o gerenciamento da manutenção da via permanente. A pesquisa foi realizada a partir de uma pesquisa bibliográfica extensa sobre os assuntos relacionados para identificar soluções semelhantes que tenham sido implantadas. A pesquisa bibliográfica não identificou nenhum trabalho que tenha abordado este tema voltado ao transporte público urbano sobre trilhos, contudo foram identificadas linhas de pesquisa voltadas ao transporte de carga que compartilham do mesmo objetivo, utilizar um SIG para a gerência do ativo. Também foram identificados sistemas de suporte a decisão para ferrovias, sem o módulo de informações geográficas. A utilização de modelos de degradação, análise do ciclo de vida e análise de confiabilidade, disponibilidade, manutenabilidade e segurança são usadas, e estudadas, com relativa frequência na literatura especializada, usando a ferrovia como exemplo de aplicação. Os resultados alcançados por esses estudos foram incorporados nesta pesquisa. A partir de um método qualitativo o SIG e o banco de dados relacional foram escolhidos. Os indicadores de manutenção foram estudados e escolhidos a partir da literatura e experiência do autor. Utilizando (i) dados de operação e manutenção de um sistema de transporte metroferroviário, (ii) os resultados dos trabalhos identificados na pesquisa bibliográfica e (iii) o referencial teórico consultado, foram calculados os tempos médios entre falhas, a evolução de degradação de componentes da via permanente e o intervalo adequado de manutenção, utilizando recursos do banco de dados. Estes cálculos serviram de entrada para elaboração de mapas temáticos. Os mapas temáticos contêm informações sobre o nível de degradação da via e quais as manutenções a serem realizadas. O sistema também fornece os custos envolvidos em cada uma das operações de manutenção. Estas informações são primordiais para que o gestor do ativo possa escolher a opção que apresente o melhor custo-benefício, com base em informações apuradas, melhorando a qualidade de sua decisão. / This research has the goal assess the permanent way infrastructure of urban public transport systems on rails. This assessment is result of a proposal to use a pavement management system (PMS), coupled with a geographic information system (GIS) and a relational database that supports geographical operations. The research also suggests a set of indicators for the management of the maintenance of the permanent way. The survey ran from an extensive literature to identify similar solutions deployed. The literature review did not identify any work that has addressed this issue back to urban public transport on rails. Were identified lines of research aimed at cargo transport that shares the same goal, using a GIS for asset management. In addition, decision support systems have been identified for railways, without geographical information module. It is easy to find use of degradation patterns, life cycle analysis and reliability analysis, availability, maintainability and safety in the literature, using the railway as example. The results achieved by these studies were included in this study. From a qualitative method, GIS and relational database were chosen. Maintenance indicators were chosen using the literature and the author\'s experience as basis. Data operation and maintenance of a metro system, the results of the work identified in the literature and a technical and theoretical framework from literature served as line to calculate the mean time between failures, the rate of degradation of permanent way components and the appropriate maintenance period. These calculations served as input in database for the preparation of thematic maps in the GIS. Thematic maps contain information about the track degradation level and the maintenance needed to be performed. The system also provides the costs of each maintenance step. The information generated by the system can help the manager to choose the option with best tradeoff, improving the decision quality.

Este projeto é um ensaio para se estabelecer um processo de análise da relação entre parcelamento do solo e volumetria construída intraquadra do município de São Paulo, utilizando a base de dados da pesquisa Os Sistemas de Espaços Livres na Constituição da Forma Urbana Contemporânea no Brasil: Produção e Apropriação QUAPÁ-Sel II, desenvolvido pelo Laboratório QUAPÁ da FAU USP, com as informações de temperatura aparente de superfície existente em três estações do ano, outono, inverno e primavera. No intuito de estabelecer uma metodologia que possa ser replicável em outras localidades, o trabalho ora apresentado, utilizando-se desta base de dados e com imagens de sensores remotos, busca identificar as possíveis similaridades entre as classes trabalhadas e a sua temperatura aparente de superfície e como isso pode influenciar a temperatura do ar e o conforto térmico das pessoas no nível do cânion urbano. / This project is an essay to establish a process of analysis of the relation between division of land and intraquadra built volumetry of Sao Paulo city, using the database of the research The Open Spaces Systems in the Brazilian Urban Form Constitution: Production and Appropriation QUAPÁ-Sel II developed by the QUAPÁ Laboratory at FAU USP, with the information of the apparent surface temperature existent in three seasons, fall, winter and spring. In order to establish a methodology that can be replicated in other places, the work presented here, using this database and remote sensing images, seeks to identify possible similarities between the worked classes and their apparent surface temperature and how this may influence the air temperature and the thermal comfort of people in the urban canyon level.

Atualmente existem diferentes definições para o conceito de fragilidade ambiental, o que dificulta sua aplicação e a comparação entre os resultados de diferentes métodos. Este trabalho realiza uma revisão bibliográfica sistemática a cerca desse conceito e adota a definição considerada mais adequada. Com base na definição adotada foi proposto e aplicado um método para avaliar a fragilidade ambiental de uma área de estudo. Esse método utiliza pesos para ponderar os diferentes atributos (meio físico, biótico e socioeconômico) envolvidos na análise de fragilidade ambiental, que são definidos com a aplicação do Processo de Análise Hierárquica (AHP). O método proposto também se fundamenta na utilização de um programa de Sistema de Informação Geográfica (SIG) para a estruturação da base de dados, a realização das análises espaciais e a ponderação dos mapas necessários. A área de estudo corresponde a um setor do oleoduto São Paulo &#8211; Brasília (OSBRA), com extensão de 18,5 km e largura de 2 km (área total de 83,99 km²) e utilizou-se uma base cartográfica digital na escala 1:10.000. Foram realizadas vistorias de campo para levantar pontos de observação de superfície e para coletar amostras de solo. Realizaram-se ensaios geotécnicos, químicos e mineralógicos com as amostras coletadas. A aplicação do método consistiu na geração de mapas de suscetibilidade intermediários, que combinados geraram o mapa de fragilidade ambiental. Foi importante a utilização do método AHP, pois ele reduz a subjetividade das ponderações qualitativas realizadas. Os resultados obtidos esclarecem a definição do conceito de fragilidade ambiental, além de mostrar a importância da seleção e ponderação dos atributos utilizados no método. O mapa final gerado também permitiu avaliar a sensibilidade do método e seu potencial de aplicação prática. / Currently there are different definitions to the concept of environmental fragility; it complicates its application and makes difficult to compare between different methods. This work addresses the main definitions to this concept and adopts the one considered the most proper. Based in the adopted definition it was proposed a method to evaluate the environmental fragility of a study area. This method applies weights to the different attributes (physical, biotic and socioeconomic) related to the environmental fragility analysis, which are assigned using the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP). The method also uses Geographic Information System (GIS) software to structure the database, to conduct the spatial analysis and to assign weights to the maps. The study area is a sector of the São Paulo &#8211; Brasília oil pipeline (OSBRA), covering 18.5 km length and 2 km wide (total area of 83,99 km²) and it was used a digital cartographic map at the scale of 1:10,000. Field trips were made to obtain surface observation points and to collect soil samples. Geological and geotechnical tests, mineralogical tests and chemistry analysis were conducted with the soil samples. The method application consists in generating intermediates susceptibility maps, that were combined to generate the environmental fragility map. It was important to use the AHP method, because it reduces the subjectivity of the qualitative weight assignment. The obtained results elucidate the environmental fragility concept and show the importance of the selection and weight assignment of the attributes used in the method. Moreover, the final map provided to evaluate the method sensitivity and its potential of practical application.

A intensa fragmentação florestal da Bacia do Rio Corumbataí, SP, resultante do processo desordenado de uso e ocupação do solo da região em que ela está inserida, motivou a definição de áreas prioritárias para sua conservação e preservação florestal, tendo em vista o incremento da biodiversidade regional. Empregou-se a abordagem multicriterial, em ambiente SIG, com o Método da Média Ponderada Ordenada, para combinação dos fatores (características da paisagem) importantes ao objetivo do projeto. A princípio os fatores selecionados foram: proximidade entre fragmentos de maior área nuclear; proximidade à cobertura florestal; proximidade à rede hidrográfica; distância à malha viária; distância aos centros urbanos; e vulnerabilidade à erosão. Para a obtenção desse fatores foram necessários os planos de informação: uso e cobertura do solo; fragmentos de floresta; área nuclear dos fragmentos de floresta; rede hidrográfica; centros urbanos; malha viária; declividade; e erodibilidade do solo. Para auxiliar na definição dos fatores, seus pesos de compensação (expressam a ordem de importância dos fatores no processo de decisão) e restrições (categorias restritivas das características) utilizou-se a Técnica Participatória e o Processo Hierárquico Analítico, no próprio SIG. Na determinação dos melhores pesos de ordenação (controlam a maneira como os fatores são agregados e o nível de compensação entre eles) foi considerado o risco assumido no processo de tomada de decisão. Foram, dessa maneira, avaliados mapas de áreas prioritárias com riscos médio, alto e baixo. Os mapas de prioridades foram reclassificados de maneira a apresentar cinco classes de prioridade: muito baixa, baixa, média, alta e muito alta. O mapa final de áreas prioritárias foi reclassificado em sete classes, que possibilitaram o melhor entendimento das alterações propostas para a estrutura da bacia. Na avaliação da importância e da influência dos fatores, para o processo de tomada de decisão, utilizou-se a análise de sensibilidade. Ela foi realizada somente para o mapa de prioridades referente ao grupo de pesos de ordenação mais adequado. Essa análise indicou que a melhor alternativa, para a priorização de áreas, foi o mapa sem o fator proximidade à rede hidrográfica, que apresentou risco médio-alto (R = 0,46) e compensação de 73% entre seus fatores. Os pesos de ordenação desse mapa de prioridades promoveram a definição de áreas prioritárias de acordo com o préestabelecido para esse processo de tomada de decisão. A grande maioria das áreas com maior prioridade coincidiram com regiões da bacia que concentram sua área de floresta nativa e, ainda, seus melhores fragmentos (maiores, mais próximos uns dos outros, com melhores formas e maiores áreas nucleares). Conclui-se que a abordagem multicriterial, com o método da Média Ponderada Ordenada, é eficiente para a definição de áreas prioritárias para a conservação e preservação florestal e o processo de tomada de decisão apresenta robustez, com pesos de compensação, ordenação e solução coerentes. / The forest fragmentation of the Corumbataí River Basin, SP (Brazil) is a consequence an unplanned process of soil occupation and use. The purpose of this study was to define priority areas for forest conservation and preservation in that river basin, aiming at improve the regional biodiversity. Multicriteria evaluation with Ordered Weighted Average was used to aggregate factors (characteristics of landscapes). Factors considered important were: proximity to forest patches; proximity to forest with larger core area; proximity to water; distance to roads; distance to urban areas; and vulnerability to erosion. In order to produce these factors it was necessary the layers: land use/land cover; forest patches; core area of forest patches; streams; urban areas; roads; slope; and erodibility. In the definition of the factors, the factors importance weights (define the importance of each factor in the process) and constraints, the Participatory Technique and the Hierarchical Analytic Process were used. In the determination of the factors order weights (controls the manner in which the weighted factors are aggregate) its was considered the risk-taking. Maps were produced with low, medium, and high risk. These maps were reclassified in order to show only five levels of priority (very low, low, medium, high, very high), and the final map in seven levels of priority. The sensitivity analysis was employed to identify the importance and the influence of factors (only to the selected priority map with adequate risk-taking). According to this analysis the best alternative was the priority map without proximity to water, that showed high risk (R = 0.40) and 78% of trade-off among the factors. The order weights of this final map promoted the definition of priority areas, according to the objective of this project. Finally, it is concluded that the multicriteria evaluation with Ordered Weighted Average is efficient to determine priority areas to forest conservation and preservation; and the process presents robustness.