The leopard, Panthera pardus, is particularly threatened outside conservation areas in South Africa. This has been attributed to a reduction in natural habitat, decreasing natural prey populations, and commercial exploitation such as trophy hunting, and most importantly, persecution by stock farmers (Woodroffe 2001). The leopard population in the Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve (BMR) has undergone a substantial decrease in range and numbers in the past 200 years, resulting in a highly fragmented population in the Baviaanskloof Mega-Reserve, and is regarded as being insecure. There is thus a need to investigate the nature and extent of leopard-stock farmer interactions to provide the foundation for an effective leopard conservation plan. Here I investigated the ecological and socio-economic factors influencing leopard-stock farmer conflict via landowner surveys and estimated potential leopard numbers using a prey-based density model. Leopards are not necessarily the most important causes of livestock mortality in the BMR. On average, leopards killed significantly less livestock (0.7 percent livestock per year) than black-backed jackals (4.7 percent per year) and caracal (2.5 percent per year), yet 67 percent of farmers had negative attitudes towards leopards. These negative attitudes were not significantly related to stock losses. However, most of the farmers that had negative attitudes towards leopards did not have any stock losses attributed to leopards. Thus if predator-stock conflict is not reduced it will result in the retaliatory killing of leopards. This will have severe consequences for this relatively small population (estimated at 59 – 104 individuals by the prey-based model), which may ultimately lead to the local extinction of these leopards (Woodroffe & Ginsberg 1998).

D.Litt. et Phil. / The aim of this investigation is to provide support to the growing evidence that people's paradigms directly influence the way differences are managed. Adherence to the old or Newtonian model has seemingly led to a restricted ability to deal with differences. Adherence to the new or quantum model, on the other hand, appears to facilitate not only the understanding of why there are so many differences and why they should be "celebrated" (topic of the American Counselling Association's 1995 Conference, Denver), but also encourages people to freely and nonjudgementally acknowledge, explore and integrate these differences. As a first step toward achieving this aim, a review of the literature regarding the existence of differences, the perceived causes of differences, and the perceived ways of managing differences in interpersonal relationship up to the present time will be provided. Secondly, the importance of paradigms in general, and of the natural scientific paradigms in particular, will be illustrated. Concepts of Newtonian and quantum physics that are considered relevant to the investigation will be described under this heading. Thirdly, the rationale of the exploratory, or qualitative study will be outlined. Fourthly, a chapter linking the natural scientific paradigms . to the discipline of psychology will be presented. Psychological analogies of Newtonian and quantum concepts will be put forward as well as examples of Newtonian and quantum psychology. Finally, implications of the described and discussed findings of Newtonian and quantum physics on the management of psychological differences will be explored, so that the 'celebration' and integration of differences can, indeed, be promoted.

In the Midst of Spoils is a setting, for SATB choir and small instrumental ensemble, of the poem "Blight," by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson's poem contrasts modern man's exploitative attitude toward nature with the more reverent attitude assumed by ancient or primitive cultures. This setting is in a single movement, approximately twenty minutes in duration, consisting of fifteen distinct sections.

Viele Wissenschaftler_innen glauben daran, dass eines Tages möglich sein wird, was bisher nur die Filmindustrie illustriert hat: Die Entwicklung von künstlichen Menschenwesen, die dem biologischen Homo Sapiens weit überlegen sind. Doch obwohl intelligente Roboter gegenwärtig nur auf der Leinwand realisiert werden können - die ethischen Fragen, die sich aus ihrer Existenz ergeben, sind durchaus real und relevant: Hat ein intelligentes Computerprogramm ein Recht auf Freiheit und Selbstbestimmung? Ein Film, der diese ethischen Fragen aufwirft und zudem eine hohe filmästhetische Qualität aufweist ist „Ex_Machina“ von Alexander Garland. In der folgenden Arbeit wird der Film medienpädagogisch analysiert und herausgestellt, inwiefern er für Jugendliche geeignet ist und ebenjene wichtigen ethischen Fragen thematisiert, welche für die heranwachsende Generation in ihrer immer technologischer werdenden Umwelt von großer Bedeutung sind.

On the Columbia Plateau, the origin of the Winter Village Pattern has long been a focus of research. Intensification of resources such as salmon, roots, and local aquatic resources is often cited as the cause of declining mobility. To address this question in the middle Snake River region, I have re-analyzed fish remains from the Hetrick site (10WN469; Weiser, ID), with occupations spanning the Holocene. Expectations from foraging theory and paleoclimate data are used to address whether salmon and other fish use changed over time and if such changes are correlated with the development of the Winter Village Pattern. The results of my research indicate that there is no correlation between the timing of increased salmonid use at the Hetrick site and paleoclimatic change or the earliest evidence for the Winter Village Pattern. Further, these results are very similar to patterns of fish use seen at other sites on the Snake River, particularly those from the Early and Middle Holocene.

As communities and managers become aware of the long-term impacts of mangrove loss, estimated at 1-2% per year, interest in sediment erosion and mangrove rehabilitation has increased substantially. In this thesis project I 1) examine erosion rates within coastal fringing Rhizophora mangle ecosystems following mangrove clearing and compare these rates to accretion rates in intact mangroves; and 2) investigate the abiotic factors influencing mangrove seedling survival and regeneration of naturally colonizing R. mangle, in historic mangrove habitat after anthropogenic clearing. Differences in erosion were compared between patches of open-coast intact and anthropogenically cleared R. mangle to quantify the sediment trapping function provided by mangroves and its loss following clearing over a 24 month period. Growth rates of mangrove seedlings in intact forest were compared to seedlings in cleared areas. Seedling growth indicators were measured on 100 seedlings at five sites (50 in the intact and 50 in the cleared areas). To examine the limiting factors on seedling growth rates, nutrient addition and wave protection treatments were applied to seedlings in three disturbed areas. Sites within intact mangroves had sediment accretion (M= +3.83 mm) while areas cleared of mangroves had sediment erosion (M= -7.30 mm). Seedling growth (height) over the 2 year study period significantly differed between intact mangrove (M = 15.6 cm) and cleared (M = 10.24 cm) areas. Seedling mortality from the cleared areas (31%) differed from the intact areas (13%). Average seedling growth (height) was: greater with both nutrient/wave (M = 18.4 cm) and nutrient (M = 17.65 cm) treatments compared to controls (M = 10.8 cm), which suggests that providing nutrients and/or wave protection result in growth outputs comparable to seedlings found in intact mangroves. This study may prove to be useful in identifying areas that are most vulnerable to erosion following mangrove removal and ideal location of restoration following mangrove removal. Areas cleared of mangroves can lead to intensified erosion in areas where fringing reefs are not continuous. When managers are determining areas to focus resources for restoration, focusing on areas with nutrient rich habitat may result in higher survival rates and growth outputs.

The risk of spread and establishment of invasive species to interior habitat within urban parks is of great concern to park managers and ecologists. Informal trails as a vector for this transmission are not well understood. To characterize effects of informal trails on understory plant communities, I conducted a study of the informal trail network in Forest Park, Portland, Oregon. The system of 382 informal trails was mapped and evaluated qualitatively, and from this population a systematic sample was selected for analysis. To identify hotspots of informal trail activity, showing the relationship of informal trails to formal trails, other park features, and trail use level, I evaluated all mapped trails using line density spatial analysis tools. To characterize understory communities, thirty transects were placed along informal trails, with paired transects along nearby formal trails for comparison. I measured percent cover by species for non-graminoid understory plants, and percent total plant cover at different structural layers, for quadrats at regular intervals from the trail edge. I calculated richness and Shannon-Weaver diversity for non-graminoid understory plants. For community analysis, species were grouped by dispersal strategy, native status, and growth form. Observations from system mapping suggest that "hidden" behaviors drive many informal trails: bathroom stops, party spots, waste dumping, and camps make up 28% of all informal trails. Trails to private property are few but represent over 29% of total trail length. Informal trail density is highest along Balch Creek. Hotspots of informal trail presence are associated with trailheads, trail intersections, and water access. Quadrats located within one meter of informal trails showed higher richness and diversity due to increased number of introduced and ruderal species. Formal trails exhibit these same patterns to a stronger degree and over a greater distance (two meters) from the trail edge. Distance from trail edge explained variation in plant communities when grouped by dispersal type, but not by growth form. This study shows that although informal trails are widely distributed throughout the park, they are concentrated in high use areas. The presence of informal trails leads to significant changes in Forest Park plant communities that favor invasive and ruderal species, but these effects appear limited to two meters from the trail edge.

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to explore the use of virtual distant Reiki as a healing modality to influence the human environmental field patterning. Specific Aims: (1) To determine if it is feasible to recruit and retain participants (through expressions of human choice) to participate in a study comprised of two distant Reiki administrations on a virtual platform. (2) To investigate the preliminary influence of a distant Reiki intervention on pattern of the whole as manifested by participant response in stress and anxiety. (3) To explore the participant’s reflections on their virtual distant Reiki experience within the human environmental field pattern of their home environment as a healing space. Theoretical Framework: The theoretical framework is grounded in Martha Rogers’ Science of Unitary Human Beings. Design: This study incorporates a feasibility, mixed method design. Data was collected through pre and post intervention individualized interviews and two tools (State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and Impact of Events Scale-Revised (IES-R)). Results: Described changed in pattern manifestation supported the need for home-based interventions during covid 19 pandemic. Quantitative response indicated a statistically significant reduction in perceived stress and anxiety (p< 0.001). Conclusion: The preliminary study findings support the feasibility of a distant Reiki and suggest that nurses, who are Reiki practitioners, may be influential in interacting with the human environmental field to promote change and foster healing.

Human activities since the beginning of the industrial revolution have led to vast amounts of CO₂ being emitted into the atmosphere (May 2023, 424 ppm; NOAA), which is principally responsible for anthropogenic climate change; the effects of which are expected to be globally devastating. In order to combat the unbalanced carbon cycle and reduce the effects of climate change, it is widely accepted that the adoption and use of carbon capture utilization and storage (CCUS) technologies will be necessary to limit warming to 2.0 degrees C (IPCC 2022). Among the industrial sectors to decarbonize, the built environment will be notably challenging, principally due to the challenges associated with reducing the carbon impact of structural materials, such as cement and steel. These construction industries currently account for roughly 8% of global emissions, with projections that this number will increase with a growing global population and more rapid urbanization, especially in developing areas. The abysmal state of U.S. infrastructure decay (ASCE 2021 Grade: C-minus) is also concerning as the replacement of concrete, cement, steel, and asphalt will require and release numerous amounts of carbon; however, this also presents a unique opportunity to deploy CCUS technologies to capture and utilize carbon in the creation of next-generation built-environment materials. These materials include fillers, pozzolans, supplementary cementitious materials (SCMs), and geopolymers such as carbonates, amorphous silica/silicates, bio-chars, and structural allotropes of carbon, like crystalline carbon nanotubes (CNTs) or graphene. The production of these carbon neutral or even carbon-negative materials can be achieved through advanced ex-situ carbon mineralization reaction pathways and novel biomass-to-carbonate conversion technologies, such as alkaline thermal treatment (ATT). In the former, alkaline waste, such as landfilled concrete rich in Ca, can be processed to produce calcium carbonates. This captures atmospheric CO2 and also creates new filler materials which can be incorporated into construction materials. The latter reaction pathway, ATT, takes waste biomass and alkaline wastes as feedstocks and directly converts them into H2 gas and carbonates in a single reaction pathway conducted at moderate conditions (1 atm, 300 degrees C). Although advantageous, both of these synthesis pathways contain unique challenges related to kinetic barriers, conversion issues, mass transfer limitations, and the degree of carbon capture and utilization which can be achieved. Thus, the objective of this study is directed towards overcoming these limitations and coupling these two relatively understudied and novel reaction pathways as a tandem method for carbon sequestration and the creation of new building materials and clean energy. First, the hydrometallurgical processing of waste concrete in a two-step aqueous dissolution and carbonation reactor system is explored. This system is developed and designed to process hydrated waste cement paste, which has extremely high Ca and Si contents. The kinetics of the dissolution process are detailed and the properties of the unreacted residue is examined, revealing a high surface area, amorphous Si-rich material which was shown to be an excellent clinker replacement in new cement mixtures. The dissolution kinetics were fit to a diffusion controlled reactive model, and methods to further increase the elemental extraction of Ca, Al, Fe, and Si, such as internal abrasive media, was also studied. The Ca-rich mother liquor was then carbonated at various conditions using CO₂ gas and the properties, uses, and potential CO₂ capture metrics of these Si-rich residues and calcium carbonates was detailed. In an effort to explore alternative carbon mineralization processes, the use of novel leaching agents, such as regenerable ammoniacal salts was also studied. Typical dissolution and carbonation processes require copious amounts of commodity chemicals, such as acid and base; however, cycling of ammonia/ammonium, similar to the chemistries of the Solvay process, is a promising alternative. The use of ammonium chloride and ammonium bisulfate was studied in the context of material extraction from waste cement paste and subsequent carbonate formation. The process was assessed from a carbon circularity standpoint, revealing significant cost and emissions reductions when compared to conventional carbon mineralization for the treatment of alkaline waste. Additionally, the profiling of carboxylic acid ligands, such as formate, glutamate, acetate, and citrate, to further enhance kinetics during leaching were studied. These agents were found to significantly enhance both of these parameters, resulting in almost 100% of Ca material extraction in a single pass with a sodium citrate ligand. Producing the metastable forms of anhydrous calcium carbonate, such as vaterite and aragonite, was heavily examined in the context of new built-environment building blocks as alternatives to conventional limestone. The production and use of these polymorphs has not been well studied or documented; yet, both vaterite and aragonite are expected to have niche market uses in a carbon-constrained world. The favorable conditions to synthesize vaterite was explored, revealing that a high carbonate to calcium molar ratio is necessary to stabilize this polymorph at ambient reaction conditions. Surface active salt species, such as NH₄+ and sulfate, also had a profound effect on vaterite morphology and stability. Aragonite was successfully stabilized at high carbonation reaction temperatures (~70 degrees C); however, the use of alternative crystallization systems, such as a semi-continuous system vs. traditional batch process was able to produce higher purity aragonite at lower temperatures (40-50 degrees C). The use of crystal seeding also showed remarkable templating abilities and allowed for aragonite production at room temperature (25 degrees C). Both polymorphs were shown to be exceptional fillers for cement through isothermal calorimetry, with aragonite also showing high yield stress development via rheometric testing adding to its potential use in advanced 3-D printed cements, plastics, and papers. The alkaline thermal treatment of waste biomass derived from coastal marine sources was studied to convert biomass into carbonate materials in a carbon-negative manner, while producing H₂ as a valuable product. Various reaction conditions were profiled, including temperature, steam load, hydroxide utilized, and biomass source. A strong correlation was found between carbon conversion/H₂ yield and the basicity of the hydroxide salt, which matched well with thermodynamic calculations performed. These findings were utilized to inform more advanced and refined ATT reaction pathways, coupled with the use of novel regeneration schemes. One potential reactant regeneration pathway is through the use of molten salt electrolysis, in which carbonates are electrosplit into solid carbon (e.g., CNTs) and O₂. Eutectic regenerable alkaline hydroxide mixtures of Li, Na, and K were studied in their ability to convert biomass into electrochemically active carbonate salts mixtures. Interestingly, the content of LiOH in the salt greatly poisoned the biomass conversion potential; however, lithium is the most electroactive carbonate salt for downstream electrolysis. Finally, the electrolytic processing of these biomass-derived carbonate salts was shown to yield high amounts of CNTs, a valuable allotrope of carbon and significant strength enhancer of cementitious materials. Lastly, a brief discussion of the combination of these two reactive pathways in the context of producing low-carbon or even carbon-negative next-generation built environment building materials is performed with respect to a circular material economy and scalability. From the results of these studies, recommendations are made for future research advancements to continue to accelerate CCUS activities and reaction pathways in the realm of the most difficult-to-decarbonize industries, such as the built environment.

Text in English / Ruti dam is located on the Nyazvidzi river, and is home to many Nile crocodiles (Crocodylus niloticus), which rely on fish and livestock for food. The community also relies on the dam and riverine for its resources. The investigation of crocodile impacts on humans and livestock, the trends and seasonality of attacks and identification of other predators resulted in formulation of research. The field interviews, using a structured questionnaire, field observation and focused group discussions were mainly used in data collection. Threats posed by crocodiles were identified as mainly human and livestock depredation, which has increased since the introduction of the crocodiles into the dam. The crocodile depredation varies between seasons, due to differences in water levels in the dam, and availability of alternative water sources. The attacks were mostly during the dry season and at the beginning of the wet season, when there were fewer water sources and when the water was dark and murky. The study assessed the human-crocodile conflict situation, based on interviews with the local residents and focused group discussions with fishermen. The conflict arose with livestock farmers after animal kills and fishermen, in cases of death, injury or damage to fishing gear. The killing of either humans or livestock was during the early hours of the day. Hostile attitudes of the residents towards crocodiles were high (83.9%). The majority, given the chance to eliminate the crocodile, would do so mercilessly. These negative attitudes can only be ameliorated when the damage is adequately compensated. The absence of compensation has increased the conflict, though no retaliation is taken against the crocodiles. The crocodiles prefer cattle in their kills (41% and 48%), followed by goats (38% and 25%), and, lastly, humans, in Buhera Rural District Council (BRDC) and Gutu Rural District Council (GRDC), respectively. Livestock farmers who stay close to the dam and Nyazvidzi suffer more losses, as their animals are more oftenly exposed to the dangers of crocodile predation, than those of farmers who stay far away, as they can use alternative water sources, and their animals are less likely to be exposed to the dangers of the crocodiles. The settlement pattern in BRDC has had an influence on predation. The farmers have also developed new livestock management techniques to reduce the loss of livestock. The fishermen suffer net damage on most occasions of their fish catches, as the crocodile might have learnt to follow the plastic floats on the water for easier prey from the nets. The fishing strategies have been developed to reduce fish loss. The death of fishermen is mostly that of people who enter the dam without canoes; no deaths were recorded of fishermen in canoes. Also, no capsizing of canoes has been recorded in Ruti dam, as fishermen always move in groups. Attacks in the Nyazvidzi River were on women and schoolchildren. Hyenas, as with the crocodile, have contributed to high kills of livestock (71.1%) and human kills were also reported in 2012 and July 2013. Though conflicts exist in the area, recommendations were made which might help to lower the conflicts. Educational campaigns and direct incentives from predator losses were identified as the main factors in conflict resolutions. The information on the importance of the predators and how or when it kills should be taught to respondents as they will be able to protect their livelihood. / Environmental Sciences / M. Sc. (Environmental Management)