Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 1982. / Includes bibliographical references. / Microfiche. / xviii, 344 leaves, bound ill. 29 cm

Thesis (doctoral)--Wageningen Universiteit, 2004. / "Propositions" inserted. Includes bibliographical references.

Weenen Nature Reserve (WNR) has a long history of unwise land use that resulted in severe overgrazing and soil degradation. Since 1948 several soil conservation and reclamation programs have been undertaken to halt the degradation process and regain the agricultural potential of the area. This study evaluates the current agricultural potential of the reserve under rainfed cultivation primarily based on climatic, soil, topographic and crop requirement data collected from different sources. Spatial information on each of the land resources parameters was digitally encoded in a GIS database to create thematic layers of the land resources. Crop requirement information on seven different crops that were selected as representative crops under rainfed agriculture in the area namely, maize, Sorg):mm, cotton, dry bean, soya bean, potato and cabbage was compared with the land resources parameters. The thematic layers of the land resources were then overlyed using a GIS to select areas that satisfy the crop requirements. The results showed that WNR has two major limitations in relation to its use for rainfed agriculture, namely its shallow and rocky soils and its arid climate. Consequently, the resulting land suitability maps indicate that WNR has very low suitability for all of the crops considered. Dry beans are relatively well adapted to the area followed by sorghum. Maize and soya beans are preferred over cotton. Potatoes'and cabbages are least adapted to the area because of the high temperatures during thCl/growing season. It was concluded that generally the reserve is not suitable for rainfed agriculture. However, there is a small area of land in the northern part of the reserve that can be cultivated. The rugged area in the central part of the reserve can be used for grazing with careful managemeIit. The eastern and southern parts can only be used as habitats for wildlife owing to their steep topography and inaccessibility, whereas the highly degraded areas in the western parts of the reserve should be kept under soil conservation and reclamation. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, .Johannesburg, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. / An Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) has been developed for rangeland condition assessment in arid northwestern Namibia. The usefulness of termites as bio-indlcators has been tested and reliable sampling protocol for termite diversity in an arid ervlronrnent has been developed. The study was conducted mainly at a high- and low-intensity site on each of three farms. Two of the farms were communally owned; the other was commercially owned. (Abbreviation abstract) / Andrew Chakane 2019

No description available.

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Geography. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-65).

Thesis (M.S.)--Brigham Young University. Dept. of Geography. / Electronic thesis. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 63-65). Also available in print ed.

Thesis (MSc)--University of Stellenbosch 2006. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

This thesis is a landscape ethnography examining conflicting epistemologies and land use values in the Athabasca region of subarctic Canada. Based on 18 months of fieldwork in Fort McMurray, Alberta with the Fort McMurray Métis community and peatland scientists, I analyse oil sands reclamation as a site of encounter between Indigenous and settler peoples. I show how reclamation, a process of reconstructing ecological integrity of a post-extractive landscape for future use, is a historically contingent activity that centres on settler colonial ideologies of productivity. I argue that this ideology spurred a process that I call 'making productive land' which seeks to 'improve' upon or transform the Athabasca region from Indigenous homeland into settler territory or 'useful' land. Weaving archival documents with experiential material from ethnographic fieldwork, I analyse the Athabasca region as a multilocal and multivocal place to demonstrate that Indigenous communities such as the McMurray Métis hold their own definitions of land use that exist alongside, beyond, against, and entangled with settler notions of productivity. I conclude that, for Métis community members, reclaimed areas in fact represent a diminished experience of place or an unproductive landscape. For reclamation to be successful for Métis community members, I contend that reclamation policy and practice must expand beyond purely scientific and resource-based utility narratives to involve a relational element of healing and Métis notions of use that transcend settler colonial ideals of 'productive' land.

No description available.