No description available.

In certain rural areas of Manitoba, the character of the rural residential population has changed. People have built or bought houses around land that had been previously used exclusively for agriculture. These rural residents have invested in their property and are very sensitive to any activity that may interfere with their “rural lifestyle” or affect the value of their property. In the past, livestock production, in particular hog production was generally one component of mixed farming operation. Livestock production in Manitoba has undergone significant changes in recent years, both in size of operation and production method. It has now become a specialized industry where operations have become much larger and more capital intensive than farms of thirty years ago. These factors have resulted in situations where land use conflicts have and continue to occur. Typically, regulatory zoning, in conjunction with manual review of land cover overlay and topographic maps have been used to select sites for livestock operations. This approach can be time consuming and expensive. An alternative approach is the development of a geographic information system (GIS) to define optimal locations for livestock operations and non-farm rural residents. The use of such a model has the capability to reduce the number of rural land use conflicts. This study starts by documenting the significant changes in recent years of rural residential development and the size as well as the production method of hog operations in Manitoba. It then draws on a series of interviews to gain insight into the complex land use conflicts within the study area and to inform the creation of a geographic information system (GIS) model. This practicum explores “smart” land use analysis using a combination of GIS and Land Use Conflict Identification Strategy (LUCIS) modeling to represent the spatial consequences of land use decisions. This research has resulted in the development of a GIS model to be used as a decision support tool in developing policy surrounding future development and land use; including appropriate locations of any new or expanding livestock operations and rural non-farm residents within the Rural Municipality (RM) of St. Andrews, MB.

No description available.

No description available.

Land use and land use change strongly influence the carbon (C) dynamics within ecosystems. This study quantified four aspects of land use and land use change effects: 1) ecosystem C stocks and distribution; 2) soil respiration; 3) soil C mineralization; and 4) net ecosystem productivity. Land use systems studied include agriculture (AG), 2-yr- and 9-yr-old hybrid poplar plantations (2HP and 9HP, respectively), grassland (GRA), and native forest stand (NAT). Ecosystem C stock in NAT (223 Mg C ha-1) was similar to 9HP (174 Mg C ha-1) and both were significantly greater than AG (122 Mg C ha-1), GRA (121 Mg C ha-1), and 2HP (110 Mg C ha-1). Cumulative soil C loss via soil respiration averaged over two growing seasons was in the order of: NAT (7.810.40 Mg C ha-1) > 9HP (5.510.31 Mg C ha-1) > GRA (5.230.30 Mg C ha-1) > AG (5.020.24 Mg C ha 1) > 2HP (4.280.20 Mg C ha-1). Depending on land use, seasonal heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration had respective contributions to soil respiration of up to 35 and 83%. Soil C mineralization of bulk soil across the land uses ranged between 2 to 5% of initial total organic C (Ci), with mineralization rates ranging from 0.06 to 0.12 g C mg-1 Ci d-1 and mean residence times ranging from 30 to 51 yrs. Across particle size fractions, soil C mineralization was in the order of: AG > HPs > GRA > NAT of which the coarse fractions, representing labile C, were the main source of mineralized C (79%). Mineralization increased when NAT was converted to AG; and decreased when AG was converted to HP or GRA. Net ecosystem productivity across land uses, expressed in terms of C, ranged between 2 (AG) and 11 Mg C ha-1 yr-1 (older HP). Conversion from AG to GRA increased net ecosystem productivity three-fold. When AG was converted to HP, the plantation was a C source in the first four years and became a C sink by year five. Results obtained from this study are relevant to modeling efforts designed at determining the impact of future climate change on a variety of land uses. / Soil Science

Thesis (M.S.)--Virginia Polytechnic Institute, 1968. / Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (M.L. Arch. - Landscape Architecture)--University of Arizona, 1982. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 62-68).

Thesis (M. S. - Renewable Natural Resources)--University of Arizona, 1996. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 108-114).

Thesis (M.A.) in History--University of Maine, 2007. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 118-120).

Thesis (M. Env. St.)--University of Adelaide, 1987. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves [261]-266).