Thesis (M.Phil.) - University of Queensland, 2005. / Includes bibliography.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 161-173).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1984. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 222-225).

Thesis (M.Arch.)(Prof)--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS), or Invasive Alien Species, are organisms introduced by humans outside their natural range that have “negative impacts on biodiversity, socio-economy or human health”. Growing awareness of the ecological and socio-economic impacts of INNS has led to a mushrooming of control attempts across the UK. The costs of such environmental management has grown far in excess of the availability of funds to afford control by professionals and led to widespread involvement of volunteers in INNS management and monitoring. This thesis aimed to identify challenges in collaborations between lay people and experts in ecological restoration and to critically examine some of the claims made about the benefits of citizen participation on the sustainability and democratisation of environmental management and on citizen empowerment. Qualitative research methodology was employed to explore in depth motivations, experiences, intentions and views of volunteers and of the organisations that attempt to enrol them in practical conservation work and monitoring activities. We found that caring for nature, the experience of nature and the activities, and social interactions were the three main drivers of volunteering. Importantly, over time, motivations were shaped by the interplay between individual expectations and experiences with the social and ecological context and changed from identifiable personal goals and functions to more complex attachments to the place and the group. Our research also revealed that while some of these key motivations may be recognised by project managers, their description of costeffectiveness, local ownership and empowerment as complementary volunteering goals were often not aligned in practice. Moreover, decision-making may remain largely expert-based, with volunteers not perceiving their knowledge to be valid or a useful contribution to decision-making. Enhancing the sustainability and democratic nature of INNS management requires reflexive practice of citizen engagement that explicitly considers different interests and views but also invites citizens to reflect on their role in the co-production of conservation practice and knowledge.

This project assesses the impact of traditional Bedouin agricultural gardens on biodiversity within the St Katherine Protectorate, South Sinai, Egypt. The Bedouin harvest rainwater from intermittent flash floods, allowing them to cultivate a wide range of trees and crops throughout the year. Rainwater harvesting techniques such as these can improve crop yields and enhance food security in arid regions, but this is one of the first studies to address the impact upon dependent wildlife. The results showed that the irrigated gardens support a more diverse plant community than the surrounding unmanaged habitat, providing an abundance of floral resources which in-turn enhance pollinator abundance and species richness. The inclusion of a diversity of culturally important minority crops had a dramatic effect upon the structure of plant-pollinator visitation networks, with cultivated plants supplementing the resources provided by wild flowers. The presence of simultaneously flowering crops also had a positive effect upon pollination services to the primary crop (almond), by attracting higher densities of wild pollinators into the gardens and facilitating enhanced fruit set. The higher abundance of resources within the gardens also had a positive impact upon birds in the region, with gardens supporting higher densities and species richness than the unmanaged habitat. Gardens were particularly important for migratory species, providing an important stop-over for numerous small passerines. In conclusion this study provides evidence that irrigated agriculture in arid environments has the potential to increase biodiversity above that found in the un-managed environment. The implications on a local scale are that traditional Bedouin practices can have a positive influence on wildlife within the Protectorate, thus initiatives to fund and support gardeners should be encouraged. On a wider scale the results suggest that rainwater harvesting may provide a sustainable mechanism for increasing food security in arid regions, offering a low-cost strategy for increasing agricultural productivity that does not undermine the biodiversity on which it depends.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 82-88).

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2000. / Includes special study report entitled: Ecology of Mai Po. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Oregon, 2003. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 453-468). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to University of Oregon users.

This report presents the fmdings of an exploratory study into the perceived benefits and subjective experiences of Local Bird Guides along the Zululand Birding Route, an avitourism project, sponsored by Rio-Tinto, managed by BirdLife South Africa (BLSA), one of the largest conservation Non-Governmental Organisations in South Africa. The report explores the impact development and empowerment, through training, offered by BLSA as part of a conservation initiative, has had on the every day lives of Local Bird Guides. The fmdings are based on research generated by conducting qualitative, semistructured interviews with eight Local Bird Guides operating along the Zululand Birding Route. Recorded interviews were transcribed, and analysed using theory led thematic analysis. The results of the study provide insight into the perceived benefits and expectations of participants, their experiences, perceptions, expectations and disappointments in respect of the project. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007.