This dissertation aims to investigate how architecture can improve water literacy and, thus, water conservation and security, by bringing the user closer to the building’s water processes and systems. The programmatic function of the building is an urban living room. Here, the dwellers of the adjacent social housing development – about 3000 people – will be provided amenities for mostly recreational purposes. Furthermore, the tens of thousands of people who travel into Pretoria CBD daily for various government services, will be provided with a place to pause, linger, and perhaps have something to eat. The architectural exploration aims to empower the user through the provision of basic water services and surrounding secondary services, whilst at the same time enhancing the everyday user’s relationship with, and reverence of, water. The two main water resources that will be focused on are rain roof water and storm water. In an urban context where storm water runoff is currently treated as a destructive force and the water is discarded as quickly as possible from the city, the project will endeavor to harness this resource and utilise it to enhance the architecture. Similarly, roof rainwater will also be collected and utilised. The project will invite water into the building in various ways that enhance the climatic conditions within the building. Unlike in the traditional manner of waterproofing and keeping the water out of the building, these enhancing processes will be made visible to the users of the building in order to increase their understanding. This dissertation endeavors to add to the large body of research into the global quest for water security, underpinning itself in the context of the Marabastad, Pretoria. / Mini Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Architecture / MArch (Prof) / Unrestricted

This study explored the relation between dispositional empathy and environmental concern by examining the mediating role of nature relatedness. Undergraduate students (n = 125) from the University of Victoria completed a series of questionnaires measuring dispositional empathy, three types of environmental concern, nature relatedness, proenvironmental behaviour and social desirability. Bootstrapping procedures were used to evaluate the meditational model. Perspective taking (a cognitive facet of empathy) appears to relate to biospheric environmental concern indirectly through nature relatedness. Empathic concern (an affective facet of empathy) predicted altruistic environmental concern, but this effect was not mediated by nature relatedness. Proenvironmental behaviour was only related to biospheric concern. These results suggest that the relation between empathy and environmental concern is multifaceted and that proenvironmental behaviour is not consistently an outcome. Possible explanations for this pattern of results are explored. Implications for theory and practice are discussed, and suggestions are made to guide future research. / Graduate

Research has shown that time spent in and exposure to natural environments has numerous benefits for children, both physical and mental. At the same time, children face many barriers to obtaining time in the outdoors and today's youth spend less time outside than previous generations. Initiatives such as health care provider prescriptions for outdoor activity aim to encourage exposure to nature as a health intervention for children. In order to enhance the potential for success of programs such as these, factors influencing their implementation need to be assessed. This study aims to explore the impact that provider connectedness to nature, as measured by a validated connectedness to nature scale, has on the likelihood of utilizing a nature prescription program. This study is of descriptive correlational design utilizing a convenience sample of providers who participated in a park prescription program in the state of Vermont. Participants completed a survey that included a Nature Relatedness (NR) scale. These scores and responses were then analyzed in relationship to the number of nature prescriptions written during the program. Data analysis includes descriptive statistics, Pearson's r and Spearman's r and Multivariate MANOVA. Results from this study do not indicate a relationship between provider NR and utilization of a nature prescription program. Data from this study indicates that programs utilized by providers to promote time in nature, such as the park prescription program, may enhance provider awareness of the issue and likelihood to address the issue with their patients. This is an important finding for further initiatives aimed at increasing children's time in nature through their primary care providers.

An outgroup can be defined as that which is perceived as different or dissimilar from oneself. The Interspecies Model of Prejudice (TIMP) predicts that negativity to human outgroups align with animal negativity. Human-centered and anti-egalitarian beliefs have shown to correlate with outgroup rejection. Experiencing a close relationship to nature has, on the other hand, been linked to outgroup acceptance. The aim of this study was to investigate the valuation of animal charismatic appeal overall, and as a function of outgroup acceptance - rejection. An online survey collected data on animal image ratings, attitude instruments, psychosocial and demographic factors from 231 high school senior students in the greater Stockholm area. Images of human-similar (anthropomorphic highcharismaticmammals) versus human-dissimilar (feral low-charismatic insects) animals were used to, respectively, predict the attitudes anthropocentrism, ethnocentrism and nature relatedness. Overall, mammals were rated significantly more positively than insects. The findings also suggest support for TIMP. It may be inferred that animal charismatic appeal is linked to individual differences in outgroup cognitions. Anthropocentrism and ethnocentrism associated negatively with general animal liking, and were predicted by insect negativity once significant covariates adjusted the models. Nature relatedness correlated positively with animal liking and was predicted by insect positivity. Our valuation of animal charisma may, thus, be linked to our appraisal of their more or less human-like qualities. Our valuations are proposed as underlied by identification mechanismsthat may guide our varying tendencies to divide the world into ‘us and them’. The findings could be informative of psychological factors involved in intergroup behaviors and environmental concerns.

In recent decades, the environmental literacy and its output dimension, responsible environmental behavior represents an important construct, which is studied by a number of researchers from many countries. In this dissertation, firstly we introduce environmental literacy from a theoretical point of view, then the development of approaches to this construct as well as a review of research in past decades. In our own research, we initially sought for a suitable research instrument to be used to identify and measure selected aspects of environmental literacy among pre-service primary teachers. The research tool was found in a combination of Nature relatedness scale and Environmental Behavior scale, supplemented by data collection using concept mapping with the central concept of the greenhouse effect. The variables that affect various aspects of environmental literacy were found on a sample of more than five hundred of the respondents using this tool and its modifications. Higher values were found within the respondents who were engaged in regular environmentally-themed activities, respondents from villages up to 100 inhabitants and the older respondents. The nature relatedness has moderately positive effect on the responsible environmental behavior, cognitive component of environmental literacy does not have such influence. The international comparison showed lower results from the respondents from Slovakia in comparison with students from the Czech Republic and Turkey. Nature relatedness scale proved to be useful for measuring a particular element of the affective component of environmental literacy across countries, by contrast, Environmental behavior scale reached low psychometric results on all foreign respondents.

Das derzeitige Lebensmittelsystem gilt als einer der Hauptverursacher zahlreicher globaler Probleme wie dem Klimawandel und dem Rückgang der Biodiversität. Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung (BNE), die eine nachhaltige Ernährung bei jungen Menschen fördert, kann wesentlich zur Überwindung dieser Probleme beitragen. Zudem stellt das Thema einer nachhaltige Ernährung einen in höchster Form geeigneten Beispielkontext für BNE dar, weil es so gut wie kaum ein anderes Thema die ökologische, soziale und ökonomische Dimension einer nachhaltigen Entwicklung in einem regional-globalen Bezugsrahmen vereint. Für die Entwicklung geeigneter Lehr-Lernarrangements sollten jedoch die Lernvoraussetzung bezüglich einer Bildung für nachhaltigen Ernährung berücksichtigt werden, welche sowohl die Präkonzepte zum Unterrichtsgegenstand als auch psychologische Faktoren umfassen, die nachhaltige Ernährungsabsichten und Ernährungsverhaltensweisen fördern. Aufgrund ihrer besonderen Bedeutung für die Ausführung umweltfreundlicher Verhaltensweisen, wie eine nachhaltige Ernährung, untersuchte die erste Studie die Mensch-Natur-Beziehung von 2173 deutschen (MAlter = 14,56 Jahre, SD = 1,45; weiblich: 55,1%) und 451 ecuadorianischen (MAlter = 14,63 Jahre, SD = 1,77; weiblich: 55,3%) Schüler*innen der Sekundarstufe. Im Speziellen wurde die Rolle ausgesuchter grundlegender menschlicher Werte, des Geschlechts und der in der Natur verbrachten Zeit für die Entwicklung von Naturverbundenheit und Umweltbetroffenheit in den zwei Kulturen beleuchtet. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die ecuadorianischen Schüler*innen naturverbundener als Schüler*innen in Deutschland waren. Darüber hinaus wurden kulturspezifische Unterschiede hinsichtlich der dimensionalen Struktur von Umweltbetroffenheit sowie der Rolle des Geschlechts für die Entwicklung von Naturverbundenheit und biospherisch motivierte Umweltbetroffenheit ermittelt. Die Wertedimension Selbst-Überwindung sowie die in der Natur verbrachte Zeit stellten in beiden Kulturen Determinanten für Naturverbundenheit und biospherisch motivierte Umweltbetroffenheit dar. Mit Blick auf die unterrichtliche Praxis sprechen die Befunde der Studie dafür, dass die Wertedimension Selbst-Überwindung und Zeit in der Natur gefördert werden sollten, um die Mensch-Natur-Beziehung bei Schüler*innen sowohl in Ecuador als auch in Deutschland zu stärken. Die zweite Studie verfolgte das Ziel, Faktoren zu identifizieren, die nachhaltige Ernährungsabsichten und -verhalten bei Jugendlichen vorhersagen. Zu diesem Zweck wurden in einer zweiten quantitativen Studie 624 deutsche Schüler*innen der Sekundarstufe (MAlter = 16,63 Jahre; SD = 1,15; weiblich: 48,2%) hinsichtlich ihrer Intention, sich nachhaltig zu ernähren, zu ihren Ernährungsgewohnheiten (vegetarisch/vegan oder omnivor) und zu mehreren Faktoren befragt, die in früheren Studien im Zusammenhang mit umweltfreundlichen Verhaltensweisen standen. Die Studie identifizierte die wahrgenommene Konsument*inneneffektivität, biospherisch motivierte Umweltbetroffenheit sowie Wissen über nachhaltige Ernährung als Determinanten für die Intention sich nachhaltige zu ernähren und für die Ausführung einer vegetarischen Ernährungsweise, welche ein partielles Beispiel einer nachhaltigen Ernährung darstellt. Während Naturverbundenheit lediglich für die Erklärung von der Intention sich nachhaltige zu ernähren relevant war, sagte die dispositionelle Empathie gegenüber Tieren nur Vegetarismus vorher. Damit gibt die Studie wichtige Hinweise darauf, welche Faktoren bei der Entwicklung didaktischer Konzepte zur Förderung nachhaltiger Ernährungsweisen berücksichtigt werden sollten. Mittels semistrukturierten Einzelinterviews wurden in der dritten Studie die Vorstellungen von 46 deutsche Schüler*innen Sekundarstufe (MAlter = 15,59, SD = 0,78; weiblich = 47,8%;) bezüglich einer nachhaltigen Ernährung erhoben. Dabei wurde ermittelt, wie präsent die Dimensionen einer nachhaltigen Ernährung (Gesundheit, Umwelt, Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft und Kultur) in den Vorstellungen der Schüler*innen sind. Die Ergebnisse zeigten, dass die Schüler*innenvorstellungen bezüglich einer nachhaltigen Ernährung von der gesundheitlichen Dimension dominiert wurden. Je mehr Dimensionen die Schüler*innen jedoch in Ihren Vorstellungen berücksichtigten, desto weniger wurde die gesundheitliche Dimension fokussiert und desto stärker war die Dimension Umwelt in den Vorstellungen vertreten. Die Dimensionen Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und besonders Kultur fanden insgesamt wenig Berücksichtigung in den Vorstellungen der Schüler*innen. Darüber hinaus verfügten einige Schüler*innen über alternative Vorstellungen bezüglich des Ausdrucks einer nachhaltigen Ernährung und konnten keine Beziehung zwischen einer nachhaltigen Ernährung und den Dimensionen Umwelt, Gesellschaft, Wirtschaft und Kultur herstellen, was auf eine vorherrschend egozentrische Sichtwiese auf Ernährung hindeutet, die die Grenzen des eigenen Körpers nicht überschritt. Da die Vorstellungen von Schüler*innen bezüglich einer nachhaltigen Ernährung, aber auch psychologische Faktoren, welche eine nachhaltige Ernährung begünstigen, wichtige Lernvoraussetzungen für eine Bildung für nachhaltige Ernährung darstellen, bilden die Ergebnisse die Grundlage für die erfolgreiche Entwicklung von Lehr-Lernarrangements zu dieser Thematik. Vorschläge zur Integration der Ergebnisse in die unterrichtliche Praxis werden gegeben.

<p>Human society is presently beset by an array of anthropogenic social-ecological crises that threaten the sustainability of the social-ecological systems that sustain our livelihoods. While research alone will not rectify these issues, it can help to answer key questions that must be addressed to develop effective solutions. To address such questions in a cohesive, compelling manner, social-ecological research can be bounded, structured, and distilled through innumerable organizing principles or theoretical frameworks. For this dissertation, I focused on the geographic region of Tierra del Fuego and sought to draw from the array of disciplines and methods that use sound as a lens for biological, ecological, and/or social inquiry. I also endeavored to consider various temporal, spatial, and organizational scales while investigating a selection of topics with a) specific importance in the social-ecological systems of Tierra del Fuego and b) general relevance to global social-ecological challenges. Chapter 1 provides an introduction to the dissertation, and Chapter 6 serves as a conclusion.</p><p><br></p><p> </p><p>The objective of Chapter 2, “Biogeographical and analytical implications of temporal variability in geographically diverse soundscapes”, was to provide some guidance to passive acoustic monitoring (PAM) practitioners on how to design appropriate temporal sampling schemes based on the temporal variability of the sounds one wishes to measure and the power and storage limitations of acoustic recorders. We first quantified the temporal variability of several soundscape measurements and compared that variability across sites and times of day. We also simulated a wide range of temporal sampling schemes in order to model their representativeness relative to continuous sampling.</p><p><br></p><p> </p><p>For Chapter 3, “Sentinels for sentinels: passive acoustic and camera trap monitoring of sensitive penguin populations”, we tested the utility of PAM to monitor behavior and abundance of Magellanic (<i>Spheniscus magellanicus</i>) and southern rockhopper penguins (<i>Eudyptes chrysocome</i>) at different spatial and temporal scales. We conducted <i>in situ</i> observations of the acoustic behavior of each species, and we compared acoustic metrics with penguin counts from narrowly focused camera traps and larger-extent observations of colony density. </p><p><br></p><p> </p><p>Chapter 4, “Acoustic monitoring shows invasive beavers (<i>Castor canadensis</i>) increase avian diversity in Tierra del Fuego”, is focused on impacts of the invasive North American beaver (<i>Castor canadensis</i>) on Fuegian bird communities. We sought to determine how bird communities might differ between intact riparian forests, beaver ponds, and beaver meadows created by pond drainage. We conducted PAM and classic avian point counts under each of these conditions across seasons to test for differences between impact conditions and to compare the two methodologies.</p><p><br></p><p> </p>For Chapter 5, “Human-nature connection and soundscape perception: insights from Tierra del Fuego, Argentina”, we evaluated the relationship between soundscape perception and nature relatedness by conducting surveys and soliciting responses to soundscape audio prompts. We also examined the potential for any demographic influences on nature relatedness or soundscape perception in the context of local social tensions.