The foundation STUNS is investigating a possible move of the Origo office with tenants to a new office space. The Origo office today has a low utilization rate which makes it interesting to investigate the possibility of having an office space based on the ratio of occupancy. The purpose of this study is to calculate a ratio of occupancy with the corresponding risk of overcrowding and estimate the energy reduction. When adapting the new office space to the optimal ratio of occupancy, three office design proposals will be created. With the chosen optimal ratio of occupancy at 68 percent, the risk of overcrowding spanned between 0.3 to 0.6 percent. All proposals based on the optimal ratio of occupancy lead to electricity and cost reductions. An open office design leads to an electricity reduction of 686 kWh and a cost reduction of 168 kSEK per month. An activity based workplace leads to an electricity reduction of 540 kWh and a cost reduction of 132 kSEK per month. An individual office design leads to an electricity reduction of 452 kWh and a cost reduction of 111 kSEK per month. A sensitivity analysis is made by altering input parameters. The analyzed parameters are the unique attending employees, the transition probabilities and the choice of risk of overcrowding. For optimal utilization an open office space is the best alternative because it requires least square meters based on the same ratio of occupancy and workspaces. But when considering more aspects about work habits, employees’ opinions and behaviour the optimal office design may need a different structure.

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The Amazon represents more than half of the surviving tropical forest on Earth. However, despite its vast size and diversity, habitat loss is an increasing threat due to the growth of economic activities and infrastructure projects. Carnivores play an important role in reducing herbivore numbers through predation, thereby reducing the risk of over browsing and are particularly susceptible to habitat loss and fragmentation due to their large area requirements, low densities, and slow population growth. Altering herbivore communities via a change in carnivore density and habitat loss may change plant diversity by altering seed dispersal, and seed and seedling survival. The Madeira-Purus interfluvial plain in Brazil is a pristine and yet understudied part of the Amazon. I studied environmental factors affecting occupancy and detection of carnivores and herbivores in the Madeira-Purus interfluvial plain Amazonas state, Brazil. During 2010-12 remote cameras were used to investigate patterns of site occupancy and detection probabilities, as affected by habitat and anthropogenic influences, for several terrestrial mammal groups. Site occupancy and detection varied for all species groups across land protections types. Medium felids and peccaries showed a sharp decline in occupancy from unprotected lands to state-protected sites with the highest occupancy on the federally-protected site. Brocket deer increased in occupancy from unprotected to state-protected lands, and from state-protected to federally-protected lands. Large felid occupancy, however, was exactly the opposite, with the lowest occupancy at the federally-protected site. Species richness at camera sites was the most important covariate, positively influencing occupancy in all species groups. This helps inform wildlife management by providing suggestions to improve future occupancy studies and support for maintaining protected areas for the persistence of viable mammal populations. I found occupancy of many species groups (i.e. peccaries, medium felids and medium rodents) were lowest on state-protected land. Species richness was also lowest on state-protected land, implying a depletion of herbivore and carnivore species in that area, which may be due to local foraging and hunting of forest resources by humans. I recommend stricter laws and enforcement to limit the harvest of forest fruits and nuts and illegal hunting. Repaving local highways will likely increase human influence in these areas and increase pressure on forest resources.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes special report study entitled: Thick wall. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 2001. / Includes special report study entitled: Thick wall. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Energy efficiency of buildings is an important measure to obtain a reduction of emissions of greenhouse gases since the building sector currently emits 40% of the total emissions in the world. A modification of control systems within commercial buildings is shown in earlier research to have a possible energy saving. The conventional control is usually controlled by fixed schedules and might presumably result in unnecessary energy use, since it operates at full capacity during the set period. Thus, modification of such control systems in commercial buildings might have a significant energy efficiency potential. The aim was to investigate the overlooked effect of human behavior on buildings’ energy usage. The hypothesis was a significant energy saving could be achieved if control systems use occupancy-based (OB) control instead of a conventional control based on fixed schedules. Firstly, occupancy data acquired from motion sensors in offices in the natural science building at Umeå University was used to create average occupancy patterns. The occupancy patterns were used to create various schedules with different objectives while representing the average floor occupancy. Secondly, the created schedules were used in the building simulation program IDA ICE. The simulation program was used to investigate how the energy consumption changed if the control system was changed to operate as OB control. Lastly, the potential energy savings were calculated with values from the simulations. The results showed that an average energy saving of 14% was achievable if OB control was used instead of fixed-schedule control. It was also found that a potential energy saving largely depends on the behavior of the occupants. Depending on the occupancy pattern and intensity, a potential energy saving of 10% to 17% was obtained. The results also signify the importance of well-functioning sensors and accurate detection. Additionally, it was found that the summer months had less potential energy savings compared to the other months. The results show that human behavior can have a large effect on the energy consumption within a building. Thus, implementing occupancy information in control systems might yield a potential energy saving. The intensity of occupants’ affects the potential energy saving. It was found that a higher intensity yields a lower potential while a lower intensity yields a larger potential energy saving. An interesting theory regarding the sensors was found after studying the results. It was found that it might be possible to let six arbitrarily offices represent 40 offices in an office environment. An important measure when collecting personal occupancy information is to inform the occupants of the experiment, as to not have problems with perceived privacy. Including the occupants in the data-collecting project might yield a better understanding and thus better collaboration with the experiment.

This is the first study to investigate and provide definitive evidence that the plant pathogen Phytophthora cinnamomi is a significant threat to the mammal fauna of Western Australia. This study investigated the impact of P. cinnamomi-induced habitat disturbance and degradation on Antechinus flavipes leucogaster (yellow-footed antechinus) or mardo. Phytophthora cinnamomi is an introduced and invasive soil-borne plant pathogen that kills many common and structurally important plant species, which results in significant changes to the structural characteristics of affected areas. An evaluation of P. cinnamomi affected and unaffected areas of the northern jarrah (Eucalyptus marginata) forest revealed significant declines in the structure, composition and complexity of all areas affected by P. cinnamomi. Dieback Expression Score values ranged from a mean value of 1.88 ± 1.01 to 3.8 ± 0.41 at the P. cinnamomi affected sites, indicating a high degree of disturbance. A non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis using 16 habitat variables identified significant (ANISOM: R=0.343, P<0.003) separation among affected and unaffected sites. A SIMPER analysis revealed that ground and shrub cover vegetation, small and total log densities, percentage leaf litter cover, and the densities of small, medium, tall single crowned and total Xanthorrhoea preissii were the greatest contributors separating affected and unaffected areas. Presently, our understanding of how P. cinnamomi affects the fauna of Western Australia is limited. This providing a unique opportunity to examine how P. cinnamomi-induced disturbance impacts upon the mardo. The mardo is a small insectivorous marsupial that is regarded as being common and a habitat generalist that occupies a broad range of forest and woodland habitats throughout the south-west of Western Australia. Until the present study, the specific habitat requirements, and therefore the factors limiting the present distribution of the mardo have received little attention. Therefore, in addition to being the first study to evaluate the impact of P. cinnamomi on Western Australian fauna, this study also provides important information about the present distribution of the mardo. Detection-nondetection mark-release surveys conducted in P. cinnamomi affected and unaffected regions of the northern jarrah forest, revealed that although, mardos were recorded at most sites, the number of mardo individuals, captures and detections were considerably lower at P. cinnamomi affected areas. Patch Occupancy analysis, using an information theoretic approach, revealed that the probability of a mardo occupying a region of the northern jarrah forest affected by P. cinnamomi ranged from a likelihood of 0.0 to 25.0%, while in contrast there was a 41.0 to 51.0% likelihood of a mardo occurring among unaffected regions. This discovery supports the hypothesis that P. cinnamomi-induced habitat disturbance impacts upon the distribution of the mardo. An evaluation of the micro-habitat features important to the mardo using Patch Occupancy modelling using an information theoretic approach identified large logs and X. preissii densities as positive contributors to the present distribution of the mardo in the northern jarrah forest. Indeed, the likelihood of a mardo occupying an area with large logs and dense patches of X. preissii ranged from 62.2% to 85.0%. In contrast, in the P. cinnamomi affected sites with lower X. preissii densities the patch occupancy probabilities ranged from 0.0% to 45.7%. Logs and X. preissii strongly contribute to the understorey and may increase nest locations and cover while offering protection from predators. Mardos may avoid P. cinnamomi affected areas because of lower X. preissii densities, which may result in fewer nest locations, reduced cover and an increased likelihood of predation. However, the results of the study must be treated as preliminary findings, therefore there may be additional environmental related or unrelated to P. cinnamomi factors that may also contribute to the occupancy rates of the mardo. Therefore, further studies and research on the ecology and biology of the mardo is strongly encouraged. Until this research is conducted, P. cinnamomi most be considered as significant threat to the conservation of the mardo. Therefore, the conservation of the mardo in the northern jarrah forest depends on limiting the spread and impact of P. cinnamomi, as well as the retention of large logs and tall X. preissii. Given that large logs and tall X. preissii contribute to the distribution of the mardo, strong consideration must be given to using these natural elements to rehabilitate the most severely disturbed areas of the northern jarrah forest. Consideration must be given to the conservation of other small and threatened mammal species that inhabit susceptible plant communities in the south-west of Western Australia. An understanding of how P. cinnamomi impacts on the mardo and other native mammals will contribute to our ability to control, protect and manage vulnerable communities and ecosystems in Western Australia. If the spread and impact of this pathogen is left unchecked, the ultimate consequence to the conservation of many small to medium native mammals that are dependant on structurally complex habitat may be devastating.

Thesis (B.A.)--Bryn Mawr College. Growth and Structure of Cities Program, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references.

Wetlands occurring on natural river floodplains typically have more dynamic hydrology, because of influences from the river, than man-made wetlands or those associated with reclaimed minelands. For wetland-associated species, fluctuating water levels can affect patch availability, connectivity and potentially habitat quality, and therefore drive metapopulation dynamics. Differences in hydrology between wetland complexes could change food webs and consequently the trophic diversity of the communities occupying these areas. My first objective was to assess the spatial and temporal variation in occupancy and turnover rates of a semi-aquatic small mammal at 2 hydrologically distinct wetland complexes over 3 years in southern Illinois. My second objective was to determine spatio-temporal variation in the trophic structure of small mammals at 2 wetland complexes (floodplain and mineland) in southern Illinois. To address my first objective, I live-trapped marsh rice rats (Oryzomys palustris) during 2011-2013 at 9 wetland patches on the Mississippi River floodplain and 14 patches at a reclaimed mineland. I used multi-season occupancy modeling to estimate initial occupancy, detection, colonization and extinction rates. Catch per unit effort differed markedly between the 2 sites (27 captures/1,000 trap-nights at the floodplain site vs. 8 at the mining site). Estimates of detection probability increased with an increase in effort (number of traps per night per wetland patch). Occupancy probability was similar between sites and positively related to patch size. Patch colonization probability at both sites was related negatively to total rainfall 3 weeks prior to trapping. In addition, the variation in colonization probability among years, was different between sites, with colonization in 2013 being much lower at the mining site than at the floodplain. An increase in total rainfall 3 months prior to trapping led to a substantial increase in extinction probability on the floodplain, but not at the mining site. Differences in metapopulation dynamics and relative abundance between the 2 sites can be attributed to differences in hydrology and habitat quality. Although rice rats were present at the mining site in much lower numbers than at the floodplain site, these less-natural wetland complexes might serve as valuable refuges for species occurring in increasingly fragmented landscapes. For my second objective, I collected hair samples from 6 species of small mammals (n = 416) occurring at these wetland complexes. I analyzed C and N stable isotopes for 3 mammal taxa (Oryzomys palustris, Peromyscus spp,, Microtus ochragaster) to compare diet between species, sites, and, times. Food sources (vegetation and invertebrates) were collected at each site to form the isotopic baseline. Using stable isotope mixing models, I found no seasonal difference in diet composition, but signatures varied between sites. Oryzomys palustris at both wetland complexes incorporated primarily (70-80%) invertebrates in their diet, and used more C4 vegetation (30%) than C3 (0%). Isotope signatures of Peromyscus diets at the floodplain site were similar to that of Oryzomys, with ~80% invertebrates and >C4 vegetation than C3 vegetation (~20% and 0%, respectively). At the mining site, Peromyscus were at a much lower trophic level and consumed 70% vegetation with C3 plants making up a greater part of their diet than C4 vegetation (50% and 20%, respectively). Microtus was at a lower trophic position than the other 2 species at both sites. These isotope results point to reduced niche overlap between Oryzomys and Peromyscus at the mining site, perhaps due to lower habitat quality and limited suitable resources. Although small mammals had narrower diet breadths at the mining site, none of the species was at a higher trophic position at the mining site than at the floodplain site. At the floodplain site, the more dynamic hydrology might have given rise to higher biodiversity and consequently provided more resources to allow small mammals to use similar food items.

Large-scale, multispecies monitoring programs are used widely to assess changes in wildlife populations; however, they often assume constant detectability when documenting species occurrence. This assumption is rarely accurate because animal populations vary considerably across time and space. Furthermore, detectability of a species can be influenced by a number of physical, biological, or anthropogenic factors (e.g., weather, seasonality, topography, sampling methods, urban development). Analyses of habitat factors affecting occupancy and detection of mammalian species have not been conducted in the Paraguayan Chaco. To address this gap in the literature and provide conservation recommendations, I estimated site occupancy rates using species-specific detection probabilities for focal mammalian species at 3 study sites in the Chaco ecoregion of Paraguay. During remote camera surveys conducted August - November 2011 - 2012, I used photographic data and model selection techniques to assess the influence of different survey and site covariates on occupancy of several focal mammalian species: maned wolf (Chrysocyon brachyurus), Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi), puma (Puma concolor), crab-eating fox (Cerdocyon thous), pampas fox (Lycalopex gymnocercus), collared peccary (Pecari tajacu), white-lipped peccary (Tayassu pecari), South American tapir (Tapirus terrestris), and giant anteater (Myrmecophaga tridactyla). I recorded 2,034 photographs of 24 mammalian species at 64 camera sites; among those, 1,353 photographs and 529 independent survey-detections were of these 9 focal species. Detection of maned wolves and peccaries was higher in 2011 than 2012; other species did not show significant differences in detection by year. Peccaries were detected more frequently during higher temperatures, but foxes were detected more frequently during lower temperatures. The crab-eating fox was the species occupying the most sites (68%) and white-lipped peccary was the rarest, occupying only 30% of the study area. Anthropogenic disturbances (i.e., urban areas, paved roads, and human structures) negatively affected most species. Maned wolves and collared peccaries appeared to prefer grasslands, while puma and crab-eating fox used areas closer to water. White-lipped peccaries appeared to be most common or widely-distributed at the Toro Mocho study site. My research will provide land managers and conservation planners with an understanding of how mammals are distributed across the Paraguayan Chaco, as well as informing future decisions concerning land use and development by the rural human population. To further broad-scale conservation goals, wildlife biologists in Paraguay should seek partnerships with rural stakeholders to mitigate the effects of continuing agro-industrial development. Moreover, additional protected areas and buffers should be sought to maintain lands in natural conditions, including large areas set aside as wildlife reserves.