Resource planning on National Forests has become a complex and time consuming process. On the Jefferson National Forest (JNF), "Opportunity Area Analysis" (OAA) is used to implement the resource use mandates of the JNF Land and Resource Management Plan. Timber sale planning is an important component of the OAA process that requires the evaluation and analysis of large amounts of site-specific data and complex spatial relationships. Since geographic information systems (GIS) can manage spatial information efficiently, a prototype spatial decision support system (SDSS) was developed that integrates the data, GIS analysis routines, graphical map and tabular displays, and user interface utilities to interactively support the timber sale planning process. The objectives of this research are: (1) to model the timber sale planning decision process, (2) develop the SDSS model, (3) demonstrate the use of SDSS on a case study area in the JNF, and (4) compare the SDSS approach to current manual methods for timber sale planning. The SDSS model is structured to assist the planner in four areas: (1) identification of suitable stands for timber sale planning in the opportunity area, (2) evaluation and analysis of environmental and social objectives specific to each candidate stand, (3) economic analysis of the candidate stands, and (4) development of timber sale alternatives for a short term planning period. When compared to the manual methods currently used, the SDSS approach to timber sale planning provides faster access to current resource information, helps define and structure the timber sale planning process,a1lows flexibility in plan development, and assembles information for map production and report generation. Recommendations for future SDSS research are also discussed. / Master of Science

Biofuels, a solar-sourced technology that can be processed from non-fossilized plant matter, have significant appeal as a means of securing a reliable, sustainable energy supply. They appear to offer significant potential by virtue of being harvestable from common plant life such as prairie grasses. I argue that a shared set of knowledge claims emerging from multiple energy/environmental institutions in Germany and the U.S. are linked by a shared set of assumptions. I characterize these claims as a "mainstream" discourse because together they function as a single powerful discourse that influences national policy and research priorities. In examining the potential material impacts of the discourse on regional and global habitats, I demonstrate the powerful performative capacity of the discourse. I also describe how this mainstream discourse perpetuates momentum along existing trajectories of at least three socio-technological regimes: agriculture, transport, energy. The practitioners (biofuels experts) of the discourse construct representations of the realities that form the basis of their research. I refer to these representations as maps because like a city map, they privilege some things while marginalizing others. These maps are then utilized as guides for intervening into the habitat in order to develop and implement biofuels. Implicated within the maps are practices that have the potential to reconstitute reality. For example, the mapping of a variety of plants as "energy crops" implicates practices generally associated with high-yield cash crops intended for trade on the global marketplace. The materialization of these practices will assimilate various plants, reconstituting them as bona fide energy crops, resulting in monocultured regional and global habitats. I develop my argument by describing how knowledge production is regulated by the implicit rules that govern the discourse. This regulatory apparatus insures that certain types of knowledge as well as methods for producing that knowledge are privileged over others. I introduce several concepts--"institutional platform, thought collective, biofuels practitioner--"as analytical tools to develop my argument and explain how the discourse functions. I demonstrate how perpetual recirculation of knowledge claims through publication, citation, conferences, workshops and task forces naturalizes these claims, giving them authoritative force. This force is evidenced in an increased performative capacity as well as a higher degree of discursive hegemony. I demonstrate the material effects of the discourse at the practical level of its deployment by introducing another analytical tool --ground truthing. Geographers and military reconnaissance personnel use ground truthing to describe the process of physically inspecting the lay of the land in order to determine the accuracy of the maps. With this tool, I demonstrate the potential of the discourse to reconstitute habitats and landscapes. Finally I propose changing the terms of mainstream energy discourse through practices intended to de-scientize and democratize the discourse through incorporating alternative expertises. This includes: a} moving away from corporate control of energy solutions by situating energy-systems decisions and ownership at the local community level, and b} improving the definition of systemic problems by transitioning away from knowledge production that privileges the detached "spectator" approach over the embodied, participatory approach. / Ph. D.

A linear programming model for multiple use was developed for the High Knob Unit of the Jefferson National Forest. The model was intended to be a pilot study for the development of similar models for other units in the Appalachians. The model was developed to provide information about trade-offs between timber, recreational activities, and budgets during the 10 year planning period. Currently used estimates and "rules of thumb" were used as the means for relating the activities considered in the model. The objective function used was timber maximization and it was constrained by the activity and budget constraints. The maximum possible timber volume that could be cut was found for the High Knob Unit by using only acreage constraints on the objective function. Then the constraints for the other activities were added, each of which being tied to the timber variables. An initial optimal solution was found which not only gave values for the amounts of the activities that would be best to produce but also where they were to occur on the ground. To provide information about trade-offs, a sensitivity analysis was done to provide a series of solutions for the High Knob Unit. These solutions were evaluated and recommendations were made for the High Knob Unit. Benefits and limitations of the model were discussed as were the problems encountered in developing the High Knob LP. Suggestions for future study were also made. / Master of Science

Nonprofit, volunteer organizations assist government agencies in managing the recreational resources of public lands in many parts of the Eastern United States. With a depressed economy, the role these organizations take can be particularly important in the continuing provision of quality outdoor recreation experiences. This study examines the contributions of five nonprofit groups in the East, the Appalachian Mountain Club, Green Mountain Club, Adirondack Mountain Club, Potomac Appalachian Trail Club, and the Appalachian Trail Conference, and their cooperative relationships with, respectively, the White Mountain National Forest, Green Mountain National Forest, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Shenandoah National Park, and the Appalachian Trail Project Office (National Park Service). Interviews with key members of the agencies and the nonprofit groups provided most of the information on club activities and the advantages, problems, and constraints of cooperative relationships from the point of view of each party. Legislation and policy affecting nonprofit involvement on public lands is discussed as well as the prospects of future involvement of these groups. / Master of Science

No / This paper describes the problems encountered in developing environmental education in Federal protected areas in Brazil. Results of a survey on the current status of environmental education in four categories of Federal protected areas; namely national parks, biological reserves, ecological stations and environmental protection areas, are described and discussed. The study suggests that the development of environmental education in protected areas in the country has several limitations: financial resources, lack of training, material resources and a lack of policy on environmental education. It also identifies that some of these problems seem to be inter-related with those of the National System of Conservation Units of the country which may result in a retarding of the development of environmental education in such areas.

<p dir="ltr">The production cycle of lactating dairy cattle consists of physiological adaptations and changes in body tissue reserves as energy and protein requirements shift and may not be able to be met by feed intake. Tissue reserves are mobilized in early lactation and accreted thereafter, which can be used as a pool of labile amino acids and energetic substrates used at the beginning of the subsequent lactation. Nutritional strategies can be employed to mitigate extensive tissue loss and gain as a management tool to enhance dairy performance. The first study's objective was to evaluate the effects of high oleic soybean oil (HOSO) supplementation on milk production, body composition, and apparent total tract digestibility variables. A cross-over design with 21-d periods was employed with thirty Holstein cows (n = 16 primiparous, n = 14 multiparous at 87 ± 26 DIM at start of trial). Treatments consisted of a control (CON) with no added soybean oil and a HOSO diet with 1.5% diet dry matter (DM) of high oleic soybean oil added. Milk production and DM were collected on the last 7 d of each period. Body weights (BW), milk, and fecal samples were collected on the last 3 d of each period. Ultrasound scans of the <i>longissimus dorsi </i>muscle and body condition scores (BCS) were collected on the last d of each period. Dry matter intake, milk production, and milk component yields were not impacted by HOSO supplementation, although milk fat concentration tended to be greater for HOSO cows. A treatment by parity interaction and treatment by parity tendency were observed for BCS and BW, respectively, with multiparous HOSO cows having increased BCS and BW compared to CON with no effect on primiparous cows. Compared with CON, HOSO increased backfat depth (BFD) by 0.44 mm as well as apparent total tract fat digestibility by 12 percentage units with no differences observed in muscle<i> </i>depth. The second study’s objective was to evaluate changes in <i>longissimus dorsi </i>depth and its impact on production parameters in cows with two muscle phenotypes. Forty multiparous dairy cows were categorized into two muscle phenotype groups of high muscle (HM; n = 18) and low muscle (LM; n = 22) as determined by <i>longissimus dorsi </i>depth immediately after parturition. Ultrasound images of the <i>longissimus dorsi </i>and body weights were collected monthly from 0 to 300 DIM. Blood samples were collected from the coccygeal vessels on d 7, 150, and 300 and analyzed for 3-methylhistidine (3-MH), creatinine, non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), and insulin. Milk weight data was collected daily using AfiFarm and milk components were collected from monthly DHIA test day data. Neither BW nor BFD were different between HM and LM cows at any timepoint, although, a DIM effect was observed. Cows lost BW from 0 to 60 DIM and BFD from 0 to 90 DIM and began increasing thereafter until 300 DIM. A muscle group by DIM interaction was observed where HM cows had more <i>longissimus dorsi </i>depth (LDD) at 0 and 300 DIM and tended to have more at 60 DIM compared to LM cows, with no differences at any other timepoint. In both muscle groups, LDD was decreased from 0 to 60 DIM but substantial LDD accretion did not occur until 240 DIM. No differences were observed between muscle groups for blood analytes; however, significant DIM effects were observed and corresponded to the observed changes in body tissue reserves. Daily milk production was grouped by stage of lactation with DIM groups consisting of early lactation from 0 to 60 DIM, mid-lactation from 60-240 DIM, and late lactation from 240 to 300 DIM. There was a muscle group by DIM group interaction for daily milk yield as HM cows produced more milk/d in early and mid-lactation but produced less milk in late lactation compared to LM cows. The results of these studies indicate that oleic acid can be supplemented to lactating dairy cattle to increase adipose tissue reserves with no effect on muscle reserves. This could potentially be caused by the lack of muscle accretion throughout mid-lactation whereas adipose tissue is gained. These results also describe that nutrition and muscle phenotype play a role in body composition throughout lactation.</p>

Thesis (MScAgric (Conservation Ecology and Entomology)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / This study assessed (a) the inclusion of local communities in the process of the establishment and management of Parque Nacional do Limpopo (PNL); (b) local community resources use practices, livelihoods strategies, land resources use and ownership and institutional arrangements at the grassroots; and (c) attitudes and perceptions of local communities towards the park and its implications for the sustainability of the park. The study shows that local stakeholders were left out in the planning and implementation processes of the park, which was through top-down approach. There was a lack of involvement of local communities and co-ordination with local stakeholders concerning on-the-ground activities. Local community participation occurs through consultation, thereby depriving primary stakeholders of any decision-making power. However, the study notes that the ongoing interaction between the park management, community advocacy organisations and local communities in the park represents a positive step towards the evolving practice of participatory governance of the protected area. It is also shown that local communities have diverse livelihood strategies, including subsistence agriculture, livestock herding, forest products harvesting, small businesses, handicrafts and cash remittances by migrate labourers. It is worth noting that land and forest resources use constitutes the foundation of their livelihood strategies. Local communities considered land to belong to traditional land chiefs who head local socio-cultural and political organizations in rural areas. They allocate land and control access to natural resources. Other community members asserted that the land belongs to the respective families that inherited and use it. The legal framework in Mozambique authorises the establishment of new institutions at the grassroots. This overlaps with the pre-existing traditional institutions in the rural areas, resulting in power conflicts and in some cases disruption of local institutions for governance ...

Balancing increasing elephant numbers with biodiversity conservation in small reserves has become a concern for many protected area managers. Elephants are considered important agents of disturbance creating heterogeneity and thus contributing to the maintenance of biodiversity. However elephants also damage vegetation through their destructive feeding habits, and this has led to pressure to reduce elephant populations in many reserves. Quantitative data on the impact of elephants on invertebrates, the main component of biodiversity at the species level, are lacking. The aim of this project was to assess the effect that habitat alteration by elephants has on the diversity of selected ground-dwelling invertebrates (ants, centipedes, millipedes, spiders, scorpions and termites) through the provision of logs and dung as a potential refuge niche for these invertebrate communities, and to determine the effect of spatial (vegetation types) and temporal (season and age of dung) variation on the invertebrates using these refugia. Variation in impacts was considered important because savanna is not homogenous and the impact of the refugia is likely to be dynamic in terms of seasonal trends in invertebrate populations, and in terms of changes in the environmental conditions offered by the refugia. Elephant impact on vegetation, quantity of refugia (logs and dung) produced and invertebrate diversity associated with refugia were determined for 115 transects within Madikwe Game Reserve in the North Western Province, South Africa. Invertebrate abundance, species richness and diversity were always higher under refugia than in areas without refugia. Vegetation utilisation, frequency of refugia production and invertebrate diversity showed strong temporal variation (seasonal); elephant impact and production of logs were higher in winter than in summer because elephants are more likely to feed on woody vegetation in winter when grass nutrient levels are low. Invertebrate diversity under the logs was higher in summer than in winter, and this probably reflected the higher abundance and diversity of invertebrates that are usually associated with the warmer, wetter summer months. The effect of adding refugia to three vegetation types on invertebrate diversity was tested experimentally at Makalali Private Game Reserve in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Logs and elephant dung were set out in five plots each measuring 20m x 20m within Govender - iii mixed bushveld, riverine and mopane woodland. Significant differences were observed in invertebrate abundance, species richness and diversity between the refugia and control plots that lacked refugia and between the three vegetation types sampled. Similarity between invertebrate communities utilising the different refugia types and between the three different vegetation types were tested using the Jaccard similarity coefficient. The three vegetation types shared fewer than 50% of their species, as did the logs, dung and control sites. However the results obtained do illustrate a higher degree of similarity between the refugia substrates (logs and dung) than the control sites and between the more heterogeneous vegetation types (mixed bushveld and riverine) than the mopane veld. This indicated that invertebrate communities associated with refugia were not uniform, but were influenced by vegetation type. An experimental test of temporal changes in invertebrate community composition illustrated the importance of elephant dung as a microhabitat for different invertebrate groups over different ages of dung (three days, two, four, 12 and 32 weeks old). Colonisation of the dung, by dung beetles was immediate but as the microclimate of the dung changed with time, the new conditions were ideal for other invertebrate taxa. Over a period of eight months, the change of invertebrate communities utilising the dung included dung beetles, followed by millipedes and [mally ant and termite communities. The results of this study illustrated the importance of refugia (logs and dung) produced by elephants for ground-dwelling invertebrate species in the savanna environment. The extent of the influence of the refugia varied both spatially and temporally and this should be considered in future monitoring or in measuring impacts. While further research on a broader range of organisms and at larger scales is necessary, elephants do have a positive impact on at least some components of biodiversity, through the process of facilitation of refugia. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.

Syfte: Syftet med studien är att se hur sänkningen av bolagsskatten har påverkat noterade bolag på Stockholmsbörsen användning av bokslutsdispositioner. Metod: Studien har en kvantitativ metod med deduktiv ansats. Syftet med studien uppnås genom det insamlade datamaterialet, från Retriever Business i form av difference-in-difference regressionen. Resultat och slutsats: Studien visar att bolagsskattesänkningen inte har påverkat bolagen att minska användandet av bokslutsdispositioner. Istället har bolagen ökat användandet av bokslutsdispositioner. / Purpose: The purpose of the study is to see how the reduction of corporate tax has affected the usage of tax allocation reserves by listed companies on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Method: In the study, a quantitative method with a deductive approach has been used. The purpose of the study is achieved through the collected data from Retriever Business, in the form of the difference-in-difference regression. Result and conclusion: The study shows that a corporate tax reduction has not caused companies to reduce their usage of tax allocation reserves. Instead, companies have increased their usage of tax allocation reserves.

No abstract available. / Thesis (M.Env.Dev)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.