State officials, between 1882 and 1888, exchanged three million acres of Texas Panhandle property for construction of the monumental Capitol that continues to house Texas government today. The project and the land went to a Chicago syndicate led by men influential in business and politics. The red granite Austin State House is a recognizable symbol of Texas around the world. So too, the massive tract given in exchange for the building, what became the "fabulous" XIT Ranch, also has come to symbolize the height of the nineteenth century cattle industry. That eastern and foreign capital dominated the cattle business during this period is lesser known, absorbed by the mythology built around the Texas cattle-trail period - all but at an end in 1885. This study examines the interaction of Illinois Republicans and Texas Democrats in their actions and efforts to create what have become two of Texas's most treasured symbols.

My thesis focuses on different ranch management practices and the effects they may have on bird communities in northern Texas. Specifically, I address the potential differences between ranches enrolled in the Audubon Conservation Ranching program versus ranches that are not enrolled. Each research chapter is meant to be an individual publication. Chapter 2 compares and contrasts two different ways to survey bird communities in prairie systems. Chapter 3 compares ranch management techniques, prairie health indicators, and bird communities. This study aims to observe any mechanistic drivers of rangeland health that may elicit a positive bird assemblage response.

Thesis (MScAgric)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Although kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) and impala (Aepyceros melampus) are found in the same geographical area, there is variation in their diets as kudu are predominantly browsers, feeding on tree and shrub leaves, while impala are known as mixed feeders as they graze and browse. Therefore this poses the question whether the diet would influence their meat quality. The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the physical measurements and chemical composition of M. longissimus dorsi, M. biceps femoris, M. semimembranosus, M. semitendinosus and M. supraspinatus for kudu and impala, two southern African antelope species. The effects of age (adult and sub-adult) and gender (male and female) were also determined. The sensory characteristics of the M. longissimus dorsi muscle for sub-adult kudu and impala were investigated. Correlations between the various physical measurements and chemical composition of the meat were verified. Physical measurements and chemical composition of the M. longissimus dorsi muscle were tested for correlations with the sensory ratings of the meat. Dressing percentage of impala (59.88%) (n=28) was higher than that of kudu (57.60%) (n=35). The main effects (species, gender and age) showed no differences for drip loss and cooking loss. However, muscles differed in terms of cooking loss with impala M. semitendinosus having the highest (38.28%) value and kudu M. longissimus dorsi having the lowest value (30.77%). For impala, the highest Warner–Bratzler shear (WBS) values were measured for M. semimembranosus (5.90 kg/1.27cmø), followed by M. biceps femoris, M. longissimus dorsi, and M. semitendinosus with the lowest WBS values measured for M. supraspinatus (3.61 kg/1.27cmø). All impala muscles had lower L* values and appeared darker in colour than kudu muscles, except for M. supraspinatus. Adult animals also had lower L* values than the sub-adult group. Kudu had significantly higher a* and b* values (more red) than impala. Chroma values were higher for kudu, thus appearing brighter in colour. The respective muscles of kudu and impala investigated differed significantly in terms of physical characteristics. However, gender and age did not have an effect on the physical measurements. Moisture content was higher in kudu meat (76.46%) than in impala meat (75.28%). Muscles differed for both moisture and fat content. The highest fat was found in M. supraspinatus followed by M. biceps femoris, M. semitendinosus, M. semimembranosus and M. longissimus dorsi. Protein content did not differ between species (kudu: 21.66%; impala: 22.26%), gender (male: 21.98%; female: 21.95%) and age groups (adult: 21.74%; sub-adult: 22.18%). Kudu M. longissimus dorsi (1.62%) had lower fat content than impala M. longissimus dorsi (2.22%) and female animals had a higher fat content than male animals. Sub-adults (1.20 ± 0.02%) had higher ash content than adults (1.10 ± 0.03%). The M. supraspinatus had the lowest protein and also the highest fat content, with M. semimembranosus having the lowest fat content but the highest value for protein. Myoglobin content did not differ between species, although females had higher (6.58 ± 0.20 mg/g) myoglobin content than males (5.11 ± 0.25 mg/g). Glycolitic muscles had the lowest myoglobin content with the highest values found in M. supraspinatus, an oxidative muscle. An interaction was noted between species and muscle for myoglobin content. Myoglobin content in impala M. longissimus dorsi was higher than that in kudu M. longissimus dorsi; however for all other muscles the myoglobin content was lower in impala. Gender did not affect mineral content. Potassium levels were highest for kudu while phosphorus was more prevalent in impala meat. Adult and sub-adult groups differed in terms of potassium, calcium and zinc content. Potassium and calcium content were higher for subadult animals while zinc content was higher in adult animals. In impala meat, stearic acid (22.67%) was the major fatty acid, followed by palmitic acid (16.66%). In contrast, oleic acid (24.35%) was the most profuse fatty acid in kudu, followed by linoleic acid (22.95%). The SFA’s as a percentage of the total fatty acids differed between impala (51.12%) and kudu meat (34.87%). Kudu meat had a higher concentration of total PUFA (38.88%) than impala (34.06%) meat. The PUFA: SFA ratio for kudu meat (1.22) was more favourable than that for impala meat (0.73). The ratio of n-6 PUFA’s to n-3 PUFA’s for kudu and impala were determined as 2.22 and 3.76 respectively. From the current findings it is evident that kudu and impala meat have advantageous fatty acid profiles and can be a healthy substitute for other red meats. Kudu meat (72.62 ± 1.86 mg/100g) had higher cholesterol than impala meat (55.35 ± 1.84 mg/100g). It is recommended that further studies be done in order to confirm the cholesterol content of kudu meat. Within species, no gender differences for any of the sensory characteristics tested were noted. The impala meat had a more intense game aroma than the kudu meat, while kudu meat was found to be more juicy than impala meat. It can therefore be concluded that the marketing of game meat should be species-specific as there are distinct flavour and aroma differences between kudu and impala meat. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Alhoewel koedoes (Tragelaphus strepsiceros) en rooibokke (Aepyceros melampus) in dieselfde geografiese area voorkom, is daar variasie in hulle diëte. Koedoes is hoofsaaklik blaarvreters, terwyl rooibokke bekend staan as gemengde vreters aangesien hulle grassowel as blaarvreters is. Die vraag ontstaan dus of die verskil in diëet die kwaliteit van hulle vleis sal beϊnvloed. Die doel van hierdie ondersoek was dus om die fisiese metings en chemiese samestelling van die M. longissimus dorsi, M. biceps femoris, M. semimembranosus, M. semitendinosus en M. supraspinatus vir koedoes en rooibokke te bepaal. Die invloed van ouderdom (volwasse en onvolwasse) en geslag (manlik en vroulik) op hierdie eienskappe is ook geëvalueer. Die sensoriese eienskappe van die M. longissimus dorsi van onvolwasse koedoes en rooibokke is ook ondersoek. Korrelasies tussen die fisiese metings en chemiese samestelling van die vleis is ondersoek. Die fisiese metings en chemiese samestelling van die M. longissimus dorsi is getoets vir korrelasies met die resultate van die sintuiglike evaluering van die vleis. Die gemiddelde uitslagpersentasie van rooibokke (59.88%) (n=28) was hoër as die van koedoes (57.60%) (n=35). Daar was geen verskille in drupverlies en kookverlies vir die hoofeffekte (spesie, geslag en ouderdom) nie. Spiere het wel verskil in terme van kookverlies, met die hoogste waarde gemeet vir rooibok M. semitendinosus (38.28%) en die laagste waarde vir koedoe M. longissimus dorsi (30.77%). In rooibokke was die hoogste Warner- Bratzler skeurkrag waardes gemeet vir M. semimembranosus (5.76 kg/1.27cmø), gevolg deur M. biceps femoris, M. longissimus dorsi, en M. semitendinosus met die laagste Warner- Bratzler skeurkrag waardes gemeet vir M. supraspinatus (3.78 kg/1.27cmø). Alle rooibokspiere het laer L* waardes gehad en was donkerder van kleur as koedoespiere, behalwe vir M. supraspinatus. Laer L* waardes is ook verkry vir volwasse diere in vergelyking met onvolwasse diere. Die a* en b* waardes was hoër in koedoe- as in rooibokvleis, m.a.w. koedoevleis het rooier vertoon. Die onderskeie koedoe- en rooibokspiere het betekenisvol verskil in terme van fisiese eienskappe, terwyl geslag en ouderdom geen effek op die fisiese eienskappe gehad het nie. Voginhoud was hoër in koedoe- (75.52%) as in rooibokvleis (74.52%). Verkille tussen spiere is opgemerk vir beide vog- en vetinhoud. M. supraspinatus het die hoogste vetinhoud gehad, gevolg deur M. biceps femoris, M. semitendinosus, M. semimembranosus en M. longissimus dorsi. Geen verskille is opgemerk tussen spesies (koedoe: 21.66%; rooibok: 22.26%), geslagte (manlik: 21.98%; vroulik: 21.95%) en ouderdomme (volwasse: 21.74%; onvolwasse: 22.18%) in terme van proteϊeninhoud nie. Die vetinhoud van koedoe M. longissimus dorsi (1.62%) was laer as dié van rooibok M. longissimus dorsi (2.22%) en die vetinhoud van vroulike diere was hoër as dié van manlike diere. Onvolwasse diere (1.20 ± 0.02%) het ‘n hoër asinhoud as dié van volwasse diere (1.10 ± 0.03%) getoon. In terme van die onderskeie spiere het M. supraspinatus die laagste proteϊen- en die hoogste vetinhoud gehad, terwyl M. semimembranosus die laagste vet- en die hoogste proteϊeninhoud gehad het. Die mioglobieninhoud was nie beϊnvloed deur spesie nie, terwyl vroulike diere ‘n hoër (6.58 ± 0.20 mg/g) mioglobieninhoud as manlike diere (5.11 ± 0.25 mg/g) gehad het. Die M. supraspinatus, ‘n oksidatiewe spier het die hoogste mioglobieninhoud gehad, terwyl glikolitiese spiere die laagste mioglobieninhoud gehad het. ’n Interaksie tussen spesie en spier was opgemerk vir mioglobieninhoud. Rooibok M. longissimus dorsi het ‘n hoër mioglobieninhoud as koedoe M. longissimus dorsi gehad, terwyl die mioglobieninhoud vir al die ander spiere laer was in rooibokke. Mineraalinhoud was nie deur geslag beϊnvloed nie. Kaliumvlakke was hoër in koedoevleis, terwyl fosforvlakke hoër was in rooibokvleis. Kalium- en kalsiuminhoud was hoër in onvolwasse diere terwyl die sinkinhoud hoër was in volwasse diere. Steariensuur (22.67%), gevolg deur palmitiensuur (16.66%) was die mees algemene vetsure in rooibokvleis. In teenstelling hiermee was oleϊensuur (24.35%), gevolg deur linoleϊensuur (22.95%) die mees algemene vetsure in koedoevleis. Die totale versadigde vetsure was laer in koedoevleis (34.87%) in vergelyking met rooibokvleis (51.12%), terwyl die totale polionversadigde vetsure in koedoevleis (38.88%) hoër was as dié van rooibokvleis (34.06%). Die verhouding van n-6 tot n-3 poli-onversadigde vetsure vir koedoe en rooibok was 2.22 en 3.76 onderskeidelik. Hierdie resultate bevestig dat koedoe- en rooibokvleis oor ‘n vetsuurprofiel beskik wat ’n gesonde alternatief bied tot ander rooivleise. Die cholesterolinhoud van koedoevleis (72.62 ± 1.86 mg/100g) was hoër as dié van rooibokvleis (55.35 ± 1.84 mg/100g). Dit word egter aanbeveel dat verdere studies gedoen word om die cholesterolinhoud van koedoevleis te bevestig. Binne spesies was daar geen geslagsverkille vir enige van die sensoriese eienskappe nie. Rooibokvleis het ‘n meer intense wildsvleis aroma as koedoevleis gehad, terwyl koedoevleis meer sappig was as rooibokvleis. Hierdie resultate dui daarop dat die bemarking van wildsvleis spesie-spesifiiek moet wees aangesien daar defnitiewe geur en aroma verskille tussen koedoe- en rooibokvleis is.

Arid and semi-arid regions have increasingly become the subject of much research and debate by scientists. By their very nature, these regions characteristically exhibit extremes which complicate the implementation of effective management strategies that ensure sustainable productivity and economic output. Namibia is one such region where low and highly variable rainfall conditions and fluctuating productivity pose a challenge to managers of commercial livestock enterprises, / who seek to optimise economic benefits while controlling the negative effect on herd production and income of unpredictable and unfavourable climatic events. Various management approaches are proposed as a means of exploiting periods of abundant productivity and so optimising income from herd production, while controlling for the effects of drought conditions. To analyse the effects of these various offtake strategies, a rainfall-driven plant-herbivore simulation model is used. The model comprises components simul~tihg vegetation and herbivore dynamics. The vegetation component incorporates soil moisture and nutrient allocation to plant parts. The herbivore dynamics sub-model comprises age and sex classes, population dynamics and animal energy requirements which govern accumulated fat reserves. The model is adapted to account for climatic and vegetation attributes specific to Namibia. An economic component including a seasonal monthly price structure is developed, and a dynamic feedback governing management decisions is incorporated. The much debated issue of whether to maintain a constant stocking rate or to track climatic variation by employing a variable stocking level is investigated, with the performance of management strategies incorporating these approaches ranked according to various factors, including annual returns, associated risk and annual stock mortality. The economic consequences of the timing of offtake are investigated, with the simulation of management strategies that implement destocking in the face of anticipated drought conditions. A dynamic projection of expected income allows the impact of forecasting potential economic gains on decision-making to be analysed. Results indicate that the performance of management strategies is not as dependent on climatic and seasonal price variability as was originally expected, with the application of a constant stocking level proving to be the most favourable strategy in terms of economic gain and variability of income. Tracking climatic variation by adapting stocking levels does not provide the improvement in economic returns from a livestock production system that was anticipated, although this approach is successful in effecting a significant reduction in annual stock mortality. Further results show the sensitivity of income to the long-term average stocking level characterising the management strategies investigated, as well as to the elasticity of the underlying price structure. The results of this study indicate that the implementation of management strategies designed to track climatic variation does not offer significant economic advantages over the application of a constant stocking approach. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2001.

One of the more important economic activities in the Altiplano region is raising livestock, the exploitation of cattle, sheep, and llamas which are raised and adapted to the conditions surrounding this activity. Livestock production plays a fundamental role in the economy of farming families by providing them products such as meat, milk, cheese, fiber, skins, and other products that each translate into monetary revenues. The present study was carried out in the community of "Chama 6 de julio," Ingavi Province, Department of La Paz, about 83 km. (51.6 miles) outside of La Paz at an elevation of 3,792 m. (12,440 ft.) above sea level. The annual precipitation is 370 mm. (14.6 inches) and average annual temperature is 12° C (53.6° F). The set objectives of this investigative work were: To evaluate the economic behavior of the livestock production (cattle, sheep, and llamas) at the small ranchers 14 level. To quantify in monetary units the structure of costs and revenues of livestock activity. To carry out a socio-economic analysis of the activity. The statistic parameters used were: measures of means, deviations, and percentages. Techniques used for gathering information include the following: semi-structured interviews, dynamic polls, dialogues, conversations, key informants, and direct observation. In studying the costs and revenues of livestock activity the conventional model of fixed and variable costs was used. The method utilized to evaluate the activity is an adaptation of the economic evaluation expressed by the indicating gauges Cost-Benefit Relationship (RBC) and Annual Investment Profitability (RI). 42 families dedicated to agricultural and livestock activity were involved in the study. They were functionally classified according to the number of cattle that they have on their land, a classification that resulted in four groups. The first group contained families possessing from 4 to 6 cattle; the second, from 7 to 9; the third, from 10 to 12; and the fourth, the families with 13 to 15 cattle. Also, the number of samples for each class was calculated to be 5 families. As livestock activity is the most important for families in this community, these families have most of their money invested in their herds, investments ranging from 73% to 86% of all their active livestock investments. The other 14% to 27% of their investment is in the livestock infrastructure, tools, materials, and equipment. The amount of land possessed by families in this community ranges from 8 to 40 hectacres (19.8 to 98.8 acres). The meat (cattle, sheep, and llama) is the most important product for commercial purposes. Accordingly, families from class IV achieved the highest production with 812 kg. (180.7 lbs) per year, followed by classes III and II. The lowest annual amount came from families grouped into class I with only 235 kg. (518 lbs). Another product of utmost importance after meat is cheese for which the families of class IV were those that had the highest annual production with 476 units, with an average weight of 0.6 kg (1.3 lbs). They were followed by families in classes III and I. Finally, the families in class II achieved the smallest output with 337 units. 69% to 79% of the total production of meat and cheese is destined for market. The families consume only 10% to 31% of what is produced. Variable costs represent 87.25% of the total expenses. On the other hand, fixed costs amount to only 12.73% of the total. Labor represents the greatest expense, reaching an average of 71.17% of the total expense. Relative to gross annual revenue, families in class IV reached the highest average numbers with 7,996.00 Bs. (Bolivianos). The lowest gross annual revenues correspond to those in class I with only 3,124.00 Bs. Classes III and II occupy intermediate positions between both former classes. Comparing the sources of gross annual revenue, cattle meat occupies the greatest portion with 40.81%. This is followed by cheese production, lamb, and llama meat with 30.84%, 23.30%, and 2.17% respectively. At the same time, cattle meat and cheese provide these farming families with 71.65% of their total gross annual revenue. The net annual revenues are positive only for families in classes IV and III with numbers at 312.00 and 156.00 Bs. On the other hand, classes II and I have negative net revenues at -3,039.00 and -2,455.00 Bs. The indicative Cost-Benefit Relationship (RBC) shows viability of the activity for families from classes IV and III with figures of 1.04 and 1.02. It is not as viable for families in classes II and I with numbers at 0.62 and 0.50. Estimates provided by the annual investment profitability (RI) are only satisfactory for those in classes IV and III with percentages of 4.6% and 2.13%. Unsatisfactory percentages result for classes II and I with -35.45% and -49.31%. According to the results obtained for the four classes, livestock activity carried out by farming families does not provide an acceptable profitability, even for families that have greater numbers of livestock (more than 12 cattle). It would be much less profitable for the families that have smaller herds of livestock.

One of the principles regarding our knowledge about life on earth is that no organism can be fully understood without taking into account its surrounding environment. This study examines the extent to which ecosystem-focused field studies may be associated with students' academic performance and potential to contribute to the advancement of science and conservation. Pilot studies conducted in Panama and California established methods used in this project from 1993-2003. Two hundred and sixty-seven students conducted field studies in either Kenya or Costa Rica. Students worked in cognitive apprenticeships, in which research staff trained each student to conduct field research. At the conclusion of their fieldwork, the research staff assessed the students written field reports. The students' reports were then sorted according to the extent to which their studies were ecosystem-focused. Data analysis through nonparametric, Kruskal-Wallis statistical tests revealed no significant difference in academic performance on field study reports, in regards to whether the studies were narrow in scope (species-specific) or broad (ecosystem-focused). Marginal significance was revealed between ecosystem-focused studies and the potential for students' fieldwork to contribute to the advancement of science and conservation. Also addressed in the data were injuries, disease, and potential hazards, which were influenced by prudent and decisive leadership. Successful field studies require consideration of the content, context, and design of the intended field projects. Many of the solutions to environmental problems on the planet will come from the working hands of teachers and students that conduct explorations in the field. / Life Sciences in Education / D. Phil. (Mathematics, Science and Technology Education)

L’agriculture se situe au carrefour des stratégies d’atténuation et d’adaptation, en particulier dans les régions tropicales. Les efforts d’atténuation pour limiter l’accumulation de gaz à effet de serre dans l’atmosphère et les mesures d’adaptation visant à au moins maintenir les rendements et les revenus agricoles face au changement climatique contribueront à éradiquer l’extrême pauvreté et la faim. Cette thèse explore l'adoption de technologies climato-intelligentes par les petits exploitants du Costa Rica dans les deux principaux systèmes agricoles du pays, à savoir les plantations de café et les systèmes extensifs d'élevage de bétail. Je présente les résultats de trois études qui utilisent des données originales pour étudier les possibilités et les défis liés à l’extension de l’agroforesterie et du sylvopastoralisme.Les obstacles potentiels à l’adoption de technologies par les ménages ruraux dans les pays en développement sont décrits dans l’introduction. Dans le premier chapitre, un modèle représentatif d'allocation des terres entre les technologies de production des exploitations de café est utilisé pour explorer le compromis entre l'adoption de l'agroforesterie - une option bien documentée pour l'atténuation et l'adaptation - et la gestion des risques de marché. Basé sur une expérience de choix menée avec 207 agriculteurs, le chapitre 2 évalue la volonté des producteurs de café d'adopter diverses stratégies basées sur l'agroforesterie, sous différents types d’incitation. Le chapitre 3 évalue l'efficacité d'un programme national de partage des coûts favorisant l'adoption de paquets technologiques compatibles avec l'intensification fondée sur le sylvopastoralisme chez les éleveurs de bovins. Il fournit des estimations de l'impact de la participation au programme sur l'adoption des technologies et sur l’utilisation des terres. Dans l'ensemble, les résultats de ces études suggèrent que l'adoption de l'agroforesterie et du sylvopastoralisme est coûteuse et peut être ralentie en raison des frictions du marché. L’intervention publique par le biais d'incitations économiques peut en réponse être efficace afin d’encourager les petits exploitants à adopter ces technologies. Le choix de la technologie à promouvoir se révèle crucial pour l’efficience de ces interventions, soulignant la pertinence des études proposées. / Smallholding agriculture lies at the crossroads of mitigation and adaptation strategies. Both mitigation efforts to limit the atmospheric accumulation of greehouse gases and adaptation measures that aim to at least maintain agricultural yields and incomes in the face of climate change will be instrumental in eradicating extreme poverty and hunger. This dissertation explores the adoption of climate-smart technologies by Costa Rican smallholders in the two main farming systems of the country, namely high-quality coffee plantations and extensive cattle-ranching farms. I present the resultsof three studies that use primary data to investigate opportunities and challenges for scaling-up agroforestry and silvopastoralism. Potential barriers that put strain on technology adoption by rural households in the developing world are outlined in the introduction. In the first Chapter, a representative coffee farm model of land allocation between production technologies is used to explore the tradeoff between adopting coffee agroforestry - a well-documented option for both mitigation and adaptation - and dealing with market risks. Based on a Choice Experiment conducted with 207 farmers, Chapter 2 assesses the willingness of coffee farmers to adopt various agroforestry-based strategies, under various types of support. Chapter 3 evaluates the effectiveness of a national cost-share program promoting the adoption of technological packages consistent with silvopastoralism-based intensification among cattle ranchers. It provides estimates of the impact of participating into the program on both the technology adoption and the land use patterns. Overall, the results of these studies suggest that the adoption of agroforestry and silvopastoralism is costly and can be slowed down due to market frictions. Public interventions can in turn be effective in encouraging smallholders to adopt these technologies through economic incentives. The choice of the technology to be promoted is found to be crucial for the cost-efficiency of such interventions, stressing the relevance of the research conducted.

Made available in DSpace on 2015-03-05T16:19:36Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 26 / Nenhuma / Este estudo foi realizado em dez fragmentos de floresta ripária localizados no sul do Brasil (30°09’S, 51°36’W; 46 m de altitude). Entre as dez florestas ripárias selecionadas, cinco estavam circundadas por pastejo de gado e as outras cinco estavam circundadas por plantações de eucalipto. Foi avaliada a sustentabilidade de Campomanesia rhombea, Diospyros inconstans, Myrciaria cuspidata e Sebastiania commersoniana através de análises da estrutura de tamanho, as quais foram realizadas em duas escalas. Em escala local, foram consideradas as populações presentes nos fragmentos circundados por pastejo de gado ou por plantações de eucalipto e, em escala regional considerou-se também áreas florestais maiores, tomadas como referência (Inventário Florestal Contínuo do Rio Grande do Sul). Em escala local, nas populações presentes em fragmentos circundados por plantações de eucalipto, prevaleceram indivíduos de pequenas classes de tamanho, e em áreas expostas ao pastejo de gado, as mesmas espécies apresentaram uma falha / This studied was carried in ten riparian forest fragments located southern Brazil. Of the ten riparian forests selected for study, five were embedded in pasturelands and five in eucalyptus plantations. We assessed the population sustentability of Campomanesia rhombea, Diospyros incontans, Myrciaria cuspidata and Sebastiania commersoniana through analyses of size structure, which were carried out at two scales. At a local scale, we consider populations in fragments surrounded by pastures or eucalyptus forest plantations, and at a regional scale we also consider larger forest tracts taken as reference areas (Rio Grande do Sul Forest Inventory databank). At local scale, the populations in fragments embedded by eucalyptus plantations prevailed small size classes individuals, and in areas exposed to cattle ranching, the same species seem to have a recurring failure of small individuals. Regional analyses included only established individuals with DBH > 1.6 cm. In this scale, populations in fragments surrounded by

Cattle ranching in Vermilion Parish is a social-techno-ecological system (STES) that is currently vulnerable due to changing social, technological and ecological conditions. In addressing ways to increase the adaptive capacity of cattle ranching in Vermilion Parish, I used a multiple, mixed method approach grounded in a critical constructivist framework. Constructivism is the idea that our relationship to facts is constructed by our social context. It is these perceptions that shape people’s actions. By looking at these perceptions through an emancipatory frame I was able to understand multiple interpretations of meaning, consciously address them, consider how they may have shaped our actions, and then alter those meanings and power relationships. In an effort to increase the adaptive capacity of cattle ranching in Vermilion Parish, my research focused on actions, why people perform those actions, and how to change them. This research connected the physical landscape of the marshes, the individual landscape of perception, and the conceptual landscape of resilience. If resilience is the ability of a system (cattle ranching in vermilion parish) to recover after a disturbance, adaptive capacity is when the actors within the system can influence that system’s resilience. I explored the history of cattle ranching in Vermilion Parish from three different, but overlapping perspectives – environmental, social, and technological. These perspectives compliment the information from interviews and 3CM sessions. These 15 interviews revealed the perception of 11 types of threats facing cattle ranching in Vermilion Parish. The body of literature surrounding resilience theory identifies traits of highly adaptive systems. The recommendations and suggestions outlined in Chapter 6 exist at the intersection of the actors’ perception of specific threats and the decidedly generalized traits of highly adaptive systems. These suggestions were geared towards increasing the adaptive capacity of cattle ranching in Vermilion Parish. Given these layered landscapes and their complexity, my recommendations were subject to feedback loops and long periods of integration. These recommendations contribute to the theoretical foundation detailed in Chapter 3 by identifying specific ways that the actors of this particular system may be able increase their own adaptive capacity. / text

The broad scope and intent of this thesis is to contribute to the body of research and writing about the loss of agricultural land due to development and the transformation of rural agricultural communities. At the more specific level, through interviews and secondary research, this thesis considers municipal land use planning in Alberta under the revised 1995 Municipal Government Act in the Municipal District (MD) of Pincher Creek No. 9, where cattle ranching, wildlife, and now, acreages vie for land resources. The critical questions addressed are: What are the conflicts between ranching and habitat conservation, and conversely, what opportunities do they share? What role can and does a municipality play in promoting sustainable ranching and conservation through its land use policy and jurisdiction? Set in southwest corner of Alberta, the MD of Pincher Creek is endowed with a remarkable history of ranching, ample resource wealth, and a unique climate and topography that supports a spectacular, rich, diverse ecosystem. Within the past few years, private agricultural land near Waterton Lakes National Park and the Castle River wilderness in the MD has come under speculative and development pressure predominantly for country residences, often retirement homes, and for tourism interests. Recent Municipal Act amendments have delegated substantially more land use control to rural municipalities, as a result the MD of Pincher Creek has more authority to make decisions that shape its future community profile, to mediate between competing land use interests, and to impact local ranching and habitat. The thesis analysis explores how the best practices of ranching or "sustainable ranching" can help to conserve and enhance habitat and how ranchers' attitudes can evolve to be more tolerant of wildlife. This thesis also explores and supports the efforts of a budding local land trust, SALTS, which plans to protect local agricultural land and habitat through conservation easements. Finally, the thesis concludes by envisioning ways the MD government can encourage habitat preservation, conservation easements, sustainable and economically viable ranching, as well as the control and direction of country residential development, all with a view to ensuring that future economic development opportunities remain available for local residents.