Thesis (M.S.)--University of Oregon, 2001. / Typescript. Includes vita and abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 170-177). Also available for download via the World Wide Web; free to UO users.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Rutgers University, 2009. / "Graduate Program in Anthropology." Includes bibliographical references (p. 272-284).

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1999. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 80-85).

Thesis (M.P.)--University of Wyoming, 2007. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on June 7, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 100-102).

Thesis (M. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1990.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1936. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-100).

<p> A detailed land-use study is performed in a small rural area in Central Ontario. The physical characteristics of the study area are classified as five distinct land units. The land-use patterns are mapped and described using panchromatic aerial photograph flown in 1954 and 1971. Using the sequential photography, land-use changes are identified and described. In order to evaluate the hypothesis that the land-use changes are related to the study area's physical environment, a numerical analysis is performed. Statistical tests indicate a strong relationship between the land classification and the types of land-use change. The research results concur with previous observations in physically similar areas. </p> / Thesis / Bachelor of Arts (BA)

This study analyses the technological change in the aggregate tea sector of Sri Lanka, by contributing to an understanding of total factor productivity change with assessment of the extent and nature of such changes from 1960/61 to 1994/95. The total factor productivity measures are then used to define a conceptually sound measure of the production cost of land degradation, providing insight into the scarcity of soil in the tea sector. Total factor productivity in the tea sector, increased at an estimated annual rate of 1.82 percent during the study period. This resulted from an estimated annual rate of increase of 0.01 percent in total output and a considerably larger rate of 1.81 percent annual decrease in total input. Thus, the reason for total factor productivity growth was largely due to cost savings associated with decreased use of inputs rather than increased output. Land and capital inputs showed significant negative growth trends, confirming a lack of long-term investment in the tea sector. As expected, all the partial factor productivities showed increases over the study period due to lower use of those individual inputs; the most significant changes occurring in the partial productivities of land and capital inputs. The terms of trade and the returns to costs ratio, exhibited an annual rate of decrease of around 3.7 percent and 1.9 percent, respectively. The producer terms of trade growth rate of -3.7 percent, has been brought about by an estimated annual rate of increase in prices received of 10.6 percent compared with an increase of 14.3 percent in prices paid. The Sri Lankan tea industry, once pre-eminent in the world, has been going through intermittent crises for a long time due to problems related to low productivity and the high cost of production. The management of the nationalised plantations proved inadequate to meet the task of adjusting to the new challenges of raising productivity and remaining competitive. The contribution of the tea industry to the economy declined. Among other causes, stagnating crop productivity was found to be an important factor. Land degradation in the form of soil erosion, was found to be a serious problem for the entire tea sector. Careless and ecologically unbalanced agricultural practices, have over the years, led to varying degrees of degradation of the tea soils. However, these physical measures of land degradation do not necessarily reveal an economic or social problem. In the second part of the study, an attempt is made to quantify the impact that land degradation has on tea production. Based on the theoretical relationship of the impact of technological progress and land degradation on tea production, a regression model was fitted to deconstruct the total factor productivity variable. The objective of this approach is to find an economic value for land degradation by quantifying the extent of this impact on aggregate tea production in Sri Lanka. One of the key points to come out of this estimation exercise, is the difficulty of isolating the impact of individual factors on measured total factor productivity. On the basis of available data and the chosen model, it could be concluded that the impact of technological progress has outweighed the negative effect of land degradation in the tea sector, over the study period. Considering the fact that investment in tea research is mainly on developing varieties of vegetatively propagated clonal tea, and the associated very long gestation periods involved, a much larger lag length of the order of 25-35 years is recommended for the research investment variable, to enable calculation of the marginal internal rate of return to public investment in tea. Importantly, a larger set of data will become available over the next decade or so which will enable appropriate lags to be incorporated in future research on productivity in the tea industry.

The focus of the thesis is a critique of the form and function of the federal institutions governing the development of Rural Australia. In undertaking this study two cycles of a systemic action research were followed, the first to explore the policy development environment and the second to validate and expand on findings of the first cycle of enquiry. The thesis follows the historical development of policy institutions and the deliberations of poicy actors that have lead to normative, strategic and program change within these institutions. These institutional changes have then been critiqued from theoretical perspective of governance for sustainable development. Conclusions from this critique indicate that that the pace of policy change is very slow and after 20 years from the Rural Policy green paper of 1974 the federal institutions have taken on board a rhetoric of sustainable rural development that encapsulates much of the principles espoused in the Green Paper.This includes principles that aim to empower rural communities to find local solutions to their natural resource management and local economic development problems. The downside is found in institutional conflict over resource dependencies and spheres of responsibility and an apparent lack of community economic development facilitation skills within the service organisations of rural institutions. / Master of Science (Hons)

This report outlines research into the impact of subdivision on agriculture, and agricultural land resources, and its regional socio-economic importance. The research was centred on three NSW Local Government Areas(LGAs), two in the western peri-urban fringe of Sydney (Hawkesbury City and Wollondilly Shire), and one in Central Western NSW (Mudgee Shire), where small farms development during the 1970s resulted in considerable subdivision in some Shire areas. Determination of current agricultural land use was central to the research, and was accomplished by a combination of Landsat TM satellite image interpretation for each shire using FarmImage software, validated by extensive ground analysis. 1996 land use was mapped for each LGA in a Geographical Information System(GIS)(MapInfo),and area of each land use category calculated by export of resultant MapInfo files to a spreadsheet (MSExcel).The implications of the research for the future of Agriculture in each LGA are discussed in the context of recent changes in State government policy, urban encroachment and specific industry outlook. / Master of Science (Hons)