Urbanization, changing forest landowner values, and restructuring forest industry are creating challenges for the active management of small parcels of forestland. Many traditional service providers are reluctant to service small acreage parcels due to economies of scale, shrinking profit margins for unprocessed stumpage, and changing landowner expectations. They do not understand traditional forestry operations and do not know where to look for service providers. A gap in our nation's forest system has emerged. A new market opportunity exists for service providers willing to work with small-scale forest landowners. In this study, over sixty forest service providers working with small acreage or amenity oriented clients were interviewed to determine how their business is structured, how they charge for the services they provide, what reactions they get from their clients, and how successful they perceive themselves to be. Informants came from a wide variety of professional backgrounds, including forestry, logging, arboriculture, landscaping, and woodworking. In addition, about 20 public-forest professionals were interviewed to determine how they and their programs are changing in response to emerging conditions. Successful service providers generally charge by some measure of time and materials rather than by commission. They exhibit a willingness to diversify their business to offer a bundle of services, and to cooperate with professionals in related industries. Value-added processing and creative marketing assist service providers in achieving a profit from small-scale tracts with traditionally low-value products. Lessons learned from these early adopters will assist other service providers interested in working with small acreage private landowners. / Master of Science

The number of Swedish fishers has been in decline for many years. In 1930, there were almost 18000 fishing vessels in Sweden. The same number in 2022 was just under 1000. Along the Swedish northern Baltic coast, there are now 243 active vessels, compared to 1279 vessels in 1970. Apart from declining fish stocks, it is likely that other societal, cultural, economic, and ecological factors have affected the decline in the number of fishers. In particular, small-scale fishers in the area have expressed concerns about the result and goals of national and international fishing policy. The aim of this thesis is to investigate how national and international policy have contributed to the decline of small-scale fisheries along the Swedish northern Baltic coast between the 1970s and today. In the 1970s, Swedish fishing policy underwent a major change in focus, shifting towards an economic approach where efficiency and catch size played an important role. By comparing interviews conducted with small-scale fishers and families in Västernorrland during the 1970s to interviews conducted with active small-scale fishers today, the fisher’s perspective of what factors have been driving the development, the effects of policy for small-scale fisheries as well as the biggest differences between the past and current situation will be shown. The results highlight a strong decline in the number of fishers and vessels, a declining belief in the future, declining herring stocks and a declining trust in authorities among the fishers. This can in many ways be seen as a result of Sweden’s long history of capacity enhancing fishing policy, as well as the general development the Swedish northern Baltic region has undergone in the past 60 years. The results underline the importance of policy for the development of both small- and large-scale fisheries. The results of this thesis can be used to better understand the effects Swedish and European fishing policy have had on the development of Swedish northern Baltic small-scale fisheries from the fisher’s perspective. This can be useful to develop new policies that aim to preserve and strengthen the position of the small-scale fisheries.

As climate change continues to increase global temperatures and change precipitation patterns, water systems have come under increased pressure, especially from the agricultural sector. These climate effects on agricultural systems have been found to be much greater for small-scale producers and small-island developing nations. As such, the Dominican Republic, a Caribbean island nation with a deep agricultural culture dominated by small-scale farms is especially vulnerable. As a result, there has been a global call to promote more precise and efficient irrigation practices, such as drip irrigation systems, however, these systems most often require an external energy source. With one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas being energy production, renewable energy should be used to truly have a sustainable irrigation system. Solar-powered drip irrigation systems (SDIS) have been heavily researched and been found to be technically feasible and economically viable, however, the techno-economically optimal configuration is highly dependent on the context in which they are applied. Therefore, this thesis aims to research and present a techno-economically optimal design methodology for SDISs for small-scale Dominican farms. To do so, firstly an in-depth literature review and market analysis were conducted where it was found that a fixed PV array coupled with an AC-powered, variable speed pump should be used. Additionally, the exact pump should be chosen from those locally available that best match the drip irrigation system head and flow rate characteristics. However, the literature pointed to no clear conclusion regarding if and what type of energy storage is best for SDIS. Thus, using the case study of a 1, 2, and 3 ha plot of plantains at Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal (CEBIVE) located on the outskirts of Santo Domingo, the minimum-sized feasible configuration options for a direct-driven SDIS (no storage) along with a battery bank and an elevated water tank were found. These configurations were sized using developed algorithms in Python that used hourly historical weather data from 2010 through 2023 and compared according to their respective net present costs (NPC) over 25 years and initial investment costs. Overall, it was found that for a 2 and 3-ha farm plot size, a direct-driven system was techno-economically optimal. Meanwhile, for a 1 ha farm plot, although the direct-driven system minimizes the SDIS systems NPC, the initial investment cost was found to be minimal for one of the feasible battery configurations (2 350W PV panels plus 1 kWh of lithium-ion battery capacity). In this case, the NPC of the battery configuration was 36.8% more than the direct-drive system, however the initial investment cost was 15.7% less. Ultimately, the use of direct drive versus a lithium-ion battery bank in an SDIS system for Dominican farms under 1 ha depends on the available capital resources of the farmer and whether they are able to put up sufficient initial capital or would rather pay less upfront and more over time. Noting that the sizing of the feasible SDIS configuration was conducted using historical weather data and climate change is expected to increase temperatures and change precipitation patterns in the future, a sensitivity analysis was conducted to gauge the impact of using historical data on the drawn conclusions. The analysis found that the decision as to what type of energy storage to use in an SDIS is not affected by accounting for climate change. However, using historical data to size an SDIS affected by climate change would likely result in an undersized system, given the predicted lifespan of 25 years of such a system. As such, additional research is needed to properly account for climate change effects in proper sizing techniques for SDIS systems for the Dominican Republic. Furthermore, future research should be focused on determining for larger Dominican farms whether multiple small-scale SDIS systems studied in this research or a large SDIS system should be implemented and whether such a system has a different techno-economical design. / När klimatförändringarna fortsätter att öka de globala temperaturerna och förändra nederbördsmönstren, har vattensystemen hamnat under ökat tryck, särskilt från jordbrukssektorn. Dessa klimateffekter på jordbrukssystem har visat sig vara mycket större för småskaliga producenter och små ö-nationer i utveckling. Som sådan är Dominikanska republiken, en karibisk ö-nation med en djup jordbrukskultur dominerad av småskaliga gårdar, särskilt sårbar. Som ett resultat har det funnits en global uppmaning att främja mer precisa och effektiva bevattningsmetoder, såsom droppbevattningssystem. Dock kräver dessa system oftast en extern energikälla. Eftersom energiproduktionen är en av de största bidragsgivarna till växthusgaser, bör förnybar energi användas för att verkligen ha ett hållbart bevattningssystem. Solkraftdrivna droppbevattningssystem (SDIS) har undersökts grundligt och visat sig vara tekniskt genomförbara och ekonomiskt lönsamma, men den tecno-ekonomiskt optimala konfigurationen är starkt beroende av sammanhanget där de tillämpas. Därför syftar denna avhandling till att undersöka och presentera en tecno-ekonomiskt optimal designmetod för SDIS för småskaliga dominikanska gårdar. För att göra detta genomfördes först en djupgående litteraturöversikt och marknadsanalys där det konstaterades att en fast PV-matris kopplad till en AC-driven variabel hastighetspump bör användas. Dessutom bör den exakta pumpen väljas från de lokalt tillgängliga som bäst matchar droppbevattningssystemets huvud- och flödesegenskaper. Dock pekade litteraturen inte på någon tydlig slutsats om ifall och vilken typ av energilagring som är bäst för SDIS. Därför, med hjälp av en fallstudie av en 1, 2 och 3 hektar stor platanodling vid Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal (CEBIVE) beläget i utkanten av Santo Domingo, fann man de minimistorlekar för möjliga konfigurationsalternativ för ett direktdrivet SDIS (utan lagring) tillsammans med ett batteripaket och en upphöjd vattentank. Dessa konfigurationer dimensionerades med hjälp av utvecklade algoritmer i Python som använde timvisa historiska väderdata från 2010 till 2023 och jämfördes enligt deras respektive nuvärdeskostnader (NPC) över 25 år och initiala investeringskostnader. Totalt sett fann man att för en gårdsplott på 2 och 3 hektar var ett direktdrivet system tecno-ekonomiskt optimalt. Samtidigt, för en gårdsplott på 1 hektar, även om det direktdrivna systemet minimerar SDIS-systemets NPC, fann man att den initiala investeringskostnaden var minimal för en av de möjliga batterikonfigurationerna (2 350W PV-paneler plus 1 kWh litiumjonbatterikapacitet). I detta fall var NPC för batterikonfigurationen 36,8% mer än det direktdrivna systemet, men den initiala investeringskostnaden var 15,7% mindre. I slutändan beror användningen av direktdrift jämfört med ett litiumjonbatteripaket i ett SDIS-system för dominikanska gårdar under 1 hektar på de tillgängliga kapitalresurserna hos jordbrukaren och om de kan ställa upp tillräckligt initialt kapital eller föredrar att betala mindre i början och mer över tid. Med tanke på att dimensioneringen av den genomförbara SDIS-konfigurationen genomfördes med hjälp av historiska väderdata och att klimatförändringar förväntas öka temperaturerna och förändra nederbördsmönstren i framtiden, genomfördes en känslighetsanalys för att bedöma effekten av att använda historiska data på de dragna slutsatserna. Denna analys visade att beslutet om ifall och vilken typ av energilagring som ska användas i ett SDIS inte påverkades, men att använda historiska data för att  dimensionera ett SDIS skulle troligen resultera i ett underdimensionerat system med tanke på livslängden på 25 år. Därför behövs ytterligare forskning för att korrekt ta hänsyn till klimatförändringseffekter i lämpliga dimensioneringstekniker för SDIS-system för Dominikanska republiken. Dessutom bör framtida forskning fokusera på att avgöra om för större dominikanska gårdar flera småskaliga SDIS-system som studerats i denna forskning eller ett stort SDIS-system bör implementeras och om ett sådant system har en annan tecno-ekonomisk design. / A medida que el cambio climático continúa aumentando las temperaturas globales y alterando los patrones de precipitación, los sistemas hídricos han estado bajo una mayor presión, especialmente desde el sector agrícola. Se ha encontrado que estos efectos climáticos en los sistemas agrícolas son mucho mayores para los pequeños productores y las naciones insulares en desarrollo. Por lo tanto, la República Dominicana, una nación insular del Caribe con una profunda cultura agrícola dominada por pequeñas fincas, es especialmente vulnerable. Como resultado, ha habido un llamado global para promover prácticas de riego más precisas y eficientes, como los sistemas de riego por goteo, sin embargo, estos sistemas a menudo requieren una fuente de energía externa. Siendo la producción de energía una de las mayores contribuyentes a los gases de efecto invernadero, se debe utilizar energía renovable para tener un sistema de riego verdaderamente sostenible. Los sistemas de riego por goteo alimentados por energía solar (SDIS) han sido ampliamente investigados y se ha encontrado que son técnicamente factibles y económicamente viables, sin embargo, la configuración óptima desde el punto de vista tecno-económico depende en gran medida del contexto en el que se aplican. Por lo tanto, esta tesis tiene como objetivo investigar y presentar una metodología de diseño tecno-económicamente óptima para SDIS en pequeñas fincas dominicanas. Para hacerlo, primero se realizó una revisión exhaustiva de la literatura y un análisis de mercado donde se encontró que se debería utilizar una matriz fotovoltaica fija acoplada con una bomba de velocidad variable alimentada por corriente alterna. Además, la bomba exacta debe ser elegida entre las disponibles localmente que mejor se adapten a las características de la cabeza y el caudal del sistema de riego por goteo. Sin embargo, la literatura no señaló una conclusión clara sobre sí y qué tipo de almacenamiento de energía es mejor para SDIS. Por lo tanto, utilizando el estudio de caso de una parcela de 1, 2 y 3 hectáreas de plátanos en el Centro de Biotecnología Vegetal (CEBIVE) ubicado en las afueras de Santo Domingo, se encontraron las opciones de configuración mínima viable para un SDIS de accionamiento directo (sin almacenamiento) junto con un banco de baterías y un tanque de agua elevado. Estas configuraciones fueron dimensionadas utilizando algoritmos desarrollados en Python que utilizaron datos meteorológicos históricos por hora desde 2010 hasta 2023 y se compararon según sus respectivos costos netos presentes (CNP) durante 25 años y los costos de inversión inicial. En general, se encontró que para una parcela de 2 y 3 hectáreas, un sistema de accionamiento directo era tecno-económicamente óptimo. Mientras tanto, para una parcela de 1 hectárea, aunque el sistema de accionamiento directo minimiza el CNP de los sistemas SDIS, se encontró que el costo de inversión inicial era mínimo para una de las configuraciones de batería viables (2 paneles fotovoltaicos de 350W más 1 kWh de capacidad de batería de iones de litio). En este caso, el CNP de la configuración de la batería era 36.8% más que el sistema de accionamiento directo, sin embargo, el costo de inversión inicial era 15.7% menos. En última instancia, el uso de un sistema de accionamiento directo frente a un banco de baterías de iones de litio en un sistema SDIS para fincas dominicanas de menos de 1 hectárea depende de los recursos de capital disponibles del agricultor y si pueden aportar suficiente capital inicial o prefieren pagar menos al principio y más con el tiempo. Teniendo en cuenta que el dimensionamiento de la configuración viable de SDIS se realizó utilizando datos meteorológicos históricos, y pronosticando que el cambio climático aumente las temperaturas y cambie los patrones de precipitación en el futuro, se realizó un análisis de sensibilidad para evaluar el impacto de utilizar datos históricos en las conclusiones obtenidas. Este análisis concluyó que la decisión sobre qué tipo de almacenamiento de energía utilizar en un SDIS no se ve afectada por el cambio climático. Sin embargo, el uso de datos históricos para dimensionar un SDIS afectado por el cambio climático probablemente daría lugar a un sistema subdimensionado, dada la vida útil prevista de 25 años de dicho sistema. Por lo tanto, es necesario seguir investigando para tener en cuenta los efectos del cambio climático en las técnicas de dimensionamiento de los sistemas SDIS en la República Dominicana. Además, la investigación futura debería centrarse en determinar, para las fincas dominicanas de mayor tamaño, si deberían implantarse múltiples sistemas SDIS a pequeña escala estudiados en esta investigación o un gran sistema SDIS, y si dicho sistema tiene un diseño tecno-económico diferente.

Noise and vibration transmitted through the tire and suspension system are strong indicators of overall vehicle ride quality. Often, during the tire design process, target specifications are used to achieve the desired ride performance. To validate the design, subjective evaluations are performed by expert drivers. These evaluations are usually done on a test track and are both quite expensive and time consuming due to the several experimental sets of tires that must be manufactured, installed, and then tested on the target vehicle. In order to evaluate the performance, expert drivers tune themselves to the frequency response of the tire/vehicle combination. Provided the right models exist, this evaluation can also be achieved in a laboratory. The research presented here is a method which utilizes the principles of frequency based substructuring (FBS) to separate or combine frequency response data for the tire and suspension. This method allows for the possibility of combining high fidelity tire models with analytical or experimental suspension data in order to obtain an overall response of the combined system without requiring an experimental setup or comprehensive simulations. Though high fidelity models are not combined with experimental data in the present work, these coupling/decoupling techniques are applied independently to several quarter car models of varying complexity and to experimental data. These models range from a simplified spring-mass model to a generalized 3D model including rotation. Further, decoupling techniques were applied to simulations of a rigid ring tire model, which allows for inclusion of nonlinearities present in the tire subsystem and provides meaningful information for a loaded tire. By reducing the need for time consuming simulations and experiments, this research has the potential to significantly reduce the time and cost associated with tire design for ride performance. In order to validate the process experimentally, a small-scale quarter car test rig was developed. This novel setup was specifically designed for the challenges associated with the testing necessary to apply FBS techniques to the tire and suspension systems. The small-scale quarter car system was then used to validate both the models and the testing processes unique to this application. By validating the coupling/decoupling process for the first time on the tire/vehicle system with experimental data, this research can potentially improve the current process of tire design for ride performance. / Ph. D. / Noise and vibration transmitted through the tire and suspension system of a vehicle strongly influence the comfort of passengers. Often, during the tire design process, target specifications are used to achieve the desired vibrational characteristics. Subjective evaluations are then performed by expert drivers in order to validate the tire design. These evaluations are usually done on a test track and are both quite expensive and time consuming due to the several experimental sets of tires that must be manufactured, installed, then tested on the target vehicle. The research presented here utilizes techniques from the field of Dynamic Substructuring which allow frequency data for the tire and suspension systems to be separated or combined. This method allows for the possibility of combining high fidelity tire models with analytical or experimental suspension data in order to obtain an overall response of the combined system without requiring an experimental setup or comprehensive simulations. Several analytical tire and suspension models were developed for this work and the process of separating/combining the frequency data was performed. Then, a small scale test system was developed and used to establish experimental procedures to collect the data necessary to carry out the Dynamic Substructuring techniques. Finally, the process was validated by repeating the process of separating/combing the frequency properties of the experimental data.

This thesis presents a first analysis of how the South African fisheries authority (MCM) has utilised its fisheries management toolbox and governance framework in response to the emerging biological, economic and social challenges of post-apartheid fisheries in the Eastern Cape Province. Despite recognition of the socio-economic circumstances of traditional subsistence fishers in the region, the national fisheries management authority implemented a 'target resource orientated' management approach similar to that used for South Africa's rights-based commercial fisheries. Anecdotal evidence of entrenched illegal fishing for abalone, spiny lobster, and species targeted by subsistence fishers however suggested that MCM's management approach was encountering serious problems, as the needs and circumstances of inshore fishers and fishing communities were not adequately being understood and addressed. A review of fisheries management literature therefore shaped the hypothesis that an underlying governance problem was responsible for the symptoms of management failure being observed. In this regard, management is seen as more concerned with the technical and regulatory measures of the day-to-day operations of regulated fisheries, while fisheries governance needs to take account of "the sum of legal, social, economic and political arrangements used to manage fisheries ... ". Thus, governance includes policy making and management decision-making, with simultaneous recognition of issues outside of the fisheries sector. It thus appeared that the underlying problem was rather one of broader fisheries governance and inappropriate governance objectives with consequent inappropriate resource management arrangements. This thesis set out to gather evidence to test this hypothesis.

Thesis (MScEng (Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / This paper describes a MEng thesis project for a MEng in Renewable Energy Systems program at the Centre for Renewable Energy Studies at the University of Stellenbosch, South Africa. The aim of this paper was to offer to SAB (South African Breweries), in Cape Town, a feasibility study for the possibilities of the usage of wind energy on site. The small scale wind power technology has a long history and has been in South Africa for more than a hundred years in the form of water pump wind mills. All wind mills have an absolute maximum power output defined by the Betz limit. The choice of a wind turbine depends not only on this, but also on the wind speed distribution, the power curve, the location and financing. The small scale turbines have many different design which are predominantly grouped in horizontal axis (HAWT) and vertical axis (VAWT) machines. The choice of turbine for SAB depends on the available wind energy, the available budget, the available space and the application. The aim of the measurements on site was threefold; find a correlation with existing weather stations in the area like at Cape Town International Airport, propose a turbine for SAB’s budget and research the possibility for installing the turbine on one of the buildings. This is also known as building integrated wind turbines. Wind speeds can increase over buildings due to venturi effects and it could therefore be viable to locate these acceleration zones and install a turbine there. The data analysis shows that the wind above the brewery is very well correlated with the wind at the airport. We can therefore use the average speed values of this station to predict average power production. This leads to the proposal of a 1kW or 3kW turbine from a South African manufacturer: Kestrel. Building integration is however not a good idea. The wind is too turbulent and can therefore not be used. This is mainly caused by the fact that the surroundings of the brewery are too high and irregularly shaped. This makes it difficult for the wind to “lower” in between the buildings and accelerate. The wind turbine for SAB is proposed to be installed on the highest point of the roof and based on the neighbouring average wind speed values. The wind turbine should be connected directly to the brewery’s grid with an inverter and would then solely function as an energy saver. Another important aspect is the promotional value in the energy efficiency strategy of SAB. / Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies

Forests are more than a stand of trees in the landscape. They represent a complex, functional system of interacting and often interdependent biological, physical and chemical components (Kimmins 1997). In the past, complex interactions were increasingly recognized over time as food webs, abiotic processes and biotic feedbacks since then defined as the forest ecosystem. Trees grow in a world of multitrophic interactions (van der Putten et al. 2001). One component of this functional system is represented in several aspects by spiders and insects, as they contribute considerably to the biodiversity and ecosystem functioning in forest habitats (Watt et al. 1997). There is knowledge on the community composition of several forests of different stand type or tree species composition referring to soil dwelling arthropods. Moreover, studies often highlight the orientation of single arthropod species on abiotic factors or the composition of species assemblages in case studies; these represent ecologically well described groups that can be used as indicators of habitat quality (Pearce and Venier 2006; Cardoso et al. 2004). Evidence on the scale of interactions between the species and their environment are rare. This applies particularly to examples based on fine spatial and temporal scales.

Thesis (MPhil (Sustainable Development Planning and Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / The main aims of this thesis were to assess the sustainability of the original Green Revolution (GR) farming methods for small-scale farmers in developing countries, to identify alternative farming methods which may be more sustainable and to comment on the New GR for Africa, currently being promoted by the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA). A key element of the thesis was primary research done in India, in order to gather the experience of selected small-scale farmers in that country who had converted from GR to low-external input farming methods. The experience of the farmers in India was used to highlight points made in the thesis. Both primary and secondary data were used to inform the study. Firstly, a literature review was conducted in order to assess the original GR, identify alternative farming methods and gather information on the New GR for Africa. In order to assess sustainability, a framework was developed which defined sustainability at a global level and also at the level of the individual small-scale farmer. This framework was based on a discussion of sustainable development and the sustainable livelihoods approach. Key elements of GR and alternative farming methods were identified and assessed according to this framework. Secondly, primary data was gathered in India from a group of small-scale farmers who had taken part in a programme by a nongovernmental organisation called Dharamitra. The data was collected through semistructured interviews and participant observation techniques. This data was used in order to illustrate points made in the literature review. The study concluded that many elements of farming methods from the original GR are unsustainable, both globally and at the level of the small-scale farmer. The main findings were that GR farming methods caused damage to the environment and in particular made small-scale farmers reliant on external inputs. Alternative farming methods which used organic and low external input approaches were found to enhance and preserve the environment, while at the same time being more affordable for small-scale farmers. The experience of the farmers interviewed in India confirmed these findings and provided a useful illustration of concepts presented from the literature review. Lastly, the New GR for Africa was found to present elements of the original GR which are unsustainable for small-scale farmers, especially in terms of the reliance that would be created on external inputs. The study concluded with recommendations around the need to promote farming methods to small-scale farmers which promote better care of the environment and are better able to promote sustainable livelihoods, namely organic or low external input methods. Recommendations were also made regarding the need for further research into the influence of AGRA’s policies and documentation of sustainable farming practices in Africa.

Over the last two decades, implementation of membrane bioreactors (MBRs) has increased due to their superior effluent quality and low plant footprint. However, they are still viewed as a high-cost option, both with regards to capital and operating expenditure (capex and opex). The present thesis extends the understanding of the impact of design and operational parameters of membrane bioreactors on energy demand, and ultimately whole life cost. A simple heuristic aeration model based on a general algorithm for flux vs. aeration shows the benefits of adjusting the membrane aeration intensity to the hydraulic load. It is experimentally demonstrated that a lower aeration demand is required for sustainable operation when comparing 10:30 to continuous aeration, with associated energy savings of up to 75%, without being penalised in terms of the fouling rate. The applicability of activated sludge modelling (ASM) to MBRs is verified on a community-scale MBR, resulting in accurate predictions of the dynamic nutrient profile. Lastly, a methodology is proposed to optimise the energy consumption by linking the biological model with empirical correlations for energy demand, taking into account of the impact of high MLSS concentrations on oxygen transfer. The determining factors for costing of MBRs differ significantly depending on the size of the plant. Operational cost reduction in small MBRs relies on process robustness with minimal manual intervention to suppress labour costs, while energy consumption, mainly for aeration, is the major contributor to opex for a large MBR. A cost sensitivity analysis shows that other main factors influencing the cost of a large MBR, both in terms of capex and opex, are membrane costs and replacement interval, future trends in energy prices, sustainable flux, and the average plant utilisation which depends on the amount of contingency built in to cope with changes in the feed flow.

To support the continuously increasing number of mobile telephone users around the world, mobile communication systems have become more advanced and sophisticated in their designs. As a result of the great success with the second generation mobile radio networks, deployment of the third and development of fourth generations, the demand for higher data rates to support available services, such as internet connection, video telephony and personal navigation systems, is ever growing. To be able to meet the requirements regarding bandwidth and number of users, enhancements of existing systems and introductions of conceptually new technologies and techniques have been researched and developed. Although new proposed technologies in theory provide increased network capacity, the backbone of a successful roll-out of a mobile telephone system is inevitably the planning of the network’s cellular structure. Hence, the fundamental aspect to a reliable cellular planning is the knowledge about the physical radio channel for wide sets of different propagation scenarios. Therefore, to study radio wave propagation in typical Australian environments, the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and the Australian Telecommunications Cooperative Research Centre (ATcrc) in collaboration developed a cellular code division multiple access (CDMA) pilot scanner. The pilot scanner measurement equipment enables for radio wave propagation measurements in available commercial CDMA mobile radio networks, which in Australia are usually deployed for extensive rural areas. Over time, the collected measurement data has been used to characterise many different types of mobile radio environments and some of the results are presented in this thesis. The thesis is divided into an introduction section and four parts based on peer-reviewed international research publications. The introduction section presents the reader with some relevant background on channel and propagation modelling. Also, the CDMA scanner measurement system that was developed in parallel with the research results founding this thesis is presented. The first part presents work on the evaluation and development of the different revisions of the Recommendation ITU-R P.1546 point-to-area radio wave propagation prediction model. In particular, the modified application of the terrain clearance angle (TCA) and the calculation method of the effective antenna height are scrutinized. In the second part, the correlation between the smallscale fading characteristics, described by the Ricean K-factor, and the vegetation density in the vicinity of the mobile receiving antenna is investigated. The third part presents an artificial neural network (ANN) based technique incorporated to predict path loss in rural macrocell environments. Obtained results, such as prediction accuracy and training time, are presented for different sized ANNs and different training approaches. Finally, the fourth part proposes an extension of the path loss ANN enabling the model to also predict small-scale fading characteristics.