Os reservatórios urbanos estão suscetíveis a uma variedade de interferências antropogênicas que acarretam grande variabilidade espacial e temporal. Contudo, possuem uma dinâmica própria na qual o hidroclima e micro e macro-eventos meteorológicos atuam sobre os processos físicos, químicos e biológicos resultando em respostas particulares de cada corpo de água. No presente estudo a existência de padrões espaciais e temporais na formação de florescimentos de algas, cianobactérias e macrófitas no reservatório Guarapiranga, São Paulo, SP, foi avaliada por meio de experimento de curta escala de tempo durante o evento da entrada de uma frente fria. Foram amostrados 64 pontos em todo o reservatório, e o estudo intensivo de florescimento algal e de cianobactérias em dois ciclos nictemerais, em um ponto selecionado no reservatório. Um modelo tridimensional de hidrodinâmica foi aplicado ao estudo compartimentalizado dos tempos de residência e imagens de satélite foram analisadas para determinação de padrões temporais e espaciais durante períodos de tempo mais amplos. Os resultados revelaram que os períodos mais favoráveis ao surgimento de florescimentos de cianobactérias são geralmente os meses mais quentes, de dezembro e janeiro, ou aqueles em que ocorrem estratificações mais fortes como no fim do inverno, em julho, e após as primeiras chuvas nos meses de setembro e outubro. Existem padrões espaciais recorrentes na formação dos florescimentos, controlados em grande parte pela ação do vento, que no reservatório Guarapiranga é predominantemente nas direções leste e sudeste empurrando os florescimentos na direção da foz dos tributários Embu Mirim e Embu Guaçu e ocasionalmente na direção da foz do rio Parelheiros. As simulações hidrodinâmicas evidenciam as forçantes que determinam os padrões observados e reforçam a importância de se discretizarem os tempos de residência de diferentes compartimentos do reservatório. As séries temporais amplas permitiram a determinação da qualidade da água em cada região e fornecem subsídios para o futuro manejo do reservatório. Como esse comportamento não se restringe ao reservatório Guarapiranga, o tipo de modelagem aqui utilizada pode ser útil para obter informações importantes no processo de planejamento e seleção de medidas para o gerenciamento de reservatórios urbanos tropicais polimíticos, em geral. / Urban reservoirs are susceptible to a variety of anthropogenic interferences, that leads to large spatial and temporal variability, however they have themselves a proper dynamics in which the hydroclimate and micro and macro meteorological events act upon physical, chemical and biological processes, resulting in a singular signature for each water body. In the present study the existence of spatial and temporal patterns for the formation of algal, cyanobacterial and macrophyte blooms in Guarapiranga Reservoir, São Paulo, SP, was evaluated by means of a short-time scale experiment during the event of a cold front passage. Sampling was carried out in 64 points in the whole reservoir and the intensive study of an algal and cyanobacterial during two nictemeral cycles, at a selected point in the reservoir. A tri-dimensional hydrodynamics model was applied to the study of discrete residence time of the main reservoir tributaries. Satellite images and long term data sets were analyzed aiming to determine spatial and temporal patterns at long time scale. The results obtained have shown that the most favorable periods for algal and cyanobacterial blooms are usually the hottest months, December and January, or those with stronger thermal stratification at the end of the winter in July and after the first rains in September and October months. There are recurrent spatial patterns in the formation of blooms, largely controlled by wind action, that in Guarapiranga Reservoir are predominantly from East and Southeast directions frequently pushing the blooms towards Embu Mirim and Embu Guaçu tributaries and occasionally towards Parelheiros River mouth. Hydrodynamic simulations evidenced the forcing functions that control the observed patterns and reinforced the importance of residence time discretization according to each main reservoir compartment. The temporal data series allowed to assess each compartment water quality and provided information for future reservoir management. Considering that the patterns found are not restricted to Guarapiranga Reservoir, the type of model here used could be useful to get relevant information to be used in the planning or selection of management actions for tropical polymictic urban reservoirs in general.

O trabalho trata da avaliação da qualidade da produção do Programa Minha Casa Minha Vida na Região Metropolitana de Porto Alegre, na busca de subsídios para a produção da habitação social. Primeiramente, foi investigado se existem padrões espaciais de localização diferenciados para as Faixas de renda 1, 2 e 3, que poderiam gerar diferentes níveis de integração do conjunto no tecido urbano consolidado. A partir da identificação dos padrões espaciais de localização, foi verificada a existência de relação desses padrões com as diretrizes da política urbana em nível local, expressas através da regulação urbanística, propiciando localizações mais adequadas para a habitação de interesse social. Ainda, teve o objetivo de averiguar se o modelo de cidade (estrutura do espaço urbano) que está sendo produzido pelo Programa MCMV na RMPA apresentou avanços em relação à produção habitacional do BNH (Banco Nacional de Habitação), no tocante aos padrões espaciais de localização dos empreendimentos. A seguir, foram analisados se os padrões espaciais de localização geram impactos sobre as condições de mobilidade e de acesso a oportunidades de desenvolvimento humano e econômico e afetam os níveis de satisfação dos moradores com o desempenho dos conjuntos. Os procedimentos metodológicos adotados incluem múltiplos métodos de coleta de dados e análises que possibilitaram complementariedade entre os dados obtidos através de levantamento de arquivo, levantamento físico e aplicação de questionários. A análise estatística dos dados quantitativos foi realizada através da verificação das frequências e realização de testes não-paramétricos, como Kruskal-Wallis e Spearman. Foi utilizada a análise sintática para medir os níveis de integração. Os resultados obtidos confirmam que a produção do Programa Minha Casa Minha Vida apresenta um padrão espacial de localização, especialmente para a Faixa 1, com empreendimentos de médio e grande porte, distantes do centro urbano consolidado e segregados do entorno. As localizações dos empreendimentos da Faixas 2 e 3 são bastante similares, porém um pouco melhores do que as localizações dos empreendimentos da Faixa 1, que tendem promover diferentes níveis de satisfação com o desempenho dos conjuntos e diferentes impactos sobre a qualidade de vida dos moradores. Finalmente, é possível concluir que o padrão de localização dos empreendimentos do Programa MCMV na Região Metropolitana de Porto Alegre parece não apresentar avanços em relação à produção habitacional do BNH e é ressaltada a importância de avaliar os impactos da localização de conjuntos habitacionais na satisfação geral dos moradores, na busca da produção de espaços residenciais qualificados que contribuam para a sustentabilidade urbana. / The study deals with quality evaluation of the housing program “Minha Casa Minha Vida” (MCMV) implemented in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre, in order to subsidize the social housing production. Firstly, it aimed at investigate if there are different patterns of spatial location according to income groups 1, 2 and 3, which might generate different levels of integration of the housing scheme in the consolidated urban grid. Secondly, it was verified whether the location patterns are related to urban legislation at local level, incorporated in the urban regulation and resulting in locations that are more appropriate to social housing production. Moreover, it was intended to explore if the structure of the urban space produced by the Program MCMV in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre showed improvements in relation to social housing produced by the National Housing Bank (BNH), considering spatial patterns of location of the housing schemes. Following, the patterns of spatial location were analyzed in order to test their impacts on the conditions of mobility and access to human and economic development opportunities that affect the level of resident satisfaction with the performance of housing schemes. Methodological procedures included multiple methods of data collection and analysis which enabled complementarities between the data obtained through archive information, physical measurements and questionnaires. The statistical analysis of quantitative data was carried out by means of frequencies and non-parametric tests such as Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman correlations. Spatial syntax analysis was used in order to measure levels of integration. Results confirm the existence of patterns of location, especially for the lowest income group, with large and medium size housing schemes distant from the consolidated urban area and segregated from its surroundings. The location of housing schemes for income groups 2 and 3 are similar, but slightly better than the locations of housing schemes for income group 1, which tend to promote different levels of resident satisfaction with the performance of the housing schemes and different impacts on their quality of life. Finally, it was possible to conclude that the patterns of location of the housing schemes produced in the Program MCMV in the Metropolitan Region of Porto Alegre did not improve in relation to social housing produced by the National Housing Bank (BNH) and highlights the importance of assessing the impacts of location of housing schemes on the overall residents satisfaction, in order to produce more qualified residential spaces that promote urban sustainability.

O conceito de ‘ecossistema’ emergiu da necessidade de compreender o caráter extremamente dinâmico da vegetação, interpretado a partir daí como o resultado da interação recíproca entre um dado complexo de organismos e seu conjunto amplo de fatores do ambiente físico. Um ramo das ciências ecológicas desenvolveu-se desse conceito, visando examinar o resultado de tais interações em termos de fluxos de energia, matéria e informação. Desenvolvimentos conceituais recentes apontam para uma concepção do ecossistema sob a ótica de um novo paradigma, para o qual aninhamento, hierarquia, decomposabilidade relativa, probabilidade e dependência de escala são critérios chave. Outro desenvolvimento importante, a análise de trajetórias, abriu a possibilidade de tratar a dinâmica e o funcionamento do ecossistema como fenômenos em múltiplas escalas. Incertezas metodológicas e ecológicas decorrem numa visão pouco nítida de como o funcionamento e a estrutura do ecossistema interagem sob a influência de um determinado conjunto de fatores de uso e do ambiente físico. A situação demanda uma abordagem analítica na qual classificações funcionais e estruturais sejam implementadas independentemente, com o fim de estabelecer ‘a posteriori’ quanto e como as classificações estão interconectadas. A tarefa é ainda mais desafiante, em termos de método e interpretação, quando consideramos o contexto hierárquico e complexo em que a análise deve ser feita e a dependência de definição dos resultados. Esta tese refere-se ao desenvolvimento de ferramentas conceituais e metodológicas para analisar a heterogeneidade funcional dos ecossistemas no espaço, em relação a fatores significativos de uso e do ambiente, e aos diferentes tipos de vegetação presentes numa determinada região. Com esse objetivo, adotamos o conceito de ‘Tipos Funcionais de Ecossistemas’ (TFEs), os quais reúnem unidades espaciais com padrão de funcionamento similar, sem considerar seus atributos estruturais, e avançamos num esquema classificatório de TFEs que permite capturar as respostas funcionais de curto prazo dos ecossistemas em cenários de mudanças ambientais e de uso altamente dinâmicas. Também examinamos a sensibilidade dos tipos funcionais de ecossistemas a diferentes definições de funcionamento e parâmetros de escala espacial. Os TFEs provaram ser sensíveis a estas variáveis analíticas, oferecendo assim a possibilidade de indagar a natureza multidimensional e multi-escala dos fenômenos do ecossistema. Os TFEs capturam eficientemente os aspectos mais relevantes da resposta sazonal da vegetação aos fatores do ambiente biofísico, provendo assim uma ferramenta útil para descrever a heterogeneidade espacial do funcionamento dos ecossistemas em domínios temporais e geográficos específicos. Nesta tese avançamos no reconhecimento e descrição dos principais tipos de paisagem no planalto basáltico do Rio Grande do Sul, e propomos mecanismos e controles responsáveis desses padrões característicos. Da associação espacial entre feições do terreno, solos, tipos de uso e vegetação, identificamos três tipos básicos de paisagens e definimos preliminarmente seu domínio espacial. Os resultados descrevem um forte relacionamento entre a distribuição dos grandes tipos fisionômicos de vegetação, os solos e os processos formadores de relevo. Assim sendo, os campos dominam onde relevo e solos indicam a ocorrência de remanescentes de uma antiga superfície de pediplanação, em quanto as florestas prevalecem onde os agentes geomorfológicos têm rejuvenescido a paisagem. Porém, com o objetivo de compreender os processos responsáveis destes padrões, é essencial fazer ‘downscaling’ desde a escala regional na qual os processos formadores de relevo e de solos dominam a diferenciação espacial de variáveis ecológicas, até a escala local na qual fatores biológicos e relacionados com o regime de distúrbio adquirem maior importância na produção de padrões de heterogeneidade espacial. Identificamos que a abordagem ecossistêmica funcional é a maneira mais promissora de relacionar processos de natureza tão divergente. / The ‘ecosystem’ concept emerged from the need for understanding the highly dynamic nature of the vegetation, interpreted from thereon as the reciprocal interaction among the organism-complex and a wide array of factors of the physical environment. A full branch of the ecological sciences developed from this concept, aimed to assessing the outcome of such interactions as flows of energy, matter and information. Recent conceptual developments points to a conception of ecosystem as an entity evolving under the influence of a novel paradigm, for which nestedness, hierarchy, relative decomposability, probability and scale-dependency are central. Another important development, trajectory analysis, opens the possibility to treat ecosystem dynamics and ecosystem functioning as multi-scale phenomena. Methodological and ecological uncertainties determine a rather fuzzy picture of how ecosystem function and structure interplay under the influence of some set of drivers of the physical environment and land use. The whole situation waits for an analytical path to be designed in which functional and structural classifications are carried out independently, in order to establish a posteriori whether they are connected and how they are connected. The task is even more defiant, both in terms of methods and interpretation, if we consider the already complex hierarchical context in which the analysis should be set and the definition-dependency of the outcome. This thesis is about the development of conceptual and analytical tools for analyzing the functional heterogeneity of the ecosystems in the space, in relation to meaningful environmental and land-use factors and to the different types of vegetation present over a given region. To that aim, we adopt the concept of Ecosystem Functional Types (EFTs), which enclose spatial units with similar functional patterns, no attention paid to their structure, and advance on an EFT classificatory scheme that allows capturing the short-term functional response of the ecosystems to environmental and land-use changes. Furthermore, we examine the effect of using different surrogates of ecosystem functioning on the resulting picture of functional patchiness. The effect of changing parameters of spatial scale is also tested. The Ecosystem Functional Types proved to be heavily definition-dependent and sensitive to spatial scale, which allows exploring the multi-dimensional and multi-scale nature of ecosystem phenomena. The EFTs efficiently capture the most relevant features of the seasonal response of the vegetation to the drivers of the biophysical environment, providing so a useful tool for depicting the spatial heterogeneity of ecosystem functioning in a given geographic and temporal domain. In this report we also accomplished the recognition and description of main landscape types in the basaltic tablelands of Rio Grande do Sul, and proposed mechanisms and controls responsible for their characteristic patterns. From the spatial association of terrain features, soils, land-use and vegetation, we identified three basic landscape types and broadly defined their spatial domain. The picture described tells of a rather close relationship among the distribution of the major physiognomic types of the vegetation, soils, land-use and land-forming processes. In this picture, the grasslands prevail where terrain and soil features suggest there are the remnants of an old pediplanation surface, while forests seems to dominate wherever geomorphic agents have rejuvenated the landscape. However, in order to understand the processes responsible of these patterns it is then essential to downscale from the regional realm where terrain and soil-forming phenomena dominate spatial differentiation, to the fine-scale processes at which biological and disturbance-related factors are most influential in the production of patterns of spatial heterogeneity. We identify the functional approach to the ecosystems as the most promising way to correlate processes of such a different nature.

No description available.

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are a common and important game species throughout much of the central Appalachian region. The central Appalachian region encompasses a wide variety of habitat conditions and spatial habitat arrangements that may influence deer populations and management as well as deer impacts to ecosystems. Locally to regionally, deer populations have had an increasingly negative effect on forest biodiversity and a growing influence on forest succession. In Virginia, the combination of these factors has prompted establishment of deer population management goals and policies designed to support conservation of biodiversity, forest regeneration, and continued hunting opportunities. However, limited information is available to inform broad-scale assessment of herbivory impacts. Likewise, lack of understanding about the spatial variability of herbivory across and among landscapes impedes consistent application of ecological measures under differing management scenarios and landscape conditions. I evaluated deer herbivory intensity, the predictability of browsing rates, and the relationships and possible interactions between deer body mass and potential food sources, winter severity, and deer population density in the central Appalachian Mountains of Virginia. My results provide support for the inclusion of spatial factors to help partition variation of deer herbivory to allow for improved precision and accuracy in the design of field herbivory impact assessment methods and improve their application across various landscape contexts. Also, effective broad-scale herbivory impact assessment should include spatially-balanced vegetation monitoring that accounts for regional differences in deer forage preference. Agriculture and other non-forest habitats may provide resources that result in larger deer body mass either directly through food items or indirectly through alteration of the remaining forest habitat such as through increased edge. This suggests that available food sources and habitat are related to deer physiological parameters in the central Appalachian region and vary across landscapes. Likewise, these factors can change or can be affected through management across time. As a result, spatial approaches for monitoring and analysis are required for effective management and understanding of deer populations and herbivory impacts to biodiversity. / Ph. D.

Soil carbon dioxide efflux resulting from microbial and root respiration is a major component of the forest carbon cycle. We undertook this investigation to better understand the nature of soil carbon dioxide efflux of plantation loblolly pine, an important ecological and economical resource in the southeastern United States. Specifically, we hoped to learn how soil carbon dioxide efflux differs both spatially and temporally for four age classes of plantation loblolly pine on the Virginia piedmont. During a 12-month period, soil carbon dioxide efflux was repeatedly measured for four age classes of plantation loblolly pine using a dynamic, closed-chamber infrared gas analyzer. The age classes examined were 1- to 2-year-old, 4- to 6-year-old, 8- to 12-year-old, and 20- to 25-year-old stands. Mean soil carbon dioxide efflux rates measured during the 12-month study were 1.72, 2.58, 2.84, and 2.90 micromole/sq m/s for 1- to 2-year-old, 4- to 6-year-old, 8- to 12-year-old, and 20- to 25-year-old stands, respectively. Stand age had a significant effect on efflux rate during 10 of the 12 monthly sampling sessions. Additionally, mean efflux rates were consistently higher near the tree and a significant positional difference was detected during 8 of the 12 monthly sampling sessions. Mean soil carbon dioxide efflux rates, by position, for the 12-month study were 2.72 and 2.28 micromole/sq m/s for the near and away measurement positions, respectively. Based on monthly mean soil carbon dioxide efflux rates, annual carbon losses were estimated at 651, 976, 1074, and 1082 g C/sq m/yr for 1- to 2-year-old, 4- to 6-year-old, 8- to 12-year-old, and 20- to 25-year-old stands, respectively. Regression analysis was used to examine the influence of soil and climatic factors on seasonal changes in soil carbon dioxide efflux. The most influential factors affecting soil carbon dioxide efflux during the 12-month study were soil temperature, soil moisture, stand age, and measurement position. We believe respiring roots significantly influence soil carbon dioxide efflux of plantation loblolly pine and account for differences observed between stands of different ages as well as spatial differences observed within a given stand. / Master of Science

Ph.D., Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, 2011 / Deep-level gold mining in the Witwatersrand Basin Goldfields (WBG) of central South Africa is characterised by the production of extensive unlined tailings storage facilities (TSFs) comprising large quantities of pulverised rock and water contaminated with salts and a wide range of other inorganic pollutants (Weiersbye et al., 2006). There are more than 200 such TSFs covering a total area of more than 400 km2 (Rosner et al., 2001), and significant contaminated “footprint” areas occur after removal and reprocessing of the original TSFs (Chevrel et al., 2003). It is estimated that the Witwatersrand Basin contains six billion tons of gold and uranium tailings (Chevrel et al., 2003), 430 000 tons of uranium (Council of Geoscience, 1998; Winde, 2004a; b; c) and approximately 30 million tons of sulphur (Witkowski and Weiersbye, 1998a). An estimated 105 million tons of waste per annum is generated by the gold mining industry within the WBG (Department of Tourism, Economic and Environmental Affairs, 2002; Chamber of Mines of South Africa, 2004). A major environmental problem resulting from deep level mining in the WBG is the contaminated water that seeps from TSFs into adjacent lands and groundwater. Van As (1992) reported on the significant environmental hazards resulting from the storage of highly pulverised pyrite rock waste in TSFs (Straker et al., 2007). Adjacent lands become polluted through near-surface seepage, and this is enhanced by the movement of polluted groundwater in shallow aquifers that are commonly 1-30 m below ground (Funke, 1990; Hodgson et al., 2001; Rosner et al., 2001; Naicker et al., 2003). The impact of the mines and the TSFs extends far beyond their localities (Cogho et al., 1990). The Vaal River catchment receives a large proportion of the pollutants from WBG mining activities, with consequent acidification and salinisation of surface and ground waters. Salt discharges to the Vaal River were estimated to be 170 000 t/annum (Best, 1985), whereas discharges from the Free State gold mines south of the Vaal catchment were estimated at 350 000 t/annum of salts (Cogho et al., 1990). Concern also exists over the spread of dangerous contaminants such as uranium, chromium and mercury (Coetzee et al., 2006; Winde, 2009). Engineering solutions to these problems are hindered by the large sizes and great extent of TSFs, the high and indefinite costs involved, and the typically low hydraulic conductivity in affected aquifers, which makes the “pump and treat” option impractical. An alternative phytoremediation strategy is to establish belts or blocks of trees in strategic areas surrounding the TSFs in order to reduce the seepage of contaminated water into adjacent lands and groundwater bodies. The major reasons why trees are likely to have a greater impact on seepage water than the existing grasslands that characterise the area around most TSFs in the WBG, are that some tree species have the potential to develop very deep root systems and to continue transpiring water throughout the year. This is in contrast to seasonally dormant grasslands. In addition, some tree species are known to be tolerant to salts and other pollutants. Trees are thus potentially able to reach deep water tables, take up large quantities of water, and remove some of the pollutants in this water. It is crucial for a successful implementation of this strategy to know on what sites trees are able to access mine seepage water, and consequently maintain a high year-round rate of water use. If this access is limited, then growth and water use will be curtailed during the long winter dry season, and control of seepage will be considerably below potential. A primary aim of this study was to develop methodologies to discriminate between water-stressed and non-water-stressed trees currently growing in three gold mining districts (Welkom, Vaal River, West Wits) within the WBG. This information was required to assess what site types are likely to support adequate tree growth and permit high rates of water use and seepage control. The tree species selected were those most widely occurring in these areas, and include the non-native species Eucalyptus sideroxylon A. Cunningham ex Woolls and Eucalyptus camaldulensis Dehnhardt, as well as the indigenous species Searsia lancea L.f. Various remote sensing technologies including leaf-level spectroscopy, satellite and airborne remote sensing images were evaluated for their usefulness in detecting levels of winter-time water stress. Four commonly used ground-truthing techniques (predawn leaf water potential, leaf chlorophyll fluorescence, leaf chlorophyll and carotenoid pigment content, and leaf water content) were used for localised measurements of plant water stress and for ground-truthing of remotely sensed data on 75 sample sites and 15 sample sites. This study provided a unique opportunity to test and compare the use of stress reflectance models derived from different remote sensing data acquired at different spatial and spectral resolutions (i.e. multispectral and hyperspectral) for the same geographical location. The use of remote sensing to examine the spectral responses of vegetation to plant stress has been widely described in the scientific literature. A collation of published spectral reflectance indices provided the basis for investigating the use of hand-held remote sensing technology to detect plant water stress, and was used as a stepping stone to further develop spectral plant water stress relationships for specific tree species in this study. Seventy seven spectral reflectance indices and specific individual spectral wavelengths useful for detecting plant water stress, plant pigment content, the presence of stress related pigments in vegetation, and changes in leaf cellular structure, were investigated using hand-held spectroscopy. Ground-based measurements of plant water stress were taken on 75 sample trees. In this study, the measurement of predawn leaf water potential has been identified as a key methodology for linking remotely sensed assessments of plant water stress to actual plant water stress; a reading of -0.8 MPa was used to separate stressed trees from unstressed trees in the landscape (Cleary and Zaerr, 1984). The results of the predawn leaf water potential measurements ranged from -0.56 to -0.68 MPa at unstressed sites, and from -0.93 to -1.78 MPa at stressed sites. A novel approach of using spectral reflectance indices derived from previous studies was used to identify specific indices which are applicable to South Africa and to the three species investigated in the WGB. Maximal multiple linear regression models were derived for all possible combinations of plant water stress measurements and the 77 spectral reflectance indices extracted from leaf-level spectral reflectance data, and included the interactions of district and species. The results of the multiple linear regression models indicated that the (695/690) index, DATT index (850-710)/(850-680), near infra-red index (710/760) and the water band (900/970) index performed well and accounted for more than 50% of the variance in the data. The stepwise regression model derived between chlorophyll b content and the DATT index was selected as the “best” model, having the highest adjusted R2 of 69.3%. This was shown to be the most robust model in this application, which could be used at different locations for different species to predict chlorophyll content at the leaf-level. Satellite earth observation data were acquired from two data sources for this investigation; the Hyperion hyperspectral sensor (United States Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation Systems) and the Proba Chris pseudo-hyperspectral sensor (European Space Agency). The Hyperion sensor was selected to obtain high spatial and spectral resolution data, whereas the Proba Chris sensor provided high spatial and medium spectral resolution earth observation data. Twelve vegetation indices designed to capture changes in canopy water status, plant pigment content and changes in plant cellular structure, were selected and derived from the satellite remote sensing imagery. Ground-based measurements of plant water stress undertaken during late July 2004 were used for ground-truthing the Hyperion image, while measurements undertaken during July 2005 and August 2005 were used for ground-truthing the Proba Chris images. Predawn leaf water potential measurements undertaken for the three species, ranged from -0.42 to -0.78 MPa at unstressed sites, and -0.95 to -4.66 MPa at stressed sites. Predawn leaf water potentials measured for E. camaldulensis trees sampled in species trials in Vaal River were significantly different between stressed and non stressed trees (t = 3.39, 8df, P = 0.009). In contrast, E. camaldulensis trees sampled near a pan within the Welkom mining district, which had greater access to water but were exposed to higher concentrations of salts and inorganic contaminants, displayed differences in total chlorophyll content (t = -2.20, 8df, P = 0.059), carotenoid content (t = -5.68, 8df, P < 0.001) and predawn leaf water potential (t = 4.25, 8df, P = 0.011) when compared to trees sampled on farmland. E. sideroxylon trees sampled close to a farm dam in the West Wits mining district displayed differences in predawn leaf water potential (t = 69.32, 8df, P < 0.001) and carotenoid content (t = -2.13, 8df, P = 0.066) when compared to stressed trees further upslope away from the water source. Multiple linear regressions revealed that the predawn leaf water potential greenness normalised difference vegetation index model, and the predawn leaf water potential water band index model were the “best” surrogate measures of plant water stress when using broad band multispectral satellite and narrow-band hyperspectral satellite data respectively. It was concluded from these investigations that vegetation indices designed to capture changes in plant water content/plant water status and spectral changes in the red edge region of the spectrum, performed well when applied to high spectral resolution remote sensing data. The greenness normalised difference vegetation index was considered to be a fairly robust index, which was highly correlated to chlorophyll fluorescence and predawn leaf water potential. It is recommended that this index has the potential to be used to map spatial patterns of winter-time plant stress for different genera/species and in different geographical locations. Airborne remote sensing surveys were conducted to investigate the application of high spatial resolution remote sensing data to detect plant water stress. Multispectral airborne imagery was acquired by Land Resource International (PTY) Ltd, South Africa. Ground-based measurements of plant water stress were carried out during July and August 2005.Four individual spectral bands and two vegetation spectral reflectance indices, which are sensitive to changes in plant pigment content, were derived from the processed multispectral images viz. red, green, blue and near-infrared spectral bands and the normalised difference vegetation index (NDVI) and greenness normalised difference vegetation index (GNDVI).The results of the multispectral airborne study revealed that carotenoid content together with the green spectral waveband resulted in the “best” surrogate measure of plant water stress when using broad-band multispectral airborne data. Airborne remote sensing surveys were conducted by Bar-Kal Systems Engineering Ltd, Israel, to investigate the application of hyperspectral airborne imagery to detect plant water stress. Six vegetation spectral reflectance indices designed to capture changes in plant pigment and plant water status/content, were derived from the processed hyperspectral images. When using airborne hyperspectral data, predawn leaf water potential with the normalized difference water index was selected as the most appropriate model. It was concluded, upon evaluation of the multiple linear regression models, that the airborne hyperspectral data produced several more regression models with higher adjusted R2 values (Ra2 range 6.2 - 76.2%) when compared to the airborne multispectral data (Ra2 range 6 - 50.1). Exploration of relationships between vegetation indices derived from leaf-level, satellite and airborne spectral reflectance data and ground-based measurements used as “surrogate” measures of plant water stress, revealed that several prominent and recurring spectral reflectance indices could be applied to identify species-specific plant water stress within the Welkom, Vaal River and West Wits mining districts. The models recommended for mapping and detecting spatial patterns of plant water stress when using different sources of remote sensing data are as follows: the chlorophyll b DATT spectral reflectance model when derived from leaf-level spectral reflectance data, can be applied across all three mining districts the predawn leaf water potential GNDVI spectral reflectance model and predawn leaf water potential water band index spectral reflectance model when utilising satellite multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing data carotenoid content green band spectral reflectance model can be used for airborne multispectral resolution data predawn leaf water potential NDVI spectral reflectance model is best suited for airborne high spatial and hyperspectral resolution data. These results indicate that measurements of predawn leaf water potential and plant pigment content have been identified as key methodologies for ground-truthing of remotely sensed data and can be used as surrogate measures of plant water stress. Some preliminary research was undertaken to evaluate if wood anatomy characteristics could be used as a non-destructive and rapid low-cost survey approach for identifying trees which are experiencing long-term plant stress. Seventy two wood core samples were extracted and analysed. Predawn leaf water potential measurements were used to classify stressed and unstressed trees. Relative differences in radial vessel diameter, vessel frequency and wood density were examined. Comparison of the radial vessel diameter and vessel frequency measurements revealed significant differences in three of the five comparative sampling sites (p <0.05). The results of the density analyses were significantly different for all five comparative sampling sites (p < 0.01). In general, trees experiencing higher plant water stress displayed smaller vessel diameters, compared to less stressed or healthy trees. Sites which were influenced by high levels of contaminated water also displayed smaller vessel diameters, indicating that the uptake of contaminants could affect the wood anatomy of plants. Trees considered to be experiencing higher plant water stress displayed higher vessel frequency. This preliminary study showed that plant stress does influence the wood anatomical characteristics (radial vessel diameter, vessel frequency and wood density) in E. camaldulensis, E. sideroxylon and S. lancea in the three mining districts. Spatial patterns of trees, mapped in the three gold mining districts, Welkom (27º57´S, 26º34´E) in the Free State Province, Vaal River (26º55´S, 26º40´E) located in the North West Province, and West Wits (26º25´S, 27º21´E) located in Gauteng, which were not experiencing winter-time water stress were correlated to site characteristics such as average soil depth, percent clay in the topsoil, groundwater chloride and sulphate concentrations, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity and groundwater water level. The spectral reflectance model derived between predawn leaf water potential and the green normalised difference vegetation index using broad-band multispectral Proba Chris satellite data was used to map spatial patterns of unstressed trees across the three mining districts. Very high resolution (75 cm) multispectral airborne images acquired by LRI in 2005 were used to demarcate and classify vegetation using the maximum likelihood supervised classification technique. Interpolated surfaces of groundwater chloride and sulphate concentrations, total dissolved solids, electrical conductivity, pH and groundwater table levels were created using the kriging geostatistical interpolation technique for each mining district. Random sample analyses between stressed and unstressed trees were extracted in order to determine whether site characteristics were significantly different (using t-tests). Site characteristic surfaces which were significantly different from stressed areas were spatially linked to trees which were not experiencing winter-time plant water stress for each tree species investigated in each mining district. This spatial correlation was used to make recommendations and prioritise sites for the establishment of future block plantings. Analysis of the site characteristic data and the geophysical surveys undertaken in the three mining districts which provided detailed information on groundwater saturation and an indication of the salinity conditions, confirmed the presence of relatively shallow and saline groundwater sources. This would imply that tree roots could access the relatively shallow groundwater even during the dry winter season and assist in containing contaminated groundwater seeping into surrounding lands. Keywords : airborne imagery, ground-based measurements of plant water stress, hyperspectral, leaf-level spectroscopy, multispectral, satellite imagery, spatial patterns of unstressed trees, spectral reflectance indices

Objectifs généraux: les systèmes fluviaux tropicaux et tempérés d'eau douce sont connus pour soutenir différentes communautés biotiques. Dans cette étude, menée dans une région d'Asie tropicale et dans une région d'Europe tempérée, j'ai étudié la composition et la diversité de la communauté des macro-invertébrés benthiques ainsi que leurs variations spatiales et temporelles. J'ai également examiné les influences des variables physico-chimiques de la qualité de l'eau sur les variations et la diversité de la composition de la communauté et j'ai modélisé l'occurrence d'espèces sélectionnées. Localisation géographique: Asie tropicale: le bassin aval du Mékong (LMB), couvrant une superficie de 609 000 km2; Europe tempérée: Europe occidentale, fleuves flamands (Belgique), couvrant une superficie de 13 787 km2. Matériel et méthodes: Pour le LMB, les données recueillies de 2004 à 2008 ont été utilisées et les valeurs médianes de cette période ont été analysées. Pour les rivières flamandes, les données collectées de 1991 à 2010 ont été utilisées. Les données ont été divisées en 4 périodes: D1: 1991-1995, D2: 1996-2000, D3: 2001-2005 et D4: 2006-2010. Les médianes de chaque période ont été utilisées pour des analyses spatiales détaillées. Des analyses multivariées ont été appliquées pour relier la composition et la diversité de la communauté aux variables physico-chimiques. Cinq techniques de modélisation, à savoir la régression logistique (LR), les Random Forest (RF), le Support Vector Machine (SVM), les réseaux de neurones artificiels (ANN) et les arbres de classification (CT) ont été utilisées pour modéliser l'occurrence desespèces sélectionnées. Principaux résultats: Variations de la composition des communautés, diversité et relation avec les variables environnementales Dans le cours aval du Mékong LMB, 299 taxons de macro-invertébrés distribués dans 196 genres et 90 familles ont été identifiées; dont 131 insectes, 98 mollusques, 38 crustacés et 32 annélides. / Overall aims: Freshwater tropical and temperate river systems are known to support different biotic communities. In this study, I investigated benthic macroinvertebrate community composition and diversity and its spatial and temporal variation both in tropical Asian and temperate European regions. I also examined the influences of physical-chemical water quality variables on community composition, variations and diversity, and modelled the occurrence of selected species. Locations: Tropical Asia: the Lower Mekong Basin (LMB), covering an area of 609,000 km2; Temperate Europe: Western Europe, Flemish rivers (Belgium), covering an area of 13,787 km2. Materials and Methods: For the LMB, data collected from 2004 to 2008 were used, and median values of this period were analysed. For Flemish rivers, data collected from 1991 to 2010 were used. The data were divided into 4 periods: D1: 1991-1995, D2: 1996-2000, D3: 2001-2005 and D4: 2006-2010. The medians of each period were used for detailed spatial analyses. Multivariate analyses were applied to relate community composition and diversity to physical-chemical variables. Five modelling techniques namely Logistic Regression (LR), Random Forest (RF), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and Classification Tree (CT) were used to model the occurrence of selected species. Main results: Community composition variations, diversity and relationship with environmental variables From the LMB, 299 macroinvertebrate taxa belonging to 196 genera and 90 families were identified: 131 insects, 98 molluscs, 38 crustaceans, and 32 annelids.

L'hétérogénéité spatiale est aujourd'hui reconnue comme un facteur primordial pour la diversité et le fonctionnement des écosystèmes prairiaux, mais reste souvent négligée dans l'analyse de l'impact de différents modes d'utilisation pastorale. Les communautés prairiales subalpines sont des milieux hautement diversifiés, au cœur d'enjeux écologiques, socio-économiques et culturels. Depuis plusieurs décennies, des changements d'usage, notamment l'extensification conduisant parfois à l'abandon du pâturage, affectent ces prairies dans de vastes régions des Alpes. Connaitre la réponse spatiale de ces communautés à ces changements d'usage peut constituer un enjeu important pour mieux prédire les conséquences en termes de valeurs écologiques et agronomiques. L'objectif général de ce travail est d'identifier l'organisation spatiale de composantes spécifiques et fonctionnelles de communautés prairiales subalpines dans des situations contrastées d'usage : pâturage traditionnel et abandon sur le moyen terme (~20 ans), de comprendre les mécanismes liés au pâturage influençant cette organisation spatiale et d'explorer les conséquences potentielles de l'organisation spatiale des composantes spécifiques et fonctionnelles sur les valeurs d'usage de ces milieux. Ce travail révèle que l'arrêt du pâturage conduit à des modifications importantes de l'organisation spatiale à la fois des espèces et de traits fonctionnels aériens. La variabilité spatiale de ces composantes est systématiquement augmentée à différentes échelles spatiales en situation d'abandon révélant un grain plus grossier d'hétérogénéité spatiale, lié à une plus faible coexistence locale des espèces et des traits et à une convergence fonctionnelle plus forte que sous l'effet diversificateur à échelle fine du pâturage traditionnel. D'autres part, même si une réponse en termes de patrons spatiaux est également observée, celle-ci n'est pas systématique, indiquant l'absence d'une action structurante forte du pâturage qui agit donc surtout sur la variabilité. Une expérimentation in situ montre en effet que la formation de patrons spatiaux marqués en réponse à une action de défoliation sélective semble limitée dans ces prairies relativement peu productives. De plus, une faible structuration spatiale du couvert en termes de valeurs d'usage fourragère a été observée, pilotée dès des échelles très fines par la variabilité spatiale à un grain fin des assemblages d'espèces et de traits dans les zones pâturées. Ces résultats suggèrent ainsi l'expression d'un pâturage peu sélectif exprimé par les troupeaux ovins dans ces milieux peu productifs, et la prépondérance du filtre abiotique dans la détermination des assemblages spatiaux des espèces et des traits. La formation de patchs très contrastés et très structurés spatialement en réponse au pâturage est plus probable dans des milieux très productifs où la compétition est plus intense et la repousse de la végétation favorisée. La prise en compte de la variabilité autour de la réponse moyenne des communautés se révèle donc un élément essentiel pour analyser l'évolution des prairies subalpines en réponse au changement d'usages pastoraux. Une des perspectives fortes suite à ce travail est l'analyse de la synergie entre la réponse de l'hétérogénéité spatiale du couvert et celle du compartiment souterrain (traits racinaires, mycorhization, diversité microbienne…). / Spatial heterogeneity is now widely recognized as a key component for diversity and functioning of grazed plant communities but is still often neglected for the analysis of the impact of different pastoral uses. Subalpine grassland communities are species-rich habitats of high conservative, economic and cultural values. In large regions of the Alps, these grasslands have experienced a decrease in pastoral use and even abandonment, in the last decades. The investigation of the spatial response of these communities to these changes in pastoral use can be a key issue to better predict ecological and agronomical consequences of such changes. The main objective of this study is to identify the spatial organization of species and traits of subalpine grassland communities in contrasted situations of pastoral use: traditional grazing and abandonment (~20 years), to understand grazing-induced mechanisms influencing this spatial organisation and to explore the potential consequences of the spatial organization of species and traits on the pastoral value of these grasslands. This work reveals that grazing cessation leads to strong modifications of the spatial organization of both species and aerial functional traits. The spatial variability of these components are systematically increased at different spatial scales following grazing abandonment which revealed a coarser grain of spatial heterogeneity in relation to a lower species and trait local coexistence and to a stronger functional convergence than under the fine-scale diversifying action of traditional grazing. Besides, despite we also observed a response in terms of spatial patterns, this one is not systematic which indicates the absence of strongly structuring action of grazing that especially acts on variability. An in situ experiment indeed showed that spatial pattern creation in response to selective defoliation is limited in these relatively low productive grassland communities. In addition, we also evidenced that pastoral values (forage quality) exhibited poor spatial heterogeneity in these grasslands in relation to the fine grained spatial variability of species and plant traits in grazed areas. These results suggest the expression of a low selective grazing promoted by sheep herds grazing and low productivity of subalpine communities and the predominance of the abiotic filter in the determination of spatial assemblages of species and traits. Pronounced spatial patterns in response to grazing may be expected in more productive environments where competitive interactions between species are more intense and species regrowth promoted. Therefore, the consideration of the spatial variability in addition to the mean response of community components appeared to be essential in the analysis of subalpine grassland community dynamics in response to land use changes. One of the strong perspective following this work is to analyse the association between spatial responses of vegetation components and those of belowground components (root traits, microbial diversity…).

Inequalities in levels of health between regions within a country are frequently regarded as a problem. Zimbabwe is characterised by poor and unequal conditions of health (both the state of people’s health and health services). The health system of the country shows severe spatial inequalities that are manifested at provincial, district and even local levels. This research therefore examines and analyses the spatial inequalities and temporal variation of health conditions in Zimbabwe. Composite indices were used to determine the people’s state of health in Zimbabwe. Administrative districts were ranked according to the level of people’s state of health. Cluster analysis was also performed to demarcate administrative districts according the level of health service provision. Districts with minimum difference were demarcated in a single cluster. Clusters were delineated using data on patterns of diseases and health and such clusters were used to demarcate the country’s spatial health system according to the Adapted Epidemiological Transition Model. This was used to evaluate the applicability of the model to Zimbabwe. It emerged from the research that generally the country’s health conditions are poor and the health system is characterised by severe spatial inequalities. Some districts are experiencing poor health service provision and serious health challenges and are still in the age of pestilence and famine but others have good health service provision as well as highly developed health conditions and are in the age degenerative diseases of the epidemiological transition model. It further emerged that the country’s health has been evolving with signs of improvement since the 1990s. Recommendations were made regarding possible adjustment to previous strategies and policies used in Zimbabwe, for the development of the health system of the country. New strategies were also recommended for the improvement of the health system of the country. Some proposals are made for further research on the spatial development of health in the country. / Geography / D. Litt et. Phil. (Geography)