Co-management agreements for land and resource management can be viewed as emerging forms of a participatory planning model. They strive for equal aboriginal involvement and result not only in more equitable management strategies, but also incorporate aboriginal worldviews and traditional knowledge. This type of planning model is an iterative learning process for all parties involved and is most effective when mechanisms and processes to develop a co-management agreement are situational and contextually appropriate to each location and aboriginal group involved. Co-management agreements should be valued as interim forms that bridge restrictions on and exclusion of aboriginal peoples’ use and influence in relation to land and natural resources, on one side, and complete control through self-government, on the other. This practicum assesses levels of co-management for two case studies by: reviewing relevant literature, analyzing the co-management agreements and plans of management and surveying key personnel at Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park in Australia and the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site in Canada. The study does conclude that the degree of involvement of aboriginal participation is still wanting, but is higher than it would be if no such framework had been applied. To achieve the full benefits of equality in power distribution, the author suggests that co-management at the highest level should be negotiated either within or as part of land claims agreement or as part of a land title transfer to traditional owners. / October 2005

Co-management agreements for land and resource management can be viewed as emerging forms of a participatory planning model. They strive for equal aboriginal involvement and result not only in more equitable management strategies, but also incorporate aboriginal worldviews and traditional knowledge. This type of planning model is an iterative learning process for all parties involved and is most effective when mechanisms and processes to develop a co-management agreement are situational and contextually appropriate to each location and aboriginal group involved. Co-management agreements should be valued as interim forms that bridge restrictions on and exclusion of aboriginal peoples’ use and influence in relation to land and natural resources, on one side, and complete control through self-government, on the other. This practicum assesses levels of co-management for two case studies by: reviewing relevant literature, analyzing the co-management agreements and plans of management and surveying key personnel at Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park in Australia and the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site in Canada. The study does conclude that the degree of involvement of aboriginal participation is still wanting, but is higher than it would be if no such framework had been applied. To achieve the full benefits of equality in power distribution, the author suggests that co-management at the highest level should be negotiated either within or as part of land claims agreement or as part of a land title transfer to traditional owners.

Co-management agreements for land and resource management can be viewed as emerging forms of a participatory planning model. They strive for equal aboriginal involvement and result not only in more equitable management strategies, but also incorporate aboriginal worldviews and traditional knowledge. This type of planning model is an iterative learning process for all parties involved and is most effective when mechanisms and processes to develop a co-management agreement are situational and contextually appropriate to each location and aboriginal group involved. Co-management agreements should be valued as interim forms that bridge restrictions on and exclusion of aboriginal peoples’ use and influence in relation to land and natural resources, on one side, and complete control through self-government, on the other. This practicum assesses levels of co-management for two case studies by: reviewing relevant literature, analyzing the co-management agreements and plans of management and surveying key personnel at Uluru – Kata Tjuta National Park in Australia and the Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site in Canada. The study does conclude that the degree of involvement of aboriginal participation is still wanting, but is higher than it would be if no such framework had been applied. To achieve the full benefits of equality in power distribution, the author suggests that co-management at the highest level should be negotiated either within or as part of land claims agreement or as part of a land title transfer to traditional owners.

Nocturnal lizards are often active at temperatures that are sub-optimal for physiological functioning, a phenomenon that has been referred to as the ‘nocturnal paradox’. The purpose of this study was to investigate the general habitat and thermal preference of two species of nocturnal gecko in the genus Nephrurus with a focus on differences between preferred body temperatures determined under laboratory conditions and those measured in animals at the time of field collection. The Smooth Knob-tailed gecko (Nephrurus levis) and the Pale Knob-tailed Gecko (N. laevissimus) inhabit the desert environment of Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park in the Northern Territory of Australia. Habitat preferences were determined by documenting capture locations for these species while thermal preferences were determined using laboratory-based thermal gradients. Analysis of habitat use demonstrated a significant difference in habitat preference between the two species. Nephrurus levis was most often in Spinifex sandplain and mulga shrubland and N. laevissimus was most often found around sand dune habitats. Fieldactive body temperatures of both species ranged from 14.5 °C to 32.2 °C and were significantly correlated with air and ground temperature at the time of capture. The thermal preference (Tpref) of N. levis (mean day Tpref mid = 29.1 °C and mean night Tpref 24 = 28.2 °C, n = 19) and N. laevissimus (mean day Tpref mid = 29.5 °C and mean night Tpref 24 = 27.8 °C, n = 27) were not significantly different, although both species exhibited significantly higher daytime and night-time preferred body temperatures than body temperatures observed in the field. Body size did not affect thermal preference for either species. As such, the thermal preferences of these species support the concept of the nocturnal paradox. Additionally, it has been suggested that the characteristic swollen tail tip displayed by all Nephrurus species may play a role in assessing the thermal environment. While not investigated extensively here, combined data for both species demonstrated that individuals oriented their tail toward the heat source in thermal gradients significantly more than expected if orientation were random.

Each day the joint managers of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park receive packages of returned rocks and sand that have been removed from the landscape by visitors as a souvenir of the place. The returned objects are sent from people all over the world as the stories of this phenomenon travel well beyond the Park boundaries. Known within the Park as the ‘sorry rocks’, these returned objects and their accompanying letters of apology reflect the different ways in which people engage with the landscape and interpret their surrounds. In this research, the sorry rocks have been used as a medium for examining the complex relationships that exist between visitors, heritage management and interpretation particularly in cross-cultural settings that recognise Indigenous cultural heritage. THIS THESIS CAN BE VIEWED AT UWS LIBRARY FOR RESEARCH OR PRIVATE STUDY PURPOSES ONLY BY PRIOR ARRANGEMENT. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)