Mini Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (mUAVs) have the potential to be a great asset to Wilderness Search and Rescue groups by providing a bird's eye view of the search area. These vehicles can carry a variety of sensors to better understand the world below. This paper proposes using both Infrared (IR) and Visible Spectrum cameras on a mUAV for Wilderness Search and Rescue. It details a method for combining the color and heat information from these two cameras into a single fused display to reduce needed screen space for remote field use. To align the video frames for fusion, a method for simultaneously pre-calibrating the intrinsic and extrinsic parameters of the cameras and their mount using a single multi-spectral calibration rig is also presented. A user study conducted to validate the proposed image fusion methods showed no reduction in performance when detecting objects of interest in the single-screen fused display compared to a side-by-side display. Furthermore, the users' increased performance on a simultaneous auditory task showed that increased performance on a simultaneous auditory task showed that their cognitive load was reduced when using the fused display.

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No description available.

This dissertation integrates a process-based hydrological investigation with an ongoing paired-catchment study to better understand how forest harvest impacts catchment function at multiple scales. We do this by addressing fundamental questions related to the stocks, flows and transit times of water. Isotope tracers are used within a top-down catchment intercomparison framework to investigate the role of geology in controlling streamwater mean transit time and their scaling relationships with the surrounding landscape. We found that streams draining catchments with permeable bedrock geology at the Drift Creek watershed in the Oregon Coast Range had longer mean transit times than catchments with poorly permeable bedrock at the HJ Andrews Experimental Forest in the Oregon Cascades. We also found that differences in permeability contrasts within the subsurface controlled whether mean transit time scaled with indices of catchment topography (for the poorly permeable bedrock) or with catchment area (for the permeable bedrock). We then investigated the process-reasons for the observed differences in mean transit time ranges and scaling behavior using a detailed, bottom-up approach to characterize subsurface water stores and fluxes. We found that the mean transit times in catchments underlain by permeable bedrock were influenced by multiple subsurface storage pools with different groundwater ages, whereas storage in the poorly permeable catchments was limited to the soil profile and that resulted in quick routing of excess water to the stream at the soil bedrock interface, leading to mean transit times that were closely related to flowpath lengths and gradients. Finally, we examined how and where forest trees interacted with subsurface storage during the growing season using a forest manipulation experiment, where we tested the null hypothesis that near-stream trees alone influenced daily fluctuations in streamflow. We felled trees within this zone for two 2.5 ha basins and combined this with isotopic tracing of tree xylem water to test if water sources utilized by trees actively contributed to summer streamflow. We rejected our null hypotheses and found that diel fluctuations in streamflow were not generated exclusively in the near-stream zone. We were unable to link, isotopically, the water sources trees were utilizing to water that was contributing to streamflow. Our results provide new process-insights to how water is stored, extracted, and discharged from our forested catchments in Western Oregon that will help better explain how forest removal influences streamflow across multiple scales and geological conditions. / Graduation date: 2012

My thesis examines the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR), which is the site of ongoing debate between environmentalists and the oil industry. I begin by analyzing both sides’ claims about the area’s value and establishing that the coastal zone of the ANWR, whose fate is the most precarious, should be protected for both environmental and cultural reasons. I then examine two methods for protection: the common law, and regulation. I conclude that only through proactive regulation can the ANWR continue to thrive.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South African adolescents live in a transitional society during a life stage in which they seek to stabilise their identity. They face a heritage of widespread violence and poverty, the lived impact of HIV/AIDS and substance abuse, incessant bombardment by media modelling leisure and vice, an erratic education system, and strained family and social bonds. Noting these challenges South African psychology seeks to become more socially relevant and provide formalised opportunities for positive youth development, supporting the growth of strengths and virtues, and making high human potential actual. Psychologists should seek to provide interventions that can turn the tide of social degeneration towards individual and community flourishing. Schools provide an optimal context for such interventions, with adventure programmes providing a valuable mechanisms by which holistic development, flow, interdependence, competence, and modelling of pro-social values can be experienced. This study sought to investigate the different ways in which one such school-based wilderness adventure programme was experienced and the specific aspects of the programme responsible for variation in outcomes using the methodology of phenomenography. Phenomenography is a research method used to map the qualitatively different ways in which people understand, perceive, or experience various aspects of a specific phenomenon. By understanding the different ways a phenomenon can be experienced, and identifying the critical aspects responsible for more or less powerful ways of experiencing the phenomenon, phenomenography provides a powerful tool for improving educational delivery but had yet to be used as a method to study psychological interventions. Phenomenographic analysis of the descriptions of the 27 day adventure programme, in which participants covered 360km on foot, bicycle and canoe, and engaged in group debriefs, journalling, and a 30 hour solo, revealed four conceptions of the programme: (a) long gruelling school hike, (b) school initiation / rites of passage programme, (c) once-in-a-lifetime group adventure, or (d) multifaceted learning and development opportunity. These categories of description are structured hierarchically, from least to most powerful, and are directly related to the perceived outcomes of the programme. At the lowest level, perceived processes and outcomes are largely physical, whereas at the highest level participants descriptions are more complex, and focused more on learning and developmental change that was accrued during the programme and could be transferred to the participant's home and social context. There are six major dimensions of variations that were identified in the data that help to understand the hierarchical relationships between the four identified categories of description. These include (a) the overall characterisation of the programme, (b) the nature of group interactions and processes, (c) the nature of the interactions and emotional connection participants had with their adult leaders, (d) the depth with which participants engaged with their experiences on the programme, (e) the personal relevance that trials, interactions and accomplishments had for participants, and (f) the type of growth and learning that was perceived to have accrued as a result of the wilderness adventure programme. These findings have important implications for both adventure programming design and implementation, and for research on psychological interventions. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrikaanse adolessente leef in ‘n oorgang samelewing gedurende ‘n lewensstadium waarin hulle poog om hul identiteit te stabiliseer. Hulle staar ‘n erfenis van wydverspreide geweld en armoede in die gesig, die geleefde impak van MIV/VIGS en dwelmverslawing, die aanhoudende bombardement deur die media wat ontspanning en onsedelikheid modelleer, ‘n wisselvallige onderwyssisteem, en gespanne gesins- en sosiale verbintenisse. Suid-Afrikaanse sielkunde het kennis geneem van hierdie uitdagings en poog om meer sosiaal relevant te word, en om geformaliseerde geleenthede te verskaf vir positiewe jeugontwikkeling wat die ontwikkeling van sterktes en deugde ondersteun, sowel as om hoë menslike potensiaal te aktualiseer. Sielkundiges behoort te streef om intervensies te verskaf wat sosiale agteruitgang kan verander in individuele- en gemeenskapsflorering. Skole verskaf ‘n optimale konteks vir so ‘n intervensie, met avontuur programme wat ‘n waardevolle meganisme verskaf deur middel waardeur holistiese ontwikkeling, vloei, interafhanklikheid, bevoegdheid, en die modellering van pro-sosiale waardes ondervind kan word. Hierdie studie het gepoog om die verskillende maniere te ondersoek van hoe so ‘n skoolgebaseerde wildernis avontuur program ondervind was, asook die spesifieke aspekte van die program wat verantwoordelik was vir die variasie in uitkomste deur middel van die gebruik van fenomenografiese metodologie. Fenomenografie is ‘n navorsingsmetode wat gebruik word om kwalitatief verskillende maniere te karteer van hoe mense verskillende aspekte van ‘n spesifieke fenomeen begryp, waarneem, of ondervind. Deur die verskillende maniere te verstaan van hoe ‘n fenomeen ondervind kan word, en deur die kritiese aspekte te identifiseer wat verantwoordelik is vir die òf meer òf minder kragtige maniere van hoe die fenomeen ondervind kan word, verskaf fenomenografie ‘n kragtige instrument wat aangewend kan word vir verbeterde onderwyslewering alhoewel die metode tot dusver nog nie aangewend is om sielkundige intervensies te bestudeer nie. Fenomenografiese analise van die beskrywings van ‘n 27-dag avontuur program, waarin deelnemers 360 km te voet, per fiets en kanoe gedek het, en deelgeneem het aan groepontlontings, dagboekhou, en ‘n 30-uur solo, het vier opvattings van die program onthul: (a) ‘n lang, uitmergelende skool staproete, (b) ‘n skool inwyding- / passasierite program, (c) ‘n eenmalige groep avontuur, of (d) ‘n veelsydige leer- en ontwikkelingsgeleentheid. Hierdie beskrywingskategorieë is hierargies gestruktureerd, van die mins tot die mees kragtig, en is direk verwant aan die waargenome uitkomste van die program. Op die laagste vlak is waargenome prosesse en uitkomste grootliks fisies, teenoor die hoogste vlak waar die beskrywings van deelnemers meer kompleks is, en meer gefokus is op leer- en ontwikkelingsverandering wat oploop tydens die program, en oorgedra kan word tot die deelnemer se huis- en sosiale konteks. Daar is ses hoof variasie dimensies wat geïdentifiseer is in die data wat lei tot ‘n beter begrip van die hierargiese verhoudings tussen die vier geïdentifiseerde beskrywingskategorieë. Hierdie sluit in (a) die algehele karakterisering van die program, (b) die aard van die groep interaksies en prosesse, (c) die aard van die interaksies en emosionele verband wat deelnemers gehad het met hulle volwasse leiers, (d) die diepte waarmee deelnemers geskakel het met hul ondervindings van die program, (e) die persoonlike relevansie wat beproewings, interaksies en prestasies gehad het vir die deelnemers, en (f) die tipe groei en leer wat ervaar is en vermeerder het as gevolg van die wildernis avontuur program. Hierdie bevindings het belangrike implikasies vir beide die ontwerp van avontuur programmering, die implementering daarvan, en vir navorsing op sielkundige intervensies.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There has been an increase in the popularity of adventure programming over the past few years, with the result that the practice of high-risk recreational activities is growing phenomenally. This study examined how students who are enrolled in a full time adventure education programme involving high-risk recreational activities would differ in terms of sensation-seeking, locus of control and self-efficacy when compared to their non-participative peers. The research group devoted a whole year towards an adventure-based gap year programme that utilises high-risk recreational activities as a core aspect of the programme’s curriculum. It was hypothesised that the research group will measure higher in sensation-seeking, locus of control and self-efficacy when compared to the research equivalent group. For this cross- sectional quantitative study, the research group consisted of 25 students participating in the high-risk iALA recreational adventure programme. The research equivalent group consisted of 34 first year university students. The two sample groups were assessed in terms of their attribute differences on Zuckerman’s Sensation-Seeking Scale, Sherer’s General Self-efficacy Scale, and Rotter’s Internal-External Locus of Control Scale. MANOVA and ANOVA analyses were performed in order to analyse the data. The study indicated that there was a significant difference in sensation-seeking between the two samples. There was, however, no significant difference in levels of locus of control and self-efficacy between the two samples. The study’s significant findings support trends in previous studies concerning greater sensation-seeking among participants of high-risk recreation activities. Important considerations for the results obtained are provided together with implications for further research in this field. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Avontuurprogramme het die afgelope paar jaar in gewildheid toegeneem en het tot gevolg dat daar al hoe meer van hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite gebruik gemaak word. Hierdie studie ondersoek hoe studente wat aan hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite deelneem, verskil ten opsigte van die soeke na sensasie, lokus van kontrole en self-effektiwiteit in vergelyking met hul niedeelnemende portuurs. Die eksperimentele groep het vir ʼn jaar deelgeneem aan ʼn gapingsjaar-avontuurprogram met hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite wat ʼn kernsaspek van die kurrikulum uitmaak. Die hipotese was dat die eksperimentele groep hoër sou meet in die soeke na sensasie, lokus van kontrole en self-effektiwiteit as die kontrolegroep. Vir die doel van hierdie kwantitatiewe studie het die eksperimentele groep uit 25 studente bestaan wat aan hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite deelgeneem het gedurende die gapingsjaar-avontuurprogram. Die kontrolegroep het uit 34 eerstejaar universiteitstudente bestaan. Ten einde die verskil tussen die twee groepe te assesseer, is Zuckerman se Sensation-Seeking Scale, Sherer se General self-efficacy scale, en Rotter se Internal external locus of control scale gebruik. ʼn MANOVA en ANOVA is gebruik om die data te analiseer. Die studie het getoon dat daar ʼn betekenisvolle verskil tussen die twee groepe was ten opsigte van die soeke na sensasie. Daar was egter geen betekenisvolle verskil in die vlakke van lokus van kontrole en self-effektiwiteit tussen die twee groepe nie. Bevindings van die huidige studie oor die soeke na sensasie het bevindings van vorige studies rakende die soeke na sensasie en hoë-risiko ontspanningsaktiwiteite ondersteun. Belangrike afleidings kan gemaak word uit die resultate wat verkry is wat moontlikhede bied vir verdere navorsing in hierdie veld.

In the United States, the foundational myths of Nature are wilderness and pastoral arcadia. This dissertation examines a different kind of nature that emerges as habitats in urban wastelands and margins. This cosmopolitan community is a hybrid nature that is the unintended product of human activity and nature's unflagging opportunism, which I call marginal nature. Marginal nature is neither pristine nor pastoral, but rather a nature whose ecological and cultural significance requires a reassessment of our narratives of nature. The wastelands are unique sounding boards for measuring perceptions of nature, since these places provoke ambiguous responses of attraction and repulsion. I explore perceptions of wasteland habitat from the perspectives of urban space, urban ecology, and literature about urban nature. The primary methodology of this dissertation is hermeneutical inquiry which reveals the layers of environmental discourse concealing marginal nature beneath language that asks it to be something that it is not. This environmental hermeneutics focuses on key issues of the geography of nature: nonhuman agency, place, and nature/society hybrids. I argue that comprehending the lifeworld of the wastelands requires a reassessment of the concept of place as a coproduction of humans and nonhumans, that is, an ecology of place. / text

In spite of decades of related research, stream channel initiation is still not well understood. Current theories of channel initiation are grounded in research conducted by Montgomery and Dietrich, largely in the transport limited, temperate, humid climate of the Pacific Northwest, USA. This field data driven work concluded that the drainage area required for channel initiation is directly correlated to the slope of the contributing area. However, there are a host of related variables that have yet to be examined in the field. This study revisits the slope-area relationship focusing on ephemeral overland flow in headwaters of both the Pacific Northwest and an environmentally contrasting island in Greece. By seeking greater understanding of the variables, such as soil properties, vegetation type, and lithology that may influence channel initiation, the study sought to find an equation for remote determination of where ephemeral flow concentrates. However, results indicated that a universal equation does not exist. Rather, the location of ephemeral flow concentration is linked to landscape type, transport versus weathering limited slopes, and corresponding overland flow type. As a result, there is potential for regional models to be developed. Two such models were found as part of this study. One indicates that in a weathering limited environment, Hortonian overland flow is the dominant ephemeral flow type and the driving force behind where it concentrates on the landscape. The other demonstrates that in a transport limited environment, ephemeral flow concentration is due saturated overland flow, with the key to location of concentration being the point of return flow.

Theoretical part of the thesis deals with relationships dynamics interaction between human and nature. These relationships are monitored by data of land use development. The "new wilderness" concept is presented in the theoretical part from various learned views as well and there are described different definitions and typologies of the term. Empirical part of the thesis is about "new wilderness" formation on the microregional level. The location of the research was situated to border microregion Vejprty in the Ore Mountains because of primary analysis of potential for "new wilderness" creation. The particular examples of the "new wilderness" are presented on the model areas in the microregion Vejprty .There are described driving forces for creation of each "new wilderness" type in those areas. The "new wilderness" in the nature is shown by comparison of historical and contemporary photos of the model areas Key words: land- use - "new wilderness" - Ore Mountains - microregion Vejprty - comparison photos