Overabundance of shrubs poses a major threat to semiarid ecosystems due to degraded understory vegetation. Previous efforts suggest a need for greater understanding of which management practices work best to improve these ecosystems. I sought to develop a better understanding of how the relative performance of commonly seeded species is influenced by three sagebrush removal techniques. I calculated effect sizes for cover and frequency to estimate relative changes in abundance of 15 common plant species seeded at 63 restoration sites throughout Utah. Shrubs were reduced by fire or mechanical treatment. Effect sizes were assessed using meta-analysis techniques for two post-treatment timeframes. Introduced grasses and shrubs had greater increases in cover and frequency following treatment, respectively. The introduced shrub Bassia prostrata experienced the largest increases in abundance following treatments. Forb abundance was highest when treated with fire. Over the long term the fire treatment resulted in greater increases for four of the seven grass species. Large increases in perennial grasses over time suggest that seeding efforts contributed to enhancing understory herbaceous conditions. My results provide new insights regarding the interactive effects of species and shrub-reduction treatments. Secondly, I evaluated emergence patterns of six commonly seeded restoration species in soils collected from Wyoming big sagebrush (A. t. ssp. wyomingensis [Beetle & A. Young] S.L. Welsh) and mountain big sagebrush (A. t. ssp. vaseyana [Rydb.] Beetle) plant communities. I developed a novel experimental design that regularly wetted soils to field capacity and allowed them to naturally dry by evaporation, which resulted in distinct differences in the duration of wet-dry cycles. Results showed that inherent differences in soil texture and organic matter between vaseyana and wyomingensis soils translated into fundamental differences in soil water holding capacity. Although species collectively exhibited greater emergence in vaseyana soils than wyomingensis soil, patterns were vastly different among species and differences between soils became more pronounced under low soil water for two of the test species. I concluded that the manner in which soils and water uniquely influenced emergence patterns provide new insights in species suitability for restoration sites and how inherent soil differences may constrain seeding success.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Melbourne, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2006. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [1]-[10])

With over 16,500 documented vacant commercial and residential units, roughly 20 miles of abandoned rail lines, a historic loss of approximately 330,000 residents, millions of gallons of annual surface water sewage discharges, and a decade-long failed water quality consent decree - Baltimore, Maryland lies at a crux of chronic challenges plaguing America’s formerly most economically and industrially powerful cities (Open Baltimore GIS [Vacancies Shapefile], 2017; “Harbor Water Alert” Blue Water Baltimore, 2017). Impending environmental threats in the “Anthropocene” (Crutzen, 2004) and increased attention to societal injustices warrant heightened inclusivity of social and natural urban functions. Socioecological inequities are often highly conspicuous in declining post-industrial American cities such as Baltimore. Chronic social, economic, and environmental perturbations have rendered some of once critical American infrastructure outdated, underutilized, and/or abandoned. Rivers, forests, rail corridors, as well as residential and industrial building stock are in significantly less demand than when America’s industrial age shaped urban landscapes in the late nineteenth/early twentieth centuries. Compounded by insensitive traditional urban development, these phenomena jeopardize urban social and ecological function. This thesis is an examination of contemporary urban ecology concepts as a systemic approach for revitalizing socially and ecologically marginalized urban areas, with an application in West Baltimore, Maryland neighborhoods. Through an examination of socioecological dilemmas and root causes, a conceptual procedure for urban blight mitigation along the Gwynns Falls corridor is proposed. Adopting an urban green infrastructure plan offers comprehensive alternative solutions for West Baltimore’s contemporary challenges. Master plans are proposed for the Shipley Hill, Carrollton Scott, and Mill Hill neighborhoods in West Baltimore. Site scale socioecological connections are suggested for the Shipley Hill neighborhood with contextual linkages in the surrounding neighborhoods. Additionally, policy considerations are explored for revitalizing Baltimore’s most vulnerable landscapes. By transforming derelict industrial infrastructure to dynamic socioecological patches and corridors, this work aims to enhance socioecological equity and connectivity. Negative aspects of Baltimore’s contemporary urban condition such as blight, high vacancy rates, ecological damage, population decline, and other symptoms of shrinking cities are deeply rooted in a complex evolution of social, environmental, and economic management. Current challenges facing Baltimore can be directly linked to a long history, specifically including industrialization and systematic segregation of neighborhoods. As the United States entered a period of stability following the industrial revolution, domestic manufacturing dwindled, causing a once strong workforce population to leave industrial mega-cities such as Baltimore. This population exodus left behind prior workforce housing and industrial infrastructure, much of which now nonessential to Baltimore’s contemporary urban functions. Housing vacancies and abandoned infrastructure are most noticeable in Baltimore’s predominately minority neighborhoods. Historically marginalized by systematic segregation tactics, “redlined” neighborhoods largely continue to lack sufficient social and economic capital for adaptation to a transformative new era in Baltimore’s history. Disparities in these minority neighborhoods have shown lasting consequences and continue to suffer from financial, social, and ecological neglect. However, progressive urban planning processes pose significant opportunity for equitable inclusion of historically marginalized urban communities through the introduction of green infrastructure. Because socioecological disparities in Baltimore are incredibly complex, an equally complex solution is necessary to adequately alleviate symptoms of declining cities. Although much research and literature has been cited in systemic solutions aiming to address the totality of these issues, practical implication of these strategies remains limited. This thesis aims to identify primary drivers of socioecological inequity as well as recommend policy and spatial solutions to alleviate symptoms of shrinking cites specific to Baltimore. / Master of Urban and Regional Planning

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work / Gerad D. Middendorf / In the almost 40 years since the passage of the Clean Water Act and 25 years of regulating nonpoint source pollution, and despite countless state and local community projects focused on water quality issues, clean water goals have not been met. To comprehend this failure and understand how water resources are governed and how water quality goals are pursued, I explore how watershed-level governance structures emerged and function in their specific local environment, within the state hierarchy of water governance, and as implementation of state and national policy. To this end, the structure, process, and outcomes of two newly organized and local watershed-level governance structures in Kansas were examined. An actor-oriented political ecology approach informed by environmental governance and watershed management literature was used to guide the study. Attaining water quality goals necessitates recognizing the connections between the political economy of agriculture, the cultural factors acting upon agricultural producers, and the natural, biophysical environment. Thusly, a comparative case study strategy was employed for the overall research design. Documents and interview transcripts were analyzed employing a grounded theory approach for differences and similarities; they were also sorted into topical categories and coded for common themes. The research questions focused on the agency and capacity of local watershed structures to determine the relations regarding water resource use in their watershed. Central questions addressed structure responsiveness to local versus state or national concerns; the underlying interests reflected by community member participation; and the effectiveness of local water-governance in protecting water resources. Governance models that began with holistic, alternative, participatory strategies are evolving into targeted, problem-solution strategies, and what began as watershed management is becoming problem shed management.

No processo de urbanização da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP) observa-se que a qualidade d\'água dos principais rios e córregos da cidade e seu comportamento hidrológico natural tem sido enormemente afetados trazendo impactos para a economia local e bem-estar e saúde da população. Conforme a cidade expande, os ecossistemas fluviais são transformados em parte do sistema de galerias pluviais que rapidamente afastam as águas em um esquema centralizado e hierarquizado. Ao mesmo tempo, esses sistemas de gerenciamento não contribuem para a biodiversidade nem permitem regular a qualidade d\'água, o que primitivamente se dava por intermediação de processos biológicos e físico-químicos fornecidos pelas florestas ripárias. Este estudo avalia a eficiência de modelos alternativos para a gestão das águas urbanas fundamentados no emprego de tecnologias da Infraestrutura Verde, sistemas vegetados que recuperam funções hidrológicas para o controle da contaminação e mitigação do efeito da impermeabilização, participando com essas propostas no Programa Piloto para Revitalização de Bacias Urbanas em São Paulo. Por um lado, um esquema de Drenagem Urbana Sustentável (SUDs) composto por bacias de biorretenção é projetado para o controle do escoamento na sub-bacia Água Podre, na periferia da cidade. Assim, é simulada sua eficiência para a remoção dos sedimentos iniciais acumulados nas superfícies construídas e, na sequência, o volume de armazenamento para 90% de remoção da carga de sedimento inicial. Por outro lado, um sistema de Alagado Construído de Fluxo Horizontal Sub-Superficial é proposto para a redução da concentração de matéria orgânica na vazão base do córrego. Sua eficiência é estimada utilizando o Modelo de Degradação de Primeira Ordem K-C*. Esses e outros sistemas da Infraestrutura Verde são visualizados em diversos contextos de ocupação das antigas paisagens das águas da cidade de São Paulo fortalecendo os resultados preliminarmente obtidos sobre seu desempenho benéfico para a melhoria qualitativa das águas e benefícios urbanos associados. / Urbanization in São Paulo Metropolitan Region (SPMR) causes the degradation of local waters and interferes in the natural hydrology of the place. This has a large impact in the local economy and well-being of its citizens. As the city expands, fluvial ecosystems are turned into channels and covered pipes that rapidly evacuate the rainwater. At the same time, these conventional systems have no contribution to biodiversity or water quality, which was originally regulated through biological, physical and chemical processes provided by the riparian forests. This work evaluates the efficiency of alternative water management models based on the use of Green Infrastructure typologies, vegetated systems that recover hydrological functions to control contamination and restore natural hydrology. This systems are explores within the Pilot Program for Watershed Restoration in São Paulo. On one site, a Sustainable Urban Drainage scheme (SUDs) composed by bioretention systems is proposed as a source control of runoff and its sediment removal efficiency is simulated on the Água Podre\'s sub-catchment, localized in the periphery of São Paulo. The results are obtained using the Sartor & Boyd exponential formula and the EPA-XPSWMM software for two isolated rainstorms with different precedent dry conditions, according to São Paulo rainfall-intensity patterns; then, the water quality volume is established according to 90% reduction of the initial sediment accumulated on the streets. On the other side, a Horizontal Sub-Surface Flow Constructed Wetland is proposed to reduce organic matter in-stream and its efficiency is estimated using the First-order Degradation Model K-C*. These and other Green Infrastructure solutions are visualized in different contexts of the city where original fluvial landscapes have been transformed to discuss about their performance to improve water quality and contribute to existing urban and social conditions within broader landscape projects.

No processo de urbanização da Região Metropolitana de São Paulo (RMSP) observa-se que a qualidade d\'água dos principais rios e córregos da cidade e seu comportamento hidrológico natural tem sido enormemente afetados trazendo impactos para a economia local e bem-estar e saúde da população. Conforme a cidade expande, os ecossistemas fluviais são transformados em parte do sistema de galerias pluviais que rapidamente afastam as águas em um esquema centralizado e hierarquizado. Ao mesmo tempo, esses sistemas de gerenciamento não contribuem para a biodiversidade nem permitem regular a qualidade d\'água, o que primitivamente se dava por intermediação de processos biológicos e físico-químicos fornecidos pelas florestas ripárias. Este estudo avalia a eficiência de modelos alternativos para a gestão das águas urbanas fundamentados no emprego de tecnologias da Infraestrutura Verde, sistemas vegetados que recuperam funções hidrológicas para o controle da contaminação e mitigação do efeito da impermeabilização, participando com essas propostas no Programa Piloto para Revitalização de Bacias Urbanas em São Paulo. Por um lado, um esquema de Drenagem Urbana Sustentável (SUDs) composto por bacias de biorretenção é projetado para o controle do escoamento na sub-bacia Água Podre, na periferia da cidade. Assim, é simulada sua eficiência para a remoção dos sedimentos iniciais acumulados nas superfícies construídas e, na sequência, o volume de armazenamento para 90% de remoção da carga de sedimento inicial. Por outro lado, um sistema de Alagado Construído de Fluxo Horizontal Sub-Superficial é proposto para a redução da concentração de matéria orgânica na vazão base do córrego. Sua eficiência é estimada utilizando o Modelo de Degradação de Primeira Ordem K-C*. Esses e outros sistemas da Infraestrutura Verde são visualizados em diversos contextos de ocupação das antigas paisagens das águas da cidade de São Paulo fortalecendo os resultados preliminarmente obtidos sobre seu desempenho benéfico para a melhoria qualitativa das águas e benefícios urbanos associados. / Urbanization in São Paulo Metropolitan Region (SPMR) causes the degradation of local waters and interferes in the natural hydrology of the place. This has a large impact in the local economy and well-being of its citizens. As the city expands, fluvial ecosystems are turned into channels and covered pipes that rapidly evacuate the rainwater. At the same time, these conventional systems have no contribution to biodiversity or water quality, which was originally regulated through biological, physical and chemical processes provided by the riparian forests. This work evaluates the efficiency of alternative water management models based on the use of Green Infrastructure typologies, vegetated systems that recover hydrological functions to control contamination and restore natural hydrology. This systems are explores within the Pilot Program for Watershed Restoration in São Paulo. On one site, a Sustainable Urban Drainage scheme (SUDs) composed by bioretention systems is proposed as a source control of runoff and its sediment removal efficiency is simulated on the Água Podre\'s sub-catchment, localized in the periphery of São Paulo. The results are obtained using the Sartor & Boyd exponential formula and the EPA-XPSWMM software for two isolated rainstorms with different precedent dry conditions, according to São Paulo rainfall-intensity patterns; then, the water quality volume is established according to 90% reduction of the initial sediment accumulated on the streets. On the other side, a Horizontal Sub-Surface Flow Constructed Wetland is proposed to reduce organic matter in-stream and its efficiency is estimated using the First-order Degradation Model K-C*. These and other Green Infrastructure solutions are visualized in different contexts of the city where original fluvial landscapes have been transformed to discuss about their performance to improve water quality and contribute to existing urban and social conditions within broader landscape projects.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Hawaii at Manoa, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references. / Also available by subscription via World Wide Web / xiv, 177 leaves, bound ill., maps 29 cm

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa is a semi-arid country with an average annual rainfall of 197mm, in comparison with the international average of 860mm per year, of which the available freshwater sources are currently being utilised virtually completely. The water restrictions in the Western Cape during the summer of 2000/2001 and of 2001/2002 are sufficient evidence of this. This threatening water shortage holds far-reaching consequences for the socio-economic development of the country if an active effort is not made to manage the water resources in a sustainable manner. Starting in the 1990s, the concept of integrated catchment management crCM) began to enjoy widespread attention as a mechanism to manage water resources. However, it was primarily forced, state-initiated projects with little direct community involvement that enjoyed a limited amount of success. This study undertook community-driven, integrated catchment management in a relatively small catchment in the Veldwachters River valley in the Stellenbosch area in the Western Cape in order to investigate the effectiveness thereof as a mechanism for sustainable water resource management. The study firstly places the concept of rCM in perspective, after which the study area is demarcated spatially within the South African and the regional context. Community-based action research as research approach provides the techniques to reconcile and integrate the duality of the rCM process, namely the human and physical elements in a catchment, and to successfully involve the community in the process. The first phase of the study entails the gathering of existing and new information and the definition of the environmental status of the catchment area in a situation analysis, which was presented to the community as an information document to initiate public participation. During the second phase, a community partnership was established by means of introductory interviews, correspondence, focus group meetings and public forums. The third and executive phase was characterised by the mobilisation of the community partnership in the execution of strategic planning procedures, such as the formulation of a catchment vision, prioritisation of relevant catchment management issues, the statement of the management objectives and the formulation and implementation of action plans for the management of various issues in the catchment. The conclusion drawn after a thorough evaluation of the course of the study is that the implementation of community-driven integrated catchment management can be successful ina smaller catchment. A few crucial requirements need to be taken into consideration in future applications elsewhere, namely: • That the study area must have a small enough area so that all stakeholders can be involved relatively easily and for a catchment identity and "ownership" of the process to be able to develop; • That the process must initially be facilitated externally until a community partnership has been established and a management committee has been elected, after which the facilitation and management of the process must be handed to the community so that it can finally become completely community driven; • That socio-econornic issues initially will receive more attention than the natural environment, but that these issues need to be utilised to establish the ICM process, after which the natural environment naturally will receive greater priority; and • That the researcher must remain patient, particularly during the second and third phases of the process, as public participation and particularly the establishment of a community-driven process can be slow and exhausting. This case study emphasises that each application of ICM will be unique because the degree of community involvement and the priorities of catchment communities will differ. Communitydriven integrated catchment management is not, under any circumstances, an instant solution for water management and water conservation issues, but it is the only sustainable option. KEY WORDS: catchment management, public/community participation, situation analysis, water resource management, action research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika is 'n semi-ariede land met 'n gemiddelde reenvalsyfer van 497mm per jaar teenoor die wereldgemiddelde van 860mm per jaar, waarvan beskikbare varswaterbronne tans byna ten volle benut word. Die waterbeperkings in die Wes-Kaap gedurende die somers van 2000/2001 en 200112002 is afdoende bewys hiervan. Hierdie dreigende watemood hou verreikende gevolge vir die sosio-ekonomiese ontwikkeling van die land in, indien daar nie 'n daadwerklike poging aangewend gaan word om die waterhulpbronne volhoubaar te bestuur nie. Sedert die negentigerjare het die konsep van geintegreerde opvanggebiedbestuur (GOGB) as waterhulpbronbestuursmeganisme wye belangstelling begin geniet. Dit was hoofsaaklik afgedwonge, staatsgeinisieerde projekte met min direkte gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid wat beperkte sukses gehad het. Hierdie studie het 'n gemeenskapsgedrewe geintegreerde opvanggebiedbestuur op 'n relatief klein opvanggebied in die Veldwachtersrivier vallei in die Stellenbosch omgewing in die Wes-Kaap ondemeem, ten einde die effektiwiteit daarvan as 'n volhoubare waterhulpbron-bestuursmeganisme te ondersoek. Die studie plaas eerstens die konsep van GOGB in perspektief, waama die studiegebied ruimtelik binne die Suid-Afrikaanse en streekskonteks afgebaken word. Gemeenskapsgebaseerde aksienavorsing as navorsingsbenadering verskaf die tegnieke om die tweeledigheid van die GOGB proses, naamlik menslike en fisiese elemente in 'n opvanggebied, te verso en en te integreer en om die gemeenskap suksesvol by die proses te betrek. Die eerste fase van die studie behels die insameling van bestaande en nuwe inligting en die ornskrywing van die omgewingstatus van die opvanggebied in 'n situasie-analise, wat as inligtingsdokurnent aan die gemeenskap voorgele word om publieke deelname te inisieer. Gedurende die tweede fase is 'n gemeenskapsvennootskap gevestig met behulp van inleidende onderhoude, korrespondensie, fokusgroepbyeenkomste en pub Iieke forums. Die derde en uitvoerende lase is gekenmerk deur die mobilisering van die gemeenskapsvennootskap m die uitvoering van strategiese beplanningsprosedures soos die formulering van 'n opvanggebiedvisie, prioritisering van tersaaklike opvanggebiedkwessies, bestuursdoelwitstelling en die formulering en implementering van aksieplanne vir die bestuur van verskeie kwessies in die opvanggebied. Die gevolgtrekking na die noukeurige evaluering van die verloop van hierdie studie, is dat die implementering van gemeenskapsgedrewe gemtegreerde opvanggebiedbestuur in 'n kleiner opvanggebied wel suksesvol kan wees. 'n Paar beslissende vereistes moet met toekomstige toepassings elders in ag geneem word, naamIik: • Dat die studiegebied oppervlakgewys klein genoeg moet wees sodat alle rolspelers relatief maklik betrek kan word en 'n opvanggebied-identiteit en "eienaarskap" van die proses kan ontwikkel; • Die proses moet aanvanklik ekstem fasiliteer word, totdat 'n gemeenskapsvennootskap gevestig is en 'n bestuurskomitee verkies is, waama die fasilitering en bestuur van die proses aan die gemeenskap oorgegee moet word om uiteindelik ten volle gemeenskapsgedrewe te word; • Dat sosio-ekonomiese kwessies aanvanklik aandag b6 die natuurlike omgewing sal geniet, maar dat hierdie kwessies benut moet word om die GOGB proses te vestig, waama die natuurlike omgewing vanselfsprekend hoer prioriteit sal geniet; en • Dat die navorser veral gedurende die tweede en derde fases van die proses geduld moet behou, omdat publieke deelname en veral die vestiging van 'n gemeenskapsgedrewe proses, tydsaam en vermoeiend kan wees. Hierdie gevallestudie beklemtoon dat elke toepassing van GOGB uniek sal wees omdat die mate van gemeenskapsdeelname en -prioriteite tussen opvanggebiedgemeenskappe sal verskil. Gemeenskapsgedrewe gemtegreerde opvanggebiedbestuur is onder geen ornstandighede 'n kitsoplossing vir waterbestuur en -bewaring nie, maar dit is die enigste volhoubare opsie. SLEUTEL WOORDE: opvanggebiedbestuur, publieke/gemeenskapsdeelname, situasie-analise, waterhulpbronbestuur, aksienavorsing

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Environmental planning is very cumbersome work for environmentalists, government agencies like USDA and NRCS, and farmers. There are a number of conflicts and issues involved in such a decision making process. This research is based on the work to provide a common platform for environmental planning called WRESTORE (Watershed Restoration using Spatio-Temporal Optimization of Resources). We have designed a system that can be used to provide the best management practices for environmental planning. A distributed system was designed to combine high performance computing power of clusters/supercomputers in running various environmental model simulations. The system is designed to be a multi-user system just like a multi-user operating system. A number of stakeholders can log-on and run environmental model simulations simultaneously, seamlessly collaborate, and make collective judgments by visualizing their landscapes. In the research, we identified challenges in running such a system and proposed various solutions. One challenge was the lack of fast optimization algorithm. In our research, several algorithms are utilized such as Genetic Algorithm (GA) and Learning Automaton (LA). However, the criticism is that LA has a slow rate of convergence and that both LA and GA have the problem of getting stuck in local optima. We tried to solve the multi-objective problems using LA in batch mode to make the learning faster and accurate. The problems where the evaluation of the fitness functions for optimization is a bottleneck, like running environmental model simulation, evaluation of a number of such models in parallel can give considerable speed-up. In the multi-objective LA, different weight pair solutions were evaluated independently. We created their parallel versions to make them practically faster in computation. Additionally, we extended the parallelism concept with the batch mode learning. Another challenge we faced was in User Modeling. There are a number of User Modeling techniques available. Selection of the best user modeling technique is a hard problem. In this research, we modeled user's preferences and search criteria using an ANN (Artificial Neural Network). Training an ANN with limited data is not always feasible. There are many situations where a simple modeling technique works better if the learning data set is small. We formulated ways to fine tune the ANN in case of limited data and also introduced the concept of Deep Learning in User Modeling for environmental planning system.