Thesis (M.A.) - Carleton University, 2006. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 117-123). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--American University, 2004. / American University, Dept. of Anthropology. Includes bibliographical references (p. 286-305).

Theses (M.S.)--Marshall University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Includes abstract. Document formatted into pages: contains ix, 76 pages including illustrations and maps. Includes vitae. Bibliography: p. 65-71.

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Fragments of a charred wooden bowl were recovered from Aztalan during excavations by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin (SHSW) in 1964. Recent advances in analytical methods facilitated a multidimensional study of these fragments. Radiocarbon-dated to cal AD 994–1154 and found in association with Late Woodland, Mississippian, and hybrid forms of ceramics, the bowl augments our understanding of perishable technologies in these cultural contexts. 3-D models of the fragments allow for a virtual reconstruction of a portion of the bowl, which was carved from a solid piece of ash. Strontium isotope analysis of the wood indicates that the bowl was manufactured from wood locally available to the people at Aztalan.

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Thesis (PhD (Forest and Wood Science))--University of Stellenbosch, 2009. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The study aimed at developing a new understanding of the Miombo woodland recovery dynamics when exposed to single tree selection, slash & burn agriculture and charcoal production. Five specific studies were conducted to examine different parts of this overall study: Miombo woodland utilization, management and conflict resolution among stakeholders; speciesstem curves as a tool in sampling the development of Miombo woodland species richness in charcoal and slash & burn regrowth stands over time; the impact of human disturbance on the floristic composition of Miombo woodland; regeneration and recruitment potentials of key Miombo woodland species after disturbance; and age and growth rate determination using selected Miombo woodland species. Different methods were developed for each specific study. The study of woodland utilization and management employed semi-structured and key informant interviews. STATISTICA statistical package version 6.0 was used for data collation and analysis. Chi-square tests were used to show levels of significance in differences that existed between different user groups. Species-stem curves were used to determine the sample size to assess Miombo woodland dynamics in regrowth stands after slash & burn and charcoal production, and a fixed-area method was used for the mature woodland stands. The study sites in each of three study areas were selected to represent ages ranging from 2 to 15+ years since each disturbance was terminated. The undisturbed woodland was chosen to act as a control. Various analyses using the STATISTICA statistical package and CANOCO version 4.0 were conducted to understand responses of Miombo woodland to these different disturbances. The research revealed that single tree selection, slash & burn agriculture and charcoal production are the main forms of Copperbelt Miombo woodland utilization which will always be there. Additionally, the the Miombo woodland stands were characterized based on the size class profile they exhibit on exposure to human disturbance factors through forest utilization. The characterization has revealed that the woodland is dominated by light demanding species. As such single tree selection harvesting does not support the regeneration and establishment of the timber species which are canopy species under shade conditions. This implies that selection harvesting of timber species, although it appears to be a non event in terms of disturbance at stand level may be a disaster at population level. The study also revealed that clearing of the woodland for either slash & burn agriculture or charcoal production results in enhanced regeneration and establishment of the dominant Miombo woodland species. The study concludes that charcoal production and slash & burn agriculture are important components to which the woodland ecosystem is adapted. As such these disturbance factors may be considered as incorporated disturbances. It is recommended from the study that woodland utilization and management should integrate charcoal production and slash & burn agriculture into forest management. Cutting cycles should be based on growth rate of the selected species. Timber species harvesting should go side by side with these disturbance factors so as to open up the canopy in order that maximum sunlight can reach the regeneration stock. The study also brings out the other management and utilization opportunities (such as managing for Uapaca kirkiana and Anisophyllea boehmii fruits) that arise from different development stages of the woodland. Lastly, it is recommended to ascertain the optimum gap sizes for both charcoal production or slash & burn agriculture which would still support the Miombo woodland recovery. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is gedoen om ‘n nuwe begrip te ontwikkel vir die hersteldinamika van Miombo boomveld na onderwerping aan enkelboomseleksie, kap & brand lanbou en houtskoolproduksie. Vyf spesifieke studies is gedoen om verskillende komponente van die total studie te ondersoek: benutting, bestuur en konflikresolusie tussen gebruikers van Miombo boomveld; species-stam kurwes as ‘n instrument in die bemonstering van die ontwikkeling van Miombo boomveld species-rykdom oor tyd na afloop van houtskoolproduksie en kap & brand landbou; die impak van menslike versteuring op die floristiese samestelling van Miombo boomveld; verjongingspotensiaal van sleutelsoorte in Miombo boomveld na versteuring; en bepaling van ouderdom en groeitempo in ge-selekteerde Miombo boomveldsoorte. Verskillende metodes is ontwikkel vir elke spesifieke studie. In die studie van boomveldgebruik en –bestuur is semigestruktureerde en sleutel-informant onderhoude gebruik. Die STATISTICA statistiese packet weergawe 6.0 is gebruik vir dataverwerking en -ontleding. Chi-kwadraat toetse is gebruik om vlakke van betekenisvolheid te toon wat bestaan tussen verskillende gebruikersgroepe. Speciesstamkruwes is gebruik om monstergrootte te bepaal vir die evaluering van Miombo boomvelddinamika in hergroeiopstande na kap & brand en houtskoolproduksie, terwyl vastegrootte persele gebruik is vir volwasse boomveldopstande. Die studieplekke in elk van drie studiegebiede is geselekteer om verskillende ouderdomme tussen 2 en 15+ jaar na be-eindiging van die versteuring te verteenwoordig. Onversteurde boomveld is gebruik as kontrole. Verskeie ontledings, met die STATISTICA statistiese pakket en CANOCO weergawe 4.0 is gedoen om die reaksie van Miombo boomveld op die verskillende versteurings te verstaan. Die navorsing het getoon dat enkelboomseleksie, kap & brand landbou en houtskoolproduksie is die hoof vorme van Copperbelt Miombo boomveld benutting wat altyd daar sal wees. Verder is die Miombo boomveldopstande gekarakteriseer gebaseer op die grootteklasprofiel wat hulle vertoon na menslike versteuringsfaktore in die vorm van boomveldbenutting. Die karakterisering het getoon dat die boomveld gedomineer word deur ligeisende soorte. Daarom ondersteun enkelboomseleksie nie die verjonging en vestiging van die dominante houtsoorte wat kroonsoorte is onder skadutoestande. Dit impliseer dat selektiewe inoesting van houtsoorte, alhoewel dit voorkom as ‘n onbelangrike gebeurtenis in terme van versteuring op opstandsvlak, ‘n ramp is op populasievlak. Die studie het ook getoon dat skoonmaak van die boomveld vir of kap & brand landbou of houtskoolproduksie, lei tot verbeterde verjonging en vestiging van die dominante Miombo boomveldsoorte. Die studie lei tot die gevolgtrekking dat houtskoolproduksie en kap & brand landbou belangrike komponente is waarby die boomveldsisteem aangepas is. Daarom kan hierdie versteuringsfaktore beskou word as ingeslote versteurings. Vanuit die studie word daarom aanbeveel dat boomveldbenutting en –bestuur houtskoolproduksie en kap & brand landbou binne die bosbestuur integreerd moet word. Kapsiklusse moet gebaseer word op die groeitempos van geselekteerde soorte. Inoesting van houtsoorte moet saamloop met hierdie versteuringsfaktore sodat die kroondak oopgemaak kan word sodat maksimum sonlig die verjonging bereik. Die studie bring ook na vore die bestuur en benuttingsgeleenthede (soos bestuur vir die vrugte van Uapaca kirkiana en Anisophyllea boehmii) wat voorkom in verskillende ontwikkelingstadiums van die boomveld. Laastens word aanbeveel dat die optimum openinggroottes vir beide kap & brand en houtskoolbereiding wat herstel van Miombo boomveld ondersteun, bepaal.

Tropical woodlands play a key role in the livelihoods of rural communities in southern Africa, but exist in contexts of constant ecological and socioeconomic change. With research into tropical woodlands neglected compared to tropical forests, it is important to improve understanding of the consequences of tropical woodland change for rural wellbeing. The aim of this thesis is to examine the dynamic interactions between woodland change and rural livelihoods through an interdisciplinary case study of a miombo woodland landscape on and around Wedza Mountain, Zimbabwe. The thesis is organised into three parts addressing: (1) the patterns of land use intensity and provisioning ecosystem service availability around Wedza Mountain; (2) the importance of environmental resources in rural income portfolios and hazard coping strategies; and (3) the adequacy of ecosystem service literature in representing the environmental values of rural African communities. The first part of this thesis explores patterns of land use and woodland structure on the woodland cover gradient around Wedza Mountain. In Chapter 2 I characterise land use intensity in the six study villages using a new method of calculating human appropriation of net primary productivity (HANPP) at the village scale. Use of this approach indicates that previous studies have underestimated land use intensity in African small-scale farming areas, with village-scale HANPP estimates in Wedza ranging from 48% to 113% of total potential annual NPP as compared to 18 to 38% in published studies. In Chapter 3 I combine woodland survey data with a quantitative ethnobotanical assessment of the use values of woody species and demonstrate that per-household availability of provisioning ecosystem services declines with declining relative tree cover. These findings also suggest that more deforested villages have reduced diversity of ethnospecies underlying service provision, with ramifications for service resilience and livelihood option values in response to future change. The focus of the second part of the thesis is on the role of woodland resources in rural livelihoods. In Chapter 4 I quantify the contribution of environmental income to the total income portfolios of 91 households and show that lower village woodland cover is not associated with reduced livelihood diversity, in part because a large proportion of environmental income is derived from degraded woodland or non-woodland environments. In Chapter 5 I assess the importance of environmental resources for coping with hazard exposures, drawing on recall of past exposure responses and a survey exercise weighting the elements of coping strategy portfolios in response to varying shock scenarios. Synthesis of these data sets indicates that environmental resources represent an important safety net in coping with interacting covariate and idiosyncratic hazard exposures. The third part of the thesis consists of critical reflection, firstly on the adequacy of current ecosystem services research in southern Africa landscapes and secondly on this specific research project. In Chapter 6 I identify the value discourses which are most dominant across 356 peer-reviewed papers adopting an ecosystem services approach to miombo landscape research, and contrast these with the environmental values of study communities in Wedza District. Through this I show that the current ecosystem service literature is failing to represent rural African social and spiritual imaginaries of landscapes, with potentially serious consequences for the efficacy and equity of landscape management interventions. In Chapter 7 I examine some of the methodological and ethical challenges encountered during this research project through a discussion of the relationships between researcher, research assistant and respondents in an interdisciplinary field research context. Finally, in Chapter 8 I synthesise the key messages from the thesis, and conclude by discussing the implications of our findings for understanding of how future change will impact the resilience and vulnerability of savanna woodland socioecological systems.

The study of paleopathology is intrinsic to the study of past human societies. Through analyzing gross bone abnormalities in the individuals of a population group, one can discover occurrences of specific diseases. Diseases are often associated with diet, demography, environment, and culture of a population group. Understanding the types of diseases present can therefore lead to much information about a population group. The intent of this research is to analyze the skeletal remains from three mortuary sites to ascertain the occurrences of particular diseases. The New Castle site (12Hn1) the White site (121-In10), and Windsor Mound (12R1) represent a sample of the Early-Middle Woodland population from east central Indiana. / Department of Anthropology