Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2007. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Umeå : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2007. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Alnarp : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2006. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Thesis (D. Min.)--Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Mo., 1994. / Abstract. Includes a sample counselor manual for the camp. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 137-138).

The tropical hardwood forests of Mozambique are among its most important natural resources. Long-term sustainable management of these resources will require proper forest management, which depends on understanding the growth rates and the life history of important commercial species as well as the impacts of natural forces (e.g., climate variability) and human management. This study analyzes radial growth rate dynamics and climate-growth relationships of Millettia stuhlmannii and examines its dendrochronological potential. This tree locally known as Panga-panga or Jambirre is one of the most important timber species in Mozambique. Ranked as a first class commercial timber in Mozambique, it is frequently harvested in an unsustainable way and sustainable management of the species is urgently needed for the continued utilization of this resource. Five different methods demonstrate that the semi-ring porous tree rings of M. stuhlmannii are annual: (1) Ring structure and anatomy; (2) Successful cross-dating within and between trees; (3) Ring counting in trees with known age (young trees collected from an experimental "plantation") (4) Cambial wounding and (5) Correlation between ring width and climate data. Through these methods, M. stuhlmannii trees showed distinct reaction to pinning, adding one annual ring after one year. Cross dating of annual ring width growth was successful within and among selected M. stuhlmannii trees, which indicates that this species forms annual rings and that growth responds to an external climate variability. M. stuhlmannii annual growth ring boundaries were characterized by alternating patterns of parenchyma and fibre vessels and marginal parenchyma. Precipitation during previous December (r= 0.30; p<0.05), current February (r=0.30; p<0.05) and the entire rainy season (NDJFM; r=0.43, p<0.01) over a long period (1900-1996) showed a significant influence on Panga-panga tree ring growth. Declining rainfall has caused a growth increment decrease since 1940. The results of this study show that the mean annual increment of M. stuhlmannii is 0.51 cm/year and it takes about 75 years for an average M. stuhlmannii tree to reach the minimum lawful cutting diameter of 40 cm DBH (diameter at breast height). Temporal differences in movement through increasing diameter classes are large among and within classes. The median time necessary for trees to grow into the next diameter class was not statistically significant (Kruskal-Wallis chi-squared = 9.568, p>0.001). The relationship between stem diameter and percentage of heartwood is significantly high (R2 = 0.9701, p < 0.0001) and results suggest that from 33cm diameters on, the HW% remain stable. Partial correlation coefficients show that significant effects on growth to minimum cutting diameter occur while stems move through the 20-30 cm DBH class. This indicates the specific sizes at which silviculture treatments have to be started in order to maximize the productivity of this species. Correlation analyses revealed that heartwood width (HW) is positively correlated with total stem diameter (TSD), cambial Age (Ac), number of rings in heartwood (HWR), heartwood area (HWA), Total stem diameter area (TSDA) and Mean annual increment (MAI). This study suggests that further studies to improve diameter growth rate models as well as volume increment models need to be carried out. Strong correlation with precipitation during the rainy season suggests that this species is potentially useful for future climate reconstruction studies in Mozambique.

Magister Educationis - MEd / This thesis constitutes an investigation into the effects of literacy in a community which is severly disadvantaged. The thesis explored various ways in which the concept of literacy could be examined and the political assuments implied in each literacy orientation. In order to explore the effects of literacy following conventional research procedures a pilot study was conducted. During the pilot the data revealed that statistical analysis could not capture the political and 'liberational'nuances generated by literacy. In the light of this, it became necessary to adopt a mode of analysis which could capture the effects of the literacy. This study therefore constitutes a description of the, advantages and disadvantages of radically switching to a different paradigm in the life of a single project.

Experiments were carried out with the objectives of developing propagation protocols for Uapaca kirkiana and Pappea capensis tree species of southern Africa, and evaluating the graft compatibility within U. Kirkiana tree clones, provenances and species. Reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC), Folin-Ciocalteau reagent, fluorescence microscopy and callus fusion methodologies were used to diagnose graft compatibility. Results indicated that U. Kirkiana culture asepsis was achieved with 0.1% w/v mercuric chloride HgCl2) and using pre-conditioned grafted trees. Sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) improved P. Capensis seed asepsis and germination, and discarding floating seeds improved germination. Murashige and Skoog (MS) medium with 2.0 mg l-1 benzylaminopurine (BAP) and 0.3 mg l-1 casein hydrolysate (CH) was superior in shoot multiplication and 0.5 mg l-1 indole-3-butyric acid (IBA) for rooting of P. Capensis microshoots. For somatic embryogenesis, three quarter strength MS medium with 0.05 mg l-1 thidiazuron (TDZ) and 0.3 mg l-1 CH, or 0.2 mg l-1 BAP with 0.3 mg l-1 CH, were effective in germination of P. Capensis somatic embryos. For U. Kirkiana lateral shoot explants, shoot multiplication was superior on three quarter strength MS medium with 0.1 mg l-1 BAP and 0.3 mg l-1 CH. Rooting of micro-cuttings (36%) was achieved on ½ MS with 2.5 mg l-1 IBA. RP-HPLC, fluorescence microscopy and callus fusion studies showed that phenolic compounds play a major role in U. Kirkiana graft incompatibility. Less graft compatible combinations showed an increase in phenol deposits above the union and graft incompatibility was more pronounced above the union than below the union. Proliferation of parenchymatous tissues was better below the union than above the union. Fluorescence microscopy showed presence of flavonoids and polymers above the union of less graft compatible combinations. The chromatograms showed that ferulic acid was abundant and responsible for wood discolouration. The chromatograms also isolated ρara-coumaric acids which were predominant above the union of the less compatible combinations. Therefore, ρara-coumaric acids, flavonoids and polymers were implicated in graft incompatibility of U. kirkiana trees. Copyright / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Plant Production and Soil Science / unrestricted

Pinyon-juniper woodland encroachment threatens ecosystem function and diversity on sagebrush steppe. Decreased fire frequency likely favors proliferation of pinyon-juniper woodlands and subsequent decline in desirable understory species. Increased tree cover produces hazardous canopy fuel loads that contribute to severe crown fires and threaten life and property at the wildland-urban-interface. Mechanical mastication converts large canopy fuels into small woody debris, altering wildfire dynamics from a potential crown fire to a more controllable surface fire. We measured fuel loading and cover on untreated, masticated, and masticated + burned treatments on 30-m transects within 30 X 33-m subplots, representing 45 different sites throughout Utah. All variables were analyzed using mixed-model analysis of covariance with untreated or pretreatment tree cover as the covariate. Shredding trees reduced large-diameter fuels to primarily 10-hour fuels (6.4-25.4 mm diameter). Reduced fuel sizes, fuel redistribution, and fuelbed compactness resulting from mastication treatments can aid wildfire suppression. Masticated + burned treatments effectively reduced woody surface fuel loading to that of pretreatment conditions. Prescribed burning could be used outside the growing season in cool-weather, high-moisture conditions to remove surface fuels, mitigating lethal soil heating and plant mortality. Shrub loading was not adversely affected by mastication treatments, but was significantly reduced with masticated + burned treatments. Masticated and masticated + burned treatments significantly increased herbaceous fuel loading. Treating at lower tree cover values reduced fuel buildup, and provided more opportunity for a positive herbaceous response. Fuel loading estimates measured in this study were provided to populate fire behavior models for mastication treatments on our study sites when such models become available.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2003. / Härtill 5 uppsatser.

The role of forests in nature-based tourism and recreation is becoming increasingly important. Forests, in South Africa and abroad are no longer seen simply as a source of timber, but provide spiritual and recreational services to millions of people through forest-related tourism. Consequently many countries have had to try and balance the multifunctional roles that forests play in the forestry and tourism sectors. There has been very limited research conducted to date on the role that forests and woodlands play in the tourism sector in South Africa. The study assesses the current and potential role of forests and woodlands in the tourism sector in selected regions of Finland and South Africa by means of a comparative study. The Mpumalanga and Oulu Provinces were chosen as the two case study regions. The dissertation presents a general picture of the similarities and differences between the regions and countries. The comparison of similarities and differences in the management of forest areas serves to identify different solutions to the challenges faced by the tourism sector in forest and woodland areas of Finland and South Africa. The study further measures and compares tourism providers‟ perceptions towards how they value and use forests and woodlands for tourism and recreation. How and why forests and woodlands are valued should play an important part in how they are created and managed. Management methods are then likely to be more effective and socially acceptable. In addition to examining the role of forests in the tourism sector, it is helpful to understand why people choose to visit forests and woodlands and their attitude towards forests and the environment. The study assesses why tourists visit forest and woodland areas and their attitudes towards forests and the environment. Attitudes of individuals are seen as a major factor that explains motivations for different forms of behaviour and such analysis provides useful information for organisations involved in managing forestrelated tourism. The study uses the Forest Importance Scale (FIS) and the General Awareness and Consequence Scale (GAC) as simple measures of attitudes towards forest importance and usage. Lastly the study assesses and compares the perceptions of tourists and tourism providers and the importance they place in sustainable tourism principles. Both forests and tourism are relevant issues from an environmental perspective and it is relevant for planners and managers both inside and outside the tourism industry to evaluate the level of support amongst tourists and tourism providers towards more sustainable practices. The purpose of this thesis is thus to present the findings of research conducted using a comparative approach including a comparison of two case-study regions, multiple-use Likert scales, in-depth interviews and participant observation as means for investigating the role of forests in tourism. This study reveals that forests are seen to have a significant role for tourism and play an important role in attracting tourism in many communities located near them through nature-based tourism and recreation. Forests and woodlands are especially perceived as important by tourism providers in maintaining and creating the tourism activities in the area. The results reveal that there is a need to increase and monitor local community participation in the regions as there was a high degree of uncertainty regarding involvement of the community in decision-making and tourism development in the regions. Community involvement is one of the vital components of ensuring sustainable tourism. Therefore it is important to monitor the level of community involvement in an area to ensure sustainable tourism development. The study adds a supplier and consumer perspective regarding the importance of sustainable tourism principles. The study reveals that both tourists and tourism providers in Finland and South Africa are very supportive of sustainable tourism principles in the destination. The high interest and fairly similar ranking of issues suggest that tourists and tourism providers largely share the definition of sustainability. Positive perceptions towards sustainable tourism principles will encourage tourists and tourism providers to act sustainably regarding tourism development and management. Finally the results suggest that well-managed and organized tourism in forested rural areas can play a significant role in enhancing the economic, environmental and social development in the regions. The challenge of managing sustainable forest tourism is discussed further and the results from the study aim to provide the foundation on which to formulate principles or guidelines and recommend approaches to be applied in the development and management of sustainable forest tourism in South Africa. Copyright / Dissertation (MCom)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Tourism Management / unrestricted