An Alpine Fault Earthquake has the potential to cause significant disruption across the Southern Alps of the South Island New Zealand. In particular, South Island river systems may be chronically disturbed by the addition of large volumes of sediment sourced from coseismic landsliding. The Taramakau River is no exception to this; located north of Otira, in the South Island of New Zealand, it is exposed to natural hazards resulting from an earthquake on the Alpine Fault, the trace of which crosses the river within the study reach. The effects of an Alpine Fault Earthquake (AFE) have been extensively studied, however, little attention has been paid to the effects of such an event on the Taramakau River as addressed herein. Three research methods were utilised to better understand the implications of an Alpine Fault Earthquake on the Taramakau River: (1) hydraulic and landslide data analyses, (2) aerial photograph interpretation and (3) micro-scale modelling. Data provided by the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research were reworked, establishing relationships between hydraulic parameters for the Taramakau River. Estimates of landslide volume were compared with data from the Poerua landslide dam, a historic New Zealand natural event, to indicate how landslide sediment may be reworked through the Taramakau valley. Aerial photographs were compared with current satellite images of the area, highlighting trends of avulsion and areas at risk of flooding. Micro-scale model experiments indicated how a braided fluvial system may respond to dextral strike-slip and thrust displacement and an increase in sediment load from coseismic landslides. An Alpine Fault Earthquake will generate a maximum credible volume of approximately 3.0 x 108 m3 of landslide material in the Taramakau catchment. Approximately 15% of this volume will be deposited on the Taramakau study area floodplain within nine years of the next Alpine Fault Earthquake. This amounts to 4.4 x 107 m3 of sediment input, causing an average of 0.5 m of aggradation across the river floodplains within the study area. An average aggradation of 0.5 m will likely increase the stream height of a one-in-100 year flood with a flow rate of 3200 m3/s from seven metres to 7.5 m overtopping the road and rail bridges that cross the Taramakau River within the study area – if they have survived the earthquake. Since 1943 the Taramakau River has shifted 500 m away from State Highway 73 near Inchbonnie, moving 430 m closer to the road and rail. Paleo channels recognised across the land surrounding Inchbonnie between the Taramakau River and Lake Brunner may be reoccupied after an earthquake on the Alpine Fault. Micro-scale modelling showed that the dominant response to dextral strike-slip and increased ‘landslide’ sediment addition was up- and downstream aggradation separated by a localised zone of degradation over the fault trace. Following an Alpine Fault Earthquake the Taramakau River will be disturbed by the initial surface rupture along the fault trace, closely followed by coseismic landsliding. Landslide material will migrate down the Taramakau valley and onto the floodplain. Aggradation will raise the elevation of the river bed promoting channel avulsion with consequent flooding and sediment deposition particularly on low lying farmland near Inchbonnie. To manage the damage of these hazards, systematically raising the low lying sections of road and rail may be implemented, strengthening (or pre-planning the replacement of) the bridges is recommended and actively involving the community in critical decision making should minimise the risks of AFE induced fluvial hazards. The response of the Taramakau River relative to an Alpine Fault Earthquake might be worse, or less severe or significantly different in some way, to that assumed herein.

Alpine tundra is notorious for its fragility and slow recovery following disturbance. Tourism is increasing in alpine areas, creating the need to improve our understanding of the impacts of recreation in these ecosystems. This study examined the impacts of hiking and off-highway vehicle use on the vascular flora of dry alpine meadows in the Canadian Rockies by comparing community data, including rare plant distributions, on recreational trails, on intact tundra meadows, and on sparsely vegetated gravel steps formed by frost disturbance. The trails were found to be different from both undisturbed and naturally disturbed tundra in terms of vascular plant cover, diversity, species composition and soil compaction. Rare plants do not seem to be adversely affected by recreational activities. Trampling leads to environmental conditions that will likely make regeneration of abandoned trails an extremely slow process, and it is advisable to limit the extent of trail networks in alpine areas. / Conservation Biology

The objectives of this study were two fold. The first was to quantify the nature and extent of current levels of human impact in alpine areas at four sites within Fiordland and Mount Aspiring National Parks along walking tracks at Key Summit, Gertrude Saddle, Borland Saddle and Sugarloaf Pass. In order to do so, a survey was carried out with transects placed perpendicular to the track, and distributed among different vegetation types. In each transect, plant structural and compositional aspects, and soil and environmental parameters were measured. Transects were divided into track, transition, undisturbed and control zones, and changes to dependent variables were compared with distance from the track centre. Damage from visitor impact was largely restricted to within 1m from the track centre. The most significant impacts were to structural aspects of plant and soil properties with significant reductions in plant height, total vegetation cover and bryophyte cover, and increases in bareground and erosion on tracks. Erosion was more prevalent on slopes greater than 25°, while tracks on peat soils contained greater bareground exposure, particularly of organic soil. The second study objective was to investigate the relationship between specific levels of impact and the resulting damage to two key alpine vegetation types, tussock herb field and cushion bog. This was undertaken by carrying out controlled trampling experiments, measuring changes to plant structural and compositional aspects four weeks and one year after treatment. Both vegetation types saw dramatic reductions in total vegetation cover and height immediately after trampling, however overall composition and species richness varied little. These two alpine vegetation types showed moderate-low resistance to initial impact and low resilience, with very little recovery evident one year later. Research intothese two areas is important for managing visitor use within alpine areas in order to meet conservation and recreation goals. The survey indicates that alpine community types are very sensitive to visitor use, showing significant structural damage, however the spatial extent of impact is limited within the broader landscape. Instead, visitor impacts associated with tracks are likely to be more visually and aesthetically significant, influencing the visitor experience. The trampling experiments indicate that use levels over 25-75 passes per year within tussock herbfield and cushion bog vegetation on peat soils will result in ongoing damage to previously undisturbed sites. Methods for minimising impacts include limiting visitor numbers, public education in low impact practices, redirection of tracks and use to areas that are less sensitive, the dispersal of visitor activity at very low use intensities (less than 75 direct passes per year) and the concentration of activity on tracks above this level.

Diss. Naturwiss. ETH Zürich. / With English summary. Literaturverz.

Thesis (D. Min.)--New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary, 1999. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 128-132).

Texte remanié de: Diss.--Fachbereich Geschichte, Philosophie und Sozialwissenschaften--Halle-Wittenberg--Martin-Luther-Universität, 1997. / Bibliogr. p. 485-534.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:28:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2011-06-16Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:58:03Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 lourencon_rv_me_botfmvz.pdf: 508786 bytes, checksum: c5c565099a465c8ad66e1bd45d35a71b (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP) / Este trabalho foi realizado com o objetivo de avaliar o crescimento relativo dos cortes comerciais e dos tecidos da carcaça de caprinos. Foram utilizados 78 cabritos, machos e fêmeas, de cinco grupos raciais: Alpino; 1/2 Boer + 1/2 Alpino (1/2 BA); 1/2 Anglo Nubiano + 1/2 Alpino (1/2 ANA); 3/4 Boer + 1/4 Alpino (3/4 BA); e ½ Anglo Nubiano + ¼ Boer + ¼ Alpino (TC). Os grupos foram distribuídos em dois sistemas de terminação, pasto (ST1) e confinamento (ST2). Os cabritos foram abatidos em média aos 22,07 kg de peso vivo e 128,4 ± 7,9 dias. O peso médio das meias carcaças foi de 5,09 kg. Para determinação do crescimento alométrico foi utilizada a equação exponencial Y = aXb. O cruzamento com a raça Anglo Nubiana proporcionou o crescimento precoce da perna em relação ao peso da meia carcaça (PMC). O lombo cresceu tardiamente nos animais Alpinos e ½ ANA. Nos animais do grupo TC as costelas apresentaram crescimento tardio. Os cruzamentos não influenciaram no desenvolvimento do pescoço. A paleta foi considerada precoce nos animais ½ BA e TC. O tecido muscular, em relação ao PMC, apresentou crescimento precoce no grupo ½ BA. No ST1, a paleta cresceu precocemente, enquanto no ST2 este crescimento foi isogônico. O tecido adiposo dos animais do ST1 foi depositado tardiamente. As fêmeas apresentaram crescimento precoce de perna e tecido muscular, que nos machos foi considerado intermediário. O crescimento dos caprinos é influenciado pelos cruzamentos raciais, sistema de terminação e sexo / This work was conducted with the objective of evaluate the relative growth of carcass cuts and tissues of goats. Seventy-eight male and female kids from five racial groups were used: Alpine; ½ Boer + ½ Alpine (½ BA); ½ Nubian + ½ Alpine (½ ANA); ¾ Boer + ¼ Alpine (¾ BA); and ½ Nubian + ¼ Boer + ¼ Alpine (TC); distributed in two finishing systems, pasture (FS1) and feedlot (FS2). The kids were slaughtered at an average of 22.07 kg of live weight and 128.4 ± 7.9 days. The average weight of half carcasses was 5.09 kg. To determine the allometric growth the exponential equation was used Y= aXb. The crossing with the Anglo Nubian provided the early growth of the leg in relation to the half carcass weight. The loin grew late in the Alpine animals and ½ the ANA. In animals from group TC ribs grew late. The crossings did not influence the development of the neck. The palette was considered earlier in kids ½ BA and TC. Muscle tissue in relation to the half carcass, grew early in the group ½ BA. In FS1, the palette grew early, while this growth was intermediate in FS2. The fat tissue of animals in FS1 had a late growth. The females showed early growth of leg and muscle tissue, while in males was considered intermediate. The growth of goats is influenced by the crossings, sex and finishing system

Abstract Mycorrhizal symbiosis is generally advantageous for plants in nutrient-poor soils. Arcto-alpine areas are relatively nutrient-poor, but abundantly inhabited by non-mycorrhizal species. Possibly, mycorrhizal symbiosis is not favoured due to the harsh climatic conditions and the short growing season, which constrain the photosynthetic gain and growth of the arcto-alpine plants. This hypothesis was theoretically evaluated by assuming that optimal mycorrhizal colonization maximizes the net carbon gain of the host plant. In addition, the prevalence of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and dark-septate endophytic (DSE) fungi along an altitudinal gradient was studied in the field, and their effects on the plant performance were tested in the laboratory. In the model, the photosynthetic nutrient use efficiency (PNUE) had a key role in determining whether mycorrhizal strategy would be optimal for the plant net carbon gain. The model generated several colonization patterns depending on possible changes in PNUE and soil nutrient concentrations along altitudinal gradients. Field studies indicated that species-level colonizations do not yield a consistent pattern along the altitude except for fine endophyte, which increased along an altitudinal gradient. In a high-alpine field site root fungal colonizations were rare. Seasonal shifts in colonizations in low-alpine conditions were not found. DSE fungi were common root-associates in the field. In the laboratory, AM had a positive impact on the performance of Gnaphalium norvegicum at 15°C, but not at 8°C. DSE-inoculation did not colonize the roots, but it had a positive impact on seedling performance, which may be due to the saprophytic activity of the fungus in the substrate. Additionally, mycorrhizal inoculum was found to decrease the performance of a non-mycorrhizal plant in a competition experiment. Species-level mycorrhizal colonization patterns may differ from community-level pattern along altitudinal gradients and the relative abundance of different fungal symbionts may change along with the altitude. The performance of mycorrhizal plants in high-alpine conditions may be decreased due to several factors e.g. low temperature constraints on plant and fungal physiology and allocation, soil disturbances and low availability of inoculum. Climatic constraints for plant photosynthesis may thus affect the mycorrhizal colonization patterns in arcto-alpine conditions, but are not necessarily the primary cause for lower performance of mycorrhizal plants at higher altitudes.

Alpine plant communities can be exceptionally diverse at a fine scale, and they often exhibit fine scale topographic variability. High species diversity is often attributed to spatial and temporal heterogeneity in the environment. The goal of this study was to test for a positive relationship between microtopographic heterogeneity and species diversity of alpine plants. Species diversity of vascular plants was sampled at 8 sites in Glacier National Park, MT during the summer of 2009. Species richness was assessed both within a 1 x 1 m plot and at 100 points spaced 10 cm apart within the plot. To quantify topographic heterogeneity and variability, the relative elevation was measured for all 100 points in the plot as well. Similarity in species composition between study plots was investigated using Non-Metric Multidimensional Scaling. The study plots separated into two groups based on the presence/absence of Dryas octopetala. This difference is most likely due to plots occupying different positions along the mesotopographical gradient and therefore experiencing different moisture regimes. Regression for all 1 m2 plot data found a negative relationship between topographic heterogeneity and species richness, and no relationship between topographic variability and species richness. Quantile regression was used to assess the relationship between point measures of species richness and topographic variability. There is evidence for topographic variability imposing a limit on species richness for all sites grouped together and for sites that do not contain D. octopetala. This limit is most likely due to the interaction of soil disturbance and the productivity of a site.

Alpine plants are assumed to be in particular danger as the climate changes rapidly worldwide. Specialist alpine species in Norrbotten County, northern Sweden have been surveyed over the last 20 years, providing insight to population dynamics and how the plants might respond to the changing climate. The main current threat to the species is habitat destruction as the climate changes. Variation in the number of plants among populations and years, and correlations with environmental variables were examined. Some species had increased while others had decreased over the years. No uniform relationship for all species and populations were discovered, but some of the species exhibited relationships between population size changes and temperature and precipitation. However, if the future climate in Norrbotten County changes according to the predictions, the habitats of the specialist alpine plants may be severely altered, leaving the species with no alternative places to establish and grow.