Understanding the link between indicator species and their environment is imperative to managing and conserving anthropogenically-altered ecosystems. Seasonally-pulsed wetlands are uniquely complex ecosystem where water-level fluctuations shape trophic interactions. Anthropogenic manipulation of water-level fluctuation threatens the integrity of these systems worldwide. Wading birds, a group of species sensitive to landuse changes and fluctuating habitat conditions, serve as important indicators for wetland health. I used wading birds in the Everglades, as a model system to address the challenges of environmental restoration within an ecosystem heavily impacted by anthropogenic activities. Specifically, I 1) identified the nesting response of Great Egret (Ardea alba), White Ibis (Eudocimus albus), and Wood Stork (Mycteria americana) to hydrologically-mediated changes in food availability and 2) quantified spatiotemporal foraging-habitat selection of Great Egrets, White Ibis, and Wood Storks to fluctuating hydrologic conditions. Collectively, model selection results suggest food availability, generated through dynamic hydrological conditions, is a strong predictor of the abundance of nesting birds in a given year. Great egret and white ibis produce the highest nests numbers in years when the frequency of days of rising water is low. Wood stork nest numbers are the highest in years with high prey production coupled with continuous prey availability. My study of resource selection indicated wading birds select foraging sites based on similar hydrologic parameters, but the response varies by species. Wood storks are more likely to forage in shallow cells (< 10 cm) drying with high recession rates (0.5-1.5 cm/day), and long time since last drydown (600 days). White ibises selected foraging cells with relatively shallow water depths (0-15 cm), intermediate recession rates (0.5-1.0 cm/day), and long time since drydown (600 days). Great egrets selected foraging cells with a wider range of water depths (0-20 cm) where recession rates were lower (0.5 cm/day). All species are more likely to forage in cells where water has not increased by more than 3 cm in the previous two weeks. These differences in resource selections correspond to morphological and behavioral differences in the species, whereby wood storks were more constrained hydrologically and would be more affected by water-level manipulation. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Zoneamentos ambientais (ZA) são instrumentos utilizados em diversas áreas como instrumento de planejamento territorial e para ordenamento de atividades econômicas. Sua utilização como ferramenta de apoio a outros instrumentos da Política Nacional do Meio Ambiente (PNMA), como o licenciamento ambiental, deve incorporar aspectos ecológicos visando à incorporação da preocupação com a conservação da biodiversidade em fases estratégicas da tomada de decisão. O estudo de caso sobre a expansão do setor sucroalcooleiro de São Paulo representa a integração entre os processos de licenciamento ambiental (etapa de triagem) e o denominado \"Zoneamento Agroambiental do Setor Sucroalcooleiro do Estado de São Paulo\" (ZAA-SP), onde a localização dos pedidos em relação ao mapa elaborado indica o tipo de estudo a ser realizado para avaliação do projeto. Foi estabelecido um panorama para seleção de critérios e indicadores voltados à conciliação entre preocupações com a conservação da biodiversidade e o desenvolvimento do setor por meio da abordagem DPSIR (Força motriz, Pressão, Estado, Impacto, Resposta), que permite uma avaliação causal entre o processo produtivo e as características ambientais por ele afetadas, além de permitir adaptações que foram necessárias para o seu desenvolvimento. Posteriormente, foram desenvolvidas análises espaciais na região Noroeste do estado de São Paulo, onde se criaram 8 (oito) cenários para avaliar: (i) a influência da escala dos dados adotados em cada critério avaliado e (ii) a decisão pelos valores de referência para estes indicadores. Os resultados indicaram um acréscimo de \'áreas inadequadas\' e \'adequadas com restrições\' em um total superior a 2Mha no cenário \"ideal\". O rigor quanto ao indicador de declividade foi responsável pelo maior acréscimo de áreas \'inadequadas\' &#8211; o que neste estudo representa um aspecto relevante tanto para a conservação e manutenção de recursos hídricos e do solo, mas também define o método de colheita, manual ou mecanizada &#8211; e as áreas indicadas para novas áreas protegidas influenciaram na delimitação das áreas \'adequadas com restrições\', a partir da delimitação das zonas de amortecimento de Unidades de Conservação de Proteção Integral. Estes cenários foram confrontados com a localização de unidades industriais de novos pedidos de licenciamento, além de suas áreas de influência, procurando avaliar se os estudos exigidos para o projeto em questão eram condizentes com as recomendações do ZAA-SP. Considerando o mapa do cenário ideal (com novas bases de dados e novos parâmetros), dos pedidos avaliados por Relatório Ambiental Preliminar (RAP) por estarem em zonas mais adequadas no ZAA-SP, 36,6% deveriam ter sidos reavaliados quanto a esta decisão, com a possibilidade de elaboração de estudos completos (Estudo de Impacto Ambiental e Relatório de Impacto Ambiental &#8211; EIA/RIMA), sendo que duas destas propostas já deveriam ter sido negadas por terem sido alocadas em zonas \'inadequadas\' neste último mapa. Considerando as áreas de plantio (áreas de influência) dos empreendimentos analisados houve um incremento superior a 340% de alocação de \'áreas inadequadas\' entre o ZAA-SP e o cenário mais conservador das análises, equivalente a mais de 1Mha em áreas absolutas. Isto é preocupante, pois as atividades agrícolas do setor ensejam uma série de impactos sobre a biodiversidade e os ecossistemas. Desta forma, baseados na adaptação e atualização do instrumento, a consideração equivocada das características do território pode prejudicar os processos de avaliação de impactos quando estes não exigirem estudos mais completos. A partir do estudo de caso, percebe-se que a integração de instrumentos da PNMA deve ser conduzida com parcimônia para que cada instrumento adote critérios e indicadores adequados ao seu objetivo, pois decisões erradas já nas primeiras etapas de avaliação de projetos prejudicam a capacidade dos instrumentos envolvidos de exercer seu papel dentro dos sistemas de gestão ambiental. / Environmental zoning (EZ) are instruments applied by many fields such as territorial planning and for planning of economic activities. Its use as a support tool to other instruments of the National Environmental Policy (NEP), as the environmental licensing, must incorporate ecological aspects for conservation of biodiversity in strategic phases of decision making. The study case about the expansion of sugarcane sector of São Paulo representes an integration between the environmental licensing process (screening stage) and the so-called \"Agro-Environmental Zoning of Sugarcane Industry of the State of São Paulo\" (ZAA-SP), where location of requests in the elaborated map indicates the type of study to be conducted for evaluating the project. A framework was established for selection of criteria and indicators aimed at reconciling concerns about biodiversity conservation and the development of the sector through the DPSIR approach (Driving force, Pressure, State, Impact, Response), allowing a causal evaluation between production process and the environmental characteristics affected by it, and allowed adjustments which were necessary for its development. Later, spatial analyzes were developed in the northwestern region of the state of São Paulo, where were created eight (8) scenarios to assess: (i) the influence of the scale of databases used in each criteria and (ii) the decision by reference values for these indicators. The results indicated an increase of \'unsuitable areas\' and \'suitable with restrictions\' in a total of more than 2Mha in the \"ideal\" scenario. Slope restrictions indicator was responsible for the largest increase of inappropriate areas - which in this study is an important issue both for conservation and maintenance of water resources and soil, but also sets the harvest method, manual or mechanized - and indicated areas for new protected areas influenced the definition of \'suitable with restrictions\' zones, derived from definition of Full Protection Conservation Units buffer zones. These scenarios were confronted with the location of industrial units of new applications, as well as their areas of influence, seeking to assess whether the studies required for the project in question were consistent with the ZAA-SP\'s recommendations. Considering the map of the \"ideal\" scenario (with new databases and new parameters), the applications evaluated by Preliminary Environmental Report (PER) for being in more suitable areas in ZAA-SP, 36.6% should be reassessed about this decision, with the possibility of preparing more complete studies (Environmental Impact Statement - EIS), and two of these proposals should have been denied because they were allocated into \'inadequate\' zones in the latter map. Considering the plantation areas (areas of influence) of the analyzed enterprises, there was an increase of more than 340% of allocation in the \'unsuitable areas\' between the ZAA-SP and the most conservative scenario analyzes, equivalent to more than 1Mha in absolute areas. This is worrying because the agricultural activities of the sector cause impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems. Thus, based on the adaptation and updating of the instrument, the erroneous consideration of the characteristics of the territory can hinder the assessment of impacts when they do not require more comprehensive studies. From the study case, we can see that the integration of NEP instruments should be conducted sparingly so that each instrument can adopt appropriate criteria and indicators to your goal, because wrong decisions within the first steps of project evaluation undermine the ability of instruments involved to exercise its role within the environmental management systems.

Loggerhead (Caretta caretta) and green (Chelonia mydas) turtles recruit to nearshore environments as juveniles. These often degraded habitats are associated with emerging diseases such as green turtle fibropapillomatosis (GTFP), however there are few studies on immune function in sea turtles. The objective of this research was to quantify phagocytosis of the innate immune system by flow cytometry and compare levels between animals from a degraded habitat (the Indian River Lagoon, FL) to a more pristine environment (the Trident Basin, Port Canaveral, FL), and across a range of temperatures. While in vitro temperatures did not alter rates of phagocytosis, it was higher in samples obtained in the summer than winter. Rates of phagocytosis in sea turtles with GTFP and from degraded environments with increased prevalence of GTFP were low compared to animals from the more pristine environment, suggesting that the environment can alter innate immunological function and thus contribute to the development of disease. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The co-existence of oil and gas development and biodiversity conservation in protected areas is a worldwide challenge because of the risks posed by petroleum development in sensitive ecosystems. This research focuses on the relationship between petroleum development and biodiversity conservation in protected areas of the Ugandan Albertine Graben, to establish how these two sectors with different goals can co-exist without one sector significantly compromising the other. In 2006, Uganda confirmed the existence of commercially viable quantities of oil and gas in the Albertine Graben and, given Uganda's overwhelming energy needs and pressure for economic development, started to develop these resources. However, the area is also identified as a region of great importance for biodiversity conservation and is designated as a Biodiversity Hotspot, Ecoregion and Endemic Bird Area. Petroleum development has started to show impacts on wildlife, tourism, agriculture, fisheries, culture and communities. The research drew on the Driver, Pressure, State, Impact and Response (DPSIR) concept to identify the impacts of petroleum development and the wider issues that impact on biodiversity management and affect the livelihoods of communities living in and around the exploration areas. Data sources included literature, document analysis, field observations, focus groups and interviews. During the study 41 interviews involving 52 people from central and local government, private sector, non-governmental organisations, consultant and member of parliament; one focus group each in eight of the villages in the exploration areas were undertaken. The study examined current strategies to address the emerging issues of petroleum development and identified their limitations. It highlights the roles of stakeholders in developing and influencing responses in the management of the petroleum development, and makes recommendations for addressing the weaknesses currently not covered by the legislation and environmental management practices. A number of recommendations are made to ensure co-existence, including implementation of legal and regulatory frameworks, development of efficient and effective institutions to enforce and monitor the laws and regulations, maintenance of ecological integrity of protected areas and sensitive ecosystems, improving the effectivenes of environmental management tools for decision making, creating an enabling environment for participation of all stakeholders in the process, and promoting good governance. In addition, the co-existence between petroleum development and biodiversity conservation can be realised if more resources are committed by Government, NGOs, private sector for the environment sector, that there is political will to champion biodiversity conservation, a transparent decision making process, and stringent operating practices. Finally, all key stakeholders need to play a role in the petroleum development process and biodiversity conservation.

There is convergence at the international level that conserving biodiversity can contribute to poverty alleviation, but empirical evidence for this relationship is scarce. In this thesis I assess the relationship between poverty and biodiversity, within the context of land use change, using a case-study from the Solomon Islands. This interdisciplinary study is based on both social and ecological data, primarily collected through focus groups, household surveys and avian line transect surveys. Poor households in Kahua were characterised by fewer members of a working age and fewer male members. They were also found to own fewer assets, which were correlated to lower land tenure. Natural resources, including wild foods, were a crucial resource for the consumption and income for poor households, with evidence of wild foods buffering shortfalls in household consumption. The livelihoods of poor households were dependent on natural resources, whereas wealthier households relied on cash crops. The lower involvement of poor households in cash cropping suggests that the poor have less access to such income sources, possibly through a lack of initial land holding assets. Cash crop areas of monoculture cocoa were the most intensive land use in Kahua and were found to be a poor habitat for many bird species, including most endemics. Overall, the relationship between poverty and biodiversity was found to be complex, context dependent and influenced by various social and institutional factors. Household inequalities in access to land and resources indicate that a social-ecological trap may be occurring for poorer households in Kahua, possibly perpetuated by the livelihoods of wealthier households. More research is required in translating the concept of social-ecological traps into management actions, but this thesis concludes that this could be a useful concept for improving poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation initiatives.

Zoneamentos ambientais (ZA) são instrumentos utilizados em diversas áreas como instrumento de planejamento territorial e para ordenamento de atividades econômicas. Sua utilização como ferramenta de apoio a outros instrumentos da Política Nacional do Meio Ambiente (PNMA), como o licenciamento ambiental, deve incorporar aspectos ecológicos visando à incorporação da preocupação com a conservação da biodiversidade em fases estratégicas da tomada de decisão. O estudo de caso sobre a expansão do setor sucroalcooleiro de São Paulo representa a integração entre os processos de licenciamento ambiental (etapa de triagem) e o denominado \"Zoneamento Agroambiental do Setor Sucroalcooleiro do Estado de São Paulo\" (ZAA-SP), onde a localização dos pedidos em relação ao mapa elaborado indica o tipo de estudo a ser realizado para avaliação do projeto. Foi estabelecido um panorama para seleção de critérios e indicadores voltados à conciliação entre preocupações com a conservação da biodiversidade e o desenvolvimento do setor por meio da abordagem DPSIR (Força motriz, Pressão, Estado, Impacto, Resposta), que permite uma avaliação causal entre o processo produtivo e as características ambientais por ele afetadas, além de permitir adaptações que foram necessárias para o seu desenvolvimento. Posteriormente, foram desenvolvidas análises espaciais na região Noroeste do estado de São Paulo, onde se criaram 8 (oito) cenários para avaliar: (i) a influência da escala dos dados adotados em cada critério avaliado e (ii) a decisão pelos valores de referência para estes indicadores. Os resultados indicaram um acréscimo de \'áreas inadequadas\' e \'adequadas com restrições\' em um total superior a 2Mha no cenário \"ideal\". O rigor quanto ao indicador de declividade foi responsável pelo maior acréscimo de áreas \'inadequadas\' &#8211; o que neste estudo representa um aspecto relevante tanto para a conservação e manutenção de recursos hídricos e do solo, mas também define o método de colheita, manual ou mecanizada &#8211; e as áreas indicadas para novas áreas protegidas influenciaram na delimitação das áreas \'adequadas com restrições\', a partir da delimitação das zonas de amortecimento de Unidades de Conservação de Proteção Integral. Estes cenários foram confrontados com a localização de unidades industriais de novos pedidos de licenciamento, além de suas áreas de influência, procurando avaliar se os estudos exigidos para o projeto em questão eram condizentes com as recomendações do ZAA-SP. Considerando o mapa do cenário ideal (com novas bases de dados e novos parâmetros), dos pedidos avaliados por Relatório Ambiental Preliminar (RAP) por estarem em zonas mais adequadas no ZAA-SP, 36,6% deveriam ter sidos reavaliados quanto a esta decisão, com a possibilidade de elaboração de estudos completos (Estudo de Impacto Ambiental e Relatório de Impacto Ambiental &#8211; EIA/RIMA), sendo que duas destas propostas já deveriam ter sido negadas por terem sido alocadas em zonas \'inadequadas\' neste último mapa. Considerando as áreas de plantio (áreas de influência) dos empreendimentos analisados houve um incremento superior a 340% de alocação de \'áreas inadequadas\' entre o ZAA-SP e o cenário mais conservador das análises, equivalente a mais de 1Mha em áreas absolutas. Isto é preocupante, pois as atividades agrícolas do setor ensejam uma série de impactos sobre a biodiversidade e os ecossistemas. Desta forma, baseados na adaptação e atualização do instrumento, a consideração equivocada das características do território pode prejudicar os processos de avaliação de impactos quando estes não exigirem estudos mais completos. A partir do estudo de caso, percebe-se que a integração de instrumentos da PNMA deve ser conduzida com parcimônia para que cada instrumento adote critérios e indicadores adequados ao seu objetivo, pois decisões erradas já nas primeiras etapas de avaliação de projetos prejudicam a capacidade dos instrumentos envolvidos de exercer seu papel dentro dos sistemas de gestão ambiental. / Environmental zoning (EZ) are instruments applied by many fields such as territorial planning and for planning of economic activities. Its use as a support tool to other instruments of the National Environmental Policy (NEP), as the environmental licensing, must incorporate ecological aspects for conservation of biodiversity in strategic phases of decision making. The study case about the expansion of sugarcane sector of São Paulo representes an integration between the environmental licensing process (screening stage) and the so-called \"Agro-Environmental Zoning of Sugarcane Industry of the State of São Paulo\" (ZAA-SP), where location of requests in the elaborated map indicates the type of study to be conducted for evaluating the project. A framework was established for selection of criteria and indicators aimed at reconciling concerns about biodiversity conservation and the development of the sector through the DPSIR approach (Driving force, Pressure, State, Impact, Response), allowing a causal evaluation between production process and the environmental characteristics affected by it, and allowed adjustments which were necessary for its development. Later, spatial analyzes were developed in the northwestern region of the state of São Paulo, where were created eight (8) scenarios to assess: (i) the influence of the scale of databases used in each criteria and (ii) the decision by reference values for these indicators. The results indicated an increase of \'unsuitable areas\' and \'suitable with restrictions\' in a total of more than 2Mha in the \"ideal\" scenario. Slope restrictions indicator was responsible for the largest increase of inappropriate areas - which in this study is an important issue both for conservation and maintenance of water resources and soil, but also sets the harvest method, manual or mechanized - and indicated areas for new protected areas influenced the definition of \'suitable with restrictions\' zones, derived from definition of Full Protection Conservation Units buffer zones. These scenarios were confronted with the location of industrial units of new applications, as well as their areas of influence, seeking to assess whether the studies required for the project in question were consistent with the ZAA-SP\'s recommendations. Considering the map of the \"ideal\" scenario (with new databases and new parameters), the applications evaluated by Preliminary Environmental Report (PER) for being in more suitable areas in ZAA-SP, 36.6% should be reassessed about this decision, with the possibility of preparing more complete studies (Environmental Impact Statement - EIS), and two of these proposals should have been denied because they were allocated into \'inadequate\' zones in the latter map. Considering the plantation areas (areas of influence) of the analyzed enterprises, there was an increase of more than 340% of allocation in the \'unsuitable areas\' between the ZAA-SP and the most conservative scenario analyzes, equivalent to more than 1Mha in absolute areas. This is worrying because the agricultural activities of the sector cause impacts on biodiversity and ecosystems. Thus, based on the adaptation and updating of the instrument, the erroneous consideration of the characteristics of the territory can hinder the assessment of impacts when they do not require more comprehensive studies. From the study case, we can see that the integration of NEP instruments should be conducted sparingly so that each instrument can adopt appropriate criteria and indicators to your goal, because wrong decisions within the first steps of project evaluation undermine the ability of instruments involved to exercise its role within the environmental management systems.

The research reported in this thesis focussed on exploring existing indigenous environmental knowledge of two indigenous communities in Papua New Guinea and how this knowledge was acquired, interpreted and disseminated to the next generation. The relevance of indigenous environmental knowledge in the promotion of biodiversity conservation efforts was investigated. This research was conducted within an interpretive paradigm. A naturalistic/ethnographic methodology was used. Data was collected through semi structured interviews and observations. Participants in this case study were representatives of the community and included elders, adults, teachers and students. The findings in this study revealed indigenous environmental knowledge as useful for biodiversity conservation and promotes sustainable practices. It showed that indigenous family knowledge is essential for claiming land inheritance and indigenous environmental practices are consistent with sustainable practices and land use. Forest knowledge is found to be useful in identifying and locating resources and that sustainable practices ensured continuity of these resources. The study also identified spiritual knowledge and beliefs as fundamental for developing indigenous worldviews and environmental attitudes and values and that change in resource use may be both beneficial and harmful to biodiversity. The findings also revealed indigenous education as flexible, holistic and informal in nature and uses mostly oral history through verbal instruction and various non-verbal means. They showed that IE uses a variety of teaching and learning approaches that utilise the environment as a tool and that learning venues provide a realistic learning experience. The thesis concludes that IEK promotes biodiversity conservation in many ways and that indigenous education uses situated context to promote realistic learning. Indigenous environmental knowledge and education could therefore be used in biodiversity conservation education.

Loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) can be found worldwide, inhabiting tropical and subtropical coastal waters. The loggerhead was classified as an endangered species and placed on the International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Red List in 1996 (IUCN 2006).The problem of sea turtle mortality as a result of collisions with vessels is of increasing concern, especially in the southeastern United States, where increased development along the coasts results in increased recreational boat traffic. In the United States, the percentage of strandings that were attributed to vessel strikes has increased from approximately 10% in the 1980's to a record high of 20.5% in 2004 (NMFS 2007). This report presents results from field experiments designed to investigate the ways in which loggerhead sea turtles are injured in boat collisions, and the effectiveness of several mitigation options for reducing the risk of fatal interactions. In order to conduct these field experiments, a synthetic sea turtle carapace was designed and built that approximated the structural behavior of a biological sea turtle carapace. Hodges (2008) quantified the material strength properties of loggerhead sea turtle carapaces. From these results, it was determined that the target parameter for simulating tensile strength in a synthetic carapace should be force per unit width of sample. Hodges designed and constructed an artificial carapace made of composite material for use in controlled experiments. Modifications were made to the design proposed by Hodges (2008) to facilitate rapid construction. Several designs were tested using the force per unit width as the target strength parameter and compared to the strength of the biological carapace. Tests on the design ultimately adopted showed a force per unit width 17.6% stronger than the biological carapace. The composite material being stronger than the biological carapace means the testing will result in conservative reports of damage. Once the design and construction methods were finalized, approximately 60 artificial carapaces were fabricated for field testing. A frame, weighting scheme and buoyancy unit were designed and fabricated so that each test carapace floated at proper draft and had realistic specific gravity and weight. Field testing procedures were designed to investigate the influence of a) boat speed, b) animal position in the water column, and c) vessel propulsion system on the severity of vessel collisions on turtles. All experiments were done with small (<6 m in length) vessels. Boat/sea turtle collisions were simulated by placing a test specimen (a synthetic carapace attached to a test frame) in the water column and striking it with the vessel. The speeds considered were idle (7 km/h), sub-planing (14 km/h), and planing (40 km/hr). The two animal positions in the water column were 1) at the water surface and 2) at "prop depth" (depth to the center of the propeller hub on the standard outboard motor). Five propulsion options were tested: 1) a standard outboard motor, 2) a standard outboard motor with Hydroshield® propeller guard 3) a standard outboard motor with Prop Buddy® propeller guard, 4) a jet outboard motor and 5) a jet-propelled personal watercraft, often referred to generically as a "jet ski". The experiments typically included five trials per test configuration. Catastrophic (presumably fatal) damage was defined to occur when any damage penetrated the carapace. Small wounds (< 4 cm in length) along the sides or rear of the artificial carapace, where the shell and bone extend beyond the edge of the body cavity, were not classified as catastrophic This definition was used to classify the effectiveness of the various mitigation options. Results indicate that reducing the speed of the vessel reduces the odds of severe damage to the animals. Of all of the tests performed with the standard outboard motor (including tests with propeller guards installed), 25% of those performed at idle speed resulted in catastrophic damage, compared to 100% for planing speed tests. The two tested propeller guards both modified the type of damage to the animal when compared to similar tests with the standard motor configuration, but they only slightly reduced the risk of catastrophic damage. At idle speed, with propeller guard installed, 10% of the tests resulted in catastrophic damage. The corresponding number for the standard motor was 40%. At planing speed, 100% of the tests resulted in catastrophic damage, with or without the propeller guard. No catastrophic injuries were observed during testing of both jet propulsion systems (jet outboard and jet ski) at any speed or depth in the water column. Both feature a much smaller draft than the standard outboard, which results in little chance of striking an animal below the surface. And both the jet outboard and the jet-powered watercraft feature water intakes that are relatively smooth and appeared to slide across the animal with minimal damage to the carapace when the model animal was floating on the surface. The experiments described here involved a limited range of hull configurations; results may be different for hulls or propulsion systems drastically different than those tested here. But the results obtained indicate that equipment, in the form of the boat's propulsion system, and the mode in which it is used both play a role in defining the risk of boats to turtles in the field.

The purpose of this research is to propose effective ways to select areas for biodiversity conservation in the CCZ (Civilian Control Zone) and the DMZ (Demilitarized Zone). To define “biodiversity,” I discuss the key concepts and their historical applications in the field of planning and related fields. After critiques on intuitive and conventional approaches to biodiversity conservation planning, I apply an integrative approach that combines systematic area selection process and information on human perspectives. The study focuses on the case of the CCZ and the DMZ in South Korea, where the invaluable natural environment recovered from the ruins of battle and biodiversity has thrived since the cease-fire of Korean War in 1953. However, despite a recent increase of public awareness on the significance of conservation in the CCZ and the DMZ, extremely limited access for military security and buried landmines, and the lack of data have been significant barriers for effective biodiversity conservation. It is also controversial about how to measure the value of biodiversity in the region to select areas for conservation, while simultaneously considering local residents’ concerns in the CCZ. Thus, I examine historical efforts and methods developed for area selections for biodiversity conservation in the CCZ, and explore ways to apply integrative approaches in the context of the CCZ. The integrative method is based on using systematic area selection algorithms for biodiversity content analysis and a qualitative research to understand local residents’ perspectives. Information about local residents’ values toward social and physical environment is obtained from a focus group study, which identified useful criteria in terms of spatial configuration and socio-cultural issues. The multiple criteria are carefully interpreted and applied to evaluate area network options produced from the computer-based area selection analysis. The final area networks represent the best selections based on available data and multiple criteria directly associated with spatial configuration. Adhering to the principles of systematic conservation planning, the integrative method proposed in this study may provide a more flexible framework that can be adapted in the dynamic social context of the CCZ and the DMZ. / text

published_or_final_version / abstract / toc / Ecology and Biodiversity / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy