Small region sustainability is an extremely important part of the journey to sustainability of the global population, as the most difference can be made at this spatial level through decision making and community choice. However, small regions have not been the focus of sustainability literature. Therefore, this thesis develops theory to explain what small region sustainability involves and tested the applicability of current sustainability assessment methods to find an effective tool for the journey to sustainability that can be used for social learning, decision making, policy development, research and monitoring of sustainability in small regions. It was found through the development of a model of sustainable carrying capacity and the major pressures of human activities on the environment, that sustainability for small regions means living equitably with the impacts of human activities in the region within the limits of its ecosystems. This thesis also found that none of the current sustainability methods tested were effective or useful as a tool for small regions. Therefore, a new sustainability assessment method was developed, the Sustainable Carrying Capacity Assessment (SCCA), which assesses the equitability and size of the major pressures that the human activities are causing and determines if this pressure exceeds the sustainable carrying capacity of the region, and thus, the sustainability of the population. Thus, for small regions to become sustainable, they must live equitably within the sustainable carrying capacity of the region's ecosystems, and a tool that can help them achieve this is the SCCA. By raising social awareness, guiding policy development and decision making this method can help guide small regions, and other spatial levels on their journey to sustainability. Therefore, it is recommended that Local Government Areas, Regional Organisation of Councils, schools, local community groups and anyone who wants to learn more about sustainability use this method. This thesis, therefore, makes a significant contribution to the field of sustainability.

There has been a continuous decline in both the production and general performance of the SRO in NSW estuaries over the past three decades. The relationship of this decline to both environmental and oyster-density related factors are assessed in this thesis. This question has been examined at different scales: a large scale that compares two different estuaries (Clyde and Shoalhaven Rivers, southern NSW); a regional scale that encompasses variations within an estuary and, at a lease scale that examines processes pertaining to individual or small groups of oysters. Levels of inorganic nutrients were in general very low potentially limiting primary production. The limiting nutrient was nitrogen or phosphorus depending on whether long term conditions were dry or wet, respectively. Only during rain events, through the input of terrestrial material, were conditions favourable for fast rates of primary production. Carbon and nitrogen isotope analysis has demonstrated that both external material and local resuspension of the benthos constitute a major proportion of the SRO diet. The uptake of the various food sources also varied considerably depending on local environmental conditions. Increases in SRO growth were strongly correlated to increases in temperature with a low temperature cut-off at ~13°C. Growth also appeared to reduce considerably when salinities lower than ~15ppt persisted for the order of a month. These factors may alter growth through changes in filtration rates. These processes were modelled in a coupled hydrodynamic-NPO (Nitrogen-Phytoplankton-Oyster) model of the Clyde River. This demonstrated that primary production was more affected by estuarine dynamics and nutrient concentrations than oyster uptake. At the current levels of oyster densities, primary production by itself could not account for the observed oyster growth, however growth became realistic with observed levels of POC added to the model. A set of environmental indices were used to complement the model and to assess the sustainability of the culture system. The combined indices indicated that while the ecological carrying capacity of the Clyde was exceeded the production capacity at an estuarine scale was not. On the lease scale, density experiments showed that while growth was not reduced as a result of current stocking densities, the condition index was significantly affected.

Coastal regions provide a lot of resources and benefits for all the humankind. For economic growth, these resources are needed. On the other hand, coastal resources should be maintained and preserved in some limits. Sustainable development is aimed to set a balance between economic growth and preserving the nature. Determination of the yacht carrying capacity is a major step for sustainable development. In this thesis study wind-induced water circulation in semi-enclosed basins are carried out in order to reach the yacht carrying capacity for Fethiye Bay. Hydrodynamics of bays is very complex, mainly affected by wind and wave climate and sea bottom topography. The sea bed profiles at the bay changes under winter and summer storms of different speeds and directions. This case study will be carried out with the developed methodology. The present structure of Fethiye Bay will be analyzed and necessary measurements will be proceeded. Moreover, two more cases will be studied besides the present conditions. Circulation models will be applied to the study case according to reached data. For this purpose, Finite Volume Coastal Ocean Model (FVCOM) numerical model will be used.

Livestock keeping has been the essential source of livelihood in Babati District for many hundreds of years. The traditional ecological knowledge about this semi-arid environment has influenced the general view on livestock management. This essay discusses the measures that are, or could be taken in Babati District to prevent overstocking and overgrazing in the woodlands. With the continuing population density increase also the livestock population grows. More houses and roads are built and the grazing lands diminish. To avoid overgrazing forest management programmes restrict grazing in forests. This additionally decreases availability of grazing land. My conclusion is that minimizing number of livestock is necessary to not exceed carrying capacity of pasture during drought. Hence this is not free from problems since it is traditionally rooted to have a large number of livestock as a buffer of energy and wealth. One solution for both how to prevent overstocking and how to survive with small number of livestock is to practise zero-grazing. Zero-grazing is to keep a small number of healthy big cattle e.g. exotic cows or crossbreeds in stables or tied up. However, when tying cattle on the spot the fact that cattle have four legs is disregarded.

Thesis (Ph.D)--Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology, 2009. / Committee Chair: Weiss, Howard; Committee Member: Cvitanovic , Predrag; Committee Member: Goldman, Daniel; Committee Member: Schatz, Michael; Committee Member: Wiesenfeld, Kurt. Part of the SMARTech Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Collection.

The impact of undesirable plant communities (Cymbopogon afronardus and woody species dominated by Acacia species) on livestock carrying capacity and performance was investigated on 15 farms in an Acacia/Cymbopogon dominated pastoral system of south-western Uganda. Species prevalence based on basal cover for grasses, frequency for forbs and effective canopy cover for trees/shrubs were determined on farms. The PHYGROW model was used to predict forage productivity for computation of carrying capacity. The NIRS/NUTBAL nutritional management system was used to determine cattle dietary CP and DOM through fecal scans and to estimate animal performance. Cymbopogon afronardus had a prevalence of 10.29% among the grasses while Acacia gerrardii (34.37%) and Acacia hockii (33.66%) were the most prevalent woody species. Forage productivity differed significantly among the farms with a mean long-term annual forage yield of 4560(SE+41) kg/ha. Farms infested with Cymbopogon and woody species produced the least amount of forage and therefore had the lowest carrying capacities (0.38 -0.39 AU/ha) while improved farms had comparatively higher forage yields with higher carrying capacities (0.49 - 0.52 AU/ha). A mean carrying capacity for the system was estimated at 0.44 AU/ha using a 25% harvest efficiency for ANPP. All the farms were overstocked, on average by 3.2 times. Livestock BCS, diet CP and DOM were significantly different (P<0.0001) among the different farm types. BCS were highest on improved farms and lowest on Cymbopogon infested farms while dietary CP and DOM values were lowest on improved farms and highest on farms with a high woody component. Farms with a relatively high woody component exhibited intermediate BCS despite the high dietary CP values. Cattle on Cymbopogon infested farms had consistently lower body weights over the months although there were no significant differences in daily live weight gains among farms. Recommendations included need for research into appropriate control measures for both Cymbopogon afronardus and woody species, farmer sensitization about overstocking, research to improve forage quality on improved farms and need for feed supplementation for improved breeds on improved farms. Integration of NIRS/NUTBAL and PHYGROW models into the research and management systems was desirable. The observed increase in Sporobolus spp. required investigation.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniversitet, 2005. / Härtill 3 uppsatser.

Allt fler ungdomar sover mindre än åtta timmar per natt, vilket kan påverka engagemanget i vardagliga aktiviteter. Syfte: Därför var syftet med examensarbetet att beskriva om och i så fall hur ungdomars (över 15 år) sömn påverkar prestationer i skolan. Metod: Kvantitativ design användes med ett icke slumpmässigt bekvämlighetsurval. En enkät genomfördes på en fristående skola i södra Sverige. Den bestod av 19 frågor och delades upp i fem olika kategorier; kön, sömn, motivation, vanor och skola. Totalt besvarade 106 respondenter på enkäten. För bearbetning av det insamlade materialet användes IBM SPSS [Statistical Packagefor the Social Sciences]. Resultat: Det huvudsakliga resultatet visade att flertalet av respondenterna sov mellan fyra till sex timmar eller sju till åtta timmar per natt och var jämnt fördelat mellan könen. Pojkar spelar dator och tittar på TV i högre utsträckning än vad flickor gör och flickor är mer stressade än pojkar. De som sov mindre än åtta timmar, hade i lägre utsträckning regelbundna vanor och var mindre motiverade till att gå till skolan. Slutsats: De ungdomar som inte var nöjda med sin mängd sömn var i lägre utsträckning tillfredsställda med sina skolprestationer. / Many adolescents are sleeping less than eight hours each night, which can affect their engagement in everyday activities. Purpose: The purpose of the thesis was to describe whether and how adolescents (age of 15 years) sleep habits affect their school performance. Method: A quantitative non-randomized selection of convenience sampling approach was used. A survey was conducted at an independent school in the south of Sweden. It consisted of 19 questions and was divided into five different categories; gender, sleep, motivation, habits, and school. In total, 106 respondents answered the questionnaire. The IBM SPSS [Statistical Package for the Social Sciences] was used to analyze the material. Result: The main result showed that most of the respondents, slept between four to six hours or seven to eight hours each night, and were evenly distributed between the genders. Boys play computer/watch TV to a greater extent than girls do, and girls are more stressed than boys. Those who slept less than eight hours had not regular habits and were less motivated to school. Conclusion: The adolescents who were not pleased with their amount of sleep were, to a lesser extent satisfied with their school performance.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:32:17Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2008-10-16Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T20:03:36Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 silva_jrb_dr_rcla.pdf: 10443305 bytes, checksum: 85f8430664e4e5251174bb134d0c89dc (MD5) / Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / A pesquisa científica, efetuada no Município da Estância Turística de Paraguaçu Paulista, foi um aprofundamento do estudo da dissertação de mestrado concluído em 2004, apresentado como um diagnóstico do meio físico geológico e suas contribuições para o desenvolvimento sustentável do turismo com base local. No presente estudo de caso, levado a efeito como tese de doutorado, delimitou-se a influência qualiquantitativa do meio físico geológico e geomorfológico sobre o planejamento ambiental do turismo, visando obter um método aplicável em regiões semelhantes, reservadas as peculiaridades naturais. Inicialmente, o município foi subdividido, segundo caracteres fisiográficos naturais, em unidades básicas de compartimentação, aplicando conhecido método de zoneamento geotécnico. Em seguida, verificou-se essa influência sobre a área-alvo definida pelas rotas turísticas e seus recursos ou atrativos turísticos. Dentre esses, revistos e validados pelas suas características predominantes indicadas para geoturismo e geoecoturismo com base na geodiversidade, foi constatado que os elementos constituintes desse meio físico influenciam limitando a capacidade de carga turística. Esta depende daqueles, fatores naturais de fragilidade do meio que devem ser considerados na gestão do turismo ambiental. São subsídios preventivos à degradação ambiental e que visam a geoconservação pela geoeducação da comunidade receptora e emissora do turismo, ao absorver conhecimentos básicos da geologia e geomorfologia. A geodiversidade é o arcabouço para o equilíbrio e uso adequado de um patrimônio natural da humanidade também para o turismo. Os subsídios geológicos são fatores de planejamento e instrumentos de gestão ambiental do turismo. Ademais, trazem agregação de valor ao turismo através da inclusão do geoturismo e do geoecoturismo como fontes rejuvenescedoras... / The scientific research conducted in the touristic resort city of Paraguaçu Paulista was a deepening of the study of the master's dissertation completed in 2004, presented as a diagnosis of the physical geological environment and their contributions for the tourism’s sustainable development with local basis. In this study case carried out as a doctoral thesis, the qualiquantitivity influence of the physical geological and geomorphological environment on the planning of the environmental tourism was delimited to obtain an applicable method in similar regions, reserved the natural peculiarities. Initially the city was divided, accordingly to physiographic natural characters, in basic units of compartmentalization, aplying the known method of geotechnical zoning. Then was verifyied this influence over the target area defined by the tourist routes and its resources or tourist attractions. Among these, reviewed and validated by their predominant characteristics indicated for geotourism and geoecotourism based on geodiversity, was verified that the physical elements of that environment influence limiting the tourism carrying capacity. This depend of those, natural factors of the envirionment that must be considered in the management of environmental tourism. These are preventive subsidies to the environmental degradation and wich aimed geoconservation by the geoeducation of the community receiving and issuing the tourism, absorbing basic knowledge of geology and geomorphology. The geodiversity is the framework for balance and proper use of a humanities natural heritage, also for tourism. The geological subsidies are factors of planning and also tools for the environmental management of tourism. Moreover, they bring value aggregation to tourism through the inclusion of geotourism and geoecotourism as renovable sources of tourism’s evolutive cycle. The thematic scientific knowledge... (Complete abstract click electronic access below)

Orientador: José Alexandre de Jesus Perinotto / Banca: Leandro Eugênio da Silva Cerri / Banca: Henry Lesjak Martos / Banca: Mariselma Ferreira Zaine / Banca: Paulo César Boggiani / Resumo: A pesquisa científica, efetuada no Município da Estância Turística de Paraguaçu Paulista, foi um aprofundamento do estudo da dissertação de mestrado concluído em 2004, apresentado como um diagnóstico do meio físico geológico e suas contribuições para o desenvolvimento sustentável do turismo com base local. No presente estudo de caso, levado a efeito como tese de doutorado, delimitou-se a influência qualiquantitativa do meio físico geológico e geomorfológico sobre o planejamento ambiental do turismo, visando obter um método aplicável em regiões semelhantes, reservadas as peculiaridades naturais. Inicialmente, o município foi subdividido, segundo caracteres fisiográficos naturais, em unidades básicas de compartimentação, aplicando conhecido método de zoneamento geotécnico. Em seguida, verificou-se essa influência sobre a área-alvo definida pelas rotas turísticas e seus recursos ou atrativos turísticos. Dentre esses, revistos e validados pelas suas características predominantes indicadas para geoturismo e geoecoturismo com base na geodiversidade, foi constatado que os elementos constituintes desse meio físico influenciam limitando a capacidade de carga turística. Esta depende daqueles, fatores naturais de fragilidade do meio que devem ser considerados na gestão do turismo ambiental. São subsídios preventivos à degradação ambiental e que visam a geoconservação pela geoeducação da comunidade receptora e emissora do turismo, ao absorver conhecimentos básicos da geologia e geomorfologia. A geodiversidade é o arcabouço para o equilíbrio e uso adequado de um patrimônio natural da humanidade também para o turismo. Os subsídios geológicos são fatores de planejamento e instrumentos de gestão ambiental do turismo. Ademais, trazem agregação de valor ao turismo através da inclusão do geoturismo e do geoecoturismo como fontes rejuvenescedoras... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The scientific research conducted in the touristic resort city of Paraguaçu Paulista was a deepening of the study of the master's dissertation completed in 2004, presented as a diagnosis of the physical geological environment and their contributions for the tourism's sustainable development with local basis. In this study case carried out as a doctoral thesis, the qualiquantitivity influence of the physical geological and geomorphological environment on the planning of the environmental tourism was delimited to obtain an applicable method in similar regions, reserved the natural peculiarities. Initially the city was divided, accordingly to physiographic natural characters, in basic units of compartmentalization, aplying the known method of geotechnical zoning. Then was verifyied this influence over the target area defined by the tourist routes and its resources or tourist attractions. Among these, reviewed and validated by their predominant characteristics indicated for geotourism and geoecotourism based on geodiversity, was verified that the physical elements of that environment influence limiting the tourism carrying capacity. This depend of those, natural factors of the envirionment that must be considered in the management of environmental tourism. These are preventive subsidies to the environmental degradation and wich aimed geoconservation by the geoeducation of the community receiving and issuing the tourism, absorbing basic knowledge of geology and geomorphology. The geodiversity is the framework for balance and proper use of a humanities natural heritage, also for tourism. The geological subsidies are factors of planning and also tools for the environmental management of tourism. Moreover, they bring value aggregation to tourism through the inclusion of geotourism and geoecotourism as renovable sources of tourism's evolutive cycle. The thematic scientific knowledge... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor