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Eutrophication is a major problem in the Baltic Sea and is the result mainly of the increase of the anthropogenic nutrient loading. Thus, the links among water quality, sediments, and eutrophication have to be understood in order to predict the consequences of our actions and of the climate change on the Baltic Sea. Therefore, water quality models that take into account the hydrodynamics have to be developed to help policy makers. In that perspective, the Kiirikki model, an ecosystem and sediment model, coupled to a box approach has been used to describe the water quality of the Baltic Sea. The latter has been divided into twelve sub-basins according to the topography, each of them separated into two vertical layers. The Kiirikki model has been implemented on each sub-basin and the hydrodynamics are used to link sub-basins between them. After calibration, it can be seen that the model results are consistent with the monitoring data for the southern part, even if the dissolved inorganic nitrogen levels are too high during the winter and some phase shifts are observed. For the northern part, the primary production is well modelled but there is an offset concerning the dissolved inorganic nutrient. Thus, it can be concluded that the implementation of the Kiirikki model is a realistic tool to describe the water quality and eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. However, the differences indicate that the Baltic Sea model cannot be use for policy making yet and more work is needed to improve the model such as a global sensitivity analysis as well as the use of site specific parameters.

A majority of the world’s cities are situated in or near areas of high biodiversity. Rise in global urban population resulting in rapid urban expansions (larger cities) is a threat to urban biodiversity, which has implications for the ecological health and general well being of humans. The study exploits consistent global land use data to compare 102 cities across the globe on a measure of urban biodiversity, within 15 km and 30 km from the approximate centres of the cities. Cities with high population and higher percentage of land use dedicated to artificial infrastructure recorded lower percentage size reserved for natural habitat, and vice versa. Further testing in regression analysis with birds and plants species as response variables shows a relation with urban extent and size of natural habitat which seeks to promote sustaining ecosystems services. Since urban biodiversity has implications for human ecological health, its indicators must be constantly measured and monitored, while adhering to best practices that conserve nature.

The study explores the possibility that a transition zone can become a ‘filter’ that surrounds an urban core. As a filter, the transition zone can regulate and rehabilitate ecosystem services to support human well-being. The main research question focusses on how eco-systemic development can act as a filter while supporting human well-being. The two sub-questions concern (a) how architecture can become a buffer between urban and suburban areas in Pretoria, and (b) how architecture can aid in ecosystem rehabilitation to regenerate urban and human well-being. Through the research done in this study, it is evident that transitional zones around city centres are commonly derelict and unsafe. Human well-being is under pressure as a result of the increasing degradation of ecosystem services, which is brought about by human misuse and urban densification. As cities and human populations grow, urban cores expand. This expansion results in constant re-zoning as well as the demolition and degradation of existing spaces (Preston, 1966:240). Basic human well-being is dependent on successful ecosystem services and the biodiversity of urban environments (Bolund & Hunhammar, 1999:299). This study aims to identify, reintroduce and rehabilitate ecosystem services on an urban edge to facilitate the health and well-being of the community living there. The study addresses three main themes, namely: (1) urban zoning and development, (2) human well-being, and (3) ecosystem-service rehabilitation and reintroduction. By analysing the themes of urban development, well-being as well as social sustainability and ecosystem services, different theories and principles are identified to provide lenses through which the dissertation will be approached. The main lens is that of Vitruvius and the principles he sets out in Ten books on architecture, which relates all design decisions back to nature. Other theories, such as Ernest Burgess’ concentric circle model and the circular economy theory, and the guidelines of the Living Building Institute led to the selection of the site, the development of the urban framework and the design of the intervention. By combining these theories with a programmatic intervention, which was derived from the site and themes, the end result aims to revive the community, the well-being of its members and to reinforce the existing development while ensuring ongoing rehabilitation of the ecosystem services. This intervention aspires to become a catalyst according to which all transition zones in urban environments can be transformed from eye sores and barriers to filters and activators. / Mini Dissertation (MArch (Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2020. / Architecture / MArch (Prof) / Unrestricted

With increasing population growth, changed consumption patterns and the resulting need for resources, the management and use of cultural landscapes has intensified during the last century. Due to this intensification, cultural landscapes in Europe and other human-dominated regions around the world have transformed from multifunctional landscapes (i.e. providing a diverse set of ecosystem services) to more specialized and uniform landscapes (i.e. providing fewer ecosystem services). Since the widespread loss of ecosystem services can seriously affect human well-being, scientists and intergovernmental organizations have increasingly called for the restoration of multifunctionality at the landscape scale. This again resulted in a growing body of literature on the topic and an uncertainty about what multifunctionality actually is about and how to assess multifunctionality. In this dissertation, the focus is on ecosystem service-based multifunctionality (i.e. the quantification of multifunctionality through ecosystem services). Studies of this field generally examine how different ecosystem services interact, where their overall supply is highest and which factors influence the capacity of a landscape to provide multiple ecosystem services. The consideration of multiple ecosystem services at the landscapes scale specifically enables landscapes and the complex interactions within landscapes to be viewed and studied as socio-ecological systems. The assessment of ecosystem service-based multifunctionality is therefore regarded as an important tool for finding sustainable solutions in landscape management. The overall aim of this dissertation was to enhance and strengthen the concept of multifunctionality from a scientific point of view, and to provide novel conceptual and empirical insights on landscape multifunctionality that are relevant for environmental planning and management. In this dissertation, I have specifically focused on three topics that present challenges for the assessments of ecosystem service-based multifunctionality: 1) overcoming the conceptual and methodological uncertainties related to quantitative multifunctionality assessments, 2) accounting for spatial variability of ecosystem service supplies and 3) differentiating between stakeholders’ perspectives on multifunctionality. Each article of this cumulative dissertation focuses on one of the three challenges: The first article (Chapter 2) presents a quantitative literature review of 101 multifunctionality assessments. Conceptual and methodological differences between ecosystem function- and ecosystem service-based multifunctionality assessments were identified, as well as the most commonly used multifunctionality metrics: threshold approaches, average or sum approaches and diversity indices. The second article (Chapter 3) uses 18 ecosystem service indicators to quantify multifunctionality at the municipality scale (alpha-multifunctionality) and further introduces a new multifunctionality indicator (beta-multifunctionality) that accounts for the unique ecosystem service contributions of municipalities to regional multifunctionality. The results of this article show how multifunctionality at the municipality scale, as well as the unique contributions of municipalities to regional multifunctionality vary across Europe and across different land system archetypes. Finally, the third article (Chapter 4) of this dissertation uses eleven ecosystem service indicators to quantify multifunctionality in two peri-urban landscapes in Europe: the Vereinigte Mulde in Germany and the Kromme Rijn in the Netherlands. By weighting the ecosystem service indicators with stakeholder-derived valuations of the ecosystem services, a differentiation between multifunctionality beneficiaries was achieved. The main contributions of this thesis therefore include an overview of the most recent multifunctionality assessments and the testing of two alternative approaches to assess ecosystem service multifunctionality. By compiling previously used methods and linking them with the most recent conceptual advancements in scope of the literature review, I showed that a clear distinction between studies with an exclusively ecological focus and studies with a more integrated socio-ecological perspective is needed to strengthen the application of the multifunctionality concept. As a follow up on this review, I was able to derive common steps in multifunctionality assessments, as well as recommendations for future studies. In scope of the second and third article, I was able to highlight some specific challenges in current multifunctionality assessments and to test methods that go beyond the common quantification of multifunctionality at single spatial scales or for society as a whole. First of all, my work shows that, due to spatial variability of ecosystem service supplies, the diversity of ecosystem services (alpha-multifunctionality) cannot be maximized in all areas. Accounting for unique ecosystem service supplies (beta-multifunctionality) could thus be more relevant for finding viable land management solutions than assessing ecosystem service hotspots only. This approach is especially applicable, if maximizing (alpha-) multifunctionality is not possible or wanted. Second, maintaining a high diversity of ecosystem services is only meaningful, if the ecosystem services are demanded by society and if no land use conflicts evolve through increased multifunctionality. In my last research paper, I therefore show that accounting for different perspectives of stakeholders on landscape multifunctionality is another crucial aspect for finding viable and sustainable land management solutions. All in all, I conclude that maintaining a high diversity of ecosystem services that relevant to various stakeholders and at spatial scales that allow an implementation of multifunctionality, is important for preventing environmental degradation and for ensuring that society as a whole can benefit from landscape multifunctionality. Quantitative multifunctionality assessments can be used in various ways to answer current research questions in landscape ecology and thus to support the maintenance of ecosystem services in cultural landscapes. However, further development, improvement and applications are needed for multifunctionality assessments to work as strong tools for management and decision-making.

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD / The value of accountability as a key feature of strengthening health systems and reducing maternal, newborn and child mortality is increasingly emphasised globally, nationally and locally. Frontline health professionals and managers play a crucial role in promoting maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services in an equitable and accountable manner. They are at the interface between higher-level health system management and communities, facing demands from both sides and often expected to perform beyond their available means. Although accountability is a central topic in the governance of MNCH literature, it has mostly been approached at global and national levels, with little understanding of how accountability is integrated into the routine functioning of local health systems.

Ekosystemtjänster är de ekologiska funktioner, egenskaper eller processer som bidrar till att främja människors välbefinnande. Mänsklig aktivitet kan ha negativ påverkan på ekosystemtjänster men genom att integrera ekosystem inom flera samhällssektorer och politiska områden kan det strävas efter att dessa genererar viktiga ekosystemtjänster. I denna uppsats undersöks hur ekosystemtjänster integreras i den fysiska planeringen. I undersökningen har en dokumentanalys genomförts tillsammans med att tjänstemän från tre kommuner samt Länsstyrelsen intervjuats. Uppsatsens teoretiska ramverk utgörs av den socio-ekologiska planeringsteorin samt begreppet ekosystemtjänster. Resultatet visar på att arbetet med att integrera ekosystemtjänster i planeringen är olika inarbetat utifrån varje kommuns egna förutsättningar. Att värna om ekosystemtjänster kan skapa mervärden i samhället. Kunskap och samverkan är något som anses vara viktigt för att skapa förståelse inom ämnet och att i framtiden monetärt värdesätta ekosystemtjänster skulle kunna bidra till en ökad förståelse för vad de bidrar med och vad som skulle kunna gå förlorat. / Ecosystem services are the ecological functions, properties or processes that contribute to promoting human well-being. Human activity can have a negative impact on ecosystem services, but by integrating ecosystems into several sectors of society and policy areas, it can be ensured that these generate important ecosystem services. This essay examines how ecosystem services are integrated into spatial planning today. In the survey, a literature study was conducted together with interviews with officials from three municipalities and the County Administrative Board. The theoretical framework of the thesis consists of the socio-ecological planning theory and the concept of ecosystem services. The results show that the work of integrating ecosystem services into the planning is differently incorporated based on each municipality's own conditions. Protecting ecosystem services can create added value in society. Knowledge and collaboration are considered important for creating understanding within the subject and that in the future monetary valuation of ecosystem services could contribute to an increased understanding of what they contribute and what could be lost.

The focus of this research lies on the possibilities and willingness of accommodation businesses to work for and towards sustainability in a destination. The area of investigation is the municipality of Bad Hindelang located in the German Alps. The so called Ökomodell stands for a collaboration agreement between agriculture and the municipality in order to preserve Bad Hindelang’s ecologically and touristically extremely valuable cultural landscape through continued traditional pasture-based livestock farming. The point of departure for this research is the destination’s goal to bring the accommodation sector on board. Two questions are particularly relevant in this context. First, to what extend do accommodation businesses recognize the Ökomodell’s importance for their own success as tourism stakeholders? And second, what factors influence their willingness to implement appropriate sustainability measures? The approach chosen for this research is mixed methods. Both, qualitative semi-structured expert interviews as well as a quantitative survey have been conducted. The results lay open the perspective of accommodation providers in Bad Hindelang. They have shown to be aware of agriculture being the condition for landscape preservation and thus long-term success in tourism. However, their willingness to contribute by implementing suggested sustainability actions is influenced by a multitude of other factors; above all, the costs and benefits going along as well as their level of engagement and foresight as tourism entrepreneurs.

Expected effects from climate change are increased precipitation and rising temperatures. This in combination with urban densification where green areas are replaced by hard surfaces contributes to a higher risk of floods and heat islands, since green areas provide ecosystem services which disposes local stormwater and has a cooling effect. The aim of this study was to investigate how green roofs and its ecosystem services can contribute to more sustainable cities. This study was conducted by literature data combined with interviews. The result of this study showed that the most important function of green roofs is stormwater management. The space in cities is limited and many functions e.g., infrastructure and buildings should fit in limited surface. The lack of space is a problem to ensure that there are sufficient green spaces that provides ecosystem services. This problem could decrease by using the roofs to a greater extent to ensure ecosystem services in form of e.g., stormwater management. However, the municipalities’ room for maneuver to plan with green roofs showed to be limited by regulations. In conclusion, there is potential to build green roofs to a greater extent as they have many benefits that are useful in urban densification and to counteract negative effects of climate change, e.g., stormwater management and temperature control. The municipal actors would therefore need more room to maneuver to be able to implement green roofs in community planning to a greater extent.

Liming has been used extensively in Sweden, but the management success has been only partial, mostly mitigating the impact of acidification rather than restoring the ecological communities to a self-maintaining pre-acidified state. Rather than a sound restoration tool, liming is a form of command-and-control management that comprises a significant disturbance in the system, which manifests in the form of profound alterations of biophysical settings of lakes. This thesis aims to assess biological responses to liming with a special focus on resilience by looking at the cross-scale interaction aspects of littoral invertebrate communities in limed lakes within the framework of panarchy theory. The thesis is based on multivariate time series modeling (AEM-RDA) to extract hierarchical temporal fluctuations patterns (temporal scales) in littoral invertebrate communities. This analysis tested for the premise of panarchy theory that complex systems are hierarchically structured. Time series analyses were followed by Spearman rank correlation analysis to test another premise of panarchy theory; namely, that “information” (e.g., management interventions) flows between these hierarchical scales. Specifically, Ca:Mg ratios were used as a surrogate of liming, and correlated with each temporal pattern identified by the AEM-RDA. The result showed the distinct temporal scales in littoral invertebrate communities in limed lakes, fitting the premises of panarchy theory and agreeing with previous studies that found hierarchical temporal organizations in other lake communities. The correlation analyses indicated weak cross-scale manifestation of Ca:Mg ratios in the littoral invertebrate communities, suggesting a weak information flow of liming in managed lakes. This “dilution” of management may provide one mechanism that could explain why liming is not effective in creating a self-organizing, resilient system. The results of this study allow shedding further light on liming as a coerced regime (degraded complex systems forced into a state of desired conditions (e.g., ecosystem service provisioning) through constant management). Most research has so far focused on the evaluation of traditional metrics of biodiversity, which have shown that community structure is substantially altered in limed lakes, deviating from those in circumneutral reference lakes and degraded acidified lakes. This thesis, therefore, concludes that integration of traditional ecological approaches and complexity studies may provide complementary insight into the organization of ecosystems and sustainable resource management.