[Truncated abstract] A functional ecosystem is increasingly being recognised as a requirement for health and well being of resident human populations. Clearing of native vegetation for agriculture has left 1.047 million hectares of south-west Western Australia affected by a severe form of environmental degradation, dryland salinity, characterised by secondary soil salinisation and waterlogging. This area may expand by a further 1.7-3.4 million hectares if current trends continue. Ecosystems in saline affected regions display many of the classic characteristics of Ecosystem Distress Syndrome (EDS). One outcome of EDS that has not yet been investigated in relation to dryland salinity is adverse human health implications. This thesis focuses on one such potential adverse health outcome: increased incidence of Ross River virus (RRV), the most common mosquito-borne disease in Australia. Spatial analysis of RRV notifications did not reveal a significant association with dryland salinity. To overcome inherent limitations with notification data, serological RRV antibody prevalence was also investigated, and again no significant association with dryland salinity was detected. However, the spatial scale imposed limited the sensitivity of both studies. ... This thesis represents the first attempt to prospectively investigate the influence of secondary soil salinity on mosquito-borne disease by combining entomological, environmental and epidemiological data. The evidence collected indicates that RRV disease incidence is not currently a significant population health priority in areas affected by dryland salinity despite the dominant presence of Ae. camptorhynchus. Potential limiting factors include; local climatic impact on the seasonal mosquito population dynamics; vertebrate host distribution and feeding behaviour of Ae. camptorhynchus; and the scarce and uneven human population distribution across the region. However, the potential for increased disease risk in dryland salinity affected areas to become apparent in the future cannot be discounted, particularly in light of the increasing extent predicted to develop over coming decades before any benefits of amelioration strategies are observed. Finally, it is important to note that both dryland salinity and salinity induced by irrigation are important forms of environmental degradation in arid and semi-arid worldwide, with a total population of over 400 million people. Potential health risks will of course vary widely across different regions depending on a range of factors specific to the local region and the complex interactions between them. It is therefore not possible to make broad generalisations. The need is highlighted for similar research in other regions and it is contended that an ecosystem health framework provides the necessary basis for such investigations.

Submitted by Emanuel Varela Cardoso (emanuel.varela@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-09-24T19:53:05Z No. of bitstreams: 1 LUCIANNA MARQUES ROCHA FERREIRA –TESE (PPGRN) 2018.pdf: 4043233 bytes, checksum: 486e1ad8ad7101f70e07637566fa13f8 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-09-24T19:53:05Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 LUCIANNA MARQUES ROCHA FERREIRA –TESE (PPGRN) 2018.pdf: 4043233 bytes, checksum: 486e1ad8ad7101f70e07637566fa13f8 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-07-27 / A urbanização tem sido uma das principais causas de mudança do uso e ocupação da terra em todo o mundo, muitas vezes com consequências irreparáveis para a prestação de bens e serviços ecossistêmicos fundamentais para o bem-estar físico, metal e espiritual humano, bem como para a manutenção da vida no planeta. Esta pesquisa analisa a mudança da disponibilidade de bens e serviços ecossistêmicos em função do uso e ocupação da terra, no período de 1989, 2007 e 2014; e a valoração social de benefícios prestados por uma microbacia hidrográfica predominantemente urbanizada, inserida no ecótono Agreste (área de transição entre os biomas Mata Atlântica e Caatinga), no Nordeste do Brasil. Técnicas de sensoriamento remoto e sistema de informação geográfica foram utilizadas para quantificar as mudanças no uso e ocupação da terra na Microbacia Hidrográfica Riacho das Piabas, Paraíba. Método de transferência de benefícios foi aplicado para quantificar as mudanças na oferta de bens e serviços ecossistêmicos, entre os anos analisados. A percepção das partes interessadas (comunidade, técnico e especialista) acerca dos ambientes que ofertam bens e serviços ecossistêmicos na área de estudo e seus respectivos níveis de importância foram obtidos por meio de mapeamento participativo. A substituição de área de vegetação arbórea (46% da área de estudo em 1989 e 5% em 2014) por ambiente construído foi o fator-chave que impulsionou o declínio de 73% da disponibilidade de bens e serviços ecossistêmicos entre os anos de 1989 e 2014. A expansão urbana promoveu a perda de 89% da oferta de oito serviços ecossistêmicos, incluindo regulação do clima, regulação do fluxo de água, moderação de perturbações, ciclagem de nutrientes e controle biológico, que quando se considera a tendência regional de aridificação e as pressões existentes sobre os recursos hídricos, são relevantes localmente. Houve diferença significativa entre a percepção das partes interessadas quanto ao número de áreas mapeadas por seção de bens e serviços ecossistêmicos disponibilizados pela área de estudo para a população (Anova fatorial, F= 21,62; p< 0,001). A visão da comunidade sobre os benefícios oferecidos pela microbacia hidrográfica estudada distinguiu de técnicos e de especialistas. Os ambientes que mais ofertaram bens e serviços ecossistêmicos foram as áreas de transição entre ambiente dulcícola e terrestre; e espaços verdes. O serviço de manutenção do ciclo hidrológico e fluxos de águas apresentou média de nível de importância social muito alto. A gestão que deseja reduzir os impactos do processo de urbanização na provisão de bens e serviços ecossistêmicos deve considerar implementação do planejamento espacial baseado em ecossistemas, com foco na infraestrutura urbana verde e na restauração de habitats naturais e sua conectividade. Ademais, é fundamental abordar a percepção de partes interessadas no processo de planejamento e tomada de decisão para minimizar e gerenciar potenciais conflitos sociais. / Urbanisation has been a main cause of land use land cover (LULC) change worldwide, often with irreparable consequences to the provision of goods and ecosystem services that are fundamental to human physical, mental and spiritual well-being, as well as to the maintenance of life on the planet. This research analyzes the goods and ecosystem services availability change as a function of LULC, in the period of 1989, 2007 and 2014; and the social valuation of ecosystem benefits provided by a predominantly urbanised microwatershed, located in the Agreste ecotone (transition area between Atlantic Forest and Caatinga biomes), in Northeast Brazil. Remote sensing techniques and geographic information system were used to quantify LULC changes in Riacho das Piabas microwatershed, Paraíba. The benefit transfer method was applied to quantify changes in the ecosystem goods and services supply between the years analyzed. The stakeholders perception (community, technical and expert) about the environments that offer ecosystem goods and services in the study area and their respective importance levels were obtained through participatory mapping. Replacement of tree vegetation area (46% of the study area in 1989 and 5% in 2014) by the built environment was the key factor driving the 73% decline in the ecosystem goods and services availability between 1989 and 2014. Urban sprawl resulted losses of 89% in the eight ecosystem services supply, including climate regulation, water flow regulation, moderation of disturbance, nutrient cycling and biological control, which are critical locally when considering the regional trend towards aridification and the existing pressures on water resources. There was a significant difference between the stakeholders perception about the mapped areas number per ecosystem goods and services section available by the study area to the population (Factorial Anova, F = 21.62, p <0.001). The community perception about the benefits offered by the studied microwatershed distinguished from technicians and experts. The environments that most offered ecosystem goods and services were transitional areas between the between freshwater and terrestrial environments; and green spaces. The service maintenance of hydrological cycle and water flux presented very high average importance level. Management that wishes to reduce the urbanisation impacts on the provision of ecosystem goods and services should consider implementation of ecosystem-based spatial planning, focusing on urban green infrastructure and natural habitats restoration and their connectivity. In addition, it is fundamental to approach the stakeholders perception in the planning process and decision making to minimize and manage potential social conflicts.

Digital Health relates to “health information systems which enable the merging of social-care and healthcare systems. This would impact on the organisation, service delivery as well as the technological infrastructure” (Herselman & Botha, 2016, p.10). However, with relatively sparse research publications emanating from within the Namibian Health domain, and the concept of Namibian Digital Health as an emergent phenomenon, a Namibian Digital Health Innovation Ecosystem Framework would provide a start to conceptualising, developing and implementing such an ecosystem for Namibia and thus unlocking the potential of Digital Health in this country. The purpose of this study is to develop a Namibian Digital Health Innovation Ecosystem Framework based on literature reviews and the feedback from knowledgeable professionals (KPs) in Namibia, as well as global experts. The methodology which was applied in this study to address the purpose, and to answer the research questions, was Design Science Research Methodology and the Design Science Research Methodology (DSRM) process of Peffers, Tuunanen, Rothenberger and Chatterjee (2008), was adopted. Pragmatism is the overall philosophy guiding the study, as proposed by Ackoff’s theory regarding the hierarchy of human understanding (1989) and Shneiderman’s visual information seeking mantra (1996). During Phases 2 and 3 of the study interpretivism and positivism were applied as philosophies, guided by hermeneutics and triangulation, towards understanding the feedback of Knowledgeable Professionals (KPs) in Namibia, as well as the global experts. The study was divided into three phases. The first phase entailed a literature study which identified the components of Digital Health, Innovation and Digital Ecosystems as well as related research of Digital health, Innovation and Digital Ecosystems in developed and developing countries. This process led to the compilation of the initial Namibian Digital Health Innovation Ecosystem Framework using a conceptual approach. In the second phase of the study, the initial Namibian Digital Health Innovation Ecosystem was evaluated by KPs in Namibia using the Delphi method and interviews. Phase 2 adopted both quantitative and qualitative approaches. The findings from Phase 2 resulted in the development of the intermediate Namibian Digital Health Innovation Ecosystem Framework. In Phase 3 of the study, the intermediate framework was validated by global experts. Feedback was collected from global experts through questionnaires which were analysed through qualitative content analysis. The findings, from Phase 3 led to the development of the final Namibian Digital Health Innovation Ecosystems Framework. The guidelines, which can be used by the Namibian government to implement the suggested digital health innovation ecosystem framework, were also provided. / Information Science / D. Litt. et Phil. (Information Systems)

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / The turbulent fluxes of carbon dioxide (CO2 ) were investigated in two sites of irrigated rice in southern Brazil, using the eddy covariance technique over 385 days of analysis at the site of Paraiso do Sul and 683 days in site Cachoeira do Sul also used the model of filling the gaps in order to estimate the net ecosystem exchange CO2 -C (NEE). Throughout the growing season, rice fields, both for the site of Paraiso do Sul to the site of Cachoeira do Sul, acted as carbon sinks (C). During fallow periods, these fields were the source of C. The NEE accumulated at the site of Cachoeira do Sul was similar in both cycles and practically equal to the estimated site of Paraiso do Sul. The GPP accumulated during the crop cycle 2010-2011, the rice field of Cachoeira do Sul, was less than 12% of the 2011-2012 cycle and higher than 15% of the site of Paraiso do Sul. The Re accumulated was similar at the site of Paraíso do Sul in the 2010-2011 cycle Cachoeira do Sul, but less than the 2011- 2012 cycle. The values of NEE, GPP and R e for the site of Paraíso do Sul were - 270.53 gCm2 , -821.19gCm2 and 527.59gCm2 , respectively. To the site of Cachoeira do Sul, were -282,53 gCm2 , -933,40gCm2 and 597,05gCm2 for NEE, GPP and Re , respectively, in the 2010-2011 cycle. For the 2011-2012 cycle in the rice field of Cachoeira do Sul, the values of NEE, GPP and Re were -279,69gCm2 , - 1062,64gCm2 and 716,58gCm2 , respectively. The total C accumulated over the period analyzed for the site of Paraíso do Sul was -45,90gCm2 , considering this area of rice cultivation, as a sink for C. While the growing area of Cachoeira do Sul was considered a source of C (19,94 gCm2 ). Showing by this that long periods of fallow contribute significantly to the accumulated fluxes due to constant presence of vegetation. The contribution of this work will assist in the investigation of CO2 in these ecosystems. / Os fluxos turbulentos de dióxido de carbono (CO2 ) foram investigados em dois sítios de cultura de arroz irrigado no Sul do Brasil, utilizando a técnica de covariância de vórtices ao longo de 385 dias de análise no sítio de Paraíso do Sul e de 683 dias, no sítio de Cachoeira do Sul. Além disso, utilizou-se o modelo de preenchimento das lacunas com o objetivo de estimar a troca líquida de C-CO2 no ecossistema (NEE). Ao longo do período de cultivo, os campos de arroz, tanto para o sítio de Paraíso do Sul quanto para o sítio de Cachoeira do Sul, atuaram como sumidouros de carbono (C). Durante os períodos de pousio, esses campos foram fontes de C. O NEE acumulado, no sítio de Cachoeira do Sul foi semelhante em ambos os ciclos e praticamente igual ao estimado no sítio de Paraíso do Sul. A GPP acumulada durante o ciclo de cultivo de 2010-2011, no campo de arroz de Cachoeira do Sul, foi inferior a 12% do ciclo de 2011-2012 e superior em 15% a do sítio de Paraíso do Sul. A Re acumulada foi semelhante no sítio de Paraíso do Sul e no ciclo de 2010- 2011 de Cachoeira do Sul, mas inferior a do ciclo de 2011-2012. Os valores de NEE, GPP e Re para o sítio de Paraíso do Sul foram de -270,53 gCm2 , -821,19gCm2 e 527,59gCm2 , respectivamente. Para o sítio de Cachoeira do Sul, foram de - 282,53gCm2 , -933,40gCm2 e 597,05gCm2 para NEE, GPP e Re , respectivamente, no ciclo de 2010-2011. Para o ciclo de 2011-2012, no campo de arroz de Cachoeira do Sul, os valores de NEE, GPP e Re foram de -279,69gCm2 , - 1062,640gCm2 e 716,58gCm2 , respectivamente. O total de C acumulado ao longo do período analisado para o sítio de Paraíso do Sul foi de -45,90gCm2 , considerando esta área de cultivo de arroz, como um sumidouro de C. Enquanto que a área de cultivo de Cachoeira do Sul foi considerada fonte de C (19,94 gCm2 ). Mostrando com isso, que períodos longos de pousio contribuem consideravelmente para os fluxos acumulados devido a permanência constante de vegetação. A contribuição deste trabalho auxiliará na investigação das emissões de CO2 nesses ecossistemas.

Syfte: Städer behöver grönska, ekosystem och ekosystemtjänster. Grönytefaktor (GYF) är ett verktyg som säkerställer grönska i urbana miljöer. Jönköpings kommun ska som del i sin stadsutveckling av Södra Munksjön inkludera GYF i sin grönstrukturplan. För att utforma en GYF-modell måste man veta platsens förutsättningar och målbilden för staden. Denna studie syftar till att kartlägga de ES som finns i området idag samt vilka som bör skapas, skyddas, stärkas eller rent av skippas i den nya stadsdelen. Vidare studeras även hur den lokala GYF-modellen kan användas i andra områden i Jönköpings kommun. Metod: En kvalitativ studie har genomförts med hjälp av metoderna litteraturstudie, dokumentanalys, observation och intervjuer. Med utgångspunkt i Ekosystemtjänster i stadsplanering - en vägledning framtagen av ℅ city har ekosystemtjänster identifierats. Intervjuer har genomförts med landskapsarkitekter som arbetat med GYF i sammanhang som liknar det Södra Munksjön och Jönköpings kommun står inför. Resultat: Kartläggningen av ekosystemtjänster i Södra Munksjön visar att de flesta tjänsterna på ℅ citys lista kan identifieras och att de kulturella tjänsterna bör premieras i den GYF-modell som ska utformas för området. För att den lokala GYF-modellen ska kunna appliceras på andra områden underlättar det om modellens formuleringar är generella och kompletteras med separat platsspecifik information. För att GYF ska ge bra resultat är dock uttalade och formulerade mål att styra mot den viktigaste faktorn. Konsekvenser: Genom god planering kan en och samma lösning gynna flera ekosystemtjänster samtidigt, vilket rekommenderas i stadsmiljö. Slutsatsen är därför att fokus bör ligga på kulturella ekosystemtjänster och mångfunktionalitet som resulterar i att alla tjänster gynnas. Då GYF är ett nytt verktyg för Jönköping är det av stor vikt att inkludera berörda aktörer och byggherrar i ett tidigt skede. Begränsningar: Den kartläggning av ekosystemtjänster som gjorts i Södra Munksjön har utgått från en geografisk plats och dokument knutna till denna vilket gör att resultatet är begränsat till Södra Munksjön. Av den analys och diskussion som förs gällande hur en GYF-modell kan tas från ett aktuellt område till att appliceras på andra platser kan dock tas vidare av städer som planerar att använda GYF eller vill utveckla en befintlig GYF-modell. / Purpose: Cities need greenery, ecosystems and ecosystem services. Green area ratio (GAR) is a tool that ensures greenery in urban environments. As a part of its urban development of the new city area Södra Munksjön the municipality of Jönköping will include GAR in the local plan for green structure. In order to design a GAR model, one must know the conditions of the site and vision of the city. This study aims to map the ecosystem services located in the area today as well as the ecosystem services that can be created, protected, strengthened or skipped in the new city area. Furthermore, it is also investigated how the local GAR model can be used in other areas in Jönköping municipality. Method: A qualitative study has been conducted with the help of literature studies, document analysis, observation and interviews. With starting point in the model of guidance on ecosystem services in city planning from ℅ city ecosystem services has been identified. Interviews have been conducted with landscape architects with experience from working with GAR in a context similar to the one in Jönköping. Findings: The mapping of ecosystem services in the area of Södra Munksjön shows that most services from ℅ city can be identified and that the cultural ecosystem services should be premiered in the GAR model designed for the city area. In order for the local GAR model to be applied in other areas, it's easier if the formulations in the model are general and supplemented with separate site-specific information. However, in order for GAR to produce good results the most important factor is to have stated and well formulated goals to aim for. Implications: Through good planning, one solution can benefit several ecosystem services at the same time, which is recommended in urban environments. Thus the conclusion is that focus should lay on cultural ecosystem services and multi-functionality that result with all services benefiting. Since GAR is a new tool for Jönköping, it is of great importance to include stakeholders and building contractors at an early stage. Limitations: The mapping of ecosystem services made in Södra Munksjön has been based on a geographical location and documents linked to this place, which means that the results are limited to Södra Munksjön. However, the analysis and discussion of how a GAR model can be taken from a current area to be applied elsewhere could be taken on by cities that are planning to use GAR or want to develop an existing GAR model.

Henkel's New Business team is a corporate venturing unit that explores corporate entrepreneurial activities on behalf of Henkel Adhesives Technologies. The new business ideas are implemented through one of these models: incubator, venturing or innovation ecosystem. In current practice, there is no systematic framework in place to choose the implementation model. The goal of the thesis is to propose a framework for choosing the most appropriate model for implementation of a new business idea in Henkel. The thesis approaches the topic on practical and theoretical grounds. The first part outlines the related literature and theoretical focus. The literature covers definitions and theories of incubator, corporate venturing, corporate venture capital, innovation ecosystem and investment decision-making process. The practical approach relates to the company case studies of Philips, 3M and BASF. In this thesis, each model is analyzed based on a broad literature review, case studies and personal interviews with experts. The second part is the main discussion and analysis of the topic assembling with practical examples in Henkel. It comes to a recommendation that Henkel should prioritize and choose the most appropriate model for the new business proposal after the "concept scoping" stage, and before detailed investigation. It also proposes a scorecard framework that entails 14 key criteria for choosing the mode: degree of market competition, potential disruptiveness, technological risk, time to market, strategic alignment, degree of customization, dependency of related industries, technological newness of related industries, idea source, protectability of intellectual property, internal expertise, technological competence, commercial competence and parenting advantages. Furthermore, a new business developing strategy matrix is constructed based on two dimensions: strategic importance and operational relatedness. It is to further check the accuracy and validity of the results from the scorecard framework. Finally, it is suggested that future research can be done to improve the framework by adding weightings and scale of each criteria within the framework.

Submitted by Nadir Basilio (nadirsb@uninove.br) on 2018-04-13T18:05:31Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Daniella Aparecida de Mattos de Oliveira Rolo.pdf: 2430125 bytes, checksum: 5a71113f27fa651e2907fdb24ad51629 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-04-13T18:05:31Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Daniella Aparecida de Mattos de Oliveira Rolo.pdf: 2430125 bytes, checksum: 5a71113f27fa651e2907fdb24ad51629 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-06-27 / The revitalization of urban rivers and streams plays an important role in the quest for environmental sustainability in cities. Notwithstanding the environmental degradation that affects their watercourses, cities are also suffering the impacts of another relevant process that deteriorates the environmental quality, climate change. To face climate change, in addition to mitigation measures, it is imperative to adopt adaptation measures. Green and blue infrastructure are solutions that reconcile engineering, plant restoration and water quality maintenance, which add ecosystem services to the revitalization of urban drainage, and may include ecosystem-based adaptation measures. In this context, the general objective of the research is the revitalization of urban streams in the promotion of measures to adapt to climate change based on ecosystems (EbA), from the case of the Sape stream. With this, we add the specific objectives in order to characterize the activities of the revitalization process of Sapé stream as a green and blue infrastructure; To identify the ecosystem services associated with the revitalization process of Sapé stream; To analyze the ecosystem services associated with the urban and environmental improvements promoted in the revitalization process in relation to measures of EbA and to evaluate if the EBAs meet the recommended in the Adaptation Plan to climate change in the Ministry of the Environment (MMA). This research has a qualitative and exploratory purpose. The sources of evidence for the accomplishment of the case study refer to: bibliographic research, documentary research, field data collection and semi-structured interviews. The results were obtained through documental, bibliographic analysis and interviews analyzed by the software IRAMUTEQ, after a comparison of the literature with the EbA found in the place. Finally, it is concluded that the recognition that urban drainage revitalization programs lead to EbA measures can contribute to a more in-depth discussion of the scope of public programs that aim to reverse the current degradation of urban rivers. / A revitalização dos rios e córregos urbanos assume um papel relevante na busca pela sustentabilidade ambiental nas cidades. Não obstante o quadro de degradação ambiental que afeta seus cursos d´água, as cidades também vêm sofrendo os impactos de outro relevante processo que deteriora a qualidade ambiental, as mudanças climáticas. Para enfrentar as mudanças climáticas, além das medidas de mitigação, se faz premente a adoção de medidas de adaptação. Infraestrutura azul revelam-se soluções que conciliam medidas de engenharia, de recomposição vegetal e de manutenção da qualidade de água, que agregam serviços ecossistêmicos na revitalização de drenagens urbanas e podem abranger medidas de adaptação baseada em ecossistemas. Nesse contexto, insere-se o objetivo geral da pesquisa que consiste na revitalização de córregos urbanos quanto à promoção de medidas de adaptação a mudanças climáticas baseada em ecossistemas (AbE), a partir do caso do córrego do Sapé. Com isso soma-se os objetivos específicos a fim de caracterizar as atividades do processo de revitalização do córrego do Sapé enquanto infraestrutura verde e azul; identificar os serviços ecossistêmicos associados ao processo de revitalização do córrego do Sapé; analisar os serviços ecossistêmicos associados as melhorias urbanas e ambientais promovidas no processo de revitalização quanto a medidas de AbE e avaliar se as eventuais AbE atendem o preconizado no Plano de Adaptação à mudança do clima no Ministério do Meio Ambiente (MMA). Esta pesquisa tem caráter qualitativa e de objetivo exploratório. As fontes de evidências para consecução do estudo de caso referem-se a: pesquisa bibliográfica, pesquisa documental, levantamento de dados de campo e entrevistas semiestruturadas. Os resultados foram obtidos por meio da análise documental, bibliográfica e entrevistas analisadas pelo software IRAMUTEQ, após foi feito uma comparação da literatura com as AbE encontrada no local. Por fim conclui-se que o reconhecimento de que programas de revitalização de drenagens urbanas ensejam medidas de AbE permite contribuir para uma discussão mais aprofundada do alcance dos programas públicos que visam reverter o quadro de degradação atual dos rios urbanos.

MENVSC / Department of Ecology and Resource Management / Rodents can quickly respond to land use changes whether the change positively or negatively influences their life. In the case of positive influence, rodents exploit the additional food resources and increase their numbers to potential pest level, especially in the absence of predators. Such a population increase can potentially be harmful to humans due to the diseases that rodents carry and the costs due to damage to crops, stored foods and personal possessions that they may cause to small holder farmers. Small holder farmers live in a mixed landscape that is constantly changing. Such changes are changes in land use and they do not only affect rodent population dynamics and species composition, but also their ecosystem services and integrity. Understanding how rodents respond to these land use changes (crop, grazing and settlement) will not only improve the implementation of Ecologically Based Rodent Management (EBRM), but might also enable the monitoring of ecosystem integrity. Rodent trapping was conducted in two different study sites which experience different rainfalls during wet and dry season. A 70 m x 70 m grid was set in three different land uses (crops, grazing and settlement) per study site. A mark-recapture technique was applied and all captures were processed on a temporal station on site. In all grids at a distance of 30 m a line of 20 snap traps were set. With the tapping effort of 1470 trap nights per season for both seasons in this study we captured 839 rodents and 2 shrews, which represented 469 individual rodents and 1 individual shrew. At Vyeboom, cropping land use had the highest number capture (210) and the highest in species richness (9) rodent species and 1 shrew. The settlement land use was second at 144 captures for 8 rodent species and lastly the grazing land use at 80 captures with 7 rodent species. On the other hand, at Ka-Ndengeza also cropping land use had the highest capture (186) with highest richness at 7 rodent species. When it comes to settlement and grazing, settlement was second (129) to cropping in terms of the number of capture but last in terms of richness (5) whilst grazing was last in terms of number of captures 92 and second in terms of richness (6). Despite the high diversity of rodents, only Mastomys natalensis, Gerbilliscus leucogaster, Steatomys pratensis and Rattus rattus were captured in meaningful sample sizes to allow for robust density estimation. Similarly there were strong seasonal effects on rodent captures, with almost no captures during the wet season.

Denna rapport behandlar utvärdering av urbana ekosystemtjänster på stadsdelsnivå. Eftersom ökad urbanisering leder till ökad belastning på urbana ekosystem är det viktigt att både exploatering och etablering av grönområden sker på ett hållbart sätt där ekologiska, sociala och ekonomiska faktorer inkluderas. Detta kan delvis uppnås genom att villkor i verktyg och certifieringssystem inkluderar aspekter för urbana ekosystemtjänster. Det undersökts hur certifieringssystemen BREEAM Communities och CASBEE for Urban Development samt verktyget Grönytefaktormetoden behandlar sådana urbana ekosystemtjänster. Analysen utgår från en föreslagen kategorisering av urbana ekosystemtjänster. Detta kompletteras med ett eget ramverk som utvidgar och förtydligar otillräckligt hanterade ekosystemtjänster och närliggande aspekter. Resultatet visar att ytterligare ekosystemtjänster kan inkluderas i de undersökta metoderna och en kategorisering av urbana ekosystemtjänster förslås. / This report discusses assessment of urban ecosystems services in the scale of city districts. Since intensified urbanisation increases the pressure on urban ecosystems it is of importance that development projects in green areas is sustainable with inclusion of ecological, social and economic aspects. This can in part be achieved through requirements in tools and certification systems that include aspects for urban ecosystem services. An investigation of how the certification systems BREEAM Communities and CASBEE for Urban Development as well as the tool Grönytefaktormetoden deal with such urban ecosystem services is made. The analysis is based on a suggested categorisation of urban ecosystem services. This is complemented by an own framework that expands and clarifies insufficiently treated ecosystem services and adjacent aspects. The result shows that further ecosystem services can be included in the investigated methods and a categorisation of urban ecosystems services is suggested.

MENVSC / Department of Ecology and Resource Management / Wetlands are amongst the world’s most important ecosystems providing many direct and indirect benefits to local communities. The majority of South Africans residing in rural areas depends mostly on natural resources for their livelihood. However, wetlands in South Africa continue to be the most threatened ecosystems primarily due to unsustainable use and poor resource management. Additionally, the history of South Africa has been characterised by exclusion of local communities in the process of decision-making and general management of natural resources. The aim of the study was to investigate possible challenges affecting the management of Thulamela wetlands by assessing the level of interaction and conflicting interest amongst participating stakeholders, including role of wetlands on local communities for possibly improved management scenarios. The study used questionnaires, interviews and observations to capture data on the local communities and management stakeholders. Seven wetlands within Thulamela were selected as study areas and the study population was selected based on their specialised expertise, involvement, and closeness to wetlands. Data was analysed using SPSS, Microsoft Excel and also using thematic analysis in NVIVO. The results show that selected wetlands are highly beneficial in supporting the local communities. Based on the socio-economic and demographic characteristics (family size, age, gender, and employment status) measured, the study deduced that unemployment rate or low income of the respondents is the main contributor to an increase dependency on wetland utilization. Additionally, the results revealed that unregulated use and excessive agricultural practices such as cultivation and livestock grazing are common in all study areas, hence further degradation of these wetlands. One of the findings from the study was the destruction of wetlands through expansion of human settlement. The population increase in the areas was found to be major drivers of socio-economic challenges causing people to spread through and exploit wetlands. Consequently, human settlement along the wetland area has resulted in the extensive clearance of natural wetland vegetation. Furthermore, the results show that there is poor wetland information transfer to the local communities most likely due to none/or insufficient outreach programmes. The current management arrangements and structures for selected wetlands are not being practiced through the unequal representation amongst management stakeholders and poor inclusion of local communities in management processes. Additionally, there are currently no openly known active platforms provided upon which stakeholders are able to air their views on wetlands management issues. The findings further show differences in perceptions amongst wetlands users, non-users and management stakeholders. The management stakeholders have a relatively strong focus on livelihood and environmental problems, they regard rules and regulations on wetland use’ as a relatively central variable. On the other hand, the local communities are currently more concerned about the benefits they receive from the wetlands than the conservation of those systems. The study also revealed unequal representation amongst participating management stakeholders. The findings show poor interaction between the management stakeholders and the local communities; differences in perceptions amongst resource users, non-users and managers; exploitation of wetlands resources; poor wetlands information transfer. The results suggest that centralised top-down rules and regulations on wetland use are not sufficient for maintaining the wetland ecosystem and this poses a challenge to sustainable wetland management. Therefore, there is a need to develop shared understanding through bottom-up approaches to wetland management that are nested within national regulatory frameworks, ideally combined with awareness building and knowledge sharing on the ecological benefits and management of wetland. / NRF