Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2013. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Since Burundi gained independence in 1962, this country has experienced periods of mass communal violence. Extensive scholarly research has focused on exploring the factors behind, and the nature of, the conflicts in Burundi from a socio-ethnic perspective. There has, however, been a persistent lack of attention paid to the inextricable relationship between environmental factors; particularly the scarcity of resources, coupled with rapid population growth; and Burundi‘s recent history of internal conflict. Noteworthy explanatory factors, which are often ignored in literature on the environment and conflict, have thus motivated this study. Burundi is an example of this reality because of a highly dependent agricultural economy and a constant growing population. This study used a descriptive analysis, as methodological tool; in order to gain an understanding of Burundi‘s land question - that is, how limited access to land and the constantly increasing population have led to environmental degradation, that served as motivational trigger factors for the violent political conflicts that occurred at various periods between 1965 and 1993 in this country. This study addresses this epistemological gap. In order to explore the nexus between environmental factors, land access, population growth and the political conflicts in Burundi, this study draws and builds upon Jared Diamond‘s (2005) five point framework of potential trigger factors to environmental collapse. Moreover, Diamond‘s (2005) ecocide theory argues that there are eight specific indicators to demonstrate how societies undermine themselves by damaging their own environment; thus resulting in an ecocide. This theory was applied to the two main environmental variables examined in this study. More specifically, this theoretical perspective provided a base for exploring how land issues, population growth, environmental degradation and political change can be understood as important precursors to the violent conflicts in Burundi. What may be surmised by this study; is that there is indeed a positive correlation between these forces, where the values of the independent variables (land access and population growth) are associated with the values of the dependent variable (violent conflict). This correlation, therefore, calls for an acknowledgement of the complexity of the Burundian conflicts and that ethnicity which has dominated contemporary conflict analysis is but one of several social rifts. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Sedert Burundi in 1962 onafhanklikheid verkry het, het hierdie land periodes van massa gewelddadige politieke konflik ervaar. Uitgebreide wetenskaplike navorsing het daarop gefokus om die faktore agter die gebeure, sowel as die aard van die konflik in Burundi vanuit ‘n sosio-etniese perspektief, te ondersoek. Tog word daar steeds gebrekkige aandag geskenk aan die onlosmaaklike verhouding tussen omgewingsfaktore, veral gebrek aan hulpbronne, gepaardgaande met die voortgesette bevolkingsaanwas; asook Burundi se onlangse geskiedenis van interne konflik. Noemenswaardige gapings, wat dikwels in die verklarende literatuur geïgnoreer word, het dus hierdie studie gemotiveer. Burundi is ‘n voorbeeld van hierdie werklikheid omdat die land baie afhanklik van landbou is; as gevolg van die kontstante bevolkingsaanwas in die land. Hierdie navorsing het beskrywende analise as ‘n metodologiese instrument gebruik om insig te kry oor Burundi se grondkwessie – met ander woorde hoe die beperkte toegang tot grond en ‘n toenemende bevolkingsaanwas gelei het tot die agteruitgang van die omgewing. Bostaande faktore het as motiverende sneller faktore gedien, wat aanleiding gegee het tot die gewelddadige politieke konflik, wat gedurende verskillende periodes tussen 1965 en 1993 in hierdie land ontstaan het. Hierdie studie poog dus om hierdie epistomologiese gaping aan te spreek. Ten einde die verband (nexus) tussen omgewingsfaktore, grondbesit, bevolkingsaanwas en die politieke konflikte in Burundi te ondersoek, steun en bou hierdie studie voort op Jared Diamond (2005) se vyfpunt raamwerk van potensiële sneller faktore, wat lei tot omgewings ineenstorting. Verder beweer Diamond (2005) se omgewings uitwissing (ecocide) teorie dat daar agt spesifieke aanduidings is om te demonstreer hoe gemeenskappe hulself ondermyn deur hul eie omgewing te beskadig/vernietig: wat uitloop op omgewings uitwissing (ecocide). Hierdie teorie is aangewend in die twee hoof omgewings veranderlikes, wat in die studie/ navorsing ondersoek is. Hierdie teoretiese perspektief het ook spesifiek ‘n basis voorsien om te ondersoek hoe grondkwessies, bevolkingsaanwas, omgewings agteruitgang en politieke verandering verstaan kan word as belangrike aanwysers van die geweldadige konflik in Burundi. Deur middel van hierdie studie kan ‘n duidelike opsomming gemaak word dat daar inderdaad ‘n positiewe korrelasie tussen hierdie magte voorkom, waar die waardes van die onafhanklike veranderlike (toegang tot grond en bevolkingsgroei) geassosieer word met die waardes van die afhanklike veranderlike (geweldadige konflik). Hierdie korrelasie verg dus ‘n beroep om erkenning te gee aan die kompleksiteit van konflik in Burundi. Hierdie etniese debat, wat tans die oorheersende konflik aanvuur, is maar net een van die verskeie interpretasies van sosiale breekpunte in Burundi is.

This thesis estimates the spatial extent of chlorinated solvent contamination of the soil at the Naval Air Station, Dallas, then estimates the fate and transport of these contaminants, over time, using the Soil Transport and Fate database and the Vadose-Zone Interactive Processes (VIP) modeling software. Geostatistical analysis identifies two areas with serious chlorinated solvent contamination. Fate and transport modeling estimates that this contamination will degrade and disperse from the soil phase to below regulatory limits within one year, although there is a risk of groundwater contamination. Contaminants are estimated to persist in the water and air phases of the soil. Further sampling is recommended to confirm the results of this study.

Plastic deposition in hydrological systems is a pervasive problem at all geographic scales from loci of pollution to global ocean circulation. Much attention has been devoted to plastic deposition in marine contexts, but little is known about inputs of plastics into local hydrological systems, such as streams. Any attempt to prevent plastic litter must confront people’s behaviors, so archaeological concepts are used to distinguish between various cultural inputs (e.g., littering) and non-cultural forces (e.g., stream transport) that affect litter patterns on the landscape. Litter surveys along Hickory Creek in Denton, TX, are used to assess these factors.

This study assessed the water quality of the Elm Fork Watershed with regards to the herbicide Atrazine. Atrazine is a potential environmental endocrine disruptor and carcinogen. Overall, concentrations were lower than the four-quarter drinking water average of 3 µg/Lthe Maximum Contaminant Level set by the USEPA. However, three creek stations had four-quarter average concentrations greater than 3 µg/L, and virtually all samples exceeded the 0.1 µg/L standard set in Europe [1,2]. Statistically significant differences in concentrations were detected between the 27 sampling stations and areas of high concentrations were identified. However correlations between Atrazine concentrations and land-use and precipitation were not statistically significant. Further analysis with more detailed data should be conducted before any relationships are discarded.

This study focused on the effectiveness of integrating traditional plant community analyses with landscape ecological analyses based on remotely sensed data. A temporal analysis of plant community diversity was conducted for major plant communities of the Ray Roberts Lake area using transect monitoring data collected between 1987 and 1997. Landscape analyses were performed with FRAGSTATS*ARC using classified SPOT satellite imagery for 1987 and 1997. Although the methodology developed in this work was exploratory, it was found that characterizing the dynamics of major plant communities in the study area produced a more effective and insightful analysis of Ray Roberts Lake area landscape dynamics.

Este trabalho teve como objetivo avaliar o módulo de resiliência de misturas asfálticas densas sob duas condições. A primeira foi o estudo dos efeitos do enrijecimento de misturas asfálticas densas em condições ambientais diferentes (cinco condições) que são: AAAL (ao ar e à luz), AASL (ao ar e sem luz), AVAL (baixa pressão atmosférica e à luz), AVSL (baixa pressão atmosférica e sem luz) e CLIMA (ao clima e intempéries), tendo sido utilizados para este experimento CAP 20, centro da faixa C do DNER como distribuição granulométrica e preparados segundo a AASHTO PP2. Neste estudo concluiu-se que não houve efeito significativo da exposição da luz artificial nas condições AL e SL, assim como não houve, também, efeito significativo na variação do módulo de resiliência nas condições de exposição ou não ao ar (AV e AA); nas demais condições houve melhora significativa nos resultados. Na segunda parte foram avaliados os efeitos de alguns fatores na susceptibilidade térmica de misturas asfálticas densas: tipo de agregado (basalto, gabro e granito), tipo de asfalto (CAP 20 e CAP 40), teor de asfalto (5%, 5,5% e 6%), presença de aditivo (com e sem cal) e temperaturas de ensaio (10ºC, 25ºC e 40ºC). Todos os corpos-de-prova foram preparados segundo procedimento da AASHTO PP2. Na segunda parte do experimento, concluiu-se que o CAP 40 produziu valores médios de Vv superiores aos do CAP 20, as misturas com teor de 5,5% apresentaram maior resistência à tração a 25°C, o módulo de resiliência e a relação MR/RT diminuem com o aumento do teor de CAP. / This work intended to evaluate the resilient modulus of dense-graded hot-mix asphalt under two conditions. The first condition comprehends a study of the hardening effects of densegraded hot mix asphalt submitted to five environmental conditions: AAAL (air and artificial light), AASL (air and no artificial light), AVAL (low atmospheric pressure and artificial light), AVSL (low atmospheric pressure and no artificial light) and CLIMA (exposition to intemperism). In this phase, it was used an AC-20 asphalt binder and DNER middle band \"C\" as aggregate\'s particles size distribution. Specimens were prepared according to AASHTO PP2. Based on the results of the first part of the experiment, it was concluded that there was no significant effect of the artificial light exposition on AL and SL conditions, as well as on the variation of resilient modulus under air conditions (AV and AA). The other conditions presented better performance results. The second part of the experiment aimed to evaluating the effect of some factors in the thermal susceptibility of dense-graded HMA, that are: aggregate type (basalt, gabbro, granite), asphalt type (AC-20 and AC-40), binder content (5,0%, 5,5% and 6,0%), presence of additive (with or without lime) and test temperature (10ºC, 25ºC and 40ºC). As in the first part of the experiment, all specimens were prepared according to AASHTO PP2. Results of the second part of the experiment led to the following conclusions: mixtures using AC-40 showed average air voids higher than mixtures using AC-20, mixtures with a binder content of 5,5% showed the highest values of tensile strength, at 25°C, the resilient modulus and the MR/RT ratio reduce when binder content increases.

Ein computergestütztes Simulationsmodell für die Schnittblumen-Steinwollkultur der Gerbera jamesonii (H. Bolus ex Hook.) wurde am Beispiel der Sorte 'Moana' erstellt. Aufbauend auf Messdaten morphologischer und physiologischer Parameter an Versuchspflanzen ließ sich das Wachstum von Blättern, Wurzeln und Blumen modellieren. Unter Berücksichtigung äußerer Einflussgrößen konnte mit dem Modell die Entwicklung eines Gerberabestandes hinsichtlich des Wachstums der Blätter, Blumen und Wurzeln einschließlich der wichtigsten Ertragskomponente, dem kumulativen Blumenertrag, in Abhängigkeit von physiologischen Leistungskriterien wie Atmung, Kohlendioxid- und Stickstoffaufnahme simuliert werden. Die Auswertungen des zeitlichen und räumlichen Wachstums der Gerbera der Sorte 'Moana' zeigten, dass die Blattverteilung unter Berücksichtigung des Alters Einfluss auf die Photosyntheseleistung des Bestandes nahm. Ebenso wurde eine Abhängigkeit der Blumenentwicklung von der Blattbildung nachgewiesen. Diese Ergebnisse waren die Basis für die Entwicklung der Modellstruktur. Teile von in der Literatur beschriebenen Modellen konnten erfolgreich in eine übergeordnete Modellstruktur eingebunden werden. Für den Wechsel zwischen vegetativem und generativem Wachstum unter Berücksichtigung der Blattalterung wurden für die Gerbera spezifische Modellfunktionen entwickelt. Bislang nicht verfügbare Gleichungssysteme zur Definition des Einflusses der Umweltparameter auf die Kohlendioxid- und Stickstoffaufnahme waren das Ergebnis von Gaswechsel- und Stickstoffaufnahmeanalysen. Die mit dem Modell berechneten Wachstumswerte für die Blattentwicklung und den Blumenertrag stimmten bei Verwendung gleicher Umweltbedingungen mit denen einer Gewächshauskultur überein. Des weiteren erwies sich das Modell für die Analyse der Auswirkungen eines simulierten Blattbrechvorgangs mit seinen Prognosen als geeignet. Die Verwendung des Modells zur Bestimmung optimaler Klima- und Wachstumsparameter für die Kultur der Sorte 'Moana' führte zu Werten, die bei konstanter Einhaltung eine 60 prozentige Ertragssteigerung gegenüber anfänglich eingesetzten Parametern bedingten. Für den Praktiker stellt das Modell ein Hilfsmittel dar, in einer Gerberakultur mit der Sorte 'Moana' die Sollwerte der Klimaführung bei gegebenen nicht beeinflussbaren Kulturbedingungen zu optimieren, um größtmögliche Erträge zu erzielen. Dem Versuchsansteller in Forschungseinrichtungen wird damit ein Rüstzeug gegeben, klima- und kulturtechnische Einflussgrössen und deren Kombinationen vorab mit dem Modell zu überprüfen, Extremwerte zu identifizieren und somit sinnvolle Versuchsparameter in Abhängigkeit des Versuchszieles zu definieren. / A computer based crop simulation model for a cut flower rockwool cultivation of Gerbera jamesonii (H. Bolus ex Hook.) has been developed for the cultivar 'Moana'. Basing on measurements of morphological and physiological parameters at experimental plants growth of leaves, roots and flowers has been modelled. In consideration of different physical environmental conditions the model was able to simulate the development of a Gerbera crop concerning growth of leaves, flowers and roots including the most important yield component the cumulative flower yield in dependence on physiological efficiency parameters like respiration, carbon dioxide and nitrogen assimilation. The evaluation of time and space dependent growth of Gerberas of the cultivar 'Moana' showed the influence of leaf distribution with regard to leaf age on the photosynthetic efficiency of the crop. Furthermore there was evidence of a dependency of flower growth on leaf development. On the the basis of these results the model structure has been worked out. Elements of already in the relevant literature descripted models were successfully incorporated into the superior model structure. To switch between vegetative and generative growth with regard to leaf aging a special submodel has been developed for the Gerbera crop. Till now not available mathematical functions to define the influence of the environmental conditions on carbon dioxide and nitrogen assimilation resulted form gas exchange and nitrogen uptake analysis. Growth data for leaf development and flower yield calculated by the model corresponded to the observed data when the same values for the environmental parameters have been used. Furthermore the model was able by means of its predictions to analyse the effects of simulated leaf picking. The use of the model to calculate optimized climatic and growth parameters for a cultivation of the cultivar 'Moana' led to values that produced an increase in yield of about 60 percent in comparison to initially applied parameters. For the practice the model represents a tool for seeking optimal combinations of environmental control and crop management strategies for a Gerbera crop using the cultivar 'Moana' to maximise yield. For the research engineer in experimental stations an equipment is provided to test environmental control and crop management strategies in advance to identify extremes and senseful experimental parameters in dependence on the objective of the trial.

Fire plays a key role in the ecology of the Everglades and is a ubiquitous tool for managing the structure, function, and ecosystem services of the Greater Everglades watershed. Decades of hydrologic modifications have led to the alteration of plant community composition and fire regime in much of the Everglades. To create a better understanding of post-fire recovery in sawgrass (Cladium jamaicense) communities, sawgrass marshes in the northern Everglades were studied along a chronosequence of time since fire and along a nutrient gradient. Areas closer to a water nutrient source and with fewer mean days dry contained greater total and dead aboveground graminoid biomass whereas live graminoid biomass was greater in areas with less time since fire and with fewer days dry. Post-fire characteristics of sawgrass marshes can provide insight on the effectiveness of fire management practices in the maintenance and restoration of quality habitat in the northern Everglades. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The goal of this study was to develop an alternative approach to typical seagrass transplantation techniques that damage the donor bed. Floating individuals of Halodule wrightii were collected in the Indian River Lagoon (IRL), Florida, during fall of 2013 and spring of 2014, with the fall collection planted in outdoor tanks. Only 25% of individuals collected in the fall survived the winter in the tanks. Individuals from both collections were deployed onto biodegradable mats in a capped dredge hole in the IRL in March, 2014. Approximately 66% of the mats survived the six-month experiment, and the area covered by seagrass quadrupled. Growth in shoot count, average height, horizontal spread, and biomass was similar for both fall and spring treatments. Thus, time and effort of overwintering had no benefit over spring harvesting. The use of floating individuals can provide a more practical, environmentally friendly alternative to traditional transplanting for seagrass re storation. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Ip Oi-ching. / Thesis submitted in: October 2001. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 142-152). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS --- p.ix / LIST OF TABLES --- p.xiv / LIST OF FIGURES --- p.xviii / LIST OF APPENDICES --- p.xxii / Chapter CHAPTER ONE --- INTRODUCTION / Chapter 1.1 --- Conceptual Framework --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Objectives --- p.4 / Chapter 1.3 --- Significance --- p.5 / Chapter 1.4 --- Study Area --- p.6 / Chapter 1.5 --- Organization Of Thesis --- p.8 / Chapter CHAPTER TWO --- LITERATURE REVIEW / Chapter 2.1 --- Quality of Life and Indicators --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.1 --- Scope of study for quality of life --- p.9 / Chapter 2.1.2 --- Development and evolution of quality of life studies --- p.13 / Chapter 2.1.3 --- Quality of life indicators --- p.14 / Chapter 2.2 --- Quality of Life Studies using Remote Sensing data --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2.1 --- Attributes derived from remote sensing --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2.2 --- Environmental changes and landuse change --- p.17 / Chapter 2.2.3 --- Housing quality --- p.18 / Chapter 2.2.4 --- Integration of remote sensing data and census data --- p.19 / Chapter 2.3 --- Quality of Life Study and Application of Remote Sensing in Hong Kong --- p.20 / Chapter 2.4 --- Summary --- p.22 / Chapter CHAPTER THREE --- METHODOLOGY / Chapter 3.1 --- Data Description --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.1 --- Biophysical data --- p.24 / Chapter 3.1.2 --- Socioeconomic indices --- p.28 / Chapter 3.1.3 --- Data extracted at Tertiary Planning Unit --- p.30 / Chapter 3.2 --- Satellite Data Preprocessing --- p.32 / Chapter 3.2.1 --- Radiometric and atmospheric correction --- p.38 / Chapter 3.2.2 --- Image normalization --- p.43 / Chapter 3.2.3 --- Geometric correction --- p.44 / Chapter 3.3 --- Landuse and Land-cover Classification --- p.45 / Chapter 3.4 --- Spectral Data Extraction and Transformation --- p.47 / Chapter 3.5 --- Integration of Spectral and Census Data for Quality of Life Modeling --- p.49 / Chapter 3.5.1 --- Inter-relationship between biophysical data and socioeconomic data --- p.50 / Chapter 3.5.2 --- Integrated quality of life modeling --- p.50 / Chapter 3.6 --- Summary --- p.51 / Chapter CHAPTER FOUR --- DATA DESCRIPTION / Chapter 4.1 --- Socioeconomic Data --- p.53 / Chapter 4.2 --- Spectral Data --- p.62 / Chapter 4.2.1 --- Raw data --- p.62 / Chapter 4.2.2 --- Landuse and land cover --- p.63 / Chapter 4.2.3 --- Vegetation indices --- p.66 / Chapter 4.2.4 --- Tasseled cap components --- p.67 / Chapter 4.2.5 --- Surface temperature --- p.69 / Chapter 4.2.6 --- Principal components extracted from biophysical variables --- p.70 / Chapter 4.3 --- Summary --- p.79 / Chapter CHAPTER FIVE --- INTERRELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SPECTRAL VARIABLES AND SOCIOECONOMIC VARIABLES / Chapter 5.1 --- Framework of Analysis --- p.82 / Chapter 5.2 --- Correlation among Socioeconomic and Biophysical data --- p.84 / Chapter 5.3 --- Stepwise Multiple Linear Regression Models --- p.91 / Chapter 5.3.1 --- Biophysical data as dependent variable --- p.91 / Chapter 5.3.1.1 --- NDVI as dependent variable --- p.95 / Chapter 5.3.1.2 --- URBANM as dependent variable --- p.98 / Chapter 5.3.2 --- Socioeconomic data as dependent variable --- p.101 / Chapter 5.3.2.1 --- POP´ؤDEN as dependent variable --- p.101 / Chapter 5.4 --- Summary and Discussion --- p.103 / Chapter CHAPTER SIX --- QUALITY OF LIFE ANALYSIS / Chapter 6.1 --- Indictors for Quality of Life Study --- p.105 / Chapter 6.2 --- QOL Indicators --- p.110 / Chapter 6.3 --- Spatial Variation of QOL --- p.114 / Chapter 6.4 --- Temporal Variation of QOL --- p.125 / Chapter 6.5 --- Summary and discussion --- p.131 / Chapter CHAPTER SEVEN --- CONCLUSION / Chapter 7.1 --- Summary of Findings --- p.134 / Chapter 7.1.1 --- Inter-relationship between socioeconomic and biophysical variables --- p.135 / Chapter 7.1.2 --- Quality of life indicators --- p.135 / Chapter 7.2 --- Limitations of the Study --- p.13 8 / Chapter 7.3 --- Recommendations for Further Studies --- p.140 / REFERENCES --- p.142 / APPENDIX A --- p.153 / APPENDIX B --- p.157 / APPENDIX C --- p.167