Bibliography: p. 119-126. Discusses factors which affect the increase of small holdings output in and effort to increase the farmers income.

This research is based on the plan and design of Datang constructed wetland as a storm water wetland system. Qantity of the discharges from Datan community drainage system including its branches surround Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area are estimated. The objectives of this research is to study the possibilities of using the concept of stormwater wetland system for including the Datan constructed wetland and Lin-Bian right-bank wetland as flood detention wetland system and treatment wetlands during the dry season. Generally, flood detention ponds are not functioning except during storm seasons. Rainfall are mostly concentrated from June to September in southern Taiwan (mainly due to southwest monsoon and typhoon), the Datan wetland has therefore planned to treat the domestic sewages and the disposal from aquaculture farms during the dry season, and first flushing drainage during storm season. Besides the flood detention volume, Datan wetland has been designed into four major sections, a) primary settling for settle part of the suspended particles and aeration; b) bio-filtration through 2 sets of bio-filter using crushed bricks and oyster shells as filter media, mainly designed for BOD removal and partly early denitrification; c) followed by shallow weeds pond for reaeration and nutrients uptake by plantation; d) entering a series of open water ponds for stabilization. Landscape has been take good care for recreative function and habitat reserved for variety of birds. Due to the flood detention function will flood the basin few times a year, variable depth environment and plantations are designed. Wetland maintains ordinary water level at EL=-1.1m, maximum flood detention can go as high as EL=+1.5m. The wetland has effective surface approximately 5.5 ha., maximum flood detention quantity approximately 130,000 cubic meters. Since the area is tidally affected, influents contain different levels of salinities. Plantation becomes a difficult issue for the Datan wetland, due to the saline waters. Mangrove is the best choice, so far, for this situation. The mangrove forest has the richest productivity on wetland ecosystem, and can carry on the physical biology multistage degeneration to the sewage and absorb various pollutants. Hydraulic analysis estimates the peak discharge of Datan drainage system¡¦s 10 year flood frequency is 20.17cms, Datan constructed wetland and Linbian right bank constructed wetland can reduces the peak rate of 8.06cms and 4.38 cms, respectively. In addition, most of the branches of the Datan drainage system are thus achieve the ten year return period bench mark from the HEC-RAS evaluation The water quality monitoring results after one month of operation have shown the average elimination rates, TOC=-10%, BOD5=53%, TKN=71%, NH3-N=88%, NO3-N=65, NO2-N=90%, TN=70%, TP=52%, OP=56%, Chl.a=-61%, SS=4%, the turbidity (NTU)=70%. BOD and nutrients are shown effective reductions, while the SS and the chlorophyll-a are correlated mainly due to the plankton growth in the open waters. Long-term monitoring is continuing for the evaluation of the water quality purification function and the operational management model.

Human-elephant conflict (HEC) is complex and a serious elephant conservation concern across Africa and Asia where elephants are found. HEC occurs whenever people and elephants share common interests. For HEC to be ameliorated and elephant conservation to be successful locally and regionally, the distribution and implications of HEC should be understood. The purpose of this study was to determine the spatial distribution of HECs and characterize elephant herds in terms of herd size responsible for crop-raiding in Kasigau. The study was generally guided by two working a priori hypotheses: (1) farms near the bush edge or livestock watering points will experience more crop raiding incidences than those farther away, and (2) given the geographical differences, the total cost of damage to crops sustained in all the farms will be different across the seven villages. For hypothesis 1, the distances of random farms to the bush and to the bush edge were mapped and measured on Google EarthTM. Results of the study showed that there were differences in the distribution of the distances from the bush and from water for farms that experienced damage and a random selection of farms (p < .0001). Additionally, total cost of damage to crops (Kruskal-Wallis; p < 0.0001), average cost of damage to crops per acre per incursion (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA; p = 0.0255) and mean cost of damage to crops and facilities (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA; p < 0.0001) were also found to be statistically different across all the villages. Four villages (Bungule,Ngambenyi, Makwasinyi, and Kisimenyi) sustained high total cost of damage to crops and average cost of damage to crops per acre per incursion indicating that these villages had similar elephant pressure. Ngambenyi village sustained the greatest cost of damage to crops while Kiteghe recorded the greatest average cost of damage to crops per acre per incursion. A posteriori hypotheses included: (1) there will be seasonal distribution of elephant attacks on farms. Results showed that the proportion of total crop-raiding incidents was different during wet and dry seasons in my study period (X2 = 5.49, df = 1, p < .019) with the greatest occurrence of attacks taking place in February, which coincided with crop maturity. This indicates that crop raiding incidents were most common during harvesting time. This result coincides with what was reported elsewhere. (2) there will be difference in the number of crop-raiding incidents by single and multiple elephant responsible for crop incursions in Kasigau. Results demonstrated that the number of crop-raiding incidents by single and multiple elephants were significantly different (X2 = 329.1037; df = 1; p < .0001). A total of 163 (72%) farm incursions were caused by elephant herds comprising multiple individuals while single elephants were responsible for 62 crop-raiding incidents, or 28% of total farm incursions. 100% (225 incursion) of crop incursions reported occurred during the night.

L’objectiu d’aquesta tesi és avaluar i discutir l’aplicació pràctica, la validesa i la repetibilitat d’un sistema d’avaluació del benestar en granges comercials de porcs d’engreix. La capacitat d’aplicació, la sensibilitat, selectivitat, validesa contextual i repetibilitat al llarg del temps de les mesures basades en l'animal incloses al protocol Welfare Quality® es van avaluar mitjançant cinc estudis. A més a més, al llarg de la tesi es va considerar la utilització del protocol com a eina d’assessorament per resoldre problemes de benestar. En el primer estudi es presenta una anàlisi descriptiva de les mesures basades en l’animal incloses al protocol d’avaluació del benestar. En aquest treball es va avaluar tant l’aplicació pràctica del protocol en 30 granges intensives com la seva capacitat per discriminar-les entre sí. Tanmateix, el treball proposa una metodologia pràctica per identificar granges que presenten algun problema de benestar. Al segon i tercer estudi, es van avaluar un total de 11,647 porcs allotjats en 91 explotacions comercials provinents de tres sistemes intensius (convencional a França i Espanya, sobre palla a França, i Ibèric intensiu a Espanya) així com dos sistemes extensius (Ibèric en extensiu, Porc Negre Mallorquí) mitjançant el protocol Welfare Quality®. Tot dos estudis descriuen dades sobre la prevalença i distribució de diversos indicadors de benestar en una gran varietat d’explotacions amb la finalitat d’identificar una sèrie de factors causals. Els resultats corresponents als principis de bona alimentació i bon allotjament es presenten en el segon estudi mentre que els de salut es descriuen en el tercer. El quart estudi es centra en l’avaluació del benestar mitjançant mesures de comportament en porcs Ibèrics en condicions intensives i extensives. En aquest treball, el quart principi del Welfare Quality®, titulat “comportament adequat”, es va avaluar en 21 granges (11 extensives i 10 intensives), les quals allotjaven una totalitat de 25,856 porcs Ibèrics. Finalment, el cinquè estudi avalua, en una mostra de 15 granges intensives convencionals, la repetibilitat després d'un temps perllongat de les mesures basades en l’animal incloses en el protocol Welfare Quality®. Els resultats es van discutir des d’un punt de vista discriminatiu i avaluatiu. Com a comentari general, el protocol Welfare Quality® per porcs d’engreix es pot aplicar fàcilment en una gran varietat d’explotacions comercials. Tot i així, la durada total del protocol pot ser percebuda com a massa llarga per part d’alguns dels agents implicats (com ara ramaders, industria o empreses certificadores). La sensibilitat dels indicadors de salut és aparentment massa baixa. La interpretació d’alguns resultats en termes de benestar animal, especialment els de comportament, s’ha de realitzar amb molta cura sobretot quan es comparen explotacions provinents de sistemes de cria molt diversos. Una interpretació equivocada d’un resultat pot erròniament afavorir o perjudicar un ramader o un sistema. Finalment, el protocol Welfare Quality® pot tenir enfocaments diversos que poden ser pràctics i complementaris com a eina d’assessorament, tot i que es va dissenyar com una eina per auditar. / The objective of the present thesis is to evaluate and discuss the feasibility, validity and repeatability of a welfare assessment system for growing pigs on commercial farms. The feasibility, sensitivity, selectivity, contextual validity and repeatability over time of several animal-based measures of the Welfare Quality® (WQ®) protocol were evaluated in five studies. Furthermore, across the thesis, the use of the protocol as an advisory tool is considered. The first study presents a descriptive analysis of several animal-based measures of the welfare assessment protocol for pigs kept under intensive conventional conditions on 30 farms in Spain. It evaluates the feasibility of the protocol on intensive farms and its capacity to discriminate among intensive conventional farms. It also aims to propose a practical methodology to identify farms with a particular welfare problem. On the second and third studies, a total of 11,647 pigs housed on 91 commercial farms of three intensive systems (conventional in France and Spain, straw bedded in France, and Iberian intensive in Spain) as well as two extensive systems (Iberian extensive, Mallorcan Black pig) were assessed applying the overall WQ® protocol. Both studies yielded data about the prevalence and distribution of several welfare outcomes on a wide variety of commercial farms with the aim to identify possible causal factors. The results from the good feeding and housing principles are presented in the second study whereas those of health are given in the third study. The fourth study focused on the assessment of welfare through behavioural measures in Iberian pigs in intensive and extensive conditions. The fourth principle of the WQ® protocol, labelled “Appropriate behaviour”, was assessed on 21 farms (11 extensive and 10 intensive) housing a total of 25,856 Iberian pigs. Changes in occurrence of behaviour and qualitative measures were evaluated and discussed when comparing Iberian pigs either in intensive or extensive rearing conditions. Finally, the fifth study evaluated the test-retest repeatability over a long period of time of the mean prevalence of several measures from the WQ® protocol on a sample of 15 intensive conventional farms of growing pigs. The results were discussed from a discriminative approach and from an evaluative approach. As a general comment, the WQ® protocol for growing pigs is feasible in a wide range of commercial conditions even though the overall duration may be perceived as too long by stakeholders. The sensitivity of health indicators appears to be low. Interpretation of several outcomes, especially behavioural ones, in terms of animal welfare, must be cautious, especially when comparing farm units from diverse rearing systems. An erroneous interpretation of an outcome can wrongly favour or prejudice a farmer. Several approaches of the WQ® protocol can be practical and complementary to be used for advisory purposes.

Adjustments for agriculture in Taiwan tend to be made to the entire economic activities in different stages. With the relentless domestic demands for leisure tourism, the development of leisure farms has been gradually gaining ground as an option not only of the revival of agriculture but of the solution to meet the demands. With the transformation in demands, leisure farm operation turns out to be a major focus of the promotion of agricultural tourism by the government. However, the poor command of the management as well as the use of the core resources of the farms by some of the leisure farm operators incurs developmental stagnation. As a result, this study will first explore the logic of leisure farm management and second attempt to provide advice to operators on decision-making over diverse strategies.

The Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area will be planned as an interna-tional level tourism site. In order to improve the water quality in bay area, the administration authority has removed oyster farm. However, sewage and aquaculture wastewater from the communities and fish ponds around the bay area were still discharged continuously. After careful assessment, The Dapeng Bay National Scenic Area Administration authority decided to use constructed wetlands to treat such kinds of wastewater. In this study, the treatment efficiencies of Datan Constructed Wetland Park were investigated. According to the experimental results, we found that the remove efficiencies of SS, Chl-a, and TOC were not good enough, while the other parameters, such as OP, TP, NO2-, and NO3- their all re-moval efficiencies were all above 40¢H.The removal efficiencies of NH3, TKN and TN were all above 60%. However, the removal efficiencies of turbidity and BOD were found equal to 30%. Generally, TN was removed by the process as of nitrification and denitrification, but the nitrification of the subsurface flow¡]SSF¡^part of wetland was perforated worse, which caused the org-N and NH4+-N was not availably to become the NH3, NO2- and NO3-. Because of this reason, the removal effect of Org-N was not very significant. The parameter of TOC was affected by the fixation of CO2 through photosynthesis of autotrophs, and the respiration and denitrification of heterotrophs. The sediment also could provide organic carbon source for denitrification. Photosynthesis and carbon source would cause the re-moval efficiency of TOC become worse than synthesis. In the wetland, the decrease rate of salinity was found above 20¢H.

Thesis (M.A.)--York University, 2006. Graduate Programme in Geography. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-130). Also available on the Internet. MODE OF ACCESS via web browser by entering the following URL: http://gateway.proquest.com/openurl?url_ver=Z39.88-2004&res_dat=xri:pqdiss&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/fmt:kev:mtx:dissertation&rft_dat=xri:pqdiss:MR19646

Thesis (Master's)--Taiwan Sheng li zhong xing da xue. / Includes bibliographical references.

Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv., 2004. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

In the late 90s coconut farms in Mozambique were affected by a disease that made the coconut trees drop their leaves and die, the disease is called the coconut lethal yellowing disease (CLYD). It is known that planthoppers are spreading the disease. This thesis investigates if cultivation and farm related factors could have an impact on the risk of being infected by CLYD. With a sample of 534 farms from the two provinces Zambeze and Nampula a logistic regression model is estimated. The result shows that the only factor that has a significant effect of increasing the risk of getting infected by the disease is if farms had other palm species than coconut trees on the plantation. / I slutet av 90-talet drabbades många kokosnötsfarmer i Mocambique av en sjukdom som gjorde att träden började tappa sina löv och till slut dog. Denna sjukdom kallas för ”the coconut lethal yellowing disease” (CLYD). I dagsläget vet man att det är en specifik insekt som sprider denna sjukdom. Denna uppsats undersöker om det finns andra faktorer som kan påverka risken för koksnötsfarmer att drabbas av denna sjukdom, faktorer som är kopplade till farmerna och dess vegetation. Genom ett urval av 534 farmer från de två provinserna Zambezia och Nampula skattades en logistik regression. Resultatet visade att det enbart är en faktor, om plantagen innehåller andra palmsorter, som signifikant ökar risken för att en farm ska drabbas av CLYD.