The wetlands on the Eastern Shores of Lake St Lucia are primarily groundwater fed and exhibit a variety of hydrological regimes that give rise to a high degree of habitat and species diversity. Hydrologically unstable systems experience ecophasal shifts that can disrupt an established steady state within the wetland ecosystem. Communities of both plants and animals can accordingly disintegrate into more or less isolated populations, open to re-invasion by preceding or "new" species when conditions change again. Given the ephemeral and episodic nature of much of the surface water on the Eastern Shores, ecological dynamics of this type are likely. Fish and aquatic invertebrates were sampled from a number of routine and other sites between May 2002 and April 2003. Measurements of various environmental and abiotic factors (including pH, ionic conductivity and dissolved oxygen levels) were taken with each sample in order to establish relationships between environmental changes and the assemblages of aquatic fauna occurring within the Eastern Shores wetlands. Conditions on the Eastern Shores during the study were somewhat anomalous, as the region experienced drought conditions during this period. The Eastern Shores wetlands support a diversity of aquatic fauna, including at least four species of freshwater fish listed as rare or threatened by the IUCN. The aquatic organisms existing within this dynamic system exhibited changes in abundance and distribution that reflected the spatial and temporal changes in their environment. The relationships between aquatic organisms and their environment were complex, with assemblages being affected by combinations of changing environmental and habitat variables as well as other factors such as the environmental stability of habitats and stochastic effects. Given the complex nature of these interactions, aquatic macrofauna on the Eastern Shores are likely to be best conserved through the preservation a heterogeneous mix of wetland habitats, maintaining the diversity of wetland structure and function on the Eastern Shores that can facilitate an element of lottery in the development and structure in biotic assemblages. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

The extent of influence of monetary policies on housing prices in the Greater China region is examined in this study using data from 2005-2015. Using vector autoregression, the effects of housing indices, interest rates, money supply as well as stock market index are accessed. Results suggest that monetary policies do in fact influence housing market trends in Greater China. Furthermore, the extent of influence on Mainland China on the Hong Kong and Taiwan markets is also tested. Results imply a greater co-integration between the Mainland and Hong Kong market than that between Mainland and Taiwan. The effect of exchange rate is deemed as insignificant. Housing policies set by national and local governments show to be less influential than predicted. Lastly, granger causality is not present between the different markets within this study.

This dissertation presents a comprehensive study on the origin and evolutionary relationships of the species of Bursera in Cuba, Hispaniola, Jamaica and the Bahamas. The goals of the first chapter were to test monophyly of the group, revisit a recent transfer of two species of Bursera to Commiphora, and place recently discovered mainland species using the reconstructed phylogenies. Additionally, divergence estimations using fossils were used as independent tests of several hypotheses regarding the arrival of the modern biota to the Greater Antilles and Bahamas (GAB). I conclude that all endemic taxonomic entities of the genus in this region belong to Bursera subgen. Bursera but that two separate lineages colonized the GAB via dispersal. The genus diversified during the Middle Miocene to Pliocene, and the data corroborate several paleogeographic events during that interval. The second chapter presents informative characters from leaf anatomy and leaf architecture for the 14 endemic species of Bursera distributed in the GAB. There is evidence for some evolutionary tendencies in the group, among them a trend toward small, simple, amphistomatic and unifacial leaves, character states for which ecological correlates can now be studied. Morphological and anatomical evidence corroborates phylogenetic results in suggesting that a population of B. glauca in Cuba is a new species. Finally, the third chapter constitutes the first taxonomic account and description of all known endemic species of Bursera in the region and reflects the results of the previous chapters. The primary results are as follows: (1) a new species from eastern Cuba, B. yaterensis, is described; (2) five species of Commiphora are returned to Bursera; (3) B. nashii is treated as conspecific with B. glauca; and (4) B. ovata is treated as conspecific with B. trinitensis. A dichotomous key is provided using mostly vegetative characters due to the frequent lack of adequate reproductive material and the relative uniformity of most floral and fruit characters. Each species description includes leaf architecture (morphology and venation pattern) and anatomy, introducing characters that could and should be used for describing and distinguishing other Bursera in Meso- and South America as well as for African Commiphora.

At present, little is known concerning the fungi communities inhabiting the Greater Sudbury Region. This study aimed at identifying the fungal species and abundance in limed and unlimed areas contaminated with metals. Samples were collected from the LFH soil layer from Wahnapitae Hydro-Dam, Daisy Lake, Kingsway, Kelly Lake, Hagar, Onaping Falls and Capreol. Limed and unlimed areas were compared for soil metals, pH, fungi diversity, abundance and seasonal soil respiration. Fungi from soil samples were cultured using Sabouraud Dextrose Agar and Malt Extract Agar. A total of 52 fungi species from 34 genera were identified. There was a significantly higher fungal diversity in the limed areas compared to the samples from unlimed sites based on SDA medium data. Fungi abundance followed the same trend. Significantly higher soil respiration rates were recorded for limed sites compared to unlimed sites. Summer soil respiration rates correlated (r = 0.50) with total fungal abundance.

The City of Toronto has done much to reduce congestion through transportation system management and travel demand measures. Yet, while measures to eliminate the traffic congestion problem have been necessary, they simply have not been sufficient to accommodate over 2.5 million residents and the many more who find their way into the area from points beyond particularly from other regions in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). In addition, the transportation improvements certainly do not provide capacity adequate to address the needs of the future predicted residents and added economic activity. Congestion pricing is an untapped transportation strategy that can reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and raise the revenue essential to implement needed transportation measures that are effective in improving transportation services and facilities. While experience with congestion pricing is limited, there are sufficient examples and experiences around the world to demonstrate that, when implemented properly, it virtually never fails to be an effective tool to curb congestion. Yet, when initially proposed, it never fails to be controversial. This is due in part to the lack of research on the equity impacts on different socio-economic groups. This is the dichotomy and the dilemma of congestion pricing that every city must face in seeking this new approach to congestion management. The main goal of the research is to provide empirical research that enhances our understanding of the equity implications of cordon pricing for the urban region of Toronto, Canada. Three research objectives are identified to address the research goal. The first objective is to examine the ways that the GTA is moving toward or away the principles of sustainable transportation, and thus to make a case that Downtown Toronto is a candidate for cordon pricing. The second objective is to investigate if particular socio-economic groups would be disproportionately affected by the implementation of cordon pricing in Downtown Toronto, as one way of approaching the equity dimensions of such a policy. The third objective is to explore some of the policy aspects associated with implementing cordon pricing in Toronto, including public perceptions of such a policy as well as probable responses to the policy. The major findings of this analysis are that the GTA is not moving in the direction of sustainable transportation, which provides a concrete justification for demand-management interventions and that Downtown Toronto is a candidate for cordon pricing. A Downtown Toronto cordon pricing scheme would be progressive in its effects on the various socio-economic groups, and that the progressivity holds up even when travel is disaggregated by demographic factors such as age, gender, household size and occupational category. Full-time workers account for a larger proportion of the affected trips and the percentage of trips that would be affected is highest for those in the full-time high-income neighborhoods. The analyses show that toll charge is an important factor that would trigger some income groups to change their travel behaviour. People from high-income neighborhoods are more willing to pay the charges and drive as usual than people from other income neighborhoods. Revenue redistribution is critical to assess and achieve equity of congestion pricing.

The City of Toronto has done much to reduce congestion through transportation system management and travel demand measures. Yet, while measures to eliminate the traffic congestion problem have been necessary, they simply have not been sufficient to accommodate over 2.5 million residents and the many more who find their way into the area from points beyond particularly from other regions in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). In addition, the transportation improvements certainly do not provide capacity adequate to address the needs of the future predicted residents and added economic activity. Congestion pricing is an untapped transportation strategy that can reduce traffic congestion, improve air quality, and raise the revenue essential to implement needed transportation measures that are effective in improving transportation services and facilities. While experience with congestion pricing is limited, there are sufficient examples and experiences around the world to demonstrate that, when implemented properly, it virtually never fails to be an effective tool to curb congestion. Yet, when initially proposed, it never fails to be controversial. This is due in part to the lack of research on the equity impacts on different socio-economic groups. This is the dichotomy and the dilemma of congestion pricing that every city must face in seeking this new approach to congestion management. The main goal of the research is to provide empirical research that enhances our understanding of the equity implications of cordon pricing for the urban region of Toronto, Canada. Three research objectives are identified to address the research goal. The first objective is to examine the ways that the GTA is moving toward or away the principles of sustainable transportation, and thus to make a case that Downtown Toronto is a candidate for cordon pricing. The second objective is to investigate if particular socio-economic groups would be disproportionately affected by the implementation of cordon pricing in Downtown Toronto, as one way of approaching the equity dimensions of such a policy. The third objective is to explore some of the policy aspects associated with implementing cordon pricing in Toronto, including public perceptions of such a policy as well as probable responses to the policy. The major findings of this analysis are that the GTA is not moving in the direction of sustainable transportation, which provides a concrete justification for demand-management interventions and that Downtown Toronto is a candidate for cordon pricing. A Downtown Toronto cordon pricing scheme would be progressive in its effects on the various socio-economic groups, and that the progressivity holds up even when travel is disaggregated by demographic factors such as age, gender, household size and occupational category. Full-time workers account for a larger proportion of the affected trips and the percentage of trips that would be affected is highest for those in the full-time high-income neighborhoods. The analyses show that toll charge is an important factor that would trigger some income groups to change their travel behaviour. People from high-income neighborhoods are more willing to pay the charges and drive as usual than people from other income neighborhoods. Revenue redistribution is critical to assess and achieve equity of congestion pricing.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Tufts University, 2005. / Adviser: J. Michael Reed. Submitted to the Dept. of Biology. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 126-135). Access restricted to members of the Tufts University community. Also available via the World Wide Web;

Thesis (M.S.)--Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences Dept., South Dakota State University, 2009. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-85). Also available via the World Wide Web.

Fire has influenced species composition within the Central Hardwood Forest for millennia. Since the last glacial retreat, Native Americans followed by European settlers used fire as a tool to manipulate their environment. This fire use by humans helped maintain the dominance of well-adapted oak-hickory species across eastern forests. By the 1940's, land fragmentation from increased settlement and actively enforced suppression policies effectively eliminated fire from the landscape. Without the disturbance of recurrent fire that alters succession, the fertile loess-capped hills of southern Illinois have undergone several decades of compositional and structural change manifested by encroachment of mixed mesophytic competitors that are maladapted to fire. Today, land managers seek practical methods to restore declining oak-hickory forests. Southern Illinois forests in particular are lacking information on how cutting and prescribed fire techniques can be applied to encourage regeneration of oak-hickory species. In 2002, five sites were chosen across the Greater Shawnee Hills geographic region for similar ecological characteristics. A factorial combination of thinning and a fire treatment consisting of two burns was used to test the response of understory components including: seedling density, seedling height, seedling diameter, non-tree cover and available sunlight. Results showed a distinct improvement in oak-hickory seedling competitive position as compared to non oak-hickory species. Seedlings of sassafras out-competed all other groups in this study and were the only species to increase in both density and height following repeated fire. The non-tree vegetation layer increased as a result of thin from below treatments, while burning had no effect on the amount of available sunlight. Generally, woody seedlings benefited from thinning based on their physiological adaptations and fire essentially acts as a filter selecting for traits of disturbance-prone vegetation.

The aim of this thesis is the documentation of the church of James the Greater in the South Moravian village Čučice. It is complete drawings of the structure, consisting of the topographic situation around the church, floor plans, vertical sections and views on the facade. Text part contents writing about working activities. It also discusses the historical and cultural characteristics of the church as immovable monument, the description of the preparatory work, a way of building surveying networks and methods of measurement. Finally, it highlights the processing of measured values in the computing and graphics phases. Use of this thesis and its evaluation is given in the final chapter. Graphic documentation, along with sketches, notebooks, calculation protocols, lists of coordinates, and testing the accuracy are in the annex section.