Thesis (M.A.)--Ball State University, 2009. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on Dec. 14, 2009). Includes bibliographical references (p. 134-141).

A postal questionnaire survey located over 700 feral cat colonies. Most were small well - established and lived in association with man, The feral cat population of Britain was estimated to be one million and is concentrated in urban areas. A domestic cat survey indicated a total population of 5.9 million cats in Britain. There appeared to be more females than males and a higher proportion of females than males were neutered. The effect of neutering on a colony of 30 adult cats. living in the grounds of Winwick Hospital, Cheshire, was examined. Individual cats were recognised by differences in coat colour and pattern, and data were collected by direct observation. The colony was studied for one year before and one year after neutering. Before neutering there appeared to be a seasonal fluctuation in numbers as a result of natality$ mortality and migration. Male immigrants were recorded. After neutering the colony remained stable in size and only one (female) immigrant was observed. The ecology and behaviour of 19 cats were studied in terms of home range, the distribution of, sightings in time, and sociability. Before neutering cluster analysis was used to identify groups of similar cats: males$ femalesp nomads and residents, After neutering no such groups could be distinguished and it is suggested that this was a result of changes in hormone balance. A mathematical model was developed for the study of associations within populations. It was shown that the cats tended to form more discrete social groups after neutering with fewer movements between groups. The adult cats were generally in good condition but there was evidence of exposure to feline calicivirus and feline herpesvirus. Trapping of cats appeared to be efficient and humane, and neutering was considered to be an acceptable form of population management.

This research poses two questions: How, through collaboration and thoughtful design practices, can rainwater management systems on school grounds be developed as resources for learning? And, what can these systems contribute to the development of more sustainable urban rainwater management? The research was conducted through a literature review, the analysis of three case studies and a pilot project. The research points to the potential for schools to act as a centralizing figure, enabling a community collaboration to occur, with the aim of implementing shared goals. This process generated knowledge, spread awareness and built relationships among the community. The school’s participation in this process was key to creating place-based, engaging solutions. The rainwater systems must be multi-functional and contribute to the learning environment by building on the school’s educational philosophy. The four projects offer different scenarios for creating rainwater management systems that engage students through both hands-on learning and play. / Graduate / 0390 / orr.cat@gmail.com

This dissertation recovers the political histories of New England's historic graveyards. From their early rejection of English burial practices to their modern incarnation as tourist attractions, New England's historic graveyards have been public forums for political posturing and debate. Far from the tranquil sanctuaries of later imagination, burying grounds of the colonial era were places where both the powerful and the relatively powerless could make shows of their strengths and air their grievances.

Baigiamajame magistro darbe apžvelgiami pamatų ir pagrindų stiprinimo būdai. Laboratorijoje atliktas sustiprinto natrio silikato tirpalu grunto tyrimas, nustatyta jo mechaninių savybių priklausomybė nuo bandinių kietėjimo laiko. Nagrinėjamas pagrindų injekcijos metodų naudojimas pastatų rekonstrukcijai. Taikant COSMOS programinį paketą įražos apskaičiuotos šiais atvėjais: 1. Sudarius erdvinį grunto masyvo modelį, kai gruntas po pastato pamatu nesustiprintas; 2. Kai gruntas sustiprintas porų injekcijos (angl. Grouting) metodu; 3. Kai gruntas sustiprintas srautinės injekcijos (angl. Jet-grouting) metodu. Palyginamas įtempių sklidimas ir poslinkių kaita grunte (smėlis). Gautų atsakymų analizavimas. / Foundations and grounds strengthening methods were reviewed in this Master thesis work. The test of soil strengthened with sodium silicate solution was accmlished in the laboratory. Dependence of soil mechanical characteristics from samples solidification time was ascertained. Usage of grounds injection menthods for reconstruction of buildings was investigated. Applying COSMOS program package the efforts were estimated in such cases: 1. forming the dimensional model of soil solid when the soil under the foundations of the building is not strengthened; 2. when the soil is sthrengthened using the Grounting method; 3. when the soil is strengthened using the Jet-grounting method. Spread of strains and vicissitude of shifts in the soil (sand) were compared. The analysis of obtained results was made.

This study has been conducted in the context of the master program in Outdoor Environmental Education and Outdoor Life, of Linköping University. It aspires to investigate a specific part of outdoor environments: the schoolyards. Particularly, the aim of the study is to investigate how the use of the school grounds as an educational resource is influenced by their environments -rural or urban. The research compares the school communities’ (principals’, teachers’ and students’) perceptions about the use of their school grounds during the educational process. The research sample consists of 10 Swedish elementary schools, from which the five are in rural and five are in urban environments. The participants are in total 10 principals, 51 teachers and 295 students. Alongside, an observation recorded in a list and photographs enhance the comparison between the rural and urban schools’ infrastructures. From the 1268 photos taken, a selection is included in the study and constitutes the observation part. The study negotiates four controversial issues about school grounds’ capacities: space or place; good or bad; rural or urban; grounds of a school or grounds of a curriculum. The results, after all, reject the contradictions and the sections become respectively: a place for all seasons; neither good nor bad, just unique! ; Ideality stands for ideas; grounds for cooperation. It also becomes visible that even though the analysis of the responses confirms that the urban teachers hold the stereotypical idea that there are differences between rural and urban environments; the infrastructures of both environments do not appear different. However, the teachers’ different opinions and beliefs have a significant impact on the students’ responses. Specifically, significant differences are reported by students which align with the teachers’ differences. The rural and urban principals do not report significant differences, and in the great majority their opinions also align with their teachers’ opinions. Finally, a model which is unfolded through this study has central role, namely the schoolyard circle. This model aims to facilitate a process that I introduce as schoolisization, in which school grounds are used to extend the stereotypical learning environment by adapting the curriculum to a school’s needs. Consequently, the schoolyards’ transformation from a space to our place can be finally proved an outdoor education approach that “bridges contradictions” and promises better educational results.

The objective of this thesis was to examine whether forest structure and ground vegetation could explain the habitat choices of the reindeer within similar forest stands. The field work was carried out on 60 sites scattered across a part of the winter grounds for Vilhelmina Norra reindeer herding district. All sites were situated within so-called core and key areas, i.e. areas which the herding district sees as necessary for the reindeer husbandry in the area. Information from GPS-collared reindeer were used to create RIVO (by the Reindeer Identified [as] Important Areas) maps, where areas the reindeer preferred were shown. The results showed that the core and key areas were not significantly different from each other regarding the forest structure, nor the vegetation, but there were some differences in terms of the habitat choice of the reindeer and when the core and key areas were combined with RIVO. The differences concern mainly the coverage of ground lichens, epiphytic lichens and moose presence. Results from other studies suggest that the reindeer habitat selection is dependent on the weather and snow conditions, and looks very different from year to year. The snow conditions are in turn affected by the forest structure, so it is important that the grazing grounds have a heterogeneous forest landscape, including areas which under normal circumstances would not be seen as important for the reindeer husbandry.

Thesis (M.Ed. (Education)) - Rhodes University, 2009. / A half-thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Education (Environmental Education)

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Duke University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.A.)--Wheaton College Graduate School, 2007. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 44-47).