To test the applicability of anuran tadpole functional ecology with regards to diet as a tool to determine ecosystem function of aquatic habitats, all the presently known as southern Africa anuran species’ tadpoles were assigned to ecomorphological guilds. The data set included 106 anuran tadpole species and 84 variables, which include: 23 habitat; 49 morphological; 9 behavioral; and 3 development (time metamorphosis) related variables. Although the data set for the guild delineation did not include genetic data, a phylogeny (evolutionary approach) was used to obtain a tree where species are grouped together based on shared characteristics, similar to that of a cluster analysis where each cluster or group is a guild. Maximum parsimony was employed with PAUP 4.0b10 to construct consensus trees using heuristic search settings. The phylogenetic/taxonomic affiliation of the species in each ecomorphological guilds’ was also observed by constructing a phylogenetic tree. The 12S and 16S mitochondrial gene sequences were retrieved from Genbank, to represent the major lineages documented in the anurans of southern Africa thus far. The ecomorphological guild delineation was further supported by quantify tadpole gut contents to determine their trophic status. Information on the feeding behavior of four guilds was obtained by analyzing a representative anuran tadpole species from each. The IUCN red list of threatened species was consulted to obtain the conservation status of the 106 anuran species used for this study, which made it possible to determine whether there is a link between species found in the same ecomorphological guilds and those species’ conservation status. Considering the high diversity of anuran species in the Phongolo region (offering access to a variety of tadpole guilds), and the ability to analyse the diatom communities found in the gut contents of tadpoles. A portion of this study supplemented the assessment of ecosystem functioning and management of aquatic resources of the lower Phongolo River and floodplain, by providing information regarding the health. Diatom bioassessment was applied as a tool for inferring water quality. The polygenetic approach proved to be very effective for the guild delineation, permitting the recognition of 10 fully characterized ecomorphological guilds, a number of which corresponded with previously characterized guilds. Terminology had to be produced for three new guilds, based on the guild defining criteria. The polygeny of the anuran species within the guild, although belonging to different genera and families belonged to the same phylogenetic clade. The trophic analysis supports the guild delineation, since a clear distinction could be made between the percentage and combination of materials from each trophic category ingested by tadpoles from different ecomorphological guilds. Even though some similarity can be seen between species, based on the criteria for the endangered status, there was still no true correlation between IUCN status and ecomorphological guild. The fact that the critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable species are distributed over so many guilds further emphasizes the extent of amphibian decline. The majority of the diatom species found in the Phongolo River and floodplain favor brackish water, with a moderate to high electrolyte content. Indicating that the Phongolo River and the section of the floodplain considered for this study had a high salinity. This might be due to the water bodies’ close proximity to the coast. The diatom index scores indicated the presence of organic pollutants and labelled these water bodies as mesotrophic to eutrophic. / MSc (Environmental Sciences), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

To test the applicability of anuran tadpole functional ecology with regards to diet as a tool to determine ecosystem function of aquatic habitats, all the presently known as southern Africa anuran species’ tadpoles were assigned to ecomorphological guilds. The data set included 106 anuran tadpole species and 84 variables, which include: 23 habitat; 49 morphological; 9 behavioral; and 3 development (time metamorphosis) related variables. Although the data set for the guild delineation did not include genetic data, a phylogeny (evolutionary approach) was used to obtain a tree where species are grouped together based on shared characteristics, similar to that of a cluster analysis where each cluster or group is a guild. Maximum parsimony was employed with PAUP 4.0b10 to construct consensus trees using heuristic search settings. The phylogenetic/taxonomic affiliation of the species in each ecomorphological guilds’ was also observed by constructing a phylogenetic tree. The 12S and 16S mitochondrial gene sequences were retrieved from Genbank, to represent the major lineages documented in the anurans of southern Africa thus far. The ecomorphological guild delineation was further supported by quantify tadpole gut contents to determine their trophic status. Information on the feeding behavior of four guilds was obtained by analyzing a representative anuran tadpole species from each. The IUCN red list of threatened species was consulted to obtain the conservation status of the 106 anuran species used for this study, which made it possible to determine whether there is a link between species found in the same ecomorphological guilds and those species’ conservation status. Considering the high diversity of anuran species in the Phongolo region (offering access to a variety of tadpole guilds), and the ability to analyse the diatom communities found in the gut contents of tadpoles. A portion of this study supplemented the assessment of ecosystem functioning and management of aquatic resources of the lower Phongolo River and floodplain, by providing information regarding the health. Diatom bioassessment was applied as a tool for inferring water quality. The polygenetic approach proved to be very effective for the guild delineation, permitting the recognition of 10 fully characterized ecomorphological guilds, a number of which corresponded with previously characterized guilds. Terminology had to be produced for three new guilds, based on the guild defining criteria. The polygeny of the anuran species within the guild, although belonging to different genera and families belonged to the same phylogenetic clade. The trophic analysis supports the guild delineation, since a clear distinction could be made between the percentage and combination of materials from each trophic category ingested by tadpoles from different ecomorphological guilds. Even though some similarity can be seen between species, based on the criteria for the endangered status, there was still no true correlation between IUCN status and ecomorphological guild. The fact that the critically endangered, endangered and vulnerable species are distributed over so many guilds further emphasizes the extent of amphibian decline. The majority of the diatom species found in the Phongolo River and floodplain favor brackish water, with a moderate to high electrolyte content. Indicating that the Phongolo River and the section of the floodplain considered for this study had a high salinity. This might be due to the water bodies’ close proximity to the coast. The diatom index scores indicated the presence of organic pollutants and labelled these water bodies as mesotrophic to eutrophic. / MSc (Environmental Sciences), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

The purpose of this study was to examine the governance style of Irl Allison, Sr., as evidenced in documentation of the development of the NGPT. The questions guiding the study were to find: (1) how Dr. Allison involved others in the early development of the Guild; (2) whether he resolved issues of importance to the development of the Guild in consultation with others or by himself, and (3) how issues of concern to the membership were resolved.

This case study used ethnographic data collection tools to focus on the educational models and approaches used by the Tall Pines Quilt Guild (TPQG) in Huntsville, Texas. In this study I strove to explore the transfer of quiltmaking knowledge in a community-based art education organization, a quilt guild, and how those educational methods and models could be adapted to the museum setting. I became a member of the Guild and took on the research role of a participant observer to witness how the TPQG perpetuates the quilting craft for its members. Through observing various Guild events, such as monthly meetings, workshops, and bees I found the members frequently participated in cooperative and collaborative social learning. The rationale for undertaking this study was that there are many publications on how to make quilts, the history of quilt patterns, indexes of quilt patterns, quiltmakers' stories, quilt research, and quilt exhibition catalogues. However, proper documentation of the educational approaches used by women in quilt guilds has not been researched. Quilt guilds provide an environment where adults can learn and expand their knowledge about the quilting craft in the form of lifelong learning. By looking into how the Tall Pines Quilt Guild acts a community-based art education organization, the identified educational models used by quilt guilds could be employed at museums displaying quilt exhibits with potential program models and characteristics to inform the public about quilts, quiltmaking, and quilters. / text

Chitin belongs to the most abundant biopolymers on earth where it has an important role as a structural element in crustaceans, insects, fungi and some phytoplankton. Missing evidence for long-term accumulation of chitin in nature implies fast turnover and as chitin is composed of aminosugar subunits it holds central roles in both carbon and nitrogen cycles. The aim of this thesis was to contribute to a better understanding of organic matter cycling by learning more about the diversity, function and ecology of bacteria that degrade chitin. A metagenome-enabled study of the spatial distribution of chitinolytic bacteria in aquatic ecosystems identified salinity as the major environmental factor for shaping their community composition. To address the role of alternative environmental variables controlling chitinolytic communities, a temporally resolved study was completed in a dimictic freshwater lake. Pronounced seasonal change in the indigenous chitinolytic community was observed and parallel measured environmental parameters pointed to the availability and crystalline form of chitin as significant controlling factors.  The different ecological niches occupied by microbes that utilize chitin for growth were studied in an experimental study. Single-cell quantification of chitinolytic cells and cells incorporating chitin hydrolysis products suggested that commensal use of chitin hydrolysis products without simultaneous chitinase activity could be an important ecological strategy in freshwater bacterioplankton communities. Members of the ubiquitous and often quantitatively dominant group of freshwater Actinobacteria Ac1 were identified as particularly active in this “cheater” lifestyle. Further experiments based on artificially created gradients in bacterial diversity demonstrated the importance of specific bacterial populations and community composition rather than overall community richness in controlling more specific functions such as chitin and cellulose degradation. To conclude, results of this thesis provide insight into the biogeography, niche-separation and species interactions of the functional community of chitin degraders and the influence of general bacterial diversity to the respective system functioning. / Felaktigt tryckt som Digital Comprehensive Summaries of Uppsala Dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology 700

PhD. theis is based on a meda nalzsis of a film space by Frederick Kiesler from 1929.

The Abstract The present work deals with the guilds, which operate on the territory of Uherský Brod from its inception to the year 1859, when the guilds were replaced by trade licensing crafts. The introductory part brings the history of the city itself and guild system. An important milestone in the life of the guilds became the release of the general guild patent and articles. Said instruments are described in separate chapters. The main part is divided into five groups according to the orientation of individual trades, which is an attempt to answer questions about the formation of the guild and its development from archival sources. Emphasis was placed on the analysis guild articles. The work is accompanied by a picture attachment with preserved guild objects. Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org)

The topic of this thesis is dedicated to trade enterprise in Rakovník in the first half of the20th century with a focus on clothing and tailoring trade. In the first half of the 20th century the general politically-economical situation in Rakovník and its political district proved great changes in the development of the town, which also influenced the development of the trade enterprise. Local specialised trade authorities such as The Guild of Clothing, The Guild of the Dressmakers and The District Unity of Trade Guilds have been taken into consideration. Final conclusions, regarding the operation and the structure of the above mentioned authorities, have been assessed and compared to the results of a probe to the same domain in Beroun. Summarization of the results, achieved from the regional topics, might be classified among the complex schemes of general economic and social history. Processing this thesis has been built on heuristic analysis of the archival sources of The State District Archives in Rakovník and Beroun.

The costal populations of perch (Perca fluviatilis) in some parts of the Baltic Sea have been in decline for about two decades. Recruitment failure in the early larval stages has been put forward as a possible cause and the decline has also been suggested to coincide with increases in three-pined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) densities. The aim of this study was to study the effects of growth and survival of newly hatched perch larvae in the presence of the three-pined stickleback, and if possible determine the main mechanism behind any negative effects the perch may suffer under such conditions. Using large scale experimental ponds as a controlled habitat, an experiment was conducted where perch larvae were being exposed to sticklebacks under four different stages of their development. Results showed that the three- spine stickleback can have a strong negative effect on the survival of young perch. This effect was strongest in the earliest stage of perch development and decreased as they grew bigger. The zooplankton densities didn't differ between the controls and stickleback treatments, suggesting that the young perch didn't suffer from food limitation. Instead predation was identified as the main mechanism behind the high mortality. The results of this study highlight the potential danger of the observed patterns of decreasing predator populations in conjunction with increasing populations of smaller prey species in the Baltic Sea.

Sandy beaches are often highly allochthonous, depending on external subsidies of carbon and nutrients. Despite this, sandy beach macrofaunal assemblages have received little attention regarding their response to enhanced primary productivity generated from coastal upwelling. This thesis investigates the influence of upwelling on macrofaunal assemblages over a variety of spatial and temporal scales. Spatially, four regions were examined across two biogeographic provinces to remove temperature as a confounding factor, and limit biogeography-specific effects. A nested hierarchical design enabled both large and small scales to be examined and generalities about upwelling effects across multiple areas to be considered. Sampling was conducted in two seasons, and over two years, to test the persistence of any effects. Biogeography and region had the strongest influences on macrofaunal biodiversity. Upwelling influenced macrofaunal assemblages in every region when analyses were conducted at the species level. However, the particular effect, positive or negative, differed among regions depending on local factors, and between the response variables, abundance and biomass. Coarser scales of taxonomy, feeding guild and developmental mode were investigated; however, the influence of upwelling generally became weaker and more varied, and occasionally disappeared. Seasonality was greater on the South Coast but was still important in some analyses on the West Coast. At the small-scale, variation within-beaches was lower than between beaches, assemblage structure remained stable over time, and consistent zonation was not present. The influence of temperature on filtration rate and oxygen consumption of Donax serra was investigated to test a driving mechanism for assemblage responses to upwelling. Feeding ability was significantly reduced at colder temperatures indicating an important factor which may be involved in determining assemblage structure. These results suggest that alterations to upwelling regimes predicted under climate change scenarios will impact sandy beach macrofauna, however the specific outcome will depend on multiple contextual factors.