Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of St Andrews, November 2009., / Electronic version restricted until 17th November 2014.

In this report, we describe the use of dendrochronological techniques on the circumpolar, evergreen dwarf-shrub, Cassiope tetragona. Using techniques such as crossdating and standardization, and the software programs COFECHA and ARSTAN, we developed C. tetragona growth and reproduction chronologies for sites in the Canadian High Arctic. High-resolution chronologies may be used to reconstruct past climate and phase changes in large-scale modes of atmospheric circulation (e.g. Arctic Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation), to investigate the growth and reproductive responses of the plant to ambient and manipulated environmental variables, and to reconstruct the plant’s past ecohydrology (δ¹⁸O, δD, δ¹³C), gas exchange (δ¹³C) and mineral nutrition (δ¹⁵N). As C. tetragona is a circumpolar species, chronologies may be developed throughout the Arctic at sites where no trees exist, and thus provide new information on the past climate and environmental history of sites and regions previously unstudied.

Grazing is widely used as a tool in conservation management. Many plant communities of conservation importance are dependent on grazing for their existence, maintenance of species diversity and other valued characteristics. Plant community response to grazing depends on many factors, including site productivity and dominant plant species; setting appropriate grazing levels can therefore be challenging. The problems are magnified when more than one species or plant community is the target of conservation goals as they may need different levels of grazing. Where multiple plant communities are present in a mosaic, grazing pressure on the higher productivity community (usually the more attractive to herbivores) can affect the utilisation of the lower productivity communities: grazing on the less productive community is elevated in close proximity (a few metres) to the productive community. This increases the possibility of conflict in managing grazing for the conservation of both communities as low productivity communities can sustain only low levels of grazing. Less well studied are the effect of community layout at larger spatial scales (100s – 1000s of metres) and the effect of vegetation pattern on grazing on the productive community. It is also not well known how the spatial pattern of grazing is affected by changes in herbivore density. I investigated the consequences of the spatial pattern of plant communities and changing herbivore density for grazing patterns on a complex multi-community mosaic and assessed the probable consequence for conservation of these plant communities. The plant mosaic comprised a mixture of species-rich grassland and several less productive communities, primarily heaths and bogs; the main grazers were red deer (Cervus elaphus). The grassland needs higher grazing levels than the others to meet management goals. I used small scale experiments to investigate the effects of reducing grazing on grassland and how the effects varied within the grassland community. Elimination of grazing caused a rapid switch from short, herb-rich grassland towards a graminoid dominated, less diverse sward, as expected. The degree of change in diversity and herb cover was dependent on productivity. Experimental reduction in grazing had mixed consequences for grassland in relation to conservation goals due to pre-existing variation in intensity of grazing on the grassland. The condition of areas of initially heavily grazed and short vegetation improved, whilst taller grasslands deteriorated. Analysis of large-scale datasets was used to investigate the influence of spatial pattern of community types and differences in large scale deer density on the distribution of grazing. There was increased grazing pressure on less productive plant communities where grassland was abundant within 1km and this was fairly consistent across communities and across different grazing indicators. There was an effect on grazing levels on grassland, but the explanatory power was generally lower and the effect less consistently present across indicators of grazing. Sward height and litter depth measures from one dataset indicated heavier grazing with more grassland present nearby (250m); however, lower grazing pressure was indicated by sward height and a combined grazing index when there was more grassland in a more distant zone (500-1000m). Deer density had limited power to explain large scale variation in impacts, probably due to the coarse scale of the information available and correlation with other variables. This limited the ability to thoroughly test the consequences of changes in deer density on the spatial pattern of impacts or investigate whether there was an interaction between deer density and spatial pattern. The inherent conflict in conservation management of grazed communities of different productivities is increased by the influence of the spatial distribution of plant communities on the distribution of grazing; conservation management goals need to account for this and identify a suitable trade-off.

This report will summarize the process of writing, developing, directing and finishing the high-definition short film, Rescue You, This film was produced as my graduate thesis film in the Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin in partial fulfillment of my Master of Fine Arts in Film Production degree. / text

The aim of this study was a comphensive assessment of the food of pikeperch fry in the monoculture rearing from the stage of summer fry to the stage of autumn fry in ponds with three different types of management and assessment of the influence of individual treatments for pikeperch production. The experiment was performed in small ponds in experimental facility of FFPW in Vodňany. The variants of pond treatment were: a) ponds with additional prey fish (fry of common carp (C. carpio) and grass carp (C. idella)), b) ponds with installed substrate from heather, c) control variant without any support of natural food of pikeperch. All treatments had four repetitions. Rearing of pikeperch fry lasted 97 days. In all treatments, the opportunistic food strategy of pikeperch fry was recorded during the whole period of rearing and the main recorded food was macrozoobenthos, especially insect larvae. Bigger species of zooplankton had also been often found in the stomachs of pikeperch. Considerable development of macrozoobenthos in all experimental ponds was probably caused by the presence of submerged macrophytes. Thus, this factor made harder to estimate influence of installed substrates from heather for production of pikeperch fry and composition of its food. In the treatment with prey fish, the total length (F (9. 450) = 91.1; p < 10-3) and weight (F (9. 450) = 61.9; p < 10-3) of pikeperch fry were for the whole period of rearing significantly higher in comparison to the other treatments. In addition, the survival of pikeperch in the treatment with prey fish reached to 56 - 92,4 % at the end of rearing. In the treatment with substrate from heather, the total length and weight of pikeperch was significantly higher in comparison to the control treatment only in the first term of sampling. In the rest of pikeperch fry rearing period were the values comparable or higher in control treatment. Thus, for the rearing of pikeperch from the stage of summer fry to the stage of autumn fry is appropriate to stock prey fish in ponds. In comparison to installation of artificial substrate, the diversity of water environment, which is subsequently able to provide sufficiently wide natural food for reared pikeperch, seems to be more decisive.

No

As planted forests mature and are clearfelled in patches, second rotation tree crops (restocks) become available to black grouse, a species of conservation concern in the UK. Currently, only a limited amount is known about the resources provided by this habitat to black grouse and their broods. The aims of this study therefore, were to investigate the recovery of field-layer vegetation and the invertebrate population from restock through to canopy closure of planted trees, assess the duration of habitat availability and food resources to black grouse, and understand how forest management could improve provision. Changes to the abundance of predators resulting from habitat management were also considered. The comparative habitat quality of restocks was assessed in a wider landscape context. Field-layer vegetation in 72 restocks in two afforested areas in the north-east and the south-west of the Scottish Highlands was surveyed. On average, only 60% of ground in restocks was re-planted with second rotation trees, with the remainder left unplanted. Initial vegetation recovery was generally impeded by timber harvest residues (mainly brash), which comprised up to 50% of total ground cover two years after restock. Increased cover of heather Calluna vulgaris, often an important component of black grouse habitat, and decreased brash cover were recorded in areas of restocks where first-rotation timber was removed by cable-winch (compared with harvester and forwarder removal) and in planted areas (compared with areas left unplanted). Bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and cotton grass Eriophorum spp. occurrence was recorded infrequently irrespective of restock age or management. Heather generally dominated the field-layer six years after restock, reaching a height and density reported to be suitable for black grouse nesting and brood cover in other studies. The onset of tree canopy closure as early as eight years suggests that suitable black grouse habitat availability in restocks is likely to be severely limited in duration. Brash removal, or break-up and re-distribution of the brash layer, positively affected the recovery of field-layer vegetation species potentially of use to black grouse. Extending the fallow period prior to restock resulted in an extended period of suitable habitat available to black grouse prior to canopy closure. However, habitat created by extending the fallow period also attracted a higher number of mammalian predators of black grouse. In the longer term, areas of restocks left unplanted should provide a valuable open-ground resource after canopy closure of the planted crop, although results suggest that management to prevent encroachment of naturally regenerating non-native trees is likely to be necessary. Invertebrate taxa selected by chicks in previous black grouse studies were available in all ages of restock studied. Taxa abundance differed as restocks aged and field-layer vegetation developed, although contrasting habitat preferences of taxa meant that each was affected differently by restock management. No single forest management method positively increased abundance of all taxa. Abundance of Lepidoptera larvae, a key food item for black grouse chicks, was positively related to dwarf shrub cover. An extended fallow period prior to restock should prolong increased larvae availability to chicks. Provision of preferred field-layer vegetation habitat and invertebrate abundance in restocks was comparable to habitat surrounding leks - areas likely to be occupied and utilised by black grouse. Restocks had a comparatively low occurrence of key plant species, including bilberry Vaccinium myrtillus and cotton grass Eriophorum spp. Cover of the dwarf shrub bog myrtle Myrica gale, positively associated with Lepidoptera larvae abundance in habitat surrounding leks, was absent from restocks. The abundance of other invertebrate taxa considered was similar between leks and restocks. Study findings are discussed with reference to black grouse conservation and commercial forestry systems in Europe. Management recommendations to improve habitat for black grouse in second rotation planted forests in Britain are provided.

Ce projet inscrit la figure du flâneur dans la littérature contemporaine et examine les liens possibles entre le trauma et la pratique de la flânerie en milieu urbain. Plus spécifiquement, par l’analyse de The Lonely Hearts Hotel de Heather O’Neill, Cockroach de Rawi Hage, What We All Long For de Dionne Brand et Bottle Rocket Hearts de Zoe Whittall, cette dissertation démontre que le fait d’être un flâneur peut se révéler être une pratique à la fois traumatisante et thérapeutique. La façon dont les jeunes protagonistes de ces romans occupent les différents espaces de la ville est profondément enracinée dans leurs expériences traumatiques, qu’il s’agisse de traumatismes passés ou de traumatismes liés à la métropole en soi. En effet, la ville peut devenir un lieu propice à la création de communautés et à l’émancipation, permettant ainsi à la personne ayant subi un traumatisme de (re)prendre le contrôle de son propre parcours et de commencer un processus de guérison. En revanche, la ville peut se révéler traumatisante en soi, dans un contexte où l’individu est soit victime, soit témoin d’un événement tragique. Le flâneur, en tant que spectateur attentif de l’urbanité qui l’entoure, peut être confronté à des éléments évoquant des événements passés, ce qui peut ainsi générer de nouveaux traumatismes. Outre l’analyse du potentiel thérapeutique et traumatique de la ville, cette étude propose une nouvelle interprétation de la figure du flâneur dans la littérature contemporaine et met en lumière son évolution depuis que Charles Baudelaire l’a définie dans son essai de 1863 intitulé « Le Peintre de la vie moderne ». Par ailleurs, ce projet s’appuie sur les réflexions des plus importants auteurs spécialisés dans les théories du trauma pour interpréter ces romans et explorer la manière dont les expériences traumatiques exercent une pression sur la définition même du flâneur. L’analyse de ces quatre récits en tenant compte de la notion de flânerie permet d’explorer de nouvelles perspectives quant à la manière dont la victime perçoit l’espace, le temps et les autres lors de ses déplacements urbains. La façon dont un individu flâne dans la ville devient un symptôme qui témoigne des effets, des problèmes et des processus associés à la fois au trauma et à la flânerie. / This doctoral dissertation places the figure of the flâneur in a contemporary context and analyzes the possible intersections between trauma and the performance of flânerie within the metropolis. More specifically, through the analysis of Heather O’Neill’s The Lonely Hearts Hotel, Rawi Hage’s Cockroach, Dionne Brand’s What We All Long For, and Zoe Whittall’s Bottle Rocket Hearts, this study demonstrates the different ways in which being a flâneur can be both a traumatic and therapeutic practice. The protagonists of these novels are young flâneurs whose modes of being in the city are deeply rooted in the traumatic experiences that define them, whether this trauma comes from past experiences or from the urban landscape itself. On the one hand, the city has the potential to serve as a space of community and empowerment that allows the person who has experienced trauma to take control of their own path and initiate their journey towards their recovery process. On the other hand, the city can be traumatic in and of itself in a context where the individual is either the victim or the witness of a tragic event. To the flâneur’s acute observing eye, the city can also confront them with a past event, the resurfacing of which can be retraumatizing. In addition to analyzing the therapeutic and traumatic potential of the city, this dissertation also proposes a reexamination of the flâneur figure in contemporary literature and highlights the ways it has evolved since its early definition by Charles Baudelaire in his 1863 essay “The Painter of Modern Life.” Furthermore, this project draws upon the observations of the most prominent trauma theorists to read the selected novels and to explore the ways in which trauma puts pressure on the very definition of flânerie. Reading these four narratives through the lens of flânerie allows new perspectives of the victim’s view of space, time, and others as they move through the city. The way a person performs flânerie becomes a symptom that speaks to the effects, the problematics, and the processes of both trauma and urban walking.

A wise Martin Luther King Jr. once said, "Freedom is never given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed (King 1)." For as long as men and women have shared the planet, sexism has been a universal issue in civilization. In a social justice context, American society has found ways to oppress people for centuries. The Oxford Dictionary defines sexism as a "prejudice, stereotyping, or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex ("sexism")." Voting rights in America were established in 1790, but it took years of petitioning at various women's rights conventions before the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution stating "the right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex" was passed in 1920 ("Nineteenth Amendment"). Traditionally, men were supposed to be the strong, decisive, driven, courageous, money-making breed, while women were expected to be the nurturing, affectionate, weak subordinates. Today, we find men and women working in careers previously linked with sexism; men as nurses and teachers, women as CEOs and factory workers. Statistics show that today there are an increasing number of women providing the financial support in their families. As with sexism, people also have been oppressed by racism for centuries. According to The Oxford Dictionary, racism is defined as a "prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one's own race is superior ("racism")." It has been argued that African Americans have been one of the most oppressed groups in America. Even after they were emancipated in 1865, it was nearly one hundred years later that their rights were protected with the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Before the act's passing, African Americans were denied equal education, employment, housing property, and a political voice. My interest in this topic was peaked right around the same time I became interested in performing on the musical theatre stage. I got my start in local community theatres, and up until college, was the only African American cast in the productions. I started playing multiple ensemble roles per show, and throughout the years advanced myself to "supporting character" but never the lead. Admittedly, there were times when I wasn't as talented as the women who snagged the leading roles, but many a time when I was just as talented or more qualified for the role, it went to another woman - most times of Caucasian descent. What did they have that I didn’t have? When I got accepted into The University of Central Florida as a BFA Musical Theatre student, I auditioned for the plays and musicals every semester, and each season I began to see the same patterns of who was cast for each show. Roles I thought I would get often went to White actors. I felt victimized in this modern-day example of racism. But racism goes beyond black and White. Internal racism between the light-skinned and dark-skinned African American women I was competing with became a factor as well. There were many times when an audition notice called for an African American woman; however, an unsettling trend became very apparent to me; if the casting description was for a maid, or something of that nature, larger, dark-skinned women would get the majority of the callbacks, which would lead to them getting cast. On the flip side, if an audition notice called for an African American ingénue type, more of the slimmer, lighter-skinned women were called back and later cast. Has American society cast a racial stigma for African American beauty?

This doctoral presentation consists of the preparation of critical editions of eight orchestral works by J.B. McEwen: Symphony in A minor (1895-99), Viola Concerto (1901), Coronach (1903), The Demon Lover (1907-08), Grey Galloway (1908), Solway, A Symphony (1911), Hills 'o Heather (1918), and Where The Wild Thyme Blows (1936). In the absence of any monograph on McEwen there is a chapter which brings together for the first time the biographical information that can be culled from various sources; some, like the correspondence between Henry George Farmer and McEwen in the late 1940's, has never been discussed before. A separate chapter surveys the collection of McEwen manuscripts held at Glasgow University Library, its condition, the extent of it, and how it came to be housed there. There follows a discussion of each of the selected works from the point of view of the editorial issues relating to them and also some aspects of McEwen's stylistic development. It was important to McEwen that a composer spoke in his native voice through his music as is evident in a letter he wrote to H.G. Farmer in 1947(1). Discussion of this aspect of his expressive style is therefore helpful in understanding his development from the early Symphony in A minor of 1895-99 to his last orchestral work, Where The Wild Thyme Blows of 1936. Such a stylistic study is secondary to the main thrust of the thesis which is a critical edition, but it is necessary in order to fully understand the complex issues involved in making McEwen's last orchestral work performable. Where The Wild Thyme Blows was left incomplete and the present editor has made a performing version. There is a brief concluding section which consolidates evident features of the McEwen manuscripts which would be useful for further studies of these papers. Each of the selected works is presented as a separate volume in a scholarly edition with full critical commentary given at the end of each volume. (1) Glasgow University Library catalogue n.MS Farmer 217