Weddings and funerals are some of the most universally profound events of our lives. Both acts, however disparate, ultimately celebrate life. This thesis draws on themes of life and regeneration in its reading of a neglected yet historically significant site in the port lands of Toronto. The changes that have occurred at the mouth of the Don mirror the changes that have occurred in Toronto from settlement to post-modernity. It is here that the thesis proposes a place that simultaneously reclaims its roots and creates a new identity for the port lands. As a means of reinhabiting this site, the design uses the power of weddings and funerals to generate a collective point of gathering that reflects the multicultural nature of Toronto today.

Thesis (M. L. A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes special report study entitled: Green roof. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--West Virginia University, 2002. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 114 p. : ill. (some col.), map. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 92-107).

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2003. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 56 p. : ill. (some col.), maps (some col.). Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 50-55).

M.A. dissertation, University of Hong Kong, 1976.

A public-private partnership (PPP) is defined as a joint effort by government and the private sector for the management, operation, and funding of a venture or service. Increasingly, government has looked to the private sector for financial support and the streamlining of processes as concerns about the public debt have risen and priorities for spending have narrowed. The users and “customers” of a public good often have a stake in the way it is managed, especially in the case of parkland, which has the ability to dramatically affect the property values surrounding it, either positively or negatively. Therefore a PPP may have many purposes: as a fundraising mechanism, as an advocate for stakeholders, and as a promoter for programming for the attainment of educational and recreational goals. Ultimately, the role of the PPP is to be a liaison, knitting together the resources bestowed upon the public by the government entity with those of the less regulated private world. This study investigates both the challenges of forming a partnership that protects the public interest as well as the factors that are critical to forming a “successful” partnership. An examination of what led to the rise of public/private partnerships historically is included as well as the business models and mission statements of contemporary lead organizations at both the national and local level. In order to gain an in-depth understanding of the complexities of these partnerships, I individually interviewed professionals from both the public and private sides who have had careers in public land acquisition and management. Their viewpoints provide enriching details and reveal several common themes. Subjects were asked about the benefits of creating PPPs and how those benefits have been distributed, and what factors have contributed to successful PPPs. Furthermore, they reflected on tensions that have arisen within these partnerships. And finally they were asked about their overarching philosophies regarding government’s responsibility to its constituency versus the interests of the private sector. The report reveals that there is no set formula to be followed step by step in the creation and subsequent evolution of a public/private partnership, though certain principles emerge as essential components of a strong and effective organization. These are: having a clear understanding of the partnership’s misson and goals, being flexible and getting creative, making friends with everyone, and courting the local population who live around the parkland. Because there are several of these partnerships being formed to support parks in San Antonio, Texas at the time of this report, I placed emphasis on local statistics and anecdotes while compiling the opinions of area experts who have a long history of activism in this region. It is my intent that the findings reported herein provide some guidance for the future leadership of these local organizations in the context of local issues. / text

Reclamation of four salt-affected soils collected from southern Arizona was studied in the greenhouse and laboratory. Two rates of four amendments (sulphuric acid, gypsum, ammonium polysulphide, and ammonium thiosulphate) were applied in triplicate. Results were evaluated in terms of changes in nutrient availability, ions removed by leaching, plant growth, and infiltration rates. In most cases the high rates of sulphuric acid and gypsum increased the solubility of the major cations (Na, K, Ca, and Mg) in the soil. If the required amount of leaching water were applied to the soil, a significant amount of these cations, especially Na, was leached from the soil. For the Gothard soil (saline-sodic) two pore volumes were sufficient to accomplish leaching, but were insuffcient for the Guest (nonsaline-slightly sodic) and Gilman (highly saline-sodic) soils. High rates of sulphuric acid and gypsum decreased the pH and increased the EC for all soils, although the EC was not significant at the 5% level for the Mohall (nonsaline-nonsodic, calcareous) soil. All treatments decreased the pH of the Gothard soil significantly; however, the greatest increase in EC and least pH were obtained from acid application. Regarding changes in phosphorus (P), all treatments increased the amount of soluble P in the leachates from the Gothard and Guest soils; whereas available soil P increased significantly only with the acid treatments. None of the treatments affected the amount of P in the Gilman soil leachates, but acid and gypsum increased the available soil P. Ammonium polysulphide and ammonium thiosulphate tended to increase available P but the increase was not significant at the 5% level. None of the treatments affected the P parameters for the Mohall soil. Sulphuric acid increased growth and P uptake of alfalfa plants on all soils except the Mohall. Gypsum and ammonium polysulphide increased P uptake on the Gothard and Guest soils whereas ammonium thiosulphate increased P uptake only for the Guest soil. Sulphuric acid and gypsum increased the infiltration rates for all four soils. Thiosulphate produced intermediate infiltration rates while the lowest rates were found with ammonium polysulphide and the untreated soils. Although amendment rates were based on equivalent amounts of sulphur and their effectiveness in supplying soluble calcium, and the exchangeable sodium status of each soil, results varied according to such factors as rate of oxidation of the amendment, lime content of the soil, soluble salts present in the soil, and soil texture.

This study consisted of laboratory and greenhouse experiments designed to determine the effect of sulfur waste materials on acidulation and other properties of calcareous soils. The laboratory experiment was conducted in the Soils, Water and Engineering Department, University of Arizona, for a period of nine weeks. Laveen soil (containing 6% CaCO₃) was treated with two levels of Morocco rock phosphate (0, 500 ppm P), and two different waste materials of sulfur, Cake S and Foam S, each with three levels (0, 5000, 10000 ppm). Treated soils were incubated for two periods (three and nine weeks) at 27°C and 66% water holding capacity. The design of the experiment was a complete randomized block with 24 treatments and two replications. Data were evaluated by analysis of variance and multiple means comparison tests for soil pH, soluble phosphorus, and sulfate, and regression analysis for the isotherm. Results showed that Foam sulfur had a greater effect as compared with Cake sulfur on soil pH, soluble phosphorus and sulfate and significantly shifted the isotherm to the right. Rock phosphate had no effect on soil pH and sulfate, but tended to decrease soluble phosphorus and shifted the isotherm to the left as compared with the control. The second experiment was conducted in the greenhouse near the Agricultural Sciences Building, University of Arizona, for a period of 32 weeks starting on August 20, 1979. Two calcareous soils, Pima and Laveen, (2% and 6% CaCO₃, respectively) were investigated with three levels of rock phosphate (0, 250, 500 ppm P), and three sources of sulfur (Cake, Foam and pure sulfur) each at two levels (0, 8000 ppm S). Two levels of super phosphate were used as a standard treatment. The chemical treatments were mixed with the soil and transferred to plastic pots and moistened to 70% water holding capacity, then covered with plastic sheets and incubated for eight weeks. Following the incubation, tomatoes were planted and grown for a six week period. Dry weights were measured only in the Pima soil but were eliminated due to poor stand in the Laveen soil. Barley was planted after the tomato harvest. Tomato and barley plants were irrigated with distilled water until the first harvest, after which barley was irrigated with tap water and CaSO₄ saturated to eliminate sulfur deficiency detected prior to the first harvest. The experiment was a complete randomized block design with 36 treatments and three replications. Data for soils and plants were evaluated by analysis of variance, multiple means comparison test, and regression analysis. From the results of this study the conclusions were as follows: (1) Foam sulfur tended to increase soluble P and Zn, lowered soil pH, and shifted the P isotherm to the right in the soil. Plant P and dry weight were increased more by the Foam S than Cake S and pure sulfur. However, Foam S tended to increase soluble salts more than Cake S and pure S. (2) Cake S also caused an increase in soluble P in the soil, reduced soil pH, and increased plant P and dry weight as well, although the effects were less than with Foam S. (3) Rock phosphate plus sulfur resulted in an increase in soluble P after 32 weeks of application. (4) Soils with low CaCO₃ content, higher organic matter content, and higher cation exchange capacity favored increased oxidation of sulfur to sulfate resulting in increased soluble P and lower soil pH. (5) Linear regression analysis of the P sorption isotherm was carried out by plotting the P remaining in the solution (ppm) on the X-axis versis P sorbed by the soil (ppm); a linear power function resulted. By this relationship, any regression equation can be used to evaluate the P status of a soil and the statistical differences between treatments.

The widespread proliferation (or 'encroachment') of trees and shrubs in grasslands over the past 150 years is embedded in both natural and human systems. This dissertation addressed the following ecological and ethnoecological questions. Can seedling traits help us understand why so few woody species have encroached markedly into North American desert grasslands, and the conditions likely to promote their proliferation? What is the role of informal knowledge of the environment in efforts to manage woody plant abundance? Woody seedling survival often depends on rapid taproot elongation. In glasshouse experiments, initial water supply markedly affected taproot elongation in young seedlings. Response patterns may help explain recruitment patterns in Larrea tridentata, the principal evergreen woody encroacher in Sonoran and Chihuahuan Desert grasslands, and in Prosopis velutina and Prosopis glandulosa, the principal deciduous woody encroachers in Sonoran and Chihuahuan Desert grasslands, respectively. P. velutina and P. glandulosa showed greater sensitivity to water supply levels at the seedling stage than did the similar, related non-encroachers, Acacia greggii, Parkinsonia florida and Parkinsonia aculeata . This enabled the Prosopis species to overcome lower seed and seedling biomass to achieve similar taproot length to A. greggii and the Parkinsonia species. Consequently, population level advantages of lower seed mass, such as high seed numbers, may enhance encroachment potential in the Prosopis species without being negated by corresponding seedling survivorship disadvantages. I used semi-structured interviews to document informal rangeland monitoring by ranchers in southeast Arizona. Ranchers used qualitative methods to assess forage availability, rangeland trends and responses to woody plant suppression measures. Informal rangeland assessments informed ranchers' management decisions on sub-yearly, yearly and multi-year timescales. Informal monitoring appeared largely compatible with formal monitoring and natural science, and most ranchers integrated the two systems. Informal rangeland assessments can be valuable in planning woody plant suppression measures, particularly in light of the small number of formal long-term studies of brush suppression. Ecological studies may help predict places and periods of relatively rapid encroachment, perhaps enabling early or pre-emptive brush suppression measures. Thus, both seedling ecology and informal environmental knowledge are likely to be useful in managing woody plant populations in desert grasslands.

Borders and border barriers can be breached and boundaries and political agendas can change. The Great Walls of China, Hadrian's Wall, and the Iron Curtain have lost their strategic value. Walls are contested presently in the Middle East. And the unpopulated DMZ in Korea, while still of strategic value, is being recognized for its biodiversity and resurgence of endangered flora and fauna. Presently, the United States is building a defensive wall along the U.S.-Mexico border in the name of national security and to stem the tide of drug and human trafficking. In the process it has waived numerous environmental laws thereby putting transboundary ecosystems in danger of irreparable harm. Why should there be interest? For the reason, as put forth by Mumme and Ibáñez, that while much attention has been paid to adverse environmental effects within the United States, "little attention has been given to the potentially complicated effects of the international boundary, water, and environmental agreements to which [the United States and Mexico] are party should Mexico choose to press its rights at the level of international law. . . . As international treaties and protocols, these agreements enjoy a legal standing that may supersede the authority of most domestic legislation." The implications are far reaching. Mexico has sent diplomatic notes to the U.S. embassy in Mexico and to the U.S. Department of State, and the Secretaría de Medio Ambiente y Recursos Naturales (SEMARNAT), Mexico's environment secretariat, has held informal talks with the Department of the Interior (DOI) and with the Secretary of Homeland Security--all apparently of no avail. Canada's notes have been similarly ignored by the Department of Homeland Security. What then for the U.S-Mexico border fence? Will it eventually become a relic of past political policy? Is the United States to ignore the lessons of the past and void its environmental treaties and agreements with Mexico? Should we not be concentrating on comprehensive immigration reform and the causes of drug abuse in the United States rather than a short-term solution to long-term problems?