The operating costs for farms and ranches in the United States have increased 81 percent between 1970 and 1976. Calf prices over this same period have fluctuated dramatically and have fallen from a high of $58/cwt in 1973 to a low of $2 6/ cwt in 1975. Since 1973, the increasing operating costs have exceeded the returns gene rated by the low calf prices and have left operators in a negative financial position. This case study has shown that the operator has increased both the scale and efficiency of his operation through improved lives tock husbandry and range improvements , yet has been unable to keep up with the increase in operating costs. A res t rot at ion grazing system and associated range improvements were implemented in 1970 on the summer mountain range. The resultant increase in forage prod uction allowed a 45 percent increase in the breeding herd. The meadow hayland and crested wheat grass pastures were also improved to provide winter and spring forage for the increased number of cows. The calf crop weaned and average weaning weights increased from 86 percent and 347 pound s i n 1970 to 93 percent and 363 pounds i n 1976. The total pounds of calf weaned increased 60 percent between 1970 and 1976. The tremendous increase in beef production was offset by the rampant increase in op e rating costs. The net return in 1970 was $2 , lOo but dropped to a loss of - $3,671 i n 1976. However, had the operator not increased the level of production while the operating costs increased, his net loss in 1976 would have been - $24 , 718 . Although the net returns a re negative , the increase in returns over the base level of production is positive. The internal rate of return and net present worth of the grazing system and its associated improvements was 25 percent and $95 ,027 respectively. TI1 e operator has been successful in developing his range and livestock resource and increasing calf production. It is paradoxical that the increase in returns above the base production have rendered the improvements economically profit able yet the combination of increasing operating costs and low livestock prices have produced a negative return from 1974 through 1976.

O crescimento populacional humano e o consumismo exacerbado têm elevado as demandas na produção de alimentos e gerado uma intensificação rural, se tornando um dos principais direcionadores do declínio da biodiversidade. O manejo de gado está se intensificando e expandindo, muitas vezes às custas da derrubada de áreas florestais. Mas manejar o gado em campos naturais pode ser uma estratégia para a conservação desses ecossistemas. Os métodos de manejo determinam as comunidades de campos, de forma que baixa pressão de pastejo parece promissor para a conservação. De modo geral, direcionadores ambientais tendem a gerar padrões na diversidade em grande escala, enquanto a competição contribui para determinar a coexistência local. Contudo, os processos de montagem das comunidades podem diferir entre regiões. Assim, especialmente filtros ambientais e interações bióticas atuam dinamicamente e direcionam o padrão da comunidade. As espécies que persistem se diferenciam especialmente em grupos alimentares conforme os recursos disponíveis, e competem dentro desses grupos conforme os nichos dos consumidores se sobrepõem. Além disso, as características morfológicas individuais podem facilitar ou restringir sua habilidade em persistir em um ambiente, ao passo que mediam os processos ecossistêmicos. Os insetos representam o maior componente da biodiversidade em ecossistemas terrestres, e são considerados sensíveis às condições ambientais. Coleoptera é a ordem de insetos com maior riqueza em espécies, que abrange uma larga extensão de grupos funcionais, e são sensíveis às variações ambientais. O objetivo desta Tese foi testar se as comunidades de Coleoptera refletem diferenças nas pressões pastoris exercidas pelo gado. Essa Tese revela resultados inéditos para cada uma das abordagens empregadas, especialmente considerando a escala regional do experimento. A diversidade de besouros residentes do solo mostrou um padrão geral com relação positiva ao pastejo enquanto os residentes da vegetação demonstraram uma relação negativa ao pastejo. Os herbívoros residentes da vegetação são bastante sensíveis ao pastejo do gado, e declinam com o aumento da intensidade, enquanto que os predadores residentes da vegetação parecem responder positivamente a uma vegetação mais arbustiva do que de gramíneas. Além disso, parece que, potencialmente, os besouros também respondem com seus atributos morfológicos às diferenças na estrutura da vegetação conforme a intensidade de pastejo. O pastejo de baixa intensidade parece uma boa opção para beneficiar a conservação da biodiversidade. Contudo, manejar campos naturais com apenas uma técnica não permite conservar igualmente os besouros campestres. / Human population growth and exacerbated consumerism have raised the demands on food production and generated rural intensification, becoming one of the main drivers of biodiversity decline. Livestock management is intensifying and expanding, often at the cost of clearing forested areas. However, managing livestock in natural grasslands may be a strategy for the conservation of these ecosystems. Management methods determines the communities in grasslands, so that low pressure grazing seems promising for conservation. In general, environmental drivers tend to generate diversity patterns at large scales, while competition contributes to determining local coexistence. However, the assembly processes of communities may differ between regions. Thus, environmental filters and biotic interactions, especially, act dynamically and direct the community pattern. Species may persist when different, especially according to feeding groups, and compete within these groups when consumer niches overlap. In addition, individual morphological traits may facilitate or restrict a species ability to persist in an environment, while at the same time mediating ecosystem processes. Insects represent the largest component of biodiversity in terrestrial ecosystems, and have been considered sensitive to environmental conditions. Coleoptera is the insect order with the largest species richness, covering a wide range of functional groups, and are sensitive to environmental variations. The aim of this thesis was to test whether Coleoptera assemblages reflect differences in the pastoral pressures exerted by livestock. Ground-dwelling beetle diversity showed a general pattern of positive relationship with grazing while grass-dwellers showed a negative relationship with grazing. Grass-dweller herbivores are quite sensitive to livestock effects, and decline with increasing grazing intensity, while grass-dweller predators appear to respond positively to scrubs rather than to grass vegetation. In addition, it seems that, potentially, beetles also respond with their morphological traits to differences in vegetation structure according to grazing intensity. Some of these results are unprecedented, especially considering the regional scale of the experiment. Low intensity grazing seems to be a good option to benefit biodiversity conservation. However, managing grasslands with a single technique would not provide grassland beetles conservation equally.

Following the argument of cultural change between the Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon periods in Britain, the purpose of this thesis is to find evidence of change in human diet and animal husbandry in the Upper Thames Valley across this boundary. Research questions are set to find differences in human diet, animal diet, and birth seasonality of herbivores at Horcott, a site showing human activity in both periods. Stable carbon and nitrogen isotope measurements on collagen from humans and livestock animals and enamel carbonate extracted from herbivores were analysed. Results showed changes in the diets of cattle, sheep/goats, pigs, and human, and birth seasonality of cattle and sheep/goats. These changes were argued to have been caused by differences in the intensity of fertilising crop fields, the amount of animal protein fed to adult pigs, the amount of non-local food in human diet, and the significance and purpose of livestock rearing and the preference of dairy products. The outcome of this thesis enhances the understanding of: a) the strategy and the amount of human effort put into crop cultivation and livestock management; b) the availability and preference of food for humans depending on the period; and c) the site-dependent differences in the extent of change in the course of transition between the Romano-British and Anglo-Saxon periods. This thesis demonstrates the importance of animal data in order to discuss human diet, and the advantage of modelling enamel carbonate sequential data when analysing worn and shortened teeth.

Submitted by Luana Possari Maziero null (luana.maziero@yahoo.com.br) on 2017-04-13T13:45:07Z No. of bitstreams: 1 LuanaPossariMaziero_PGAD_TUPA_Fev2017.pdf: 4565107 bytes, checksum: d9ff77c1a614ae6da962ec7a7dd29a50 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Luiz Galeffi (luizgaleffi@gmail.com) on 2017-04-18T13:59:41Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 maziero_lp_me_tupa.pdf: 4565107 bytes, checksum: d9ff77c1a614ae6da962ec7a7dd29a50 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2017-04-18T13:59:41Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 maziero_lp_me_tupa.pdf: 4565107 bytes, checksum: d9ff77c1a614ae6da962ec7a7dd29a50 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2017-02-21 / Em virtude das mudanças climáticas que vem ocorrendo e da necessidade de tecnologias que melhorem o manejo pecuário, o objetivo desta dissertação é elaborar um modelo matemático baseado em lógica Fuzzy capaz de fornecer instantaneamente o escore de fertilidade de touros a partir da avaliação do sêmen animal e, aplicá-lo a um conjunto de dados para validá-lo e verificar a influência das estações do ano na fertilidade. Para isso, o modelo considerou os limites estabelecidos pelo CBRA/MAPA para as variáveis Turbilhão, Motilidade, Vigor, Defeitos Maiores, Defeitos Menores e Defeitos Totais do sêmen, compondo uma base de regras de 735 combinações do tipo “Se...Então”, pelo método de inferência Mamdani para determinar a Fertilidade Fuzzy, sendo aplicado a 152 amostras validas coletadas de touros da raça Nelore e Simental durante o período de um ano. Os resultados foram analisados por meio de testes estatísticos (teste Tukey, análises de variância, correlação, clusters, regressão e curva ROC), mostrando que o modelo é eficiente em seu objetivo de classificação e que as condições climáticas afetam os animais de maneira geral, sem indicadores significativos para diferenças entre as raças, sendo que as variáveis apresentaram-se bastante representativas ao modelo, possibilitando uma nova ferramenta de auxilio ao produtor. / The objective of this dissertation is to elaborate a mathematical model based on Fuzzy logic capable of providing instantaneously the fertility score of bulls from the evaluation of the animal semen and apply it to a set of data to validate it and verify the influence of the seasons of the year on fertility. For this, the model considered the limits established by the CBRA / MAPA for the variables Turbidity, Motility, Vigor, Major Defects, Minor Defects and Total Defects of the semen, composing a rule base of 735 "If ... Then" , combined by the Mamdani inference method to determine Fuzzy Fertility, being applied to 152 valid samples collected from Nelore and Simmental bulls during a one year period. The results were analyzed by means of statistical tests (Tukey test, analysis of variance, correlation, clusters, regression and ROC curve) showing that the model is efficient in its classification objective and that the climatic conditions affect the animals in general, without significant indicators for differences among races, and the variables were quite representative of the model, allowing a new tool to assist the producer.

Los escarabajos coprófagos (Coleoptera: Scarabaeoidea) son un grupo de insectos muy importante en términos de diversidad y biomasa en los pastos de la cuenca del Mediterráneo. A pesar de su importancia ecológica, los escarabajos coprófagos están amenazados por varios factores, entre los cuales se destacan los cambios en el manejo de la ganadería tradicional. El objetivo general de esta tesis fue evaluar los efectos del abandono de la ganadería, su extensificación y uso histórico de productos médico veterinarios sobre las comunidades de escarabajos coprófagos usando medidas de biodiversidad y cuantificando la capacidad de remoción de estiércol en un paisaje sub-montano de la provincia de Pesaro-Urbino (Italia). En este trabajo se colectaron un total de 156 936 individuos, pertenecientes a 58 especies de escarabajos coprófagos. Los resultados de este trabajo sugieren que el uso histórico de productos médico veterinarios tiene un impacto negativo y ubiquitario sobre todas las especies de la comunidad de estudio, llevando a un empobrecimiento de los ensambles y a una pérdida de abundancia y biomasa. No obstante se ha registrado el mantenimiento de la estructura de la comunidad. Estos resultados son corroborados igualmente cuando nos enfocamos en la diversidad funcional. En efecto, el uso histórico de productos médico veterinarios lleva a una pérdida en el número de roles funcionales dentro de la comunidad, sin embargo las abundancias se encuentran repartidas equitativamente dentro de cada nicho funcional. Todos estos efectos sobre la comunidad de escarabajos coprófagos debido al uso de productos médico veterinarios, al final quedan reflejados en una pérdida del 70% en la capacidad de remoción de estiércol, comparados con áreas donde estos productos no son aplicados. La extensificación de la ganadería está representada por áreas que tienen una intensidad de pastoreo muy baja, las cuales pueden ser consideradas como la primera etapa hacia el abandono completo. En este sentido, los resultados de este trabajo demuestran como una simple reducción de la carga ganadera lleva a efectos negativos sobre las comunidades de escarabajos coprófagos, registrando una disminución en la diversidad alpha y en el número de especies indicadoras. Esta disminución en la cantidad de recurso trófico tiene implicaciones sobre la composición de la comunidad, favoreciendo especies oportunistas cuya biología le permite evitar la competencia, como por ejemplo; especies cleptoparásitas o especies cuyas larvas tienen un comportamiento saprófago. Este “efecto filtro” (filter effect) debido a la disminución de la cantidad trófica, está confirmado por los resultados de diversidad funcional, en los cuales se registró una disminución en el número de nichos funcionales y una fuerte redundancia por la presencia de nichos funcionales muy similares entre ellos. Los efectos sobre la comunidad de escarabajos coprófagos en los sitios con baja carga ganadera reflejan finalmente una pérdida en la capacidad de enterramiento del estiércol del 30-40% respecto a las comunidades en áreas con una mayor carga ganadera. Los resultados de este trabajo muestran que en las áreas con abandono total de la ganadería se observó una disminución en el número de especies, en la abundancia y biomasa total, en el número de especies indicadoras, en la abundancia de las especies de gran tamaño y en las especies que no tienen un comportamiento de nidificación durante el periodo reproductivo. Sin embargo, el mantenimiento de una comunidad bien estructurada, subraya la importancia de dos factores locales: el excremento de la fauna silvestre y la mayor complejidad del hábitat debido a un proceso de invasión de árboles en el pasto. Este último factor es probablemente responsable de la presencia de especies indicadoras típicas de hábitats más cerrados como los bosques o matorrales. En cuanto a los resultados de diversidad funcional, estos confirman la interpretación del “efecto filtro” debido a la disminución en la cantidad de recurso trófico. En efecto, estos resultados muestran una unicidad funcional significativa en esta comunidad como consecuencia del fuerte cambio composicional que el abandono de la ganadería ha implicado, a pesar de una disminución en el número de nichos funcionales y en el mantenimiento de una buena estructura funcional. Así mismo, se registró una disminución en la capacidad de enterramiento del estiércol entre 27% y 47% respecto a las áreas con baja carga ganadera y con carga moderada por todos estos cambios cuali y cuantitativos en la comunidad de escarabajos coprófagos de los sitios abandonados. Se propone la ganadería ecológica como forma correcta de gestión de los pastos, la cual permitiría mantener un nivel de carga moderado, así como el control en uso de compuestos médico veterinarios.

Submitted by Erika Demachki (erikademachki@gmail.com) on 2014-09-05T20:26:19Z No. of bitstreams: 2 Sousa, Ricardo Fernandes - 2013.pdf: 1680814 bytes, checksum: f4604f4259d8cf5c69abc38770aced56 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2014-09-05T20:26:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 2 Sousa, Ricardo Fernandes - 2013.pdf: 1680814 bytes, checksum: f4604f4259d8cf5c69abc38770aced56 (MD5) license_rdf: 23148 bytes, checksum: 9da0b6dfac957114c6a7714714b86306 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2013-08-14 / Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás - FAPEG / Veredas (a type of wetland) are humid ecosystems, generally associated to hydromorphic soils and shallow water table, which occur frequently in the neighborhood of the springs and watercourses in the Cerrado region. The objective of this work was to study the soil of wetlands located in conserved and altered environments (agricultural areas and pastures), by determining the organic matter fractions, and biological attributes of the soil. The study was carried out in the central region of Cerrado biome, in the state of Goiás (Brazil), in wetlands situated in the City of Bela Vista de Goiás. Three wetlands were selected for soil sampling, as follows: a preserved wetland, surrounded by natural vegetation (cerrado); an area disturbed, with the occurrence of pasture around it; and another wetland also disturbed, with the occurrence of annual crops (agriculture) in its surroundings. The samplings were taken during the dry season, in months of July and August of 2012, along reference lines arranged according to their position in the slope, in the upper, middle and lower position, in approximate direction of the drain line of the wetland. Samples were collected at two depths: 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm. The variables studied were: Total soil organic carbon and nitrogen, and soil C:N ratio; C and N contents, and C:N ratios of the particulate and mineral-associated organic matter; fulvic acid, humic acid and humin, and humic acids to fulvic acids ratio, C contents of humic substances and its ratio to total soil organic carbon; carbon and nitrogen contents, and C:N ratio of the microbial biomass; microbial quotient; microbial biomass N to soil total nitrogen ratio; basal soil respiration; metabolic quotient; and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) hydrolytic activities in soil. In the lower position of slope the total soil organic C and N contents (in both depths), and levels of organic carbon in particulate organic matter, humic substances and soil microbial biomass (to 10 cm depth only), are smaller in the agriculture surrounding environment. Also in the lower position of slope in the topsoil, the soil total N, and N levels in particulate organic matter and microbial biomass are significantly larger in the wetland neighboring pastures. In the topsoil, the organic C contents of the mineral-associated soil organic matter fraction are larger in the conserved ecosystem, in all slope positions. In general, the farming in the vicinity of the wetlands promoted changes in soil microbial and biochemical attributes, as well as those related to soil organic matter in these ecosystems, with changes in C and N biogeochemistry processes. These changes are especially pronounced in the lower position of the slopes, with clear differences also between this lower zone and the highest slope positions (upper and middle) of the wetlands. / As veredas são ecossistemas úmidos, geralmente associados a solos hidromórficos e ao afloramento do lençol freático, ocorrendo com frequência nas proximidades das nascentes e cursos d’água da região do Cerrado. Este trabalho objetivou estudar os solos de áreas úmidas (veredas) situadas em ambientes conservados e antropizados (em áreas agrícolas e de pecuária), por meio da determinação de frações da matéria orgânica e atributos biológicos (microbiológicos e bioquímicos) do solo. O estudo foi realizado na região nuclear do bioma Cerrado, no estado de Goiás, em veredas situadas no município de Bela Vista de Goiás. Foram selecionadas três veredas para amostragem de solo, sendo: uma vereda conservada, circundada por vegetação natural (cerrado); uma área antropizada, com ocorrência de pastagem em seu entorno; e uma outra vereda, também antropizada, com a ocorrência de culturas anuais (agricultura) em seu entorno. As coletas das amostras de solo foram feitas durante a estação seca, nos meses de julho e agosto de 2012, ao longo de linhas de referência dispostas, segundo sua posição no relevo, nos terços superior, médio e inferior de uma das vertentes, acompanhando de modo aproximado o sentido da linha de drenagem da vereda. Foram colhidas amostras em duas profundidades: 0-10 cm e 10-20 cm. As variáveis estudadas foram: carbono orgânico e nitrogênio totais do solo, bem como sua relação C:N; teores de C, N e relações C:N das frações particulada e associada a minerais da matéria orgânica do solo (MOS); frações ácidos fúlvicos, ácidos húmicos e humina; relação entre ácidos húmicos e fúlvicos; C de substâncias húmicas e sua proporção em relação ao carbono orgânico total do solo; carbono, nitrogênio e relação C:N da biomassa microbiana; quociente microbiano; relação N da biomassa microbiana pelo N total do solo; respiração basal; quociente metabólico e atividade enzimática total do solo. Na região de fundo das veredas (terço inferior) os teores de C orgânico e N totais do solo, em ambas as profundidades, bem como os níveis de carbono da matéria orgânica particulada, das substâncias húmicas e da biomassa microbiana do solo, nestes casos até 10 cm, são menores em ambiente vizinho a áreas agrícolas. Também na região de fundo, na camada superficial do solo, os teores de N total, além dos níveis de N da matéria orgânica particulada e da biomassa microbiana, são expressivamente maiores na vereda vizinha a pastagens. Em superfície, os teores de C orgânico da fração da MOS associada aos minerais do solo são maiores no ecossistema conservado, em todas as posições do relevo. De modo geral, o uso agropecuário da terra no entorno das veredas promove alterações em atributos microbiológicos, bioquímicos e relacionados à matéria orgânica do solo nestes ecossistemas, com mudanças na dinâmica biogeoquímica de elementos como C e N. Estas modificações são especialmente pronunciadas na porção inferior das vertentes, com diferenças evidentes também entre esta região de fundo e as posições mais elevadas do relevo das veredas.

Thesis (MSc)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Rangelands in the semi-arid and arid regions of the world support livelihoods through their provision of multiple goods and services. Livestock production, for example, occurs in rangelands both as extensive ranching under freehold tenure and as collective ranching under communal tenure systems. However, the sustainability of rangelands is threatened and has been a major concern this century, leading to a variety of interventions. Holistic management (HM) is one such example, designed by its proponents as a panacea to halt degradation and, recently, climate change effects in the rangelands of Africa and beyond. HM has been implemented in the Hwange Communal Lands (HCLs) of Zimbabwe since 2010. In principle, the programme is aimed at restoring degraded watersheds and croplands through utilising properly managed livestock. To achieve this, two principles are promoted under HM, namely (i) holistic planned grazing (HPG) and (ii) animal impaction of crop fields. However, the effects of HM on the livelihoods of its beneficiaries currently are poorly understood. In order to address this lacuna, this study aimed to determine both the intended and unintended effects of a community-based land restoration programme called Holistic Land and Livestock Management (HLLM) in the HCLs of Zimbabwe on the livelihoods of its beneficiaries through a conceptual framework that combined an actor-oriented livelihoods approach with concepts of everyday politics and resistance. This was done by exploring the impact of HLLM on the six types of farmers’ assets, adoption patterns, farmers’ reactions to the introduction of HLLM, and challenges preventing farmers from adopting HLLM. Case studies employing a qualitative and exploratory research design were undertaken in three communities that were selected purposively from a total of 18 communities in which the HLLM programme had been promoted by the Africa Centre for Holistic Management (ACHM) in order to discover different perspectives on the effects of the programme on the livelihoods of its beneficiaries. The study employed qualitative Participatory Rural Appraisal tools, focus group discussions, participant observation, document analysis, and key informant and semi-structured interviews. These lines of enquiry enabled triangulation and cross-checking of information to enhance the reliability and validity of the research findings. The study showed that adoption levels were disappointingly low across all the study sites. Several challenges, including livestock diseases, predation, cultural stigma, labour constraints and witchcraft fears, were among the barriers explaining the low rate of adoption in the HCLs. The findings reveal that the farmers were concerned more with immediate problems, especially lack of water, than with land degradation, which is the primary focus of HLLM. Thus the farmers responded by complying, accommodating and covertly resisting the ACHM’s efforts to implement HLLM in order to suit their needs, using creative everyday politics and resistance. The study concludes that, although HLLM is required in such semi-arid environments, it is not sufficient to sustain rural livelihoods in its current state. While the main focus of HLLM is to improve the natural capital (i.e. restoring degraded watersheds), it should be complemented by and aligned with the farmers’ other development priorities, especially those relating to water / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING:Weiveld in die halfdor- en dor gebiede van die wêreld ondersteun menslike lewensbestaan deur die verskaffing van ’n verskeidenheid goedere en dienste. Veeproduksie, byvoorbeeld, kom in weivelde voor as beide ekstensiewe veldbeesboerdery onder grondbesit en kollektiewe veldbeesboerdery onder gemeenskaplike eiendomsreg. Die volhoubaarheid van weiveld word egter bedreig en het in hierdie eeu ’n groot bron van kommer geword, wat gelei het tot ’n verskeidenheid ingrypings. Holistiese bestuur (Holistic management (HM)) is een van hierdie en is deur sy voorstanders ontwerp as ’n wondermiddel om degradasie, en meer onlangs die effekte van klimaatsverandering op die weivelde van Afrika en verder, stop te sit. HM is reeds sedert 2010 in die Hwange gemeenskaplike gronde (HGG’e) in Zimbabwe geïmplementeer. In beginsel is die doel van die program om gedegradeerde waterskeidings en landerye te herstel deur gebruik te maak van behoorlik bestuurde vee. Om dit te bereik word twee beginsels onder HM bevorder, naamlik (i) holisties beplande weiding (holistic planned grazing (HPG)) en (ii) dier-impaksie van landerye (animal impaction of crop fields). Die effekte van HM op die lewensbestaan van sy begunstigdes word tans egter swak begryp. Om hierdie leemte aan te spreek, was die doel van hierdie studie om die bedoelde en onbedoelde gevolge van ’n gemeenskapsgebaseerde grondherstelprogram (Holistic Land and Livestock Management (HLLM)) in die HGG’e van Zimbabwe op die lewensbestaan van die begunstigdes te bepaal deur middel van ’n konseptuele raamwerk wat ’n akteur-georiënteerde lewensbestaansbenadering met konsepte van alledaagse politiek en weerstand gekombineer het. Dít is gedoen deur die impak van HLLM op ses soorte van bates wat boere het, hulle aannemingspatrone, boere se reaksies op die invoering van HLLM, en uitdagings wat verhoed het dat boere HLLM aanneem, te ondersoek. Gevallestudies met gebruik van ’n kwalitatiewe en verkennende navorsingsontwerp is in drie gemeenskappe onderneem wat doelbewus uit ’n totaal van 18 gemeenskappe waarin die HLLM-program deur die Africa Centre for Holistic Management (ACHM) bevorder word, geselekteer is om verskillende perspektiewe van die effekte van die program op die lewensbestaan van die begunstigdes te ontdek. Die studie het kwalitatiewe Deelnemende Landelike Takseringsgereedskap (Participatory Rural Appraisal), fokusgroepbesprekings, deelnemerwaarneming, dokument analise en sleutel-informant en semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude gebruik. Hierdie ondersoeklyne het triangulasie en kruiskontrole van die inligting moontlik gemaak, wat die betroubaarheid en geldigheid van die navorsingsbevindings verhoog het. Die studie toon dat aannemingsvlakke teleurstellend laag was in al die studieliggings. Verskeie uitdagings, insluitend veesiektes, predasie, kulturele stigma, arbeidsbeperkings en vrese vir heksery was onder die hindernisse wat die lae aannemingstempo in die HGG’e verklaar. Die bevindinge wys dat die boere meer besorgd was oor onmiddellike probleme, veral die tekort aan water, as oor grondagteruitgang, wat die vernaamste fokus van HLLM is. Die boere het dus gereageer deur instemming, aanpassing en onderlangse weerstandbieding tot die ACHM se pogings om HLLM te implementeer om sodoende hulle eie behoeftes te pas deur kreatiewe alledaagse politiek en weerstand te gebruik. Die studie kom tot die gevolgtrekking dat hoewel HLLM in sulke halfdor omgewings nodig is, dit nie in sy huidige staat voldoende is om landelike lewensbestaan te onderhou nie. Hoewel die vernaamste fokus van HLLM is om die natuurlike kapitaal te verbeter (m.a.w. deur gedegradeerde waterskeidings te herstel), moet hierdie rol gekomplementeer word deur en belyn word met die boere se ander ontwikkelingsprioriteite, veral dié wat verband hou met water.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-07-29T15:13:45Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Tese Joao Mauricio Lucas Gordo.pdf: 989990 bytes, checksum: d42049f86155b876ca6f5dcc3bfbe6f3 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-08-05 / This study aimed to diagnose the situation and use of artificial insemination (AI) and fixed-time artificial insemination in Goiás State, Brazil. A literature review was carried out and economic costs related to herd conception in natural mating systems, AI and TAI were calculated. Subsequently, an approach to cattle farmer´s profile, farm characterization and speech analysis was fulfilled in order to better understand biodemographic characteristics and to obtain cattle breeder´s discourse concerning AI technology. Using semi-structured questionnaires 71 interviews were accomplished to dairy and beef cattle farmers from different municipalities of Goiás State during AI training courses in 2010 and 2011. The interviews pointed out that 92% were male farmers and 29.6% had 31 to 41 years old. Schooling stage varied and 34% declared to have finished the last grade, 15.5% had primary grade complete and 14% had yet not finished primary education. 46.5% had between 9 and 20 years of cattle production experience, 25.5% more than 20 years and 28% had up to 8 years of experience. 53.5% already used AI or TAI before the training courses. Considering farmers that previously used any biotechnique, exclusive use of AI is more frequent (68,5%)than the association of both biotechniques (18.5%), and more frequent than the exclusive use of TAI (13%). 46.5% raised between 31 and 90 heifers and cows and 27% raised up to 30. Speech analysis revealed that personal motivation is a major topic involving the IA adoption process, which is related to the benefits of the biotechnique and the phenotype of the animals rather than economic factors. Prerequisites necessary for adoption is the second factor, mainly related to labor force, infrastructure and cattle handling, followed by social motivation topics, mainly associated to institutes and people related to IA and the everyday life of cattle farmers. Note: Thesis in four chapters with summary and abstract. Was cited only the summary / abstract of the first chapter / Este trabalho teve como objetivo fazer um diagnóstico da situação do uso das biotécnicas da reprodução, especificamente a inseminação artificial convencional (IA) e a inseminação artificial em tempo fixo (IATF) no Estado de Goiás. Realizou-se uma revisão de literatura sobre o tema, calculando-se os custos relativos à concepção do rebanho, desde a monta natural a campo, passando pela IA e IATF. Posteriormente, realizaram-se pesquisas de percepção dos atores envolvidos no uso destas biotecnias da reprodução com o objetivo de traçar o perfil dos pecuaristas que as utilizam, bem como analisar o discurso destes com relação a IA/IATF. Utilizaram-se 71 questionários semi estruturados, aplicados em cursos de capacitação em IA, respondidos em 2010 e 2011 por produtores da bovinocultura leiteira e de corte, oriundos de diferentes localidades do Estado de Goiás. A maioria (92%) dos entrevistados era do sexo masculino, 29,6% possuíam entre 31 e 41 anos de idade, com grau de escolaridade superior completo (34%), médio completo (15,5%) ou fundamental incompleto (14%). Grande parte (46,5%) possuía entre nove e 20 anos de experiência na pecuária, mais de 20 anos (25,5%) ou até oito anos (28%). Observou-se que 53,5% dos participantes dos cursos já utilizavam a IA ou a IATF. Entre aqueles que já empregavam alguma biotécnica, o uso exclusivo da IA (68,5%) era mais frequente que o uso conjunto das duas biotécnicas (18,5%) ou o uso exclusivo da IATF (13%). Muitos (46,5%) possuíam entre 31 e 90 fêmeas em idade reprodutiva ou até 30 matrizes (27%). A análise do discurso revelou que a motivação pessoal é o principal fator envolvido no processo de adoção da IA no Estado de Goiás e está mais atrelada aos pontos fortes do uso da biotécnica e às expectativas positivas, sendo estas mais voltadas ao fenótipo dos animais do que a fatores econômicos. Os pré-requisitos necessários estão em segundo plano, com destaque à mão de obra, infraestrutura e manejo animal, seguido da influência social, com evidência das entidades e pessoas envolvidas com a IA e com o cotidiano dos pecuaristas. OBS: Tese com 4 capítulos com resumo e abstract. Foi citado apenas o resumo/abstract do primeiro capítulo.

This study investigated the education and training needs for municipal employees in order to inform an education and training strategy that would address environmental management challenges in Makana local municipality in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape province. The research was conducted as a qualitative case study that made use of questionnaires, document analysis, focus group discussions and interviews as instruments for data generation. Samples of respondents were selected from Makana Municipality employees in top and middle management positions, professionals/technicians and workers, including elected councillors. The study was contextualised through establishing environmental management issues in Makana municipality; establishing organisational needs; development of a learner profile; and through a review of policies and recent trends in adult education. The study established that the Makana Municipality employees are most concerned with the following issues: sanitation; solid waste management; livestock management and fire management. These issues require primary environmental competences among all council employees (top and middle management, professionals and technicians, workers and councillors who work on part-time basis). The educational implications needed to respond to these issues also require an understanding of legislation. The study also established that technical education and training which includes planning, project management, and financial and budgeting competences are necessary amongst the management and professionals. These competences may enable them to develop capacity in environmental management. This study further established the need for social education which includes competences such as communication and social justice. These competences should be developed amongst members of the same group as they need to involve the community in management of the environment. This should enable the municipality to create job opportunities and help change negative attitudes.