Overexploitation of the earth's resources is causing concern for ecosystem health globally and demands clear strategies for biodiversity conservation. The development of non-invasive and cost-effective tools for ecosystem assessment is an urgent global imperative. In this context, the nascent discipline of ecoacoustics provides a new framework to assess the effects of habitat degradation on human and non-human populations. Sound is considered as a core component and indicator of ecological processes and therefore can be investigated to infer ecological information about populations, communities and landscapes. A subfield of this discipline, soundscape ecology, provides fresh perspectives on understanding coupled natural-human dynamics. Despite the contributions of ecoacoustic methods in biodiversity assessment, landscape ecology and conservation biology some factors are constraining their full potential. This is principally due to challenges in interpreting the acoustic community through current acoustic metrics. Moreover, research gaps in understanding coupled natural-human dynamics through soundscape analysis have been identified, which could make significant further contributions to conservation biology in the near future. This thesis contributes to ecoacoustics from the perspective of conservation biology. The relevance and potential use of acoustic methods for assessing biodiversity and exploring social dimensions within conservation biology are presented throughout. Chapters include both Ecological and Social research components. A systematic review of publications on soundscape and its association with ecological and human wellbeing contextualizes the following empirical work, in chapter 1. Chapter 2 provides an evaluation into how effectively current acoustic metrics (ACI, BI, AE and H) reflect the status of wildlife populations along a gradient of forest disturbance. A novel approach to rapidly assess habitat status using automatic detection of indicator species (IS) is presented in chapter 3. Empirical studies are complemented by an analysis of the cost-effectiveness of acoustic sensors for assessing biodiversity, in chapter 4. Finally, social factors are addressed in chapter 5, which presents a novel approach for evaluating the human and environment relationship through soundscape perception analysis. The acoustic analyses explored show potential in analysis of ecological and social research dimensions in conservation biology. The systematic review shows that soundscape, and its association with wellbeing, evolved from an interest in sounds, and their influence on health, into a multidimensional and integrative concept incorporating multiple domains of wellbeing (Health, Social and Cultural Wellness and Ecological Integrity). Within the Ecological component in chapter 2, although significant differences in acoustic biodiversity metrics along sites were found, relevant qualitative biodiversity values that describe the status of wildlife populations were not reflected through the acoustic indices. To tackle this issue, I observed that the tool for automatic detection of IS was effective for rapid evaluation of habitat status; however, it should only be used for obtaining data of presence/absence of species. The combination of community level (acoustic indices) and individual level (automatic detection of indicator species) acoustic analysis showed a great potential as a tool for rapid evaluation of habitats. Moreover, I found that use of acoustic sensors was effective for registering high number of birds and indicator species; however, it is best applied in conducting multiple surveys or long term monitoring due to expensive equipment costs. Within the Social component I observed that soundscape perception analysis generated insights into human-environment relationships and highlighted the implications of habitat degradation on humans. Sounds of social relevance were also identified, which could be used for determining priority areas for conservation. Great potential for investigating social implications of habitat degradation through acoustic methods was revealed. The acoustic approaches investigated proved to be useful tools in understanding the dynamics of ecosystems, by exploring both ecological and social dimensions, and contribute to knowledge in conservation biology. Further research on the application of acoustic methods in conservation biology is recommended.

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Thesis (M. L. A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Includes special report study entitled :Coastal erosion control on sandy beach. Also available in printed format.

In the early 1900s, large sections of the Great Smoky Mountains were intensively logged. Since then, most locations have been allowed to naturally become forest-covered again, resulting in areas of secondary growth and old growth forest. To determine whether differences in large woody debris (LWD) loading and channel morphology persist today, I measured LWD, channel widths and depths, and channel bed sediments of streams in old and secondary growth forest in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. LWD pieces in streams in old growth had larger mean diameters and lengths compared to LWD in streams in secondary growth forest. Streams in old growth had 5.6 times more LWD volume than those in secondary growth. More LWD pieces were in debris dams in old growth than in secondary growth forest. Channel bed sediment size did not differ significantly between streams in old and secondary growth forest. Channel widths and depths were signifiantly larger in streams in old growth forest. LWD pieces affected channel depth primarily by creating pools and causing deposition of sediment. LWD affected width by directing stream flow toward banks and by protecting banks from erosion. I observed that the orientation of LWD was important in determining its geomorphic role. Although I found no relationship between LWD loading and watershed area, I found a relationship between watershed area and the importance of LWD in impacting channel morphology. Despite differences in LWD frequency and total volume, streams in old and secondary growth forest differed little in width and depth in the largest watersheds in this study. However, in smaller watersheds, streams in old growth were not as narrow or as shallow as streams in secondary growth. LWD loading can vary substantially between streams, even those with sim- ilar surrounding forest types, climate, and disturbance histories; therefore, caution should be exercised when using LWD loading rates from other studies in environmental management. Despite nearly 80 years of forest regrowth, LWD loading and channel mor- phologies of streams still show the impacts of logging.

The words of Octavio Paz, from his Drift of Shadows, poetically describe the cycle of water in nature involving the erosion and weathering of stone by the force of water, further enhanced by the force of wind. This succession of events in nature is one of inter-dependency. It is also one of temporality: one element of nature perpetually affecting another, a temporality engaging elements either by impeding or by propelling. The landscape embraces, as created or destroyed by these natural forces. So, too, does architecture. As a natural force,flooding intrudes upon the landscape endangers architecture by filling the low-lying space with water, thus altering architecture and the perception of that space, both quantitatively and qualitatively. Erosion is an offspring of moving water that occurs more subtly, more gradually, over a long period of time and alters the landscape by way of addition and subtraction. As water immerses the land, it [the water] moves and moves sediment with it. Whole some land is sheared of its topsoil and stones are smoothed of their roughness (subtraction), other land is deposited with the richness of the sediment through the force of the water that carried it (addition). The photograph (Figure 1) of Ciudad Encantada (the Enchanted City) near Madrid, Spain, evokes a strong imagery of the consequence of the subtractive quality of erosion. One imagines that these boldly-cantilevered structures were once stoic with their uniform connection to the earth and connected to each other, forming ground at a higher plane. Water, however, was relentless over time and eroded the sandstone into a cavernous garden of stone pillars. Time and weather, as conjoined elements of nature, act upon the material of architecture with an inevitable and implacable force. Time and Man are the architects in partnership with nature. Architecture, therefore has an obligation, to not only its place, but also to respect these elements as co-designers. An architecture can be created that is both responsive and proactive to the dimension of time and the dynamic of nature over time.

While remaining rooted in a comparison of some of the primary texts of the thinkers under scrutiny, my thesis also discusses several issues which arise in the mutual consideration of Heidegger and Strauss, specifically the questions of the ontological and political status of nature, the problem of ‘first philosophy,’ and the method by which to interpret philosophical texts, as well as a continuous analysis of Strauss’s appellation of ‘modern,’ as opposed to ‘ancient,’ and ‘religious,’ as opposed to ‘philosophical,’ to Heidegger’s thought. I first consider every moment in Strauss’s corpus where he discusses Heidegger’s thought. From this discussion, I identify four main lines of critique which may be extracted from Strauss’s writings on Heidegger. Then, I turn to Heidegger’s texts themselves in order to determine if Strauss’s critique indeed finds purchase there, addressing each of the lines of critique in turn. Finally, I consider Strauss and Heidegger in tandem, in light of the three questions identified above. I show that many of what Strauss determines to be Heidegger’s errors arose as a result of the way that Heidegger read ancient philosophical texts, and I suggest that Strauss’s approach, i.e., to consider the possible esoteric meaning of a text, in fact permits the reader to access an interpretation that is truer to the textual phenomena. This claim, however, is not intended to obscure the remarkable similarities between each thinker’s respective interpretive methods. I conclude that Strauss’s critique of Heidegger, vehement as it is, also indicates Strauss’s dependence on Heidegger’s thought for the inspiration of Strauss’s own philosophical project. The relation between Strauss and Heidegger, then, remains profoundly ambiguous.

I argue that, because fundamental scientific theories are attempts to tell us something about reality, we are required to take into account the metaphysical features of those theories. I claim that a guarded realism is the proper stance to take toward fundamental scientific theories: philosophically, one must guard against accepting every posit at face value. Laws of nature are one of the posits of fundamental scientific theories and, since they are part of the nomic, I argue that they cannot be eliminated from the ontology of the world. I consider whether the nomic can be reduced to the Humean base and argue that doing so leaves us with no metaphysical explanation for the regularities we observe. I agree with Galen Strawson that the world requires a metaphysically real glue to hold it together and argue that this glue is accounted for by reifying the nomic and not reducing any of the nomic concepts to the Humean base. I argue, against Helen Beebee, that a regularity theorist about laws of nature and causation makes the world out to be a world without reasons for the regularities, which is not acceptable. I consider the Best System Analysis of laws of nature in conjunction with Humean Supervenience and show that it is not able to account for objective chance in a metaphysically acceptable way. I then turn to Armstrong’s contingent relation among universals account of laws of nature and consider Bird’s ultimate argument against it. I argue that one way to overcome the argument is to allow that some universals have nontrivial modal character, which is an acceptable solution for the nomic realist. / October 2006

While remaining rooted in a comparison of some of the primary texts of the thinkers under scrutiny, my thesis also discusses several issues which arise in the mutual consideration of Heidegger and Strauss, specifically the questions of the ontological and political status of nature, the problem of ‘first philosophy,’ and the method by which to interpret philosophical texts, as well as a continuous analysis of Strauss’s appellation of ‘modern,’ as opposed to ‘ancient,’ and ‘religious,’ as opposed to ‘philosophical,’ to Heidegger’s thought. I first consider every moment in Strauss’s corpus where he discusses Heidegger’s thought. From this discussion, I identify four main lines of critique which may be extracted from Strauss’s writings on Heidegger. Then, I turn to Heidegger’s texts themselves in order to determine if Strauss’s critique indeed finds purchase there, addressing each of the lines of critique in turn. Finally, I consider Strauss and Heidegger in tandem, in light of the three questions identified above. I show that many of what Strauss determines to be Heidegger’s errors arose as a result of the way that Heidegger read ancient philosophical texts, and I suggest that Strauss’s approach, i.e., to consider the possible esoteric meaning of a text, in fact permits the reader to access an interpretation that is truer to the textual phenomena. This claim, however, is not intended to obscure the remarkable similarities between each thinker’s respective interpretive methods. I conclude that Strauss’s critique of Heidegger, vehement as it is, also indicates Strauss’s dependence on Heidegger’s thought for the inspiration of Strauss’s own philosophical project. The relation between Strauss and Heidegger, then, remains profoundly ambiguous.

This thesis primarily studies the relationship between Sinful Nature and Etiquette. In the past,thescholars asserted that "Sinful Nature" was the main thinking of Xun-Zi;however,some scholars have asserted "Etiquette" is his main thinking during this few years. This thesis tries to induce that Xun-Zi points out the "Sinful Nature" and "Etiquette" objectively. Theveful "Sinful Nature" and "Etiquette" mutually exist on the base of an objective point of view.

This thesis presents a case for the traditional doctrine of divine simplicity by construing it along the lines that God exists as actus purus. My formulation of divine simplicity draws upon the medieval insight that God is what He is in virtue of what He does in one, eternal act of will with which He is identical. In chapter I, I survey the contemporary literature on divine simplicity. In chapter II, I critique Alvin Plantinga??s Platonic theory of the divine attributes as formulated in Does God Have a Nature? I contend it brings with it the cost of abandoning the doctrine of God??s aseity, as well as a problematic understanding of the very notion of what it means to claim that God has a particular property. In chapter III, I provide rejoinders to all of Plantinga??s defeaters against divine simplicity. I argue that by understanding the origin of God??s attributes to be the result of what He does, Plantinga??s two major criticisms against divine simplicity fail. In chapter IV, I develop a viable theory of divine simplicity, given an actus purus conception of God, and I formulate a number of arguments supporting it. By drawing upon the resources of action theory, I clarify, in detail, what exactly it means to claim that God is identical with His act of will. And I demonstrate the fruitfulness of an actus purus construal of divine simplicity by showing how it solves a large number of problems that theists face.In the last chapter, I note some of the difficulties with my position due to its commitment to an eternal God, and I suggest some of the ways that these problems can be overcome. However, in addition to showing the difficulties that face my position, I also demonstrate the rich number of implications that follow from it. As such, I seek to demonstrate that the traditional understanding of the divine essence is something that is worthy for theists to embrace and to explore, because it is full of truth and wisdom that deserves to be preserved for later generations to celebrate and enjoy.