This research established long-term alpine monitoring in southwestern British Columbia by following the protocol outlined in the Global Observation Research Initiative in Alpine environments (GLORIA). The aim of this international project is to establish a long-term observation network to obtain standardized data on alpine biodiversity, vegetation patterns and temperature on a global scale. Research plots (known as target regions) were established in the Mount Arrowsmith region on Vancouver Island and in the Whistler region. A target region is comprised of four summits that each represent an altitudinal gradient of vegetation patterns characteristic for the respective mountain regions. The GLORIA protocol focuses on capturing changes in: species richness (number of species), species composition (loss or gain of individual species), patterns of vegetation (changes in % cover), soil temperatures of microhabitats, and snow cover. The analysis of data presented in this thesis related environmental characters (area, slope, elevation, aspect and top cover) and species characters to species richness and composition. This research indicates that overall in the Arrowsmith and Whistler target regions, species richness was consistently greater in larger study plots and in plots where the cover of vascular plant species was relatively high. Elevation alone, sometimes seen as an indirect measure of temperature did not seem to play a significant role in predicting species richness. All species inventoried were ‘as expected’. All of these observations made sense ecologically, are in line with current hypotheses, and demonstrate that the summits chosen in the Arrowsmith and Whistler target regions are typical alpine areas and suitable for long-term study. / Graduate

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An interesting type of distributed system is a collection of identical subsystems that interact in a distinct pattern. A notable example is a ring, more commonly referred to as a circulant system. It is well known that control problems for circulant systems can be simplified by exploiting their common connection with the shift operator. Based on an examination of the algebraic properties underlying this connection, we identify a broader class of systems that share common base transformations. We call it the class of linear patterned systems. Members with meaningful physical interpretations include symmetric circulant systems, triangular Toeplitz systems and certain hierarchical systems. A geometric approach is employed to study the basic control properties of patterned systems, including controllability, observability and decomposition. Controller synthesis for several stabilization problems is then considered, and we show that a patterned solution to the problems exists if a general solution exists.

An interesting type of distributed system is a collection of identical subsystems that interact in a distinct pattern. A notable example is a ring, more commonly referred to as a circulant system. It is well known that control problems for circulant systems can be simplified by exploiting their common connection with the shift operator. Based on an examination of the algebraic properties underlying this connection, we identify a broader class of systems that share common base transformations. We call it the class of linear patterned systems. Members with meaningful physical interpretations include symmetric circulant systems, triangular Toeplitz systems and certain hierarchical systems. A geometric approach is employed to study the basic control properties of patterned systems, including controllability, observability and decomposition. Controller synthesis for several stabilization problems is then considered, and we show that a patterned solution to the problems exists if a general solution exists.

This thesis investigates the process of designing software from formal specifications, in particular, specifications expressed in the Z notation. The initial phases of software design have significant impact on software quality and the transition from formal specification to design is not clearly understood. There is often no visible or obvious connection between the specification and the finished design. It is possible to add traceability with either verification or refinement, but I wish to understand and guide the design process. Investigating the design of software from formal specifications highlighted possible relationships between parts of the specification and parts of the design. A design strategy is introduced, that combines software architectural styles and formal specifications to influence the generated design. The design process is architecturally-specific, but a template for instantiating the design process to a chosen architectural style is presented. Specializations of the template are presented for the ADT-based architectural style and the event-based architectural style. These specializations of the template produce an architecturally-constrained, specification-influenced design process. Providing an architecturally-constrained, specification-influenced design process enables the software designer to produce better quality software. The constrained design process allows the designer to focus on the difficult aspects of design: understanding the problem, choosing the best abstractions, and finding a suitable solution.

Thesis (M.C.S.) - Carleton University, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 134-138). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.

Thesis (M.C.S.)--Carleton University, 2003. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 150-153). Also available in electronic format on the Internet.