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This work aimed at achieving two objectives; estimating unmet need for contraception and analysing socio-economic factors that are associated with unmet need for contraception in Mozambique. The 1997 Mozambique DHS data were used for this study. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were applied. The results show that in Mozambique, despite considerable knowledge about modern methods of contraception, unmet need is 29.4 per cent. The estimate among married women is 31.1 percent while among unmarried women is 25.2 percent. Unmet need for contraception is also found to be higher for spacing rather than for limiting purposes. Variables like desired number of children, number of living children and age of women are significant variables for both unmet need for spacing and for limiting. Variables like number of dead children, place of residence and woman's occupation are significant among women who have unmet need for limiting purposes, while for spacing are more in religion. In order to address the issue of unmet need for contraception, planners and other interested parties should aim at the strategies and policies that reach those women who have unmet need for contraception especially women who are living in rural areas, women aged 20-29 and those who are working. In addition, women and their partners must reduce the negative factors that impede the use of contraception if they want to space or to limit their family size. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2005

Population dynamics of ducks is a complex process influenced by both biotic and abiotic factors, and good understanding about the mechanisms behind this process is needed not only for the management of duck harvest but also for the conservation of wetland, which is under threat in the face of land change and climate warming. Basic time series analysis techniques, such as correlogram, partial correlogram and periodogram, cluster analysis and partial least squares regression (PLSR) are applied to the long-term breeding population data gathered by Waterfowl Breeding Population and Habitat Survey and monthly weather data from Environment Canada in order to explore the pattern in the duck abundance data and the effect of local weather on population dynamics of ducks. Results of above analysis show that the duck abundance of previous years has short but strong correlation with the duck abundance of following years suggesting a large part of variability in duck abundance is explained by the abundance of previous years, especially that of last year. There is also clear periodic pattern in the duck abundance data, but the length of the cycle varies both for duck species and ecozones suggesting separating duck species and ecozones for analysis is necessary. The effects of weather on duck populations appear weak or absent in most PLSR models; this is consistent with previous studies. More detailed information, such as age structure of the duck populations and interspecific interactions, will be needed for future modeling. Among the small number of PLSR models exhibiting the weather effect, results suggest potential mechanisms, such as the impact of weather on recharge and discharge of wetland basins and nest failure caused by flooding.

In the past, conifers have been the primary focus of population and conservation genetic studies in Pacific Northwest (PNW) trees. These studies have provided tremendous insight as to how genetic diversity varies across species ranges for these wind-pollinated and mostly wind-dispersed species. With this study of Pacific dogwood (Cornus nuttallii), a broadleaved, PNW species, which utilizes biological vectors for pollen and seed dispersal, we hope to broaden our understanding of tree evolutionary dynamics. Marker development for C. nuttallii found few useful polymorphisms. Of eight microsatellite markers (SSRs) developed from a closely related species, three were monomorphic, while the other five averaged only 4.4 alleles/locus. Furthermore, only a single base pair substitution was found in the rpl16 region of the chloroplast genome after sequencing 2,262 non-coding base pairs in 100 individuals. This lack of diversity, which was found to be ubiquitous throughout the range of C. nuttallii, suggests this species may have endured a prolonged bottleneck in a single glacial refugium prior to recolonization. The cpDNA phylogeographic pattern and a significant decline in both SSR allelic richness (r² = 0.42, p<0.01), and expected heterozygosity (r² = 0.51, p<0.01) support this theory. Low levels of population structure, documented in both chloroplast (D = 0.153) and nuclear genomes (FST = 0.071, RST = 0.036) may suggest high levels of contemporary gene flow between populations are also influencing current patterns of diversity. Despite variation being the precursor for adaptation, a comparison of QST (0.088 for first-year height and 0.113 for bud burst timing) with a refined FST estimate (0.053), indicated that C. nuttallii had either retained or recovered significant phenotypic variation for differential selection to act. Such uniformly low diversity raises the issue of how genetic conservation efforts should proceed with this and other species sharing a similar degree of genetic depauperateness. So that signs of decline may be detected, we suggest population monitoring, especially for those populations occurring at high elevations. Furthermore, we advocate the transfer of seeds from the nearest southern source, in the event that restorative efforts are required to assist this species to cope with the rapidly changing climate.

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Errata is pasted onto front end-paper. / Bibliography: leaves 166-171. / ix, 171 leaves : ill. ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / This thesis considers the question of fixation probabilities and mean absorption times for alleles when a population is divided into a number of subpopulations with asymmetric migration between the subpopulations. The emphasis of the thesis is on small populations and conservation genetics. Results have important implications for management of remnant subpopulations in order to maintain genetic diversity when migration between the remnant subpopulations is not symmetric. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Applied Mathematics, 1999?

Frankfurt (Main), University, Diss., 2007.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Crop Protection, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 180).

Thesis (M.A.) -- University of Adelaide, Dept. of Geography, 1979. / Two photos in end pocket.

Thesis--Nancy, 1926. / Bibliography: p. [213]-215.