Thesis (M. L. A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2007. / Title proper from title frame. Includes special report study entitled :Natural water-land edge construction. Also available in printed format.

Land areas being used unsustainably are depleted and/or degraded. To prevent this from happening and/or to reverse the effects, we need to restore these environments. However, not all restoration practices are equal, and some do not adhere to rigorous standards of sustainability. In this study, restoration guidelines and opinions from field experts were analysed from an SSD perspective. The focus of this thesis was limestone quarries in northern Europe due to quarries’ impacts to the socio-ecological system and the sensitivity of northern ecosystems. The results were divided into two sub-sections: FSSD comparison to guidelines, which included an SP analysis to principles in guidelines, and interviews. The conclusion was that the SSD approach could enhance these quarry restoration guidelines by incorporating the recommendations formulated from the results and discussion. One recommendation was having the eight SPs as overarching boundaries for success. Incorporating these recommendations would fill the sustainability gaps, aiding in the practitioner's ability to be strategic and have long-term success within sustainable limits.

Nas atividades típicas de empresas de mineração que produzem pedra britada para construção civil, conhecidas como pedreiras, é comum a exposição dos empregados a diversos fatores de risco à saúde ou integridade física, exposição que, no Brasil, confere a estes empregados o direito a adicionais de insalubridade ou periculosidade sobre o salário, definidos em lei a partir de diferentes parâmetros técnicos. As controvérsias acerca do pagamento ou não destes adicionais entre os empregadores e os empregados, a exemplo dos demais conflitos entre capital e trabalho, são solucionados no Brasil pela Justiça do Trabalho, sendo a perícia técnica uma das principais ferramentas da qual lançam mão os seus juízes, visando a apuração da efetiva ocorrência da insalubridade ou periculosidade nos ambientes de trabalho. No presente estudo foi realizada a caracterização da insalubridade e periculosidade em pedreiras sob o enfoque pericial, abordando-se para tanto os conceitos e a tipificação legal afeitos ao tema, bem como os principais aspectos da prova pericial técnica e sua contextualização no processo judicial, com o levantamento e análise das características dos ambientes de trabalho e das atividades desenvolvidas pelos empregados neste tipo de mineração. Como resultado, constatou-se a potencial ocorrência de insalubridade e/ou periculosidade em diversas das funções desenvolvidas pelos funcionários de pedreiras, pelo que foram discutidas as possíveis formas de gerenciamento da insalubridade e periculosidade no âmbito da gestão global de segurança destes empreendimentos, culminando na proposta de utilização voluntária e sistemática, por parte das empresas de mineração, das técnicas de levantamento e análise pericial, de forma a contribuir para uma melhor concepção e execução dos diversos programas de segurança e medicina do trabalho exigidos pela legislação brasileira, bem como para a redução dos custos relacionados. / In the typical activities of mining companies that produce crushed stone for civil construction, known as \"quarries\", employees exposition to diverse risk factors, to the health or physical integrity, is common. This kind of exposition, in Brazil, gives to these employees unhealthy or hazard adds on the wage, defined in law from different technical parameters. The controversies concerning the payment of these adds between the employers and the employees, like the other conflicts between capital and labor, are solved in Brazil by the labor justice, and the forensic expert survey is one of the main tools used by the judges for the verification of the effective occurrence of the unhealthy or hazardous situations in labor activities. The present study focus the unhealthy or hazardous situations in quarries under the forensic expert survey, approaching the concepts and the legal definitions of the unhealthy or hazardous situations in labor activities, the main aspects of the expert evidence technique and the judicial proceeding, and the survey and analysis of the typical characteristics of work environments and quarries employees activities. The possible forms of management of the unhealthy or hazardous situations were also discussed, in the scope of the global safety management in quarries, as well as the contribution of raised data in forensic expert survey for the conception of security and health programs, equally demanded for the brazilian legislation.

The purpose of this creative project was to derive and present recommendations for the reclamation of an Indiana sand, gravel, and stone quarry from barren land to productive wildlife habitat. Existing knowledge and technology in the fields of wildlife ecology and land reclamation were explored and applied to a case study site near Muncie, Indiana. The component features of good wildlife habitat were defined, and methods of analyzing the site for habitat quality were devised. Strategies for creating optimum conditions for wildlife on a site devastated by aggregate mining were developed. The final product of the study was a site plan showing recommended development for productive floral and faunal communities. All methods, processes, and decisions were documented in written and graphic form. / Department of Landscape Architecture

Thesis (M. L. A.)--University of Hong Kong, 2009. / Includes special report study entitled: Ecological restoration and tree species selection of quarry. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Στην Ελλάδα, από την αρχαιότητα έως σήμερα, πολλές περιοχές έχουν χρησιμοποιηθεί για μετάλλευση και λατόμευση ώστε να παραχθούν μέταλλα και οικοδομικά υλικά. Η παραγωγή μαρμάρου ήταν συνήθης στην αρχαία Ελλάδα, αλλά σήμερα η πιο κοινή πρακτική είναι η παραγωγή αδρανών υλικών. Παρόλο που η Ευρωπαϊκή νομοθεσία είναι ιδιαίτερα αυστηρή σε ό,τι αφορά την αποκατάσταση των λατομείων (μετά τη χρήση τους), υπάρχουν πολλές περιπτώσεις που λατομεία αφέθηκαν στην τύχη τους μετά την εκμετάλλευση του πετρώματος. Σε τέτοιες περιοχές, ο ρυθμός της φυσικής διαδοχής είναι ιδιαίτερα χαμηλός επειδή ένα λατομείο καταλήγει με βαθμίδες και πρανή, που αποτελούνται από γυμνό βράχο. Ωστόσο, είναι σημαντικό να εφαρμοστούν μέθοδοι αποκατάστασης χρησιμοποιώντας τεχνητή βλάστηση, όπως είναι η υδροσπορά. Μία συνήθης πρακτική είναι η χρήση φυτικών ειδών, τα οποία είναι χαρακτηριστικά της τοπικής χλωρίδας και βλάστησης. Ο σκοπός της αποκατάστασης θα πρέπει να είναι η επανόρθωση της αρχικής ποιότητας του περιβάλλοντος. Στη μη αποκατεστημένη περιοχή, οι φυσιολογικές βιολογικές διαδικασίες είναι σε λήθαργο. Έτσι, θα πρέπει να αποκατασταθεί ώστε να είναι λειτουργικό σε ό,τι αφορά το έδαφος, τους φυτικούς οργανισμούς και την αισθητική του τοπίου. Στο αποκατεστημένο οικοσύστημα, οι φυσικές διαδικασίες απελευθέρωσης θρεπτικών ουσιών, η ανάπτυξη των φυτών και ο κύκλος των θρεπτικών συνεχίζουν σε φυσιολογικούς ρυθμούς. Η περιοχή μελέτης περιλαμβάνει τα πρανή και τις βαθμίδες ενός λατομείου ασβεστόλιθου που βρίσκεται πάνω από τα χωριά Αραχωβίτικα και Δρέπανο Αχαΐας. Η ιδιοκτήτρια εταιρία Α.Ε. ΤΣΙΜΕΝΤΩΝ ΤΙΤΑΝ έχει κάνει αποκατάσταση της περιοχής χρησιμοποιώντας φυτικά είδη, όπως είναι τα Cupressus sempervirens, Quercus ilex, Spartium junceum και Pinus halepensis. Επιπρόσθετα, για το σκοπό αυτό έχουν χρησιμοποιηθεί και ξενικά φυτικά είδη, όπως είναι τα Eucalyptus globulus, Cupressus arizonica και Robinia pseudoacacia. Αυτά τα φυτικά είδη είναι ξενικά όχι μόνο στην Ελλάδα, αλλά και σε ολόκληρη τη Μεσογειακή περιοχή. Έτσι, η καλλιέργειά τους στην περιοχή όπου βρίσκεται το λατομείο, θα πρέπει να αποφεύγεται. Ο στόχος αυτής της έρευνας είναι η μελέτη της αποκατάστασης, της φυσικής διαδοχής και της φυτικής ποικιλότητας του λατομείου, χρησιμοποιώντας τη φυτοκοινωνιολογική μέθοδο του Braun-Blanquet. Δειγματοληπτικές επιφάνειες εγκαταστάθηκαν στα πρανή και τις βαθμίδες του λατομείου. Από κάθε επιφάνεια συλλέχθησαν και αναγνωρίστηκαν φυτικά δείγματα, όπως είναι τα Sarcopoterium spinosum, Silene italica subsp. peloponnesiaca, Dittrichia viscosa, Centranthus ruber subsp. ruber και Bituminaria bituminosa. Τα παραπάνω, που ονομάζονται πρόδρομα είδη, αποτελούν τα πρώτα φυτά που εγκαθίστανται σε μία υποβαθμισμένη περιοχή και παίζουν σημαντικό ρόλο στην εγκατάσταση άλλων φυτών. Η χλωρίδα του λατομείου συγκρίνεται με αυτή της περιβάλλουσας περιοχής, η οποία αποτελείται από τυπική μακκία βλάστηση και χαρακτηρίζεται από κυρίαρχα φυτικά είδη της μεσογειακής βλάστησης στο στάδιο «κλίμαξ». Αυτά είναι τα Quercus coccifera, Q. ilex, Arbutus andrachne και Pistacia lentiscus. Επίσης, παρατηρούνται φυτικά είδη όπως είναι τα Pyrus amygdaliformis, Phlomis fruticosa, Myrtus communis, Cistus creticus, C. salviifolius και Fraxinus ornus. Η μελέτη της περιβάλλουσας περιοχής εξυπηρετεί ως οικοσύστημα αναφοράς, το οποίο αποτελεί ένα μοντέλο για το σχεδιασμό και την εκτίμηση ενός σχεδίου οικολογικής αποκατάστασης. / In Greece, from ancient times since today lots of areas have been used for mining and quarrying in order to produce minerals and building materials. The production of marble was frequent in ancient Greece, but today the most common practice is the production of cement. Despite the rigidity of European legislation concerning quarry restoration, there are cases that quarries are simply abandoned after use. The rate of natural succession is significantly low because a quarry ends up with quarry faces and platforms consisted of rock, after its excavation. Therefore it is important to apply restoration methods using artificial vegetation, such as hydro-seeding. It is common to use plant species which are not similar to the ones of the surrounding vegetation (introduced). The aim of restoration should be the rehabilitation of the original quality of the environment. In the unrestored ecosystem, normal biological processes are at a standstill. The ecosystem must be restored in order to become normally functional as long as it concerns the soil, the plants and the aesthetics. In the restored ecosystem the natural processes of nutrient release, plant growth and nutrient cycling go on at a normal rate. The study area includes the quarry faces and platforms (floors) of a limestone quarry above Arachovitica and Drepano Achaia, Greece. In order to restore this area, there has been an effort to cover it (by TITAN) using plant species like Cupressus sempervirens, Quercus ilex, Spartium junceum and Pinus halepensis. Besides them, non-native plant species have been planted such as Eucalyptus globulus, Cupressus arizonica and Robinia pseudoacacia. These plant species are alien, not only in Greece but in the entire Mediterranean region. So, their cultivation should be avoided in this particular area where the quarry is situated. The target of this research is the study of restoration, natural succession and plant diversity (at the quarry) using the plant sociological method Braun-Blanquet. Sample plots have been established at the faces and platforms of the quarry. Plant samples were collected from each plot, such as Sarcopoterium spinosum, Silene italica subsp. peloponnesiaca, Dittrichia viscosa, Centranthus ruber subsp. ruber and Bituminaria bituminosa. These plants are called “pioneer” plant species, because they are some of the first plants (in general) that colonise a disturbed area and play an important role in the establishment of other plants. The plant population of the quarry is also compared with the surrounding area which is consisted of natural “maqui” vegetation and it is characterised by the typical dominant plant species of this Mediterranean type of vegetation at a “climax” stage. These are Quercus coccifera, Q. ilex, Arbutus andrachne and Pistacia lentiscus. Additionally, there are several plant species like Pyrus amygdaliformis, Phlomis fruticosa, Myrtus communis, Cistus creticus, C. salviifolius and Fraxinus ornus. The surrounding environment serve as a reference ecosystem which means a model for planning and evaluating an ecological restoration project.

Nas atividades típicas de empresas de mineração que produzem pedra britada para construção civil, conhecidas como pedreiras, é comum a exposição dos empregados a diversos fatores de risco à saúde ou integridade física, exposição que, no Brasil, confere a estes empregados o direito a adicionais de insalubridade ou periculosidade sobre o salário, definidos em lei a partir de diferentes parâmetros técnicos. As controvérsias acerca do pagamento ou não destes adicionais entre os empregadores e os empregados, a exemplo dos demais conflitos entre capital e trabalho, são solucionados no Brasil pela Justiça do Trabalho, sendo a perícia técnica uma das principais ferramentas da qual lançam mão os seus juízes, visando a apuração da efetiva ocorrência da insalubridade ou periculosidade nos ambientes de trabalho. No presente estudo foi realizada a caracterização da insalubridade e periculosidade em pedreiras sob o enfoque pericial, abordando-se para tanto os conceitos e a tipificação legal afeitos ao tema, bem como os principais aspectos da prova pericial técnica e sua contextualização no processo judicial, com o levantamento e análise das características dos ambientes de trabalho e das atividades desenvolvidas pelos empregados neste tipo de mineração. Como resultado, constatou-se a potencial ocorrência de insalubridade e/ou periculosidade em diversas das funções desenvolvidas pelos funcionários de pedreiras, pelo que foram discutidas as possíveis formas de gerenciamento da insalubridade e periculosidade no âmbito da gestão global de segurança destes empreendimentos, culminando na proposta de utilização voluntária e sistemática, por parte das empresas de mineração, das técnicas de levantamento e análise pericial, de forma a contribuir para uma melhor concepção e execução dos diversos programas de segurança e medicina do trabalho exigidos pela legislação brasileira, bem como para a redução dos custos relacionados. / In the typical activities of mining companies that produce crushed stone for civil construction, known as \"quarries\", employees exposition to diverse risk factors, to the health or physical integrity, is common. This kind of exposition, in Brazil, gives to these employees unhealthy or hazard adds on the wage, defined in law from different technical parameters. The controversies concerning the payment of these adds between the employers and the employees, like the other conflicts between capital and labor, are solved in Brazil by the labor justice, and the forensic expert survey is one of the main tools used by the judges for the verification of the effective occurrence of the unhealthy or hazardous situations in labor activities. The present study focus the unhealthy or hazardous situations in quarries under the forensic expert survey, approaching the concepts and the legal definitions of the unhealthy or hazardous situations in labor activities, the main aspects of the expert evidence technique and the judicial proceeding, and the survey and analysis of the typical characteristics of work environments and quarries employees activities. The possible forms of management of the unhealthy or hazardous situations were also discussed, in the scope of the global safety management in quarries, as well as the contribution of raised data in forensic expert survey for the conception of security and health programs, equally demanded for the brazilian legislation.

Lithic source analysis, or “sourcing,” is a geochemical compositional analysis of lithic materials for both major and trace elements. Sourcing analysis assigns lithic sources to geochemical groups according to distinct geochemical compositions, where unique elemental signatures represent separate lithic sources. In archaeological research, sourcing informs upon mobility strategies, trade and exchange networks, and lithic conveyance studies. While obsidian sourcing is a relatively reliable and popular technique, chert sourcing is more difficult and historically less successful largely due to variability in chert formation processes. X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) offers a possible sourcing technique, and is non-destructive, as well as time and cost-effective. In this thesis, I test the reliability of XRF in determining the geochemical characterization of Tosawihi Quarries chert, a unique chert source located in the Humboldt River Basin of north-central Nevada. The Tosawihi Quarries archaeological district (26EK6624) is a significant lithic resource that has hosted human occupation and activity for millennia. The Tosawihi Quarries offers a high quality toolstone that was intensely used, as indicated by numerous quarry locales and biface tool caches. Additionally, the Tosawihi Quarries is a social identity marker for the Tosawihi band of Western Shoshone, also serving as a source of spirituality and medicine. Tosawihi chert is a distinct, white lithic material type that also has a characteristic fluorescence pattern when exposed to ultraviolet light. While these are defining attributes, they are not unique to Tosawihi chert, as they occur in other Great Basin white chert sources. Identifying Tosawihi chert has been problematic, and misidentifications may have led to erroneous interpretations of the archaeological and ethnographic records. If successful, a geochemical characterization by XRF would provide an elemental signature specific to Tosawihi chert, thus eliminating discrepancies in visual and ultraviolet fluorescence readings and permitting archaeologists to accurately asses the distribution and use of this sacred material. In this thesis research, I first conducted an XRF analysis of a source standard collection of Tosawihi Quarries chert, which yielded a preliminary methodology for identifying Tosawihi chert. This protocol was tested against two comparative collections of other Great Basin white cherts: Mono Lake Spillway located in western Nevada and Pahute Mesa (26NY1408) located in southern Nevada. The methodology, now refined, was then run against the archaeological collection, where five collections of white chert artifacts were tested for the presence of Tosawihi chert. Incorporating both the qualitative and quantitative data from XRF analysis, the results show that this proposed methodology can successfully discriminate between Tosawihi chert and other Great Basin white cherts based on its XRF signature.

The another layer of the traditional czech landscape made by man's relation to his landscape. The new lazer of the Jicin area follows the tradition of two other compositions made in the baroque era. I found 7 places / quarries where I desgned several proposals.

no abstract provided by author / Master of Science