Os Vertissolos apresentam alto potencial para a produção agrícola e para estocar carbono. No entanto, diversos aspectos sobre sua gênese, fundamentais para qualidade e sustentabilidade do solo, permanecem incompreendidos. As várias lacunas sobre suas características particulares estão relacionadas ao incomum teor de alumínio trocável; a manifestação de feições morfológicas e vérticas em uma matriz inorgânica dominada por fases cauliníticas; e a preservação e estoque de carbono em condições climáticas de semiárido e temperado. Dessa forma, os objetivos deste estudo foram (i) investigar a gênese de um Vertissolo ácido, bem como os fatores e mecanismos da geração dessa acidez, (ii) compreender o papel dos interestratificados no desenvolvimento das feições vérticas em Vertissolo com predomínio de caulinita na fração argila, e (iii) investigar os fatores e mecanismos que promovem a gênese de Vertissolos Ebânicos sob diferentes condições climáticas no Brasil. Amostras de seis perfis de Vertissolos foram utilizadas, sendo quatro Ebânicos e dois Háplicos, ambos localizados entre as regiões nordeste, sudeste e sul do Brasil. Análises morfológica, físicas, químicas, mineralógicas e isotópicas foram realizadas. Na modelagem dos difratogramas foi utilizado o programa Newmod. Para identificação dos grupos funcionais orgânicos do solo realizou-se a ressonância magnética nuclear da fração ácido húmico, e a subtração espectral. Todos os Vertissolos apresentaram textura de argilosa a muito argilosa, consistência seca variando de dura a extremante dura e consistência molhada entre muito plástica e muito pegajosa. Os valores de pH variaram entre ácido e alcalino. Foram eutróficos, com predomínio de cálcio no complexo de troca na maioria dos perfis. O teor de carbono reduziu em profundidade, não mascarou o potencial de contração e expansão, e promoveu melhorias na agregação, principalmente nos horizontes superficiais. Houve autigênese de minerais, os minerais primários predominaram nas frações areia e silte, e na fração argila espécies de esmectitas dioctaedrais. Independente da espécie esmectítica e do tipo de vegetação (plantas C3 e/ou C4) houve maior diversidade de grupos funcionais nos horizontes superficiais. O mecanismo de estabilização do carbono nos Vertissolos Ebânicos ocorreu por meio da interação entre as fases inorgânicas e orgânicas, mediada por pontes de cátions polivalentes não metálicos e metálicos, e também por interação eletrostática entre os constituintes inorgânicos e orgânicos. A manifestação das feições morfológicas e vérticas no Vertissolo com predomínio de caulinita na fração argila foi gerada pelos interestratificados caulinita-montmorilonita resultantes da perda da lâmina tetraedral das esmectitas via transformações no estado sólido. A acidez no Vertissolo ácido foi gerada pela hidrólise e dissolução das fases minerais mediados por um clima passado mais úmido e continuado pelo clima atual úmido, sendo os teores de alumínio trocável naturais. Nesse contexto, esse estudo contribui com avanços na gênese, mineralogia e mecanismos de estabilização do carbono no solo, os quais são temáticas relevantes desse milênio e contribui a outras áreas cientificas. / Vertisols have high potential for agricultural production and for carbon stocking. However, several aspects about its genesis, fundamental to soil quality and sustainability, remain misunderstood. The various gaps on its particular characteristics are related to the unusual exchangeable aluminum content; the manifestation of morphological and vertic features in an inorganic matrix dominated by kaolinitic phases; and the preservation and stocking of carbon in semi-arid and temperate climatic conditions. Thus, the aims in this study were to (i) investigate the genesis of an acidic Vertisol, as well as the factors and mechanisms of the acidity generation, (ii) understand the role of the interstratified clay minerals in the development of vertic features in a kaolinitic Vertisol, and iii) investigate the factors and mechanisms that promote the genesis of Pellic Vertisols under different climatic conditions in Brazil. Samples of six profiles of Vertisols were used, being four Pellic and two Haplic, both located between the northeast and southern regions of Brazil. Morphological, physical, chemical, mineralogical and isotopic analyzes were performed. In the modeling of the diffractograms, the Newmod program was used. For the identification of the organic functional groups of the soil, the nuclear magnetic resonance of the humic acid fraction and the spectral subtraction were performed. All the Vertisols presented a texture of clayey to very clayey, dry consistency ranging from hard to extremely hard and wet consistency between very plastic and very sticky. The pH values varied between acid and alkaline. They exhibit high base saturation, with the predominance of calcium in the exchangeable complex in most of the profiles. The carbon content reduced in depth; did not overlap the shrinking-swelling potential; and promoted improvements in aggregation, especially in the upper horizons. There was autigenesis of minerals, primary minerals predominated in the sand and silt fractions, and in the clay fraction species of dioctahedral smectites. Regardless of the smectic species and the type of vegetation (C3 and/or C4 plants), there was a greater diversity of functional groups in the superficial horizons. The mechanism of carbon stabilization in the Pellic Vertisols occurred through the interaction between inorganic and organic phases, mediated by bridges of non-metallic and metallic polyvalent cations, and by electrostatic interaction between inorganic and organic constituents. The manifestation of the morphological and vertic features in the kaolinitic Vertisol was generated by the interstratified kaolinite-montmorillonite resulting from the loss of the tetrahedral sheet of smectites by solid-state transformations. The acidity in the acid Vertisols was generated by the hydrolysis and dissolution of the mineral phases mediated by a humid past climate and continued by the current humid climate, being the exchangeable aluminum contents natural. In this context, this study contributes to advances in the genesis, mineralogy, and mechanisms of soil carbon stabilization, which are relevant themes of this millennium and contribute to other scientific areas.

Os Vertissolos apresentam alto potencial para a produção agrícola e para estocar carbono. No entanto, diversos aspectos sobre sua gênese, fundamentais para qualidade e sustentabilidade do solo, permanecem incompreendidos. As várias lacunas sobre suas características particulares estão relacionadas ao incomum teor de alumínio trocável; a manifestação de feições morfológicas e vérticas em uma matriz inorgânica dominada por fases cauliníticas; e a preservação e estoque de carbono em condições climáticas de semiárido e temperado. Dessa forma, os objetivos deste estudo foram (i) investigar a gênese de um Vertissolo ácido, bem como os fatores e mecanismos da geração dessa acidez, (ii) compreender o papel dos interestratificados no desenvolvimento das feições vérticas em Vertissolo com predomínio de caulinita na fração argila, e (iii) investigar os fatores e mecanismos que promovem a gênese de Vertissolos Ebânicos sob diferentes condições climáticas no Brasil. Amostras de seis perfis de Vertissolos foram utilizadas, sendo quatro Ebânicos e dois Háplicos, ambos localizados entre as regiões nordeste, sudeste e sul do Brasil. Análises morfológica, físicas, químicas, mineralógicas e isotópicas foram realizadas. Na modelagem dos difratogramas foi utilizado o programa Newmod. Para identificação dos grupos funcionais orgânicos do solo realizou-se a ressonância magnética nuclear da fração ácido húmico, e a subtração espectral. Todos os Vertissolos apresentaram textura de argilosa a muito argilosa, consistência seca variando de dura a extremante dura e consistência molhada entre muito plástica e muito pegajosa. Os valores de pH variaram entre ácido e alcalino. Foram eutróficos, com predomínio de cálcio no complexo de troca na maioria dos perfis. O teor de carbono reduziu em profundidade, não mascarou o potencial de contração e expansão, e promoveu melhorias na agregação, principalmente nos horizontes superficiais. Houve autigênese de minerais, os minerais primários predominaram nas frações areia e silte, e na fração argila espécies de esmectitas dioctaedrais. Independente da espécie esmectítica e do tipo de vegetação (plantas C3 e/ou C4) houve maior diversidade de grupos funcionais nos horizontes superficiais. O mecanismo de estabilização do carbono nos Vertissolos Ebânicos ocorreu por meio da interação entre as fases inorgânicas e orgânicas, mediada por pontes de cátions polivalentes não metálicos e metálicos, e também por interação eletrostática entre os constituintes inorgânicos e orgânicos. A manifestação das feições morfológicas e vérticas no Vertissolo com predomínio de caulinita na fração argila foi gerada pelos interestratificados caulinita-montmorilonita resultantes da perda da lâmina tetraedral das esmectitas via transformações no estado sólido. A acidez no Vertissolo ácido foi gerada pela hidrólise e dissolução das fases minerais mediados por um clima passado mais úmido e continuado pelo clima atual úmido, sendo os teores de alumínio trocável naturais. Nesse contexto, esse estudo contribui com avanços na gênese, mineralogia e mecanismos de estabilização do carbono no solo, os quais são temáticas relevantes desse milênio e contribui a outras áreas cientificas. / Vertisols have high potential for agricultural production and for carbon stocking. However, several aspects about its genesis, fundamental to soil quality and sustainability, remain misunderstood. The various gaps on its particular characteristics are related to the unusual exchangeable aluminum content; the manifestation of morphological and vertic features in an inorganic matrix dominated by kaolinitic phases; and the preservation and stocking of carbon in semi-arid and temperate climatic conditions. Thus, the aims in this study were to (i) investigate the genesis of an acidic Vertisol, as well as the factors and mechanisms of the acidity generation, (ii) understand the role of the interstratified clay minerals in the development of vertic features in a kaolinitic Vertisol, and iii) investigate the factors and mechanisms that promote the genesis of Pellic Vertisols under different climatic conditions in Brazil. Samples of six profiles of Vertisols were used, being four Pellic and two Haplic, both located between the northeast and southern regions of Brazil. Morphological, physical, chemical, mineralogical and isotopic analyzes were performed. In the modeling of the diffractograms, the Newmod program was used. For the identification of the organic functional groups of the soil, the nuclear magnetic resonance of the humic acid fraction and the spectral subtraction were performed. All the Vertisols presented a texture of clayey to very clayey, dry consistency ranging from hard to extremely hard and wet consistency between very plastic and very sticky. The pH values varied between acid and alkaline. They exhibit high base saturation, with the predominance of calcium in the exchangeable complex in most of the profiles. The carbon content reduced in depth; did not overlap the shrinking-swelling potential; and promoted improvements in aggregation, especially in the upper horizons. There was autigenesis of minerals, primary minerals predominated in the sand and silt fractions, and in the clay fraction species of dioctahedral smectites. Regardless of the smectic species and the type of vegetation (C3 and/or C4 plants), there was a greater diversity of functional groups in the superficial horizons. The mechanism of carbon stabilization in the Pellic Vertisols occurred through the interaction between inorganic and organic phases, mediated by bridges of non-metallic and metallic polyvalent cations, and by electrostatic interaction between inorganic and organic constituents. The manifestation of the morphological and vertic features in the kaolinitic Vertisol was generated by the interstratified kaolinite-montmorillonite resulting from the loss of the tetrahedral sheet of smectites by solid-state transformations. The acidity in the acid Vertisols was generated by the hydrolysis and dissolution of the mineral phases mediated by a humid past climate and continued by the current humid climate, being the exchangeable aluminum contents natural. In this context, this study contributes to advances in the genesis, mineralogy, and mechanisms of soil carbon stabilization, which are relevant themes of this millennium and contribute to other scientific areas.

The aim of the study is to investigate the current state of awareness of urban shrinkage inLiepājaby the key actors involved in the planning process. Last couple of hundred years have brought many transformations in urbanity that was always accompanied by the growth of the population and expansion of the city. However, the new patterns of urban development emerged in the last decades all over the globe, causing cities to lose the inhabitants resulting in urban shrinkage.Liepāja, the third largest city inLatvia, has lost a quarter of its population in last two decades and the trend continues. The long-term municipal planning document is being presented during this research in a light of which the research question is asked: “What is the current state of awareness of urban shrinkage inLiepājaby the key actors?” Utilising Flyvbjerg’s phronetic form of inquiry in combination with case study and repeated semi-structured interviews, the dominant planning views related to urban shrinkage are sought and analysed. The research identifies three underlying causalities that shape the decisions in planning and leave formidable consequences for the future of the city. The causalities identified and discussed in this paper are (1) the planning legacy; (2) the misconception; and (3) the political sensitivity of the urban shrinkage.

ABSTRACT A key feature of Canada’s urban system is the uneven distribution of population and economic growth. The 2011 Census showed that in the past five years more than 80% of the country’s growth was concentrated in the 10 largest Canadian Metropolitan Areas. As a result, more than 33% of Canada’s population centres lost population while another 27% experienced slow growth. Despite affecting a third of the country’s communities, population loss was concentrated primarily in remote communities with a population of less than 10,000. To better understand the processes and effects of slow growth and shrinkage in Canada this research was guided by three questions: • How do planners, economic developers and local officials define slow growth, decline and shrinkage? • What factors cause a community to implement growth appropriate planning tools and strategies and; • What components should be part of growth appropriate planning and economic development strategies? These questions were addressed using a qualitative survey which was answered by 70 participants in 51 communities. Overall there was little variance in how respondents defined decline and shrinkage. Given their stigma, each term was primarily associated with population loss, vacant structures and a variety of problems including financial stress and the loss of employment opportunities. When asked approximately 80% of Canadian communities used at least one progressive planning tool or strategy. The implementation of these tools was largely in response to the effects of slow growth and shrinkage as well as future economic outlook, support from local actors (municipal staff and officials, residents, local businesses) and senior governments. Few communities however used these tools to acknowledge or explicitly deal with their slow growth or shrinkage as it was feared that accepting either trend would scare away future investment. Almost all of the research participants agreed that areas of slow growth and population loss required different planning strategies than those experiencing rapid growth. These strategies included altering existing strategies to meet local needs and or creating entirely new planning tools and strategies, collaborating with other professionals, amending existing or creating new roles for planners, leverage local resources for community improvements and using an approach which equally addresses a community physical, economic, environmental and social needs. In addition, respondents noted that more research was required on how to plan in growth challenged areas and in particular, small rural communities.

Baigiamojo magistro darbo tyrimo objektas yra vidutinio dydžio besitraukiančių miestų centrinių dalių funkcinė ir erdvinė struktūra. Nagrinėjamas Rokiškio miestas, kaip besitraukiantis miestas, susiduriantis su panašiems miestams būdingomis problemomis. Analogų studijoje, miesto raidos procesai lyginami su pasaulio miestuose vykstančiais procesais, remiantis pasauline praktika, ieškoma būdų problemoms spręsti. Siekiant suvaldyti miesto traukimąsi ir pagerinti miesto gyvenamosios aplinkos kokybę bei miesto įvaizdį, kuriama Rokiškio, kaip ekologiško miesto, vizija. Detalesnio tyrimo objektu pasirinkta Rokiškio miesto funkcinė ir erdvinė struktūra bei miesto pietinė dalis ir su ja susijusios urbanistinės bei aplinkos kokybės problemos. Į nagrinėjamą teritoriją įeina masinės statybos gyvenamieji rajonai ir pramonės teritorijos, t.y. itin problematiškos zonos. Darbas pateikiamas aiškinamajame rašte, grafinėje medžiagoje (planšetuose) ir miesto pietinės dalies koncepcijos makete. Darbas atliekamas remiantis moksline literatūra, pasauliniais analogais, juos lyginant, vertinant, darant išvadas ir jų praktiką pritaikant Rokiškio miestui. Aiškinamąjį raštą sudaro penki skyriai: Įvadas, analitinė – metodinė dalis, analitinė – tiriamoji dalis, eksperimentinė – projektinė dalis ir išvados; taip pat literatūros šaltinių, iliustracijų, lentelių sąrašas ir priedai. Darbo apimtis – 111 p. teksto be priedų, 69 iliustracijos, 12 lentelių, 53 bibliografiniai šaltiniai. Atskirai pridedami darbo... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The goal of Master thesis is to investigate the functional and spatial structure of mid-size shrinking cities. The object of this study is Rokiškis town – a shrinking town, encountering regular problems of this kind of town. Comparative analysis between Rokiškis and similar foreign towns is made, seeking for tools and examples of problem solving. In order to suppress the process of town shrinking and to ameliorate the quality of living environment, together with the overall image of the town, the vision of Rokiškis as an ecological town is being established. Detailed study of Rokiškis functional and spatial structure, and also of southern part of the town is made. Problems concerning urban planning and the quality of living environment are investigated. The studied territory gathers mass housing blocks as well as industrial territories – and these are the zones of very complex problems. Master thesis is presented by a textual part, graphical drawings and conceptual paper model. Thesis is based on the references of scientific literature, analogues of foreign countries, while comparing and evaluating them, and making conclusions The textual part has 5 chapters: introduction, analytical-methodical part, analytical-research part, experimental-project part and conclusions; references list, illustrations‘ list, tables list and extras included. Master thesis has 111 pages, without extras, 69 illustrations, 12 tables, 53 bibliographical references, extras included.

ABSTRACT A key feature of Canada’s urban system is the uneven distribution of population and economic growth. The 2011 Census showed that in the past five years more than 80% of the country’s growth was concentrated in the 10 largest Canadian Metropolitan Areas. As a result, more than 33% of Canada’s population centres lost population while another 27% experienced slow growth. Despite affecting a third of the country’s communities, population loss was concentrated primarily in remote communities with a population of less than 10,000. To better understand the processes and effects of slow growth and shrinkage in Canada this research was guided by three questions: • How do planners, economic developers and local officials define slow growth, decline and shrinkage? • What factors cause a community to implement growth appropriate planning tools and strategies and; • What components should be part of growth appropriate planning and economic development strategies? These questions were addressed using a qualitative survey which was answered by 70 participants in 51 communities. Overall there was little variance in how respondents defined decline and shrinkage. Given their stigma, each term was primarily associated with population loss, vacant structures and a variety of problems including financial stress and the loss of employment opportunities. When asked approximately 80% of Canadian communities used at least one progressive planning tool or strategy. The implementation of these tools was largely in response to the effects of slow growth and shrinkage as well as future economic outlook, support from local actors (municipal staff and officials, residents, local businesses) and senior governments. Few communities however used these tools to acknowledge or explicitly deal with their slow growth or shrinkage as it was feared that accepting either trend would scare away future investment. Almost all of the research participants agreed that areas of slow growth and population loss required different planning strategies than those experiencing rapid growth. These strategies included altering existing strategies to meet local needs and or creating entirely new planning tools and strategies, collaborating with other professionals, amending existing or creating new roles for planners, leverage local resources for community improvements and using an approach which equally addresses a community physical, economic, environmental and social needs. In addition, respondents noted that more research was required on how to plan in growth challenged areas and in particular, small rural communities.

Från 1970 fram till 2020 har 117 av Sveriges 290 kommuner haft en minskad befolkning. Trots att det är så pass många kommuner som har en minskande befolkning är det inte ett ämne man generellt sett pratar om i Sverige. Denna studie har studerat två av dessa kommuner, Avesta och Hällefors kommun, genom bland annat intervjuer med både tjänstemän och politiker som metod för att få en djupare förståelse i frågan. Fokus har legat på vilka konsekvenserna blir av en långvarig befolkningsminskning samt hur en kommun kan hantera denna situation.  Studien visade att de två studerade kommunerna har ett flertal tomma bostäder, en högre arbetslöshet bland unga människor och en avvikande demografi, med en överrepresenterad del av befolkningen i ej arbetsför ålder till skillnad från övriga landet. En vidare konsekvens av överskott av tomma bostäder kan bli att dessa kommuner utsättas för social dumpning, ett fenomen där personer i behov av kommunalt stöd får aktiv hjälp att flytta till andra kommuner. I detta fall har Hällefors fått en högre andel av personer i behov av kommunalt stöd.  Båda kommunerna visade att de fortsatt planerar att nå en befolkningstillväxt. De åtgärder de har genomfört för att bevara sin befolkning är att delvis satsa på utbildning. De är medvetna om att unga personer i större utsträckning tenderar att flytta ifrån kommunen, och för att hantera detta har Hällefors satsat på utbildning för att locka till sig lika många studenter som det antal som flyttar därifrån för att studera. I Avesta vill man att personer som flyttat från kommunen ska ha ett positivt minne av kommunen och således flytta tillbaka senare i livet, när man eventuellt vill skaffa familj. / Between 1970 and 2020, 117 out of the 290 Swedish municipalities have been shrinking, despite that almost half of the municipalities have had a shrinking population; the subject is generally not discussed in Sweden. This study has been focusing on two different municipalities, Avesta and Hällefors municipality, to get their perspective on the consequences of a prolonged population decline and how to handle it. This has been done through interviewing both officials and politicians from each of the two municipalities.  This study has been indicating that the two municipalities have had a higher amount of empty residences, a higher degree of unemployment of young people and a higher degree of people not in working age compared to the rest of Sweden. One consequence of the large amount of empty residences is social dumping, a phenomenon where a person in need of support gets active help from their own municipality to move to another municipality. In this study Hällefors municipality has had a higher proportion of the population in need of support. Both of the municipalities have been planning for population growth, they have implemented measures to preserve the current population, partly through investments in education. Both are aware that young people in a greater extent will move out from their municipality, to handle this Hällefors municipality has been expanding their education with the goal of attracting the same amount of students that move away to study. Avesta municipality wants people who have moved away to have a positive memory of the municipality, in hope that they want to move back later in life when they want to settle down.