Protected areas are an important tool for biodiversity conservation. Statutory protected areas are, however, perceived to currently be insufficient in extent and functioning for achieving conservation goals. Conservation action on privately owned land plays an increasingly vital role in expanding the global conservation estate. Private Land Conservation Areas (PLCAs) exist with internal properties and external contexts and do not occur isolated in space and time. They can thus best be described as linked social-ecological systems. Little comprehensive work has yet been done concerning the structure and functioning of PLCAs. However, an understanding of their emergence, long-term persistence and contribution to conservation is highly relevant. How can PLCAs maintain their identity against disturbances in order to be resilient into the future? Spatial patterns and relationships determine the answer to this question. Geographical location influences the private conservation estate through different drivers, namely biophysical conditions, network connections and membership, as well as socio-economic conditions. I thus used a comparative, spatially explicit and holistic approach to better understand spatial resilience of PLCAs in the Western Cape Province of South Africa as case study region. The approach was based on assessing representative measures for four elements of system identity (being components, relationships, sources of continuity, and sources of innovation). I expected that geographical location and spatial variation in social-ecological factors strongly influence PLCA types, socio-economic interaction networks among protected areas and other stakeholders, contribution to conservation by PLCAs and their ecotourism performance. Information and data for this research were obtained from personal interviews conducted with owners and managers of 70 PLCAs across the province. Additional data were derived via conservation authorities and online tools. My findings show that the identity and resilience of PLCAs are strongly dominated by the influence of spatial location and heterogeneity in factors such as ecological features or socioeconomic context. I was able to verify existing PLCA types, namely game and habitat reserves, which strongly depended on the biophysical context. Visitation rates were influenced by location which determined the adopted corporate model of PLCAs. Clear neighbourhood effects emerged in socioeconomic interaction networks, which further highlighted great potential to enhance collaboration across scales. PLCAs provided a substantial contribution to conservation targets in terms of importance (covering critical biodiversity areas) and urgency (protecting ecosystems of threatened status). My findings will be valuable to highlight opportunities for more effective conservation in the study region, and to advance insights into the spatial resilience of social-ecological systems.

This thesis aims to develop a workbook to assess social-ecological justice (SEJ) in projects, plans and processes. Social-ecological justice bridges many sustainability discourses in order to create a more inclusive and wider sustainability concept than previous ones (Gunnarsson Östling & Svenfelt, (Submitted Book Chapter)).  In order to fill the gap between SEJ theory and practically assessing SEJ in projects, plans and processes there is a need for a tool that can help and guide practitioners in their work. This thesis aims to fill the existing gap by developing the SEJ workbook. A lot of the developed SEJ methodology is based on an already existing workbook developed by the Resilience Alliance (2010) called: Assessing resilience in social-ecological systems: Workbook for practitioners. This workbook and SEJ have the same definition of what a social-ecological system is, and share a lot of similar theoretical aspects. The methodology of this thesis is a combination of a theoretical study of the SEJ concept, an analytic comparative study between a Resilience Assessment and the SEJ concept, and semi-structured interviews with practitioners that in different ways works with sustainable development today. The result is a five steps workbook that consists of the parts: 1) Identifying issues, defining the area and actor analysis, 2) History of the issues, 3) Dynamics of the issues and cross-scale interactions, 4) Governance and 5) Acting on the assessment. Each step has questions that aim to help the analyst complete the SEJ assessment. This entire process creates an inclusive and broad understanding of SEJ issues in projects, plans and processes. The complete SEJ assessment can help decision makers and actors in the area make well informed decisions for future sustainable development. It can also serve as a first step in an EIA (environmental impact assessment) with connections to social, ecological and socioeconomic aspects.

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Education in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education at the University of Zululand, 2018 / This study investigated the resilience among Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in KwaZulu-Natal schools. It identified OVC challenges and developed a psychosocial model of intervention. The Social Ecological Model was adopted as a framework for the study. The study adopted the mixed method research design. The population for the study was the OVC, caregivers and teachers from Kwazulu-Natal schools, specifically Amajuba and Zululand Districts. Random selection was done for OVC from mainstream schools. Purposive sampling method was used to select OVC from special schools, schools near the orphanage, home of safety and a Full Service school. The sample which participated during quantitative data collection consisted of 303 OVC from 12 to 20 years old who were selected from 7 school in Amajuba and Zululand Districts.The sample which participated in qualitative data collection consisted of 4 focus groups and those were 6 caregivers, 6 teachers and 12 OVC. OVC were selected from 303 OVC who filled the questionnaires and CYRM-28. This made a total of 24 participants for focus groups. The total of participants for the whole study was 315. Three instruments were used to collect data for this study, namely; the Child and Youth Resilience Scale-28 (CYRM-28), the self-constructed psychosocial questionnaire and the interview schedule. The CYRM-28 was used to measure the extent of OVC resilience with the self-constructed questionnaire. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse data. Frequencies were created for descriptive data and the Chi-Square statistical technique was used to test the null hypothesis. Then the thematic content analysis was used to identify themes from the focus group interviews. The results of descriptive statistics indicated that 79% of all participants reported high availability of resources that enabled resilience. Fewer resources were reported for children who had experienced abuse, followed by those with disabilities and more resources were reported for orphans. The main challenges of OVC identified were lack of support from teachers and neighbours/ communities. Other challenges included maltreatment by caregiver, OVC behavioural problems, unavailability of documents for social grant applications. Child Headed Household was identified as lacking all resources. The findings of inferential statistics indicated that there is a significant relationship between the age, gender and custody of OVC and their availability of resources. OVC and caregivers encountered various problems which were risk factors for the resilience of OVC. Availability of resources to a majority of OVC who participated in the study was a protective factor. Participants recommended that more resources which promote resilience of OVC be made available to communities, for examples, old age homes, and entrepreneurship skills, continuous counselling services for caregivers and OVC and recreational facilities for communities. Lastly, the psychosocial model of intervention was developed based on the literature and findings of the study. / Natonal Research Foundation National Institute for Humanities and Social Sciences (NIHSS)

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) is a comprehensive construct including physical and psychosocial health functioning. Despite significant health benefits of regular physical activity (PA), over 40% of female college students do not meet recommended PA guidelines to improve their health. This study investigated the influences of individual, social, and physical environmental factors on students’ PA and HRQOL. Participants were 235 female university students who completed validated surveys assessing their perceptions of PA, HRQOL, and social ecological factors. Three hierarchical regressions revealed individual and physical environmental factors as predictors of PA and HRQOL. These findings indicated health professionals need to consider students’ individual factors and physical environmental factors to promote female students’ PA and HRQOL.

No description available.

Achieving long-term conservation gains through conservation incentive programs on agricultural lands requires a deep understanding of landowner needs and interests. However, social science research related to private lands conservation programs authorized by the United State farm bill lags behind biological research, limiting our knowledge about how to best design these programs to ensure they are effective. Given this need to better understand the human dimensions of habitat conservation on agricultural lands, we used two research projects to investigate landowner considerations related to land management decisions as well as how to effectively engage landowners in the conservation process. First, using two landowner-led workshops, we looked at what factors ranchers in the Intermountain West consider in deciding to continue or discontinue flood irrigation, an irrigation practice that sustains historically flooded wet meadows across the region. We also evaluated these landowner-led workshops as a form of participatory research. Our second project included three focus groups of landowners currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, the largest private lands conservation program in the United States, and a survey of landowners with fields currently enrolled or no longer enrolled with expiration dates from 2011 to 2017. Our results highlight the role of agricultural landowners in habitat conservation and the complex social-ecological considerations that they face in making management decisions. Many landowners are interested in conservation programs that meet the context of their specific operation. Our findings suggest the need to better incorporate landowner needs into conservation program design and implementation that promote both operation and habitat sustainability. / MS / Agricultural lands across the American West play a critical role in conserving both agricultural operations and wildlife habitat. Conservation programs that provide incentives to landowners for various conservation efforts are available to aid in the protection of these lands and communities. Gaining a deeper understanding of the considerations of agricultural landowners for their land management decisions can help inform conservation programs and policy to more effectively meet the needs of landowners. We used two research projects to investigate landowner considerations related to land management decisions as well as how to effectively engage landowners in the conservation process. First, we looked at what factors ranchers in the Intermountain West consider in deciding to continue or discontinue flood irrigation, an irrigation practice that sustains historically flooded wet meadows across the region. We also evaluated these landowner-led workshops as a form of participatory research. Our second project included three focus groups of landowners currently enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Program, the largest private lands conservation program in the United States, and a survey of landowners with fields currently enrolled or no longer enrolled with expiration dates from 2011 to 2017. Our results highlight the role of agricultural landowners in habitat conservation and the complex environmental and social considerations that they face in making management decisions. Many landowners are interested in conservation programs that meet the needs of their specific operation. Our findings suggest the need to better incorporate landowner needs into conservation program design and implementation that promote both agricultural and environmental conservation.

Understanding the factors influencing the abundance and distribution of tropical floodplain fishes is an important component of fisheries management plans to support future sustainable resource use. This thesis uses a multi-scale approach to understand the habitat factors controlling the distribution and abundance of arapaima (Arapaima spp.) in river floodplains of the lower Amazon River, near the municipality of Santarém, Para State, Brazil. In chapter 1, a study of eight environmental variables in 13 dry season floodplain lakes demonstrates that lake depth, relative depth, conductivity, and transparency were significantly related to the probability of arapaima presence at individual locations within lakes. Further, the study revealed that smaller arapaima were more likely to be found near macrophyte coverage than in open water locations. In chapter 2, a landscape scale approach was used to examine the interactions between management systems, landscape habitat coverage, and spatial arrangement on arapaima population sizes in 73 floodplain lakes. Results showed that all three influences were important in explaining variability in arapaima abundances. Management and habitat variables contributed equally in controlling arapaima abundances. Both had strong patterns of spatial arrangement and overlapped significantly, suggesting that analysis of either management systems or landscape habitats without the other would lead to overestimations of the strength of their influence. Findings from both chapters support the notion that future sustainable use of arapaima populations requires a dualistic approach combining habitat conservation with fisheries management techniques enacted at a local scale. / Master of Science / Understanding where fishes choose to live within aquatic habitats, and why they do so, is important for their long-term protection habitat destruction and overfishing. This thesis looks at fish habitats at both small and large scales to understand the variables affecting populations of the megafish arapaima (<i>Arapaima spp.</i>) in lakes of the lower Amazon River, near the municipality of Santarém, Pará State, Brazil. In chapter 1, a study of eight environmental variables in 13 lakes shows that for each lake, deeper, muddier (less clear), and more electricallyconductive waters were more likely placed to find arapaima. Further, the study revealed that young arapaima were more likely to be found near aquatic plants than in open water areas near the middle of the lake. In chapter 2, a larger-scale approach was used to examine the interactions between humans, habitats, and spatial groupings for arapaima population sizes in 73 lakes. Results showed that all three factors were important in explaining how many arapaima were found in each lake. Human and habitat variables were equally important variables affecting arapaima. Both were strongly related to spatial groupings and overlapped significantly, suggesting that analysis of either human systems or habitats without the other would lead researchers to overestimate how important they are for arapaima. Findings from both chapters support the notion that future sustainable use of arapaima populations requires an approach combining habitat conservation with fisheries management techniques enacted at a local scale.

This dissertation was guided by the social ecological model and family resilience framework to investigate the roles of the home environment (i.e., home affordances) and parents’ support (i.e., home-based involvement, physical activity [PA]) on Head Start children’s PA and school readiness (i.e., motor competence, executive functions). An explanatory sequential mixed methods design was utilized. In the quantitative study, parents and children (N = 86) were recruited from five Head Start centers. Descriptive statistics, correlation, and regression analysis were conducted. Regression analyses showed that parents’ light PA was a significantly positive predictor of children’s light PA, while parents’ light PA was a significant negative predictor of children’s motor competence. Parent’s home-based involvement scores were used to purposefully sample participants for the qualitative study. The home environment was not a significant predictor in children’s PA, school readiness, or executive functions. Eight parent participants were interviewed about their home-based involvement and PA. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the interviews. Six themes and two overarching themes were created for parents’ involvement and PA respectively: parents’ home and school involvement, children’s social and emotional characteristics, family members health and well-being; parents’ previous athletic and sports history, parents’ current PA, and parents’ priorities. The integrated results explained and contrasted the quantitative results. The home environment and parents’ support are considerable factors in children’s development. Parents’ support was an influential factor in young children’s PA and school readiness such as motor competence.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosopy (PhD) / An environmental history approach is used in this thesis as a foundation for the analysis of the social and environmental changes that have occurred from the ancient past to the present within the Paterson Valley in New South Wales, Australia. The study examines the biophysical basis of the valley’s ecological processes and then describes the influence of the activities of Aboriginal peoples and subsequent European colonisation on the landscape. The study makes use of the various methodologies within social and ecological systems to assist with the analysis. It demonstrates the value of concepts such as complex adaptive systems, the adaptive cycle, panarchy and ecosystem health as ways of conceptualising complex transdisciplinary issues to reach conclusions based on temporal and spatial evidence. The complex relationships that the Aboriginal peoples had with the environment are compared with the various and rapid phases of colonial influences and processes. The social dimension of the changes over time is examined particularly with respect to the Indigenous and European institutions and infrastructure that influence the landscape. A significant issue identified in the study was the changing influence of Western institutions on the ecosystem health of the Valley; from local to global. The implications of this on ecosystem health are discussed. The Valley’s landscapes are divided into alluvial and non-alluvial, with the latter receiving the most attention in the study primarily due to its more extant nature whereas the alluvial rainforest has been virtually eliminated through extensive land clearing. The analysis of the non-alluvial landscape shows how important the Indigenous land management practices were in the maintenance of a complex mosaic of vegetation types specifically influenced by fire. The impact of the removal of the Indigenous influences on the landscape and the imposition of European practices and processes have seen a major reduction in the Valley’s ecological complexity. The study identified processes and factors external to the Valley which are increasingly influencing it. Not all of these are detrimental but they result in the Valley’s ecosystem health being more dependent on global events and processes. The study demonstrates the value of the ecosystem health framework for conceptualising the Valley’s ecosystems and the adaptive cycle for analysing and understanding their changes over time. These approaches provide an opportunity to identify pathways for future management of the Valley’s resources.

Research Doctorate - Doctor of Philosopy (PhD) / An environmental history approach is used in this thesis as a foundation for the analysis of the social and environmental changes that have occurred from the ancient past to the present within the Paterson Valley in New South Wales, Australia. The study examines the biophysical basis of the valley’s ecological processes and then describes the influence of the activities of Aboriginal peoples and subsequent European colonisation on the landscape. The study makes use of the various methodologies within social and ecological systems to assist with the analysis. It demonstrates the value of concepts such as complex adaptive systems, the adaptive cycle, panarchy and ecosystem health as ways of conceptualising complex transdisciplinary issues to reach conclusions based on temporal and spatial evidence. The complex relationships that the Aboriginal peoples had with the environment are compared with the various and rapid phases of colonial influences and processes. The social dimension of the changes over time is examined particularly with respect to the Indigenous and European institutions and infrastructure that influence the landscape. A significant issue identified in the study was the changing influence of Western institutions on the ecosystem health of the Valley; from local to global. The implications of this on ecosystem health are discussed. The Valley’s landscapes are divided into alluvial and non-alluvial, with the latter receiving the most attention in the study primarily due to its more extant nature whereas the alluvial rainforest has been virtually eliminated through extensive land clearing. The analysis of the non-alluvial landscape shows how important the Indigenous land management practices were in the maintenance of a complex mosaic of vegetation types specifically influenced by fire. The impact of the removal of the Indigenous influences on the landscape and the imposition of European practices and processes have seen a major reduction in the Valley’s ecological complexity. The study identified processes and factors external to the Valley which are increasingly influencing it. Not all of these are detrimental but they result in the Valley’s ecosystem health being more dependent on global events and processes. The study demonstrates the value of the ecosystem health framework for conceptualising the Valley’s ecosystems and the adaptive cycle for analysing and understanding their changes over time. These approaches provide an opportunity to identify pathways for future management of the Valley’s resources.