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1
Gunawardene, Nihara. "Arid zone ant communities of Western Australia." Thesis, Curtin University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1178.
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This thesis is prepared in three parts; the first part is a study of the ant species of the southern Carnarvon Basin, which was undertaken in order to determine the patterns of ant species distribution in this arid zone area. The distribution patterns were looked at in terms of biogeographical regions and they demonstrated the transitional nature of this particular area. Recommendations to alter the border between the South-west Province and the Eremaean Province were supported. The next chapter of this thesis analysed ant species from long unburnt and burnt areas of three main vegetation types (two Triodia species grasslands and Acacia aneura woodlands) in the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve. This study was carried out to observe the recovery of ant populations after fire. The results provided further evidence that invertebrates are measurably impacted by fire in the arid zone. The final chapter is a comparison of these two arid zone studies with six other ant community studies from throughout Western Australia. It demonstrated the uniqueness of some arid zone sites as well as related each study to each other according to their ant communities.
2
Gunawardene, Nihara. "Arid zone ant communities of Western Australia." Curtin University of Technology, Department of Environmental Biology, 2003. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=16212.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is prepared in three parts; the first part is a study of the ant species of the southern Carnarvon Basin, which was undertaken in order to determine the patterns of ant species distribution in this arid zone area. The distribution patterns were looked at in terms of biogeographical regions and they demonstrated the transitional nature of this particular area. Recommendations to alter the border between the South-west Province and the Eremaean Province were supported. The next chapter of this thesis analysed ant species from long unburnt and burnt areas of three main vegetation types (two Triodia species grasslands and Acacia aneura woodlands) in the Gibson Desert Nature Reserve. This study was carried out to observe the recovery of ant populations after fire. The results provided further evidence that invertebrates are measurably impacted by fire in the arid zone. The final chapter is a comparison of these two arid zone studies with six other ant community studies from throughout Western Australia. It demonstrated the uniqueness of some arid zone sites as well as related each study to each other according to their ant communities.
3
King, Joshua R. "Ant communities of Florida's upland ecosystems ecology and sampling /." [Gainesville, Fla.] : University of Florida, 2004. http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/UFE0008359.
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Storz, Shonna R. "Distribution, spread, activity patterns, and foraging behaviors of the introduced ant Pheidole obscurithorax in the southeastern United States." [Tallahassee, FL : Florida State University], 2003. http://etd.lib.fsu.edu/theses/available/etd-09182003-183317/.
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Thesis (M.S.)--Florida State University, 2003.Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Feb. 19, 2006). Advisor: Dr. Walter R. Tschinkel, Florida State University, College of Arts and Sciences, Dept. of Biological Science. Includes bibliographical references (p. 53-58).
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Mohd, Yusah Kalsum binti. "Ant community structure in the high canopy of lowland dipterocarp forest." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.609653.
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Clough, Elizabeth Anne, and n/a. "Factors Influencing Ant Assemblages and Ant Community Composition in a Sub-Tropical Suburban Environment." Griffith University. School of Environmental and Applied Science, 2004. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20040719.141317.
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The main objective of this study was to examine the abundance and diversity of ants in suburban sites following vegetation removal or modification for development. This research examines the capacity of suburban sites to support ant diversity, which is dependent on the site characteristics and their surrounding environment. The study focused on 29 suburban garden and 3 suburban reserve sites on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. This region, through continuing land development, undergoes ongoing habitat disturbance and modification. Ground-dwelling ants were collected by pitfall trapping in study sites over three summers between 1997 and 1999. In total, 28,512 ants from 60 species in 31 genera were collected. Garden sites that maintain vegetation structural diversity were found to be most similar to reserve sites in terms of ant community composition. These sites were highest in ant richness and diversity and contained particularly high proportions of specialized ant species. Sites in close proximity to remnants of native vegetation contained higher species diversity and a greater proportion of specialized ant species. The introduced tramp ant, Pheidole megacephala was found in 28 of the 32 sites and was found to significantly reduce ant species richness and diversity and displace the dominant ant Iridomyrmex sp. 1 in suburban environments. This ant poses a serious threat to the recovery of a diverse ant fauna to suburban environments. Ant community composition was shown to vary significantly among suburban sites. The ant functional groups commonly found in disturbed sites were abundant in open sites with little canopy cover in this study. Sites that provided vegetation structural diversity and areas of closed canopy supported similar functional groups to natural vegetation remnants. These results indicate that ant communities in suburban environments respond to disturbance in a similar manner to ant communities in tropical forests and rainforests. The dominance by functional groups and presence of specialized species may therefore be used as an indicator of disturbance and the restoration of suitable habitat in suburban sites. The presence of specialized species of ants in suburban garden sites and their clear preference for particular site characteristics indicate that these species utilize resources available in the suburban matrix. These results indicate that residential suburban sites are of value in the enhancement of ant diversity in fragmented landscapes and that they may provide supportive habitat to, and act as corridors between, vegetation fragments. In order to preserve biodiversity within suburban environments, landowners should be advised to retain as much existing vegetation within a site as possible. Clearing should be limited to that necessary to allow construction of dwellings and for safety. In addition, landowners should be encouraged to establish or maintain structurally diverse vegetation layers within sites in order to provide diverse microenvironments for fauna habitat.
7
Grevé, Michael E. [Verfasser], and Heike [Akademischer Betreuer] Feldhaar. "Temperate ant communities under anthropogenic impact / Michael E. Grevé ; Betreuer: Heike Feldhaar." Bayreuth : Universität Bayreuth, 2019. http://d-nb.info/1201411718/34.
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Grevé, Michael [Verfasser], and Heike [Akademischer Betreuer] Feldhaar. "Temperate ant communities under anthropogenic impact / Michael E. Grevé ; Betreuer: Heike Feldhaar." Bayreuth : Universität Bayreuth, 2019. http://d-nb.info/1201411718/34.
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Styrsky, John D. Eubanks Micky. "Consequences of mutualisms between aphids and an invasive ant to arthropod communities and their host plants." Auburn, Ala., 2006. http://repo.lib.auburn.edu/2006%20Spring/doctoral/STYRSKY_JOHN_36.pdf.
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Clough, Elizabeth Anne. "Factors Influencing Ant Assemblages and Ant Community Composition in a Sub-Tropical Suburban Environment." Thesis, Griffith University, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/366528.
Full textAbstract:
The main objective of this study was to examine the abundance and diversity of ants in suburban sites following vegetation removal or modification for development. This research examines the capacity of suburban sites to support ant diversity, which is dependent on the site characteristics and their surrounding environment. The study focused on 29 suburban garden and 3 suburban reserve sites on the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. This region, through continuing land development, undergoes ongoing habitat disturbance and modification. Ground-dwelling ants were collected by pitfall trapping in study sites over three summers between 1997 and 1999. In total, 28,512 ants from 60 species in 31 genera were collected. Garden sites that maintain vegetation structural diversity were found to be most similar to reserve sites in terms of ant community composition. These sites were highest in ant richness and diversity and contained particularly high proportions of specialized ant species. Sites in close proximity to remnants of native vegetation contained higher species diversity and a greater proportion of specialized ant species. The introduced tramp ant, Pheidole megacephala was found in 28 of the 32 sites and was found to significantly reduce ant species richness and diversity and displace the dominant ant Iridomyrmex sp. 1 in suburban environments. This ant poses a serious threat to the recovery of a diverse ant fauna to suburban environments. Ant community composition was shown to vary significantly among suburban sites. The ant functional groups commonly found in disturbed sites were abundant in open sites with little canopy cover in this study. Sites that provided vegetation structural diversity and areas of closed canopy supported similar functional groups to natural vegetation remnants. These results indicate that ant communities in suburban environments respond to disturbance in a similar manner to ant communities in tropical forests and rainforests. The dominance by functional groups and presence of specialized species may therefore be used as an indicator of disturbance and the restoration of suitable habitat in suburban sites. The presence of specialized species of ants in suburban garden sites and their clear preference for particular site characteristics indicate that these species utilize resources available in the suburban matrix. These results indicate that residential suburban sites are of value in the enhancement of ant diversity in fragmented landscapes and that they may provide supportive habitat to, and act as corridors between, vegetation fragments. In order to preserve biodiversity within suburban environments, landowners should be advised to retain as much existing vegetation within a site as possible. Clearing should be limited to that necessary to allow construction of dwellings and for safety. In addition, landowners should be encouraged to establish or maintain structurally diverse vegetation layers within sites in order to provide diverse microenvironments for fauna habitat.Thesis (Masters)
Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
School of Environmental and Applied Science
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Friedrich, Russell L. "The short-term impacts of burning and mowing on prairie ant communities of the Oak Openings Region." Toledo, Ohio : University of Toledo, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=toledo1271382165.
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Thesis (M.S.)--University of Toledo, 2010.Typescript. "Submitted to the Graduate Faculty as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Biology (Ecology track)." "A thesis entitled"--at head of title. Title from title page of PDF document. Bibliography: p. 38-42 and 51.
12
Lough, Kerry Frances. "The Short and Long-term Effects of Herbicide Application in Maine Clearcuts on Ant Communities (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)." Fogler Library, University of Maine, 2003. http://www.library.umaine.edu/theses/pdf/LoughKF2003.pdf.
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Tyrpak, Alex Marcus. "How ant communities are shaped by vacant land management strategies, landscape context, and a legacy of industrialization." The Ohio State University, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1594477507523544.
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Espira, Anton. "Variations in the ground ant communities of Kakamega Forest, Western Kenya : potential indicators of forest disturbance." Thesis, University of Oxford, 2001. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.393225.
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Berman, Maïa. "Impacts of anthropogenic fires and invasive ants on native ant diversity in New Caledonia : from genes to communities." Thesis, Montpellier 2, 2012. http://www.theses.fr/2012MON20086/document.
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La destruction de l'habitat, les invasions biologiques et leur interaction sont des menaces majeures pour la biodiversité. La Nouvelle-Calédonie est menacée à la fois par des feux d'origine humaine, et par des fourmis invasives : il est important de comprendre leur impact sur ce biotope unique. Pour ce faire, une approche hiérarchique intégrant différents aspects de la biodiversité (composition, structure et fonction) a été adoptée. Les fourmis ont une grande importance écologique, en particulier en milieu tropical, et leur classification en groupes fonctionnels facilite l'interprétation de leur réponse aux perturbations environnementales. Les objectifs de cette étude étaient donc d'évaluer les impacts des feux, des fourmis invasives, et de leur interaction, sur les fourmis natives de Nouvelle-Calédonie, et ce à différentes échelles spatiales (globale, régionale, locale) et temporelles (court et long terme), ainsi qu'à divers niveaux d'organisation biologique (communautés, espèces, gènes). L'étude contribue à une meilleure connaissance de la myrmécofaune calédonienne, en révélant l'absence de fourmis souterraines spécialisées, et en documentant la distribution et composition des communautés de fourmis à l'échelle de l'île, en lien avec l'habitat et les fourmis exotiques. Les mécanismes par lesquels les feux impactent les fourmis natives, y compris en association avec les fourmis invasives, sont révélés. Le feu, en créant les conditions de micro- et macrohabitat favorisées par les fourmis invasives, facilite l'invasion, qui cause ensuite d'avantage de perte de diversité, soit quelques années après un incendie ou dans le contexte de la fragmentation à long terme. L'approche hiérarchique a permis de détecter des réponses contrastées au niveau des espèces et de la génétique, liées à différents traits d'histoire de vie, en plus des réponses mesurées au niveau des communautés. Cette étude souligne l'avantage d'une approche holistique pour adresser des problèmes liés à la biodiversitéHabitat destruction, biological invasions and their interaction are global drivers of biodiversity loss. The New Caledonian hotspot of biodiversity is threatened by both anthropogenic fires and invasive ants: it is important to understand their impacts on its biota. Because biodiversity spans several levels of organisation (from genes to communities) and relates to different attributes (compositional, structural and functional), this thesis takes a hierarchical approach to address this issue. Ants are of great ecological importance, especially in tropical biomes, and their classification into functional groups provides a global framework for analysing their response to disturbance. My aims were therefore to investigate the impacts of anthropogenic fires and invasive ants, and their interaction, on the native New Caledonian ant fauna at different spatial (global, regional, local) and temporal (short and long term) scales, and at different levels of biological organisation (community, species, genes). The study contributes to an improved knowledge of the New Caledonian ants, by revealing the lack of specialised subterranean species, and by investigating island-scale patterns of ant communities, in relation to habitat and invasion. The mechanisms by which fire impacts native ants, either as a standalone process or in association with invasion could be identified. In particular, I show that fire, by creating macro- and microhabitats favoured by invasive ants, facilitates invasion, which then causes further diversity declines, either in the short- (post-burning) or long-term (forest fragmentation). The hierarchical approach used enabled the detection of contrasting trait-derived responses at the species and genetic level, in addition to responses measured at the community level. This study highlights the advantage of a holistic approach to investigating biodiversity-related issues
16
Robinson, Wayne, and n/a. "Ant communities in the grasslands of the Australian Capital Territory and the role of ants in the ecology of the pink-tailed legless lizard, Aprasia parapulchella." University of Canberra. Applied Science, 1996. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061107.153532.
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This study examined the ant communities of several grasslands of the Australian
Capital Territory (ACT) and their relevance to the pink-tailed legless lizard, Aprasia
parapulchella (Pygopodidae). A. parapulchella is a fossorial species that shares
burrows with, and eats the brood of, several grassland ant species.
Foraging ants were collected from sites by pitfall trapping throughout one calendar
year and comparisons of ant communities made between seasons and sites of differing
vegetation structure. Competition between ant species for artificial nest sites and the
effects of temperature on selection of nest site selection were also studied. The role that
ants play in the distribution of A. parapulchella was investigated by (i) comparing ant
faunas from several sites throughout the geographic range of the lizard, including sites
in New South Wales and Victoria, (ii) performing feeding preference experiments with
A. parapulchella, and (iii) investigating the seasonal nature of brood production and
nest establishment by ants in ACT grasslands. Major findings were used to make
recommendations to assist in the management, including rehabilitation, of
A. parapulchella grassland sites.
Low insolation appears to significantly affect the ant species composition of
grassland sites in the ACT relative to other Australian vegetation types. In the ACT
grassland sites, large species of the Dominant Dolichoderinae functional group were
absent, or present only in very low numbers. The communities were species-poor
relative to other Australian studies with only 60 species being recorded across all sites
studied, with no more than 21 species recorded at any site on any sampling occasion.
Whilst ant species community structure was highly variable between seasons and sites,
more than 95% of ants were from the three functional groups, Dominant
Dolichoderinae, Generalized Myrmicinae and Opportunists. The communities were
numerically dominated throughout the year by the ubiquitous species groups
Iridomyrmex 'rufoniger' and Rhytidoponera 'metallica'. Almost all taxa increased in
foraging abundance during summer months and Pheidole spp., Monomorium spp.,
Crematogaster sp. Paratrechina sp. and Notoncus ectalomoides were occasionally
locally abundant. There were no significant relationships between ant and vegetation
community structures, but Solenopsis sp. showed an alliance with sites that had a high
abundance of Themeda australis (kangaroo grass), whilst Crematogaster sp. and
Paratrechina sp. are potential bioindicators of disturbance from grazing or pasture
improvement.
Iridomyrmex 'rufoniger' were the numerically dominant foraging ants, making up
50% of all captures, but they held only 80% of their nest sites when faced with
competition from other species. R. 'metallica' and Pheidole spp. on the other hand,
gained 80% more nests than they lost to other taxa. I. 'rufoniger' and R. 'metallica'
both preferred nest sites with warmer temperature regimes when given the choice, and
this assisted them to tend brood throughout the year. All ant species in ACT grasslands
had summer peaks in brood production. Most nests were inactive throughout the cooler
months and nest founding was predominantly between September and November. The
common species, Iridomyrmex spp., Paratrechina sp. and R. 'metallica' held winged
reproductives in their nests from April and all ant taxa had released all alates by mid-
November.
Although there were differences in ant community structure throughout the range of
A. parapulchella, the ubiquitous R. 'metallica' and I. 'rufoniger' were always abundant,
whilst again, Dominant Dolichoderinae and associated subordinate taxa were absent or
present only in relatively low numbers. The lizards consumed brood from all the
common ant species in ACT grasslands and showed preference for consuming brood of,
and living with, small Iridomyrmex spp. The range of the small Iridomyrmex spp.
preferred by A. parapulchella extends far beyond that of the lizard. Its distribution is
apparently not restricted by the range of its ant prey species.
For rehabilitation of A. parapulchella sites in the ACT, it is recommended that a
significant ground cover of native grasses is established to ensure the low abundance of
large and territorial ants from the Dominant Dolichoderinae functional group. Along
with a high abundance of shallow surface rocks, this will ensure the establishment of ant
communities that are numerically dominated by small Iridomyrmex spp., which are
preferred by A. parapulchella for homesite sharing and as a food source.
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Hill, JoVonn Grady. "Environmental variables affecting ant (Formicidae) community composition in Mississippi's Black Belt and Flatwoods regions." Master's thesis, Mississippi State : Mississippi State University, 2006. http://library.msstate.edu/etd/show.asp?etd=etd-04192006-141353.
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Gonthier, David Jonathan. "Influence of Soil-Quality on Coffee-Plant Quality and a Complex Tropical Insect Food Web." University of Toledo / OhioLINK, 2010. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=toledo1271380868.
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Tantsi, Nolubabalo. "Long-term impacts of Chromolaena odorata (L.) invasion and ungulate grazing on ant body size and communities in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park, South Africa." Diss., University of Pretoria, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2263/30949.
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The present study investigated the impacts of Triffid weed Chromolaena odorata
infestation and ungulate grazing on native ant communities in Hluhluwe-iMfolozi Park
(HiP), in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. HiP is a highly valued park because of its unique biodiversity. However, management of biodiversity in this park is intimidated
by restructuring disturbances produced by invasions by alien plants and grazing.
C. odorata is a highly invasive plant known to invade to an impenetrable extent, out
shading and eliminating all competition of indigenous vegetation to many parts of the
world. The rapid invasion and spread of C. odorata in natural environments, including
large parts of HiP, is making ecosystems unstable as indigenous species decline, thereby
resulting in hampered delivering of ecological services. The re-vegetation of C. odorata
even after control measures has heightened, raises concerns regarding sustainability of
indigenous species.
The increase in populations of herbivores in HiP is of concern as vegetation is
restructured resulting in interruptions in flora and fauna relations. To increase the
understanding of changes associated with these habitat altering disturbances, the effects
of invasions by C. odorata and herbivory on indigenous communities were investigated.
Ants play diverse roles in terrestrial ecosystems and influence composition,
distribution and abundance of other species. Ants are sensitive to changes that influence
food abundance, shelter and microclimate. Ants are also strongly linked to a variety of
vegetation. Therefore, disturbances that result in displacement of indigenous flora impede
the diversity and abundance of indigenous ant species.
Grazing had no effects on ant species diversity but combination of reserve and grass
had a significant influence, while rainfall influenced ant abundance. The presence of high
rainfall promoted high ant diversity and evenness indicating increased foraging and
nesting resources for a variety of ant species. Ant diversity and evenness in areas of high
precipitation could also have been caused by moist soils that encourage vegetation growth
and cover.
Ant abundance was significantly affected by the combination of reserve, grazing and
grass type. High ant abundance was associated with high rainfall, light grazing, and
greater vegetation biomass. High ant abundance in lightly grazed exclosures contributed
to high vegetation diversity. The lack of ants specializing in lawn grass suggests that this
habitat does not contain unique ant communities. However, greater ant diversity found in
these habitats, compared to tall grass, confirms that lawn grass provides optional foraging
areas and is important for management of ants. This study concludes that rainfall or
altitude variations influence ant composition through changes in vegetation growth and
diversity more than herbivory.Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2012.
Animal and Wildlife Sciences
MSc
Unrestricted
20
Abbott, Kirsten L. "Alien ant invasion on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean : the role of ant-scale associations in the dynamics of supercolonies of the yellow crazy ant, Anoplolepis gracilipes." Monash University, School of Biological Sciences, 2004. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/5141.
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Chibaya, Colin. "An investigation into XSets of primitive behaviours for emergent behaviour in stigmergic and message passing antlike agents." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1012965.
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Ants are fascinating creatures - not so much because they are intelligent on their own, but because as a group they display compelling emergent behaviour (the extent to which one observes features in a swarm which cannot be traced back to the actions of swarm members). What does each swarm member do which allows deliberate engineering of emergent behaviour? We investigate the development of a language for programming swarms of ant agents towards desired emergent behaviour. Five aspects of stigmergic (pheromone sensitive computational devices in which a non-symbolic form of communication that is indirectly mediated via the environment arises) and message passing ant agents (computational devices which rely on implicit communication spaces in which direction vectors are shared one-on-one) are studied. First, we investigate the primitive behaviours which characterize ant agents' discrete actions at individual levels. Ten such primitive behaviours are identified as candidate building blocks of the ant agent language sought. We then study mechanisms in which primitive behaviours are put together into XSets (collection of primitive behaviours, parameter values, and meta information which spells out how and when primitive behaviours are used). Various permutations of XSets are possible which define the search space for best performer XSets for particular tasks. Genetic programming principles are proposed as a search strategy for best performer XSets that would allow particular emergent behaviour to occur. XSets in the search space are evolved over various genetic generations and tested for abilities to allow path finding (as proof of concept). XSets are ranked according to the indices of merit (fitness measures which indicate how well XSets allow particular emergent behaviour to occur) they achieve. Best performer XSets for the path finding task are identifed and reported. We validate the results yield when best performer XSets are used with regard to normality, correlation, similarities in variation, and similarities between mean performances over time. Commonly, the simulation results yield pass most statistical tests. The last aspect we study is the application of best performer XSets to different problem tasks. Five experiments are administered in this regard. The first experiment assesses XSets' abilities to allow multiple targets location (ant agents' abilities to locate continuous regions of targets), and found out that best performer XSets are problem independent. However both categories of XSets are sensitive to changes in agent density. We test the influences of individual primitive behaviours and the effects of the sequences of primitive behaviours to the indices of merit of XSets and found out that most primitive behaviours are indispensable, especially when specific sequences are prescribed. The effects of pheromone dissipation to the indices of merit of stigmergic XSets are also scrutinized. Precisely, dissipation is not causal. Rather, it enhances convergence. Overall, this work successfully identify the discrete primitive behaviours of stigmergic and message passing ant-like devices. It successfully put these primitive behaviours together into XSets which characterize a language for programming ant-like devices towards desired emergent behaviour. This XSets approach is a new ant language representation with which a wider domain of emergent tasks can be resolved.
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Bownes, Angela. "The structure of ant communities and their impact on soil-pupating pests in citrus orchards in the Grahamstown area of the Eastern Cape." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1005463.
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Two ant species, Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius) and Anoplolepis custodiens (Smith) reach pest status in citrus orchards through precipitating outbreaks of homopterous pests. However, predacious ants, including these two ant species, play an important role in pest suppression in agroecosystems and are therefore beneficial to these systems. If A. custodiens and P. megacephala are important natural control agents in citrus, using ant bands to break the mutualism between the ants and the Homoptera as a method of ant control is preferable to poisoning. Ant communities were sampled by pitfall trapping in three experimental subunits of 2-, 4-, 15- and 30-year-old citrus orchards, in the Grahamstown area of the Eastern Cape. In one subunit in each orchard, populations of P. megacephala and A. custodiens were suppressed by poison applications. In a second subunit, trees were banded with trunk barriers so that ants were prevented from foraging in the trees and a third subunit served as the untreated control. Bait pupae of bollworm, false codling moth and fruit fly were planted in bait trays in all of the subunits to investigate predation on these citrus pests in the relative absence of predacious ants and where they were excluded from the trees. Pheidole megacephala dominated exclusively in all of the plots. Community composition did not change dramatically with increasing age of the trees, but species diversity and species abundance did. Rank-abundance curves showed that community diversity was highest in the 2-year-old plots and lowest in the 30-year-old plots. The Simpson and Shannon-Wiener diversity indices and their evenness measures indicated that diversity and equitability were highest in the poisoned subunits and lowest in the banded subunits. Principle component analysis revealed that the poisoned subunits were similar and distinct in species composition, that there was significant monthly variation in species composition and that community stability increases with an increase in orchard age. The presence of P. megacephala was significantly negatively correlated (rs = -0.293; p < 0.001) with pest pupal survival. Pupal survival was significantly higher for bollworm (p < 0.001), FCM (p < 0.001) and fruit fly (p < 0.001) in the poisoned subunits, than in the banded and control subunits. There was a general trend for survivorship to increase with an increase in the age of the trees. A significant difference (p < 0.001) was found between the months in which the trials were carried out. Pupal survival was significantly lower (p < 0.001) for FCM than for bollworm and fruit fly. In citrus orchards, ant communities are organised by ecological processes and interactions and are influenced by methods of ant control. Ant bands are preferable to poisoning as a method of ant control, so that beneficial species are left on the ground to prey on pests that pupate in the soil. Maintaining high ant species diversity in citrus orchards would be beneficial as predation on the pupae was more effective where ant species diversity was higher.
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Cox, Jason M. "Educational Communities, Arts-Based Inquiry, & Role-Playing: An American Freeform Exploration with Professional & Pre-Service Art Educators." The Ohio State University, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1436306956.
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Wielgoss, Arno Christian [Verfasser], Teja [Akademischer Betreuer] Tscharntke, Matthias [Akademischer Betreuer] Schaefer, Clough [Akademischer Betreuer], Klaus [Akademischer Betreuer] Hövemeyer, Kerstin [Akademischer Betreuer] Wiegand, and Ulrich [Akademischer Betreuer] Brose. "Services and disservices driven by ant communities in tropical agroforests / Arno Christian Wielgoss. Gutachter: Teja Tscharntke ; Matthias Schaefer ; Clough ; Klaus Hövemeyer ; Kerstin Wiegand ; Ulrich Brose. Betreuer: Teja Tscharntke." Göttingen : Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen, 2013. http://d-nb.info/1044307900/34.
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Wielgoss, Arno Christian Verfasser], Teja [Akademischer Betreuer] Tscharntke, Matthias [Akademischer Betreuer] [Schaefer, Clough [Akademischer Betreuer], Klaus [Akademischer Betreuer] Hövemeyer, Kerstin [Akademischer Betreuer] Wiegand, and Ulrich [Akademischer Betreuer] Brose. "Services and disservices driven by ant communities in tropical agroforests / Arno Christian Wielgoss. Gutachter: Teja Tscharntke ; Matthias Schaefer ; Clough ; Klaus Hövemeyer ; Kerstin Wiegand ; Ulrich Brose. Betreuer: Teja Tscharntke." Göttingen : Niedersächsische Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Göttingen, 2013. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:gbv:7-11858/00-1735-0000-001D-AF1A-7-4.
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Zhong, Yueying, and 鍾月英. "Communities, crime and social capital: crime prevention in two Shenzhen communites." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 2003. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31245110.
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Theunis, Laurence. "Ant assemblages structure in a naturally fragmented forest in the argentinean humid Chaco." Doctoral thesis, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2013/ULB-DIPOT:oai:dipot.ulb.ac.be:2013/210385.
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Contexte: La fragmentation des habitats induisant une diminution de leur surface, de leur connectivité et une augmentation de la zone de contact avec d’autres milieux constitue l’une des menaces majeures pour le maintien de la biodiversité. Les effets de la fragmentation ne doivent pas être confondus avec les perturbations transitoires liées à un morcellement de l’habitat par une déforestation récente. Les îlots forestiers du Chaco humide, situés sur des monticules légèrement surélevés par rapport à la savane environnante qui est régulièrement inondée et brûlée, constituent un système naturellement fragmenté propice à l’étude des effets de la fragmentation sensu stricto. Dans ces forêts subtropicales sèches, comme dans la plupart des écosystèmes terrestres, les fourmis constituent l’un des organismes les plus abondants.Objectif: Le but principal de la thèse a été de déterminer, à trois échelles spatiales, les facteurs influençant la structure des assemblages de fourmis terricoles :(1) à l’échelle du microhabitat constitué par la litière de feuilles et la couverture végétale dominée par des broméliacées terrestres ;(2) à l’échelle du fragment forestier dont la surface, la forme et l’isolement est variable ;(3) à l’échelle du paysage, constitué de forêt et de savane, soumis à des feux périodiques, et au niveau duquel nous nous sommes intéressés aux effets de bord se produisant à l’interface entre les deux milieux.
Méthode: Le site d’étude est la forêt naturellement fragmentée du Parc national Rio Pilcomayo localisé dans le Chaco humide argentin. Onze fragments forestiers de taille (± 2.5ha, 25ha et 250ha), de forme et de degré d’isolation divers ont été échantillonnés ainsi que la savane environnante, récemment brûlée ou non. La diversité et la densité des fourmis a été quantifiée au moyen d’un protocole standardisé
(« protocole A.L.L. ») qui a été préalablement calibré pour en définir la représentativité. Ce protocole consiste en un transect de 200m le long duquel sont placés, à intervalles de 10m, des pièges à fosse et des quadrats délimitant 1m² de litière de feuilles. La faune vivant dans la litière est ensuite extraite au moyen d’un dispositif appelé Winkler. Le calibrage du protocole a été réalisé en suréchantillonnant 8
fois le transect (160 points d’échantillonnage au lieu de 20). Cet échantillonnage quasi exhaustif de 200m² a permis de comparer l’estimation du nombre d’espèces obtenue par le transect standardisé ALL avec sa valeur réelle et d’étudier la distribution des espèces à l’échelle du mètre. Les facteurs du microhabitat les plus susceptibles d’influencer la distribution des fourmis (quantité de litière et densité de broméliacées) ont été mesurés systématiquement le long des transects. Pour l’étude de la distribution des fourmis depuis le coeur d’un grand fragment jusque dans la savane, des transects de 500m ont été utilisés et ont permis de mesurer des effets de bords éventuels. Un total de 800 Winkler et 560 pièges à fosses ont été analysés lors de cette étude.
Résultats: Un transect standardisé A.L.L. permet d’obtenir, à partir de 20 échantillons et de méthodes analytiques adéquate, une estimation fiable de la richesse locale au sein de 200m² mais n’est pas toujours représentatif de la fréquence relative des espèces. Au total, 150 espèces de fourmis ont été récoltées dont 130 en forêt et 79 en savane (dont 59 espèces communes aux deux milieux). Au niveau du micro-habitat, on observe pour certaines espèces des pics périodiques d’abondance (maximum tous les 10m) correspondant vraisemblablement à l’emplacement des colonies qui s’espacent pour diminuer la compétition intraspécifique. Associé aux micrconvexités topographiques l’on observe également des pics de densité de broméliacées et de quantité de litière qui favorisent une grande densité d’espèces différentes de fourmis. À l’échelle de l’habitat, les îlots forestiers petits et isolés sont les moins riches, principalement en espèces typiquement forestières. Dans les larges fragments, les espèces typiquement forestières se distribuent indépendamment de la distance les séparant du bord. Quelques espèces typiques de savane pénètrent en bordure de forêt et provoquent une plus grande variabilité de la faune récoltée au sein des quadrats de litière situés à cet endroit. Cependant, aucun pic de diversité
correspondant à une zone de superposition d’espèces de bord et de centre n’a été observé au sein des fragments forestiers. Les feux de savane modifient la fréquence relative des espèces les plus communes mais n’affectent pas la richesse globale du milieu et ne pénètrent pas dans la forêt.
Conclusions: Le protocole standardisé ALL, utilisé couramment par de nombreuses équipes de
chercheurs à travers le monde, mais qui n’avait encore jamais été réellement calibré avant notre étude, apparaît comme une méthode minimale mais suffisante pour déterminer la richesse locale en fourmis d’une forêt du Chaco humide. Ce calibrage a permis, en outre, de mettre en évidence un taux important de renouvellement des espèces à l’échelle du mètre carré. Nos résultats soutiennent l’idée que la disponibilité en ressources favorables, plus que la compétition interspécifique, est un mécanisme majeur
structurant les assemblages de fourmis des litières. À l’échelle du micro-habitat, un grand nombre d’espèces de fourmis forestières coexistent dans les zones riches en matière organique associée à la présence de broméliacées qui apparaissent comme un facteur structurant majeur de la distribution des fourmis. Au niveau de la litière, les colonies de différentes espèces ont des aires de fourragement qui se
superposent tandis que les colonies de même espèce ont tendance à s’espacer limitant la compétition pour les mêmes ressources. Un effet de bord, lié à des modifications locales des conditions climatiques et de la structure de la végétation, ne se marque pas au niveau de la myrmécofaune dans ce type de milieu, ce qui explique que l’on n’observe pas le traditionnel pic de diversité au niveau de la zone de transition entre deux milieux. Du point de vue de la conservation des espèces, des fragments forestiers de 15ha, bien connectés, apparaissent comme des conditions minimum pour conserver l’ensemble des espèces de fourmis de l’assemblage.
Doctorat en Sciences
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished
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com, emmayuen@hotmail, and Emma Yuen. "Water Consumption Patterns in Australian Aboriginal Communities." Murdoch University, 2005. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051119.134422.
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Aboriginal Australians have a significantly lower health status than their non-Aboriginal counterparts. To facilitate healthy living practices necessary for good health, a high level investment is currently made in water services, on the assumption that there is a relationship between the volume and quality of water supplied with health outcomes, despite the high economic and environmental cost. This thesis investigates whether the current design supply criteria of 1000-1200 litres per person per day of water, meeting the Australian Drinking Water Quality Guidelines, is both sufficient and necessary to improve the health of Aboriginal Australians. The scope of the thesis is limited to the sufficiency of design guidelines although it necessarily also touches on the broader issues of Aboriginal health.
Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used to explore current water consumption patterns of consumers at multiple hierarchical levels (community, household and individual) and hence the requirements of physical infrastructure on which consumers depend. Multiple linear regression was used to consider factors correlated with supply volume, while metering was used at both the domestic and appliance level to determine where and how water was used. Meters were installed on fixtures in two houses in a community near Alice Springs. This was then complemented by qualitative information obtained through focus group discussions, key informant interviews and observation in the field. The appropriateness of the supply of high quality water for all uses was addressed by considering the volume of drinking water intake and its impact on the derivation of water quality guidelines. This was achieved by a face-to-face survey involving 57 volunteers. Fieldwork was conducted predominantly in three communities near Alice Springs although some additional data was collected in other communities in Western Australia and the Northern Territory.
The results showed that the factors influencing water consumption were highly complex and variable between communities and individuals. However, there were some culturally specific needs identified in Aboriginal communities, such as the need for temperature and dust control, as well as the reduction of losses. The unique characteristics of each community made it difficult to provide a more precise estimate for design supply. As a result, overly conservative guidelines such as those already used are necessary in the short term despite there being no guarantee of improved health. In the long term, issues of community governance and capacity building will start to be addressed, and the realisation that social systems are both complex and dynamic will need to be reflected in policy. These issues were represented in a systemic conceptual model at the end of the thesis, which also highlighted inadequacies of reductionist approaches such as design supply guidelines. The thesis concluded that complex problem situations such as that of health, require a systems approach.
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Yuen, Emma. "Water consumption patterns in Australian Aboriginal communities /." Access via Murdoch University Digital Theses Project, 2004. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20051119.134422.
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Huddleston, Veronica. "Restructuring and adjustment in resource-dependent coastal communities : a case study of the Western rock lobster fleet hosting communities." University of Western Australia. Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, 2009. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2010.0001.
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In an attempt to address the seeming imbalance within studies of rural communities in Australia linked to primary industries, this study examines the broader aspects of policy changes and bio-economic imperatives in the Western Rock Lobster Fishery and the effects of the restructuring of the fishery on communities that host the rock lobster fleet. It is an innovative study in that it is one of the first comprehensive studies of industry restructuring in the fisheries sector; a study of the linkages and implications of restructuring on the social, economic and cultural facets of coastal communities in Western Australia. Globalisation in the fishery sector, aided by technological advances, has resulted in a greater exploitation of high-value fisheries for export. Intensified globalisation has also brought about environmental and social standards that ensure the survival of by-catch species and promote responsible codes of fishing practice. In Australia, the active support of the government for globalisation, led to the adoption of export-oriented policies emphasising competitiveness and efficiency. Consideration of market principles thus govern fisheries regulators when deciding on the management arrangements to adopt for a particular fishery. In considering a number of policy instruments and management measures, government regulators also consider the conservation of marine resources alongside the production of significant economic and social benefits. The Western Rock Lobster Fishery is the most valuable single species fishery in Western Australia with a sizeable financial and employment contribution to coastal communities along the Western Australian coast. Any management scheme adopted for this fishery, as such, not only has to take into account biological and environmental imperatives but also economic and social objectives. The analysis of the fishery undertaken in this thesis underlines the need for a holistic view of fishery management that takes into consideration not only biological sustainability, but also promotes an understanding of fishers' behaviours and fishing patterns and the consequent effects on specific communities. The demographic and social changes that affect rural communities further complicate the economic restructuring at the fishery level, with fishers' responses differing based on their circumstances and preferences. This thesis presents a snapshot of a fishery deliberating changes in management arrangements and its effects on coastal communities whose socio-demographic and economic development historically has depended, and to a great extent is still dependent, upon rock lobster fishing. It provides empirical evidence that lends support to the view that the pro-market policies promoting competition and entrepreneurialism have resulted in a spatially uneven development in regional Australia. Specific localities can deal with the changes brought about by globalisation and policy change. However, the manner in which these communities deal and cope with these changes depends on a number of factors, among others, the level of diversification of the local economy, demographic and social structures, and other factors such as the level of resilience and the social capital base within the community.
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Foxwell-Norton, Kerrie-Ann, and na. "Communicating the Australian Coast: Communities, Cultures and Coastcare." Griffith University. School of Arts, 2007. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20070814.094758.
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In Australia, Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICM) is the policy framework adopted by government to manage the coastal zone. Amongst other principles, ICM contains an explicit mandate to include local communities in the management of the coastal zone. In Australia, the Coastcare program emerged in response to international acceptance of the need to involve local communities in the management of the coastal zone. This dissertation is a critical cultural investigation of the Coastcare program to discover how the program and the coastal zone generally, is understood and negotiated by three volunteer groups in SE Queensland. There is a paucity of data surrounding the actual experiences of Coastcare volunteers. This dissertation begins to fill this gap in our knowledge of local community involvement in coastal management. My dissertation considers the culture of Coastcare and broadly, community participation initiatives. Coastcare participants, government policymakers, environmental scientists, etc bring to their encounter a specific way of seeing the coast a cultural framework which guides their actions, ideas and priorities for the coastal zone. These cultural frameworks are established and maintained in the context of unequal relations of power and knowledge. The discourses of environmental science and economics as evidenced in the chief ICM policy objective, Ecologically Sustainable Development (ESD) are powerful knowledges in the realm of community participation policy. This arrangement has serious consequences for what governments and experts can expect to achieve via community participation programs. In short, the quest for power-sharing with communities and meaningful participation is impeded by dominant scientific and economic cultures which act to marginalise and discredit the cultures of communities (and volunteers). Ironically enough, the lack of consideration of these deeper relations of power and knowledge means that the very groups (such as policymakers, environmental scientists, etc) who actively seek the participation of local communities, contribute disproportionately to the relative failure of community participation programs. At the very least, as those in a position of power, policymakers and associated experts do little to enhance communication with local communities. To this situation add confusion wrought by changes in the delivery of the Coastcare program and a lack of human and financial resources. From this perspective, the warm and fuzzy sentiment of Coastcare can be understood as the Coastcare of neglect. However, the emergence of community participation as legitimate in environmental policymaking indicates a fissure in the traditional power relations between communities and experts. Indeed the entry of community participation policy is relatively new territory for the environmental sciences. It is this fissure which I seek to explore and encourage via the application of a cultural studies framework which offers another way of seeing community participation in coastal and marine management and thereby, offers avenues to improve relations between communities and experts. My fieldwork reveals a fundamental mismatch between the cultural frameworks which communities bring to the coast and those frameworks embodied and implemented by the Coastcare program. Upon closer examination, it is apparent that the Coastcare program (and community participation programs generally) are designed to introduce local lay communities to environmental science knowledge. Local coastal cultures are relegated to the personal and private realm. An excellent example of this is the scientifically oriented eligible areas for funding of the Coastcare program. The volunteers consulted for this project emphasized their motivation in terms of maintaining the natural beauty of the coast and protecting a little bit of coast from the rampant development of the coastal zone. Their motivations were largely the antithesis of ESD. They understood their actions as thwarting the negative impacts of coastal development this occurred within a policy framework which accepted development as fait daccompli. Australias nation of coastal dwellers may not know a lot about coastal ecologies but they do know the coast in other ways. Community knowledge of the coast can be largely accounted for in the phrase, Australian beach culture. Serious consideration of Australian beach culture in environmental policy is absent. The lack of attention to this central tenet of the Australian way of life is because, as a concept and in practice, beach culture lacks the seriousness and objectivity of environmental science knowledge it is about play, hedonism, holidays, spirituality, emotion and fun. The stories (including Indigenous cultural heritage) which emerge when Australians are asked about their beach cultural knowledge historical and contemporary experiences of the Australian coast await meaningful consideration by those interested in communicating with Australian communities living on the coast. This cultural geography is an avenue for policymakers to better communicate and engage with Australian communities in their quest to increase participation in, or motivate interest in community coastal management programs.
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Mason, Cecily Jane, and cecilym@deakin edu au. "Virtual Communities of Enterprise Value Creation Potential for Regional Clusters." Deakin University. Management and Marketing, 2008. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20090129.152913.
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Governments around the world have pursued ICT based initiatives including the provision of infrastructure to assist regional areas to develop economically (Beckinsale et al. 2006). There has been considerable interest in exploiting ICT to develop high technology clusters and support innovative networks (Lawson & Lorenz 1999). However, these initiatives have met with mixed success. It is clear that such development depends on more than providing appropriate technology Attention to social and organisational factors is crucial if regional areas are to realise the potential of ICT as a tool for regional development (Gengatharen & Standing 2005). It is important to understand the nature of business networking as well as the perspective of those participating in such networks if successful initiatives are to be established. The aim of this research is to identify how ICT can be used for knowledge sharing among businesses in regional areas and how the online networks through which knowledge is shared can contribute to the development of the region.
This research investigates the question of what value small businesses in those regions derive from knowledge sharing networks using ICT. It also seeks to identify the value creation potential of those networks for their region. Previous research has shown that large organisations have achieved significant value from virtual communities of practice (VCoPs) as a structure for sharing knowledge and supporting innovation (Wenger 2004). The concept of Communities of Practice and Virtual Communities of Practice provided a useful point of departure for this research.
The investigation comprised interpretive case studies of two Australian regional areas and their local business networks which incorporated SMEs in a variety of industries. Each case study was conducted in three stages. First, semi-structured interviews were conducted with regional economic development leaders. Second, 192 small and medium business owners were surveyed about their business activities and their participation in local business networks. Third, in-depth interviews were conducted with 23 small business owners to gain a richer understanding of their participation in knowledge-sharing networks and the value they realised or anticipated from various knowledge-sharing activities. A combined analysis of the two cases was conducted as well as the individual analyses. The research adopted a modified Structured Case method (Carroll & Swatman 2000).
The analysis of the two case studies revealed:
a.) There was a significant difference between the majority of SMEs who traded within the region and those trading largely beyond the region. The latters more proactive online sharing knowledge and seeking of business opportunities would enable them to access most value from VCoEs.
b.) The participating SMEs operated in a number of industries and what they had in common was an interest in improving their enterprises. Consequently they used their regional networks which were not aligned to any one industry to make connections and share knowledge. They did not necessarily seek to access specific information.
c.) A necessary prerequisite of VCoEs is having vibrant CoEs where face-to-face interaction enhances the development of trust and social capital. This appeared as an important factor facilitating the move to incorporate online knowledge sharing.
d.) Younger businesses appeared to gain the most value from knowledge sharing in CoEs as they were using their networks to determine how to grow their firm.
e.) The value of VCoEs to the SME participants is primarily in their general connection to other businesses in the region. Since the participants operate in a number of industries, what they have in common is an interest in their enterprises. The main value appears to come from the potential of the VCoEs to add to this connection and to social capital.
This study found that successful management of VCoEs must:
i) Ensure the network website is actively used by members before attempting to incorporate online knowledge sharing.
ii) Monitor and stimulate online forum interaction rather than rely on interaction to occur naturally.
iii) Not rely on email as a mechanism for stimulating knowledge sharing. Email is seen as more appropriate for formal documentation than for candid exchange of views.
The concept of virtual communities of practice was found to be somewhat inappropriate for the diverse SMEs in the regional networks. Because of their diversity, they do not necessarily see value in sharing knowledge about practice but they do see value in sharing more general information and in providing support, connection and ideas that facilitate the strategic direction of their business. To address this issue, the concept of virtual communities of enterprise (VCoEs) is proposed as recognition of what the participating SMEs had in common: an interest in their individual businesses as part of the region.
The original contribution of this research consists of its identification of the issues in linking SMEs across industries. It provides new insights on the business practices of regional SMEs and developed the concepts of Community of Enterprise (CoE) and Virtual Community of Enterprise (VCoE) to capture the special nature of knowledge sharing in regional multi-industry business networks. New perspectives are revealed on the ways that value could be derived from knowledge sharing by these regionally networked SMEs, as such it adds to the body of knowledge in an area where there has been little systematic investigation. This research reinforces the importance of social capital as an essential pre-requisite for accessing the value of intellectual capital in regions. Social capital emerges as vital when establishing and maintaining face-to-face knowledge sharing in regional networks and a necessary pre-condition for successfully establishing online knowledge sharing. Trust is a key factor and this research extends understanding of the role of social capital and the importance of trust in regional networks and online interaction. Its findings have significant implications for the development and management of CoEs and VCoEs as it outlines the key elements that need to be addressed when establishing and maintaining them, the appropriate applications for this context and the issues involved in management of the networking and online contexts. These findings not only increase our understanding of the management dynamics of online networks, they can also provide guidance to those seeking to establish successful VCoEs.
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au, r. mccarron@ecu edu, and Robyn McCarron. "Performing arts in regional communities: The case of Bunbury, Western Australia." Murdoch University, 2004. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20050501.153348.
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Abstract
In Australia during the 1990s increased attention was paid to regional, rural and remote communities and, in terms of arts and culture, the establishment of regional arts umbrella organisations, at both national and state levels, stimulated interest in, and development of, the arts in those communities. Discourses around the notion of the civil society and the ways in which social and cultural capital can be acquired and transferred, have led to renewed interest in the economic and social functions of the voluntary, not-for-profit sector of Australian society.
This thesis aims to advance the critical study of regional cultural development. It examines the role and function of the performing arts within regional communities through a case study of the city of Bunbury, Western Australia. Regional performing arts are often trivialised or marginalised by metropolitan practitioners, critics and academics, particularly as they are almost entirely, in Australia, a volunteer/amateur pursuit. However volunteer performing arts groups provide physical and social spaces that encourage networks of civil engagement that have implications for the functioning of the broader community; and, in the case of Bunbury, a degree of independence from the bureaucratic requirements of arts funding bodies. The thesis proposes that volunteer, not-for-profit (amateur) theatre has a stronger claim on the title community theatre than the state-funded community theatre movement of the 1970s and 1980s.
The thesis also examines the strong community affiliations that have been generated by the community-owned, professionally-managed Bunbury Regional Entertainment Centre. It situates this discussion in the context of the rapidly changing urban landscape in which the Entertainment Centre is placed and its affiliations with local, regional, state and national funding, networking and touring structures. It argues that considerable social and cultural capital is generated through the active involvement of citizens at many levels of the performing arts in a regional community such as Bunbury. Although for most, the involvement is voluntary and recreational, it also has direct economic outcomes in terms of the developing creative industries of the region.
A major contribution of the thesis is the provision of a model for the function and impact of regional community performing arts as it theorises the tensions between governmental (funding) models and self-generated regional arts practices through case study and detailed analysis. In doing so the thesis contributes to key debates in two significant ways, firstly by providing an important historical/cultural document and secondly, by highlighting new ways of thinking and speaking about the role of the performing arts in regional communities.
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McCarron, Robyn Janelle. "Performing arts and regional communities : the case of Bunbury, Western Australia /." Access via Murdoch University Digital Theses Project, 2004. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20050501.153348.
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com, jpayakpate@gmail, and Janjira Payakpate. "Knowledge Management Platform for Promoting Sustainable Energy Technologies in Rural Thai Communities." Murdoch University, 2008. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20081203.115333.
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Sustainable energy services aim to meet the energy demands and to improve the living standards of rural communities with the utilization of sustainable energy technologies. Such services are becoming increasingly important due to the reduction of traditional energy resources and the ongoing increase in the demands. The demands are mainly due to the growth of population, domestic consumptions and industrial uses. In addition, increasing awareness of issues such as global warming, carbon emission, peak oil and the need for a sustainable environment has kindled keen interests in sustainable energy around the world. Many projects on sustainable energy services have been launched and particularly in developing countries. In most areas, at least one type of sustainable energy resources is available. In the case of Thailand, in additional to resources such as solar and wind, there are other sustainable energy resources in the forms of biomass and waste residue from agricultural products. However, there exist practical problems hindering the success of many sustainable energy projects. Two key reasons are the lack of in depth knowledge regarding the sustainable energy systems among the local users, and the limited budgets for planning, research and development. Therefore, the need to promote better understanding of sustainable energy technologies is necessary in order to gain better utilization of the energy services and acceptance by the community. One possible solution is the use of a Knowledge Management System (KMS). Based on advanced Information and Communication Technology (ICT), the integration of knowledge management and web technologies has enabled KMS to be developed as an effective tool for the sharing, management and dissemination of valuable knowledge on any particular subject. This combination has the potential to promote the knowledge and initiate relevant activities thereby enabling the acquisition and management of diverse types of information and data. Typical functions and services which could be provided are: checking updated information on sustainable energy resources around a particular area; teaching of sustainable energy systems development and maintenance processes; sharing of best practices and lessons learned
etc. With the availability of the internet, a Web-based KMS will be a valuable channel for the gathering, sharing, extracting and dissemination of knowledge about the sustainable energy services for the Thai communities. This thesis presents the research and development of a knowledge management (KM) platform for sustainable energy technologies. The system is implemented with web GIS server-side application and it is installed at the School of Renewable Energy Technology, Naresuan University, Phitsanulok, Thailand. To assess the effectiveness of the developed system, surveys in the form of pre-questionnaires and post-questionnaires from the users are used. Such information is used to determine the effectiveness of the system and to measure the improvement of the participants knowledge on the subject. There are three groups of participants involved in this study: local government administrators, researchers and general users. The overall results of the questionnaires reveal that the participants are satisfied with the performance of the KM platform. The results also indicated that the KM platform provides adequate knowledge on the subject and it has a high level of user friendliness. It was found that the participants knowledge is also increased and the increase is in proportion to the time they engaged with the KM platform. A linear regression analysis of the researchers and local government administrators has shown that the increment of the participants knowledge has a linear relationship with the learning period on the KM platform with statistical significance. Findings from this study can be used as a guideline and for further development on improving the local Thai communities knowledge on sustainable energy technologies.
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Veenstra-Quah, Anneke Alison, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "The impact of stresses imposed on macroinvertebrate communities in two urban streams." Deakin University. School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 1999. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050815.102219.
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The aim of the project was to determine factors which explain the distribution of macroinvertebrates in two Melbourne streams both drastically affected by urbanisation. A detailed description is given of Dandenong Creek, flowing through the south-eastern suburbs, and Darebin Creek, in the northern suburbs, emphasising stream features likely, or known, to influence the drift and benthic fauna.
Faunal sampling was carried out in Dandenong Creek from June 1992 until July 1993, and in Darebin Creek from February 1995 until March 1998. Physicochemical parameters were also recorded. The collected data, together with previously existing data, were analysed using multivariate analyses: non-metric multi-dimensional scaling (NMDS); analysis of similarities (ANOSIM); matching biotic and abiotic variables using BIOENV, and principal component analysis (PCA). Various biotic and diversity indices were calculated in an attempt to identify the major factors responsible for the failure of the fauna to recover from previously more seriously degraded water quality.
The contribution of drift to the colonisation potential in Dandenong Creek appeared to be impacted by retarding basins, underground barrel-draining and channelization. Results also indicated that increased conductivity adversely affected the fauna in the lower reaches of Dandenong Creek. It was concluded that in Darebin Creek, high nutrient levels, as well as other pollutants, had resulted in low macroinvertebrate diversity in both the drift and benthos.
If, as this study suggests, faunal diversity is a valid measure of stream health, the following factors need to be addressed for catchment-wide, stream management: lack of riparian zone vegetation (increasing bank erosion and making the benthic habitat unstable, with greater temperature variability); control of stormwater runoff (flow variability, increased conductivity, nutrient levels, sediment loads, sewage effluent, industrial discharges and heavy metals), and to modify retarding basins to increase stream continuity.
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Finnis, Kristen Kay, and n/a. "Resilience and vulnerability in communities around Mt Taranaki." University of Otago. Department of Geology, 2007. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20070503.100402.
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The aim of this thesis is to examine the resilience and vulnerability of Taranaki communities to volcanic hazards, and to propose a strategy to ensure the safety and longevity of Taranaki residents in the event of an eruption.
Mt Taranaki is a dormant volcano that is surrounded by a ring plain populated by over 100,000 people. The volcano has had an average eruptive cycle of 330 years, with the last eruption dated at ~1755 AD. Hazards include ash fall, lahars, debris avalanches and pyroclastic density currents. Inglewood, Stratford and Opunake are the largest population centres located in moderate to high hazard zones, and for this reason were chosen as the study communities.
Resilience is defined as the capacity to respond to a hazard event by physically and psychologically recovering, adapting to, or changing to similar or better conditions than those experienced before the event. Vulnerability is defined to be people�s incapacity to cope with a hazardous event as a result of their personal characteristics. A person�s vulnerability and resilience is influenced by demographic variables, socio-cognitive variables and preparedness.
Inglewood, Stratford and Opunake adults have good self-efficacy and action-coping use, fair risk perceptions, outcome expectancy and response efficacy, but poor understanding of event timing relative to eruption probability, critical awareness, preparedness and information-seeking intentions and preparedness levels. Preparedness is found to be influenced by residents� intentions to prepare, which in turn are influenced by critical awareness, action-coping and outcome expectancy.
Taranaki students have a fair awareness of hazard and knowledge of correct response behaviours to various hazards. Preparedness, in terms of preparedness measures undertaken, emergency plans made and emergency practices in place, is low. Students who have participated in hazard-education programmes have a better knowledge of response behaviours, lower levels of hazard-related fear, and reported higher level of preparedness.
Spatial analyses, carried out to determine the geographic distribution of at-risk groups within the study communities, showed that the areas most at-risk tend to be those with the highest population densities. The spatial analysis was not as beneficial as expected, due to small data sets, but did provide some results to be considered as a basis for further research.
Effective public education can be achieved when delivered to a set of guidelines, such as providing information regularly through multiple media and sources, ensuring consistent messages, targeting information to at-risk groups and monitoring programme effectiveness. Community capacity building projects decrease aspects of vulnerability and build resilience by working at a local scale and targeting at-risk groups. Psychological preparedness education helps citizens to mentally prepare for an event and should be a component of all projects.
The proposed strategy calls for (a) forming partnerships with relevant stakeholders to assist with public education, research, and funding, (b) further research into the characteristics of Taranaki communities and effective public education campaigns, (c) the development and implementation of a public education schedule and projects that build community capacity, and d) long-term planning, periodic revision of programmes and consistent public engagement.
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Hodgson, Patricia Ruth. "Characteristics of urbanization that influence bird communities in suburban remnant vegetation." Access electronically, 2005. http://www.library.uow.edu.au/adt-NWU/public/adt-NWU20060724.134345/index.html.
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Buranaburivast, Vorapoj. "Applying social capital to electronic networks of practice : blog communities." UWA Business School, 2009. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0209.
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Blogging is a recent phenomenon with research currently focusing on how it facilitates both personal and organisational knowledge exchange (Aimeur, Brassard & Paquet 2005; Hsu & Lin 2008). Social capital is shown to be a crucial factor facilitating knowledge transfer (Nahapiet and Ghoshal 1998). Blogging is a new social communication technology enabling individuals to collaborate and share knowledge. This research investigates how three dimensions of social capital affect individual knowledge sharing in weblog communities. In particular, it explores how individuals exploit weblogs as a tool for conversational knowledge management in educational institutions. Following Wasko & Faraj's (2005) study, the conceptual model is developed by setting eight independent variables from social capital dimensions and a dependent variable is set from individual behaviour in online knowledge sharing. Eight hypotheses are developed to test the relationship between these variables. A quantitative approach was applied for data collection and analysis. For data collection, an online survey was published in several Australian university weblog communities. An additional paper-based survey was distributed to the respondents in order to gain adequate sample size. For data analysis, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied to eliminate measurement items that shared a significant residual value with other measurement items. Further, the models obtained from confirmatory factor analysis were used to test the hypotheses by multiple regression analysis. Results from multiple regression analysis on online knowledge sharing suggest that trust, personal reputation and enjoy helping are positively associated with individual online knowledge sharing. The stepwise estimation procedure was further adapted in the regression model. The results show that four independent variables became significant to the study. These four significant variables were individual expertise, trust, personal reputation and enjoy helping. Lastly, several limitations in this study such as the sample of university online setting and respondents' activities on weblogs are discussed. These limitations lead to the direction of future research provided in conclusion of this study.
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Kanso, Sungwan, and n/a. "Molecular Studies of Bacterial Communities in the Great Artesian Basin Aquifers." Griffith University. School of Biomolecular and Biomedical Science, 2004. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20040219.140509.
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16S rRNA gene analysis has shown that bacterial diversity in the GAB bores studied was limited to the genera Hydrogenobacter in the phylum Aquificae, Thermus in the phylum Deinococcus-Thermus, Desulfotomaculum in the phylum Firmicutes, the alpha-, beta- and gamma-classes of the phylum Proteobacteria and the phylum Nitrospirae. There was no clone closely related to members of the delta-proteobacteria and epsilon-proteobacteria classes detected. The number of bacterial strains directly isolated from the Fairlea and the Cooinda bores were far less than the numbers of distinctive phylotypes detected by the 16S rRNA gene characterisation. In addition none of the bacterial strains directly isolated from the water samples were represented in the 16S rRNA gene clone libraries. Similar discrepancies between the bacterial populations obtained from the 16S rRNA gene analysis and those obtained from direct isolation have been reported in the literature (Dunbar et al., 1999; Kampfer et al., 1996; Suzuki et al., 1997; Ward et al., 1998; Ward et al., 1997). However, in general, the phyla with which the isolates were affiliated were the same as those phyla to which the clones belonged. The environmental changes introduced (by bringing the artesian water up to the surface and exposing it to four types of metal coupons made of carbon steels identified by codes ASTM-A53B, ASTM-A53, AS-1074 and AS-1396 and commonly used in bore casings) led to changes in the bacterial community structures. In general, the species which proliferated in the communities before and after the changes were different. The diversity of the bacterial species in the community decreased following the environmental changes. Clones dominating the clone libraries constructed from newly established bacterial communities also differed from the clones dominating the libraries constructed from the bacterial communities which had existed naturally in the bores. These trends toward change in the bacterial communities were observed at both the Fairlea and the Cooinda bore sites. All four metal types incubated in the Fairlea bore water lost between 3.4 and 4.7% of their original weight. In contrast none of the metals incubated in Cooinda bore water lost weight. Clone library A1 showed that the natural population of the Fairlea bore was dominated by clone A1-3, which represented a novel species related to the isolate boom-7m-04. But after metal incubation (and recording of the metal weight loss), the bacterial community was dominated by clone PKA34B, which has a 95% similarity in its 16S rRNA gene sequence with Desulfotomaculum putei. Desulfotomaculum species are known to cause metal corrosion due to their byproduct H2S. But the low level of phylogenetic relatedness found does not provide enough information to speculate on whether the species represented by clone PKA34B is a member of the genus Desulfotomaculum or not. However, the fact that clone PKA34B dominated the PKA clone library by 50% makes the species it represents a suspected candidate likely to be involved with the metal weight loss at the Fairlea bore. In contrast, clone library 4381 showed that the natural population of the Cooinda bore was dominated by clone 4381-15 representing a species distantly related to a hydrogen oxidiser Hydrogenophaga flava (95% similarity). The dominating clone of the new community formed after metal incubation was clone COO25, which has 99% similarity with Thermus species that have not been reported to be involved with metal corrosion to my knowledge. In this project detection, identification and comparative quantification by 16S rRNA gene-targeted PCR probing with probes 23B and 34B were successfully developed for a Leptothrix-like species and for a Desulfotomaculum-like species represented by clones PKA23B and PKA34B respectively. This method of probing permits a fast, sensitive and reproducible detection, identification and at least a comparative quantification of the bacteria in the environment without the need for culturing. Therefore it is extremely suitable for use in bacterial population monitoring. PCR probing with the 34B probe has a potential commercial use as a means of screening for bores with a potential high risk of corrosion due to this Desulfotomaculum-like species. Direct isolation of bacteria from the GAB water has resulted in the isolation of seven strains from the Fairlea bore and eight from the Cooinda bore. Among these isolates, three novel strains were studied in detail. Reports on the characterisation of strain FaiI4T (T=Type strain) from the Fairlea bore (Kanso & Patel, 2003) and strain CooI3BT from the Cooinda bore have been published (Kanso et al., 2002). The data generated during this project add to our current information and extend our knowledge about the bacterial communities of the GAB's sub-surface environment. This information will provide a basis for further ecological studies of the GAB. Studies on involvement of certain groups of bacteria with the corrosion of metals used in bore casings could provide a foundation for further studies to develop maintenance and managing strategies for the GAB bores.
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Nousala, Susu, and susnousala@econ-km com. "Tacit knowledge networks and their implementation in complex organisations." RMIT University. Aerospace, Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, 2006. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20070209.095245.
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It is difficult for organizations to effectively manage personal knowledge so it can be mobilized, shared, and rewarded to benefit the organization. These difficulties occur particularly in large geographically dispersed, hierarchical organizations. The management of developing, identifying successful practices, building up and maintaining tacit knowledge, requires an understanding of how these ideas have emerged within the organization through a Tacit Knowledge Exchange (TKE) process. Identification and understanding of TKE characteristics is difficult as they are invisible (tacit). The TKE process in action requires the adoption of multiple methods and approaches employed simultaneously. A series of cases study instances were used as a basis for the methodology, each contributing specific aspects of the methodology. The initial three case study instances, each yielded specific characteristics regarding tacit knowledge exchange and networking. The findings from the initial three case study instances were tested in a large hierarchical, complex engineering organization. This final case study instance, prototyped a methodology to graphically codify, index and build up in-house tacit knowledge abilities through mapping staff knowledge. The final case study instance allowed for investigations into what these TKE characteristics of a complex organization would utilize To date, specific TKE characteristics have not been well understood. This research contributed to specific understanding of the identification TKE characteristics and network structures. The outcome of the research provided a graphical structure identifying who would be likely to possess the kind of knowledge they need to find. The interview process was an important facilitator to precondition the knowledge bearers for sharing, thus locating key
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Gosper, Carl R. "Consequences of weed invasion and control on plant-bird interactions and bird communities." Access electronically, 2004. http://www.library.uow.edu.au/adt-NWU/public/adt-NWU20050221.155953/index.html.
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au, chalwell@yahoo com, and Shane Thomas Samuel Chalwell. "Plant Communities of Greenstone Hills of the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia as Analogues for the Rehabilitation of Rocky Waste Dumps." Murdoch University, 2003. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20041014.113057.
Full textAbstract:
The vegetation of greenstone hills in the Kalgoorlie area of the Eastern Goldfields region of Western Australia was studied to identify the key environmental influences on community and species distribution. This information was needed to determine if plant communities of the hills could provide analogues for the rehabilitation of waste rock dumps that are produced as a consequence of open cut mining.
The ridges, slopes and flats adjacent to the main slope were examined and the floristic data sorted into communities. Two structurally and floristically distinct alliances were identified, one dominated by eucalypt species and the other by Acacia quadrimarginea. The eucalypt woodland displayed a taller upper stratum and few groundlayer species and was the dominant vegetation of the flats at the base of the hills. The acacia community was a low woodland and is the dominant vegetation of the hill slopes. Both communities were dominant at an equal number of sites on the ridges of the hills.
An investigation of the environmental variables found that edaphic, rather than topographic, factors were responsible for the community distribution on the hills. The eucalypt woodland showed a strong affinity to soils derived from calcrete, which had higher levels of electrical conductivity and lower exchangeable sodium percentages than the soils of the acacia low woodland. Under such conditions, the clay fraction of the soil remains in a more flocculated state allowing higher rates of water infiltration and hydraulic conductivity compared to the acacia soils. Soil nutrients were found to have a secondary influence on community distribution and had a greater effect on species distribution within alliances.
A study of the seasonal variation in water content of the soils showed that more moisture is retained in the upper soil horizons in the acacia community than in the eucalypt community during the wetter part of the year, indicating the acacia soils had poorer infiltration properties than the eucalypt soils. The distribution of drought tolerant species such as A. quadrimarginea and Prostanthera incurvata was found to be correlated to soil moisture content of the dry season whilst no correlation was found for the eucalypts at any time of the year.
Seasonal comparisons of leaf moisture content and xylem pressure potential showed that the eucalypts maintained their total leaf moisture content throughout the year whereas species such as A. quadrimarginea and Allocasuarina campestris recorded high levels of desiccation of their leaf tissue over the summer. The eucalypts also maintained a more consistent pre-dawn xylem pressure potential throughout the year than either A. quadrimarginea or the shrub species Dodonaea microzyga, indicating a greater degree of stomatal control and access to a more consistent soil water supply. The eucalypts require access to a greater soil volume than the acacias or shrubs in order to ensure sufficient water supplies for the maintenance of tissue moisture levels throughout the year. In this way, the eucalypts are able to effectively avoid the summer drought, whereas the acacias and shrubs are able to tolerate desiccation of their leaf tissues over this period.
Investigations of the germination requirements and early seedling survival of prominent species from the greenstone hills indicated that fire may be a factor in the regeneration of most hills species. All studied species were either tolerant of or responded positively to the application of dry heat. In relation to seedling establishment on waste dumps, increasing the soil moisture content of waste dump soils increased the germination rate of most species but did not result in greater seedling survival at the end of the first summer. The provision of microsites which encouraged root development and provided protection for the young seedlings was found to be more important in reducing mortality rates in the first year than increasing the total germination.
The study emphasized the importance of physical soil factors and the soil moisture regime in the distribution of eucalypt and acacia communities on the greenstone hills. A species response to drought stress strongly influences its ability to compete for soil water on different soil types. The eucalypts studied in this project dominated on soils where there is better recharge of subsoil water reserves which can be accessed over the summer period to maintain tissue water levels. Acacias are tolerant of tissue desiccation and will compete successfully on shallower soils and where hydraulic conductivity is poor.
Although the project was valuable in identifying water relations as the main control on community distribution on the hills, waste dumps are not strictly analogues of intact greenstone hills due to the differences in rock type and profile formation. Electrical conductivity levels are also higher due to extraction processes. However, the environmental relationships of the different species show that the more drought tolerant species such as Allocasuarina campestris, Acacia quadrimarginea and understorey species associated with them, may be suitable species to form the basis of vegetation reinstatement on waste dumps in the Kalgoorlie region.
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Wood, Lisa Jane. "Social capital, neighbourhood environments and health : development of measurement tools and exploration of links through qualitative and quantitative research." University of Western Australia. School of Population Health, 2006. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2006.0111.
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[Truncated abstract] BACKGROUND This thesis explored the relationship between social capital, sense of community and mental health and wellbeing; and factors that may influence these within the environments in which people live. Area variations in health are well documented and are mirrored in emerging evidence of geographic and neighbourhood variations in social capital. Little is known, however, about the specific facets of the impact of local physical environment on social capital; or about the mechanisms by which these are linked with each other, and with health determinants and outcomes. Despite the recent proliferation of social capital literature and growing research interest within the public health realm, its relationship to mental health and protective factors for mental health have also been relatively unexplored. AIMS The overall aim of this thesis was to explore the potential associations between social capital, health and mental health, and neighbourhood environments. In particular, the thesis considered whether the physical attributes and street network design of neighbourhoods are associated with social capital or particular dimensions of the social capital construct. It also examined the relationship between social capital and demographic and residency factors and pet ownership ... CONCLUSION The combined use of qualitative and quantitative research is a distinguishing feature of this study, and the triangulation of these data has a unique contribution to make to the social capital literature. Studies concerned with the measurement of social capital to date have tended to focus on dimensions pertaining to people’s involvement, perceptions and relationship with others and their community. While these constructs provide insight into what comprises social capital, it is clear that each is in turn influenced by a range of other factors. Elucidating what fosters trust and neighbourly interactions in one community and not in another, and by what mechanisms, is one of many research questions unanswered in the published literature to date. The consideration of measures of social capital that relate to the physical environment is therefore of relevance to the growing research and public policy interest in identifying what might build or restore social capital in communities.
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Aberton, John G., and mikewood@deakin edu au. "Succession of small mammal communities after fire and reintroduction of the Swamp Antechinus Antechinue Minimus." Deakin University. School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 1996. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20051111.122639.
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This thesis is involved with changes that have occurred to small mammal populations following a major disturbance in the Anglesea region as a result of the 1983 Ash Wednesday fires. Fire, with its effects on spatial and temporal heterogeneity, was found to be an important factor in the maintenance of vegetation and small mammal community structure and diversity in the region. Successional changes in vegetation and small mammal communities were described by multivariate analyses, using data collected annually from 22 study sites. The use of factor analysis techniques, in reducing the annual capture data content, enabled long-term changes in the structure of mammal communities to be interpreted. The small mammal communities in the coastal heath and forest vegetation in the Anglesea region show evidence of a general resilience, (the degree and speed of recovery), to disturbance. Two phases of successional response to fire by mammal species have been proposed; a re-establishment phase which occurs in the initial 5-6 years post-fire and is accompanied by rapid increase in species abundance, and a subsequent maintenance phase accompanied by relatively minor changes in abundance. Habitat Suitability Indices were produced relating to these phases. Vertical density measures of understorey shrubs and herb layers showed significant relationships with small mammal species abundance at the study sites. Long term studies following major disturbances are needed to distinguish between short term recovery of plant and animal species and long term changes in these species. Studies extending over a number of years enable a better directional view of changes in small mammal communities than can be determined from . observations made over a short period.
As a part of the investigation into temporal change, it was proposed to undertake trial reintroductions of the Swamp antechinus, Ant echinus minimus, a marsupial dasyurid species which was trapped in the area prior to the 1983 fire, but rarely subsequently. Other more commonly observed native small mammal species (e.g. Rattus fuscipes,R. lutreolus, Antechinus stuartii, Sminthopsis leucopus) had re-invaded the proposed reintroduction site after this fire. Failure of A. minimus to re-establish may have been due to spatial separation of the pre-fire populations coupled with the extensive area burnt in 1983, A source population of the species was located about 100km to the west and habitat utilization and interspecific and niche relationships between the species making the small mammal community explored. Discriminant analysis revealed some spatial separation of species within a habitat based on structural vegetation factors rather than floristic factors. Temporal separation of species was observed, asA. minimus were more active than Rattus species during daylight periods. There was evidence of micro-habitat selection by species, and structural vegetation factors were most commonly identified in statistical analyses as contributing towards selection by small mammal species. Following a theoretical modelling study three reintroduction trials were carried out near Anglesea during 1992-94. Individuals were subsequently radio tracked, and habitat relationships between the species in the small mammal community investigated. Although successful breeding of A, minimus occurred during the latter two trials, the subsequent fate of offspring was not determined. Invasive techniques required to adequately monitor young animals were considered potentially too damaging. Telemetry studies indicated a preference of A. minimus for short, wet heath vegetation. Structural vegetation factors were identified as being significant in discriminating between capture locations of species. Small scale and inexpensive trial reintroductions have yielded valuable additional data on this species and may be viewed as a useful tool in the conservation of other small native mammals.
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Aberton, Michael J., and lswan@deakin edu au. "The use of phosphite as a control for Phytophthora cinnamomi in southeastern Victorian vegetation communities." Deakin University. School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, 2005. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20060921.150649.
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One of the major aims of the research presented in this thesis was to assist managers of native vegetation communities in southeastern Australia in understanding the dynamics of P. cinnamomi with an important ecological species, Xanthorrhoea australis. It trialed the use of phosphite in large-scale field applications to establish the usefulness of this management option for the first time on Victorian flora.
This thesis describes the process of disease development within mature X. Australia plants. For the first time it was shown that within X. australis plants, secondary disease symptoms are related to the percentage of stem that has been infested by the disease. It was evident that after initial invasion the pathogen moves via root xylem and throughout the plant within vascular to the stem, especially within the desmium. The research shows that the pathogen could not be isolated consistently even though it was considered to be responsible for disease symptoms.
Trials of a control fungicide (Foli-R-fos 200) shows that protection occurs in many susceptible plants when 2 and 6g a.i./L phosphite is applied. Phytotoxicity occurred in native plants at Anglesea and within controlled environment trials when using ≥ 6g a.i./L. It will be shown that 2g a.i./L phosphite controls disease in sprayed plots within heathlands at Anglesea and a recently burnt coastal woodland community at Wilsons Promontory. The proportion of healthy X. australis plants treated with phosphite was significantly higher than the proportion in control plots without phosphite. The research shows that phosphite was recovered from leaves of three species treated with Foli-R-fos 200 in the field. For the first time it has been shown that seed germination was reduced in two species when high concentrations of phosphite were applied. The first documentation of the effect that phosphite has on soil properties showed that nitrogen and oxidised organic carbon were the only parameters to alter significantly.
This thesis provides answers to some important questions, answers that can now be used by managers in formulating better policies and actions at an operational level. There has been a dire need in Victoria to address many issues regarding P. cinnamomi and this thesis provides relevant and informative approaches to disease control, and a better understanding of the disease progress.
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Bunny, F. "The biology, ecology and taxonomy of Phytophthora citricola in native plant communities in Western Australia /." Access via Murdoch University Digital Theses Project, 1996. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20061122.122739.
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Bunny, Felicity J. "The biology, ecology and taxonomy of Phytophthora citricola in native plant communities in Western Australia." Murdoch University, 1996. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20061122.122739.
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The objectives of the project were to develop an understanding of the disease dynamics caused
by Phytophthora citricola in native plant communities in the south of Western Australia. Prior
to 1983, the pathogen had only been reported twice from Australian forests. Since then,
P. citricola has been extensively recorded from plant communities north and south of Perth, and
is currently the second most frequently recovered Phytophthora species from the northern jarrah
forest and the northern sandplains.
The objectives were addressed by examining the biology, ecology and taxonomy of
isolates of P. citricola local to the southwest. Examination of the intraspecific variation of
P. citricola by isozyme analysis resolved three major electrophoretic subgroups (SG), and these
were aligned with morphological and cultural variation within the species. One electrophoretic
SG was confined to forested areas. This SG differed from other SGs in sporangial dimensions,
growth rate on two media and in vitro sensitivity to phosphonate. A redescription of the species
may be warranted.
P. citricola was positively associated with two roads in the northern jarrah forest. Road
surfaces were sampled, then soil overburden was removed and the surface of the concreted
lateritic layer beneath was sampled. Isolation of P. citricola declined away from the road into the
adjacent forest and was more frequently recovered from the caprock (up to 1 metre below soil
surface) than from the soil surface. The most probable source of introduction was from infested
soil on vehicles using the roads.
Oospores were shown to be produced in two soils, a lateritic gravelly loam and sand,
and in plants. In soil, the electrophoretic SG confined to the forest (loamy soil) produced only
limited numbers of oospores in the sandy soil of the northern sandplain. The restriction of this
SG to the forested areas is probably physiological, rather than limited dispersal, with the SG
currently occupying the full extent of its range. Estimation of the relative persistence of
oospores, zoospores and plant material colonised by P. citricola established that only oospores
(either free in soil or in colonised plant material) were important in long tern survival in soil.
Oospores were still viable after six months at two field sites, and after 18 months in soil in the
laboratory.
Phosphonate is currently the most promising method of control of Phytophthora induced
disease in native plant cornmunites of the southwest. The efficacy of phosphonate against
P. citricola was examined in vivo and in vitro against two SGs. Phosphonate successfully
inhibited lesion growth of both SGs in vivo, but of only one electrophoretic subgroup in vitro.
The ecological implications of infestation of native plant communities in the southwest
of Australia are discussed.
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Bryant, Sharon, and mindstream@optusnet com au. "Community Foundations: The Asset-based Development of an Australian Community Organisation as a Foundational Source for Sustainable Community Development." RMIT University. Management, 2007. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20080130.162112.
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This study seeks to uncover the opportunities and challenges in building the foundations for sustainable community development at the local level, by enhancing the capacity of a community organisation. Challenging the traditional needs-based focus of community development, the research builds from the work of Kretzmann and McKnight by applying an asset-based approach to both community development and capacity building of community organisations. This study thus shifts the focus of community development away from its traditional application on
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Slivkoff, Paulina Matvei. "The formation and contestation of Molokan identities and communities : the Australian experience." University of Western Australia. School of Social and Cultural Studies, 2007. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2007.0084.
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[Truncated abstract] Molokans are a Russian sectarian community that has been a transnational diasporic community since their exile from southern Russia in 1839. During the 1839 exodus they were relocated to Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. These countries make up a region referred to by Molokans as Transcaucasia located in and around the Caucasus Mountains. A further migration to Turkmenistan followed in 1889. Since that time, Molokans have settled in Iran, the United States of America, Mexico, Australia and Brazil. The colonies in Brazil and Mexico have disbanded with members re-joining Molokan communities in the United States of America and Australia. The communities remain in contact with one another and with various Molokan communities still existing in the Russian Soviet Socialist Federal Republic. Molokans are characterised by a religious structure of lay ministers and elders in a traditional, patriarchal social community. They are a collectivity of churches (there is no hierarchy between the churches) and sub-groups who practise varying degrees of adherence to Molokan dogma. They are a millenarian, charismatic religious community similar to Pentecostals and Anabaptists with the exception that they have ceased to evangelise and have become ‘closed’ communities practising endogamy. Given their closed structure, relatively little is known about this group in mainstream society . . . Spirituality, in the form of prophecy, healing, and the shared expression of religious ecstasy (rejoicing in the Holy Spirit) provides a sense of communitas that helps to bind the communities. Persecution in Russia and in the United States of America promoted mistrust of outsiders and contributed to the closure of social boundaries. Interventionist and reform activities in both Russia and the United States of America reinforced the belief that social closure was the only way to maintain cultural continuity. Their shared history of migration and persecution contributes to the building of a core community identity.