Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Ecology Bangladesh Public opinion'

Understanding the drivers of zoonotic disease emergence is critical to mitigating spillover, and part of this comes from understanding the ecology of natural reservoirs. Nipah virus (NiV) is a negative sense single-stranded RNA virus (Family 'Paramyxoviridae', Genus 'Henipavirus') carried by Old World fruit bats of the genus 'Pteropus' (family 'Pteropodidae'). Nipah virus was first recognized in Bangladesh in 2001, and there have been clusters of NiV encephalitis reported there almost annually, with a mean mortality rate of 75%. Nipah virus antibodies were identified in 'Pteropus medius' (formerly 'P. giganteus') in northern India in 2003, and in Bangladesh in 2004, providing evidence that this bat may serve as a natural reservoir for NiV. Outbreaks in Bangladesh have been spatially and temporally clustered, occurring in western Bangladesh and West Bengal, India, between November and April. Nipah virus is of high public health concern in that is causes high mortality rates in people, can spread person-to-person, has no treatment or vaccine, and repeatedly spills over from its bat reservoir to people in a populous and globally connected region. Given enough opportunity, Nipah virus has the potential to evolve into an efficiently transmitted human virus with pandemic potential. The overall aim of this thesis is to characterize NiV host-virus dynamics in its putative reservoir, and test the hypothesis the Nipah virus dynamics in bats influences the timing and location of human cases. A second aim of this thesis is to determine whether unknown, potentially zoonotic viruses exist in 'P. medius' that could potentially be transmitted to people or animals via a similar route of infection as Nipah virus. The studies in theis thesis used a combination of ecological, epidemiological, experimental, and diagnostic methods to characterize 1) the spatial distribution of Nipah virus and 'Pteropus medius' in Bangladesh; 2) the temporal dynamics of Nipah virus in 'P. medius'; 3) the duration of maternal antibodies in 'Pteropus'; and 4) novel viruses in 'P. medius' that may be transmitted to people via similar route of infection as Nipah virus. Nipah virus was found to be widely distributed in 'P. medius' populations across Bangladesh, with spatial variation in seroprevalence, but no significant difference in exposure btween colonies within or outside the Nipah belt. Nipah virus RNA was detected at a prevalence of 1%-3%. Phylogenetic analysis of NiV sequences suggests little variation over time within a single location, but diversity was apparent when location varied. An SIR model of a 6-year longitudinal study of NiV seroprevalence in a single bat population suggests that there are seasonal dynamics driven by juvenile bats that result in spikes in viral circulation around June or July. Metagenomic analysis of a subset of 'P. medius' samples from Faridpur led to the discovery of a previously unrecognized flavivirus, now classified as Bat pegivirus (BtPgV), which appears to be ancestral to Hepatitis C virus and may have zoonotic potential. This study confirms 'Pteropus medius' is the reservoir for Nipah virus in Bangladesh and provides new insights into the natural dynamics and genetic variation of Nipah virus circulating in this host. Based in the culmination of previously reported epidemiological data, date palm sap harvesting most likely accounts for the timing and spatial clustering of human Nipah virus encephalitis cases, but understanding that there are periods, approximately every two years, when bats appear least likely to shed Nipah virus, may explain years when no human cases are reported. Also, NiV can be shed by bats at times other than the human NiV season and likely across the entire homerage of this species, which underscores the importance of strengthening disease surveillance systems across the entire range of related pteropid bats to identify and disrupt high risk interfaces and limit opportunity for Nipah virus to cause a pandemic.

Riparian wetlands are among the most valuable landscapes in the arid southwest. Since they are sources for water and green vegetation, they are unique compared to surrounding desert landscapes. They also offer the potential for a wide range of commodity and non-commodity based land uses. In a rapidly urbanizing setting, commodity based uses such as housing, retail, and industrial development often come into conflict with non-commodity based uses such as recreation and wildlife, water and nature preservation. The purpose of this study was to deduce public value orientations toward the rapidly urbanizing riparian landscapes of Tucson, Arizona through an assessment of residents' attitudes and perceptions regarding those landscapes. Theoretical constructs addressing the relationship between attitudes and perceptions and varying conditions of residential setting, proximity, familiarity, and human influence in the landscape were also assessed. Data were collected by mail survey and by a photo-surrogate landscape assessment technique which provided data on scenic quality and the appropriateness of various land uses. Results indicate that the strongest differences across residential settings, proximity, familiarity, and human influence occur for perceptions of existing landscape conditions. Weaker differences occur for perceptions of change and opinions on planning, management, and growth. No differences were found on land use preferences. Although perceptions differ about what currently exists in the landscape, respondents are unified in their preferences for future land use. This suggests that landscape assessments based only on perceptions of existing conditions may not accurately reflect public values for future land uses. Public value orientations were found to be associated with: (1) careful planning to control growth; (2) conservation of water resources; (3) preservation and rehabilitation of natural vegetation, wildlife habitat, open space, and other non-commodity resources, and (4) development of compatible flood control structures. Results suggest that the changes occurring in the study area are incompatible with respondents' preferences for future land uses.

Four major rivers that flow around Dhaka, the capital city of Bangladesh, are threatened by human activities that have caused them to seriously decline. This situation has become a significant concern for both Dhaka’s inhabitants and for environmentalists. River-related issues have become controversial and contentious, and have started to receive public attention. Nowadays the newspapers of Bangladesh frequently cover river issues, including the protection of rivers. The Daily Star, the leading national English-language newspaper of Bangladesh, has in the last few years advocated for tougher actions against river grabbing, encroaching, waste dumping and sand filling. In extending the range of its coverage on river-related issues, The Daily Star employed a shift from environmental journalism to a wider-ranging environmental media advocacy campaign. On 1 June 2009 the newspaper formally launched a media campaign called “Nodi Banchao Dhaka Banchao” (“Save Rivers, Save Dhaka”), aiming to raise public awareness and influence the government’s policy-making. It has been more than five years since this campaign began. In response to the campaign, the government of Bangladesh became concerned and has started a number of initiatives, but, in reality, there has been no major change in the condition of the rivers. The attempts by The Daily Star to advocate for protecting rivers drew public attention and also mobilised public opinion. This research discusses the role of a newspaper in raising public awareness through an advocacy campaign. Through this campaign, the newspaper became a platform for the government, environmental pressure groups and activists to engage with the public to work together to save Dhaka’s major rivers. This ongoing media advocacy campaign provides a unique case study. Applying the method of content analysis, this research takes a closer look at The Daily Star’s “Save Rivers, Save Dhaka” campaign, and also attempts to understand public perception of the effectiveness of this media-driven environmental advocacy precedent.

The premise that the continued existence of organisations in a democracy depends on both the tacit and the explicit approval and opinions of their many publics is fundamental to public relations theory. Furthermore, the challenge of coping with the potential constraints and opportunities of public opinion as an aspect of the organisational environment is essential to contemporary public relations practice. While the term "public opinion environment" appears intermittently in scholarly and trade publications, the dimensions and characteristics of this aspect of organisational environments remain largely unspecified. This thesis explores two challenges--the first is to conceptualise and measure variation in an important aspect of contemporary organisational environments, the public opinion environment, and the second is to investigate the influence of that environment on the critical and often highly exposed relationships between organisations and activist publics. In suggesting a relationship between variation in the environment and the evolutionary pathways of organisational relationships, the perspective underpinning this thesis is both ecological and evolutionary. Ecological analyses of organisations assume that members of a population are affected similarly by environmental change and share a common dependence on the material and social environment. Consistent with this perspective, this thesis explores the public opinion environment and the organisation-activist relationships therein longitudinally at the population level of analysis. The focal organisational population is Australia's major banks, and the period of interest extends from 1981 to 2001. An evolutionary model of organisation-activist relationships (EOAR) is developed, and the propositions derived from this model are explored using a comparative case study approach. These propositions anticipate and specify associations between variations in dimensions of the public opinion environment of an organisational population and the evolution of organisation-activist relationships in the population. Central to understanding the public opinion environment of an organisational population are the issues around which activist publics organise, public opinion develops, and organisation-activist relationships emerge. Then, the public opinion environment is conceptualised as a set of issues that concern Australia's major banks and their publics. Variations in this "issue set," are described using four dimensions: stability (turnover of issues), complexity (the number of issues in the issue set), intensity (volume of media coverage), and direction (favourability of media coverage for the focal population). To explore the propositions of the EOAR model, I have analysed the variations in these four dimensions in relation to the evolution of organisation-activist relationships. To observe and describe this evolution, I have located the state of these relationships on a conflict continuum using relationship-signalling statements made by organisations and activists and published by the media. Three cases studies from the same organisational population, Australia's major banks, are compared over three different but consecutive seven-year periods from 1981 to 2001. The case studies involved the extensive review of industry reports, submissions and other documents from several government inquiries, and scholarly articles, as well as the content analysis of more than 6, 500 newspaper articles published during each of the three case study periods. The findings of this comparative case study suggest that variations in some dimensions of the public opinion environment of an organisational population are associated with the evolutionary ecology of organisation-activist relationships in that population. However, the associations are more complex than was anticipated by the original propositions of the EOAR model; thus refinements to the model are advanced for further investigation. A primary contribution of this study is that it provides the theoretical apparatus and tools to systematically explore, interpret, and measure variation in the issues comprising the public opinion environment and to track the evolving organisation-activist relationships organised around those issues. Because the population level of analysis and a longitudinal lens are applied, this conceptualisation of the public opinion environment effectively captures and specifies the overlapping and persistent nature of issues. The evidence of this study suggests that when issues have emerged in the public opinion environment at the population level of analysis, they are likely to persist as a hub around which publics organise, providing a focus for discussions and debates for years to come. This persistence, "issue-set inertia," has important implications for organisational relationships. Given these conditions, organisations can monitor and manage their responses to issues. However, it is naïvely optimistic at best to accept the contention of issues management consultants and other pundits that organisations can manage the issues themselves. Furthermore, the findings of this study call into question the value of advice that encourages organisations to deal with issues by seeking to avoid engaging with their activist publics and by downplaying the issues in the media.

The premise that the continued existence of organisations in a democracy depends on both the tacit and the explicit approval and opinions of their many publics is fundamental to public relations theory. Furthermore, the challenge of coping with the potential constraints and opportunities of public opinion as an aspect of the organisational environment is essential to contemporary public relations practice. While the term "public opinion environment" appears intermittently in scholarly and trade publications, the dimensions and characteristics of this aspect of organisational environments remain largely unspecified. This thesis explores two challenges--the first is to conceptualise and measure variation in an important aspect of contemporary organisational environments, the public opinion environment, and the second is to investigate the influence of that environment on the critical and often highly exposed relationships between organisations and activist publics. In suggesting a relationship between variation in the environment and the evolutionary pathways of organisational relationships, the perspective underpinning this thesis is both ecological and evolutionary. Ecological analyses of organisations assume that members of a population are affected similarly by environmental change and share a common dependence on the material and social environment. Consistent with this perspective, this thesis explores the public opinion environment and the organisation-activist relationships therein longitudinally at the population level of analysis. The focal organisational population is Australia's major banks, and the period of interest extends from 1981 to 2001. An evolutionary model of organisation-activist relationships (EOAR) is developed, and the propositions derived from this model are explored using a comparative case study approach. These propositions anticipate and specify associations between variations in dimensions of the public opinion environment of an organisational population and the evolution of organisation-activist relationships in the population. Central to understanding the public opinion environment of an organisational population are the issues around which activist publics organise, public opinion develops, and organisation-activist relationships emerge. Then, the public opinion environment is conceptualised as a set of issues that concern Australia's major banks and their publics. Variations in this "issue set," are described using four dimensions: stability (turnover of issues), complexity (the number of issues in the issue set), intensity (volume of media coverage), and direction (favourability of media coverage for the focal population). To explore the propositions of the EOAR model, I have analysed the variations in these four dimensions in relation to the evolution of organisation-activist relationships. To observe and describe this evolution, I have located the state of these relationships on a conflict continuum using relationship-signalling statements made by organisations and activists and published by the media. Three cases studies from the same organisational population, Australia's major banks, are compared over three different but consecutive seven-year periods from 1981 to 2001. The case studies involved the extensive review of industry reports, submissions and other documents from several government inquiries, and scholarly articles, as well as the content analysis of more than 6, 500 newspaper articles published during each of the three case study periods. The findings of this comparative case study suggest that variations in some dimensions of the public opinion environment of an organisational population are associated with the evolutionary ecology of organisation-activist relationships in that population. However, the associations are more complex than was anticipated by the original propositions of the EOAR model; thus refinements to the model are advanced for further investigation. A primary contribution of this study is that it provides the theoretical apparatus and tools to systematically explore, interpret, and measure variation in the issues comprising the public opinion environment and to track the evolving organisation-activist relationships organised around those issues. Because the population level of analysis and a longitudinal lens are applied, this conceptualisation of the public opinion environment effectively captures and specifies the overlapping and persistent nature of issues. The evidence of this study suggests that when issues have emerged in the public opinion environment at the population level of analysis, they are likely to persist as a hub around which publics organise, providing a focus for discussions and debates for years to come. This persistence, "issue-set inertia," has important implications for organisational relationships. Given these conditions, organisations can monitor and manage their responses to issues. However, it is naïvely optimistic at best to accept the contention of issues management consultants and other pundits that organisations can manage the issues themselves. Furthermore, the findings of this study call into question the value of advice that encourages organisations to deal with issues by seeking to avoid engaging with their activist publics and by downplaying the issues in the media.

This present study seeks to determine the bases of our attitudes toward environmental issues. Is it what we think and believe (cognition) about the environment that determines our attitudes or is it what we feel (affect) that informs us. Previous literature indicates that in some areas affect may be a better predictor of attitudes than cognition. Furthermore the environmental education literature suggests that affect may be a key entry point for environmental education Using Zanna & Rempel's (1988) attitude structure model, the present study seeks to replicate and extend the work of Eagly, Mladinic and Otto (1994) using a free response method to elicit beliefs and affects to three environmental issues. Sixty six participants (N=66) were asked to rate their attitudes, and elicit their own beliefs and emotions about the environmental issues. Results from standard regression analyses confirmed that beliefs and affects significantly predicted attitudes toward logging of native forests, emotions predicted attitudes toward restriction of vehicle emissions and beliefs predicted attitudes toward urban development. Hierarchial regression results indicate that even after taking into account the role of cognition, affect significantly contributes to the amount of variance explained in attitudes toward the restriction of vehicle emissions and the logging of native forests. The results indicate that attitudes can be differentially predicted from beliefs and affects and that overall affect and beliefs play an equally important role in the prediction of attitudes toward environmental issues. Directions for future research are highlighted and discussed in light of the specific results obtained by the present study.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2003.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: South Africa, like so many other developing countries, is confronted with a very complex situation: although large-scale environmental degradation is threatening the future of the country, environmental matters are not regarded as of sufficient importance amongst the general population for them to contribute to environmental improvements. Most of the country's populations, many argue, are simply too poor and too focused on fulfilling short-term survival needs to give priority to the environment. Employing the 2001 World Values Survey, this study analyzes the attitudes of the general public of South Africa towards environmental matters. These attitudes are contrasted with those of the elites, who have a disproportionate influence over policy-making, by looking at the 2000 South African National Leadership Opinion Survey. This study finds that, as hypothesized, the general population of the country is quite unwilling (or unable) to contribute materially or financially to environmental improvements, especially in relation to the elites. In the final part of the study, these findings are employed in the development of a set of guidelines that policy-makers can use to increase the probability of developing successful and effective environmental policies. These guidelines take into account the nature and dimensions of popular attitudes, and consider ways in which environmental policies can foster the support of a public that is confronted with so many other serious issues.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Suid-Afrika, soos soveel ander ontwikkelende lande, is gekonfronteer met 'n baie komplekse situasie: alhoewel grootskaalse degradasie van die omgewing die toekoms van die land bedreig, sien die algemene publiek nie omgewingskwessies as belangrik genoeg om 'n bydrae te lewer nie. Die argument is dat te veel van die land se bevolking net te arm of te gefokus is op die bevrediging van kort-termyn oorlewingsbehoeftes om prioriteit te gee aan omgewingskwessies. Deur gebruik te maak van die 2001 Wêreld Waardestudie, analiseer hierdie studie die houdings van die Suid-Afrikaanse publiek teenoor omgewingskwessies. Hierdie houdings word gekontrasteer met die van die elites, wat 'n disproporsionele invloed het oor die beleidsmakingsproses, deur gebruik te maak van die 2000 Suid-Afrikaanse Nasionale Leierskap Opinie Studie. Die studie vind dat, soos gehipotiseer, die publiek onwillig (of net nie in staat) is om bydrae te lewer tot die oplossing van omgewingskwessies, veral in vergelyking met die elites. In die finale afdeling van hierdie studie word die bevindinge gebruik om 'n stel riglyne te ontwikkel wat deur beleidmakers gebruik kan word om die waarskynlikheid van suksesvolle en effektiewe omgewingsbeleid te verbeter. Hierdie riglyne neem in ag die natuur en dimensies van publieke houdings, en bring na vore maniere waardeur omgewingsbeleide die ondersteuning van 'n publiek, wat gekonfronteer word met soveel ander ernstige kwessies, kan opbou.

The formation of novel ecosystems by non-native species poses management challenges that are both socially and ecologically complex. This complexity necessitates consideration of both ecological dynamics and social attitudes and perceptions. Red mangrove propagules were introduced to Moloka'i, Hawaii in 1902 to mitigate the effects of soil erosion and they have since spread along the coast and to adjacent islands creating novel habitat. Non-native mangroves in Hawai'i present a unique case study to examine diverse social attitudes and perceptions resulting from a long history of land cover transformations on the Hawaiian Islands, socio-cultural diversity of involved stakeholders, and the potential array of ecosystem services they may provide under changing land use and climatic conditions. Ecological dynamics were examined to (1) determine whether novel mangrove habitat affects zooplankton diversity and richness, (2) test the hypothesis that zooplankton community composition differs significantly among established mangrove and coastal non-mangrove habitat, and (3) assess other factors driving differences in zooplankton community assemblages. This study found no significant differences found between sites with and without mangroves in terms of richness, diversity, or community composition. However, lunar cycles and site dynamics, including fishpond structure, mangrove and open shoreline length, percentage of mangrove shoreline length, total percentage of carbon in mangrove leaves, and disturbance in the upstream watershed influenced zooplankton community composition. These findings suggest that non-native mangroves support community composition, richness, and diversity similar to non-mangrove areas, though some widespread taxa have lower abundances in mangrove habitat. My research suggests that in the face of declining fisheries, threatened reef habitat, and changing climate and ocean conditions, mangroves may provide zooplankton habitat in novel locations similar to that provided by native habitat, such that habitat availability for zooplankton is not hindered by non-native mangroves. To understand social dynamics 204 residents of Moloka'i, Hawaii were surveyed to evaluate: 1) attitudes and perceptions about this non-native species, 2) what factors influence these attitudes, and 3) how attitudes influence perceptions about management. A belief that mangroves should be removed, concern about threats to Moloka'i's coast, and not relying on mangroves for benefit were the primary drivers of negative attitudes towards non-native mangroves. Support for management actions was predicted by attitudes towards mangroves, perception and concern about threats to Moloka'i's coast, and experiences involving mangroves. I propose a framework for assessing and incorporating diverse perceptions and attitudes into decision-making around non-native species that have created novel ecosystems. An active management approach allowing mangroves to thrive in certain locations and to provide services such as habitat and crabbing access while in other locations limiting their extent to protect native bird habitat and cater for human needs, including safe beach and ocean access, may ultimately offer the greatest benefits to both the ecosystem and society. As environmental issues, such as species introductions, become increasingly complicated in the age of the Anthropocene, with intricate relationships made more difficult in the face of climate change, integrated research in socio-ecological systems may provide a comprehensive approach to better evaluate and understand our changing world.

Over the past century in the western United States, warming has produced larger and more severe wildfires than previously recorded. General circulation models and their ensembles project continued increases in temperature and the proportion of precipitation falling as rain. Warmer and wetter conditions may change forest successional trajectories by modifying rates of vegetation establishment, competition, growth, reproduction, and mortality. Many questions remain regarding how these changes will occur across landscapes and how disturbances, such as wildfire, may interact with changes to climate and vegetation. Forest management is used to proactively modify forest structure and composition to improve fire resilience. Yet, research is needed to assess how to best utilize mechanical fuel reduction and prescribed fire at the landscape scale. Human communities also exist within these landscapes, and decisions regarding how to manage forests must carefully consider how management will affect such communities.

In this work, I analyzed three aspects of forest management at large spatiotemporal scales: (1) climate effects on forest composition and wildfire activity; (2) efficacy of fuel management strategies toward reducing wildfire spread and severity; and, (3) local resident perspectives on forest management. Using a forest landscape model, simulations of forest dynamics were used to investigate relationships among climate, wildfire, and topography with long-term changes in biomass for a fire-prone dry-conifer landscape in eastern Oregon, United States. I compared the effectiveness of fuel treatment strategies for reducing wildfire under both contemporary and extreme weather. Fuel treatment scenarios included “business as usual” and strategies that increased the area treated with harvest and prescribed fire, and all strategies were compared by distributing them across the landscape and by concentrating them in areas at the greatest risk for high-severity wildfire. To investigate local community preferences for forest management, I used focus groups, interviews, and questionnaires. Through open-ended questions and a public participation geographic information systems (PPGIS) mapping exercise, local residents expressed their views on fuels reduction treatments by commercial and non-commercial harvest and prescribed fire. Emergent themes were used to inform alternative management scenarios to explore the usefulness of using PPGIS to generate modeling inputs. Scenarios ranged from restoration-only treatments to short-rotation commercial harvest.

Under climate change, wildfire was more frequent, more expansive, and more severe, and ponderosa pine expanded its range into existing shrublands and high-elevation zones. There was a near-complete loss of native high-elevation tree species, such as Engelmann spruce and whitebark pine. Loss of these species were most strongly linked to burn frequency; this effect was greatest at high elevations and on steep slopes.

Fuel reduction was effective at reducing wildfire spread and severity compared to unmanaged landscapes. Spatially optimizing mechanical removal of trees in areas at risk for high-severity wildfire was equally effective as distributing tree removal across the landscape. Tripling the annual area of prescribed burns was needed to affect landscape-level wildfire spread and severity, and distributing prescribed burns across the study area was more effective than concentrating fires in high-risk areas.

Focus group participants generally approved of all types of forest management and agreed that all areas should be managed with the “appropriate” type of treatment for each forest stand, and that decisions about management should be made by “experts.” However, there was disagreement related to who the “experts” are and how much public input should be included in the decision making process. Degree of trust in land management agencies contributed to polarized views about who the primary decision makers and what the focus of management should be. While most participants agreed that prescribed fire was a useful tool for preventing wildfire spread and severity, many expressed reservations about its use.

I conclude that forest management can be used to reduce wildfire activity in dry-mixed conifer forests and that spatially optimizing mechanical treatments in high-risk areas can be a useful tool for reducing the cost and ecological impact associated with harvest operations. While reducing the severity and spread of wildfire may slow some long-term species shifts, high sub-alpine tree mortality occurred under all climate and fuel treatment scenarios. Thus, while forest management may prolong the existence of sub-alpine forests, shifts in temperature, precipitation, and wildfire may overtake management within this century. The use of PPGIS was useful for delineating the range of forest management preferences within the local community, for identifying areas of agreement among residents who have otherwise polarized views, and for generating modeling inputs that reflect views that may not be obtained through extant official channels for public participation. Because the local community has concerns about the use of prescribed fire, more education and outreach is needed. This may increase public acceptance of the amounts of prescribed fire needed to modify wildfire trajectories under future climate conditions.

A range of views exist on the question of the effects of the Judeoâ Christian tradition on environmental ethics. Some believe that the Judeo-Christian tradition has played the significant role in bringing about the present environmental situation. Others maintain that the current environmental crisis is much more complicated, resulting from many divergent factors. Still others would say that the Judeo-Christian tradition, as expressed in the Bible, calls man into a sacred relationship with nature which can be defined as the environmental ethic of stewardship.

This thesis studies the relationship between Christian religious commitment and attitudes toward the environment.

A questionnaire completed by 242 individuals who attend church in the Roanoke Valley provides the case study data. The survey instrument measures Christian religious commitment and attitudes toward the environment. The results of this study will provide further understanding of indicators for environmenta1 ethics.

Master of Landscape Architecture

Thesis (MScAgric (Conservation Ecology and Entomology)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007.
This study assessed (a) the inclusion of local communities in the process of the establishment and management of Parque Nacional do Limpopo (PNL); (b) local community resources use practices, livelihoods strategies, land resources use and ownership and institutional arrangements at the grassroots; and (c) attitudes and perceptions of local communities towards the park and its implications for the sustainability of the park. The study shows that local stakeholders were left out in the planning and implementation processes of the park, which was through top-down approach. There was a lack of involvement of local communities and co-ordination with local stakeholders concerning on-the-ground activities. Local community participation occurs through consultation, thereby depriving primary stakeholders of any decision-making power. However, the study notes that the ongoing interaction between the park management, community advocacy organisations and local communities in the park represents a positive step towards the evolving practice of participatory governance of the protected area. It is also shown that local communities have diverse livelihood strategies, including subsistence agriculture, livestock herding, forest products harvesting, small businesses, handicrafts and cash remittances by migrate labourers. It is worth noting that land and forest resources use constitutes the foundation of their livelihood strategies. Local communities considered land to belong to traditional land chiefs who head local socio-cultural and political organizations in rural areas. They allocate land and control access to natural resources. Other community members asserted that the land belongs to the respective families that inherited and use it. The legal framework in Mozambique authorises the establishment of new institutions at the grassroots. This overlaps with the pre-existing traditional institutions in the rural areas, resulting in power conflicts and in some cases disruption of local institutions for governance ...

This ethnographic study explores the social aspects of agricultural land-use in the Marys River region. The study seeks to understand how farmers define sustainability and how their views on agricultural issues help to define a sense of place and identity in the Marys River region, within the context of the globalized agricultural system. This project builds on past research utilizing the theory and praxis of political ecology, but also incorporates elements of bioregionalism to develop a theoretical model of regional political ecology for an integrated and multidisciplinary approach to answering the research questions. The study asks: 1) How do farmers in the Marys River region define agricultural sustainability? 2) What methods do farmers use to develop more sustainable agroecosystems? 3) What do farmers consider to be the most important issues in developing a more sustainable regional community within the globalized system of agriculture? A critical synthesis of information is developed establishing bioregional political ecology within the conceptual framework of the project. The study then describes the broad social and economic contexts that potentially shape and constrain farmer conceptualizations of sustainability, focusing on the contrast between the development and characteristics of the globalized system of industrial agriculture and more traditional systems-based methods considered to be alternative forms of agricultural production. The study then uses this conceptual framework to integrate an historical account describing the development of agriculture in the Marys River region with contemporary ethnographic information collected through participant observation and semi-structured interviews with farmers to provide a more holistic understanding of contemporary definitions of agricultural sustainability. This approach of integrating the qualitative information gathered from local farmers with historical and contemporary background information on land-use allowed for a better understanding of farmers' perspectives and definitions of sustainability. A principle finding from this research was that farmers throughout the Marys River region, regardless of farming styles and practices, consider sustainability primarily as the ability to continue farming into the extended future. Farmers' definitions of sustainability are inherently tied to the 'space' of the farm and these findings provide a common ground for dialogue among stakeholders with differing worldviews. This study helps to fill gaps in the existing literature on sustainability and agricultural land-use in the region; namely the perception and conceptualization of sustainability by its farmers. This more comprehensive understanding of how farmers relate to sustainability will help farmers, policymakers, and other institutions to better work together in making more informed decisions toward building stronger communities and developing a more sustainable bioregion within the global marketplace
Graduation date: 2013

The resident feral cat (Felis catus) population on the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), Howard College campus (HCC) in Durban, South Africa was studied from March 2004 to November 2005. This study was initiated as the HCC is an registered as an urban conservancy and so should be removing alien invasive flora and fauna and conserving the indigenous biodiversity of the campus. This research was undertaken to assist with recommendations for the control and management of feral cats on the HCe. A survey to determine public perceptions and opinions regarding the feral cats was conducted among various communities on the campus. Feral cats from the resident population on the HCC were trapped and fitted with radio-collars in order that their home range sizes and distribution could be determined. Monthly census counts were also carried out in an attempt to calculate population densities of the feral cats on campus, while data on behaviour patterns was collected opportunistically throughout the study period. The survey showed that two extreme views existed on campus regarding the presence of feral cats. The university is a registered conservancy which some feel is no place for this exotic species. However, it is also situated within an urban surrounding and there are some cat enthusiasts among the public who feel that resources should be provided for the feral cats, both nutritionally and financially. While many people were unaware that the feral cats were a cause for concern on the HCC, the majority concluded that a management policy needed to be adopted to control feral cat numbers. Most were against the suggestion of eradicating the cats and strongly agreed with the implementation of a university funded feral cat IV sterilising and feeding programme. Feeding the feral cats, however, needs to be stringently controlled. In this study, the availability of an abundance of food resources was shown to be the primary influencing factor for home range size, cat distribution and population densities. It also had an overriding effect on the feral cats' behaviour patterns and activity levels. Once these had been initially established, other factors such as human activity, reproductive status and gender then came into play. Distribution of the feral cats around campus was not homogenous, and densities differed according to areas on campus. Highest cat densities were recorded in those areas on the HCC where permanent cat feeding stations had been established (usually the developed areas on campus), while no feral cats were sighted in the Msinsi Nature Reserve, a natural bush area on campus were no food resources (other than prey species) is available. Home range sizes of the feral cats were relatively small with a considerable amount of overlap between and within the sexes. There were also no seasonal differences in range sizes and diurnal ranges were only marginally smaller than nocturnal range sIzes. In terms of behaviour, the HCC feral cats were generally inactive, with passive behaviour such as lying down and sitting being most often observed. Although hunting activity was very rarely witnessed, the combined effects of feral cats supported at high densities by supplemental feeding may exert predation pressures that could be detrimental to both local prey and predator populations. Little social interactions were observed by the cats on the HCC. Other studies show that competition is greatly reduced if food is available in abundance and there is no need for territorial disputes if both food and a potential mate are located in close proximity. In the present study, this also means that immigrating feral cats from surrounding neighbourhoods are tolerated; another factor contributing to the increase in feral cat numbers on the campus. These findings suggest that the feral cat population on the HCC is being maintained at higher population densities than would be expected and management initiatives are needed to control the feral cat population at a minimum density through a sterilising and low key feeding programme so that it is acceptable to all concerned parties. However, the decisions need to favour the status of the HCC as a conservancy in an urban area as well as consider the well-being of the students and staffmembers in a public place.
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2005.