Dissertations / Theses: 'Ecosystem perspectives'

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Zabihimayvan, Mahdieh. "New Perspectives About The Tor Ecosystem: Integrating Structure With Information." Wright State University / OhioLINK, 2020. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1590352346525012.

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Schweiger, Andreas Verfasser], and Carl [Akademischer Betreuer] [Beierkuhnlein. "Springs as models to unveil ecological drivers and responses : Perspectives for ecosystem theory from neglected ecosystems / Andreas Schweiger ; Betreuer: Carl Beierkuhnlein." Bayreuth : Universität Bayreuth, 2016. http://d-nb.info/1114270679/34.

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Whitcomb, Hilary Louise. "Temperature Increase Effects on Sagebrush Ecosystem Forbs: Exprimental Evidence and Range Manager Perspectives." DigitalCommons@USU, 2011. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/1044.

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Sagebrush plant communities are among the most threatened in North America. This project had two goals: to test how increased temperature affects native and nonnative forb species common to the Western sagebrush region and to evaluate land manager beliefs about changes in their ecosystems, including those affecting forb species. Native forbs Sphaeralcea munroana, Crepis acuminata, Linum lewisii, Penstemon palmeri, and Oenothera pallida and non-natives Erodium cicutarium and Lactuca serriola were each subjected to two treatments: experimental warming using open-top chambers and a control. Knowing how forbs used in restoration might respond to future conditions is both practical and economical information for land managers. Responses to an open-top chamber treatment suggest that S. munroana, L. lewisii, and P. palmeri may be resilient to predicted increases in temperature, while C. acuminata and O. pallida should be used with caution. As expected, temperature did not affect E. cicutarium fitness but did lead to earlier germination. This result supports the concept that competitive interactions between non-natives and natives could be compounded by increased temperature. Transplanted L. serriola was negatively affected by warming. Semi-structured phone interviews of range managers in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, Wyoming, Oregon, and Montana addressed demographics, local climate and land changes, and forb knowledge. Additionally, local long-term climate data sets were compared to responses. Most states respondents were evenly split about beliefs of climate change in their area (half said there were no changes, and have said they thought there were some changes). Montana was the exception; Montana’s recent increases in climate-related events may explain most of the managers noting changes. Managers that had more years at their job gave more qualified, but also more accurate climate answers. Managers saying there was no change tended to base their answers on recent weather conditions, while managers that said they did notice changes tended to base their answers on long-term patterns. Forbs typically were not viewed as an important indicator of ecosystem health or resilience. This study indicates restoration organizations might benefit from more specified outreach to managers which focuses on local climate, forbs (especially those known to be used by Greater sage-grouse), and solutions.

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Nguyen, Trung Thanh [Verfasser]. "Gains and Losses in Ecosystem Services: Trade-off and Efficiency Perspectives / Trung Thanh Nguyen." Bayreuth : Universität Bayreuth, 2015. http://d-nb.info/1079587969/34.

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Rocher, Johan, and Jian Yang. "Fundraising in Different Business Ecosystems:Entrepreneurial Leaders’ perspectives in USA, France and China." Thesis, Linnéuniversitetet, Ekonomihögskolan, ELNU, 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:lnu:diva-19475.

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Both developing and developed countries have witnessed the very heart position of small business in the contribution of economic growth and job creation. Nevertheless, the appetite for funds of new enterprises is still not satisfied nowadays, which limits the further blossom of entrepreneurship. Concerning about this problem, our research tries to investigate and describe financing sources of companies in seed/early stage and understand the implications of entrepreneurial leadership in the process of fundraising. Besides, this study involves three business ecosystems: America, France and China in the international context.Following the grounded theory as the researching path, this thesis is considered as a combination of realistic research about financing sources and interpretative research about entrepreneurial leadership. The study is based upon secondary data, which are widely gathered from USA, France and China. In order to achieve in-depth perspectives, empirical explorations are conducted mainly through example studies and face-to-face dialogues with experts including an entrepreneur, a consultant in relation with investors, a bank manager and a project manager.A comprehensive understanding is realized as a result of this research:• American business ecosystem proves its leading position in fundraising support for bootstrap-step companies. As to French ecosystem, it is evolving and represents various particularities regarding regulations, structural mentalities and policies. The Chinese one is fairly different due to the affection of the Communism regime but also the particularly important role of network in doing business.• Entrepreneurial leadership is helpful in fundraising process. And enactment of leadership is quite different due to diverse culture and financing sources. Through the thesis, we interpret how entrepreneurial leadership could be helpful for fundraising in each business ecosystem.• Beyond academic sphere, this research reveals significant benefits and potentials for bridging fund flow among three business ecosystems. It shows a big entrepreneurial opportunity for people who have knowledge and network to break cultural boundaries and construct this “bridge”.In no wise this study aims at explaining or prescribing. By studying each ecosystem for entrepreneurial leaders, we hope to establish an understanding of this topic that could be further examined.

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Browning, Dawn M. "Woody Plant Dynamics in a Sonoran Desert Ecosystem across Scales: Remote Sensing and Field Perspectives." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/195333.

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Historic land uses impose discernable legacy effects that may influence ecosystem function, a concern of particular importance in actively managed landscapes. In recent history (ca. 150 years) tree and shrub abundance has increased at the expense of native grasses in savannas and grasslands. The magnitude and patterns of change are spatially heterogeneous, highlighting the need for analytical approaches spanning multiple spatial scales, from individual plants to patches to landscapes. The overarching goal of this dissertation was to explore long-term dynamics associated with woody plant encroachment with aerial photography and field studies to examine cover, density, soils and land use history at the Santa Rita Experimental Range.The first study characterized patterns in woody cover change on contrasting soils over 60 years using aerial photography. Woody patch dynamics revealed encroachment and stabilization phases in woody plant proliferation. Soil properties reflected the rate at which uplands reached a dynamic equilibrium, but not the endpoint (ca. 35% cover). Fluctuations around dynamic equilibrium reflected net change in patch growth and acquiescence combined with colonization and mortality. Efforts to characterize changes in land cover will require patch-based assessments beyond coarse estimates of percent cover.The second study capitalized on historic field measurements of shrub canopies to validate estimates of shrub cover derived from the earliest aerial photography, quantified detection limitations of 1936 aerial photographs for mapping shrub cover, assessed species-specific contributions to percent cover, and translated detection limitations to proportions of velvet mesquite (Prosopis velutina var Woot.) biomass missed with 1930s aerial photography.The third study was a field-based approach investigating how livestock grazing influenced mesquite cover, density, biomass, and stand structure over 74 years. The study supplemented traditional statistical analysis of grazing effects with methods quantifying spatial autocorrelation structure of mesquite density by grazing treatment. The outcome re-affirmed the supposition that mesquite cover may be dynamically stable at ca 30%, and revealed that livestock grazing slowed the shrub encroachment process from 1932 to 2006, counter to expectation. Results indicate that shrub growth trajectories persist long-term. Overall, this work affirms the importance of land use legacies and long-term perspectives in rangeland shrub dynamics.

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James, Helen Frances. "Historical perspectives on the evolution and ecology of Hawaiian birds : part I: phylogeny of the Hawaiian finches (Fringillidae: Drepanidini); part II: palaeoecology of terrestrial communities." Thesis, University of Oxford, 1998. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.325927.

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Bero, Ursula. "Approaching the Pollinator Problem Through Human-Bee Relations: Perspectives & Strategies in Beekeeping." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/36511.

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Beekeepers help to secure the pollination capacity of bees by mediating bee-stressors. This study argues that beekeeper strategies are best conceptualized as a series of specialized practices for bettering bee-health, which are mobilized by a variety of actors, including those who are not traditionally considered ‘beekeepers’. The aim of this paper is to explore those human beliefs and practices which are most relevant for gaining insight into the current pollinator problem. Farmers, bee-conservationists, bee-researchers and honeybee-keepers all play an important role in securing bee health. The paper draws on the social-ecological perspective to consider alternative definitions of caring for bees, what shapes these conceptualizations and how these are reflected in beekeeper strategies, which inevitably contribute to the overall functioning of human-bee constituted systems. In the context of rising honeybee colony losses in Canada and of wild bee decline around the world, understanding the diversity of approaches for bettering bee-health is exceedingly important for initiating long-term, sustainable and multi-level bee-pollinator conservation.

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Chadzingwa, Karabo. "Historical perspectives and future directions for access to land, water and related ecosystem services in the Lower Sundays River Valley, South Africa: implications for human well being." Thesis, Rhodes University, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10962/442.

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The legacy of South Africa’s history has facilitated unequal access to land and water resources. In the Lower Sundays River Valley (LSRV), a predominantly commercial farming area, differential access to land and water has impacted aspects of ecosystem service access and human well‐being for disenfranchised families over time. Despite the social, political and economic reform efforts in the past two decades, severe inertia towards efforts attempting to increase equitable access to land and water has been experienced. As a result, communities have mobilized and claimed their land from the government through the land restitution process. Based on a mixed‐methods approach, this research explores the ways in which access to land and water over time has influenced current levels of human well‐being among disenfranchised families. Provisioning and cultural ecosystem services were identified as key areas of loss as a result of forced evictions from land. Freedom of choice was a central and cross‐cutting theme regarding the ability to change levels of human well‐being. Although the loss of ecosystem services associated with land and water had an impact on households, the ecosystem services which are regarded as fundamental to human well‐being do not seem to have been lost. The study recommends the wide use of freedom of choice as an indicator for well‐being in the LSRV, as well as a consideration of subjective, objective and psychological measures of well‐being with regards to natural resources and ecosystem services access. Key agents in fostering desirable pathways toward equity and sustainability in the LSRV are identified with stakeholders as private businesses; inclusive governance; empowered and skilled individuals, as well as NGOs.

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Koffel, Thomas. "Théorie de la niche : nouvelles perspectives sur l'adaptation des plantes et le fonctionnement des écosystèmes." Thesis, Montpellier, SupAgro, 2017. http://www.theses.fr/2017NSAM0024/document.

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Les plantes, comme tous les êtres vivants, entretiennent un rapport double à leur environnement. L’environnement sélectionne quelles stratégies peuvent s’établir, et les stratégies ainsi sélectionnées façonnent en retour cet environnement. Cette boucle de rétroaction environnementale, lorsqu’elle est alimentée par une variabilité de formes, est le moteur de l’évolution, de l’assemblage des communautés et du développement écosystémique, et détermine en fin de compte les propriétés émergentes des écosystèmes.Les approches issues de l’écologie théorique reconnaissent depuis longtemps cette dualité, comme en témoignent les concepts de "niche de besoin" et "niche d’impact" au cœur de la théorie contemporaine de la niche. Similairement, les approches type « théorie des jeux » comme la dynamique adaptative reconnaissent le rôle central joué par la boucle de rétroaction environnementale en tant que moteur des dynamiques éco-évolutives.Dans cette thèse, j'unifie ces deux perspectives théoriques et les applique à des problèmes écologiques variés, dans le but de comprendre comment les interactions réciproques entre les plantes et leur environnement déterminent les traits adaptatifs des plantes et les propriétés émergentes des écosystèmes.Dans un premier temps, je propose un cadre mathématique général et rigoureux à la théorie contemporaine de la niche et la méthode graphique qui lui est associée. Après avoir étendu ce cadre à la prise en compte d’un continuum de stratégies en interaction à l’aide d’enveloppes géométriques, je montre comment appliquer la théorie contemporaine de la niche à deux perspectives, à savoir les dynamiques éco-évolutives et l’assemblage de communautés par remplacements successifs de stratégies.Dans un second temps, j’applique cette approche à l’étude de l’évolution des défenses des plantes contre les herbivores le long de gradients de nutriments, en considérant l’évolution des traits d’acquisition de la ressource, de tolérance et de résistance aux herbivores. Je montre que la prise en compte des transferts trophiques conduit à la sélection de stratégies compétitives mais sans défense dans les environnements pauvres, alors que ce sont toujours des stratégies défendues (résistantes, tolérantes, ou la coexistence des deux) qui dominent dans les environnements riches en nutriments. Mes résultats mettent en évidence le rôle central joué par la rétroaction plante-herbivores dans la détermination des patrons de défense des plantes.Dans un troisième temps, je montre comment la théorie contemporaine de la niche peut être étendue pour prendre en compte la facilitation. J’utilise ensuite cette approche pour montrer comment la colonisation d’un substrat nu par une communauté de plantes fixatrices d’azote couplée au recyclage des nutriments peut donner naissance à de la succession par facilitation. Contrairement aux modèles habituels de succession, je montre que la succession par facilitation donne lieu à un développement autogène de l’écosystème ainsi qu’un régime de bistabilité entre la végétation et le substrat nu en fin de succession. Enfin, je propose une nouvelle théorie de la succession basée sur les ratios de ressources.Pris dans leur ensemble, ces nouveaux développements démontrent que la théorie de la niche peut être adaptée à l’étude d’un large champ de situations écologiques, de la facilitation aux dynamiques éco-évolutives et à l’assemblage des communautés. Dans ce cadre conceptuel, mon approche basée sur les enveloppes s’avère être un outil efficace pour passer de l’échelle individuelle à l’échelle de l’écosystème, en assimilant le remplacement adaptatif d’espèces à une plasticité des propriétés écosystémiques. Cette approche permet alors de décrire l’émergence des boucles de régulation qui contrôlent le fonctionnement des écosystèmes, comme l’illustrent mes résultats le long de gradients de nutriments sur la transition entre régimes de succession ou encore l’émergence de culs-de-sac trophiques
As living organisms, plants present a dual relationship with their biotic and abiotic environment. The environment selects plant strategies that can establish, and selected strategies in turn impact and shape the environment as they spread. When fueled by variation ,this environmental feedback loop drives evolution, community assembly and ecosystem development, and eventually determines the emergent properties of ecosystems.Theoretical ecology approaches have long recognized this duality, as it is at the core of contemporary niche theory through the concepts of requirement and impact niche. Similarly, game-theoretical approaches such as adaptive dynamics have emphasized the role played by the environmental feedback loop in driving eco-evolutionary dynamics. However, niche theory could benefit from a more individualistic, selection based perspective, while adaptive dynamics could benefit from niche theory’s duality and graphical approach.In my dissertation, I unify these theoretical perspectives and apply them to various ecological situations in an attempt to understand how the reciprocal interaction between plants and their environment determines plant adaptive traits and emergent ecosystem functions.First, I introduce a general and rigorous mathematical framework to contemporary niche theory and the associated graphical approach. By extending these ideas to a continuum of interacting strategies using geometrical envelopes, I show how contemporary niche theory enables the study of both eco-evolutionary dynamics and community assembly through species sorting. I show how these two perspectives only differ by the range of invaders considered, from infinitesimally similar mutants to any strategy from the species pool. My results also emphasize the fact that selection only acts on the requirement niche, evolution of the impact niche being just an indirect consequence of the former.Second, I use this approach to study the evolution of plant defenses against herbivores along a nutrient gradient, by considering the joint evolution of resource acquisition, tolerance and resistance to herbivores. I show that trophic transfers lead to the selection of very competitive, undefended strategies in nutrient-poor environments, while defended strategies -- either resistant, tolerant or the coexistence of both -- always dominate in nutrient-rich environments. My results highlight the central, and often underestimated, role played by plant-environment feedbacks in shaping plant defense patterns.Third, I extend contemporary niche theory to facilitation originating from positive environmental feedback loops. I use these new tools to show how colonization of a bare substrate by a community of nitrogen-fixing plants coupled with nutrient recycling can lead to facilitative succession. Contrarily to previous competition-based succession models, I point out that facilitative succession leads to autogenic ecosystem development, relatively ordered trajectories and late succession bistability between the vegetated ecosystem and the bare substrate. By showing how facilitative succession can turn into competition-based succession along an increasing nitrogen gradient, I derive a new resource-ratio theory of succession.Overall, these new theoretical developments demonstrate that niche theory can be adapted to study a broad range of ecological situations, from facilitation to eco-evolutionary dynamics and community assembly. Within this framework, my envelope-based approach provides a powerful tool to scale from the individual level to the ecosystem level, lumping selection-driven species turnover into plastic ecosystem properties. This, is turn, helps describing the emergence at the ecosystem scale of regulation feedback loops that drive ecosystem dynamics and functioning, as exemplified by my results along increasing resource gradients showing a transition from facilitation- to competition-based succession or the emergence of trophic dead-ends

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Joveniaux, Aurélie. "Les enjeux géopolitiques de l'action du Conservatoire du littoral : la politique de protection des espaces naturels littoraux français : réalités et perspectives." Thesis, Paris 8, 2018. http://www.theses.fr/2018PA080076.

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Chargé depuis 1975 de mener une politique foncière de protection et de valorisation des espaces naturels littoraux français en concertation et en partenariat avec les collectivités, le Conservatoire du littoral est un établissement public d’État singulier, qui a fait d’une faiblesse apparente (ne pouvoir décider ni agir seul) une force. À travers l’analyse du processus d’élaboration de sa nouvelle stratégie d’intervention 2015-2050 et six études de cas, ce travail étudie la trajectoire de l’établissement durant ces quarante ans et les perspectives d’action qui s’offrent à lui. Le Conservatoire pèse de plus en plus dans les dynamiques des territoires littoraux. Ce travail met en exergue notamment comment l’établissement a endossé, dans le cadre de l’élaboration de sa nouvelle stratégie, un rôle de « cheville ouvrière » d’une stratégie multi-acteurs de préservation des espaces naturels côtiers et de gestion durable du littoral. Plus fort par bien des aspects, le Conservatoire est toutefois confronté à une série d’enjeux qui nécessitent qu’il s’adapte. Sa légitimité est suspendue à sa capacité à assurer la préservation et la valorisation d’un patrimoine croissant, dans un contexte de tension budgétaire partagé avec les gestionnaires de sites. Afin de poursuivre ses missions et de répondre aux défis actuels de gestion intégrée des zones côtières et d’adaptation au changement climatique, l’établissement est soumis à la nécessité d’une « bonne » territorialisation de son action à différentes échelles
Since 1975, the « Conservatoire du littoral » (Coastal Conservation Authority) has been tasked with leading land acquisition policy to preserve and valorize French natural coastlines through cooperation and in partnership with local communities. This state agency has been able to transform an apparent weakness (the inability to act on its own) into strength. Through the analysis of the elaboration of its new intervention strategy for 2015-2050 and six case studies, this dissertation studies the direction taken by this institution over forty years and its perspectives for further actions. The Conservatoire du littoral is an increasingly influential player in the dynamics of coastal territory planning. This work particularly highlights how the institution has become the mainstay in a multi-actor strategy to preserve natural coastal spaces and sustainably manage coastlines. Though in many ways stronger than before, the Conservatoire du littoral is nevertheless facing several issues to which it has to adapt. Its legitimacy rests in its ability to ensure the preservation and the promotion of a growing patrimony in a context of budgetary constraints shared with site managers. In order to pursue its missions and face the contemporary challenges of integrated management of coastal areas and adaptation to climate change, the institution has to develop a « good » territorial multi-scale approach for its actions

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Mills, Damien Anthony. "Exploring the Adelaide Entrepreneurial Ecosystem: A stakeholder perspective." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2019. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2190.

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This research is concerned with the role of Stakeholder Theory within Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Theory. The research reveals a key role for Stakeholder Theory in the ongoing development of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Theory as Stakeholder Theory provides a mechanism to discover, and map, the roles and relationships within the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. The research examines a nascent Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. This is the Adelaide Entrepreneurial Ecosystem and this "ecosystem" reveals (via a series of "Stakeholder Maps") a set of archetypal Entrepreneurial ecosystem stakeholders and their links within this ecosystem. A chronological series of 19 iterations of these “Stakeholder Maps” over a fouryear period provides insight into the nature, and conceptualisation, of the Adelaide Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. In depth interviews of 31 participants in the Adelaide Entrepreneurial Ecosystem provide evidence of the centrality of the stakeholder in the Adelaide Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. This research contributes to theory via the reinstatement of Stakeholder Theory, within the diverse, fragmented Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Theory using a two part "organisation" of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Theory. The first is a division distinguishes the epistemological, academic and "popular" writers from one another. This facilitates a clarification of the literature and highlights an ongoing dilemma in combining the theory of the role of the "environment" with the "entrepreneur" in the creation of an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. The second "organisation" of the theory pivots around the impact of Moore's conceptualisation of the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. This recognises the ongoing development of Entrepreneurial Ecosystem Theory via the application of the ecological model. The research contributes to practice as it facilitates an examination of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems at a constituent level and offers the possibility of simultaneously theorising the Entrepreneurial Ecosystem from the view of the Stakeholder and from the ecosystem point of view and how they are linked. Further research may bring this possibility into actuality.

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Berg, Alicia. "Empowering the Steel Industry as a Stakeholder : Environmental Management and Communication through a Social-Ecological Approach." Thesis, Stockholms universitet, Stockholm Resilience Centre, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-91102.

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This paper explores a case study of a Swedish tool steel company undergoing a transition from traditional environmental management practices to an enterprise identifying its place as part of a social-ecological system. The Corporate Ecosystem Services Review (ESR) was utilized by the company to begin this process by focusing on ecosystem services to determine how an ESR approach contributes to environmental management in practice. What resulted moved beyond the ESR to a tailored methodology, the internalization of a systems perspective, and a proposed new environmental management system. The results of the study provide a concrete, effective method for internalizing a systems perspective through a focus on ecosystems and presents a case for further analysis into what made it successful. It also provides an example of translating theory into practice, illustrating how a company can engage in sustainable development by valuing and managing the resilience of social-ecological systems through identifying their place in that system. The value of the results can be high for the case study company as well as for business in general.

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Falahrastegar, Marjan. "The complex third-party tracking ecosystem : a multi-dimensional perspective." Thesis, Queen Mary, University of London, 2017. http://qmro.qmul.ac.uk/xmlui/handle/123456789/25818.

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The third-party tracking ecosystem continuously evolves in scope, therefore, understanding of it is at best elusive. In this thesis, we investigate this complex ecosystem from three dimen-sions. Firstly, we examine third-party trackers from a geographical perspective. We observe a non-uniform presence of local third-party trackers between regions and countries within re-gions, with some trackers focusing on specific regions and countries. Secondly, we focus on how trackers share user-specific identifiers (IDs). We identify user-specific IDs that we suspect are used to track users. We find a significant amount of ID-sharing practices across different organ-isations providing various service categories. Our observations reveal that ID-sharing happens at a large scale regardless of the user profile size and profile condition such as logged-in and logged-out. Finally, we quantify the effect of tracker-blockers, a popular option for the users to protect their privacy, on the page-load performance. The effect of such tools on the over-all user browsing experience is questionable as the blockage of trackers can disrupt the general website loading process. The tracker-blockers we studied have a considerable negative effect on page-load performance. Unexpectedly, we find that even highly popular websites are negatively affected. This thesis points to significant gaps in our knowledge about the inner workings of this complex ecosystem. Moreover, it highlights some of the challenges that we face when attempting to preserve user's privacy by using tracker-blockers.

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Bain, Christopher. "Developing effective hospital management information systems: A technology ecosystem perspective." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2014. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1410.

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This thesis presents the results of the program of research performed in the completion of a Doctor of Philosophy (Business) entitled: Developing Effective Hospital Management Information Systems: A Technology Ecosystem Perspective. The central contention of this thesis is that the current ecosystem models in the information technology (IT) and information systems (IS) literature can be extended and improved. In turn they can be better applied to the field of IS and the development and implementation of information systems. This research seeks to highlight an example of how these models can be extended, through an analysis of the specific context of the hospital management information system environment, using the technology ecosystems model (TEM) of Adomavicius et al (Adomavicius et al., 2005). The environment in which hospital managers operate is characterised by high demand pressures, strong public service expectations, and an ever diminishing income stream (in relative terms) with which to provide services. Even in private hospital care, many of these pressures still apply, as well as a pressure to maintain profit margins. The agenda context here is a complex one, particularly when one considers the role of hospitals in this context. Hospitals have multiple competing priorities when viewed from a management perspective. This is despite the fact that the core mission of the hospital is to provide timely, safe care within available human and financial resources, to patients who present for care. This care can be across multiple care settings inside the hospital including the inpatient space, the operating theatres, the intensive care unit, and the emergency department; and in outreach settings. Hospitals however, have been described as a series of cottage industries each loosely coupled with a common objective of supplying care to patients. All of these factors combine to mean that managing a hospital with the above-mentioned aim in mind, is a very difficult task. Nakagawa et al (Nakagawa et al., 2011) talk specifically to this difficulty. In this research I undertake this examination through 2 core exercises. Firstly I examine the literature – both the information related and health care literature, for insights into the questions at hand. Secondly I examine the lessons learned from five Case Studies (CSs). The first four of these are based in physical hospital facilities across three Australian states. The final one is a “virtual CS” in which the views of multiple parties, not centred on any given physical institution, are sought and examined in relation to these questions. Based on the data collected in both the literature review and the CS’, and through a process of triangulation and research model validation, I conclude that a hospital management technology ecosystem (a HOME) can be described. Its existence thus validates the core TEM, and in fact the findings support some meaningful extensions to the TEM. The HOME is predominantly characterised by the presence of strong drivers of change that arise from outside the immediate hospital environment. Examples include changes in the labour market, and the skill sets of workers; changes in the broader development and availability of technology (for example – think of the effects of the rise of smart phones), and changes in government policies and funding arrangements. In the majority of cases these broader influencing forces (Environment Shaping Forces – ESF’s) can be seen to act on the local management environment and the role of technology in that environment, through describable intermediaries. A very obvious example of this is the effect of a global financial downturn - eventually this wide reaching force could be expected to affect hospitals (be they private or public) through struggling performance of a parent company, or state government funding cutbacks. In turn this could easily lead to reduced spending on IT in a given hospital. These findings, along with those around services provided by the ecosystem, and the measurement of ecosystem success or failure, add substantially to the IS knowledge base in this area. This research thus acts as a sound basis for further research in this new direction, but also provides a usable conceptual and practical framework within which stakeholders – managers, clinicians, beauracrats and the software development community - can view the management of hospitals and the technologies in support of that management.

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Acheampong, Isaac. "Urban biodiversity; a global perspective." Thesis, KTH, Mark- och vattenteknik, 2013. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-171821.

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A majority of the world’s cities are situated in or near areas of high biodiversity. Rise in global urban population resulting in rapid urban expansions (larger cities) is a threat to urban biodiversity, which has implications for the ecological health and general well being of humans. The study exploits consistent global land use data to compare 102 cities across the globe on a measure of urban biodiversity, within 15 km and 30 km from the approximate centres of the cities. Cities with high population and higher percentage of land use dedicated to artificial infrastructure recorded lower percentage size reserved for natural habitat, and vice versa. Further testing in regression analysis with birds and plants species as response variables shows a relation with urban extent and size of natural habitat which seeks to promote sustaining ecosystems services. Since urban biodiversity has implications for human ecological health, its indicators must be constantly measured and monitored, while adhering to best practices that conserve nature.

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Worgu, Stanley, and Adibi Soroush. "An exploratory study of the prospects and application of life cycle perspective and ISO 14001 in product design and development as a means of sustainability excellence." Thesis, Högskolan i Halmstad, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-42149.

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Product life cycle perspective, a concept emanating from sustainable product development has gradually emerged as one of the key areas in product design and development. Several studies and research have shown the direct co-relationship between product design, development and manufacturing and its impact on our environment and ecosystem. The need to take these environmental factors into consideration is fundamental and highly prioritized in organizations that seeks to minimize the environmental impact of their operations in our ecosystem and if possible redirect these operations to contribute positively to saving the natural ecosystem. In the latest revision of ISO 14001:2015 standard, the term product life cycle perspective (LCP) has now become a fundamental requirement for organizations to fulfill. The requirement specifies the need for life cycle perspectives to be a significant factor during product design and development. However, the practical challenges of continuously integrating life circle analysis in product design is enormous for companies and organizations. This thesis will look at the challenges confronting ISO 14001 certified product manufacturing companies and allied services in implementing product LCP during product development and design and also the interpretations given by auditors from certification companies concerning how companies implement product LCP in relation to the requirements in ISO 14001:2015 at the product design and development stages.

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Tripathi, N. (Nirnaya). "Initial minimum viable product development in software startups:a startup ecosystem perspective." Doctoral thesis, Oulun yliopisto, 2019. http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:9789526224176.

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Abstract Context: Software startups are new companies that aim at developing innovative software-intensive products that stand out from those of other companies in the target market. A successful startup tries to scale its business rapidly, which in turn leads to job creation and an increase number in local products. Product development is an essential aspect of a software startup’s business, and therefore it is important to have a suitable startup ecosystem around a startup to support a new product idea from conception to development to a minimum viable product (MVP) and finally to a full-fledged product. Objective: The objective of this doctoral research is to understand the effect of the startup ecosystem elements on an initial MVP development in software startups and thereby assist startup companies in developing successful products. Method: To achieve the objective, two multivocal literature reviews and multiple empirical studies were conducted to examine: a) the elements in a startup ecosystem, b) initial MVP development in software startups, and c) the effects of startup ecosystem elements on the initial MVP development phase. Results: This doctoral research identified eight main elements in the startup ecosystem that affect the startup and its product development. Additionally, it was found that a product idea is based on a problem experienced by customers or on an unserved customer need. The requirements for developing an initial MVP from the product idea usually come from internal sources, and the elicited requirements are stored in text documents and prioritized based on their value to customers and stakeholders. These requirements are converted into product features, of which some can be used to develop a prototype that can act as an initial MVP. Furthermore, it was observed that the startup ecosystem elements can influence the initial MVP development phase. For instance, supporting organizations such as incubators and accelerators affect initial MVPs by assisting inexperienced founders with training and mentoring during MVP development. Conclusion: A prototype can be used as an initial MVP. Also, experienced founders prefer to develop an initial MVP by themselves, while, inexperienced founders need support from supporting organizations in a startup ecosystem during initial MVP development
Tiivistelmä Konteksti: Ohjelmistoalan startup-yritykset ovat uusia yrityksiä, jotka pyrkivät kehittämään innovatiivisia tuotteita monille eri kohdemarkkinoille. Uuden yrityksen menestyksekkään käynnistämisen tavoitteena on nopea kasvu, mikä puolestaan luo työpaikkoja ja nostaa kotimaista tuotetarjontaa markkinoilla. Koska tuotekehitys on tärkeä osa ohjelmiston käyttöönottoa, on tärkeää, että uuden yrityksen ympärillä on olemassa sopiva ekosysteemi, joka tukee uutta tuoteideaa konseptista pienimmän toimivan tuotteen kehittämiseen ja edelleen täyteen tuotteeseen. Tavoite: Tämän tutkimuksen tavoitteena on ymmärtää startup-ekosysteemin roolia ensimmäisen pienimmän toimivan tuotteen kehittämisessä ohjelmistoalan startup-yrityksissä ja sen kautta auttaa startup-yrityksiä menestyvien tuotteiden kehittämisessä. Menetelmät: Tutkimustavoitteen saavuttamiseksi tehtiin kaksi kirjallisuuskatsausta sekä useita tapaustutkimuksia, joissa tarkasteltiin a) startup-ekosysteemin elementtejä, b) ensimmäisen pienimmän toimivan tuotteen kehittämistä ja c) startup-ekosysteemin elementtien vaikutusta ensimmäisen pienimmän toimivan tuotteen kehittämisvaiheessa. Tulokset: Tutkimuksessa tunnistettiin kahdeksan tärkeää elementtiä startup -ekosysteemissä, jotka voivat vaikuttaa suoraan tai välillisesti yrityksen käynnistämiseen ja sen tuotekehitykseen. Lisäksi selvitettiin, että tuoteidea perustuu asiakkaiden kokemiin ongelmiin tai täyttymättömiin tarpeisiin. Pienimmän toimivan tuotteen vaatimukset ovat yleensä peräisin yrityksen sisäisistä lähteistä. Vaatimukset on tallennettu tekstidokumentteihin, ja ne priorisoidaan asiakkaille ja sidosryhmille syntyvän arvon mukaan. Vaatimukset muutetaan tuoteominaisuuksiksi, joista osaa voidaan käyttää, kun kehitetään prototyyppiä ensimmäiseksi pienimmäksi toimivaksi tuotteeksi. Edelleen havaittiin, että startup-ekosysteemin elementit voivat vaikuttaa pienimmän toimivan tuotteen kehittämisvaiheeseen. Esimerkiksi tukiorganisaatiot, kuten yrityshautomot ja -kiihdyttämöt, vaikuttavat pienimpiin toimiviin tuotteisiin kouluttamalla ja mentoroimalla kokemattomia perustajia. Päätelmät: Yksinkertaista prototyyppiä voidaan käyttää pienimpänä toimivana tuotteena. Lisäksi, kokeneet perustajat haluavat kehittää ensimmäisen pienimmän toimivan tuotteen itse, kun taas kokemattomat perustajat tarvitsevat tukea ulkopuolisilta organisaatioilta pienimmän toimivan tuotteen kehittämisessä

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Lister, Shirley. "Human rights and inclusion, reflections from an ecosystems perspective." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 1999. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk1/tape8/PQDD_0027/NQ46876.pdf.

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Holdaway, Robert James. "A systems perspective on the development of terrestrial ecosystems." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2010. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.608477.

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Englund, Rasmus, and David Turesson. "Contactless mobile payments in Europe : Stakeholders´ perspective on ecosystem issues and developments." Thesis, KTH, Industriell ekonomi och organisation (Inst.), 2012. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-98555.

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A progressive shift from cash and card –based in-store payments, towards contactless mobile payments, is currently in the making on the European market. This shift would imply payments in stores to be performed in a fast, simple, secure and preferably less costly manner, between a consumer´s mobile phone and a merchant´s payment terminal. Technologies such as Near Field Communication (NFC) and the use of Quick Response (QR) -codes, both facilitate such contactless payments, and have already built momentum in many European countries. This implies an undoubtedly very tempting new payment experience by the use of mobile phones. However, this shift entails several uncertainties and issues regarding the crystallization of the new “industry” that is forming. These issues regard social, organizational as well as market –related aspects, and adhere to stakeholders on both the provider- and user- side of contactless mobile payment products and services. It has been found that there is a great need for new research on this matter, from a more holistic perspective, where theories on industrial dynamics, developments and user adoption could be used to guide and explain these new industry-impeding issues as well as reveal new ones. This master thesis aims to answer this call – by using such theories in conjunction with a multi-stakeholder perspective from a wide base of empirically gathered data – in order to find, interpret and shed new light on key issues that impede the development and adoption of contactless mobile payments on the European market. It was deemed necessary to first conduct a thorough literature review on the current mobile payments landscape in Europe, in order to find out which key issues seem to be existent on the European market (adhering to both providers and users of mobile payment solution), with the intention to presuppose from those issues for further guidance of choices in theories and construction of empirical data gathering methodology. The theoretical framework was in such way built upon five different but highly interconnected theoretical concepts on new industry evolvement, strategy and adoption. The empirical data was gathered from a two-day conference on mobile payments in Europe, as well as from 10 in-depth interviews with different key stakeholders on the Swedish and European market. The theoretical framework and the empirical data was later merged for analysis purpose, in order to find, interpret and shed new light on these and other issues on contactless mobile payment development and adoption on the European market. This has led to some key findings or conclusions. Firstly, the literature review on the current mobile payments market in Europe revealed some key issues. On the provider-side of the stakeholder spectra; issues mainly revolve around collaboration and competition, where business models are hard to standardize due to the unevenly distributed control and power over the users. This was seen to relate heavily to the NFC Secure Element (SE) -placement, holding the consumers´ payment credentials, since different stakeholders prefer different SE -placements (on the SIM –card or integrated in the mobile phone). Some big actors have also created their own – more of end-to-end - contactless payment solutions, complicating the evolvement even further. This might further lead to issues related primarily to; early and late movers among providers, alternative mobile payment solutions, as well as issues related to interoperability between solutions/technologies as well as across borders. Security concerns have also been highlighted in the literature as a prioritized matter. Among the user-side of the stakeholder spectra; key issues relate to the adoption of in-store contactless mobile payments, such as investment costs for merchants to implement new hardware and/or software (terminals, mainly NFC -compatible), security concerns, reluctance in behavioral change among consumers´ payment habits, and uncertainties in the perceived added value through these new types of payments compared to foremost card payments. Secondly, after merging the theoretical framework with the empirical data for analysis purpose, it was revealed that the uncertain role of mobile network operators creates tensions in the ecosystem on various levels and to various extents. Secondly, preemption strategies utilized by indigenous firms in European countries shows the possibility of hampering payment interoperability, and first-movers risk hurting not only themselves, but the entire mobile payment ecosystem, if security breaches are discovered due to technological uncertainties. This is one strong reason for banks to move slower, but they mightcontradictively risk losing some of their high trustworthiness towards other stakeholders if being too passive. Moreover, two additional trade-off issues were discovered (technology/business model standardization versus innovation, and too many features in the provided offering versus too few features in the provided offering). The first of these trade-offs is further damaging for the ecosystem since there are strong differences in opinions on the matter, as well as what might increase adoption speed. The second trade-off is important to take into consideration where payment card penetration-rate is high. An additional factor carrying issues was the explicit focus of providers on only one side (consumers) in a two-sided market (consumers and merchants). Also, merchants can not be seen as a homogenous group. Finally, the “chicken and egg” –problem seem do not seem to be such a big of a problem after all.

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Bodin, Örjan. "A network perspective on ecosystems, societies and natural resource management." Doctoral thesis, Stockholm University, Department of Systems Ecology, 2006. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-844.

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This thesis employs a network perspective in studying ecosystems and natural resource management. It explores the structural characteristics of social and/or ecological networks and their implications on societies’ and ecosystems’ ability to adapt to change and to cope with disturbances while still maintaining essential functions and structures (i.e. resilience).

Paper I introduces terminology from the network sciences and puts these into the context of ecology and natural resource management. Paper II and III focus on habitat fragmentation and how it affects an agricultural landscape in southern Madagascar. Two ecosystem services were addressed: (1) crop pollination by bees, and (2) seed dispersal by ring-tailed lemurs. It is shown that the fraction of the studied landscape presently covered by both crop pollination and seed dispersal is surprisingly high, but that further removal of the smallest habitat patches in the study area could have a severe negative impact on the landscape’s capacity to support these ecosystem services.

In Papers IV and V, the network approach is used to study social networks and the impact they may have on the management of natural resources. In Paper IV it is found that social networks of low- to moderate link densities (among managers) significantly increase the probability for relatively high and stable utility returns whereas high link densities cause occasional large-scale ecological crises between periods of stable and excessively high utility returns. In Paper V, social networks of a rural fishing community in eastern Africa were analyzed. The results indicate that patterns of communication partly explain the distribution of ecological knowledge among villagers, and that gear type used by small-scale coastal fishermen strongly correlates with their patterns of communication. The results also show that groups most central in the network, and hence potentially most influential, are dominated by one type of fishermen.

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Bodin, Örjan. "A network perspective on ecosystems, societies and natural resource management /." Stockholm : Department of Systems Ecology, Stockholm University, 2006. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:su:diva-844.

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Rong, Ke. "Nurturing business ecosystems from firm perspectives : lifecycle, nurturing process, construct, configuration pattern." Thesis, University of Cambridge, 2011. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.609677.

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Lowry, John H. Jr. "Spatial Analysis of Urbanization in the Salt Lake Valley: An Urban Ecosystem Perspective." DigitalCommons@USU, 2010. https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/etd/746.

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Because urban areas comprise a variety of biotic (e.g. people, trees) and abiotic (e.g. streets, water) components that interact and are often interdependent upon one another, it is helpful to study urban areas as urban ecosystems. Our goal in Chapter 2 is to measure and quantify the spatial and demographic structure of the urbanized portion of Salt Lake County, Utah. We use 18 metrics from four broad categories (density, centrality, accessibility, and neighborhood mix) to measure urban form for three age-based residential neighborhood types. Using analysis of variance (ANOVA) we test for differences in mean values for the 18 urban form metrics. We find measureable differences in the spatial and demographic characteristics of these neighborhoods, suggesting that the rate of urban sprawl in Salt Lake County has been holding steady, if not increasing, during the last 20 years. Chapter 3 seeks to better understand how spatial heterogeneity in urban tree canopy is related to household characteristics, urban form, and the geophysical landscape of residential neighborhoods. We consider neighborhood age a factor that moderates the relationship between these determinants of tree canopy, and the abundance of tree canopy observed. Using linear regression analysis with neighborhood age as interaction term, we assess the relationship between tree canopy and 15 determinants of tree canopy abundance at three neighborhood ages. We find that neighborhood age has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between several determinants of canopy cover and the abundance of canopy cover observed. While the urban forest provides many benefits to human well-being, it also consumes considerable quantities of water. An important question in Chapter 4 is to determine whether a growing urban forest increases overall residential irrigation demand, decreases demand, or has no apparent effect. Using a water demand model borrowed from agronomy, we estimate irrigation water demand based on the area of three residential landscape types and climatic factors. We project future residential water demand by generating residential landscape scenarios based on predicted urban forest canopy growth. We find that urban forest growth has the effect of stabilizing or potentially decreasing overall residential irrigation water demand.

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Tellström, Susanne. "An ecosystem service perspective of the ecological restoration measures to mitigate small-scale hydropower impact in river Billstaån : Steps towards monitoring and dissemination of ecosystem services." Thesis, Mittuniversitetet, Avdelningen för ekoteknik och hållbart byggande, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-32039.

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Ecosystem services, capturing the benefits and values of functioning ecosystems for human well-being, is a concept receiving increasing attention both in science and policy. This study investigates the utility of considering ecosystem service in the ecological restoration of a river affected by small-scale hydropower. While hydropower is a renewable energy source, it has impacts on the ecological status in water sheds and generates issues addressed e.g. by the EU Water Directive. To mitigate ecological impacts, and maintain hydroelectricity production that better correspond to the Water Directive, several restoration measures are carried out in river Billstaån, County of Jämtland, Sweden. This study presents an ecosystem service perspective of the restoration process in river Billstaån linked to recommendations in terms of further interpretation, monitoring and communication of the assessment results. By applying evaluation of ecosystem services to the case of river Billstaån, it is examined to what extent ecosystem service descriptions can give support in monitoring and communication of the results of the ecological restoration efforts. Ecosystem services were assessed for the restoration outcomes in river Billstaån using the two frameworks Corporate Ecosystem Service Review (ESR) and Toolkit for Ecosystem Service Assessment (TESSA), respectively. The ecosystem services deemed most important partly differed between the two frameworks due to different assessment perspectives. However, both ESR and TESSA pointed out ecosystem services connected to recreation and tourism as important, indicating a potential regarding recreational use of the area. Such socio-economic impacts of the restoration project was not included in the planning of the restoration, but if identified and utilized such “added benefits” might give opportunities for local rural development beyond the restoration work itself. Contrasting the results from the ecosystem service assessment of river Billstaån towards the Swedish Environmental Objectives identified two direct and seven indirect connections. Through these connections the restoration project can be presented in relation to national goals. Indicating such connections can help in communicating the ecosystem service perspective. For future monitoring of project outcomes in river Billstaån, a set of potential indicators were identified using an ecosystem service approach, that can complement the planned monitoring of ecosystem functions. For future monitoring of ecosystem service development it is advisable to use a combination of indicators that reflect both the ecosystem function availability and the ecosystem service use. Three types of illustrations that can support different perspectives in future communication regarding ecosystem services in river Billstaån were identified in this study and termed system, overview and single service perspective. Example illustrations include a Causal Loop Diagram, a hot-spot map and a range of photos, respectively. The illustrations are deemed to present the assessment results in a more accessible way and can be adapted to a diversity of future communication settings.

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Kytömäki, Olli. "Digitalization and innovation in the real estate and facility management sectors - an ecosystem perspective." Licentiate thesis, KTH, Ledning och organisering i byggande och förvaltning, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-266951.

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Digitalization has become a topic of several presentations and discussions in real estate industry seminars in recent years. Often the speeches are about why the real estate industry needs digitalization, presenting threats and opportunities for the participants of the seminars. Still, real estate industry is conservative by nature and thus far property owners have not needed to innovate in order to stay in business. Therefore, a question arises that how do real estate owners react to the growing expectations about digitalization. On the other hand, relatively little is known about the innovativeness of real estate firms, as innovation research in built environment sector has largely focused on building project management phase organizations and facility management firms. Still, the real estate owners have a central role and a long-term perspective on the innovation in the built environment sector as a whole, as they are clients in all building life-cycle phases. Thus, this thesis purpose is to increase understanding of digitalization as a phenomenon in the real estate and facility management sectors: 1) by distinguishing the phenomenon in relation to existing research and 2) by generating new knowledge on digitalization in the field by explorative research. In order to distinguish the phenomenon in relation to existing research, the thesis provides a structured literature review that focuses on digitalization in the real estate and facility management sector. The main conclusion is that digitalization is a complex phenomenon, including multiple perspectives and conceptualizations, although, the literature converges on rather distinct topics of digital systems and methods, technology adoption and organization and management. Additionally, the review provides a discussion of opportunities for further research. An argument is made for sociotechnical perspective to provide opportunities for better managerial comprehension on the complex phenomenon. In order to generate new knowledge on digitalization in the field, particularly, on the innovativeness of real estate firms, the thesis provides summaries of two papers. The first paper focuses on the innovation processes in the real estate owner organizations and the second paper focuses on the innovation ecosystem that comprises of actors that contribute towards common innovation goals. The papers are based on interviews with the various real estate industry actors and document analysis. The papers converge on results, concluding that the real estate owners have invested in resources and capabilities for innovation, but it is still challenging for them to act on the digital threats and opportunities. Additionally, the second paper develops an operationalizable definition and methodology for research on innovation ecosystems, which has relevance for the more general literature on innovation and strategy. Thus, this thesis distinguishes digitalization as a phenomenon in the built environment management sectors and increases understanding on the innovativeness of real estate firms’ and other actors that contribute to the innovativeness of the real estate sector as a whole.
Digitalisering har blivit ett ofta återkommande ämne för ett stort antal seminarier inomfastighetsbranschens under de senaste åren. En återkommande fråga har varit hurfastighetsbranschen hanterar digitaliseringen, samt om vilka hot och möjligheterdigitaliseringen innebär för branschen. Fastighetsbranschen uppfattas ofta som konservativoch hittills har fastighetsägare inte tvingats vara särskilt innovativa för att kunna fortsätta sinverksamhet. En intressant fråga i sammanhanget är därför hur fastighetsägare reagerar på deväxande förväntningarna om digitalisering från omvärlden. Relativt lite är känt ominnovationsförmågan hos fastighetsföretag, eftersom innovationsforskningen inom byggdmiljö till stor del har fokuserat på byggprojekt och fastighetsförvaltning. Fastighetsägarna hardock fortfarande en central roll och borde ha ett långsiktigt perspektiv på innovationer inomden byggda miljön som helhet, eftersom de är verksamma inom byggnadens alla faser ilivscykeln.Mot denna bakgrund är avhandlingens syfte att öka förståelsen för digitalisering som fenomeninom fastighetsförvaltningen: 1) genom att analysera fenomenet i förhållande till denbefintliga forskningen och 2) genom att generera ny kunskap om digitalisering inom områdetgenom intervjuer och dokumentanalys.För att särskilja fenomenet digitalisering i förhållande till befintlig forskning innehålleravhandlingen en strukturerad litteraturöversikt som fokuserar på digitalisering inomfastighetsförvaltningen. Den huvudsakliga slutsatsen från denna litteraturöversikt är attdigitalisering är ett komplext fenomen, som innehåller flera perspektiv ochkonceptualiseringar, även om litteraturen fokuserar på ett antal distinkta ämnen: digitalasystem och metoder, anpassning av teknik och organisation samt förvaltning. Dessutominnehåller översikten en diskussion om relevanta områden för vidare forskning. Vidare geröversikten vid handen, att genom att anlägga ett socio-tekniskt perspektiv ges bättremöjligheter att förstå digitalisering.För att skapa ny kunskap om digitalisering, särskilt vad gäller fastighetsföretagensinnovativitet, innehåller avhandlingen två artiklar. Den första artikeln fokuserar påinnovationsprocesser inom fastighetsföretag och den andra artikeln fokuserar påinnovationsekosystemet som består av ett antal olika aktörer som bidrar till gemensammainnovationsmål. Artiklarna bygger på intervjuer med olika aktörer inom fastighetsbranschenoch dokumentanalys. Artiklarnas resultat pekar åt samma håll, och slutsatsen som kan dras äratt fastighetsägarna har investerat i resurser och kapacitet för innovation, men det ärfortfarande en stor utmaning för dem att agera på digitala hot och möjligheter. Dessutomutvecklar den andra artikeln en definition och metod för forskning om innovationsekosystem,som har relevans för forskning inom innovation och strategi. Således särskiljer denna avhandling digitaliseringen som ett fenomen inom den byggda miljönoch ökar förståelsen för fastighetsföretagens innovationsförmåga och andra aktörer sombidrar till innovationer inom fastighetssektorn som helhet.

QC 20200127

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Zheng, Q. (Qiongfang). "Value creation and capture in business ecosystems from the business model’s perspective." Master's thesis, University of Oulu, 2019. http://jultika.oulu.fi/Record/nbnfioulu-201906052350.

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Abstract. This thesis explores the concepts of business model, value creation and capture, business ecosystems and their relations to each other. While as the value network consists of linear relationships between actors, business ecosystems encompass relationships that are more diverse and tend to be more value capture-oriented. Business models are competing and collaborating simultaneously in ecosystems, this encourages value co-creation and co-capture. This co-evolution of business models enables and fosters ecosystem ecology. There are numerous actors interacting across the IoT ecosystem forming the complex interdependence and interconnection between and among different stakeholders, hence IoT is chosen as a context to study how ecosystem shapes value creation and value capture from the business model’s perspective. Four propositions are made based on the theoretical review and empirical evidence. 1) In comparison with the traditional value chain, value co-creation and co-capture are more dynamic in ecosystems. 2) In comparison with the traditional value chain, the value can be co-created and co-captured through platform business model in ecosystems. 3) In comparison with the traditional value chain, the value is co-created and co-captured through open innovation in ecosystems. 4) Value creation and capture can be maximized by creating own business ecosystem, yet it requires more resources and therefore lead to higher risks. The research methodology chosen for this thesis is a qualitative approach. Both the tradition of exploratory expert interviews focusing on exploring certain central dimensions and highlighting the expert status of the interviewee, and thematic interviews steered to stress on the flexible structure and open discussion is utilized. New themes are formed after transparent data analysis and reflecting on the theoretical and empirical findings. 1) Combining TVC and ecosystem value chain instead of choosing either or. 2) Platforms allow value co-creation and co-capture, yet a lack of track record of performance indicate higher risks for new platform business. 3) It is critical to managing the degree of openness in the open source business model but it is possible to face the challenge with some tools. 4) Creating one’s own ecosystem does not necessarily lead to maximum value creation or capture, but it certainly involves high risks and requires heavy investments. To answer the research question in short: value capture and value creation are more dynamic in ecosystems. It is not applicable for firms to maximize the creation and capture of value because increased value creation generally goes hand in hand with lower value capture. Value creation and capture are not monotone transformations of one another. Ecosystemic business models such as platform businesses and open innovation businesses enable value co-creation and co-capture. Among others, it is better for startups to find relevant ecosystems and become key players in them for optimizing value creation and capture. As business models other industry players are using affect value creation and capture, one needs to foresee the reaction of other firms when choosing, innovating, or reforming a business model.

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Watson, Gordon R. "Conceptual change : an ecosystemic perspective on children's beliefs about inheritance." Thesis, University of Surrey, 1986. http://epubs.surrey.ac.uk/843860/.

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The work reported in this thesis involved the exploration of 12 year old children's conceptions of inheritance. Results derived from interviews and from videotaped recordings of small group discussions, indicate that children's conceptions of inheritance are well developed before they are formally taught these notions in school. A series of open-ended problem solving tasks were designed to elicit student's conceptions and to facilitate group discussion. Results suggest that children's conceptions of inherited characteristics are heterogeneous and 'organized' in a highly flexible way. A research model, based on the notion of conceptual ecosystems, was developed to provide a framework for data analysis. Features of conceptual ecosystems are described. It is suggested that such systems are characterised by their 'openness', adaptiveness and resilience. Results suggest that the heterogeneity, flexibility and fluctuating character of such ecosystems confer on conceptions the ability both to transform well and to resist change well. The study describes how these characteristics of resilience and adaptiveness are displayed in the cognitive and social interactions of individual students. A theory of conceptual change is advanced which considers learning as a series of continuous qualitative changes made by the learner to existing personal conceptions. The significance of these 'metatransitions' is discussed in the light of existing teaching and learning strategies. It is suggested that conceptual change can be facilitated by helping students to make their existing conceptions explicit, co-active and interactive within conceptual ecosystems. The social and cognitive consequences of conceptual conflict, disagreement and consensus are described. It is proposed that an ecosystemic view of children's conceptions may help explain and overcome the difficulties experienced by students when they try to reconcile scientific concepts with their existing conceptions.

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Rojas, Rodríguez Clara. "Reconstructing the historic input of mercury in Lake Ekoln : A long-term (millennia) perspective derived from a sediment core." Thesis, Umeå universitet, Institutionen för ekologi, miljö och geovetenskap, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-105160.

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Anthropogenic activities are often considered to be the main sources of mercury (Hg) found in aquatic systems. The aim of this study was to reconstruct the historic input of Hg to a large lake (Lake Ekoln) situated downstream the City of Uppsala using a dated sediment core. The main objective was to reveal general long-term (millennia-scale) trend in mercury loadings to the lake assess to what extent the lake has received an increase input of mercury during the last century from atmospheric inputs or local sources (mining activities, hospital effluents, industries or agricultural activities). Sediment samples were analyzed with X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy for measurements of lead and phosphorous (used as a proxy for atmospheric inputs and effluent water, respectively). Total Hg was analyzed using a mercury analyzer. My results indicate high Hg concentrations in sediment of Lake Ekoln during the last three centuries. Hg concentrations was not correlated to atmospheric derived metals (Pb) or effluent water derived nutrients (P) and only weakly correlated to the organic matter content of the sediment. Highest concentrations was found during a period around 1850 and in the last few years. The weak correlation with Pb suggest that the Hg is entering the lake from other sources than atmospheric inputs. The most likely local sources are argued to be mining activities (including fossil fuel burning during the production of iron) or Uppsala university hospital situated upstream of Lake Ekoln. However, there is a large uncertainty regarding the importance of these historical Hg sources for the lake.

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Sisilana, Mzubanzi. "‘Public participation and environmental law: A South African perspective’." University of Western Cape, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/7591.

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Magister Legum - LLM
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa ‘despite being one of the world’s most liberal constitutions, South Africans still have no transparent and participatory mechanisms for deciding democratically on the uptake of new technologies or development projects, even those which impact on millions of lives and livelihoods. There are limited opportunities for intervention in very circumscribed public participation processes, which are often derisory in the sharing of any sovereignty with citizens in the name of producing better public policy. When citizens are left out of debates confined to government and the business community, the only means of influencing policy is to petition, protest, or litigate, usually after the horse has bolted.’ Public participation is a very delicate issue in South Africa due to the history of the exclusion of certain people from the process of governance. When governments and business sectors make decisions about land development and natural resources, they certainly impact on the health, livelihoods and quality of life of local communities.

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Eslamloo, Farzaneh. "How start-up accelerators work to facilitate successful commercialisation: A critical realist perspective." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2022. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2556.

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Start-up accelerators (SA), a form of innovation-focused program, have spread rapidly across the world in recent years. Many countries now understand that these programs can be highly effective in helping start-ups generate novel products with commercial potential. However, little is known about how SAs lead to successful commercialisation. This study addressed this knowledge gap using case studies of three Western Australian (WA) and six Iranian SAs, looking at the structures, agents, and the causal mechanisms that affected commercialisation. It also examined the influence of the WA and Iranian start-up ecosystem contexts, including the powers and liabilities that determine commercialisation opportunities. The study used Chen’s taxonomy of program theory (comprising the action model and the change model) as a theoretical framework. Danermark et al.’s methodology of explanatory research, under a critical realism philosophical paradigm, was used to identify the causal relationships and generative mechanisms that determined commercialisation outcomes. In building theories, a modified version of Eastwood et al.’s explanatory theory-building method was used, comprising emergent, construction, and confirmation phases. In the exploration phase, a realist review of prior research and grey literature was carried out, covering SA programs and the start-up ecosystems of WA and Iran. The review allowed the formulation of a general hypothesised action model of SA programs. This model was then confirmed by analysis of first-round interviews with experts familiar with the studied SAs, based on which the general SA program theory model (comprising the action and change models) was constructed. In addition, explanations of the role of SA programs in successful commercialisation outcomes were derived, using the context–mechanism–outcome (CMO) framework. In the construction phase, second-round interviews were subjected to analytical resolution to abduct and confirm the most important mechanisms in each case study. In addition, the theorised CMO models were confirmed by considering the contextual differences between SA programs (their particular configurations of structures and agency). In the confirmation phase, all previous data were reevaluated to retroduct the features of start-up ecosystems in WA and Iran, identifying the powers and liabilities at play in them, and concretising how they affect commercialisation outcomes. The study showed that context—of SA programs and of the start-up ecosystem—is an important determinant of commercialisation outcomes. Screening, learning, networking, and product–market fit were the most important mechanisms in the case studies; that is, those with the causal powers to bring about commercialisation opportunities. However, the study also revealed factors that impede SA program success, including low follow-on investment, ecosystem immaturity, the ineffective agency of the WA and Iranian governments, and low levels of talent among start-up agents. These elements weakened the power of causal mechanisms to lead to commercialisation opportunities. The research confirmed that program theory is a suitable theoretical base for the evaluation of SA programs and contributed to knowledge about SA programs. It determined what works, for whom, in what context, and why. It extended the existing body of knowledge by developing the action and change models of the SA programs studied in the context and start-up ecosystems of WA and Iran, which can be applied in research on other SA programs in different contexts.

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Evans, Samantha Lorraine. "Carbon and Nitrogen Stable Isotopic Patterns in South Florida Coastal Ecosystems: Modern and Paleoceanographic Perspectives." FIU Digital Commons, 2008. http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/189.

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Long term management plans for restoration of natural flow conditions through the Everglades increase the importance of understanding potential nutrient impacts of increased freshwater delivery on coastal biogeochemistry. The present study sought to increase understanding of the coastal marine system of South Florida under modern conditions and through the anthropogenic changes in the last century, on scales ranging from individual nutrient cycle processes to seasonal patterns in organic material (OM) under varying hydrodynamic regime, to century scale analysis of sedimentary records. In all applications, carbon and nitrogen stable isotopic compositions of OM were examined as natural recorders of change and nutrient cycling in the coastal system. High spatial and temporal variability in stable isotopic compositions were observed on all time scales. During a transient phytoplankton bloom, ä15N values suggested nitrogen fixation as a nutrient source supporting enhanced productivity. Seasonally, particulate organic material (POM) from ten sites along the Florida Reef Tract and in Florida Bay demonstrated variable fluctuations dependent on hydrodynamic setting. Three separate intra-annual patterns were observed, yet statistical differences were observed between groupings of Florida Bay and Atlantic Ocean sites. The POM ä15N values ranged on a quarterly basis by 7‰, while ä13C varied by 22‰. From a sediment history perspective, four cores collected from Florida Bay further demonstrated the spatial and temporal variability of the system in isotopic composition of bulk OM over time. Source inputs of OM varied with location, with terrestrial inputs dominating proximal to Everglades freshwater discharge, seagrasses dominating in open estuary cores, and a marine mixture of phytoplankton and seagrass in a core from the boundary zone between Florida Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Significant shifts in OM geochemistry were observed coincident with anthropogenic events of the 20th century, including railroad and road construction in the Florida Keys and Everglades, and also the extensive drainage changes in Everglades hydrology. The sediment record also preserved evidence of the major hurricanes of the last century, with excursions in geochemical composition coincident with Category 4-5 storms.

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Lazaro, Angela Ruiz. "Tools and methods for the implementation of ecosystem services in land development projects : A developers' perspective." Thesis, KTH, Hållbar utveckling, miljövetenskap och teknik, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-302401.

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This study explores the understanding of the concept ecosystem services (ES) within Swedish land developers with a focus on knowledge, drivers and interests, practical experience, as well as challenges land developers experience for the implementation of solutions providing ecosystem services in projects. The research is based on interviews to representatives of eight land developers operating in Sweden and completed by the interviews of representatives from two consultancy companies. In addition to this, tools, methods and certifications systems available in the Swedish context for working with ES in detailed planning, land allocation, and further steps of a development project are analyzed from a user’s perspective based on a literature study and interviews results. The results show an important heterogeneity among developers, with different levels of knowledge and experience depending on the type of developer. Build and manage, well-established companies with a sound sustainability policy appear to be forerunners, whereas size, type of buildings managed, geographical implantation or private/public ownership showed little relevance. Both proactive and reactive attitudes towards ES were detected, the role of municipalities setting ES requirements being a major driver for ES implementation, together with the company’s sustainability policy and business opportunities. The fragmented panorama of available tools for ES implementation and the lack of available inventories explains the little knowledge and experience developers showed about existing tools. If GYF and ESTER tools are used, there is as of today a lack of a reference tool at national level, setting recognized standards for ES implementation. The research results suggest a need for a nationally recognized reference tool, simple to use, serving as a basis for dialogue, allowing scenario comparison at early phases, and including a cost perspective. Certification systems appear as a possible way forward, but further and comprehensive integration of the concept is still needed.
Denna studie undersöker förståelsen av begreppet ekosystemtjänster (ES) bland svenska fastighetsutvecklare, med fokus på kunskap, drivkrafter och intressen, praktisk erfarenhet, samt utmaningar fastighetsutvecklare upplever för implementering av lösningar som tillhandahåller ekosystemtjänster i projekt. Forskningen bygger på intervjuer med representanter för åtta byggherrar som är verksamma i Sverige och kompleteras av intervjuer med representanter från två konsultföretag. Utöver detta analyseras verktyg, metoder och certifieringssystem i svenskt sammanhang för att arbeta med ES i detaljplanering, markfördelning och ytterligare steg i utvecklingsprojekt. Analysen utförs utifrån en användares perspektiv baserat på en litteraturstudie och intervjuresultat. Resultaten visar en stor heterogenitet bland fastighetsutvecklare, med olika kunskapsnivåer och erfarenheter beroende på typ av utvecklare. Företag som bygger och förvaltar, väletablerade företag med en sund hållbarhetspolicy verkar vara föregångare, medan företags storlek, område, typ av byggnader som hanteras, eller ägandeform (privat/offentlig) visade låg relevans. Både proaktiva och reaktiva attityder till ES upptäcktes. Kommunernas roll, som ställer ES-krav är en av de viktigaste drivkraft för ES- implementering, tillsammans med företagets hållbarhetspolicy och affärsmöjligheter. Det fragmenterade panorama över tillgängliga verktyg för ES-implementering och bristen på verktygs referenslista förklarar den lilla kunskap och erfarenhet utvecklare visade om befintliga verktyg. Även om GYF- ESTER- verktyg delvis används, saknas det idag ett referensverktyg på nationell nivå som sätter erkända standarder för ES- implementering. Forskningresultaten tyder på ett behov av ett nationellt erkänt referensverktyg, enkelt att använda, som ger en bas för dialog, vilket möjliggör jämförelse av scenarier i tidiga faser och som inkluderar ett kostnadsperspektiv. Certifieringsystem framstår som en möjlig väg framåt, men ytterligare och omfattande integration av begreppet ES behövs fortfarande.

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Wedel, Elsa. "Ecosystem Services as a Pedagogical Perspective for Teaching the Importance of Biodiversity to High School Students." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Institutionen för fysik, kemi och biologi, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-148588.

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Reducing the rate at which biodiversity is presently being lost is one of the challenges for the coming years. Through diverse activities, humankind is currently responsible for the extinction of species worldwide, which has consequences for whole ecosystems. The preservation of biodiversity is not only important for its intrinsic values, but also for its role in maintaining the functioning of ecosystems that provide humans with services that are important for our well-being and safety. As it is a concern for all of humanity there is a demand for education that can develop in students an understanding of the complexity which lies behind the ecosystem services of which they benefit. Including how the disturbance of this complexity will lead to consequences for the whole human world. Current attempts to educate the public has failed to conjure motivation and interest. However, ecological network research create opportunity for understanding the underlying relationships between species, and the use of ecosystem services as a pedagogical perspective offers the possibility to demonstrate the importance of these relationships for ecosystem functioning. In this literature review it is examined how this could benefit environmental education in high school.

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Brinkman, Alma, and Emma Hedlund. "A business ecosystem perspective on partner alignment for sustainability : A case study in the construction industry." Thesis, Luleå tekniska universitet, Institutionen för ekonomi, teknik och samhälle, 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:ltu:diva-79203.

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Purpose The purpose of the study is to understand how partner alignment can be created in a business ecosystem to work towards sustainability in the construction industry. The following research questions will therefore be studied: RQ1. What incentives are important for the subcontractors in a business ecosystem to reach partner alignment in a construction context? RQ2. What factors are required to create norms in the business ecosystem to reach partner alignment in a construction context? RQ3. How can the relationship between incentives and norms in a business ecosystem affect partner alignment in a construction context? Method Through a qualitative, abductive, single case study, we aimed to find answers to the research questions presented above. The data collection was completed in three different waves, where the second phase was where the main data was collected through 25 semi-structured interviews. We aimed to understand the current situation in the first wave, understand the subcontractors view in the second wave and validate the result in the third wave. The analysis of the data was completed through a thematic analysis, where we transcribed and coded the data with themes mainly originated from the previously studied literature. Findings Our findings resulted in two frameworks showing (1) recommendations important to perform in diverse stages of a collaboration in order to use incentives and norms in the best way possible. The aim is to reach partner alignment in a business ecosystem in the construction industry and thereby influence the subcontractors to work towards sustainability. Further, it is shown in framework number (2) how both incentives and norms have an important role, where incentives are important for short-term motivation to confirm good behavior and will be significant in the beginning of a relationship. Norms on the other hand, evolve over time and clarify an expected behavior, but the implementation should still start in the beginning of the collaboration. Theoretical implications We contribute to the literature by applying the ecosystem concept in the construction industry, where a project-based partnering structure has previously dominated. Further, we create a greater understanding for what is required to achieve aligned partners in a construction context and how the combination of incentives and norms can contribute to this. Lastly, we give a more thorough analysis of the interaction between incentives and norms and how they relate to each other. Managerial implications We provide managerial guidelines of how to establish partner alignment and encourage subcontractors in a business ecosystem to work with sustainability. We provide recommendations of motivation drivers, in terms of incentives and norms, and drivers significant to implement in certain phases of a collaborative setting. We further describe the relationship between incentives and norms, and state that incentive confirms good behavior and creates short-term motivation, while norms clarifies an expected behavior. Keywords Partner alignment, business ecosystem, collaborative strategies, sustainability, construction, incentives, norms, shared values
Syfte Syftet med studien är att förstå hur deltagarna i ett ekosystem kan enas för att jobba mot en hållbar byggindustri. Följande forskningsfrågor kommer därmed studeras: RQ1. Vilka incitament är viktiga för underentreprenörerna i ett ekosystem för att uppnå enade deltagare kring hållbarhet i byggbranschen? RQ2. Vilka faktorer krävs för att skapa normer i ett ekosystem för att uppnå enade deltagare kring hållbarhet i byggbranschen? RQ3. Hur kan relationen mellan incitament och normer i ett ekosystem påverka deltagarnas samtycke kring hållbarhet i byggbranschen? Metod Genom en kvalitativ, abduktiv, fallstudie, strävade vi efter att besvara forskningsfrågorna presenterade ovan. Datainsamlingen genomfördes i tre olika faser, där den andra fasen utgjorde insamlingen av data som slutligen möjliggjorde att vi kunde besvara forskningsfrågorna. Fasen utgjordes av 25 semistrukturerade intervjuer, varav 20 respondenter tillhörde externa företag och fem respondenter tillhörde fallstudiens studerade företag. Målet med första fasen var att förstå den nuvarande situationen, för att sedan förstå underentreprenörernas syn i den andra fasen och slutligen validera resultatet i den tredje fasen. Analysen av data genomfördes med en tematisk analys, där vi transkriberade och kodade data, med teman som huvudsakligen härstammar från den tidigare studerade litteraturen. Resultat Vårt bidrag resulterade i två modeller som visar (1) rekommendationer för olika faser av ett samarbete, för att incitament och normer ska användas på bästa möjliga sätt. Målet är att uppnå enade deltagare i ett ekosystem i byggindustrin and därigenom influera underentreprenörer till att tänka hållbart. Vidare visar modell (2) relationen mellan incitament och normer och hur båda har en betydande roll. Incitament är viktigt för kortsiktig motivation, för att bekräfta ett önskvärt beteende och kommer ha stor betydelse framförallt i början av ett samarbete. Normer utvecklas över tid och tydliggör ett förväntat beteende men där implementeringen bör fortfarande ske i samarbetets startskede. Teoretiska bidrag Vi bidrar till litteraturen genom att applicera ett ekosystemperspektiv i byggbranschen, där en projekt-baserat partnering struktur tidigare har dominerat. Vidare skapar vi en större förståelse för vad som krävs för att skapa enade deltagare kring hållbarhet i ett bygg-kontext och hur kombinationen av incitament och normer kan bidra till det. Slutligen ger vi en grundlig analys av hur interaktionen mellan incitament och normer kan ha betydelse för att uppnå hållbarhet. Praktiska bidrag Vi presenterar riktlinjer för hur en företagsledning kan skapa enade deltagare och uppmuntra underentreprenörer i ett ekosystem till att jobba med hållbarhet i åtanke. Vidare presenterar vi rekommendationer för motivationsfaktorer, i termer av incitament och normer, och vilka som bör implementeras i vilken fas av ett samarbete. Slutligen beskriver vi relationen mellan incitament och normer, och konstaterar att incitament bekräftar önskvärda beteenden och skapar kortsiktig motivation, medan normer tydliggör ett förväntat beteende. Nyckelord Ekosystem, samarbetsstrategier, hållbarhet, bygg, incitament, normer, värderingar

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Hölting, Lisanne [Verfasser], Anna [Gutachter] Cord, Irene [Gutachter] Ring, and Ralf [Gutachter] Seppelt. "Multifunctionality of landscapes - an ecosystem service perspective / Lisanne Hölting ; Gutachter: Anna Cord, Irene Ring, Ralf Seppelt." Dresden : Technische Universität Dresden, 2021. http://d-nb.info/1236383982/34.

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Crusoe, Jonathan. "Why is it so challenging to cultivate open government data? : Understanding impediments from an ecosystem perspective." Licentiate thesis, Linköpings universitet, Informatik, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-156053.

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Introduction: This compilation licentiate thesis focuses on open government data (OGD). The thesis is based on three papers. OGD is a system that is organized when publishers collect and share data with users, who can unrestrictedly reuse the data. In my research, I have explored why it can be challenging to cultivate OGD. Cultivation is human activities that change, encourage, or guide human organizations towards a higher purpose by changing, introducing, managing, or removing conditions. Here, the higher purpose is OGD to realize believed benefits. Thus, OGD cultivation is an attempt to stimulate actors into organizing as OGD. Problem and Purpose: OGD is believed to lead to several benefits. However, the worldwide OGD movement has slowed down, and researchers have noted a lack of use. Publishers and users are experiencing a set of different impediments that are challenging to solve. In previous research, there is a need for more knowledge about what can impede the OGD organization, cause non-valuable organizing, or even collapse the organization. At the same time, there is a lack of knowledge about how impediments shape the organization of OGD. This gap can make it hard to solve and overcome the impediments experienced by publishers and users. The sought-after knowledge can bring some understanding of the current situation of OGD. In this research, I have viewed the organization of OGD as an ecosystem. The purpose of this thesis is to draw lessons about why it can be challenging to cultivate OGD ecosystems by understanding OGD impediments from an ecosystem perspective. Research Design: I set out to explore OGD through qualitative research from 2016 to 2018. My research started with a pilot case study that led to three studies. The studies are each reported in a paper and the papers form the base of this thesis. The first paper aims to stimulate the conceptually oriented discussion about actors’ roles in OGD by developing a framework that was tested on a Swedish public agency. The second paper has the purpose of expanding the scope surrounding impediments and was based in a review and systematization of previous research about OGD impediments. The third paper presents an exploration of impediments experienced by publishers, users, and cultivators in the Swedish national OGD ecosystem to identify faults. From the three papers, lessons were drawn in turn and together, that are presented in this thesis. Findings: Cultivators when cultivating OGD ecosystems are facing towering challenges. The following three main challenges are identified in this thesis: (1) to cultivate a system that can manage stability by itself without constant involvement, (2) to cultivate a system that is capable of evolving towards a “greater good” by itself, and (3) to have an up-to-date precise vocabulary for a self-evolving system that enables inter-subjective understand for coordinating problem-solving. Contribution: The theoretical contribution of this thesis is that OGD ecosystems can be viewed as a public utility. Moreover, I recommend that researchers approach the organizing of OGD as the cultivation of evolution, rather than the construction of a structure; to consider the stability of the system in growth, value, and participation; and to be cautious with how they label and describe OGD actors. For actors that are cultivating OGD, I recommend that they guide the OGD actors to help them organize; view OGD cultivation as the management of evolution (growth) towards a purpose; and view cultivation as a collaborative effort where they can supply ideas, technologies, practices, and expertise.

The series name in the thesis Linköping University, Faculty of Arts and Sciences thesis is incorrect. The correct series name is FiF-avhandling.

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Arias, Ortiz Ariane. "Carbon sequestration rates in coastal Blue Carbon ecosystems: a perspective on climate change mitigation." Doctoral thesis, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 2019. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/667139.

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Recentment s'ha descobert que els ecosistemes costaners, també coneguts com a embornals de carboni blau (praderies de fanerògames marines, manglars i marjals) igualen o fins i tot superen la capacitat dels ecosistemes terrestres per a segrestar carboni. Aquest fet ha conduït al desenvolupament d'una prometedora estratègia per a la mitigació del canvi climàtic, anomenada “Blue Carbon”, basada en la conservació i la restauració d'aquests hàbitats. No obstant això, la inclusió del segrest de carboni blau com a component en els plans i polítiques per a la mitigació del canvi climàtic requereix determinar amb precisió la quantitat de carboni orgànic (CO) retingut en aquests ecosistemes, com s'acumula amb el temps, i quin és el seu destí si els embornals de carboni blau es veuen degradats. L'objectiu d'aquesta tesi se centra en respondre aquestes preguntes quantificant les taxes d'acumulació de CO en els sediments d'ecosistemes costaners naturals i degradats de praderies marines i manglars. Per fer-ho, utilitzem la radiocronologia de sediments costaners utilitzant el 210Pb i n’avaluem els seus potencials i limitacions. Contribuïm amb l'anàlisi de 167 noves taxes d'acumulació de CO en sediments de praderies marines per avaluar la seva contribució al segrest de carboni a l’oceà i determinem el risc de pèrdua dels dipòsits de CO emmagatzemats als sediments de praderies marines i boscos de manglars després de la seva pertorbació. Els resultats fan reconsiderar alguns dels paradigmes acceptats a la ciència del "blue carbon": que els estocs de CO constitueixen una mesura de l'eficiència del seu segrest, que les taxes de segrest de carboni a praderies marines són ordres de magnitud superiors a les dels boscos terrestres, o que la pertorbació dels hàbitats dona com a resultat la pèrdua de la major part o la totalitat de l'estoc de CO prèviament segrestat. Globalment, vam trobar que les taxes de sedimentació als embornals de carboni blau determinen més acuradament l'eficiència de segrest de CO, independentment de la quantitat de CO als seus sediments. Tenint en compte les incerteses associades a la tècnica del 210Pb, hem estimat que les taxes de segrest de CO als sediments de les praderies marines oscil·len entre 20 i 30 g C m-2 yr-1 (o 6 -18 Tg C yr-1, globalment). Això suposa un rebaixa de 7 vegades el segrest reconegut anteriorment. Tanmateix, les estimacions revisades, encara són extraordinàriament elevades. A escala global, l'enterrament anual de CO en sediments de praderies marines contribueix entre el 4 i el 8% del CO total enterrat a l'oceà, àdhuc i ocupar menys del 0,1% de la seva superfície. La degradació dels ecosistemes costaners causa la pèrdua del CO emmagatzemat a un ritme molt més elevat que el del seu segrest. Això pot succeir en el transcurs de mesos a anys, depenent del tipus de pertorbació i de la grandària dels dipòsits de CO. Tant la pèrdua de praderies a causa d'una onada de calor marina a Austràlia, i la desforestació de manglars a Madagascar van causar pèrdues d’entre el 4 i el 20% (a les praderies) i del 20% (als manglars) del CO emmagatzemat en el primer metre de sediment després de 3 i 10 anys de la pertorbació. En tots dos estudis, les taxes de pèrdua de CO en hàbitats degradats van ser varies (> 4) vegades superiors a les taxes de retenció de CO sota condicions intactes, la qual cosa suggereix que el potencial real per a mitigar les emissions de carboni està en la conservació dels embornals de carboni blau existents i en la immediata restauració dels ecosistemes degradats per a així evitar emissions de gasos d’efecte hivernacle addicionals i rebaixar els costos de mitigació.
Coastal blue carbon ecosystems (seagrasses, mangroves and tidal marshes) have recently been found to match or even exceed the capability of terrestrial ecosystems to sequester organic carbon (OC) per unit area. This has led to the development of a promising new strategy for climate change mitigation, termed Blue Carbon, based on the conservation and restoration of these habitats. But including blue carbon sequestration as a component in schemes and policies for climate change mitigation and adaptation requires determining precisely how much OC these ecosystems hold, how it accumulates over time, and which is its fate after habitat conversion and degradation. The aim of this thesis was to resolve these questions by quantifying OC sequestration rates and their controls over contemporary (∼100 yr) time scales in sediments of natural and degraded coastal blue carbon ecosystems, with a focus on seagrass and mangrove habitats. To accomplish this aim, we used the 210Pb dating technique to assess the rate of OC accumulation in sediments and evaluated its potentials and limitations. We reassessed OC sequestration rates in seagrass ecosystems by compiling and analyzing 167 new OC accumulation rates in seagrass sediments worldwide, and assessed the vulnerability of sediment OC stores in seagrass meadows and mangrove forests to be remineralized after ecosystem disturbance. Results re-considered some of the accepted paradigms of ‘blue carbon’ science: that OC stocks are a measure of OC sequestration efficiency, that the sequestration rates of seagrass ecosystems are orders of magnitude higher than those of terrestrial counterparts, or that habitat disturbance will result in the loss of most or all of the OC stock previously sequesterd. We found that sedimentation rates were a better predictor of OC sequestration efficiency in sediments of coastal blue carbon ecosystems than it was the sediment OC content. Considering 210Pb dating models and associated uncertainties, contemporary global OC accumulation rates in seagrass beds were reassessed and estimated at 20 – 30 g C m-2 yr-1 (or 6 – 18 Tg C yr-1, globally). This was 7 times lower than previously acknowledged, nonetheless, the revised estimates, based on the best available contemporary data, are still extraordinarily high. On a global scale, OC burial in seagrass sediments contributes between 4 and 8% to the total OC buried in ocean sediments. Additionally, its significance as C sinks could be larger, while only 10% of their net community production is buried in immediate sediments, the remaining 90% (32 – 65 Tg C yr-1) production is exported to adjacent systems, a fraction of which could be buried beyond the meadows or preserved in the deep sea. Physical disturbance and habitat loss caused losses of sediment OC over the course of months to years depending on the type of disturbance and the size of the OC stock. Using satellite imagery and a published model of OC decomposition, we quantified that between 4 and 20% of the C stock in the upper meter of degraded seagrass sediments was remineralized 3 years following a marine heatwave in Shark Bay, Western Australia. In mangroves, direct measurements of sediment OC revealed that a 20% of the top meter C stock was lost 10 years following deforestation. In both studies, the rates of OC loss in degraded habitats were several (> 4) times higher than the rates of OC sequestration under intact conditions suggesting that the real potential of blue carbon ecosystems to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions is towards the preservation of existing habitats and restoration of lost habitats, which can result in avoided significant GHG emissions.

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Jardine, Andrew. "The impact of dryland salinity on Ross River virus in south-western Australia : an ecosystem health perspective." University of Western Australia. School of Population Health, 2007. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2007.0182.

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[Truncated abstract] A functional ecosystem is increasingly being recognised as a requirement for health and well being of resident human populations. Clearing of native vegetation for agriculture has left 1.047 million hectares of south-west Western Australia affected by a severe form of environmental degradation, dryland salinity, characterised by secondary soil salinisation and waterlogging. This area may expand by a further 1.7-3.4 million hectares if current trends continue. Ecosystems in saline affected regions display many of the classic characteristics of Ecosystem Distress Syndrome (EDS). One outcome of EDS that has not yet been investigated in relation to dryland salinity is adverse human health implications. This thesis focuses on one such potential adverse health outcome: increased incidence of Ross River virus (RRV), the most common mosquito-borne disease in Australia. Spatial analysis of RRV notifications did not reveal a significant association with dryland salinity. To overcome inherent limitations with notification data, serological RRV antibody prevalence was also investigated, and again no significant association with dryland salinity was detected. However, the spatial scale imposed limited the sensitivity of both studies. ... This thesis represents the first attempt to prospectively investigate the influence of secondary soil salinity on mosquito-borne disease by combining entomological, environmental and epidemiological data. The evidence collected indicates that RRV disease incidence is not currently a significant population health priority in areas affected by dryland salinity despite the dominant presence of Ae. camptorhynchus. Potential limiting factors include; local climatic impact on the seasonal mosquito population dynamics; vertebrate host distribution and feeding behaviour of Ae. camptorhynchus; and the scarce and uneven human population distribution across the region. However, the potential for increased disease risk in dryland salinity affected areas to become apparent in the future cannot be discounted, particularly in light of the increasing extent predicted to develop over coming decades before any benefits of amelioration strategies are observed. Finally, it is important to note that both dryland salinity and salinity induced by irrigation are important forms of environmental degradation in arid and semi-arid worldwide, with a total population of over 400 million people. Potential health risks will of course vary widely across different regions depending on a range of factors specific to the local region and the complex interactions between them. It is therefore not possible to make broad generalisations. The need is highlighted for similar research in other regions and it is contended that an ecosystem health framework provides the necessary basis for such investigations.

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Chataika, Tsitsi. "Inclusion of disabled students in higher education in Zimbabwe : from idealism to reality : a social ecosystem perspective." Thesis, University of Sheffield, 2007. http://etheses.whiterose.ac.uk/3606/.

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Inclusion of disabled students in higher education has been gathering momentum in various countries, although until recently, it has not been under the spotlight. This study was born because of the absence of research on personal experiences of disabled students in higher education in Zimbabwe. The study's major object was to investigate the current provision for disabled students in higher education in Zimbabwe. Narrative research and ethnography are the methodologies that informed this study. Fifteen University of Zimbabwe disabled students were the main informants of this study. Inevitably, the study took into cognisance, the researcher's vast personal and professional experience, and diverse views from other scholars through a comprehensive literature review. The study established that attitudes and disability awareness could be either catalysts or obstacles to inclusion. Institutional barriers that incorporate physical access, inappropriate application and admission procedures, inappropriate teaching methods, inadequate support services and resources, and most importantly - absence of legislation and political will, hampered participation of disabled students in higher education in Zimbabwe. Lack of coordinated disability activism among disabled people's organisations was also reported in this study. It was from these research outcomes that the researcher constructed the social ecosystem framework, which embodied the theoretical resources, namely, postcolonial theory, globalisation, disability studies and inclusive education. Critical determinants in the applicability and effective use of the social ecosystem framework in promoting the inclusion of disabled students in higher education in Zimbabwe and beyond were identified. These include enabling socio-cultural beliefs, genuine family and community support, stable political and economic climate, appropriate legislation and political will, appropriate/accessible information and technology, self-belief, proactive disability activism, and sustainable partnerships. Conclusions drawn and practical recommendations were made to various stakeholders in the education of disabled students in higher education. Finally, the research study also signposted areas for further research.

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Franklin, Hannah Mayford. "Understanding Variation in Water Quality using a Riverscape Perspective." Thesis, University of Canterbury. Biological Sciences, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/5197.

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With the increasing degradation of rivers worldwide, an understanding of spatial and temporal patterns in freshwater quality is important. Water quality is highly variable in space and time, yet this is largely overlooked at the scale of stream catchments. I employed a landscape ecology approach to examine the spatial patterning of water quality in complex, impacted stream networks on the Canterbury Plains of the South Island of New Zealand, with the goal of understanding how land-use effects proliferate through stream systems. In particular, I used “snapshot” sampling events in conjunction with spatial modelling and longitudinal profiles to investigate the ways in which spatial and environmental factors influence the variability of water quality in stream networks. Spatial eigenfunction analyses showed that distance measures, which took into account variable connectivity by flow and distance along the stream between sites, explained more spatial variance in water quality than traditional distance metrics. Small upstream reaches were more spatially and temporally variable than main stems (under summer base-flow conditions). The extent of spatial variation in water quality differed between stream networks, potentially depending on linkages to groundwater and the surrounding landscape. My results indicated that the water quality of headwater streams can have a disproportionate influence over water quality throughout an entire network. I investigated spatio-temporal patterns in water quality more intensively in one stream network, the Cam River, in which I found consistent spatial pattern through time. The relative balance between nutrient inputs (pollution and groundwater) and in-stream conditions influenced the spatial pattern of water quality, as well as that of several ecosystem processes which I measured simultaneously. The spatially intensive and explicit approach has allowed identification of key factors controlling water quality and ecosystem processes throughout the Cam River. This research highlights the importance of taking a spatially explicit approach when studying stream water quality and that such an approach could be insightful and will contribute to solving current stream management problems.

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Schacht, Christie, and n/a. "The Quantification of Estuarine Suspended Sediment Dynamics: A Drogue's Perspective." Griffith University. School of Engineering, 2006. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20070201.144830.

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The knowledge and understanding of sediment transport is essential for the development of effective management strategies for nutrient and sediment loading in estuarine systems. Estuarine suspended sediment (in high concentrations), has the ability to adversely impact upon surrounding ecosystems, such as the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Due to a recent decline in water and sediment quality, it has recently been mandated that a number of tropical, coastal estuarine systems in Queensland, such as the Fitzroy River estuary, have their sediment loading reduced. In order to meet these requirements, a greater understanding of the sediment transport dynamics and driving processes (such as flocculation and settling velocity) needs to be achieved, and the accuracy of estimation improved. This research project was motivated by the need to improve the general accuracy of field measurements for estuarine suspended sediment transport and dynamics. Field-based measurements (especially settling velocity) are necessary for the parameterisation of sediment transport models. The difficulty in obtaining accurate, in situ data is well documented and is generally limited to methods that isolate a water sample from its natural environment, removing all influences of estuarine turbulence. Furthermore, the water samples are often extracted from points (Eulerian) where the history of the suspended particles is generally unknown. These sampling methods typically contain intrinsic errors as suspended sediment transport is essentially Lagrangian (i.e., flows with the net motion of flow-field) in nature. An investigation into different drogue systems conducted in parallel with a study into the tidal states of the Fitzroy River estuary led to the development of a novel Lagrangian drogue device, the LAD. Additionally, the water-tracking ability of the LAD was tested and found to accurately follow a parcel of estuarine water over a slack water period. Therefore the LAD was deployed in the Fitzroy River to assist in the further understanding of complex sediment transport processes such as flocculation and settling velocity in a natural estuarine flow field. The final device (the LAD - Lagrangian Acoustic Drogue) was developed, utilizing the principals of acoustic backscatter intensity-derived SSC measurements. The investigation of a series LAD deployments (during slack water) in the Fitzroy River estuary, revealed the dominant suspended sediment processes and also gave an insight into the prevailing flow-patterns. Results showed the presence of a settling lag mechanism between low and high tide, which can initiate a net sediment flow upstream with each flood tide. The bulk settling velocity showed comparable results at both low and high water. The LAD derived bulk settling velocity as a function of concentration (SSC), yielding a strong positive correlation (r2 = 0.73). Also the importance of flocculation in the bulk settling and clear up of the water column during periods of still water (high and low tide) was demonstrated as all in situ settling velocities (0.33 - 1.75 mm s-1) exceeded single grain approximations (0.47 mm s-1). This research demonstrates the potential for Lagrangian drogue studies as an effective measuring platform for the accurate quantification of estuarine suspended sediment dynamics. The application of the LAD in the Fitzroy River has lead to a significant improvement in the understanding of the system's real sediment transport processes. This research has provided an effective and accurate technique for measuring real settling velocities for input into numerical models or for the validation of existing model outputs. Furthermore, this technique shows great potential for application in other estuarine systems.

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Ncube, Sikhululekile. "Mapping and assessment of changes in ecosystem service delivery : a historical perspective on the Tweed catchment, Scotland, UK." Thesis, University of Dundee, 2016. https://discovery.dundee.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/44841db4-3d1e-4d41-a72a-a8f75813d9e9.

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For centuries, river catchments and their constituent habitats have been altered and modified through various human activities to maximise provision of tangible benefits like food and water, while impacting on their capacity to provide other less obvious but equally important benefits for human survival. However, in the last few decades, perceptions on the role of catchments as mere providers of tangible benefits have been changing, as recognition has been given to other human beneficial services like regulation of floods. This recognition has drawn increased interest in both science and policy, towards understanding human-nature relations and how approaches like the ecosystem services concept can inform sustainable management of catchments. Although, the multiple and differently weighted relationships existing between habitats and ecosystem services have been acknowledged, the relationship between spatio-temporal change in habitats and spatio-temporal change in ecosystem services delivery, has not received as much attention in the research literature. In this thesis, it is argued that this is an important omission as spatio-temporal habitat change could have broader consequences for ecosystem services provided by a catchment. On this basis, this study maps and assesses the influence of habitat changes across space and time on ecosystem services delivery at a local catchment scale. Approaches to assessing ecosystem service delivery across landscapes and catchments draw on habitat mapping data for those landscapes or catchments. Such data are in turn used as proxies for estimating different ecosystem services delivered by the landscape or catchment based on their integration with other spatial or non-spatial data. To date this approach has been applied to assess contemporary delivery of different ecosystem services. The basis of the approach taken in this study involved comparing a pre-existing contemporary ecosystem service assessment of two chosen sub catchments of the Tweed catchment in Scotland, with a similar assessment based on a set of older “historic” habitat maps for the mid-20th century period. Derivation of the digital map base for the latter was a major focus of the present study. Aerial photography taken during the Royal Air Force surveys in the 1940s archived in the Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland were obtained and first scanned digitally, arranged into a mosaic of adjacent images and ortho-rectified to remove camera distortion. These photo mosaics were then visually interpreted and, aided with ancillary data, the current (2009) habitat maps were edited and backdated to derive the historic habitat maps for the study catchments. The Spatial Evidence for Natural Capital Evaluation (SENCE) ecosystem services mapping approach was then used to translate generated habitat maps into ecosystem service supply maps. Findings show that the study catchments changed from multifunctional to intensively managed landscapes by 2009, with a higher capacity for supplying provisioning ecosystem services, while their capacity to supply regulating and supporting ecosystem services was reduced. Findings also show that a change in one habitat type results in changes in multiple ecosystem services, while changes in the spatial configuration of habitats reduces areas with high supply capacity for regulating and supporting ecosystem services. This study concludes that ecosystem service delivery is not only affected by changes in gross area of constituent habitats but also by spatial changes in the configuration and distribution of these habitats. In this regard, it is argued that recognising and understanding changes in ecosystem services adds an important strand in catchment management. It is therefore suggested that planning for future ecosystem services in catchment management needs to be informed by historic baselines.

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Xu, Y. (Yueqiang). "Open business models for future smart energy:a value perspective." Doctoral thesis, Oulun yliopisto, 2019. http://urn.fi/urn:isbn:9789526224282.

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Abstract Energy is essential for our lives and underpins all the key functions of society. However, our energy systems today are undergoing substantial changes. The growing energy demand and our dependence on fossil fuels have become an important issue faced by countries around the globe. Besides the technological developments in the field of renewables and smart grids for future smart energy, a significant weakness of our energy systems is their lack of social and economic perspectives, even though energy systems are often defined as techno-social systems. Through an extensive literature review of extant studies related to various aspects of energy and business model studies, this study has identified a major gap in that the business model and the value perspective have not been conceptualized with well-defined and holistic theoretical frameworks. Particularly, there is little understanding of the creation of open business models in digitalized industries, although the phenomenon is widespread in the real world. The main purpose of this research is to explore and understand the creation of open business models from the value perspective in the emerging smart energy ecosystem with a specific focus on value configurations. The study utilizes a system- and design-oriented action research approach and takes an energy innovation project funded by the European Union (EU) as the main data source. The results of the study are that: 1) the study proposes a holistic framework for the value perspective for (open) business models including value spaces, value configuration, and value complementarity. This is a major contribution to business model and management studies, and for the first time, it unifies the value thinking scattered throughout the existing literature; 2) the research provides an insight into how practitioners can conceptualize and approach the creation of open business models that are often enabled through digitalization; 3) the study contributes to the EU’s 2020 and 2030 energy and environmental targets. The research on new business models for the energy industry can assist in the implementation of new energy market development, policy instruments, and market regulations that promote the creation of smart grids, all of which are currently boosting jobs, economic growth, and environmental sustainability in Europe and elsewhere
Tiivistelmä Nykyinen fossiilisista energianlähteistä riippuvainen energiajärjestelmämme on globaalissa muutoksessa energian kysynnän kasvaessa. Tulevaisuuden älykkäissä sähköverkoissa – ja koko energiajärjestelmässä – uusiutuvien energialähteiden rooli kasvaa huomattavasti. Vaikka energiajärjestelmät usein ymmärretäänkin sosio-teknisinä järjestelminä, ovat taloudelliset ja sosiaaliset näkökulmat jääneet aikaisemmassa tutkimuksessa usein teknisten näkökulmien varjoon. Tässä tutkimuksessa keskitytäänkin arvonluontiin ja liiketoimintamalleihin tulevaisuuden älykkäissä sähköverkoissa. Tutkimuksessa tehdyn ja energialiiketoimintaan kohdistuneen kirjallisuusanalyysin tuloksena voitiin todeta, että aikaisemmassa tutkimuksessa sovelletut liiketoimintamalli- tai arvonluonnin näkökulmat eivät muodosta riittävää ja kokonaisvaltaista viitekehystä älykkäiden sähköverkkojen tutkimukseen. Erityiseksi tutkimusaukoksi havaittiin avoimien ja digitaalisten liiketoimintamallien luominen energia-alalla. Tämän tutkimuksen tarkoituksena onkin ymmärtää, erityisesti arvon luonnin näkökulmasta, kuinka uusissa ja esiin nousevissa energiaekosysteemeissä syntyy ja luodaan avoimia liiketoimintamalleja ja arvokonfiguraatioita. Tutkimuksessa sovelletaan systeemi- ja suunnitteluorientoitunutta toimintatutkimusmetodologiaa, ja sen tutkimusaineisto on kerätty osana EU Horizon 2020 -ohjelmasta rahoitettua P2P-Smartest -hanketta. Tutkimuksen tuloksena esitetään 1) kokonaisvaltainen viitekehys avoimien liiketoimintamallien ymmärtämiseen arvonluonnin näkökulmasta. Viitekehys sisältää arvon luonnin alueen (value space), arvokonfiguraation (value configuration) ja arvon täydentävyyden (value complementarity) ulottuvuudet ekosysteemisessä kontekstissa. Lisäksi työssä esitetään näkökulmia, kuinka 2) käytännössä voidaan konseptoida ja luoda avoimia digitaalisia liiketoimintamalleja älykkäiden sähköverkkojen kontekstiin. Toteutetun liiketoimintamallitutkimuksen tulokset tukevat myös 3) EU:n vuosille 2020 ja 2030 asetettujen energia- ja ympäristötavoitteiden saavuttamista erityisesti energiamarkkinan, markkinaregulaation ja -politiikkojen kehittämisessä sekä älykkäiden sähköverkkojen käyttöön ottamisessa

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Jacobson, Peter James. "An ephemeral perspective of fluvial ecosystems: Viewing ephemeral rivers in the context of current lotic ecology." Diss., Virginia Tech, 1997. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/30582.

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Hydrologic and material dynamics of ephemeral rivers were investigated in the Namib Desert to assess how hydrologic regimes shape the physical habitat template of these river ecosystems. An analysis of long-term hydrologic records revealed that the variation in mean annual runoff and peak discharge were nearly four times higher than the global average, rendering the rivers among the most variable fluvial systems yet described. Further, a pronounced downstream hydrologic decay characterized all of the rivers. The high spatio-temporal variability in flow was reflected in patterns of material transport. Retention of woody debris increased downstream, in contrast to patterns typically reported from more mesic systems, largely attributable to hydrologic decay. Woody debris piles were the principal retentive obstacles and played an important role in channel dynamics. They were also key microhabitats for various organisms, forming "hotspots" of heterotrophic activity analogous to patterns reported from perennial streams. Large amounts of fine particulate and dissolved organic matter (FPOM and DOM) deposited in the lower reaches of the rivers serve to fuel this heterotrophic biota. As a result of the hydrologic decay, sediment concentration (both organic and inorganic) increased downstream and the lower reaches of these rivers acted as sinks for material exported from their catchments. FPOM and DOM concentrations were among the highest reported for any aquatic system, and, contrary to patterns reported from more mesic systems, FPOM dominated the total organic load transported in these rivers. Inorganic solute concentration also increased downstream, resulting in a downstream increase in soluble salt content in floodplain soils. Soils within the river's lower reaches served as effective long-term integrators of hydrologic variability. The mean extent of floods entering the lower river was defined by an alluviation zone, evident from the convexity exhibited in the lower section of the rivers' longitudinal profiles. A downstream increase in the proportion of silt within floodplain soils is associated with increased sediment deposition. Silt deposition had a positive influence on moisture availability, plant rooting, and habitat suitability for various organisms, including fungi and invertebrates. In addition, a strong positive correlation was observed between silt, organic matter, and macronutrients. Thus, the hydrologic control of transport and deposition patterns has important implications for the structure and function of ephemeral river ecosystems. Finally, an examination of the influence of elephants upon riverine vegetation highlighted the importance of these systems as isolated resource patches interspersed in an arid and hostile landscape. Further, it illustrated that flooding was a key ecological process and that hydrologic alterations would affect the fluvial ecosystem as well as the regional landscape they drain.
Ph. D.

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Fahnehjelm, Alexander, and Thomander Isabel. "Strategic Alliance Formation in a Dynamic Environment : A Business Ecosystem perspective applied to Strategic Alliances in the Online Media Industry." Thesis, KTH, Skolan för industriell teknik och management (ITM), 2020. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-279537.

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The online media industry has undergone changes during the last decades. Driven by technology advancements, there has been an increasing number of actors that can enhance the value of service in the media industry. The fast changing environment calls for a dynamic lens when analyzing strategic alliances forming between actors in the industry, thus this study uses a Business Ecosystem perspective to analyze how alliances should be formed to enable competitive advantage. A xase study was performed on a world leading provider of broadcast and media services to analyze how the dynamic setting affects suitable strategic alliance forms, using a partner selection framework to identify possible alliances. The results showed most potential within alliance forms of lower intergration, such as Franchise, Licensing Agreement or Arms-Lenght Market relation. Hurdels for the higher forms of integration were identified as mostly caused by requirements of low investments and implementation times in the fast moving dynamic environment. Identified future work is presented as performing a similar study where these hurdels are nonexistent to further analyze which alliance forms are applicable in a dynamic industry.

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Marin, Léon Rolando. "La conservation de la nature dans une perspective de développement durable : le cas du Costa Rica /." Thèse, Chicoutimi : Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 1990. http://theses.uqac.ca.

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de, Chazal Jacqueline Anne. "Perspectives on ecosystem health." Phd thesis, 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/151697.

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Williams, Amy M. "Environmental Processes, Social Perspectives and Economic Valuations of the Coast." Thesis, 2010. http://hdl.handle.net/1969.1/ETD-TAMU-2010-08-8583.

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Coastal ecosystems provide important resources for social, economic and environmental capital to global and local communities. Socially, coastal ecosystems provide a place for people to recreate and get in touch with nature. Economically, tourism, fisheries, and businesses are dependent upon coastal resources. Environmentally, coasts provide habitat for diverse species of flora and fauna, and protection for watersheds and anthropogenic structures. This research investigates three studies in order to provide information on social, economic and environmental issues in Matagorda, Texas. The first study uses LIDAR (Light Image Detection-and-Ranging) scanning, a remote sensing methodology that uses laser pulses to collect X, Y, and Z coordinates, to evaluate coastal changes after Hurricane Ike. Results suggest that landscape loss occurs immediately after the hurricane, but recovers and fluctuates throughout the year. Also, different areas of the dunes show unique changes during different times of the year. The second study uses questionnaire surveys to collect demographic, social perspectives and opinions and economic information about coastal users on Matagorda Peninsula. The questionnaire investigates the most important characteristics to beach users, opinions and perceptions about beach safety, activities, maintenance and presence of seaweed, information about their trip, cost of their trip and demographics. The results provide broader knowledge about the beach users in Matagorda and indicate that while direct costs of using the beach are minimal, the indirect and intrinsic costs are much higher which result in a greater overall use value. The third study investigates the use of the sargassum, a natural marine subsidy, as a fertilizer for dune plants. Beach raking provides a cleaner, more aesthetically pleasing experience for beach users but alters the natural design of the ecosystem by subsequently moving sand, nutrients, subsidies for habitat and fauna from the fore-beach to the dunes. Results show that sargassum does have potential as a natural fertilizer as it did not negatively affect any of the species. The results could be used to alter management practices in order to capitalize on this natural resource while still providing a clean sandy beach for recreationalists. These three studies together provide ecological information about coastal functions and processes that can help in creating broad holistic science based management strategies.

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Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Ecosystem perspectives'

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