Dissertations / Theses: 'Environmental aspects of management'

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De, Waal Louise Christina. "Environmental aspects of river management." Thesis, University of Wolverhampton, 2002. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.247784.

Full text

Abstract:

This work consists of two distinct and separate sections with differing aims and outcomes. Section A is the critical review, which provides a context for the published work presented in Section B. Section A, the critical review, summarises the current literature in the subject area of environmental aspects of river management and sets the research portfolio in context. The physical landscape has been increasingly influenced by a variety of economic and social changes in recent history. During these approximately 6,000 years, human impact on river systems has been substantial and widespread. The environmental changes, that have stressed river systems, have also damaged their value for both human use and environmental functions. Some of these stresses include changes in water quality and quantity, morphological modifications of the channel and/or floodplain, decline of native species and the introduction of alien species. This has led to changes in current river management philosophy, issues and techniques. Section n, the research portfolio of published work submitted as part of this thesis, focuses on the management of some aspects of environmental change within river systems, particularly problems relating to river rehabilitation and the introduction of invasive riparian plant species. Each published paper has its own individual abstract, summarising the key finding of the research. The research portfolio can be divided into three broad sections. The first section, the main published work, includes those papers approved by the University Research Committee as part of the Registration for the degree of PhD by Published Work in May 2000. These papers form the key part of the thesis. They are introduced in the critical review in the blue text boxes, in order of significance to the text discussed and not in chronological order. They are presented in full in the appendices (numbers as shown below) printed on light blue paper. The next section relates to additional relevant published work. These papers are also submitted as part of this thesis, but are considered to be secondary as a result of their date of publication, i.e. prior to 1995. In order to distinguish these papers clearly from the key papers, they are introduced in the critical review in green text boxes and presented in full in the appendices (numbers as shown below), printed on light green paper. The candidate's approximate contribution and the nature of this contribution to each joint paper have been indicated as a percentage and are shown on the title page of each appendix. The third part is other supporting material and is referred to in the critical review through inclusion of orange-brown text boxes. Since these publications consist mainly of consultancy reports and edited books, they are NOT submitted as part of this thesis and are not presented in full in the appendices. If necessary, this material can be made available to the internal and/or external examiners before or during the viva.