Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Expanding knowledge in the earth sciences'

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 1987.
Microfiche copy available in Archives and Science.
Bibliography: leaves 71-75.
by Marc H. Larrère.
M.S.

It is estimated that 3,700 major dams are either planned or under construction, notably in developing countries. Dams can pose a threat to fish diversity, as one of the biggest impacts of damming is habitat fragmentation. Damming causes the isolation of small fish habitats, which reduces genetic diversity and expose fish species to vulnerability of local extinction, hence habitat fragmentation is one of the causes of biological loss. There are tools, which are used to balance between development and biodiversity conservation. One of the tools, which is commonly used, is environmental impact assessment (EIA). EIA uses both science and political knowledge. Science knowledge is important in EIA process as it is required to generate reliable baseline information, impact prediction and effective proposed mitigation. However, no studies have investigated the extent of the use of science knowledge in EIA for hydropower dams in Southern Africa. The purpose of this study is to examine the usage of scientific knowledge in environmental impact statements (EIS), focusing on EISs of dam construction on the impact of habitat fragmentation in fish. Ten EISs were collected from Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe. These countries were chosen because they are the hotspots for hydropower planning. I conducted EIS quality   review to answer the research purpose. I adopted and used EIS quality review package, which was developed by Lee and Colley (1991), to assess the content and quality of EISs. The results show that the use of science knowledge varies from one EIS to the other, and from one area of review to the other. The baseline and mitigation areas of EISs aligned with the scientific consensus the best, while the identification, prediction and evaluation of impacts area is generally unsatisfactory. Overall, six EISs out of ten EISs use science in a satisfactory way, and four EISs are unsatisfactory, meaning they attempted or completely omitted methods for assessing the ecological concept of fragmentation. I recommend a comprehensive study to review the use biodiversity concepts and methods in EISs for all the dams in southern Africa.

This exploratory study is a first attempt to translate the Indian cultural context from a socio-cultural, and legal perspective by identifying the values attributed to Indian textile craftsmanship by Indian textile and fashion stakeholders, and how their perspective is influenced by the global recognition and perception of Indian textile crafts and connotation of “Made in India”. At the same time the study investigates the meaning of “sustainability” in the Indian cultural context, in relation to textile craftsmanship, and how this relates to the Western concept of “sustainability”. Through field research in conjunction with a series of in-depth unstructured interviews, this study reveals that Cultural Sustainability is the dominating narrative in the Indian cultural context due to the prevalence of culturally embedded sustainability practices and the role of textile craftsmanship in sustaining livelihood, being a unique exercise of positioning Indian textile craftsmanship within a framework of cultural heritage as a valuable source of knowledge for sustainable practices in the fashion and textile industry. Unique about this study are the India-centric approach combined with the ethnicity of the subjects interviewed - who are, without exception, Indian nationals, whose work, voice and reputation are shaping India's contemporary textile craft -sustainability narrative (being referred to as the “Indian textiles and fashion elite”) and the framing of traditional craftsmanship from a legal perspective, introducing the notion of legal protection of traditional textile knowledge and traditional cultural expressions.

Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences, 2007.
Thesis: S.B., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Urban Studies and Planning, 2007.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (pages 51-53).
Public access to science is an essential environmental justice component of any mining development. Both limited public access to professional scientific knowledge and little acknowledgment by professionals of the contributions of local knowledge hinder discussion of proposed mines. A proposed uranium mine in Crownpoint, New Mexico, a predominantly Navajo community, presents a case for studying the role of expert and local knowledge in the individual's perception of the risks and benefits associated with the mine. Interviews, supplemented with numerous Nuclear Regulatory Commission documents and other articles of the public record, were used to understand how people developed their personal understanding of the trade-offs of mining uranium in their town. This research reveals that family experiences and personal observations are correlated with individual perception of risk, but the perception of uncertainty is related the group of experts available to the individual. The results suggest that individuals in such communities should have access to a range of experts and that local knowledge and experiences should be taken into account when journalists, industry representatives and government officials translate expert knowledge for public consumption.
by Cassandra Roth.
S.B.

Large Central European flood events of the past have demonstrated that flooding can affect several river basins at the same time leading to catastrophic economic and humanitarian losses that can stretch emergency resources beyond planned levels of service. For Germany, the spatial coherence of flooding, the contributing processes and the role of trans-basin floods for a national risk assessment is largely unknown and analysis is limited by a lack of systematic data, information and knowledge on past events. This study investigates the frequency and intensity of trans-basin flood events in Germany. It evaluates the data and information basis on which knowledge about trans-basin floods can be generated in order to improve any future flood risk assessment. In particu-lar, the study assesses whether flood documentations and related reports can provide a valuable data source for understanding trans-basin floods. An adaptive algorithm was developed that systematically captures trans-basin floods using series of mean daily discharge at a large number of sites of even time series length (1952-2002). It identifies the simultaneous occurrence of flood peaks based on the exceedance of an initial threshold of a 10 year flood at one location and consecutively pools all causally related, spatially and temporally lagged peak recordings at the other locations. A weighted cumulative index was developed that accounts for the spatial extent and the individual flood magnitudes within an event and allows quantifying the overall event severity. The parameters of the method were tested in a sensitivity analysis. An intensive study on sources and ways of information dissemination of flood-relevant publications in Germany was conducted. Based on the method of systematic reviews a strategic search approach was developed to identify relevant documentations for each of the 40 strongest trans-basin flood events. A novel framework for assessing the quality of event specific flood reports from a user’s perspective was developed and validated by independent peers. The framework was designed to be generally applicable for any natural hazard type and assesses the quality of a document addressing accessibility as well as representational, contextual, and intrinsic dimensions of quality. The analysis of time-series of mean daily discharge resulted in the identification of 80 trans-basin flood events within the period 1952-2002 in Germany. The set is dominated by events that were recorded in the hydrological winter (64%); 36% occurred during the summer months. The occurrence of floods is characterised by a distinct clustering in time. Dividing the study period into two sub-periods, we find an increase in the percentage of winter events from 58% in the first to 70.5% in the second sub-period. Accordingly, we find a significant increase in the number of extreme trans-basin floods in the second sub-period. A large body of 186 flood relevant documentations was identified. For 87.5% of the 40 strongest trans-basin floods in Germany at least one report has been found and for the most severe floods a substantial amount of documentation could be obtained. 80% of the material can be considered grey literature (i.e. literature not controlled by commercial publishers). The results of the quality assessment show that the majority of flood event specific reports are of a good quality, i.e. they are well enough drafted, largely accurate and objective, and contain a substantial amount of information on the sources, pathways and receptors/consequences of the floods. The inclusion of this information in the process of knowledge building for flood risk assessment is recommended. Both the results as well as the data produced in this study are openly accessible and can be used for further research. The results of this study contribute to an improved spatial risk assessment in Germany. The identified set of trans-basin floods provides the basis for an assessment of the chance that flooding occurs simultaneously at a number of sites. The information obtained from flood event documentation can usefully supplement the analysis of the processes that govern flood risk.
Abschätzungen zum Hochwasserrisiko beschränken sich zumeist auf die Analyse innerhalb eines Einzugsgebietes bzw. eines bestimmten Ortes. Die Zusammenhänge in größeren Regionen und vor allem Korrelationen zwischen verschiedenen Einzugsgebieten werden nur selten betrachtet. Solche einzugsgebietsübergreifenden Analysen sind jedoch sowohl für die Versicherungswirtschaft, den Katastrophenschutz sowie für großräumige strategische Hochwasserplanungen notwendig. Allerdings stehen nur für eine geringe Auswahl historischer Ereignisse Daten zur Verfügung und systematische Ansätze zu ihrer Erfassung wurden für Deutschland bisher nicht entwickelt. Die vorliegende Studie untersucht zum ersten die Häufigkeit und Intensität von flussgebietsübergreifenden Hochwasserereignissen in Deutschland anhand von gemessenen Abflüssen an einer Vielzahl von Stationen. Es können insgesamt 80 Hochwasserereignisse in Deutschland im Zeitraum von 1952-2002 nachgewiesen werden. Davon treten die meisten Ereignissen im hydrologischen Winterhalbjahr auf (64%). Wir können nachweisen, dass die Häufigkeit des Auftretens in verschiedenen Perioden unterschiedlich ist, und dass im Untersuchungszeitraum eine signifikante Zunahme von Winterereignissen und damit vor allem von sehr schweren flussgebietsübergreifenden Hochwasserereignissen zu verzeichnen ist. Die Studie hatte des Weiteren zum Ziel, die verfügbare Daten- und Informationsgrundlage zur Hochwasseranalyse zu erkunden. Im speziellen wird untersucht, inwieweit Hochwasserereignisdokumentationen und verwandte Berichte als eine weitere Datenquelle für ein verbessertes Prozessverständnis genutzt werden können. Im Rahmen einer systematischen Suche konnten für die 40 größten Hochwasserereignisse in Deutschland 186 relevante Berichte identifiziert werden. 80% des Materials kann als Grauliteratur eingestuft werden, d.h. als Veröffentlichungen welche nicht durch kommerzielle Verleger publiziert wird. Die sich daraus ergebende Frage nach der Qualität der Dokumente und ihres Informationsgehaltes wurde durch die Entwicklung und Anwendung eines Qualitätsbewertungsschemas beantwortet. Die Ergebnisse der Qualitätsbewertung zeigen, dass die Mehrheit der ereignisspezifischen Hochwasserberichte von guter Qualität ist, d.h. die Berichte sind in ausreichender Qualität verfasst, größtenteils korrekt und objektiv und beinhalten eine substantielle Menge an Informationen zu den Ursachen, Verläufen, betroffenen Objekten und Schäden eines Ereignisses. Es wird empfohlen diese Informationen in die Wissenssynthese für die Hochwasserrisikobewertung einfließen zu lassen. Sowohl Ergebnisse als auch Daten dieser Studie sind so publiziert, dass sie öffentlich zugänglich sind und für weitere Forschungsfragen genutzt werden können.

The pre-existing knowledge that Earth Science Bachelor students have when they are starting their University studies, is influential on the scientific knowledge that they will have built when they graduate. This thesis examines the alternative ideas that Uppsala University’s first, second and third year Earth Science Bachelor students have on basic geological topics, and whether it influences the knowledge that they develop. These topics include; the definition of density, Earth’s magnetic and gravity field, heat sources inside the Earth, location and movement of tectonic plates, volcanic andearthquake’s distribution on surface, isostasy, weathering and erosion, earth’s past and future, rock formation and the relevant age of continental and oceanic rocks. In order to process this, students’alternative ideas were assessed with a 20-item multiple choice questionnaire, which was formed online and delivered to all the Earth Science bachelor students of Uppsala University, at the end of the academic year. The questions were selected from the Geoscience Concept Inventory (GCI) developed by Libarkin & Anderson (2006). The answers of the questionnaire were statistically analyzed with SPSS software and students’ scores were calculated. One way ANOVA was performed in order to determine if there is a statistically significant difference between students’ scores and the year ofstudies. The expected outcome was that third year students would have higher GCI scores/level ofconceptual understanding, compared to the first and second year students, and that first year students would have the lowest. The results revealed the presence of alternative ideas to all of the students, and that even that the year of studies is a factor that affects the GCI scores, students’ final scores, are relatively low. The Earth’s scientific knowledge is not acquired by the accumulation of relevant information through the years of studies, but the existence of alternative ideas imply a resistance to learning or an obstacle in learning science.
De studenter som börjar på universitet har inhämtat kunskap kring olika naturvetenskapliga fenomen och företeelser under sinuppväxt och genom undervisningen i grundskola och gymnasium. Detta kan ha resulterat i alternativa idéer eller missuppfattningar som står i strid med den vetenskapliga uppfatt-ningen. När desedanbörjar studera på universitetsnivå, så kan den uppfattning deredan har hamna i konflikt med undervisningen och blir till ett motståndmotkunskapsinlärning. Förståelsen av dessa alternativa idéer är därför mycket viktig, speciellt tidigt i en utbildning, då det visat sig i tidigare studier att dessa alternativaidéerkan vara mycket motståndskraftiga mot devetenskapliga förklaringar de möter, även efter att de studerat vidare under lång tid.Syftet med denna studie är att undersökaom kandidatstudenter i geovetenskap vid Uppsala universitet harmed sigalternativa idéer och sedan se hur detta påverkar deras kunskap om grund-läggande delar av geovetenskapernasom jordens magnetfält, källor till värme i jordens inre, platt-tektonik, vulkaner och jordbävningar, isostasi, vittring och erosion, jordens utveckling och framtid, åldern på bergarter och bergartsbildning. Studien genomfördes med hjälp av ett frågeformulär med 20 frågori form av en konceptinventering, vilket är ett diagnostiskt verktyg för att studera alternativa idéer och missuppfattningar hos elever och studenter. Frågorna valdes från en Internetbaserad resurs för s.k. ”Geoscience Concept Inventory”. Dessa skickades ut till studenterpå år ett, två och trepå kandidatprogrammet i geovetenskap, med frågor som täckte de områden som nämnts tidigare.Därefter utfördes en statistisk analysav resultatetoch utvärderades med avseende på studenternas kunnande i de olika frågorna.Ett förväntat resultat var att de studenter som läste på tredje året borde ha mer kunskap och förförståelse än de på första året av programmet. Resultatet avslöjade dock att förståelsen hos de olika studenterna i många fall var relativt lika och kunskapen i stort sett densamma för alla studenter, oavsett antaletår av studier. En slutsats var således att de alternativa idéer som studenterna hade var motståndskraftiga mot nya idéer och kunskap, så som teorin beskrivit det och att det är viktigt att ha kunskap om alternativa idéer som studenter kan förväntas bära med sig i undervisningen.I den geovetenskapliga utbildningenerhålls således inte ny kunskap genom en ständig påbyggnad av ny information genom åren, utan är ett slags ”kamp” mellan intuition och logik, strävandemot en mer vetenskaplig kunskapslogik

In the context of the critical sustainability problem of marine plastic pollution, the present paper presents a quasiexperimental research that explores the effects that participating on beach clean-up has on students’ knowledge,awareness and behavioural intentions. Considering this intervention as an outside of school practical implementation of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), this research aims to determine if the addition of direct experiences with nature within ESD programs can lead to a behavioural change in favour of the environment. Analysing the factors that influence pro-environmental behaviour and the role that ESD has on transforming society towards a more sustainable one, a one-time pre-test post-test research with non-equivalent groups was performed. A questionnaire on beach litter and self-reported behaviour, implemented in two schools of the Amalfi Coast, Italy, indicate that in comparison to a group which only received a lecture, a group that participated in a beach clean-up increased their knowledge and awareness towards marine plastic pollution, in addition to their willingness to participate in another beach clean-up. This supports the theory that learning in nature can have a higher influence in shaping pro-environmental behaviour, and therefore the inclusion of this type of activities within ESD programs can help beat marine plastic pollution.

Debris-slides are one of the most frequently occurring geological hazards in metasedimentary rocks of the Anakeesta ridge in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GRSM), which often depends on the influence of multiple causing factors or geo-factors such as geological structures, slope, topographic elevation, land use, soil type etc. or a combination of these factors. The main objective of the study was to understand the control of geo-factors in initiating debris-slides using different knowledge and data-driven methods in GIS platform. The study was performed in three steps: (1) Evaluation of geometrical relationship between geological discontinuity and topographic orientation in initiation of debris-slides, (2) Preparation of knowledge-driven debris-slide susceptibility model, and (3) Preparation of data-driven debris-slide susceptibility models and compare their efficacy. Performance of the models were evaluated mostly using area under Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve, which revealed that the models were statistically significant.

In the Forest Sámi community (Skogssameby) of Gällivare in northeastern Sweden, reindeer husbandry is in peril as commercial interests degrade viable reindeer habitat. Among clear-cut forest and young plantations, between highways and railroad tracks, reindeer seek dwindling food. Pressed into smaller and smaller patches of land, they become easier targets for large predators and run out of food more rapidly, forcing greater intervention by herders to ensure the survival of the reindeer. Two large wind power development projects, which, if built, will dominate the landscape, could catalyze a collapse in reindeer husbandry in Gällivare Sameby (Sámi community) from which reindeer herders and the reindeer population may struggle to recover. This loss would be catastrophic from human rights, ecological, and sustainability perspectives. Reindeer husbandry is a key cultural activity for the Sámi people, Europe’s only recognized Indigenous group; reindeer are also native to Sweden, and even a localized collapse in the population could have far-reaching ramifications for the local ecosystem; and reindeer are a critical source of sustainable food in the harsh arctic and sub-arctic climate of Sápmi. This case study is concerned with the pressures and encroachments on reindeer husbandry that have been observed by Henrik Andersson, a reindeer herder, activist, and board member of Gällivare Forest Sámi community. Through four weeks of fieldwork, including participatory observation and semi-structured interviews, I determined the issues that Henrik considered most pressing and attempted to gain a holistic understanding of the socio-ecological system. In this paper, I have examined the main challenges to the viability of reindeer husbandry in Gällivare Skogssameby and their relationship to one another and discussed the extent to which these challenges are caused and exacerbated by ongoing colonization of Swedish Sápmi and based in Sweden’s colonial history in the region.
Dálkke

Never before have humans wielded a greater ability to alter and disrupt planetary processes. Our impact is becoming so noticeable that a new geological epoch has been proposed – the Anthropocene – in which Earth systems might no longer maintain the stable and predictable conditions of the past 12 millennia. This is particularly evident in the rapid expansion of urban areas, where a majority of humans now live and where environmental changes such as rising temperatures and habitat loss are happening faster than elsewhere.  In light of this, questions have been raised about what a more responsible relationship between humans and the rest of the planet might look like. Scholars in sustainability science employ the concept of ‘stewardship’ in searching for an answer; however, with multiple different applications and definitions, there is a need to better understand what stewardship is or what novelty it might add to sustainability research. This thesis investigates stewardship empirically through two case studies of civic engagement for protecting nature in cities – Bengaluru, India and New York City, USA. Further, the thesis also proposes a conceptual framework for how to understand stewardship as a relation between humans and the rest of nature, based on three dimensions: care, knowledge and agency. This investigation into stewardship in the urban context uses a social–ecological systems approach to guide the use of mixed theory and methods from social and natural sciences. The thesis is organized in five papers. Paper I reviews defining challenges in managing urban social–ecological systems and proposes that these can more effectively be addressed by collaborative networks where public, civic, other actors contribute unique skills and abilities. Paper II and Paper III study water resource governance in Bengaluru, a city that has become dependent on external sources while its own water bodies become degraded and depleted.Paper II analyzes how locally based ‘lake groups’ are able to affect change through co-management arrangements, reversing decades of centralization and neglect of lakes’ role in Bengaluru’s water supply.Paper III uses social–ecological network analysis to analyze how patterns in lake groups’ engagements and collaborations show better fit with ecological connectivity of lakes.Paper IV employs sense of place methods to explore how personal bonds to a site shapes motivation and goals in waterfront stewardship in New York City. Finally,Paper V reviews literature on stewardship and proposes a conceptual framework to understand and relate different uses and underlying epistemological approaches in the field. In summary, this thesis presents an empirically grounded contribution to how stewardship can be understood as a human–nature relation emergent from a deep sense ofcare and responsibility, knowledge and learning about how to understand social–ecological dynamics, and theagency and skills needed to influence these dynamics in a way that benefits a greater community of humans as others. Here, the care dimension is particularly important as an underappreciated aspect of social–ecological relations, and asset for addressing spatial and temporal misalignment between management institutions and ecosystem. This thesis shows that care for nature does not erode just because green spaces are degraded by human activities – which may be crucial for promoting stewardship in the Anthropocene.

At the time of the doctoral defense, the following papers were unpublished and had a status as follows: Paper 3: Manuscript. Paper 4: Manuscript. Paper 5: Manuscript.

The overall goals of this project were: (1) to develop a microbiological ecological indicator that would describe military land disturbance, (2) integrate previously collected ecological indicator data from five separate research teams, and (3) produce knowledge maps with the resulting information that illustrates how the selected indicators are involved in ecosystem processes. To address goal one, soil samples were obtained from four levels of military traffic (reference, light, moderate, and heavy) with an additional set of samples taken from previously damaged areas. Using the soil microbial biomass and community composition as ecological indicators, reproducible changes showed increasing traffic disturbance decreases soil viable biomass, biomarkers for microeukaryotes and Gram-negative bacteria, while increasing the proportions of aerobic Gram-positive bacterial and actinomycete biomarkers. To address the second goal, ecological indicator data was collected by five separate research teams. Landmanagement categories (LMCs) were developed that described the uses or causes of the ecological effect from military use(s) of land. A mechanism of multiple solutions was developed that combined the results and tested the efficacy of the proposed indicators. Results from the integration effort showed that Soil A horizon depth and soil compaction were important soil physical indicators of military land disturbance. Soil Nitrogen and Carbon content were important soil chemical indicators of land use. Soil mineralization rate, soil respiration, microbial composition and Beta Glucosidase activity were important microbiological indicators. Important plant indicators included tree stand age, canopy iv cover, understory cover, plant life form and legumes. To address the third goal several knowledge maps were developed, and the results from the integration of indicator data were pooled and studied for the relationships between them. By displaying the indicators in this fashion, it was hoped that the knowledge of what the indicators represent to the functioning of the ecological system could be understood. For the practitioner, this knowledge should lead to actionable products or at least a better understanding of what is being measured and how it relates to broader ecosystem dynamics.

The predominant land use in Denmark is agriculture, which has had negative effects on the aquatic environment, bothmarine and freshwater, due to excess nutrient runoff and resulting eutrophication. The current condition does not fullfillthe European Water Framework Directive’s goal of ‘Good ecological condition’ in all aquatic environments. InDenmark, forests only account for a small proportion of the land use, and despite an increase over the past twocenturies, the currently small forested area has had negative consequences for biodiversity since a majority of thespecies in Denmark are dependent on forests for habitat. The current efforts do not meet Denmark’s commitment tofulfill the United Nations Convention on Biological diversity. Similar to other countries, Denmark is obligated to reduceits carbon dioxide emissions according to the Paris agreement, with reduction goals of 40 % in 2030 and 80-95% in2050. The aim of the present thesis, is to assess whether reforestation on agricultural land can ensure that Denmarkreaches the international obligations for water quality and biodiversity at the same time as reducing climate impact byincreasing carbon sequestration, without significant land use conflict between agriculture and forest.This aim is pursued through an analysis of spatial data using a Geographical Information System, where threescenarios are created to assess differences in policy priorities.Based on the result of the spatial analysis, carbon sequestration estimates are calculated to assess the extent towhich forests could contribute to reducing the Danish climate impact, by increasing carbon sequestration. Theparameters used in the spatial analysis were found through a literature review, and the data for the spatial analysis wereaccessed in official and university databases.The main findings of the spatial analysis suggest that the areas with the highest potential agricultural value andthe areas with the highest potential for forest ecosystem services are not overlapping to a significant degree. Thisimplies that the areas that would have the highest levels of trade-offs between these goals when transitioning to forest,can continue the current land use without being needed for reforestation. The areas where agricultural value is low, andwhere reforestation would provide high levels of forest ecosystem services, are best suited for land use change. Theseareas were found to cover a substantial part of the study area, varying depending on three different scenarios, and areestimated to have the potential to contribute greatly to Denmark’s international commitments for water quality andbiodiversity. The carbon sequestration estimates show that if an area of approximately 7 % of Zealand was reforested,the sequestered amounts of carbon dioxide would correspond to a large portion of the emissions reductions necessary tofulfill Denmark’s obligations in the Paris Agreement.

All of the work described in this dissertation involves the use of Indigenous research frameworks to design research projects, to facilitate communication with Indigenous communities that I have collaborated with, and also to teach and mentor undergraduate and graduate students. Indigenous research frameworks emphasize the importance of place in relation to the integrity of cultural values espoused by many Indigenous communities. This entails a respect for the spirituality component of Indigenous people because this is often directly tied to relationships between the land, animals, and plants of their local environments.

While some research has been conducted to help understand Indigenous people’s understandings of geoscience, less emphasis has been placed on recognizing and leveraging common connections Indigenous students make between their Traditional cultures and Western science. Thus, the research presented in this dissertation identifies connections Indigenous learners make between geology concepts and their everyday lives and cultural traditions in both formal and informal settings. Some of these connections have been integrated into place-based geoscience education modules that were implemented within an introductory environmental science course.

Qualitative analysis, using a socioTransformative constructivism theoretical lens, of semi-structured interviews after implementation of a Sharing/Learning program for an Acoma pilot project, implemented informally, and for a series of geoscience education modules at a private university provides evidence that elements reflective of the use of sociotransformative constructivism (e.g. connections between global and localized environmental issues) were acknowledged by the participants as particularly impactful to their experience during implementation of the geoscience-focused activities. In addition to the socioTransformative theoretical perspective, Indigenous research frameworks (i.e. Tribal Critical Race Theory) were used to contextualize the educational interventions for two different Indigenous communities, Acoma Pueblo and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation. Tribal Critical Race Theory was not used to analyze the semi-structured interviews. Instead the Indigenous research frameworks were used to ensure that the research practices undertaken within these Indigenous communities were respectful of the Indigenous community’s cultural values, that Indigenous data sovereignty was paramount, and so that the research objectives were transparent. In addition, permission to publish the results of this research was sought from the governing entities of both Tribal Councils of Acoma Pueblo and the Yakama Nation.

The research presented in this dissertation provides evidence that academic research can be undertaken in respectful ways that benefit Indigenous communities. The connections that participants in the Acoma Sharing/Learning program could potentially be used to create more culturally relevant educational materials for the Acoma Pueblo community, if that is what the governing entities of the Acoma Pueblo community desire. The modules implemented more formally at a private university could potentially, with permission from the governing entities of the Yakama Nation, be integrated into geoscience programs at a broader level creating opportunities for contemporary Indigenous perspectives to be valued alongside Western modern science. Moving forward, this could potentially increase interest among Indigenous community members in pursuing academic pathways within geoscience disciplines.

The research pursued in this dissertation is only a beginning. Approaches to research that promote the agency of local communities in the types of research questions asked and how that research is conducted should be a priority for Western scientists to maintain a respectful relationship with the many communities, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, in which they work. It is my intention to be part of this revolution in how academic researchers interact with contemporary Indigenous communities as well as the next generation of scientists. In the future, my research will continue to serve and benefit Indigenous communities, but I will also begin asking research questions that will help increase the use of diverse and equitable practices within academia. In this way, I hope to bridge the two worlds of Indigenous Knowledge systems and Western science with the primary purpose of maintaining respect among these two communities. In the future, my research will focus on how these respectful practices can move beyond academic research and pedagogy into the realms of professional development, mentoring, and community revitalization.

This research is an exploration of the local, place-based knowledge surrounding a degraded urban river, the Lower Neponset River and Estuary in southern Boston Harbor, Massachusetts, and its environmental restoration. Through a mixed-methods approach to sociological inquiry that included 18-months of ethnographic interviews and participant observations, Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping, archival document research, and critical environmental history, it explores the different ways local citizens interpret the river as a place of historical importance, personal nostalgia, social and family networks, neighborhood legacies, aesthetics, economic security, danger, psychological refuge, ecology, and political power. Using an interpretive analysis of the narrative, visual, and spatial data related to those meanings, it then explores how such different local, place-based interpretations can be used to inform the theory, practice and politics of urban river restoration. The research shows that recognition of the socio-cultural diversity in local citizen interpretations of the Lower Neponset River’s restoration is important for environmental managers, planners, and local decision-makers to recognize alongside ecological and economic development “best-practices” (e.g., holistic watershed management, anadromous fish re-introduction, flow and function, ecosystem services, affordable housing quotas, “Smart” growth, etc.). The research recommends that environmental managers, planners, and local politicians and decision-makers give equal consideration to the socio-cultural, political, economic, and ecological factors surrounding urban rivers, and the diversity of meanings that their “restoration” conjures, in order to make strides towards ethical environmental restoration and management practices that are socially, as well as environmentally, sustainable.

This study aimed to explore teaching difficulties of Natural Sciences teachers when offering lessons in the Planet, Earth and Beyond strand. The aim was to understand their teacher knowledge, type of instructional strategies, and classroom discourse and interactions in their Natural Science classroom. The following question guided the study: What are the teaching difficulties of Planet, Earth and Beyond strand? A qualitative case study design was used for the study. The data was collected through semi-structured interviews and observations. The study revealed that NS educators: carry misconceptions to class; show poor knowledge of context in specific aims and assessment strategies while also choosing poor and irrelevant instructional strategies and; still see themselves as authority in class by applying a one- way approach. It is recommended that: educators be trained on how to implement active and critical learning, while empowering them with knowledge on NS specific aims and assessment strategies; departmental heads, SMTs, and subject advisor should engage in regular class visits in the NS educators` classes, reviewing lesson plans that educators prepared; schools should provide educators with CAPS relevant documents; the DoE should provide more education to educators on the importance of following the curriculum as prescribed in the CAPS document; the department should provide educators with relevant teaching aids and practical apparatus and in the absence advice educators on how to improvise and; the subject advisors should assist educators in identifying misconceptions.
Science and Technology Education
M. Ed. (Natural Sciences Education)

This research followed students from three different British Columbia, Grade six classes through two-weeks of instruction on climate change. Pre, post, and follow-up surveys were used to determine the differences in knowledge retention between the students that received, through their science teacher, instruction from a unit and students who received equivalent content instruction from outside presenters. The teacher participant also completed a survey on her experience with the lessons plans. Students’ results on the post and follow-up surveys were compared to a control group’s results. The teacher-based approach to learning about climate change resulted in higher knowledge gain although no difference was found between the groups’ rate of knowledge decline thereafter. The teacher’s feedback corresponded to the result of the analyses by theme, showing that the highest gains in knowledge were for the carbon cycle and the human impacts topic, followed by understanding the difference between climate and weather. The students and teacher alike appeared to struggle with the topic of global warming and the greenhouse effect.

This research builds on and contributes to work in Natural Science teacher education and practice. The study places particular attention on the teacher’s role in the science classroom through gaining more understanding on their classroom practices. A qualitative approach was employed. Data was collected from three grade 7 Natural Science teachers using observation and interview schedules. Analysis of the data then followed using the Classroom Practice Diagnostic Framework. The findings thereafter included inadequate teachers’ teacher knowledge. The teachers’ instructional strategies where not varied enough and centred on teacher lecture and the demonstration method. Finally, authoritative discourse was very prominent as well as system accountability. Recommendations were then given ranging from use of teaching methods that encourage an active and critical approach to learning, to improving classroom discourse by avoiding authoritative discourse. The implications of the research include better understanding of how teachers link their science knowledge to how they teach it, and better science application by the teachers and learners in South Africa.
Science and Technology Education
M. Ed. (With specialisation in Natural Science Education)

Eelgrass, Zostera marina L. (Zosteraceae), is a flowering marine plant in coastal regions in the Northern hemisphere. Apart from its significance as habitat for a diversity of marine organisms, it has been a direct resource in European and American economies, and once was a food source for people along the Pacific Coast of North America. This interdisciplinary study documented protocols and specifics of the Kwakwaka’wakw ts’áts’ayem (eelgrass) harvesting tradition in British Columbia, and how their methods of harvesting affected the remaining plants’ growth. Through interviewing 18 traditional eelgrass harvesters and participating in six harvesting sampling events, I documented the detailed protocols of the Kwakwaka’wakw eelgrass harvesting tradition. Based on the protocols of traditional ts’áts’ayem harvesting, I developed harvesting removal experiments in a dense Z. marina populations on Quadra Island (2005) and at Tsawwassen (2006) to examine the effects that traditional harvesting of eelgrass would have had on a shoot production and rhizome internode volume, within a growing season. At the Quadra site, a June treatment of between approximately 15 and 56% shoot removal corresponded with shoot regeneration above original numbers. An approximate 60% removal corresponded with the highest new shoot production after treatment, indicating the strong capacity of eelgrass meadows to promote new shoots after removal disturbance. Based on fieldwork with traditional knowledge holders, I estimate that traditionally harvesting would have been between 10-30% removal within areas the size of the experimental plots. Shoot regeneration, net shoot production and rhizome production results at the Quadra site supported the theory that a light amount of harvesting removal such that was conducted by Kwakwaka’wakw harvesters would have been within a level for full regeneration, and possibly even enhanced shoot population and rhizome production (measured by internode volume). Tsawwassen experiment treatment was applied too late in the season to show an effect of harvest, but the design provided efficient methodology for future experiments. Ecology literature substantiated many of the traditional eelgrass protocols documented in this study, strongly supporting the theory that eelgrass harvesting was a sustainable practice. Scientific literature about pollution also corroborated and explained the observations of elders on the state of today’s eelgrass: few locations yielded ts’áts’ayem fit to eat, as specimens were small, had heavy epiphytic growth and dark rhizomes that Kwakwaka’wakw consultants had not seen in their youth. The combination of traditional ecological knowledge and scientific inquiry holds much potential for providing a better understanding of eelgrass ecology and dynamics, and for defining concepts of sustainability and conservation of this important resource.

Records of abundance of salmon that return to their natal spawning stream (escapements) are important indices that can assist with monitoring, conservation, and management of a salmon population over time. On their own, however these data reveal very little about the habitat, ecosystem and human communities that salmon encounter on their journey from freshwater to sea and back again. This research examines monitoring protocols for Goldstream River salmon stocks (coho, chinook and chum Pacific salmon). It includes and reaches beyond biostatistics from stream surveys to gauge First Nations’ artisanal fishing activities at Goldstream River and Saanich Inlet as well as their commercial chum fishing endeavours in Saanich Inlet on south Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Methods included summations of major themes from interviews on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) shared by local Saanich First Nation fishers whose families have lived in the communities around Goldstream River and Saanich Inlet for more than 200 years. Analyses of Goldstream salmon escapements for the period 1932 to 2004 and native harvest statistics of chum caught from Saanich Inlet between 1982 and 2004 are integrated with results from analysis of TEK research undertaken for this project. Key recommendations arising from the results of this research are: stream habitat restoration in response to loss and degradation of salmon-bearing streams; modification of stream survey procedures to measure for morphological and physiological attributes including indicators of the health of Goldstream salmon; monitoring and eliminating sources of pollution to Saanich Inlet waters; implementing precautionary measures to ensure that overfishing of Goldstream salmon and shrimp in Saanich Inlet does not recur; and safeguarding naturally abundant Goldstream chum populations at the river. Under current management of the Goldstream chum fishery, the maximum carrying capacity (K) or target escapement of chum that the Goldstream River spawning grounds sustain is 15,000. Based on population assessments as well as physiography and ecosystem dynamics, I infer that Goldstream River’s K for its natural chum population is between ~16,000 and 18,000; ~1,500 for the mixed stocks of natural and hatchery enhanced coho; and ~50 for chinook (based on the river’s naturally occurring populations between 1932 and 1973) or ~385 enhanced chinook (based on the returning population from 1975 to 2002 since hatchery enhancement took place). A co-management relationship exists between Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) resource managers and the Saanich First Nations bands (Saanich Tribal Fisheries councilors). Improvements to communication, collaboration and information sharing between DFO resource managers, Goldstream hatchery operators and Saanich First Nations with regards to decisions made about Goldstream salmon stocks are, however, necessary. In this thesis, I propose a model with recommendations for compatible fisheries management goals and techniques including adaptive management and ecosystem-based management to address this problem.

This project revolves around Small Histories, an online web-based software system for the uploading and sharing of life stories: http://www.smallhistories.com. I created Small Histories to explore the ways in which the internet can facilitate the urge to tell, share and compare one’s personal history and, by doing so, generate an online network of interlinked personal narratives connected to historical times, events and places. The project originated with a personal event: the tracing of my biological Israeli father in 1997 and my subsequent explorations of my Israeli and German family histories. The stories I encountered in these explorations differed, depending on who was telling them. The Small Histories system was a response to the potential of the burgeoning internet to represent such differing viewpoints, and to generate new forms of encounters with the past. Since then the system has developed in tandem with the internet, especially the explosive growth over recent years of what has been called social software. Conceptually, this project explores the fast-evolving social internet as a setting for auto/biographical narrative practice and how this overlaps with and changes accepted notions of performance, community formation, identity construction and acts of memory. As a framework for these investigations, I propose that the internet is a catalyst without precedent for the production of performances of reconstruction, where fragments of the past are dug up, collected, assembled and presented as an imaginative reconstruction of ‘what used to be’, in an attempt to re-establish a lost sense of roots, identity and belonging; a coherent narrative of identity in an era of fragmentation.