Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Land use surveys Victoria'

This thesis examines rural development processes, and in particular the impact over time of infrastructure investment on locational value in a farming community in northern Victoria, Australia. Correlation between infrastructure investment and land values was found to change over time, with the full cost of infrastructure provision not reflected in increased land values. Its impact depended on the type of infrastructure, and was linked to technological changes in agricultural production that led to different demands. The study also revealed the complexity of land ownership and use during the development of typical northern Victorian farmland, and the patterns of land value that emerged. As an historical study of land development it provides a deeper understanding of rural valuation methodology and sales analysis. It also contributes to the theory of land development, and in particular rural land-use and value.

Computerized soil information systems (SIS) store and retrieve, much more efficiently than soil maps, the soil information collected from field survey which is essential for land-use planning. The soil is only observed and sampled at a limited number of locations, depths and for a limited number of properties. Information not recorded during survey is missing and if needed must be generated or predicted. New geostatistical techniques for spatial analysis and interpolation of soil data, i.e. the semi-variogram and Kriging, can now be included as on-line capabilities of SIS to equip users with a powerful tool for prediction of the missing information. When there are no records of the wanted property, its values can be estimated by a function on other recorded properties acting as its surrogates. A strategy for model development is provided for the construction of surrogate functions based on multiple regression and curve fitting techniques, to generate the information missing. When no records of the soil property at the depth wanted exist, the values at the required depths are interpolated by a function of the property on the soil depth. Equal-area spline curves reconstruct, piecewise, the depth function quite closely, enabling their use for interpolation of values and depths in a variety of formats. The equal-area spline algorithm is a capability of the Oxford SIS (OXSIS). When the wanted site was unvisited during survey, the information missing is provided by spatial prediction. The predictions may come from means of soil classes or mapping units from conventional survey, or from Kriging interpolation based on spatial analysis by the semi-variogram. In order to select the best predictive tool, the success of these techniques in different situations of sampling effort and variablity were compared. Semi-variograms depicted the spatial structures of 8 selected soil properties. Anisotropic variation in 4 of them was induced by strong trends. Where the semi-variogram was isotropic Kriging was the best tool for prediction if spatial dependence is strong. Fitting elliptical functions to find a model for anisotropy did not give satisfactory results. Where anisotropies or trends precluded ordinary Kriging, map unit means and class means, in that order, gave the best predictions. Success in prediction was related to the structures in the semi-variogram, which when used for reconnaissance helps to infer which technique will give the best predictions so that survey is designed accordingly. Accounting for the trends removed anisotropies and Kriging of de-trended data was possible. Partitioning trends by stratification based in soil mapping units gave a greater improvement in predictions than modelling trends by bicubic spline surfaces and then Kriging the residuals from trend. After trend removal, Kriging did not always make the best predictions and means from classes seemed equally as good as Kriging or even better in some cases. These results indicate that a critical point is to ascertain how to best sample to estimate a reconnaissance semi-variogram for survey design to provide the information missing necessary for land-use planning.

Thesis (M.A.)--West Virginia University, 2006.
Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vi, 35 p. : ill. (some col.), map. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 31-33).

This thesis contains three studies that provide theoretical and empirical evidence on household decisions in housing and investment portfolios in China, using 2010-2014 data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). The first study investigates regional disparities in homeownership and value of owner-occupied housing in Chinese cities by using panel data from 2010-2014 CFPS. The results show that demographic characteristics actively shape the housing outcomes of urban households in different regions. The results also reveal development trajectories of regional economies. The findings indicate that while urban households benefit from an emerging population and an enormous growth in the private sector in the Eastern and Central regions, in the Northeastern region households are hindered in homeownership by an ageing population and an economy dominated by oversized but inefficient state-owned enterprises (SoEs). The second study adopts a nested logit approach, applying three data sets from the 2010-2014 CFPS. This approach explores how household investment choice differs with personal and household characteristics (e.g., such as health, demographic features, and institutional factors) across the broad investment categories of financial assets, private businesses, and real estate. I also employ a sub-sample from the 2012 CFPS that is restricted to parental households to examine how parenthood alters household investment decisions by building a binomial logistic model. The empirical results show that migration and income have a positive effect on investment decisions in the nested logit models. The evidence from the subsample finds that there are significant differences in the impact of demographic composition between investment categories. Using the 2010-2014 CFPS panel data, the third study investigates how household investment holdings vary according to demographic composition and intra-household bargaining strength in urban China. In addition, to explore the allocation of household investment, a further examination is carried out in the fixed-effect model with the specification of the Working-Leser function and in a Tobit model with two limits. Empirical evidence supports the following hypotheses: (a) changes in demographic composition considerably alter household investment holdings; and (b) the existence of a higher proportion of female children is strongly associated with an increase in household investments in financial assets.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2004.
Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains xv, 166 p.; also includes graphics (some col.). Includes bibliographical references (p. 134-153).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Maryland, College Park, 2005.
"Bayesian scoring is used to evaluate and compare results from actual data collected for the Baltimore Metropolitan Area with the set of predominant conceptual frameworks linking travel behavior and land use obtained from the literature"--Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 167-176) and abstract.

Deforestation and land use change are widespread in western Uganda. However, the spatial patterns and time-series of change and the reasons why it is occurring remain to be fully investigated. In this work a combination of satellite imagery and social surveys is used to quantify forest gains and loss over the last three decades in the region close to Lake Albert, whilst also providing an account of possible drivers of change. This area proves to be interesting as it covers regions with both formally protected areas (gazetted regions) and un-protected forest, the latter being largely under private ownership. Remote sensing data from the Landsat satellites were gathered for forest change detection, and were processed using standard remote sensing techniques, then quantified using GIS and regression methods. Fieldwork allowed these data to be ground truthed while gathering (quantitative) household surveys and (qualitative) key informant interviews. Quantitative surveys were analysed using Principal Components Analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis, and were compared qualitatively with the satellite analysis and stakeholder interviews. The results show that forest cover declined significantly outside gazetted areas at the expense of varying local?scale processes, although the protection of the gazetted forests was remarkably successful. In forest corridors outside gazetted regions, losses exceeded 90% (p<0.05). Survey data suggest that rural poor households were more likely to be situated in forested regions, and were more dependent on forest resources for their livelihoods. However, the drivers of change were spatially variable, with expansion of sugarcane farming being a likely driver in the northern areas, but small?scale agricultural expansion a significant factor in the more southern parts of the study region. While there is wide agreement within the data that the patterns of forest cover and land use changes are anthropogenically driven, more specific drivers are swamped by intricacies of the bio-physical and socio-economic preconditions that are inseparable in both space and time, although agricultural expansion and population growth were evident and pervasive. The analyses provide insights into complex anthropogenic processes at various spatial scales, and policy recommendations provided are widely applicable for developing countries struggling to conserve nature whilst boosting economic growth.

The intensive nature of land uses in the Strzelecki Ranges poses significant threats to landscape values and water quality. A comprehensive catchment strategy was developed based on sustainability science concepts incorporating the careful management of landscape values, proper land management approaches, and government policy and legislative change to ensure that agriculture, forestry and other land uses become sustainable in this sensitive environment. The readily measurable water quality indicators of turbidity, flow, electrical conductivity, and water temperature were used to determine the impacts of the major land uses in the Strzeleckis. From a water quality perspective, there was a trend of decreasing water quality with increasing intensity in land management. However, from a total sediment load perspective, the forest area contributed the highest total sediment load due to higher volumes of steam flow suggesting that natural processes in the Strzeleckis may remain the principal mechanisms for sediment movement within the catchment. An incidental but significant finding was extensive bioturbation along the riparian zone of the plantation area, the extent of which was not observed in the other catchments. This finding suggested that bioturbation may have been the most significant contributor to poorer water quality flowing from in the plantation catchment. The project developed insights into the major environmental processes active in the upper catchment of the Morwell River. Understanding of the contributions to total sediment loads from natural erosional processes and bioturbation, findings related to the impacts on water quality from agricultural practices, and encountering negligible impacts from conservative timber harvesting practices demonstrate that catchment management approaches need to be tailored to achieve sustainability in land uses across the landscape. Key recommendations include the re-establishment and protection of riparian zones in agricultural catchments, the careful assessment and setting of stream buffer zone widths for timber harvesting operations, and the need for further work to map the extent of natural processes such as bioturbation and stream bank erosion. To mitigate these issues, government policy and legislation will need to focus on the preservation and enhancement of the Crown land riparian zones. Recommended changes to current administrative land management arrangements for these sensitive areas include a move from licensing riparian zones for agricultural practices such as grazing to conservation.

Watershed degradation and the conversion of wetlands to alternative uses affect water quality, having profound implications for the freshwater ecosystem and fisheries of Lake Victoria. Through dynamic simulations using the Ecopath approach we show that eutrophication may explain the sudden upsurge of the introduced Nile perch during the 1980s. During these years an important trigger of change was an abrupt shift in primary productivity due to an external shock, probably related to an El Nino-ENSO event. The Nile perch population explosion during the 1980s caused a profound transformation ofthe fishing industry leading to a dramatic increase in fishing effort. Our equilibrium analysis from the base values of an Ecopath mo~l for year 1989 depicts an overfishing situation. To quantify the combined effect of eutrophication and fishing effort on the-aggregate fish stock and fishery we specify and estimate a biomass dynamics model, which embeds a measure of phytoplankton biomass as an environmental variable. We found that in a eutrophic state, which for the Kenyan waters of Lake Victoria was above an estimated chlorophyll-a concentration threshold of 17.11 mg m-3 , a further increase in phytoplankton biomass would cause a decrease in aggregate fish stock biomass and landings respectively. We then model the relation between land use change and water quality, considering the nutrient retention function of wetlands. First, we identify catchment-based indicators, in particular price indicators and wetland extent, which may anticipate changes in ,. environmental variables driving stock assessment models. We then study both nutrient loading and wetland reclamation externalities to the fishery sector, focusing on the Yala swamp, one of the largest wetlands in the Kenyan basin of Lake Victoria. Finally we propose a spatially distributed land use tax as policy instrument for reaching the desired objective of changing farmers' behaviour and maximising the total economic benefit to society.

Errata slip inserted. Bibliography: leaves 282-298. Aims to contribute to a clearer understanding of the nature of current patterns of population change in the peri-urban region; conceptualized as a set of overlapping zones of net growth representing the product of four demographic processes (suburbanisation, counterurbanisation, population retention, centripetal migration). Considers three key aspects of peri-urban growth dynamics in the context of Adelaide's peri-urban region.

This study examines how well California's Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) evaluates land use redesignations on transit projects, in particular light rail. A case study of the Natomas Village Center, a proposed project in Sacramento, California, is analyzed in relation to its Environmental Impact Report (EIR) and the CEQA process.Specifically, the focus of the investigation is on assessing the impacts of land use changes on the Downtown-Natomas-Airport light rail alignment. The CEQA methodology and how it is employed are critiqued for their effectiveness in documenting and mitigating the environmental impacts on light rail transit adjacent to the Natomas Village Center.
Department of Urban Planning

Awareness, use and attitude by Indiana secondary school vocational agriculture/agribusiness and social science educators toward soil survey reports were determined using a mailed questionnaire. Results were analyzed based on teaching discipline and geographic location (urban and rural). In general, social science respondents were not aware of and did not use soil survey reports as a teaching aid whereas vocational agriculture/ agribusiness respondents did. The majority of educators responded positively to statements regarding usefulness of soil surveys. No significant differences were found between urban and rural areas. Results indicated that teaching discipline was the critical factor in educator use of soil surveys.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306

In the 1976, the Institute of Transportation Engineers (ITE) compiled their first Handbook of guidelines and methods for evaluating development-level transportation impacts, specifically vehicular impacts (Institute of Transportation Engineers 1976). Decades later, these methods--essentially the same as when they were originally conceived--are used ubiquitously across the US and Canada. Only recently, with the guidelines in its third edition of the ITE's Trip Generation Handbook (Institute of Transportation Engineers 2014) new data and approaches have been adopted--despite substantial evidence that questions the accuracy of older data, automobile bias, and lack of sensitivity to urban contexts. This dissertation contributes to this literature by focusing on the data, methods, and assumptions so commonly included in development- or site-level evaluation of transportation impacts. These methods are omnipresent in development-level review--used in transportation impact analyses or studies (TIAs/TISs) of vehicular or mode-based impacts, vehicle miles traveled (VMT) and estimates of emissions, scaling or scoping development size, and evaluating transportation system development, impact or utility fees or charges. However, few have evaluated the underlying characteristics of these foundational data--with few exceptions--this manuscript takes aim at understanding inherent issues in the collection and application of ITE's data and methods in various urban contexts. This manuscript includes a compiled dissertation, four papers written consecutively. The first, evaluates state-of-the-art methods in Chapter 2--identifying gaps in the literature. Two such gaps are explored in Chapter 3 and Chapter 4. In Chapter 3, a larger implicit assumption present in ITE's methods--that the existing land-use taxonomy is an optimal and accurate way to describe land use and segment data. Results indicate a simplified taxonomy would provide substantial reductions in cost corresponding with a minor loss in the model's explanation of variance. Following, Chapter 4 explores a common assumption that requires ITE's vehicle trips be converted into person trips and applied across contexts. The results point to the need to consider demographics in site-level transportation impact analysis, particularly to estimate overall demand (person trips, transaction activity) at retail and service development. In Chapter 5, the findings from this research and previous studies are extrapolated to evaluate and quantify the potential bias when temporal, special, and social contexts are ignored. The results indicate the compounding overestimation of automobile demand may inflate estimation by more than 100% in contexts where ITE should be applicable (suburban areas with moderate incomes). In the conclusions (Chapter 6), the implications of this work are explored, followed by recommendations for practice and a discussion of the limitations of this research and future work.

Thesis (M. Town and regional planning)--Stellenbosch University , 2000.
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: An ever increasing segment of the population in the current low density category contributes to the sprawling South African city as we know it today. To provide for the housing needs o f people, precious agricultural land is being used, and the historic character o f towns is being destroyed. Densification of the city structure has been put forward as a solution to this problem. In this way, different components of the city may be connected and existing infrastructure may be optimally utilised. The concept of densification is gaining popularity in all spheres o f planning. The implementation of densification requires suitable policy, as well as the strict application of the aforesaid. A densification policy must include consultation with all parties involved with a view to finding a balance between the need for land for development purposes, the conservation of agricultural land, the conservation of the historic character o f towns and cities, as well as being in the public interest. A theoretical investigation was done in which all aspects regarding densification, and its implementation in the South African context were studied. Attention was also given to policy formulation. This was followed by an empirical study, based on the Paarl municipal region as an example, in an attempt to reconcile theory and practice. It was found that although densification enjoys great support, the perception held by professional planners as to appropriate methods for the achievement o f higher densities did not correspond wholly with theoretical arguments in this regard. It was also found that it is important to view densification in relation to the environment in which it is applied, and to create an executable policy for a specifically designated area.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Snelgroeiende bevolkingsgetalle in ‘n lae-digtheidsmilieu dra by tot die uitgebreide Suid- Afrikaanse stad soos ons dit vandag ken. In die proses word kosbare landbougrond gebruik om in die behuisingsbehoefte van die mens te voorsien en die historiese karakter van dorpe word vernietig. As oplossing vir hierdie probleem word verdigting van die stad voorgestel, om sodoende verskillende komponente van die stad te verbind en reeds bestaande infrastruktuur tot die optimum te benut. Die konsep van verdigting geniet toenemende gewildheid in alle sfere van beplanning. Implementering van verdigting kan slegs deur die daarstelling van geskikte beleid en die toepassing daarvan geskied. By die formulering van ‘n verdigtingsbeleid moet alle rolspelers in die proses geraadpleeg word en ‘n middeweg tussen die behoefte aan grond vir ontwikkeling, die bewaring van kosbare landbougrond, die bewaring van die historiese karakter van ‘n stad en die publiek se belange gevind word. ‘n Deeglike teoretiese ondersoek is geloods, wat teoretiese aspekte omtrent verdigting en die implementering van verdigting binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks ondersoek het. Daar is ook aandag aan beleidsformulering gegee. Dit is opgevolg deur ‘n empiriese studie wat binne Paarl se munisipale gebied uitgevoer is en teoretiese inligting met die praktyk probeer versoen. In hierdie studie is bevind dat alhoewel verdigting van die stad groot ondersteuning geniet, die persepsie van professionele persone in die beplanningsprofessie oor metodes om hoër digthede te bereik, nie heeltemal met die voorgestelde metodes vervat in teoretiese bronne ooreenstem nie. Daar is ook bevind dat dit belangrik is om verdigting binne die konteks van die omgewing waarin dit toegepas word, te beskou en sodoende ‘n uitvoerbare beleid vir ‘n spesifieke omgewing op te stel.

La mobilité quotidienne est au cœur des réflexions sur la durabilité des villes. Moyen de réaliser ses activités quotidiennes et clé de voute des relations sociales, ses aspects économiques, et notamment ce que doivent dépenser les ménages pour se déplacer, sont un enjeu actuel majeur.Cette thèse propose une réflexion sur les interactions entre forme urbaine et mobilité quotidienne au travers du prisme des dépenses de mobilité. Pour questionner ces interactions, deux méthodes sont utilisées, indissociables l’une de l’autre.La première méthode consiste à acquérir une compréhension des effets de l’environnement construit du lieu de résidence sur le budget mobilité des ménages. Les données présentes dans les Enquêtes Ménages Déplacements sont particulièrement adaptées à cet exercice, car elles contiennent une richesse d’information importante sur les individus ainsi que leur mobilité,équipements, opinions et lieu d’habitation. Le terrain d’étude de ce travail est l’aire urbaine de Lyon, qui abrite une grande diversité de territoires et de modes de transport et où sont disponibles de nombreuses bases de données.Tout d’abord, une typologie de territoires a été construite, basée sur les principaux déterminants de la mobilité : densité, iversité, design, accessibilité aux destinations, distance aux transports collectifs et démographie. Ensuite, un cadre d’analyse systémique des relations entre forme urbaine et mobilité quotidienne a été élaboré afin d’identifier trois indicateurs qui permettent de les appréhender : la motorisation, le choix modal et les distances parcourues par modes. La typologiede territoires se révèle fortement explicative sur ces trois indicateurs. Une analyse des évolutions des mobilités entre 1995 et 2015 permet également d’identifier de nouveaux enjeux liés à l’évolution des prix, des comportements et de la démographie.Ce questionnement est ensuite prolongé à travers l’expression et la mesure des mécanismes d’intervention des caractéristiques du lieu de résidence sur le budget mobilité. A l’aide de la technique des modèles d’équations structurelles, les chemins causaux existant entre la forme urbaine locale et le budget mobilité sont explicités. Cette méthode est appliquée sur différentespopulations et types de territoires – ménages actifs puis retraités sur l’agglomération de Lyon puis sur les territoires périurbains – afin d’acquérir une compréhension fine du budget mobilité des ménages.La seconde méthode consiste à tester diverses organisations morphologiques et fonctionnelles du territoire à l’échelle du bassin de vie, afin de mesurer les effets sur le budget mobilité des ménages. Ce travail est réalisé à l’aide d’un modèle d’interaction transport-urbanisme, SIMBAD, qui permet de conduire une analyse systémique et multi-échelles des effets de la forme urbaine sur le budget mobilité. Divers scénarios de forme urbaine sont simulés, participant ainsi au débat sur la durabilité des formes urbaine monocentrique compacte, étalée diffuse et polycentrique dans une logique de Transit Oriented Development.Par ailleurs, les enseignements de la première méthode, c’est-à-dire le traitement des Enquêtes Ménages Déplacements pour étudier les effets de la forme urbaine locale sur le budget mobilité, nous incitent à conduire une analyse multi-échelles des résultats des simulations : une réflexion sur la différenciation des impacts selon l’organisation du territoire et selon le lieu de résidence à l’intérieur de l’aire urbaine est ainsi menée.Ce travail de thèse apporte donc à la fois des éléments méthodologiques pour analyser les interactions entre forme urbaine et budget mobilité, avec la construction de modèles d’équations structurelles et l’usage d’un modèle d’interaction transport-urbanisme dans un objectif de simulation, ainsi que divers résultats et éclairages qui viennent prolonger la littérature scientifiqueexistante
Daily mobility is at the heart of debate on urban sustainability. A mean to carry out our daily activities and a key to social interactions, economic aspects and especially household expenditures linked to mobility are a major current issue.This thesis proposes a discussion on the interactions between urban form and daily mobility through mobility expenditures. Two interrelated methods of analysis are used to investigate these interactions.The first one relies on a comprehensive understanding of the effects of the built environment on daily mobility budgets. Household surveys are especially suited to this analysis because they provide a wealth of information on individuals’ attributes, their mobility, equipment, opinions and housing characteristics. Combined with various local or national databases, it is possible to estimate a household budget for every surveyed household. The case study for this analysis is the Lyon urban area. It contains very different built environments, and hosts a diverse array of transport modes. Furthermore, numerous databases are available for our analysis.First, we build a typology of territories based on the main daily mobility determinants: density, diversity, design, accessibility to destinations, distance to transit and demography. Then, an analytical framework of relations between urban form and daily mobility is built to identify three indicators to apprehend them: motorization, modal choice and distance per mode. This typology of territories is tested on these three indicators and appears to be highly significant. An analysis of the mobility evolution between 1995 and 2015 also identify various new issues related to prices, behavioral and demographic evolutionsThis line of questioning is extended through the identification and quantification of the effects of built environment characteristics on household mobility budgets. Using a Structural Equation Modelling method, causal paths between local urban form and household expenditures are presented. This method is applied to different types of population and territories – workers and retired households of the Lyon agglomeration then on the same types in suburban areas – in order to understand householdmobility budgets.The second method consists of testing various morphological and functional organizations of the territory in order to measure their effects on daily mobility budgets. This work is conducted using a land use and interaction model (LUTI), SIMBAD, which allows us to conduct a systemic and multiscale analysis of urban form on daily mobility budgets. Different scenarios of urban form are thereafter simulated, contributing to the debate on the durability of monocentric, sprawled or polycentric citiesin a Transit Oriented Development urban form. Besides, lessons learned from data processing of Households Surveys encourage us to conduct a multiscale analysis. A discussion on the differentiation of impacts depending on the global form of the territory is conducted.This thesis work presents innovative methodological elements to analyze the interactions between urban form and mobility budgets, including the construction of structural equations models and the use of a LUTI model to simulate urban environments. It also offers novel results, which contribute to the current scientific literature

CAPES
As emissões de gases de efeito estufa (GEE) vêm gerando graves mudanças no clima mundial. Uma das soluções propostas para mitigar o problema é a substituição dos combustíveis fósseis por biocombustíveis. A eficácia dessa medida tem sido questionada, tendo em vista as possíveis consequências indiretas da produção agrícola. A Avaliação Consequencial do Ciclo de Vida é um método de avaliação ambiental de produtos que inclui efeitos indiretos. Diante disso, o objetivo do presente trabalho é aplicar o método para obtenção de um inventário do uso agrícola do solo necessário para incrementar a produção de óleo vegetal visando atender a mudança na demanda de biodiesel no Brasil prevista para o período 2010-2030. Das matérias-primas consideradas (soja, amendoim, algodão, dendê, girassol e canola), o estudo mostra que o óleo de dendê é a matéria-prima marginal e apenas 5% da área potencial para plantio de dendê seria utilizada para atender ao incremento na demanda de biodiesel. A área necessária diretamente pelo dendê seria de 2,1 milhões de hectares na região Norte do Brasil. A torta de amêndoa, co-produto dependente do processo multifuncional do dendê, pode substituir o farelo de soja usado como ração, evitando o plantio de 0,6 milhões de hectares de soja. Assim, o inventário final do uso do solo é um incremento 1,5 milhões de hectares para produção agrícola na região Norte do Brasil. Foram desenvolvidos cenários alternativos: produtividade do dendê constante, mudança no horizonte temporal (2010-2020) e mudança na taxa de crescimento do co-produto determinante. Não houve alteração no resultado do estudo para os cenários considerados.
Greenhouse gas emission has several negative consequences on worldwide climate. Biofuels have been considered one of the solutions to mitigate this problem by substitution of fossil fuel. However, indirect effects should be included in order to produce more reliable results in environmental assessment. In this context, Consequential Life Cycle Assessment is a method that can fill this gap. The objective of this work is to use the method to obtain the agricultural land use inventory to meet the biodiesel demand change in Brazil, considering the period 2010-2030. Only the main feedstock were included (soybean, peanut, cottonseed, palm, sunflower and canola). From these, the study found the palm oil as the marginal one. Around 5% of the potential area for palm would be used to meet the biodiesel demand change. The increased area would be 2,1 million hectares in North region of Brazil. The palm meal, which is a dependent co-product from multifunctional process, can substitute soybean meal as animal feed. The substitution avoids 0,6 million hectares of soybean in North region. Finally, the net land use inventory is 1,5 million hectares in North region of Brazil. Three alternative cenarios were developed: palm productivity unchanged, a different time horizon (2010-2020) and a different increasing rate for the determinant co-product. The same result was found for all cenarios.

R É S U M É

I. Actuellement, en Afrique sub-saharienne, les acteurs de la conservation considèrent que la

survie à long terme de la faune sauvage ne peut être assurée que par le maintien de son habitat

en dehors des aires de conservation intégrale. Dans cette optique, les projets de conservation

tentent de préserver des étendues de végétation naturelle au sein de « zones tampons » ou de

« corridors de migration » dans la périphérie des aires protégées. Cette thèse s’est intéressée aux possibilités de conserver de tels espaces en concertation avec les populations riveraines du parc national de Zakouma, une aire protégée du Sud-est du Tchad. Notre objectif a été de rechercher des solutions aux problèmes que rencontrent généralement les aménagistes dans cette action. Notre hypothèse est que l’aménagement des périphéries d’aires protégées doit s’appuyer sur une meilleure identification des déterminants locaux de l’exploitation des espaces de végétation naturelle, et que leur analyse doit s’appuyer sur une approche spatiale.

II. Plusieurs étapes de recherches ont permis d’alimenter notre réflexion :

Une première phase de terrain a été tout d’abord été menée à Am Choka, un village représentatif de la zone la plus densément peuplée de la périphérie est du PNZ. Les objectifs visés étaient i.) d’une part, de déterminer les activités humaines affectant le plus le paysage

végétal naturel de la périphérie du parc, et donc susceptibles d’annihiler son rôle de « zone

tampon », et ii) d’autre part, d’identifier les savoir-faire et les facteurs socioéconomiques et

politiques qui régissent l’exploitation des espaces de végétation naturelle. Outre l’observation participante au village, des cartographies fines du terroir et des zones d’exploitation, ainsi que des entretiens semi-structurés ont été réalisés sur le terrain.

La seconde phase de recherche a été consacrée à la réalisation d’un outil cartographique dans

le but (i) d’évaluer l’état de la zone périphérique en terme de répartition et d’occupation relative des diverses formations végétales naturelles par rapport à l’emprise agricole, et ii.) d’en déduire les zones de la périphérie les plus susceptibles de faire l’objet d’un processus de gestion des espaces de végétation naturelle. A cet effet, quatre images satellites récentes ont été acquises. Les opérations de terrain ont donné lieu à 234 relevés sur ligneux et 2440 relevés qualitatifs d’autres types d’occupation du sol. Ces relevés ont été utilisés pour l’interprétation des scènes satellites en unités cartographiques.

La troisième phase de recherche a porté sur une analyse du dispositif d’aménagement récemment proposé pour la zone périphérique du PNZ par le projet gestionnaire du parc. Notre objectif était de mettre en évidence, les modalités réelles de prise en compte de l’organisation locale de l’exploitation ou de la gestion des espaces de végétation naturelle, et de les confronter avec les connaissances acquises lors de la première phase de recherche.

III. La recherche aboutit aux résultats suivants :

Les populations rurales ont une bonne connaissance du milieu physique et utilisent une

typologie qui leur permet de localiser les différentes composantes de leur terroir et de leur

finage, et d’en évaluer le potentiel.

La défriche des espaces de végétation naturelle à des fins agricoles est régie par des instances

coutumières villageoises et cantonale qui exercent un fort pouvoir en matière de gestion du

foncier et de planifications agricoles.

La culture du sorgho repiqué (berbéré - Sorghum bicolor) constitue la principale source de

réduction des espaces de végétation naturelle. Elle modifie le paysage sur de grandes portions

de territoire car sa mise en place nécessite un essartage intégral des savanes à Acacia seyal.

L’accès et l’usage des espaces de végétation naturelle pour la collecte de produits forestiers

ligneux et non-ligneux sont libres et non liés à la propriété foncière. L’exploitation de ces

produits n’entraîne pas de coupe à blanc mais les contraintes d’exploitation conditionne l’étendue spatiale du finage autour d’un village donné. Certaines zones du finage sont cependant l’objet de bornages fonciers en vue de projets agricoles à plus ou moins long terme. Les travaux cartographiques ont abouti à l’appréciation de l’étendue et de répartition des formations végétales naturelles. Le sorgho de décrue occupe un peu moins de 5% de la totalité de la superficie de zone périphérique. Les zones de cultures sont concentrées pour l’essentiel à

l’est et au nord de l’aire protégée. Un dixième de la superficie d’origine des savanes à Acacia

seyal a déjà été exploité à des fins agricoles. Cette carte peut être exploitée pour localiser les

zones d’enjeux entre conservation et développement économique. Cet exercice permet de

reconsidérer la délimitation en zones de protection de la périphérie.

Dans sa formulation, le « plan de gestion » témoigne largement d’une volonté d’associer les

populations riveraines à l’aménagement de la périphérie du parc. Cette collaboration sera

certainement entravée par l’absence de compensation en contrepartie de la limitation du

développement agricole au profit de l’habitat de la faune sauvage. Par contre, elle pourrait

être favorisée si le zonage proposé correspondait aux limites des terroirs et des finages. Un

préliminaire à tout processus de gestion concertée des espaces de végétation naturelle est aussi l’identification des décideurs qui ont autorité sur ces espaces. L’étude débouche sur suggestions permettant aux aménagistes leurs permettant d’atteindre leurs objectifs de conservation de la faune et de son habitat en concertation avec les populations riveraines. Ces recommandations peuvent certainement être adaptées à d’autres contextes d’aménagement des périphéries d’aires protégées.

ABSTRACT

I. Nowadays, in Sub-Saharan Africa, conservation actors believe that the long-term survival

of wild animals can be ensured only through the maintenance of their habitat outside areas of

total conservation. Accordingly, conservation projects seek to preserve areas of natural

vegetation in “buffer zones” or “migration corridors” on the periphery of protected areas.

The present doctoral thesis studies the possibilities of conservating such areas in concertation

with the populations living around Zakouma National Park (ZNP), a protected area in southeast

Chad. Our aim has been to find solutions to the problems generally encountered by forest

managers working towards this goal. Our hypothesis is that the management of surroundings

of protected areas must be grounded on a better identification of the local factors determining

the exploitation of natural vegetation areas, and that any analysis must be based on a spatial

approach.

II. Several steps in the research provided grounds for reflection:

As a first phase, a survey was conducted in Am Choka, a village representative of the most

densely populated zone of the eastern periphery of ZNP. The objectives were (i) to determine

which human activities most affect the natural vegetal landscape of the periphery of the park

and hence are likely to annul its role of “buffer zone”, and (ii) to identify which know-how

and socio-economic or political factors govern the exploitation of natural vegetation areas. In

addition to participatory observation in the village, detailed maps were made of the ‘terroir’

and the ‘finage’ (the total area exploited by a village), and semi-structured interviews were

conducted on the spot.

The second phase of research was dedicated to the creation of a cartographic tool with the

intention of (i) assessing the state of the peripheral zone in terms of where and to what extent

the natural vegetal formations are situated in comparison with the land under cultivation, and

(ii) pinpointing the peripheral zones best suited to a process of management of natural

vegetation areas. To that end, four recent satellite pictures were acquired. Operations on the

ground yielded 234 plottings over wood stands and 2 440 qualitative plottings of other types

of land occupation. These plottings were used to convert the satellite images into cartographic

units.

The third phase of research was concerned with an analysis of the management mechanism

recently proposed for the peripheral zone of ZNP by the park management project. Our aim

was to bring to the fore the actual methods by which the local organisation of exploitation or

management of the natural vegetation areas is taken into account and to compare them with

the knowledge acquired under the first phase of research.

III. The research produced the following results:

The rural populations have a good knowledge of the physical environment and use a typology

which enables them to localise the different components of the terroir and of the finage, and

to assess their potential.

The clearing of areas of natural vegetation for agricultural purposes is governed by traditional

village or canton authorities, which exert a powerful influence over land management and

agricultural planning.

The cultivation of transplanted sorghum (berbéré - Sorghum bicolor) is the main source of

reduction of areas with natural vegetation. It modifies the landscape over large swathes of

territory inasmuch as this cultivation method leads to a total clearing of the Acacia seyal

savannas. Access to and use of areas of natural vegetation for collecting wood and non-wood forest

products are free and not linked to land ownership. Exploiting these products does not lead to clear-cutting of the forest, but the constraints of exploitation influence the spatial extent of the finage around a given village. Some zones of finage are nevertheless subjected to land

boundary markings when agricultural projects are planned in the shorter or longer term.

The cartographic findings led to an assessment of the area covered by, and the distribution of,

natural vegetal formations. Flood-irrigated sorghum occupies just under 5% of the total area

of the periphery. The cultivation zones are mostly concentrated east and north of the protected area. One tenth of the original area of Acacia seyal savannas has already been exploited for agriculture. The map can also be used to identify areas caught between conservation and

economic development. This exercise makes its possible to reconsider the delimitation of the

periphery into protection zones. In its formulation, the “management plan” largely reveals the will to involve local populations

in the management of the periphery of the park. This collaboration will certainly be hampered

by the absence of compensation to offset any limitation of agricultural development to the

benefit of the wild animal habitat. It could, however, be promoted if the proposed zoning were

to correspond to the limits of the terroirs and finages. A preliminary to any process of

concerted management of the areas of natural vegetation would also be to identify the

decision-makers who have authority over these expanses. The present study throws up suggestions as to how forest managers might attain their

objectives for the conservation of fauna and their habitat in concertation with the local

populations. These recommendations can certainly also be extrapolated to other contexts of

management of the peripheries of protected areas.
Doctorat en Sciences agronomiques et ingénierie biologique
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Please read the abstract in the section 00front of this document
Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Land Use Planning))--University of Pretoria, 2007.
Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development
M Inst Agrar
unrestricted

The problems of land resources degradation as a result of misuse of arable land for non agricultural development and lack of appropriate methods and guidelines for land resources assessment are currently evident in Eritrea. These problems, have called for an urgent need for an appropriate land resources assessment in Eritrea. In response to this, a land capability classification in the areas around Asmara city that covers about 11742.7 ha was conducted. The intended aim was to properly assess the potential of the land resources in the study area and classify the capability of the land so as to designate the land according to its capability and foster appropriate land use. All the available natural resources in the study area were carefully assessed. A detailed soil survey was conducted and soil units were examined, described, classified and mapped out. Several criteria for the limitations were selected from the reviewed literature mainly USDA and RSA Land Capability Classification systems and in consultation with the soil survey and natural resources experts of the Ministry of Agriculture in Eritrea. In formation on land and soil characteristics, and the specified limitations and criteria were captured in a spatial digital format and then analysed within a GIS. Based on the specified parameters, different land capability units, subclasses, classes and orders were identified and mapped out. Finally, the sub classes were grouped to create,land capability classes ranging from Class I to Class VII and consequently the capability classes were grouped and mapped out at the level of land capability orders. The results revealed seven land capability classes (Class I to VII). Class III land in the study area covers 4149.43 ha (36.9 percent of the total area). The largest portion of this class is found in the central, southern and south eastern parts of the study area. However, classes I and II are very limited and cover 1562.95 ha (13.9 percent) of the study area. These classes are found mainly in the southern and central parts of the study area. Most of the gentle and steep sloping lands in the north and north eastern parts of the study area are classified as classes IV and VI. These classes have an area of 2652.08 ha (23.6 percent) and 2594.87 ha (23.1 percent) of the study area, respectively. Classes V and VII are very limited. These classes cover 221.53 ha (2 percent) and 57.55 ha (0.5 percent), respectively. The largest portion of class V land is found in the central part of the study area. Class VII land is mainly confined to the north eastern, western and southern corners of the study area. Four land capability orders were arrived at ranging from (high to moderate potential to non-arable land). The high to moderate potential arable lands are largely found in the southern and central parts of the study area. These lands cover 5715.39 ha (50.8 percent) of the study area. However, low potential arable (marginal productive) and non-arable lands have a considerable area of 2652.08 ha (23.6 percent) and 2652.42 ha (23.1 percent) of the study area, respectively. The largest portion of these lands is found in the north, north eastern and eastern parts of the study area. A small portion of the lands in the study area is classified as seasonally wetland. This land has an are~\ of 221.53 h~{2 percent) of the study area and is mainly found in the central part of the study area. It was concluded that nearly 50 percent of the land in the study area is classified as of moderately to high agricultural potential whereas the rest of the land is classified as marginal to non-arable land. However, the steady growth of demand for land for nonagricultural development due to the increasing population that depend on farm production in the study area, renders the prime arable lands as too limited to support the current population in the study area. Hence, protecting the prime arable lands and properly using such lands based on their sustained capacity can only secure the livelihood of the community.
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2004.

This thesis seeks to explain how site-scale design decisions can assist retention of rare plant communities concentrated in and near settled areas. To do so it focuses on a specific species and development context. Explanations are sought through examination of case studies of landuse developments in proximity to retained Garry oak plant communities located in the perimeter of Victoria, British Columbia. In the study region, exponential declines in species populations, health, and diversity of rare Garry oak ecosystems have been largely attributed to impacts from land-use developments. Over the past century, land-use developments have transformed the floral, spatial, structural and functional characteristics of the settled landscape. Isolated islands of imperiled plant associations remain on protected bioreserves: for recruitment and connectivity, these rare fauna rely on private-land greenways. Architectural teams have the potential to influence the decision-making processes that create ecologically-vital greenspace on private land, thereby enhancing survival for declining plant communities. Case-study evidence for the importance of land-use decisions on diminishing Garry oak meadow is gathered through vegetation surveys conducted on Garry oak meadow in proximity to six architectural projects on Victoria's western edge. Observed changes in growth extensions are then categorized in relation to human activities associated with built form, and correlated with principles from Landscape Ecology. An ARC of design strategies, developed in primary research by K. D. Rothley is adapted for architectural use as follows: firstly, AREA of a plant community is kept free of encroachment by the orderly frame established around vegetation; secondly, RARE SPECIES and habitat are identified with borders or signage; thirdly, CONNECTIVITY between retained landscapes is secured by siting roads and buildings to minimize ecosystem fragmentation. To effectively communicate preexisting landscape ecology principles, grouped under the ARC of strategies, illustrations and key-word phrases are developed. These principles, when integrated into architectural teams' structural knowledge, extend the architects' perceived role beyond aesthetics and economic efficiency. Enhancing habitat value through retention or restoration of rare ecosystems at the margins of suburban development, becomes an additional realm of influence for professional teams designing the spatial configurations of peri-urban landscapes.

The marketing of farms for tourism and recreation purposes has been taking place for many years. Farmers have frequently sought to supplement their farm income through providing accommodation and recreation facilities to paying guests. This study concentrates on one state of Australia, Victoria, and has two main aims. The first aim is to develop a systems model of farm tourism that reveals the roles played by various stakeholders. The second aim is to examine farm tourism from a systems perspective, and to explore the attitudes of both farmers and guests to their experiences. In addition, the comments of local government authorities are also investigated. The purpose of the study, in broad terms, is to develop a systems model of farm tourism in Victoria, Australia. In order to do this, the study reviews the literature and then examines the evolution and development of farm tourism in general, through a detailed analysis of the relationships between host farm operators and their visitors. is hoped that the present study will shed some light on an industry which has been largely ignored by most writers and researchers in the different disciplines represented in this topic. The research objectives are, firstly, to develop a systems model of farm tourism; secondly, to examine and describe the scope of farm tourism in Victoria, from the point of view of the farmer; thirdly, to describe the evaluation of the farm tourism experience by the guests who have visited farms in Victoria; and, finally, to investigate the attitudes and involvement of local government bodies in Victoria to farm tourism. Tourism in general is examined, as well as the relationship between agriculture and tourism, leading to a discussion of the definition of rural tourism. General trends in rural tourism are identified, and their relevance to farm tourism is explained. The definition of farm tourism is then covered, with commentary on the application of the characteristics of tourism to the farm tourism industry. Trends in farming are mentioned, which point to the importance of farm tourism as an alternative source of income for the farmer, and a useful form of diversification from farm operations, reducing dependence on one source of income. The concepts of leisure and recreation are also considered, and their relevance to farm tourism is identified.

The objective of this study is to look into the changes in land-use patterns on the mostly private land properties brought about by the envisaged Dinokeng Pilot Project on State-owned land properties since it was introduced in 1995. This is a critical parameter for the success of otherwise of the implementation of the broader project on the mostly private properties earmarked for inclusion in the project surrounding the pilot site. The method employed entailed analyzing progress indicators to gauge whether adequate progress was made between 1995 and 2001 in implementing the project. Indicators used were the finalization of the project process by DACEL, large scale sales and consolidation of affected properties and applications to the Metsweding District Municipality for change of land use by the present landowners. Several procedures were employed to determine whether there was adequate progress or not. The initial programme of Dinokeng Project Concept was studied and envisaged progress was compared with the implementation phase the project was in as at December 2001. The records of the Metsweding District Municipality were studied to find out the types and number of land use change applications by private landowners. The deeds records were also sampled to detect any large scale property sales and consolidations that can be ascribed to the envisaged project. The response of DACEL to criticism by affected landowners was also studied. A literature review of similar projects was undertaken to understand the methods employed to achieve desired results. The study found that there is lack of adequate progress on the finalization of the precise site for the project and agreements with present landowners on the tenure issue and other administrative matters that are a prerequisite for the proclamation of the project. Proclamation is necessary to restrict the land use activities within and around the proposed project site so as to make all affected stakeholders to be committed to the implementation of the project. The failure by the project to achieve the desired results of being in whole or partially up and running within five years of its inception is ascribed to the initial adopted strategy of depending on complementary changes in land use patterns in the privately owned land properties to consolidate the properties into a contiguous ecological area large enough to accommodate the Big Five. This shows that although the political developmental framework has changed, certain old order strategies and procedures are still as effective as ever. It is recommended that the project area be subdivided into phases without any regard to land ownership. The core area should consist of land properties ecologically suitable and forming a large enough area to contain the proposed Big Five. The total project area should be proclaimed with provision being made for a phased implementation approach with definite timetables and concrete deliverables. This will separate the totally unwilling landowners from the others who want to be part of the project on condition that that their minimal interests and requirements are met.
Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Rural Development Planning))--University of Pretoria, 2006.
Agricultural Economics, Extension and Rural Development
unrestricted

This thesis examines the impacts of planning controls on agriculture and rural land use in the Shire of Bass. The systems approach to planning has been used to provide a context for examining the past and emerging policy base, both explicit and implicit, for the introduction and administration of planning controls in the Shire. The impact of land use controls on agriculture and rural land use were examined in physical, economic and social terms using a range of information including Council records, Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) census data and the results of a survey of farmers and small lot owners which was undertaken as part of this research.

Land reform in South Africa has not been very successful. The process of land delivery has been slow and livelihoods in South Africa are becoming increasingly vulnerable as land reform fails to meet its objectives. Since 1994, millions have been made homeless due to farm evictions that have counteracted the positive impact of land reform. Intensive debate has been initiated about the approach to land reform; however, current programme-specific information has been unreliable in providing insight into the impact of land reform projects that have been implemented. This thesis exammes the Land Redistribution for Agricultural Development (LRAD) programme, to determine how it can be enhanced to improve the lives of the programme's intended beneficiaries. Monitoring and evaluation is examined as a tool for improving programmes. This research also explores some of the shortcomings of the current monitoring and evaluation mechanisms for land reform. It is proposed that the LRAD programme should have a comprehensive ME promulgation of appropriate new land reform policy. An LRAD project at Loteni in rural KwaZulu-Natal is used as a case study and exposes some of the contextual challenges for LRAD policy. The qualitative analysis given provides insight into some of the problems of implementing the programme and reveals challenges for extension support. As a result of this critique, some recommendations are provided for improving the performance of LRAD. Key among the recommendations made to enhance LRAD is a set of measurable indicators for each of the stated objectives of the LRAD programme. Adopting such indicators will enable the programme to contribute to the improvement ofthe lives and livelihoods of the intended beneficiaries ofLRAD.
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

The development and use of any specific model depend on the availability of data and the hydrological settings of a country. Because of data limitations (especially water quality and land management data), the water quality models developed for Australian catchments are lumped/semi-distributed conceptual models. Even within these modelling frameworks, water quality component is empirical or generation rates-based. In this context, developing an effective water quality management plan in the data-poor conditions of Australia still remains as a major challenge for water catchment managers, despite huge investment on river health improvement programs. Physics-based distributed water quality models such as SWAT are most suitable for agricultural non-point source pollution studies. However, because of high data requirement and processing, the applications of these models are limited in many datapoor catchments. In this study, relevant input data sources and analysis techniques were addressed especially for sparsely available water quality data to assemble, and to rigorously calibrate and validate the SWAT based Middle Yarra Water Quality Model (MYWQM) for the case study area - Middle Yarra Catchment (MYC) of Victoria, Australia. The regression based model LOADEST was used for estimating sediment, and nutrient observed loads from monthly water quality grab sample data. The MYWQM was then used to develop a water quality management plan for agricultural non-point source pollution in the MYC. In general, the MYWQM was found capable of predicting streamflow, sediment and nutrient loads in the MYC. The model was also found effective for simulating individual and integrated effects of several Best Management Practices (BMPs) in the MYC. Moreover, the model showed that the in-stream processes if not considered can result in incorrect estimates when simulating BMPs in the model. Overall, the performance of the MYWQM on evaluating the BMPs in the MYC demonstrated that data-intensive physics-based models can be applied in the data-poor conditions of Australia.

Streamflow data are critical for water resource investigations, and their development projects. However, the scarcity of such data, particularly measured streamflow through streamflow gauges, constitutes a serious impediment to the successful implementation of development projects. In the absence of such measured streamflow data, streamflow estimation using measured meteorological data represents a viable alternative. Nevertheless, this alternative is not always possible due to the unavailability of required meteorological data. In the face of such data limitations, many have advocated the use of remote sensing (RS) data to estimate streamflow. The aim of this study was to generate daily streamflow time series data using remote sensing data through catchment process modelling and statistical modelling.

Pine plantations have been established on secondary grassland on the dune systems of the Eastern Shores of Lake St Lucia, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa for the past 40 years. These plantations have been progressively felled for the past six years, and will continue to be felled until the year 2011, by which time they will be eliminated. Space-for-time substitution was used to determine the direction of both woody and herbaceous vegetation succession and to predict possible future management implications for the Eastern Shores. Soil samples were taken from undisturbed grassland, grassland with trees, dune forest, pine plantations, and clearfelled areas at various successional stages. To determine the effects of the pine plantations on the soils of the area, soils were subjected to particle size analysis, and determination of pH, organic carbon, phosphorus, exchangeable bases, iron and aluminium. Minimal modification of the sandy soils by the pine plantations was found to have occurred. That which did occur was shown to be short-term, and to be ameliorated by the establishment of an indigenous woody understorey, resembling pioneer dune forest. Soil under plantations was shown to have a lower pH and cation exchange capacity than under opposite indigenous vegetation but no other direct effects were observed. The direction of succession was determined by the nature of the indigenous vegetation adjacent to the plantation. Pine plantations were shown to facilitate succession towards dune forest by the exclusion of fire, provision of perches and refugia for forest-dwelling animals, and creation of a forest environment for the establishment of trees. However, the extent of re-establishment of indigenous dune forest under pine plantations was shown to be directly related to the nature of the adjacent indigenous vegetation, be it grassland, grassland with trees or dune forest.
Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 1998.