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Rossi, Patricia. "Advertising strategies and consumer behavior : how product placement and native ads impact consumer’s perceptions and intentions." Electronic Thesis or Diss., Reims, 2024. http://www.theses.fr/2024REIME001.
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Dans un contexte riche en médias, où la concurrence entre les marques et les messages promotionnels est intense, les consommateurs sont exposés à une quantité surabondantes d'informations. Traiter une telle quantité d'informations devient un véritable défi. Pour faire face à cette réalité, les marques doivent trouver d'autres moyens d'atteindre et de persuader les consommateurs. C'est pourquoi cette recherche étudie les effets de différentes stratégies publicitaires sur le comportement des consommateurs. Plus précisément, cette thèse se concentre sur l'impact du placement de produit et des publicités natives sur les attitudes des consommateurs, les intentions d'achat et le comportement de ‘muting’. Trois essais donnent un aperçu des conditions limites pertinentes et des mécanismes sous-jacents de la relation entre les stratégies publicitaires étudiés et le comportement du consommateur. Les résultats contribuent à mieux comprendre l'efficacité des stratégies publicitairesIn a media-rich context, where competition between brands and promotional messages is intense, consumers are exposed to unlimited information. Processing this much information becomes challenging. To deal with this reality, brands must find alternative ways to reach and persuade consumers. Therefore, this dissertation investigates the effects of different advertising strategies on consumer behavior. More precisely, this dissertation focuses on the impact of product placement and native ads on consumer attitudes, purchase intentions, and muting behavior. Three essays provide insights into the relevant underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions that can influence the relationship between the focal advertising strategies and consumer behavior. The findings of this research contribute to the research stream that investigates the effectiveness of advertising strategies
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Wallin, Clas, and Sara Wisseng. "Konsten att förmedla online-annonser : En studie om vilken typ av online-annonser som används för att nå ut till internetanvändare på ett mindre påträngande sätt." Thesis, Södertörns högskola, Institutionen för samhällsvetenskaper, 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:sh:diva-31873.
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Påträngande och störande annonser har blivit alltmer vanligt på internet vilket har medfört att konsumenter fått en alltmer negativ inställning till online-annonser. Därmed har användningen av mjukvaror för blockering av annonser på senare tid blivit alltmer vanligt. Detta har medfört minskningar i reklamintäkter för företag som använder sig av webbaserad marknadsföring, vilket har lagt för handen att de måste anpassa sina online-annonser till konsumenten för att kunna hålla verksamheten lönsam. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka vilken typ av online-annonser som används för att nå ut till användare på internet på ett mindre påträngande och irriterande sätt samt vilken inställning de har till annonsblockerare. Uppsatsen har en triangulär ansats i form av kvalitativa semi-strukturerade intervjuer som stärks och jämförs med en kvantitativ enkätundersökning. Av slutsatsen framkommer det att native advertising är det mest effektfulla annonsformatet för att nå ut till konsumenter på ett mer accepterat sätt. Samtidigt börjar fler företag som använder sig av online-annonser att införa betalväggar på sina hemsidor där konsumenter på internet tvingas stänga av sin annonsblockerare, bli nekade innehållet eller betala för att få tillgång till det.Intrusive and annoying ads have become increasingly common on the internet, which has led to that consumers have a more negative attitude to online ads. Thus, using softwares for blocking ads have lately become more common. This has led to reductions in advertising revenues for companies that use web-based marketing which have forced them to customize their ads to the consumers in order to keep the business profitable. The aim of this paper is to examine what type of online ads that is used to reach out to internet users in a less intrusive way and to see their opinion about adblockers. From a consumer perspective the study examines the view of the consumer on this development and if they fulfil their purpose. The thesis has a triangular approach with semi-structured interviews that is strengthened and compared with a quantitative questionnaire. The conclusion of the research have showed that native advertising is the most effective ad format to reach out to consumers in a more acceptable manner. At the same time more companies that are using online ads choose to introduce paywalls on their webpages where consumers on the internet are forced to deactivate their adblockers, to be denied the content or to pay to gain access to it.
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Absillis, Eline. "How Can Event Companies Use Facebook’s Ad Manager to Optimise the Click-Through-Rates of their Native Instagram Ads?" Thesis, KTH, Skolan för datavetenskap och kommunikation (CSC), 2016. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-192320.
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Marketers have come to realise that an abundance of potential customers can be reached through Facebook advertising. Although a new player, Instagram is quickly catching up to Facebook’s success with its native ads. Despite this, there is a scarcity in the amount of academic literature that explores the use of them. This thesis aims to rectify that, by contributing to the academic discourse surrounding Instagram ads. Shownight, a live event promotion company, had yet to run ads on Instagram. Using split-testing, this thesis was aimed to figure out which ad features generated the highest click-through-rates. The tests were carried out through Facebook’s ad manager. Although a unique platform, functioning with both drawbacks and benefits, it provided this study with an efficient tool to split-test ads. The results from this study demonstrated Instagram to be a suitable platform on which to advertise live events. Furthermore, the findings revealed targeting through lookalikes as well as behaviour, results in the highest click-through-rate. Moreover, using a video with 4 hashtags for lookalikes targeting, and an image with up to 3 hashtags for behaviour targeting, were the best ad set combinations. A call-to-action, portraying some degree of urgency, should also be employed within the caption. Nevertheless, this study has its limitations. Including being restricted demographically, as well as being confined to Shownight’s target audience, and advertising content. Furthermore, Facebook’s ad manager poses its own limitations as a split-testing platform, in terms of even audience distribution.Marknadsförare har insett att ett överflöd av potentiella kunder kan nås via Facebook-reklam. Även om Instagram är ett förhållandevis nytt företag kommer det snabbt ikapp Facebooks framgång med sina integrerade annonser. Trots detta finns det en brist i mängden akademisk litteratur som undersöker användningen av dem. Denna avhandling syftar till att förbättra detta genom att bidra till den akademiska diskursen kring Instagram-annonser. Shownight, ett PR-företag för live-events, hade ännu inte annonserat på Instagram. Med hjälp av så kallad split-testing hade denna avhandling som syfte att ta reda på vilka annonsfunktioner som genererar högst klickfrekvens. Testerna genomfördes genom Facebooks ad manager, och även om det är ett unikt verktyg med både fördelar och nackdelar var det effektivt för split-test-annonser i den här studien. Resultaten från denna studie visade att Instagram är en lämplig plattform för att göra reklam för live-evenemang på. Resultaten visade att inriktning på lookalikes samt behaviour resulterar i högst klickfrekvens. Video med fyra hashtags med inriktning på lookalikes, och bild med upp till tre hashtags för behaviour var de bästa annonskombinationerna. Annonserna bör även ha någon form av call-to-action. Studien är begränsad demografiskt och till Shownights publik och reklaminnehåll. Även Facebooks ad manager har begränsningar som en split-testing-platform när det gäller att annonsera jämnt över den givna publiken
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Sjöbro, Linus. "Annonsspårning för digitala medier : En systemjämförelse för uppföljning av annonskonvertering hos Facebook-annonser." Thesis, Mittuniversitetet, Institutionen för informationssystem och –teknologi, 2019. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:miun:diva-37296.
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Facebook is today the biggest ads platform in the world. This makes it strategi- cally smart for companies to run their ads on the platform. To follow up the result from these ads is an important part for the companies to know if the target audience is the right one. The purpose with this thesis was to investigate if it’s possible for the company Leeroy to develope their own system that follow up ad conversion for Facebook ads. But also investigate how to implement Facebook’s own system and if other systems could be used. From this two purposes a number of goals have been set, which all could be answered. A pilot study resulted in the gathering of information if an own solution could be implemented. The result of this pilot study results in the answer no, an own solution could not be implemented at this state. Through the pilot study a recommended solution could be presented where Facebook’s system is the recommended way to go. This result is based on a system comparison between Facebook and Google Firebase. This recommended solution has resulted in a implementation guide that Leeroy can use to implement Facebook SDK in their application portfolio based on React Native.Facebook är idag världens största annonsplattform vilket gör det strategiskt smart för företag att annonsera sin produkt eller sina tjänster på plattformen. Att följa upp resultatet av dessa annonser är för företagen en viktig parameter för att veta om den annonserade målgruppen är rätt. Syftet med detta arbete var att undersöka om ett eget system för mobilapplikationer hos företaget Leeroy kan utvecklas för uppföljning av annonskonverteringar hos Facebook-annonser och hur Facebooks egna system implementeras och om andra system går att använda. Utifrån detta syfte kunde ett antal mål fastställas som alla kunde besvaras. Utifrån en förstudie kunde information insamlas om hurvida en egen lösning går att tillämpa. Vilket resulterat i svaret nej, det är idag inte möjligt att utveckla en egen lösning. Genom förstudiens resultat kan en rekommenderad lösning presenteras där Facebooks system rekommenderas utifrån en jämförelse mellan Facebook och Google Firebase. Denna rekommenderade lösning har resulterat i en implementationsguide som Leeroy kan använda för att implementera Facebook SDK i sin applikationsportfölj baserat på React Native.
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Andersson, Andreas, and Henrik Ottehall. "Rekommendationssystem för riktad annonsering : En studie av innehållsbaserad rekommendation i system med användare, element och annonser kopplade till en gemensam uppsättning diskreta metadata." Thesis, Tekniska Högskolan, Högskolan i Jönköping, JTH, Datateknik och informatik, 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hj:diva-37403.
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Advertising in mobile apps are increasing and so is the need to show the right ad to the right user. This study was conducted in cooperation with Seekly AB, a company whose app displays a feed with upcoming events in a users immediate area. In this app, every event is associated with an interest and users can choose interests to follow in a list. Seekly wanted to use so called behavioral targeting to show ads in their feed. The solution that was developed is useful for all Seekly-like systems and consists of a content based recommender system that chooses ads based on the interests a user has selected and events and ads that the user has shown an interest in. Apps that in some way or another resembles the Seekly app are not uncommon and recommender systems for behavioral targeting suited for this kind of system are to the best of our knowledge not described in the literature. The resulting recommender system has been implemented and shown to be able to recommend ads that has been associated with interests that match the interests selected by the user and/or amplified by his or her behavior. There are also indications that the system would be able to increase the number of ad clicks compared to randomly selected ads, but no statistically significant proof was found.
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Sheffield, Kathryn Jane, and kathryn sheffield@dpi vic gov au. "Multi-spectral remote sensing of native vegetation condition." RMIT University. Mathematical and Geospatial Sciences, 2009. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20091110.112816.
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Native vegetation condition provides an indication of the state of vegetation health or function relative to a stated objective or benchmark. Measures of vegetation condition provide an indication of the vegetation's capacity to provide habitat for a range of species and ecosystem functions through the assessment of selected vegetation attributes. Subsets of vegetation attributes are often combined into vegetation condition indices or metrics, which are used to provide information for natural resource management. Despite their value as surrogates of biota and ecosystem function, measures of vegetation condition are rarely used to inform biodiversity assessments at scales beyond individual stands. The extension of vegetation condition information across landscapes, and approaches for achieving this, using remote sensing technologies, is a key focus of the work presented in this thesis. The aim of this research is to assess the utility of multi-spectral remotely sensed data for the recovery of stand-level attributes of native vegetation condition at landscape scales. The use of remotely sensed data for the assessment of vegetation condition attributes in fragmented landscapes is a focus of this study. The influence of a number of practical issues, such as spatial scale and ground data sampling methodology, are also explored. This study sets limitations on the use of this technology for vegetation condition assessment and also demonstrates the practical impact of data quality issues that are frequently encountered in these types of applied integrated approaches. The work presented in this thesis demonstrates that while some measures of vegetation condition, such as vegetation cover and stem density, are readily recoverable from multi-spectral remotely sensed data, others, such as hollow-bearing trees and log length, are not easily derived from this type of data. The types of information derived from remotely sensed data, such as texture measures and vegetation indices, that are useful for vegetation condition assessments of this nature are also highlighted. The utility of multi-spectral remotely sensed data for the assessment of stand-level vegetation condition attributes is highly dependent on a number of factors including the type of attribute being measured, the characteristics of the vegetation, the sensor characteristics (i.e. the spatial, spectral, temporal, and radiometric resolution), and other spatial data quality considerations, such as site homogeneity and spatial scale. A series of case studies are presented in this thesis that explores the effects of these factors. These case studies demonstrate the importance of different aspects of spatial data and how data manipulation can greatly affect the derived relationships between vegetation attributes and remotely sensed data. The work documented in this thesis provides an assessment of what can be achieved from two sources of multi-spectral imagery in terms of recovery of individual vegetation attributes from remotely sensed data. Potential surrogate measures of vegetation condition that can be derived across broad scales are identified. This information could provide a basis for the development of landscape scale multi-spectral remotely sensed based vegetation condition assessment approaches, supplementing information provided by established site-based vegetation condition assessment approaches.
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Godden, Lee, and n/a. "Nature as Other: The Legal Ordering of the Natural World: Natural Heritage Law and Its Intersection With Property Law and Native Title." Griffith University. Griffith Law School, 2000. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20050831.095124.
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This thesis argues that the legal ordering of the natural environment represents a culturally contingent 'order of things'. Within this process of categorisation, Nature is constructed as an 'other' to the human subject. This opposition allows nature to be conceived as either an object of control, as found in property law, or as a wilderness to be preserved apart from human society. This latter view is implicit to the principles informing early environmental laws for the protection of natural heritage in international law and within Australia. More recently, this distinctively western legal ordering has been challenged to be more culturally inclusive and to include concepts that incorporate human interaction with the natural environment. In making this argument, the thesis adopts a theoretical framework derived from Foucault's 'Order of Things'. Modem western understanding of the natural environment is directly informed by western science. Scientific discourses, with origins in the Enlightenment, have been extremely influential in determining the legal ordering of the natural environment. In this context, the thesis provides an overview of the conceptual shift from a pre-scientific, organic conception of the relationship between people and nature to a people/nature dichotomy that persists as the nature/culture meta-narrative in modern society. The rise of a more holistic conception of the natural environment, based in ecological principles, has only partially displaced the latter view. The thesis also examines the manner in which property law constitutes the 'proper' order of the natural world within western culture. The bundle of rights concept, implicit to modern conceptions of property, finds resonances in western scientific understanding of the natural world. In particular, property law replicates the subject /object distinction that is central to modern western thought. The positing of nature as an object of control through the property relationship has been a resilient ordering of the natural environment. It has directly contributed to an instrumental perception of the natural environment. Indeed, the property concept was the central way of 'constructing' the Australian natural environment at law from colonisation to well into the twentieth century. The initial legal designation of Australia as 'terra nullius' allowed received English property law to form the template for ordering the occupation of the Australian natural environment by British civilisation. In the second half of the 20th century the wilderness ideal, in concert with ecological 'balance' concepts, gained currency in international and domestic law as the foundation for the protection of natural heritage. Natural heritage protection was a high profile aspect of early environmental laws in Australia. Thus the World Heritage Convention assumed an importance for natural heritage protection within Australia due to specific historical, political and constitutional factors. The adoption of 'holistic' definitions of environment in many pieces of Australian legislation has served to partially displace the instrumental, proprietary view of nature. However, the legal recognition of natural heritage, when based around wilderness ideals, remains predicated upon the western people/nature dichotomy. More recently, reforms to early environmental laws have been instituted and case law reveals a state of flux in how natural heritage areas are to be identified and valued. The traditional western legal constructions of nature have served to occlude Aboriginal and Tones Strait Islander peoples' relationships with 'country'. Such legal frameworks continue to be problematic if a more culturally inclusive and holistic conception of heritage, such as cultural landscapes, is to be adopted. Further, while the recognition of native title has led to a re-examination of many fundamental legal principles, reexamination of our western legal constructs remains incomplete. One of the crucial areas yet to be fully worked through is how to accommodate western dualistic notions of the relationship between people and the natural environment with the legal requirements to establish native title. The need for accommodation has direct practical ramifications in that many world heritage, national estate and other 'wilderness' areas are, or may be, subject to native title claims. Therefore, the thesis considers the need to re-assess western, scientifically derived conceptions of natural heritage as the prevailing principles for environmental preservation. Finally the thesis discusses the contingency of any legal ordering of the natural world. Western representations of nature have exerted tremendous influence upon the legal regimes that have regulated and ordered nature across the Australian continent. These classifications are embedded within a particular cultural narrative. Parts of the Australian natural environment that are designated as property, as natural heritage, as native title, or as cultural heritage do not achieve this legal characterisation due to any inherent value or features of the natural environment itself. These areas are not necessarily property or heritage or native title until incorporated within, or recognised by, western legal frameworks. As such, any decision to ascribe a given legal status to the natural environment as part of the legal ordering needs to be seen as involving issues of choice that have direct distributive justice implications.
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Cassey, Phillip, and n/a. "Comparative Analyses of Successful Establishment Among Introduced Land Birds." Griffith University. Australian School of Environmental Studies, 2002. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20030915.094001.
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Humankind has redistributed a large number of species outside their native geographic ranges. Although the majority of introduction attempts fail to establish populations, the cumulative negative effect of successful non-native species has been and will continue to be large. Historical records of land bird introductions provide one of the richest sources of data for testing hypotheses regarding the factors that affect the successful establishment of non-native populations. However, despite comprehensive summaries of global avian introductions dating back two decades only very recent studies have examined the successful establishment of non-native bird species worldwide. It is clear that a non-random pattern exists in the types of land bird species that have been chosen by humans to be introduced outside their native range. Out of the 44 avian families from which species have been chosen for introduction almost 70% of introduction attempts have been from just five families (Phasianidae, Passeridae, Fringillidae, Columbidae, Psittacidae). Notably, these families include game species, insectivorous song birds, and species from the pet trade. It has been hypothesised that the fate of introduced species may be determined in part by heritable characteristics that are shared by closely related taxa. In my analyses, I have used current comparative methods to demonstrate that intrinsic eco-physiological characteristics are significant predictors of the worldwide success of introduced land bird species. The results of my analyses contribute to a greater ecological understanding of the traits that correlate with the successful establishment of non-native species. Notably, the three major conclusions that I have drawn from this thesis are: 1. Non-random patterns of successful establishment exist for introduced land bird taxa that have experienced a repeated number of introduction attempts. This result supports the idea that introduced species have an inherent likelihood of either succeeding or failing to establish non-native populations. 2. Eco-physiological traits are important correlates for determining the variability in introduction outcome for non-native land bird species. With reliable information on introduction attempts and taxa-specific traits predictive models are possible that quantify the outcome of repeated introduction attempts across non-native species. 3. Islands are not universally less resistant than mainland regions to the successful establishment of non-native species. This perception is a reflection of the greater number of introduction attempts to islands rather than an effect of biotic resistance. Any differences in the success of introduction attempts can be attributed largely to differences in the proportion of introductions that have been made across biogeographic regions. I have highlighted that data are accessible for global analyses of the variability in the successful establishment of non-native species. Although establishment success is not a deterministic process, the characteristics of an introduced species can influence the probability of its succeeding. I have shown that with adequate eco-physiological information, and for introduced land bird species at least, this probability can be predicted. These results refute previous suggestions that the stochastic component of species introductions will always overshadow any emerging patterns of successful establishment among non-native populations.
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com, stephen robson@bigpond, and Stephen Robson. "Rethinking Mabo as a clash of constitutional languages." Murdoch University, 2006. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20070207.131859.
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The 1992 decision of the High Court of Australia to uphold the claim of the Meriam people was welcomed as beginning a new era where the unique status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples would gain recognition. Intense debate and activity ensued with federal parliament adopting a legislative framework to recognise native title and the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation considering its broader constitutional implications. Fourteen years on though much of the promise of Mabo lies unfulfilled.
This thesis draws upon the work of Canadian philosopher James Tully. He writes of contemporary constitutionalism in Western society and its inability to give more than superficial recognition to cultural difference. He locates the problem as lying with the dominant language of modern constitutionalism. This language provides for two main forms of recognition: the equality of self-governing nation states and the equality of individual citizens. Tully locates a way forward through the presence of another constitutional language. Common constitutionalism has enabled an accommodation of cultural differences guided by its three conventions of mutual recognition, continuity, and consent. Moreover, it is beneficial to analysing other studies about the ability of common law to recognise the claims of Indigenous people.
Tullys contribution is applied to an examination of the Mabo events in a way that takes account of Australias constitutional traditions. The aim is to clarify the languages employed by the representatives of Australias institutions of governance and whether this places obstacles in the way of recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The inquiry considers the events prior to the High Courts decision, the Keating governments response, and the Howard Governments native title changes. Other chapters examine the constitutional language used by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the significance of the Council of Aboriginal Reconciliation.
The central argument of this study is that once it is accepted that the claims of Indigenous people in Australia are constitutional, it becomes possible to appreciate that these were largely voiced through the language of human rights and common constitutionalism. In contrast, when the claims were considered by the High Court and federal parliament significant aspects were articulated through the modern constitutional language. Another thread running through the events was a desire to confront and overcome the influence of the language of White Australia. The thesis concludes by considering the significance of the findings for a settlement between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians.
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Gaskin, Sharyn, and sharyn gaskin@flinders edu au. "Rhizoremediation of hydrocarbon contaminated soil using Australian native grasses." Flinders University. Medicine, 2009. http://catalogue.flinders.edu.au./local/adt/public/adt-SFU20090820.111303.
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The breakdown of contaminants in soil resulting from microbial activity that is enhanced in the presence of the plant root zone, rhizosphere, has been termed rhizoremediation. To date, Australian native plants have not been assessed for their hydrocarbon rhizoremediation potential. The use of native plants offers an economically feasible and environmentally sustainable cleanup option for the rehabilitation and restoration of hydrocarbon contaminated sites in Australia. The aim of the study was to evaluate the potential of Australian native grass species for the rhizoremediation of aliphatic hydrocarbon contaminated soil from a mine site.
Candidate Australian native grass species Poaceae were selected following the development of essential and desirable growth criteria. Nine perennial Australian grasses were evaluated for seedling emergence in sandy loam soil sourced from a mine site which was artificially contaminated with a 60:40 diesel/oil mix at concentrations of 30 000 mg/kg, 10 000 mg/kg, 5 000 mg/kg and 0 mg/kg control. Seedling emergence was not adversely affected by the presence of hydrocarbon contamination at the exposed concentrations for eight of the nine species studied p > 0.05. Three promising species were assessed for relative growth performance in diesel/oil contaminated 10 000 mg/kg, 5 000 mg/kg and uncontaminated control soils in greenhouse studies to assess their tolerance of aliphatic hydrocarbon contaminated soil.
Cymbopogon ambiguus Lemon Scented grass is a summer growing perennial with widespread distribution throughout Australia including the region where the mine site is situated. Brachiaria decumbens Signal grass naturalised - is adapted to humid tropical areas of Australia and is native to the site and sourced from seed banks. Microlaena stipoides Weeping grass var. Griffin is a cool season grass, widely distributed throughout Australia in moister regions. The three evaluated species survived for 120 days in the diesel/oil contaminated soil at the exposed concentrations without adverse growth affect p > 0.05. In some instances e.g. C. ambiguus growth stimulation occurred in the presence of contamination producing significantly more root biomass compared with the control p < 0.0001.
Most hydrocarbon degradation is believed to occur through microbial processes, and so the plant-associated microbial community was examined in the three tolerant species. The assessment of the influence of grass on the abundance and activity of microorganisms in the rhizosphere revealed species-specific plant-induced changes in the soil microbial community. Selective enrichment of hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms was demonstrated in the rhizosphere soil of the Australian grasses tested, to varying degrees. C. ambiguus appeared to have the greatest influence on stimulation of hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms, followed by the cool season grass M. stipoides. B. decumbens showed consistently lower numbers of hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms in rhizosphere soil over time compared to the other two species p < 0.01. The influence of grasses on microbial community structure - defined as community DNA fingerprint - in diesel/oil contaminated soil suggested no new microbial population was favoured by the grasses - qualitative shift - rather there were relative quantitative changes in existing members of the microbial population. Soil lipase activity did not appear to be an optimal bioindicator of rhizoremediation and may encompass total soil microbial activity not exclusively the hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms of interest.
The assessment of biodegradation of hydrocarbons in soil is essential to characterise the effectiveness of plant species in rhizoremediation. Residual diesel and oil concentrations as total petroleum hydrocarbons, TPH were measured using Gas Chromatography. The presence of single species successfully enhanced the removal of hydrocarbons from soil for all species. All showed significantly lower residual hydrocarbon concentrations than those in unplanted soil after 100 days p < 0.01. Significantly, it was not necessary to add N and P to achieve up to 90% reduction in hydrocarbon concentrations in the soil. The relative performance of each grass species varied. In soil planted with C. ambiguus hydrocarbon concentrations were reduced faster and to a greater extent than the other species studied, from 10 000 mg/kg to approximately 1 100 mg/kg TPH, 88% removal. Similar endpoint success was recorded for M. stipoides which facilitated 80% reduction in hydrocarbon concentrations. Interestingly, B. decumbens, the only naturalised species, did not perform as well as the other species, although still significantly better compared to unplanted controls, with hydrocarbon concentrations reduced to approximately 4 500 mg/kg, 49%. Hydrocarbon concentrations in unplanted control soil were reduced by 45% through natural biodegradation processes. Plant root and shoot tissue was periodically assessed for hydrocarbon accumulation and was shown to be negligible. A multispecies planted trial using C. ambiguus plus B. decumbens had no additional influence on total TPH removal. The final TPH removal efficiency in the multispecies trial was not significantly different p > 0.05 from that of the best single species performer of the two i.e. C. ambiguus. In a field application the planting of multiple species may still be desirable in order to preserve site biodiversity and assist rehabilitation of the area.
A strong relationship between abundance of hydrocarbon degrading microorganisms in the rhizosphere and hydrocarbon biodegradation was demonstrated for all species p < 0.01. Those species which showed greatest stimulation of the microbial population resulted in enhanced TPH removal from soil. These species were the summer grass C. ambiguus and the winter species M. stipoides. This may allow for broader application both seasonally and geographically across Australia. B. decumbens showed successful rhizoremediation to a lesser degree, but may still be an option in multiple planting strategies.
This investigation identified three Australian grass species from the nine evaluated that are candidates for further investigation for in situ rhizoremediation potential at field scale.
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Harford, Andrew James, and andrew harford@rmit edu au. "The characterisation of Australian freshwater fish immune systems and their response to immunomodulators." RMIT University. School of Medical Science, 2005. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20060307.171411.
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The Murray-Darling basin is the largest river system in Australia with significant economic, social, recreational and cultural value. It supplies water for drinking and agriculture to a large inland area of the eastern and southern states of Australia. It is also the ultimate sink for many environmental contaminants that result from human activities within the catchment. Aquatic organisms live intimately with their environment and may be continuously exposed to these contaminants through the water column or the food chain. Some chemicals are bioaccumulated and biomagnified in tissue to reach high body burdens. Populations of native fish species within the Murray-Darling basin have been in decline since human settlement, yet little is known about the lethal and sublethal effects of environmental pollutants on native freshwater fish and many of the Australian water quality guidelines are based on data from exotic fish species. Researchers have correlated levels of pollution with immune dysfunction and an increased incidence of disease amongst wildlife populations. Many of the pollutants of the Murray-Darling basin have known immunotoxicity in both mammals and exotic fish species. The immune system is a sensitive target organ because, in order to maintain integrity, it requires constant renewal through the rapid proliferation and differentiation of cells. Efforts to increase numbers of native fish in the wild have led to an aquaculture industry that produces fingerlings for the restocking of waterways. In more recent years, this industry has matured and now produces table-size native freshwater fish for local and international markets. Although the industry has researched areas of reproduction, nutrition and stocking, there is little understanding of the immunology or immunotoxicology of Australian freshwater fish. This research project investigated the immunology of three large native fish species (i.e. 2 Murray cod, golden perch and silver perch), which are the basis of the native freshwater aquaculture industry. Additionally, a small fish species native to the basin (i.e. crimsonspotted rainbowfish) was studied as an alternative to the use of large fish. Of the four species, Murray cod possessed characteristics that made it an excellent candidate for ecoimmunotoxicity testing.
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Ingram, Brett A. "Rearing juvenile Australian native percichthyid fish in fertilised earthen ponds." Connect to this title online, 2001. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au/adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050418.172221/.
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Reiter, Noushka Hedy, and noushka reiter@dse vic gov au. "Borya mirabilis steps in the recovery of a critically endangered Australian native plant." RMIT University. Applied Sciences, 2009. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20090227.160625.
Full textAbstract:
Borya mirabilis is one of the world's most critically endangered plants. The research in this thesis has illuminated key aspects of: its reproductive biology; interspecies and intraspecies molecular relationships, mycorrhizal status, tissue culture potential and disease threats. Each of these aspects has fundamental management implications for the active management of B. mirabilis. Floral observations of B. mirabilis and related species affirmed the uniqueness of the Boryaceae amongst the Asparagales. B. mirabilis had an unusually high number of floral abnormalities compared with other species of Borya observed. B. mirabilis is fly-pollinated. Pollen of Borya species showed little difference in the characteristics of mature pollen between species, with viable pollen being prolate and unicolpate with a single colpa-style aperture and a unique patterning of the pila. The structural immaturity of B. mirabilis pollen correlated with evidence from pollen growth experiments, where B. mirabilis pollen had extremely low germination rates, with those grains that did germinate being slow to do so and with slow-growing pollen tubes compared to those of fertile Borya species. Examination of the ovules of B. mirabilis showed that morphologically they were viable compared to viable Borya species. The field population of B. mirabilis was crossed, with one seed produced (the first recorded seed for th is species). Cross-pollination using the pollen of the closely related B. constricta and B. sphaerocephala with B. mirabilis ovules proved unsuccessful. Examination of the chromosome number of B. mirabilis showed that it had approximately 66 chromosomes and is probably hexaploid, relative to the diploid number of 26 in B. constricta. This may explain its low fertility. Interspecies and intraspecies relationships of the Boryaceae and Borya mirabilis were investigated using sequences of chloroplast and nuclear DNA. The closest similarities to B. mirabilis were B. constricta and B. sphaerocephala. B. mirabilis may have emerged from alloploidy of these species in the past. Because of the consistent similarities of B. mirabilis and B. constricta chloroplast sequences, it is proposed that both shared a common ancestor with a chromosome number of 2n=22. A malfunction n meiosis may have resulted in ovules with 2n=44. The high similarity of the nuclear ribosomal ITS region DNA suggests that the nuclear DNA was derived from B. sphaerocephela. B. mirabilis may be an allopolyploid, from fertilisation of a diploid ovule of B. constricta with haploid pollen of B. sphaerocephala, resulting in a reproductively isolated polyploidy of low fertility. The wild population of B. mirabilis was determined to have a small amount of genetic variation. The genetic variation in the field population w as not fully reflected in the ex-situ population. An effective means of micro-propagation of B. nitida for use in B. mirabilis has been established, providing an effective means of mass production of the species. The research has determined: a suitable explant (shoot tips) for regeneration; an effective means of reducing contamination in tissue culture (PPM); what medium is required to micro-propagate the species (LMHM); an appropriate gelling agent (Phytagel); and a practical method for inducing roots on the shoots grown in tissue culture. B. mirabilis has been established as mycorrhizal. The predominant mycorrhizal association is a nodular arbuscular mycorrhiza, present in the form of coils in root nodules over wetter months and as spores in these nodules over dryer months. A significant increase in the health of the ex-situ population of B. mirabilis was recorded after addition of soil containing fine roots of the wild population. Of the plants associated with the wild population, Callitris rhomboidea had the most morphologically similar vesicular arbuscular mycorrhizal relationship. But molecular identification was not achieved due to recalcitrance of DNA in PCR attempts. Potential translocation sites for some of the ex-situ population of B. mirabilis were examined for Phytophthora infestation. Reid's Lookout and Mackey's Peak were infected with P. cinnamomi. Vegetation at Mackey's Peak displayed characteristic infection symptoms, resulted in isolates of P. cinnamomi from baiting and would directly receive runoff from both the walking track and the existing infested B .mirabilis site. At the Reid's Lookout site, both walking track and proposed translocation site were infested with P. cinnamomi, yet did not display the associated symptoms in the vegetation. The Pine Plantation translocation site was uninfected at the level of sampling undertaken. Its vegetation did not display any characteristic infection symptoms and was not isolated when soil samples were baited. It was therefore chosen for translocation and so far the plants are healthy and actively growing. This research has provided critical knowledge to aid the recovery team in its current and future endeavours to manage this species and bring it back from the brink of extinction.
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Wallace, Richard Paul, and n/a. "Effects of trees on temperate native pasture productivity." University of Canberra. Applied Science, 1999. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061113.160245.
Full textAbstract:
The goal of this work was to quantify the effects of eucalypt woodland blocks on the
productivity of native pastures. This research was conducted on the Southern Tablelands
of New South Wales. Tree planting or retention is seen by many as an important tool in
addressing the problems of soil degradation resulting from clearing and pasture
improvement that threaten the sustainability of pasture systems. In particular these are
dry land salinity and erosion, both of which affect large areas of agricultural lands in the
south east of Australia. Whilst native tree cover remains over substantial portions of
Australian pasture lands, mainly on steeper slopes and poorer soils, little has been done
to measure the effects of trees on pasture productivity and soil fertility on the Southern
Tablelands. Previous studies in other areas have shown a range of effects�from
facilitation to inhibition�of pasture growth in the presence of trees. Soil fertility
beneath trees has been shown by a number of workers to be elevated in comparison with
situations in the open. Given that the range of effects may be highly site dependent,
application of results from one area to another may not be valid. Thus it is necessary to
measure tree effects on a regional scale if results are to be reliable.
Pasture productivity was assessed over a two year period on four sites in the vicinity of
Bungendore, New South Wales. A pair of plots was selected on each site, one plot in a
block of eucalypt woodland, and the other nearby in an exposed, open situation. Plots
were chosen to be as similar to each other as possible with the exception of tree cover.
Treed plots had a tree basal area of between 10 and 20 m2 ha-1 and plots had an area of
900 m2. Two of the sites were on granitic soils and had a tree cover consisting
predominantly of Eucalyptus pauciflora. The remaining two sites were on soil derived
from sedimentary rocks with tree cover consisting mainly of E. mannifera, E. dives and
E. melliodora. Perennial native pasture species present were similar across all sites,
although their relative contributions to standing biomass varied between sites. As the
plots were grazed during the period of measurement, productivity and offtake were
measured seasonally using exclosure cages on each plot. Pasture standing biomass was
assessed using the comparative yield technique.
Microclimate was monitored in each plot by automatic weather stations. Soil moisture
to a depth of 45 cm was measured by time domain reflectometry using permanent
probes in each plot. Ten additional survey plots on each site, covering the range of tree
basal area from 0 - 30 m2 ha-1, were assessed each season in the second year for standing
biomass, soil fertility and pasture quality; expressed by nitrogen content and dry matter
digestibility. Pasture floristics were measured using the dry-weight-rank method. These
additional plots were chosen to be as representative of the paddocks as possible.
Over the two years that productivity was measured, it was found to be higher under
trees than in the open. This was predominantly due to higher winter and spring growth
within treed plots. Grazing offtake was also found to be higher under trees, partly
accounting for lower standing biomass found in the treed plots.
Wind run, evapotranspiration and photosynthetically active radiation were all reduced
by the presence of trees. Beneficial effects of shelter from winds may largely explain
the higher productivity observed in the treed plots, and could outweigh negative effects
of below ground competition and radiation interception by tree canopies at low to
moderate tree densities. Soil moisture was not affected by the presence of trees. Soil
fertility also did not differ between treed and open plots nor was there any difference in
pasture nitrogen content or dry matter digestibility.
On the sites where soils were derived from sedimentary rocks, pasture floristics were
found to be related to tree basal area. Themeda ausfralis biomass was negatively related
to tree basal area, and was partially replaced by large tussock species such as Poa
sieberiana and Chionochloa pallida. A reduction of pasture quality resulted, particularly
as the latter species is not grazed to any significant extent.
Given the desirability of having deep rooted perennial components in grazing lands, the
results of this study indicate that it may be possible to utilise trees to assist in preventing
or reducing a range of adverse environmental consequences arising from agricultural
activities, without unduly compromising pasture productivity. Additionally, the wide
range of environmental conditions provided by a mix of treed and open pasture
promotes a higher degree of heterogeneity of the herbaceous layer. This may assist in
maintaining productivity over a greater range of climatic conditions than would be the
case with a more homogeneous pasture.
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au, j. morrison@murdoch edu, and Judith Ellen Morrison. "Independent scholarly reporting about conflict interventions: negotiating aboriginal native title in south Australia." Murdoch University, 2007. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20080904.141252.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis uses an action research methodology to develop a framework for improving independent scholarly reporting about interventions addressing social or environmental conflict. As there are often contradictory interpretations about the causes and strategic responses to conflict, the problem confronting scholar-reporters is how to address perceptions of bias and reflexively specify the purpose of reporting. It is proposed that scholar-reporters require grounding in conventional realist-based social theory but equally ability to incorporate theoretical ideas generated in more idealist-based peace research and applied conflict resolution studies. To do this scholar-reporters can take a comparative approach systematically developed through an integrated framework as described in this thesis.
Conceptual and theoretical considerations that support both conventional and more radical constructions are comparatively analysed and then tested in relation to a case study. In 2000 Aboriginal people throughout South Australia deliberated whether their native title claims could be better accorded recognition through conservative court processes or a negotiation process to allay deep-seated conflict. The author, in a scholar-reporter capacity, formulated a report attributing meaning to this consultative process.
As such a report could have been formulated according to alternative paradigms, methodological approaches and theoretical frameworks, the analysis of the adopted framework highlights how different approaches can bias the interpretation of the process and prospects for change. Realist-based conservative interpretations emphasise 'official' decision-making processes where legitimacy is expressed through political and legal frameworks based on precedent. Idealist-based interpretations emphasise that circumstances entailing significant conflict warrant equal consideration being given to 'non-official' 'resolutionary' problem-solving processes where conflict is treated as a catalyst for learning and outcomes are articulated as understanding generated about conflict and how different strategies can transform it.
The developed integrated framework approach establishes the independence of scholarly reporting. Its purpose goes beyond perpetuating scholarly debate about alternative 'objective' understandings of conflict; it focuses primarily on communicating a more inclusive understanding of the contradictions inherent in a particular conflict. It increases the capacity to understand when, where, why and how conflict precipitates social change, and articulates possibilities for reconceptualising what might be the more sustainable direction of change.
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Robson, Stephen William. "Rethinking Mabo as a clash of constitutional languages /." Access via Murdoch University Digital Theses Project, 2006. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20070207.131859.
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Sraml, Michaela, and n/a. "Molecular systematics of the native Australian waterfowl (Aves: Anseriformes)." University of Canberra. Resource, Environmental & Heritage Sciences, 1994. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061113.155232.
Full textAbstract:
A consensus classification for the waterfowl (order Anseriformes) has never been
reached. There have been many revisions of the relationships within the order
including those of the monotypic Australian genera. The Southern Hemisphere
anseriforms comprise a large number of monotypic, endemic genera which have
traditionally been linked to the established genera and tribes of the Northern
Hemisphere. More recently, however, with the recognition of endemic Australian
radiations of marsupial mammals (Main and Bakker 1981) and passerine birds (Cracraft
1976; Sibley and Ahlquist 1985; Christidis et al. 1988; Christidis and Schodde 1991),
the affinities of the six monotypic Australian genera of anseriforms have been
questioned (Delacour 1954; Frith 1955, 1964a, b, 1982; Johnsgard 196la, b, 1966;
Davies and Frith 1964; Fullager 1990). In particular, whether they are more closely
related to one another, or whether some or all of these monotypic genera have closer
affinities with the Northern Hemisphere genera. Classification of the taxonomic
relationships of the aberrant Australian endemic species may also corroborate or refute
the recently advanced hypothesis of a Southern Hemisphere origin for the Anseriformes
(Cracraft 1976, 1980; Livezey 1986; Olson 1988).
A 307bp fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of the 19 native Australian
anseriforms and four Northern Hemisphere species was enzymatically amplified by
PCR and manually sequenced. The Chicken (Gallus gallus) and Muscovy Duck
(Cairinia moschatd) cytochrome b sequences were obtained from Genbank.
The patterns of evolutionary dynamics within the cytochrome b gene of Anseriformes
appear to conform to those reported in studies of avian and other vertebrate mtDNA. A
new phylogenetic classification for the Anseriformes is proposed. The phylogenetic
trees generated in this study indicate that the monotypic Australian genera, the pygmygeese
and the swans and geese are members of the subfamily Anserinae which appears
to represent a Southern Hemisphere radiation. Within the Anserinae, the Cape Barren
Goose and Freckled Duck link most closely with each other, the Pink-eared Duck
appears to be closely related to the true geese, the Musk Duck is a sister taxon to the
Pink-eared Duck and may be less closely related to the Oxyura than previously thought
and the Magpie Goose is the most divergent member of the Anseriformes included in
this study. The Maned Duck and the remaining native Australian anseriforms are
members of the established European genera and tribes of waterfowl. These species
probably represent a secondary radiation of recent Northern Hemisphere invaders of
Australia. Finally, the data provides some support for the theory of a Southern origin
for the Anseriformes.
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Fletcher, Rebecca, and fletcherette@hotmail com. "The child in nature." RMIT University. Education, 2006. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20070418.102156.
Full textAbstract:
There is little research on the young child's experience of the natural environment. Due to the increase in urbanisation, indoor recreation and indoor schooling many young children have become isolated from the natural environment. A love for nature and a sense of wonder in nature is being lost in the hurried childhood. This loss of access to nature impacts on the child's health and wellbeing, sense of connection and environmental literacy. This research study explores how Melbourne preschool children experience and use nature through the environments provided to them in the preschool program. The main environment is naturally the preschool play yard; however, as excursions also form part of the curriculum, the child's visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens and the Ian Potter Foundation Children's Garden forms part of this experience. Six case studies of Melburnian preschool children have been developed as a means to capture and communicate the interactions of individual children. Each of the six case studies present a child or pair of children 'in the moment,' as a snap shot of ecological learning and play behaviour and are presented as six stories, which allow the child's individual character and unique experience of nature to be expressed. Issues and behaviours evident in the children's interactions are then discussed through a framework of the seven ways of interacting in nature, which emerges from the demonstrations of these children. This information was collected using research techniques in observation; structured observations using time sampling and behaviour mapping; participating in conversations with children and collecting anecdotal observations and children's artwork. The case studies provide insight into childhood interactions with the natural environment and the levels of engagement experienced by children, with nature. The six stories, alongside topical literature, form the basis for deep discussion on the observed ways of interacting with nature.
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my, marina@umt edu, and Marina Hassan. "Parasites of native and exotic freshwater fishes in the south-west of Western Australia." Murdoch University, 2008. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20090720.141418.
Full textAbstract:
Fewer than 200 fish species are found in freshwater habitats in Australia, of which 144 are confined exclusively to freshwater. At least 22 species of exotic freshwater fish have been introduced into Australia, and 19 of these have established self-sustaining populations. However, the parasite fauna of both native and exotic freshwater fishes in Australia is poorly known. This is particularly the case in the south-west of Western Australia, where there have been no previous comprehensive studies of the parasites of 14 native species and nine or more exotic species of fish found in freshwater habitats.
This study represents a survey of the parasites of freshwater fishes in the South West Coast Drainage Division and reports 44 putative species of parasites in 1429 individual fishes of 18 different species (12 native and six exotic) from 29 locations. Parasites were found in 327 (22.88%) fishes, and of the infected fishes, 200 (61.16%) were infected with only one species of parasite and 127 (38.84%) were infected with two or more species of parasites. For helminth and arthropod parasites, which were more comprehensively surveyed than protozoan and myxozoans, I found 37 species compared to 77 species found in a recent study of fishes from the East Coast Drainage Division.
The present study demonstrated that parasitic infection was significantly more common in native fish species (mean prevalence of infection with any species of parasite = 0.36 ± 0.09) than in exotic fish species (0.01 ± 0.12). Parasites were found in all native fish species, but in only two exotic fish species that were examined. Parasite regional and component community diversity were estimated by species richness (the number of species, S) and by an index of taxonomic diversity (HT). Both parasite species richness and parasite taxonomic diversity were significantly greater in native fish species (mean S = 10.5 ± 2.3; mean HT = 1.19 ± 0.14) than in exotic fish species (mean S = 1.6 ± 3.3; mean HT = 0.27 ± 0.20). These relationships were consistent over all geographic locations that were sampled. The reduced parasite load of exotic species compared to native species has been previous reported across a wide range of taxa. It is thought to arise partly because founding populations of hosts have a low probability of harbouring the species total parasite fauna, and partly because parasites that infect introduced exotic species may not be able to maintain their life cycle in the new environment. It has been suggested that a reduced parasite load increases the competitive ability of exotic species compared to native species (the parasite release hypothesis) and this may partly explain the abundance and apparent competitive success of exotic over native species of freshwater fish in the South West Coast Drainage Division.
For native species of fish, there were major differences among species in both prevalence of parasitic infection and parasite community diversity, but this variation was not related to fish size, whether the fish were primarily freshwater or primarily estuarine, or whether they were primarily demersal or pelagic.
In this study, I report two new parasites in south western Australian waters. Both are copepod parasites; Lernaea cyprinacea and a new species of Dermoergasilus. The Dermoergasilus appears to be native to the south-west of Western Australia and has been described as Dermoergasilus westernensis. It differs from previously described species in the genus principally by the armature of the legs. This new species was found on the gills of freshwater cobbler, Tandanus bostocki and western minnow, Galaxias occidentalis in two different river systems.
Lernaea cyprinacea is an introduced parasitic copepod found on the skin and gills of freshwater fishes in many areas of the world. The parasite has not previously been reported in Western Australia. We found infestations of L. cyprinacea on four native fish species (G. occidentalis; Edelia vittata; Bostockia porosa; T. bostocki) and three introduced fish species (Carassius auratus; Gambusia holbrooki; Phalloceros caudimaculatus) at two localities in the Canning River, in the south-west of Western Australia. The parasite has the potential to have serious pathogenic effects on native fish species, although it appears to be currently localised to a small section of the Canning River.
Over all localities from which fishes were sampled in the present study, the proportion of native freshwater fishes with parasitic infections and the component community diversity of the parasite fauna of native fishes were both negatively related to habitat disturbance, in particular to a suite of factors (river regulation, loss of riparian vegetation, eutrophication and presence of exotic fish species) that indicate increased human usage of the river and surrounding environment. The reduced parasite load and diversity in native fishes from south-west rivers with greater human usage was due principally to the loss of a number of species of trematode, cestode and nematode endoparasites which use fishes as intermediate hosts. Other studies have also found that endoparasites with complex life cycles are most likely to be adversely affected by environmental changes, presumably because any environmental changes which impact on either free-living parasite stages or on any of the hosts in the complex train of parasite transmission will reduce parasite population size and may cause local extinction of the parasite species.
The most heavily infected species of native freshwater fish in the South West Coast Drainage Division was T. bostocki with 96% of all individuals containing at least one species of parasite. As with most freshwater fishes of south-west Australia, T. bostocki is limited in its distribution to waterways with relatively low salinity. The degree of parasitism and histopathology of internal and external organs in T. bostocki from the Blackwood River was examined over a period of rapid, seasonal changes in water salinity. As salinity increased, the infracommunity richness and prevalence of ectoparasites on the skin of fishes decreased, while the infracommunity richness and prevalence of endoparasites increased. This was associated with a decrease in histopathological lesion scores in the skin and an increase in histopathological lesion scores in internal organs, particularly the intestine. I hypothesise that the seasonal spike in salinity had two contrasting effects on parasitic infections of T. bostocki. Firstly, it increased the mortality rate of parasites directly exposed to water, leading to a decrease in ectoparasitic infection and associated pathology. Secondly, it suppressed immune function in fish, leading to a decreased mortality rate of parasites not directly exposed to water and a more severe pathological response to endoparasitism.
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Chua, Kui Hong, and kuihongchua@hotmail com. "Studies on Andrographis paniculata (Burm. f.) Nees (HDM 15) A Medicinal Native Plant of Brunei Darussalam." RMIT University. Health Sciences, 2007. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20080703.112512.
Full textAbstract:
Ethno botanical surveys have revealed that Brunei Darussalam has a rich source of tropical medicinal plants. As 80% of the country's land is covered by tropical rainforest, Brunei Darussalam may have some medicinal plants with unique characteristics of secondary metabolites. Some plants such as Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don and Eurycoma longifolia Jack have long been used by the local communities to treat various disease conditions. However, no research has been done in terms of the constituents or biological activities of the Brunei Darussalam medicinal plants. We have investigated the genetic variability diversity and pharmacological actions of Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees [1] also known as Daun Pahit or Chuan Xin Lian or King of Bitters by an interdisciplinary approach, involving DNA-based RAPD and RFLP analyses, HPLC-based chemical analysis as well as cell culture and tissue-based bioassays. We have demonstrated that Andrographis paniculata extr acts exhibited a range of actions including antioxidant, anti-allergies, anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer effects. Some of the pharmacological actions of Andrographis paniculata are co-related with their active constituents Andrographolide (A) and Dehydroandrographolide (D). The study is valued not only in obtaining experimental evidence for supporting traditional use of native medicinal plants but also in establishing a platform for studying other medicinal plants in Brunei Darussalam.
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Tarrant, Valerie M., and valerie tarrant@deakin edu au. "Melbourne's indigenous plants movement: The return of the natives." Deakin University. School of History, Heritage and Society, 2005. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20061207.113857.
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This thesis examines Greater Melbournes indigenous plants movement from the 1930s to the early twenty first century. It demonstrates the important scientific and educational role of the public intellectual, Professor John Turner, and of the Melbourne University Botany School which he led for thirty five years. The case study of the movement within the City of Sandringham and its successor the City of Bayside reveals how the inhabitants of an urbanised are responded to threats to the indigenous trees and wildflowers of their neighbourhood, stimulating botanists to assist them and using political means in order to achieve their conservation objectives. The thesis draws upon a range of local archives, conservation literature and private papers.
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Bunny, F. "The biology, ecology and taxonomy of Phytophthora citricola in native plant communities in Western Australia /." Access via Murdoch University Digital Theses Project, 1996. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20061122.122739.
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Bunny, Felicity J. "The biology, ecology and taxonomy of Phytophthora citricola in native plant communities in Western Australia." Murdoch University, 1996. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20061122.122739.
Full textAbstract:
The objectives of the project were to develop an understanding of the disease dynamics caused
by Phytophthora citricola in native plant communities in the south of Western Australia. Prior
to 1983, the pathogen had only been reported twice from Australian forests. Since then,
P. citricola has been extensively recorded from plant communities north and south of Perth, and
is currently the second most frequently recovered Phytophthora species from the northern jarrah
forest and the northern sandplains.
The objectives were addressed by examining the biology, ecology and taxonomy of
isolates of P. citricola local to the southwest. Examination of the intraspecific variation of
P. citricola by isozyme analysis resolved three major electrophoretic subgroups (SG), and these
were aligned with morphological and cultural variation within the species. One electrophoretic
SG was confined to forested areas. This SG differed from other SGs in sporangial dimensions,
growth rate on two media and in vitro sensitivity to phosphonate. A redescription of the species
may be warranted.
P. citricola was positively associated with two roads in the northern jarrah forest. Road
surfaces were sampled, then soil overburden was removed and the surface of the concreted
lateritic layer beneath was sampled. Isolation of P. citricola declined away from the road into the
adjacent forest and was more frequently recovered from the caprock (up to 1 metre below soil
surface) than from the soil surface. The most probable source of introduction was from infested
soil on vehicles using the roads.
Oospores were shown to be produced in two soils, a lateritic gravelly loam and sand,
and in plants. In soil, the electrophoretic SG confined to the forest (loamy soil) produced only
limited numbers of oospores in the sandy soil of the northern sandplain. The restriction of this
SG to the forested areas is probably physiological, rather than limited dispersal, with the SG
currently occupying the full extent of its range. Estimation of the relative persistence of
oospores, zoospores and plant material colonised by P. citricola established that only oospores
(either free in soil or in colonised plant material) were important in long tern survival in soil.
Oospores were still viable after six months at two field sites, and after 18 months in soil in the
laboratory.
Phosphonate is currently the most promising method of control of Phytophthora induced
disease in native plant cornmunites of the southwest. The efficacy of phosphonate against
P. citricola was examined in vivo and in vitro against two SGs. Phosphonate successfully
inhibited lesion growth of both SGs in vivo, but of only one electrophoretic subgroup in vitro.
The ecological implications of infestation of native plant communities in the southwest
of Australia are discussed.
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Fatahi, Behzad. "Modelling of influence of matric suction induced by native vegetation on sub-soil improvement." Access electronically, 2007. http://www.library.uow.edu.au/adt-NWU/public/adt-NWU20080606.123036/index.html.
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au, mlilith@iprimus com, and Maggie Peck-Yoke Lilith. "Do pet cats (Felis catus) have an impact on species richness and abundance of native mammals in low-density Western Australian suburbia?" Murdoch University, 2007. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20070316.204121.
Full textAbstract:
Cat ownership in Australia is declining compared to an increasing trend of cat ownership in the United Kingdom, United States and Europe. The decline in Australia may be linked to concerns over perceived impacts of cat predation and an associated dislike of cats. However, while there are numerous studies on feral cats and their impacts on declining native fauna, the impact of pet cats on suburban wildlife or fauna in remnant bushland is relatively unknown although there is a wide perception of risk. The primary aim of this thesis was to apply the precautionary principle to the question of the putative impact of pet cats on the abundance and diversity of small mammals in urban bushland adjacent to low-density suburbia in the City of Armadale, a municipality on the south-east fringe of Perth, Western Australia. At the time of writing, Western Australia is yet to introduce state legislation governing cat control although many local councils within the state have either implemented or are in the process of implementing cat regulations.
The precautionary principle was deemed an ideal approach to this question, because it provides a rationale for deciding on possible actions where both the potential risk to environmental values and the uncertainty about possible impacts are high. In such cases the precautionary principle requires two broad lines of action: firstly, detailed consultation with stakeholders to determine their perceptions of risk and the actions they are prepared to take to reduce it and, secondly, research to reduce uncertainty.
With regard to stakeholder consultation, local residents were surveyed in regard to their attitudes and current cat husbandry practices. A substantial proportion of respondents within this municipality believed cat regulations were necessary (75% of owners and 95% of non-owners). At least 70% of both owners and non-owners agreed with the propositions that cats not owned by licensed breeders should be desexed, local councils should restrict the maximum number of cats that can be owned on one property and that pet cats entering nature reserves are harmful to wildlife. Most (c.85%) cat owners agreed that they would license their cats if that became compulsory. Although fewer owners (c.60%) were prepared to keep their cats on their property at all times to protect wildlife, over 80% were willing to confine their cats at night if it was required. Owners seemed to be substantially motivated by the value of these measures in reducing injury to cats and facilitating the return of lost animals rather than concern over wildlife protection.
Attempts to reduce uncertainty involved (i) assessing roaming patterns of pet cats to determine the sizes of appropriate buffer zones around nature reserves, and (ii) determining species diversity, species richness and abundance of small mammals in remnant bushland adjacent to sub-divisions with varying regulations governing cat husbandry. Radio tracking results to assess cat roaming patterns showed substantial variation in home range size between cats in high density suburbia (ranged between 0.01 ha 0.64 ha) and those in low density suburbia (ranged from 0.07 ha 2.86ha). Larger home range sizes of cats in the rural areas (up to 2.9 ha) suggest buffer zones of up to 500 metres around nature reserves are needed to exclude almost all roaming cats. The abundance and species richness of small mammals were investigated in four areas of remnant bushland. Two were adjacent to subdivisions where cat ownership was unrestricted, one next to a subdivision where cat ownership was prohibited and the remaining one next to a subdivision where compulsory night curfew and bells on pet cats were enforced. No definitive evidence of predatory impact by pet cats on the small mammals was found. Mammal species diversity was not significantly different between sites and species richness and absolute abundance were not higher in sites where cats were restricted. Vegetation comparisons showed significant differences in the structure and species composition of the vegetation between most sites and the mammal species richness and abundance appeared linked to ground cover density in the various sites. This factor, not cat restrictions, appeared to be the primary determinant of species richness, species diversity and absolute numbers of small mammals in these sites.
This study in the City of Armadale has shown that the implementation of proposed cat legislation must have a whole of ecosystem approach, i.e. protecting identified remnant bushland containing biodiversity from threatening processes such as plant disease and inappropriate fire, especially arson, as well as possible predations from pet cats. Habitat restoration and protection may be more important conservation activities than regulation of cats. Regulation of cats can be done at differing levels of intensity and cost, bearing in mind that this community is receptive to regulation of some aspects of cat ownership. Community education on the values of cat confinement in regards to cat welfare might increase chances of compliance.
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Munyenyembe, F. E., and n/a. "Bird density and species richness in suburban Canberra, Australia : relationships with street vegetation, age of suburb and distance from bird source areas of native vegetation." University of Canberra. Applied Science, 1985. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20061027.115542.
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Numata, Mihoko, and n/a. "Cytochrome P450 activity and pollutant exposure in New Zealand native birds." University of Otago. School of Pharmacy, 2006. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20070504.141101.
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Birds are potentially vulnerable to the toxicity of certain environmental pollutants due to limited detoxification capabilities of their liver microsomal cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes. In wild birds, ethoxyresorufin O-deethylation (EROD) activity, a marker of CYP1A activity in mammals and domestic chickens, has been used as a biomarker of exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs) and dibenzofurans (PCDFs). The aim of the present study was to investigate hepatic CYP activity as an indication of detoxification capacity in New Zealand birds. In addition to the use of conventional in vitro CYP activity assays, the applicability of a noninvasive CYP activity assay was tested using caffeine as the in vivo substrate.
The ontogeny of liver microsomal 3-hydroxylation of quinine, a marker of human CYP3A activity, was investigated in Adelie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) from Ross Island, Antarctica. The results indicate that chicks (2-4 weeks old) possess a CYP3A-like isoform(s) as active as but not identical to the CYP3A-like isoform(s) in adults. Total CYP content was low at 2 weeks of age and increased rapidly and linearly approaching adult levels by 4 weeks of age implying a rapid development of CYPs other than the CYP3A-like isoform(s).
The main study was conducted on adult (and some post-fledging immature) birds of two native species, the herbivorous paradise shelduck (Tadorna variegata) and the omnivorous southern black-backed gull (Larus dominicanus). Birds were shot for liver collection at three sites in the South Island of New Zealand; West Coast, Lake Waipori and Dunedin landfill, in 2001-2002. The results indicate that shelducks posssess multiple CYP isoforms that independently catalyse EROD, p-nitrophenol hydroxylation (p-NP) and erythromycin demethylation (EMD), markers of mammalian CYP1A, CYP2E and CYP3A activity, respectively. In contrast, gulls appear to possess a single isoform catalysing both EROD and p-NP but possess no isoform capable of catalysing EMD.
EROD activity was high in shelducks and gulls from the landfill site, although it was not significantly associated with liver concentrations of PCBs (0.079-6.2 and 8.2-310 ng/g in shelducks and gulls, respectively), PCDD/PCDFs, toxic equivalents (TEQs) and dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (DDE) (0.85-317 and 44-4800 ng/g in shelducks and gulls, respectively) in either species. In shelduck livers from the landfill site, EROD was positively associated with Pb concentration but negatively associated with Hg concentration. Assessment of PCB congener patterns based on concentration ratios of individual congeners to the reference congener, 2,2�,4,4�,5,5�-hexachlorobiphenyl (IUPAC #153), indicate that the metabolism of 2,4,4�-trichlorobiphenyl (PCB#28) and 2,4,4�,5-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB#74) is inducible in shelducks but not in gulls. Hepatic reduced glutathione (GSH) content was higher in gulls than in shelducks suggesting greater resistance to oxidative stress in gulls.
The in vivo caffeine metabolism test as a noninvasive method to determine CYP1A activity in shelducks and gulls gave a positive outcome. The test was performed by administration of a single intraperitoneal dose of caffeine (1 mg/kg body weight) followed by blood collection at 2 and 4 h after caffeine administration for determination of the serum concentration ratio of the metabolite, paraxanthine, to caffeine (PX/CA) by HPLC. In both species, the PX/CA ratio was markedly increased by pretreatment with the model CYP1A inducer, β-naphthoflavone (BNF). BNF treatment also increased EROD activity determined after death (80-fold and 20-fold compared to controls in shelducks and gulls, respectively). However, sensitivity of the PX/CA ratio approach was lower in gulls than in shelducks due presumably to the formation of unidentified caffeine metabolites in gulls. Immunoblot analysis failed to reveal increased CYP protein levels caused by BNF treatment in shelducks and gulls due to poor cross-reactivity of avian proteins with polyclonal antibodies raised against mammalian CYPs.
EROD activity was also determined in livers of the piscivorous yellow-eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes) (1 chick, 3 post-fledging immature, 1 adult) from Otago, South Island of New Zealand, and found to be below the limit of quantitation. The adult liver contained 18.5 ng/g of total PCBs suggesting that EROD in this species is insensitive to induction. Comparison of the PCB congener pattern based on [PCBx]/[PCB#153] between the penguin and its putative source of PCB exposure, New Zealand marine fish, indicates that CYPs in yellow-eyed penguins metabolise 2,2�,5,5�-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB#52) and 2,2�,4,5,5�-pentachlorobiphenyl (PCB#101) as in many other avian species.
The findings of this study highlight substantial species differences in CYP activity in wild birds. Whether CYP expression in New Zealand birds is genetically distinct from birds in other parts of the world may warrant further investigation.
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Paini, Dean. "The impact of the European honey bee (Apis mellifera) on Australian native bees." University of Western Australia. School of Animal Biology, 2004. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2004.0022.
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The European honey bee (Apis mellifera) has been present in Australia for approximately 150 years. For the majority of that time it was assumed this species could only be of benefit to Australia‘s natural ecosystems. More recently however, researchers and conservationists have questioned this assumption. Honey bees are an introduced species and may be affecting native fauna and flora. In particular, native bees have been highlighted as an animal that may be experiencing competition from honey bees as they are of similar sizes and both species require nectar and pollen for their progeny. Most research to date has focused on indirect measures of competition between honey bees and native bees (resource overlap, visitation rates and resource harvesting). The first chapter of this thesis reviews previous research explaining that many experiments lack significant replication and indirect measures of competition cannot evaluate the impact of honey bees on native bee fecundity or survival. Chapters two and four present descriptions of nesting biology of the two native bee species studied (Hylaeus alcyoneus and an undescribed Megachile sp.). Data collected focused on native bee fecundity and included nesting season, progeny mass, number of progeny per nest, sex ratio and parasitoids. This information provided a picture of the nesting biology of these two species and assisted in determining the design of an appropriate experiment. Chapters three and five present the results of two experiments investigating the impact of honey bees on these two species of native bees in the Northern Beekeepers Nature Reserve in Western Australia. Both experiments focused on the fecundity of these native bee species in response to honey bees and also had more replication than any other previous experiment in Australia of similar design. The first experiment (Chapter three), over two seasons, investigated the impact of commercial honey bees on Hylaeus alcyoneus, a native solitary bee. The experiment was monitored every 3-4 weeks (measurement interval). However, beekeepers did not agist hives on sites simultaneously so measurement intervals were initially treated separately using ANOVA. Results showed no impact of honey bees at any measurement interval and in some cases, poor power. Data from both seasons was combined in a Wilcoxon‘s sign test and showed that honey bees had a negative impact on the number of nests completed by H. alcyoneus. The second experiment (Chapter 5) investigated the impact of feral honey bees on an undescribed Megachile species. Hive honey bees were used to simulate feral levels of honey bees in a BACI (Before/After, Control/Impact) design experiment. There was no impact detected on any fecundity variables. The sensitivity of the experiment was calculated and in three fecundity variables (male and female progeny mass and the number of progeny per nest) the experiment was sensitive enough to detect 15-30% difference between control and impact sites. The final chapter (Chapter six) makes a number of research and management recommendations in light of the research findings.
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Moiseeva, Vera. "Caractérisation de l'état oligomérique du transporteur mitochondrial ADP/ATP dans des membranes natives." Thesis, Grenoble, 2012. http://www.theses.fr/2012GRENY018.
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Le passage sélectif de molécules à travers la membrane interne des mitochondries est essentiel aux processus métaboliques des cellules eucaryotes. Cette communication cellulaire est assurée par des protéines transmembranaires de la famille des transporteurs mitochondriaux (MCF). Le transporteur ADP/ATP (AAC) est le membre le plus connu et le mieux caractérisé de cette famille. Il est responsable de l'import d'ADP dans la matrice mitochondriale et de l'export d'ATP après synthèse vers le cytosol. La structure d'AAC est connue mais plusieurs questions restent ouvertes concernant le mécanisme du transport, la sélectivité et l'état oligomérique, controversé, de la protéine. Pendant plusieurs années des études biochimiques réalisées sur la protéine solubilisée en détergent étaient en faveur d'une organisation dimérique du transporteur, mais la structure d'AAC, monomérique a remis en cause ce dogme. Afin de caractériser l'organisation oligomérique d'AAC in vivo, nous avons combiné plusieurs approches. Nous avons réalisé des expériences de FRET (Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer) directement sur des cellules mammifères ou bactériennes (E. coli) surexprimant la protéine AAC fusionnée avec des sondes FRET. En parallèle, nous avons mis au point des tests fonctionnels afin de contrôler l'état des mitochondries et l'activité du transporteur dans ces cellules. Enfin nous avons étudié la stoechiométrie de liaison de l'inhibiteur carboxyatractyloside grâce à des mesures de respiration sur des mitochondries extraites de foie de rat et placées dans différents états métaboliques. L'ensemble des résultats présentés dans ce manuscrit ont permis de montrer que 1) l'unité fonctionnelle d'AAC est monomérique 2) l'organisation structurale d'AAC dans les membranes natives dépend de l'état métabolique des mitochondries et peut être associée à des phénomènes de régulationThe transport of small molecules through the inner mitochondrial membrane is essential in eukaryotic metabolism and is selectively controlled by a family of integral membrane proteins, the Mitochondrial Carrier Family (MCF). The ADP/ATP carrier (AAC), which is responsible for the import of ADP to the matrix of mitochondria and the export of newly synthesized ATP toward the cytosol, is the best-known and characterized MCF member. Although its structure sheds light on several aspects of the carrier activity, additional investigations are still required to decipher the whole transport mechanism, to understand the specificity and to characterize the controversial oligomeric state of the protein. For many years, based on studies mainly carried on detergent solubilized AAC the general consensus has been in favor of a dimeric organization of the carrier. The AAC three-dimensional structure, monomeric, broke this dogma. In order to get a precise insight into the in vivo oligomeric organization of AAC we combined several approaches. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) measurements were performed directly on mammalian and E.coli cells expressing AAC labeled with several types of FRET probes. In parallel, different functional assays were established to control the state of the mitochondria in these cells and the transport activity of these AAC fusions. Lastly, measurements of the respiration rate coupled to the titration of the inhibitory effect of carboxyatractyloside on isolated rat liver mitochondria were used to investigate the organization of AAC in native mitochondria within two regimes of oxidative phosphorylation. Taken together the results described herein revealed that 1) AAC can function mechanistically as a monomer, 2) the organization of AAC in native membranes might be related to the state of the mitochondria and be involved in regulation
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HUNTER, Andrew, and a. hunter@ecu edu au. "Philosophical Justification and the Legal Accommodation of Indigenous Ritual Objects; an Australian Study." Edith Cowan University. Community Services, Education And Social Sciences: School Of International, Cultural And Community Studies, 2006. http://adt.ecu.edu.au/adt-public/adt-ECU2006.0029.html.
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Indigenous cultural possessions constitute a diverse global issue. This issue includes some culturally important, intangible tribal objects. This is evident in the Australian copyright cases viewed in this study, which provide examples of disputes over traditional Indigenous visual art. A proposal for the legal recognition of Indigenous cultural possessions in Australia is also reviewed, in terms of a new category of law. When such cultural objects are in an artistic form they constitute the tribe's self-presentation and its mechanism of cultural continuity. Philosophical arguments for the legal recognition of Indigenous intellectual `property' tend to assume that the value of Indigenous intellectual property is determinable on external criteria.
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Brice, Norria Marie. "The Acute Coronary Syndrome Experience among Native American Adults in Northern Arizona." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/612608.
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Diseases of the heart have been the number one cause of death in the Native American population for decades and is an adverse health disparity for this population. Heart disease mortality rates are higher in Native Americans than in the U.S. population (American Heart Association, 2015; Veazie et al., 2014). The purpose of this Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project is to describe the acute coronary syndrome (ACS) experience among Native American adults who reside in northern Arizona and diagnosed with an acute myocardial infarction .A qualitative dominant mixed methods design (QUAL→quan) was used to describe the ACS symptom experience among this population. Data was collected from a convenience sample of nine Native American men residing on the Navajo and Hopi reservations in northern Arizona diagnosed with an acute myocardial infarction. The qualitative portion of this study consisted of a semi-structured interview and the quantitative portion consisted of the completion of a demographic questionnaire and the McSweeney Acute and Prodromal Myocardial Infarction Symptom Survey. Qualitative description were used to analyze the data and develop codes, subcategories, categories and themes. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data from the demographic questionnaire and MAPMISS results. The findings in this study revealed the average age of the first heart attack for these participants was 58 years. The average time from symptom onset to hospital presentation was 7.4 hours. A common prodromal symptom was very tired/unusual fatigue. Common acute symptoms were chest pain, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal symptoms and diaphoresis. Neck/throat, generalized chest, and top of shoulders were most frequently reported areas of acute pain or discomfort. Influences to not seeking treatment included ignoring symptoms or thinking symptoms would go away. Influences to seeking treatment included worsening or non-resolution of symptoms. Accessing health care was difficult for almost all participants and contributed to treatment delay. Findings from this study gave new insight on ACS symptoms and the ACS experience of Native American men, reinforced current knowledge of the health disparities that exist in this population, and will assist in the development of culturally-sensitive, community-based education programs directed toward the Native American population.
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Oliveira, Catarina Chemetova Cravo Branco. "Valorisation of forest biomass side-streams in add value green products for horticultural industry." Doctoral thesis, ISA, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/21210.
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Doutoramento em Engenharia do Ambiente / Instituto Superior de Agronomia. Universidade de LisboaHorticulture industry uses peat as the main constituent in growing media formulations due to its ability to support efficient plant production. However, peat is a non-renewable resource at its actual extraction rate, and environmental issues associated with greenhouse gases emission from peat harvest raised peatland ecosystem conservation awareness through environmental initiatives, organizations and politics worldwide, limiting its use. There has been an increasing demand for environmentally friendly peat alternatives focused on locally available, organic and renewable materials from industrial side-streams, mainly wood-based and forest biomass. Therefore, woody raw-materials physical, chemical and biological properties are important to determinate further pre-treatment identification and choice. This work evaluates bark-based growing media suitability from non-native forest species in Mediterranean region, Acacia melanoxylon – residual biomass from invasive species control – and Eucalyptus globulus – a pulpwood industrial waste-stream. Ageing, a zero-waste treatment, allowed A. melanoxylon mature bark to effectively replace half of container medium volume as peat alternative. Low-temperature hydrothermal treatment, a faster process, enabled E. globulus bark to substitute quarter container medium volume, ensuring equal plant performance as commercial material. Both raw-materials sieve size manipulation promoted its incorporation as aeration growing media component. Given the wood-based raw-materials nature, Nitrogen amendment should be provided according to plant and cultivation system’s needs. Furthermore, by replacing the ‘end-of-life’ biomass material into new potential horticultural products, circular economy approach was applied throughout this study. Thus, A. melanoxylon juvenile bark extracts phytotoxic effect showed a promising non-synthetic and natural bio-herbicide for weed control. In response to the potential circularity of invasive species biomass resources into add-value horticultural products, the present study outcome underlines Acacia species biomass commercial valorisation as alternative management tool to support the costs of control, avoiding the potential risk of conflict between economic exploitation and negative environmental impact
N/A
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Hirsch, Robb Young, and n/a. "Kindling tikanga environmentalism : the common ground of native culture and democratic citizenship." University of Otago. Department of Geography, 1997. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20070530.150425.
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An innovative regime combining native culture and democracy in community fisheries management has crystallized in New Zealand. While researchers have looked into co-management of natural resources between communities and governments, and various studies have isolated indigenous ecologies on one hand and highlighted environmentalism in modern society on another society on another, no substantial research has gauged the opportunities for indigenous peoples and the wider citizenry of democratic-capitalistic societies to collaborate as cultures in concert with the environmental law. The primary research, involving local experimentation, concerns the viability of the novel cooperative endeavor called Taiapure-local fishery. I discovered in the principal trial communities in the North and South Islands that its design is compelling if properly understood. Yet the salience of the regime is hampered by external pressures from the commercial fishing industry, control by central government, and by internal lack of solidarity and trust. I conclude that human relationships and the leadership of local people are the keys to sucess of the New Zealand model and its wider dynamics.
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Smith, Keith I. "The commandants : the leadership of the Natal native contingent in the Anglo-Zulu war." University of Western Australia. School of Humanities, 2005. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2006.0003.
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[Truncated abstract] The senior Imperial officers who took part in the Anglo-Zulu War of 1879 are comparatively well known and their service in that brief period has been well documented, as indeed has that of many of their junior colleagues. Much less, however, is known about the officers who served as commandants of the Natal Native Contingent, although more than half of them were Imperial officers on special service duties. Most of the rest were British ex-officers who lived in South Africa, while one of the remaining two was an adventurer and mercenary. Many of them had already found service with the South African force during the Ninth Cape Border War against the Ngqika and Gcaleka which had only ended in mid-1878. According to official documents, the Natal Native Contingent initially numbered more than 8,000 native troops, in three regiments, under the command of European officers and non-commissioned officers. At the time of the invasion of Zululand in January, 1879, the contingent therefore made up about 62% of the invading force. This bald statistic, as so often, hides the true story. The thesis examines each of the commandants, and the extent to which their abilities and personalities were reflected in the performance of the native troops under their command, while at the same time revealing the evolution of the Contingent itself as an arm of the invading force under Lieutenant General Lord Chelmsford ... The haste with which the regiments were assembled, their often inhuman treatment by their officers, the minimal or non-existent training they received and the way they were armed and dressed all combined to qualify their subsequent performance in the field. A comparison of the NNC is drawn with the performances of the Native Mounted Contingent, and the men of Colonel, later Brigadier General, Evelyn Wood?s Irregulars. The conclusion of the thesis is that the commandants did indeed have a profound effect on the quality and performance of the Africans who served under them. In general, the units under serving British officers performed best, while the colonial officers did less well. The mercenary officer was almost certainly the worst, but by only a slim margin.
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Kirkham, Georgina Katharine. "Creating art or vexing nature? : ethics and the manipulation of nature, a critical study of arguments from Nature." University of Western Australia. Philosophy Discipline Group, 2008. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2008.0163.
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This dissertation comprises a series of five separate papers, arranged as chapters, linked thematically and also in their conclusions. The thematic connection between the chapters is that, in each, I investigate some aspect, either historical or contemporary, of how moral limits have been, or might be, applied to the human manipulation of nature through technology. More specifically, I explore how the concept of naturalness has been, and still is, employed in ethical arguments that seek to place limits upon or defend the use of various technologies. In each chapter, I argue that arguments which appeal to nature or naturalness as a normative concept make proper sense only when understood from the perspective of virtue ethics. The conclusions of each chapter are connected, and connected to the conclusions of the dissertation as a whole: firstly, that what I call 'arguments from nature', as they are used in debates about the moral limitations on the use of technology, are defensible only from within a virtue ethics framework; secondly, that such arguments have an important, although limited, role in such debates; and, finally, that virtue ethics more broadly can inform debates about the ethics of technology and the environment. In the first two chapters, by comparing contemporary debates over the ethics of technological manipulation of nature with historical debates over the proper relationship between art and nature, I demonstrate that virtue ethics have played, and still do play, a significant role in our ethical understanding of our relationship with the non-human world. I argue that the ethical issues that arise from our relationship with the non-human world, in response to advances in technology and to problems with the environment, indicate the need for an understanding of ethics that goes further than the mere consideration of rights and utility. In chapters three and four, I argue that virtue ethical theory provides the most promising understanding of the argument from nature as it is applied in attempts to place limits on the human manipulation of nature. In the final chapter, I explore what a modern environmental or technological virtue or vice might be. I explain and defend the environmental and technological virtue of 'living in place' and, in doing so, bring together and validate the claims made in previous chapters that the appeal to human nature does have a role as a normative guide for our ethical evaluations of how we should live and, more generally, that virtue ethical theory can be of guiding and foundational significance in an overarching ethics of the environment and technology.
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Cleary, Alison. "Keeping up with the "digital natives"." The University of Waikato, 2008. http://adt.waikato.ac.nz/public/adt-uow20080310.202344/index.html.
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Herne, Stephen Charles. "A jurisprudence of difference : the denial of full respect in the Australian law of native title." University of Western Australia. Law School, 2009. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2008.0262.
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au, Vicvang@yahoo com, and Robert Daniel Victorin-Vangerud. "Facing Nature: The Infinite in the Flesh." Murdoch University, 2006. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20061019.130930.
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This thesis explores the relation between two interpretations of chôra, drawn from a
reading of Platos Timaeus. The first I label the elemental chôra. The second, I call the
social chôra. The first chapter addresses the elements in Ionian philosophy, with an eye
toward the political and social backdrop of the important cosmological notion of
isonomia, law of equals. Here social and elemental are continuous. Chapter two looks
at the next phase of Presocratic thought, Elea, specifically Parmenides and his influence
on later thought, then turns to Heideggers reading of Parmenides through the key word
of alêtheia. Finally, I offer a reading of Parmenides through a different key word
trust. The third chapter examines Platos cosmology in the Timaeus, focusing on the
way the beginning of this dialogue inflects the dialogue in a political/social direction,
putting the social chôra in tension with the elemental chôra that the body of the
Timaeus discusses. In the fourth chapter, which examines the Phaedrus, this tension is
inverted, since this dialogue on writing and justice set in what proves to be the
mesmerizing and erotic elemental milieu of the world outside the walls of the polis.
The second half of the dissertation turns to some modern thinkers within the
phenomenological tradition or its wake who write about elementals. Chapter five
examines Gaston Bachelards reveries on imagination which dream the natural world of
fire, air, water, and earth from the standpoint of what he calls material and dynamic
imagination, concepts that imply a strong sense of embodiment. Chapter six treats
Levinas description of the elemental and fixes it in a stark relation to the human. I will
suggest some possible points of contact between the elemental and the social in
Levinas. Chapter seven turns to John Sallis analysis of the imagination as the means of
access proper to the elemental in ways that differ from Bachelard. He position the earth
as a fundamental other. I will suggest that in the end his position inherits Heideggers
lack of emphasis on embodied and needy humanity. Alphonso Lingis offers his own
unique reading of the elemental in a more Levinasian and Merleau-Pontian vein,
speaking of the directives the world, both human and natural, puts to us, and returning
to a philosophy of substance that puts the body in the picture. Chapter eight uses his
thought to focus the issue of the dissertation.
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Victorin-Vangerud, Robert Daniel. "Facing nature : the infinite in the flesh /." Access via Murdoch University Digital Theses Project, 2004. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20061019.130930.
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King, Narelle Gaye, and n/a. "Tourism Based on Reintroductions of Threatened Mammals: Achieving Positive Conservation Outcomes." Griffith University. School of Environmental and Applied Science, 2006. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20070212.113043.
Full textAbstract:
Reintroduction programs have often been used to help redress serious declines across species' former ranges, but they suffer from high expense and low success rates. Tourism is one tool that could be used to support such programs, by generating funding for the programs and the local community, and by educating tourists about reintroductions and conservation. However, if tourism is not incorporated successfully into reintroduction programs, it may not provide any advantages and may even harm the reintroduction. There is a need to find ways to ensure efforts to integrate tourism and reintroductions achieve positive conservation outcomes. This is a topic that has been little researched to date. To achieve positive conservation outcomes, the enterprises must have financial sustainability and sustainable mammal populations. This thesis investigates ways to achieve these dual goals. The international literature is reviewed to establish what can be learnt from previous reintroduction attempts to increase the likelihood of reintroductions of mammals being successful. A number of broad measures are established, including starting the enterprises by reintroducing herbivores and early breeders, preferably wild caught, and then moving to carnivores or omnivores and captive-bred animals when staff have more experience. Some new ideas are developed for experimental releases that will add to the available knowledge on how to increase the chance of successful reintroductions. Tourism enterprises based on reintroductions of threatened native mammals in Australia and South Africa are reviewed. The review shows tourism enterprises based on reintroductions make significant contributions to conservation, but enterprises in Australia need to diversify further. It also describes a number of significant obstacles that enterprises in Australia and South Africa face in achieving financial sustainability and sustainable mammal populations. It then provides recommendations for dealing with the problems, such as employing staff or consultants with knowledge of wildlife management and marketing, and allowing tourists to view wildlife only on guided tours. Finally, the review identifies ways that government bodies in Australia could better facilitate enterprises based on reintroductions, such as making endangered species available free of charge or heavily subsidised at this stage, and then later running wildlife auctions. Legislation systems applying to tourism enterprises based on mammal reintroductions in Australia and South Africa are also reviewed. The review identifies a number of shortcomings of the current Australian legislation that affects the ability of government bodies to facilitate the development of such enterprises. Certain changes to the legislation are suggested. The international literature on factors influencing tourist satisfaction is reviewed and field research at an Australian case study site described, to determine ways tourism enterprises based on reintroductions can maximise tourist satisfaction. The field research draws out a number of new lessons for satisfying tourists, including: placing supplementary food or building waterholes in grasslands and areas with sparse vegetation; providing supplementary food for some species of wildlife; and providing pamphlets with information on the wildlife. The field research also illustrates some new ideas for tests to determine which methods should be used to maximise tourist satisfaction at a specific site, such as testing whether it is better to run tours in vehicles or on foot. The published international literature on minimising impacts of tourism on wildlife is reviewed and field research at one Australian case study site and one Chinese case study site described, to determine how to minimise the negative impacts of tourists on wildlife. The field research illustrates some new ideas for tests to determine which techniques should be used to minimise the impacts of tourism on wildlife at a specific site, such as tests to determine whether it is necessary to ensure tourists remain on the path at all times. The thesis then brings all these elements together into a flow chart giving recommendations to increase the rate of success of tourism enterprises that reintroduce mammals in achieving financial sustainability and sustainable mammal populations.
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Horsnell, Tara Kathleen. "Quantifying thresholds for native vegetation to salinity and waterlogging for the design of direct conservation approaches." University of Western Australia. School of Environmental Systems Engineering, 2009. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0082.
Full textAbstract:
A field-based project was undertaken to develop and test a mechanism which would allow for the correlation of the health of vegetation surrounding playa lakes in south-west Australia with the natural variation in salinity and waterlogging that occurs spatially and temporally in natural systems. The study was designed to determine threshold ranges of vegetation communities using moderately extensive data over short temporal periods which will guide the design of potential engineering solutions that manipulate hydrological regimes to ultimately conserve and protect native vegetation. A pair of playa lake ecosystems, surrounded by primary production land, was modelled with hydro-geological data collected from March 2006 to March 2007. The data was used to determine the hydroperiods of vegetation communities fringing playa lakes and provide insight into the areas and species that are most affected by extreme rainfall events which are hypothesised to have a significant, rapid deleterious effect on the ecosystems. The methodology was multi-faceted and included; a detailed topographical survey; vegetation surveys; hydrological and hydro-geological monitoring over a 12 month period. 4 The hydro-geological data and vegetation data was linked with the topographical survey at a high resolution for spatial analysis in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to determine the degree of waterlogging experienced by vegetation communities over the monitoring period. The study has found that the spatial and temporal variability of hydroperiods has been reduced by rising groundwater levels, a result of extensive clearing of native vegetation. Consequently populations are becoming extinct locally resulting in a shift in community composition. Extreme summer rainfall events also have a significant impact on the health of vegetation communities by increasing the duration of waterlogging over an annual cycle and in some areas expanding the littoral zone. Vegetation is most degraded at lower positions in the landscape where communities are becoming less diverse and dominated by salt tolerant halophytic species as a result of altered hydrological regimes. Some species appear to be able to tolerate groundwater depths of less than 2.0 m from the surface, however there are thresholds related to the duration at which groundwater is maintained at this depth. Potential engineering solutions include groundwater pumping and diverting water through drains to maintain sustainable hydroperiods for vegetation in areas with conservation value. The effectiveness and efficiency of the engineering solutions can be maximised by quantifying thresholds for vegetation that include sustainable durations of waterlogging. The study has quantified tolerance ranges to salinity and waterlogging with data collected over 12 months but species may be experiencing a transition period where they have 5 sustained irreversible damage that will result in their eventual mortality. With long-term monitoring, the methodology developed and tested in the study can be used to quantify the long-term tolerance ranges that are important for the application of conservation approaches that include engineering solutions.
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Lee, Alex C., and alexanderlee@aapt net au. "Utilising airborne scanning laser (LiDAR) to improve the assessment of Australian native forest structure." The Australian National University. Fenner School of Environment and Society, 2008. http://thesis.anu.edu.au./public/adt-ANU20090127.222600.
Full textAbstract:
Enhanced understanding of forest stocks and dynamics can be gained through improved forest measurement, which is required to assist with sustainable forest management decisions, meet Australian and international reporting needs, and improve research efforts to better respond to a changing climate. Integrated sampling schemes that utilise a multi-scale approach, with a range of data sourced from both field and remote sensing, have been identified as a way to generate the required forest information. Given the multi-scale approach proposed by these schemes, it is important to understand how scale potentially affects the interpretation and reporting of forest from a range of data.
¶
To provide improved forest assessment at a range of scales, this research has developed a strategy for facilitating tree and stand level retrieval of structural attributes within an integrated multi-scale analysis framework. The research investigated the use of fine-scale (~1m) airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data (1,125 ha in central Queensland, and 60,000 ha in NE Victoria) to calibrate other remotely sensed data at the two study sites. The strategy refines forest structure mapping through three-dimensional (3D) modelling combined with empirical relationships, allowing improved estimation of maximum and predominant height, as well as foliage and crown cover at multiple scales. Tree stems (including those in the sub-canopy) were located using a height scaled crown openness index (HSCOI), which integrated the 3D density of canopy elements within the vertical profile into a two-dimensional spatial layer. The HSCOI modelling also facilitated the reconstruction of the 3D distribution of foliage and branches (of varying size and orientation) within the forest volume.
¶
Comparisons between forests at the Queensland and NE Victorian study sites indicated that accurate and consistent retrieval of cover and height metrics could be achieved at multiple scales, with the algorithms applicable for semi-automated use in other forests with similar structure. This information has facilitated interpretation and evaluation of Landsat imagery and ICESat satellite laser data for forest height and canopy cover retrieval. The development of a forest cover translation matrix allows a range of data and metrics to be compared at the plot scale, and has initiated the development of continuous transfer functions between the metrics and datasets. These data have been used subsequently to support interpretation of SAR data, by providing valuable input to 2D and 3D radar simulation models. Scale effects have been identified as being significant enough to influence national forest class reporting in more heterogeneous forests, thus allowing the most appropriate use and integration of remote sensed data at a range of scales. An empirically based forest minimum mapping area of 1 ha for reporting is suggested. The research has concluded that LiDAR can provide calibration information just as detailed and possibly more accurately than field measurements for many required forest attributes. Therefore the use of LiDAR data offers a unique opportunity to bridge the gap between accurate field plot structural information and stand to landscape scale sampling, to provide enhanced forest assessment in Australia.
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Anderson, Robyn Lisa, and n/a. "The decolonisation of culture, the trickster as transformer in native Canadian and Maori fiction." University of Otago. Department of English, 2003. http://adt.otago.ac.nz./public/adt-NZDU20070508.145908.
Full textAbstract:
The trickster is a powerful figure of transformation in many societies, including Native Canadian and Maori cultures. As a demi-god, the trickster has the ability to assume the shape of a variety of animals and humans, but is typically associated with one particular form. In Native Canadian tribes, the trickster is identified as an animal and can range from a Raven to a Coyote, depending on the tribal mythologies from which he/she is derived. In Maori culture, Maui is the trickster figure and is conceptualised as a human male. In this thesis, I discuss how the traditional trickster is contexualised in the contemporary texts of both Native Canadian and Maori writers. Thomas King, Lee Maracle, Witi Ihimaera, and Patricia Grace all use the trickster figure, and the tricksterish strategies of creation/destruction, pedagogy, and humour to facilitate the decolonisation of culture within the textual realms of their novels. The trickster enables the destruction of stereotyped representations of colonised peoples and the creation of revised portrayals of these communities from an indigenous perspective. These recreated realities aid in teaching indigenous communities the strengths inherent in their cultural traditions, and foreground the use of comedy as an effective pedagogical device and subversive weapon. Although the use of trickster is considerable in both Maori and Native Canadian texts, it tends to be more explicit in the latter. A number of possibilities for these differences are considered.
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Mason, Tanya J. "Impacts of plant invaders and management techniques on native communities ecological and social perspectives at regional and global levels /." Access electronically, 2006. http://www.library.uow.edu.au/adt-NWU/public/adt-NWU20070313.162425/index.html.
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Worth, David John. "Reconciliation in the forest? : an exploration of the conflict over the logging of native forests in the south west of Western Australia." Murdoch University, 2004. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20040804.161830.
Full textAbstract:
Over the past 30 years in Western Australia (WA), there has been a heated debate about the future use of the remaining temperate old-growth forests of karri and jarrah in the south-west of the State. This debate revolved around policy proposals from two social movements: one social movement wanted to preserve as much of the remaining old-growth forests as possible, and an opposing social movement supported a continued sustainable logging of the forests for hardwood products. This research project undertook a comparative case study analysis of Australia (TCA) on the pro-logging side and Liberals For Forests (LFF) on the anti-logging side. It drew on a macro-level European theoretical approach (New Social Movement theory) and a US organizational approach (Resource Mobilisation Theory). The study also investigated the extent to which these two social movement organisations (SMOs) had been effective in
Over the past 30 years in Western Australia (WA), there has been a heated debate about the future use of the remaining temperate old-growth forests of karri and jarrah in the south-west of the State. This debate revolved around policy proposals from two social movements: one social movement wanted to preserve as much of the remaining old-growth forests as possible, and an opposing social movement supported a continued sustainable logging of the forests for hardwood products. This research project undertook a comparative case study
analysis of one WA organisation from each of these two social movements- Timber Communities Australia (TCA) on the pro-logging side and Liberals For Forests (LFF) on the anti-logging side. It drew on a macro-level European theoretical approach (New Social Movement theory) and a US organizational approach (Resource Mobilisation Theory). The study also investigated the extent to which these two social movement organisations (SMOs) had been effective in influencing the development of State forest policy. For this purpose Schumakers (1975) framework for judging the political effectiveness of social movements was used. The key research problem investigated in this thesis is why these two SMOs continued to debate the forest policy issue after more than 30 years of public controversy?
Interviews with a key range of stakeholders were the key research method of this study. Additionally, an investigation into important economic and social changes in the south west was undertaken using census and other data between 1971 and 2001 and this was supported by an historical analysis of the timber industry in WAs south west. Finally, a 3-year study of the reporting of forest issues by two local and one national newspaper was completed. The 1998-2000 period was chosen for the newspaper analysis as this was when the new Regional Forest Agreement was being finalised.
This research shows that new values toward the old-growth forests developed among the WA public over the past 30 years and this has created an unbridgeable policy gap between those such as the TCA who wanted the past policies to continue and those such as the LFF who wanted to preserve the remaining native forests. ABS data confirm that the south-west region of WA changed dramatically between 1970 and 2000 as the wine and tourism industries developed and that these changes were different to those occurring in the other wine regions and non-city areas of Australia. As the population increased in this region, a key segment attracted by these new employment opportunities were middle class, well-educated people with new values toward the natural environment.
The interview and newspaper article data clearly showed that the debate in WA in the late 1990s over the proposed RFA provided a new political opportunity for the anti-logging movement to raise their concerns and to establish a renewed public debate about the appropriateness of the WA forest policies. This came at a time when the traditional policy power of the timber industry stakeholders and the government department in charge of the forests (Conservation And Land Management) had been dramatically diminished. The combination of these factors led to the election of the new ALP government and the introduction of a new, non-logging policy for WAs old-growth native forests.
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Luyen, Pham Phuong, and n/a. "An investigation of the difficulties experienced by non-native speakers of English in academic listening." University of Canberra. Education, 1991. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060818.163103.
Full textAbstract:
For many students, listening to academic lectures is one of
the hardest listening skills (Lebauer, 1988). There are various
possible reasons for this: the jargon and specialised words of
the field that are used; also the language that is used is often
at a more formal level; the lecture situation which is unidirectional
with the listener having little role to play, and no
control of the oral message; the expectations that the listener
is assumed to have in listening to lectures which depends on
many factors such as attitude, motivation, linguistic
knowledge and world experience.
Trying to find an answer to where difficulties lie is the
purpose of this study, with the focus on the type of problems
that post-graduate non-native students of English might have
had during their study in a native English academic
environment.
Chapter one presents the purpose and significance of
study, and deals with a few problems in the history of the
teaching of listening in Vietnam.
Chapter two looks at the different developments in
understanding the listening processes in general and listening
to lectures in particular.
Chapter three studies difficulties that non-native
speakers of English may face in lecture listening.
Chapter four mentions some of the recommendations that
the study implies.
47
Finnane, Gabrielle. "Second nature : artifice and history in film /." View thesis View thesis, 1996. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20030909.115616/index.html.
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Pehcevski, Jovan, and jovanp@cs rmit edu au. "Evaluation of Effective XML Information Retrieval." RMIT University. Computer Science and Information Technology, 2007. http://adt.lib.rmit.edu.au/adt/public/adt-VIT20080104.142709.
Full textAbstract:
XML is being adopted as a common storage format in scientific data repositories, digital libraries, and on the World Wide Web. Accordingly, there is a need for content-oriented XML retrieval systems that can efficiently and effectively store, search and retrieve information from XML document collections. Unlike traditional information retrieval systems where whole documents are usually indexed and retrieved as information units, XML retrieval systems typically index and retrieve document components of varying granularity. To evaluate the effectiveness of such systems, test collections where relevance assessments are provided according to an XML-specific definition of relevance are necessary. Such test collections have been built during four rounds of the INitiative for the Evaluation of XML Retrieval (INEX). There are many different approaches to XML retrieval; most approaches either extend full-text information retrieval systems to handle XML retrieval, or use database technologies that incorporate existing XML standards to handle both XML presentation and retrieval. We present a hybrid approach to XML retrieval that combines text information retrieval features with XML-specific features found in a native XML database. Results from our experiments on the INEX 2003 and 2004 test collections demonstrate the usefulness of applying our hybrid approach to different XML retrieval tasks. A realistic definition of relevance is necessary for meaningful comparison of alternative XML retrieval approaches. The three relevance definitions used by INEX since 2002 comprise two relevance dimensions, each based on topical relevance. We perform an extensive analysis of the two INEX 2004 and 2005 relevance definitions, and show that assessors and users find them difficult to understand. We propose a new definition of relevance for XML retrieval, and demonstrate that a relevance scale based on this definition is useful for XML retrieval experiments. Finding the appropriate approach to evaluate XML retrieval effectiveness is the subject of ongoing debate within the XML information retrieval research community. We present an overview of the evaluation methodologies implemented in the current INEX metrics, which reveals that the metrics follow different assumptions and measure different XML retrieval behaviours. We propose a new evaluation metric for XML retrieval and conduct an extensive analysis of the retrieval performance of simulated runs to show what is measured. We compare the evaluation behaviour obtained with the new metric to the behaviours obtained with two of the official INEX 2005 metrics, and demonstrate that the new metric can be used to reliably evaluate XML retrieval effectiveness. To analyse the effectiveness of XML retrieval in different application scenarios, we use evaluation measures in our new metric to investigate the behaviour of XML retrieval approaches under the following two scenarios: the ad-hoc retrieval scenario, exploring the activities carried out as part of the INEX 2005 Ad-hoc track; and the multimedia retrieval scenario, exploring the activities carried out as part of the INEX 2005 Multimedia track. For both application scenarios we show that, although different values for retrieval parameters are needed to achieve the optimal performance, the desired textual or multimedia information can be effectively located using a combination of XML retrieval approaches.
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Barratt, David, and n/a. "Movement patterns and prey habits of house cats felis catus (l.) in Canberra, Australia." University of Canberra. Resource, Environmental & Heritage Sciences, 1995. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060607.160345.
Full textAbstract:
House cat movements in Canberra suburbs adjacent to grassland and forest/woodland
areas were examined using radio-telemetry over 9 months. Information on the
composition of vertebrate prey caught by house cats in Canberra was also collected by
recording prey items deposited at cat owners' residences over 12 months.
Home range areas of 10 suburban house cats, and a colony of seven farm cats, were
examined using 95% convex polygons. Nocturnal home range areas of the suburban
cats varied between 0.02 and 27.93 ha (mean 7.89 ha), and were larger than diurnal
home range areas (range 0.02 to 17.19 ha - mean 2.73 ha). Nocturnal home range areas
of cats from the farm cat colony varied between 1.38 and 4.46 ha (mean 2.54 ha), and
were also larger than diurnal home range areas (range 0.77 to 3.70 ha - mean 1.70 ha).
Activity levels were greater at night than during the day, though diel activity patterns
varied seasonally in response to ambient temperature. Four suburban house cats moved
between 390 m and 900 m into habitat adjoining the suburb. Movements further than
100-200 m from the suburb edge were always made at night. Polygons describing the
home ranges of these animals were strongly spatially biased away from the suburban
environment, though the cats spent the majority of their time within the bounds of the
suburb.
In addition to nocturnal and diurnal effects, home range areas, and subsequently habitat
utilisation, appeared primarily determined by the density and spatial distribution of cats
utilising separate food resources, and the dominance of individual cats in local social
hierarchies, rather than gender or neutering effects. Home ranges of cats in the farm cat
colony overlapped extensively, as did those of cats living at the same suburban
residence. There was little or no overlap between the home ranges of cats from different
residences. Barriers, in the form of busy roads, appeared to also significantly influence
home range size and shape.
Within home range areas, house cat movements during the day appeared strongly
influenced by available cover (drains, tall grass, fences and shrubs etc.), and the location
of resting/sunning spots and hunting sites close to home. At night, movement patterns
appeared influenced by the location of favoured hunting sites toward the outer edges of
home range areas (in this study, tall grass and scrub/forest habitat, and farm buildings).
Nineteen hundred and sixty one prey items representing 67 species were reported or
collected. Sixty-four percent of the prey items were introduced mammals, with native
birds comprising 14%, introduced birds 10%, unidentified birds 3%, reptiles 7%,
amphibians 1% and native mammals 1%. Predation appeared to be largely
opportunistic with respect to spatial and temporal (daily and seasonal) prey availability
and accessibility. All amphibians and 62% of mammals taken by cats not confined at
night, were caught at night. In contrast, 70% of birds caught, and 90% of reptiles, were
taken during the day (45% of birds between 0600 h and 1200 h, and 61% of reptiles
between 1200 h and 1800 h). There was some evidence that small mammals are
preferred prey of house cats.
The mean number of prey items reported per cat over 12 months - 10.2 � 2.66 (2SE,
n=138) - was significantly lower than mean predation per cat per year - 23.3 � 6.16
(2SE, n=138) - estimated by cat owners before the prey survey began. Seventy percent
of cats were observed to catch less than 10 prey items over 12 months, but for 6% of
cats, more than 50 prey items were recorded. Because counts of the amount of prey
caught per house cat per unit time were highly positively skewed, data assumptions and
statistical parameters used to extrapolate results from the study sample of cats, to the
house cat population of Canberra, had a significant effect on estimates of total predation
in Canberra. The precision of the total predation estimate was low (± 25%), from a
sample of 0.3% of the Canberra house cat population. The accuracy of such estimates
are dependent on how representative the study cat sample is of the wider house cat
population, and on the proportion of prey items not observed by cat owners.
The total amount of prey taken was not significantly influenced by cat gender, age when
desexed, or cat breed. Nor did belling or the number of meals provided per day have a
significant influence on predatory efficiency. Cat age and the proportion of nights spent
outside explained approximately 11 % of the variation in the amount of prey caught by
individual cats. House cat density and distance to prey source areas (rural/grassland
habitat) explained 43% of variation in predation on introduced mammals and birds.
The impact of predation beyond suburb edges is likely to be most significant on
populations of small to medium sized arboreal and ground-dwelling mammals, because
of their nocturnal nature, and because they appear to be preferred prey types of house
cats. Impacts on diurnally active prey, such as most birds and reptiles, are likely to be
confined to within 200 m of residential housing (possibly further where good cover is
available). Properly enforced nocturnal confinement should restrict the range sizes of
cats that roam widely and utilisation of habitat beyond suburb edges, and also reduce
predation on mammals and amphibians. Night-time curfews however, are unlikely to
greatly reduce predation on diurnally active species, including most birds and reptiles.
Curfews are currently neither widely adopted nor effectively practiced in Canberra.
Estimates of predation by house cats, particularly extrapolated estimates, should be
treated with caution. They do not necessarily reflect relative impacts on different prey
types. Nor do high rates of predation prove prey populations are detrimentally effected,
particularly in urban environments. Nonetheless, on a small (backyard) scale in
suburban environments, and in habitat within 1 km of residential housing, including
isolated private properties, predation by individual cats may threaten populations of
native wildlife. Hunting by house cats is particularly undesirable in relatively
undisturbed habitat because of fundamental differences in the ecological processes
operating in these areas (especially isolated remnants) compared with contrived and
modified suburban environments. Adverse impacts on native fauna will always be
potentially greatest in undisturbed habitat adjacent to new residential developments
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Jay, Grace Mairi McIntyre. "Symbolic order and material agency a cultural ecology of native forest remnants on Waikato dairy farms /." Connect to this title online, 2004. http://adt.waikato.ac.nz/public/adt-uow20060125.120921/.
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