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1
Kabii, Thomas I. "Influences on the uptake of covenant mechanisms for nature conservation on private lands in Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2004. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/769.
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Globally management agreements have emerged as more effective in assuring long-term nature conservation on private land, than regulatory mechanisms alone. Restrictive permanent covenants in particular, which are legally binding management agreements in perpetuity, have been adopted in most States and Territories in Australia. However, there is reluctance among landholders to take them up. Sound understanding of the factors that influence the decisions of landholders regarding the uptake of permanent covenants is important in planning and strategizing for increased covenant uptake. The aim of this thesis is to further this understanding and to support the design of a coordinated covenant mechanism for nature conservation on private lands in Australia. This thesis postulated that the decision of landholders regarding the uptake of permanent covenants could be explained within the theoretical framework of landholders’ adoption of land and agricultural conservation practices and technologies. Three self-administered questionnaires were employed in this study through mail surveys on three groups of landholders in two Australian States (Victoria and Western Australia): one for permanent covenant holders, another for fixed-term agreement and fixed-term covenant holders in Victoria and Western Australia respectively, and another for non-holders of covenant or agreement holders in both States. Data, both qualitative and quantitative were collected on demographics, social-economics, landholders’ attitudes, and property characteristics. The data analysis included frequency distributions and proportions, analysis of variance, multivariate regression path analysis, and content analysis of written views of landholders on incentives and disincentives for covenant uptake. Landholders’ decisions regarding uptake of a permanent covenant are influenced directly, and/or indirectly by several interactive factors categorised into five non-mutually exclusive constructs: landholders’ confidence in permanent covenant mechanisms, nature conservation ethic, outlook on property rights, level of economic dependence o the property, and nature conservation equity. In both States, there is lack of comprehensive knowledge about permanent covenant, leading to negative perceptions about the purpose, intentions, and ability of permanent covenants to deliver the desired outcomes, and these affect landholders’ confidence in permanent covenants. In addition, misconceptions and misunderstanding abound on the rights attached to private property and the relationship between these rights and permanent covenants. Furthermore, policy measures to compensate for loss of landholders perceived property rights are likely to induce relatively similar measure of response to permanent covenant uptake among all landholder categories. There is a need for clarification of the allotment of property rights over biological resources that have a public good on private property among the different claimants. Voluntary uptake of management agreements mostly attracts the landholders who are least economically dependent on their property and those who have a high conservation ethic and appreciation of conservation values on their property. The presence of the economic dependent category of landholders justifies the use of financial incentives to motivate their uptake of permanent covenants. Recent amendments to the taxation law to address loss in land value are likely to have disproportionate magnitude of impact of conservation policy on different landholder groups, confirming the need for a pre-implementation policy impact assessment on the relevant landholder groups. There is risk of comprehensive policy framework for nature conservation on private land to address the complex issues that affect private conservation efforts. Development of incentive measures that ensure sustained motivation to conserve nature and a gradual shift from compensatory approaches to stewardship support measures are necessary. In views of the trans-generation and transferability of land, programs that promote a nature conservation ethic need to move beyond current landowners to potential future ones. Extension programs can address perceived disadvantages to, and losses to be incurred by landholders caused by, taking up a permanent covenant. Extension programs and policies that clarify the connection between biodiversity on private land, landowners’ goals and aspirations, and the link between human wellbeing and the healthy maintenance of the environment can encourage a value and ethic for nature conservation and in turn motivate the uptake of permanent covenants and land stewardship. Clarification to landholders of the importance of the biodiversity on a specific property to the overall regional and national biodiversity plans and needs, and the importance and value of a specific landholder’s contribution to conserving biodiversity are necessary to motivate the uptake of permanent covenants.
2
Pouliquen-Young, Odile. "The role of science in the nature conservation policies of Western Australia." Thesis, Pouliquen-Young, Odile (1995) The role of science in the nature conservation policies of Western Australia. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 1995. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/51161/.
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The thesis examines the role that conservation science and scientists have played and should play in the development of the nature conservation strategies of the State of Western Australia. The first part of the thesis is devoted to an historical analysis of the main conservation strategy in place in the State: the creation of nature conservation reserves. It is noted that the reserve selection process, from the 1950s onwards, was greatly influenced by the outstanding contribution of a few conservation scientists. These personalities were instrumental in the development of a scientifically-based system of reserves for the State. However, the government's belated response to pressures of economic development, and their worthless land approach to reserve creation together mean that the scientifically-based selection criteria have been compromised by social and political considerations. The conservation-through-reserve strategy has thus been an opportunistic process which has led to the creation of a large but disjunct system of reserves, and which has not halted the loss of biodiversity. The strategy has also resulted in the creation of a centralised administrative organisation to try to manage this vast system of reserves, within which conservation research has been internalised. Three case studies reveal in more detail how the social and scientific frameworks of reserve creation have become more complex and their assumptions more politically contested.
Given the limits of the conservation-through-reserve strategy in contributing to the conservation of biodiversity, the second part of the thesis focuses on the design of a relevant conservation science which would address the concept of ecologically sustainable development. Conservation biology provides a strong internal knowledge structure, especially when it enlarges its traditional interests in population and community processes to the scale of the landscape. Among the ethical frameworks which seek to value nature, the land ethic provides a clear ethical basis in which to ground a conservation practice drawing from the concept of sustainable development. Finally, conservation biology needs to develop a sound political ethos, and in particular it needs to direct some of its efforts into the development of community science, rather than relying solely on a traditional scientific framework.
3
Duxbury, M. L. "Implementing a relational worldview : Watershed Torbay, Western Australia - connecting community and place /." Access via Murdoch University Digital Theses Project, 2007. http://wwwlib.murdoch.edu.au/adt/browse/view/adt-MU20080617.132132.
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4
Douglas, Steven Murray, and u4093670@alumni anu edu au. "Is 'green' religion the solution to the ecological crisis? A case study of mainstream religion in Australia." The Australian National University. Fenner School of Environment and Society, 2008. http://thesis.anu.edu.au./public/adt-ANU20091111.144835.
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A significant and growing number of authors and commentators have proposed that ecologically enlightened (greened) religion is the solution or at least a major part of the solution to the global ecological crisis. These include Birch, 1965 p90; Brindle, 2000; Callicott, 1994; Gardner, 2002, 2003, 2006; Gore Jr., 1992; Gottlieb, 2006, 2007; Hallman, 2000; Hamilton, 2006b, a, 2007b; Hessel & Ruether, 2000b; Hitchcock, 1999; King, 2002; Lerner, 2006a; McDonagh, 1987; McFague, 2001; McKenzie, 2005; Nasr, 1996; Oelschlaeger, 1994; Palmer, 1992; Randers, 1972; Tucker & Grim, 2000; and White Jr., 1967. Proponents offer a variety of reasons for this view, including that the majority of the worlds and many nations people identify themselves as religious, and that there is a large amount of land and infrastructure controlled by religious organisations worldwide. However, the most important reason is that religion is said to have one or more exceptional qualities that can drive and sustain dramatic personal and societal change. The underlying or sometimes overt suggestion is that as the ecological crisis is ultimately a moral crisis, religion is best placed to address the problem at its root.
¶
Proponents of the above views are often religious, though there are many who are not. Many proponents are from the USA and write in the context of the powerful role of religion in that country. Others write in a global context. Very few write from or about the Australian context where the role of religion in society is variously argued to be virtually non-existent, soon to be non-existent, or conversely, profound but covert.
¶
This thesis tests the proposition that religion is the solution to the ecological crisis. It does this using a case study of mainstream religion in Australia, represented by the Catholic, Anglican, and Uniting Churches. The Churches ecological policies and practices are analysed to determine the extent to which these denominations are fulfilling, or might be able to fulfil, the proposition. The primary research method is an Internet-based search for policy and praxis material. The methodology is Critical Human Ecology.
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The research finds that: the greening of these denominations is evident; it is a recent phenomenon in the older Churches; there is a growing wealth of environmentalist sentiment and ecological policy being produced; but little institutional praxis has occurred. Despite the often-strong rhetoric, there is no evidence to suggest that ecological concerns, even linked to broader social concerns (termed ecojustice) are core business for the Churches as institutions. Conventional institutional and anthropocentric welfare concerns remain dominant.
¶
Overall, the three Churches struggle with organisational, demographic, and cultural problems that impede their ability to convert their official ecological concerns into institutional praxis. Despite these problems, there are some outstanding examples of ecological policy and praxis in institutional and non-institutional forms that at least match those seen in mainstream secular society.
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I conclude that in Australia, mainstream religion is a limited part of the solution to the ecological crisis. It is not the solution to the crisis, at least not in its present institutional form. Institutional Christianity is in decline in Australia and is being replaced by non-institutional Christianity, other religions and non-religious spiritualities (Tacey, 2000, 2003; Bouma, 2006; Tacey, 2007). The ecological crisis is a moral crisis, but in Australia, morality is increasingly outside the domain of institutional religion. The growth of the non-institutional religious and the spiritual but not religious demographic may, if ecologically informed, offer more of a contribution to addressing the ecological crisis in future. This may occur in combination with some of the more progressive movements seen at the periphery of institutional Christianity such as the eco-ministry of Rev. Dr. Jason John in Adelaide, and the Creation Spirituality taught, advocated and practiced by the Mercy Sisters Earth Link project in Queensland.
5
Reeve, Martin. "Fragmented landscape and fragmented law : threatened species management in South Australia /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1998. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envr331.pdf.
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6
Noack, Denise Helen. "The contribution of heritage agreements to conservation in the Murray Mallee of South Australia /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1991. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envn739.pdf.
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7
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.
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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.
8
Hogarth, Jane T. "The politics of World Heritage listing in South Australia /." Title page, table of contents and summary only, 1990. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envH715.pdf.
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9
Kenna, Rebekah E. "Establishment of ecological functions in transplanted meadows of the seagrass Posidonia australis." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2008. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/182.
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Seagrass restoration programmes are becoming increasingly important in helping to maintain the biodiversity of coastal systems in many parts of the world, due to large areas of seagrass being lost over the last 50 years. The success of any restoration programme should ultimately be based on transplanted seagrass meadows acting in a similur ecological manner as the meadows they are replacing. However, success has generally been measured by examining survivorship and increases in physical structure of transplanted meadows. Few programmes have incorporated other ecological functions in establishing goals and objectives. The purpose of this research was to determine how ecological functions establish in transplanted Posidonia australis meadows of Oyster Harbour, Western Australia, and to determine how transplanting factors (e.g. planting density, patch size and patch shape) may influence these processes. The study has also determined whether monitoring the return of structural variables of seagrass represents the establishment of ecological functions, or whether monitoring ecological functions is required in determining the overall success of a restoration programme.
10
Brazenor, Clare. "The spatial dimensions of Native Title." Connect to thesis, 2000. http://eprints.unimelb.edu.au/archive/00001050.
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11
Hogan, Anthony David. "Australia's native forest and rainforest timber usage and the plantation strategy alternative /." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 1992. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envh714.pdf.
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12
Lilith, Maggie. "Do pet cats (Felis catus) have an impact on species richness and abundance of native mammals in low-density Western Australian suburbia?" Thesis, Lilith, Maggie (2007) Do pet cats (Felis catus) have an impact on species richness and abundance of native mammals in low-density Western Australian suburbia? PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2007. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/158/.
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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.
13
Lilith, Maggie. "Do pet cats (Felis catus) have an impact on species richness and abundance of native mammals in low-density Western Australian suburbia?" Lilith, Maggie (2007) Do pet cats (Felis catus) have an impact on species richness and abundance of native mammals in low-density Western Australian suburbia? PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2007. http://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/158/.
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.
14
Cranwell, Caresse. "Women, environments and spirituality : a study of women in the Australian environment movement." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1991. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envc891.pdf.
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Stenhouse, Renae N. "Ecology and management of bushland in Australian cities." University of Western Australia. School of Earth and Geographical Sciences, 2005. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2005.0027.
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[Truncated abstract] Native vegetation (bushland) in urban areas remains in small, isolated patches embedded within a matrix of human-dominated land uses. Bushlands in urban areas have high biodiversity conservation and social values, and there has been a local-level movement towards protecting and managing urban bushlands in Australia. This thesis aims to test principles, theories and concepts relating to the ecology and management of bushland fragments in Australian cities ... A commonly used qualitative scale was compared with an ecologically based, quantitative technique developed in the research. The qualitative scale was found to be a reliable proxy for assessing vegetation condition, while also being more user-friendly for community groups and other bushland managers. The human-caused disturbances and weed cover in urban bushlands indicate a need for management intervention. Local government has an important role in local biodiversity management, yet there has been little research on this topic ... Positive partnerships developed where local governments have taken a ‘contract model’ approach to volunteer coordination, have a number of expectations of volunteer groups, and provide the groups with relatively high level of assistance. Also important is a local government that supports, respects, trusts and communicates with the community group, and recognises volunteers’ skills, knowledge and contributions. With increased resources allocated to local government bushland management and conservation, and coordination with community groups, the full potential of local bushland management would be realised.
16
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." Thesis, Worth, David John (2004) Reconciliation in the forest?: an exploration of the conflict over the logging of native forests in the south west of Western Australia. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2004. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/415/.
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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 Schumaker's (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 WA's 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 WA's old-growth native forests.
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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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Smith, Bruce Lindsay. "Conservation on farmland : an examination of the operation of the Heritage Agreement Scheme and the Native Vegetation Management Act in South Australia." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1990. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envs643.pdf.
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Heliyanto, Bambang. "The ecological genetic consequences of local endemism and natural population fragmentation in Banksia ilicifolia (Proteaceae)." University of Western Australia. School of Plant Biology, 2006. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2006.0123.
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[Truncated abstract] The species-rich Southwest Australian Floristic Region (SAFR) is a global biodiversity hotspot. Characterised by a Mediterranean-type climate and nutrient deficient landscape, this region is endowed with 7380 native vascular plant species/sub species, of which 49% are endemic and 2500 are of conservation concern. Despite the global significance of this region, there is still only a poor understanding of the factors influencing high diversity and endemism, and especially the population genetic consequences of narrow endemism and naturally fragmented species distribution. Holly leaved banksia (Banksia ilicifolia R. Br.), although widespread through Southwest Western Australia (SWWA), has a naturally fragmented distribution, with generally small populations restricted to swales and wetland fringes with depth to groundwater less than 10 m. As such, it provides an excellent model to better understand the ecological genetic consequences of local endemism, population size and natural population fragmentation . . . Products of wide outcrossing (over 30 km) showed a heterosis effect over local outcrossing, indicating increased ecological amplitude of offspring following interpopulation mating. These results suggest that the breeding and mating biology of B. ilicifolia counters the negative genetic erosion effects of narrow ecological amplitude and small population size. Recent habitat fragmentation, and reductions in population size and increased isolation, is impacting on these processes, but further research is required to assess the ultimate consequences of these genetic effects for population viability.
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Nugent, Monica School of Science & Technology Studies UNSW. "Nature's women: ecofeminist reflections on Jabiluka." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Science & Technology Studies, 2002. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/20331.
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Environmentalists see the protest against the Jabiluka uranium mine in Australia's Northern Territory as an example of positive green-black relations. The formation of an alliance between Aboriginal owners and greens to protest against the mine resulted in a lengthy campaign that included maintaining a camp near the leasesite and organising a long series of mass protest actions in a remote location over an extended period from March to October 1998. However, some tensions between greens and the traditional Aboriginal owners became evident as the campaign went on. This thesis traces the origins of these tensions to past conflicts between environmentalists and Aboriginal people and shows that they are largely related to their conflicting perceptions of the environment. Those perceptions arise from different knowledge systems and are encapsulated in the terms 'wilderness' and 'country', used to describe the physical world by environmentalists and Aboriginal owners respectively. I discuss the attitudes towards the environment that accompany those perceptions and consider the way they were manifest in some of the tensions that arose at Jabiluka. The close relationship between influential strands of environmentalism and Western science is a related source of conflict. My analysis of that relationship shows that environmentalism, via 'green science' is more closely aligned with the developmentalist worldview than the Aboriginal worldview. The thesis is an analytical reflection upon the Jabiluka Protesters' Camp based on the personal experience I gained from my fieldwork there and informed by the literature of feminism, ecofeminism, social constructionism and anthropology. I discuss the manifestations of ecofeminism I observed at Jabiluka. I argue that the Jabiluka Protesters' Camp functioned successfully because it utilised ecofeminist principles and practices, that as a consequence the relationship between greens and blacks has been strengthened and therefore that ecofeminism can continue to have a positive effect on those relations in the future.
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Chapman, Kelly J. "Outcomes of a participatory approach to interpretive planning in the Shark Bay World Heritage area, Western Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2004. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/813.
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This thesis examines a participatory approach to interpretive planning, employed in the Shark Bay World Heritage Area, Western Australia. At the project outset relations between the conservation agency responsible for administering World Heritage and the local community were strained, and complicated by a history of conflict over the World Heritage listing and subsequent management of the area. A participatory approach to interpretive planning was adopted in the hope that doing so would achieve the following: improved relations between polarised stakeholder groups, increased community support for the plan and its implementation, and improved access to the variety of knowledge pools within the Shark Bay community. Effectively ongoing and integrating the interests of the area's polarised stakeholders meant that their social, political, organisational and disciplinary divisions had to be overcome. To do this, a novel participatory interpretive planning method was developed using action research. This method employed a combination of techniques, including a modified Delphi Technique based on indepth interviews, key informants, and direct prolonged emersion of the researcher in the community. The practical results of the project were the production of a stakeholder-derived communications strategy and interpretive plan for the World Heritage Area. These products embodied the collective social, cultural, economic and environmental interests of Shark Bay stakeholders, and included agreed-upon objectives, messages, stories for representing Shark Bar to the outside world. The participatory planning process also resulted in a number of instrumental and transformative outcomes including: surfacing of latent community issues, quieting of dominant rhetoric, identification of common values among stakeholders, collection of knowledge from multiple sources and contexts, equalisation of power between community segments, empowerment of marginalised community members, creation of social capital, and generation of support and commitment to plan implementation. In addition, the study demonstrated that participatory processes are vulnerable to cooption and manipulation by powerful stakeholders, and that the success of such processes relies more on the creation of trusting relationships (i.e. social capital) between stakeholders and facilitators than on the application of formulaic group techniques used to garner public input. With respect to interpretive planning, this project showed how a participatory approach to interpretive planning can be used as an ethical means to develop multiple narratives for interpretation that are just and legitimate representations of the community’s interests and stories. Other implications of this project, particularly in relation to the creation of social capital and horizontal and vertical relationships between community and agency groups, indicate that participatory interpretive planning can be used as an intervention in situations where conservation initiatives have resulted in conflict with local communities. Positive change is achieved through the creation of a common platform of values, mutual understanding and knowledge, from which further dialogue and reciprocal cooperation can take place. The evidence presented suggest that the stakeholder-centred approach to interpretive planning used in Shark Bay may form a useful basis for collaborative environmental management in a range of contexts and landscapes where new conservation initiatives are being contemplated. Lessons learned through application of this novel approach to interpretive planning may prove useful to interpretive professionals, environmental managers, governments and businesses attempting cross-disciplinary integration of multiple stakeholder interests.
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Fache, Élodie. "Impérialisme écologique ou développement ? : Les acteurs de la gestion des ressources naturelles à Ngukurr en Australie." Thesis, Aix-Marseille, 2013. http://www.theses.fr/2013AIXM3037.
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En Australie du Nord, une nouvelle catégorie d'acteurs sociaux aborigènes a émergé dans les années 1990 : les « rangers ». Fondés sur la professionnalisation et la formalisation de responsabilités « traditionnelles » envers la terre et la mer, leurs emplois et programmes sont présentés comme des mécanismes de « gestion des ressources naturelles » et de conservation de la biodiversité contrôlés par les communautés autochtones, tout comme un support de « développement » local. Cette thèse propose un regard critique sur le système des rangers en partant de la question suivante : constitue-t-il une manifestation « d'impérialisme écologique » ? L'ethnographie (2009-2010) des interactions sociales mises en jeu par les activités du groupe de rangers de la communauté de Ngukurr (Terre d'Arnhem, Territoire du Nord) y est associée à une contextualisation et à une analyse articulant échelles locale, régionale et nationale et discours international. Le système des rangers reflète diverses logiques endogènes et exogènes qui dépassent ses objectifs affichés de résilience environnementale et socio-économique. Il repose sur des rapports de pouvoir et des négociations complexes entre les différents acteurs impliqués (dont l'État australien), entre « savoirs écologiques traditionnels » et science, et entre rapports sociaux locaux et bureaucratiques. Cette étude met au jour le processus de bureaucratisation et les multiples ingérences et ambivalences inhérents à ce système, qui (re)produit des distinctions et tensions sociales. Elle souligne également la fonction de médiateurs qu'endossent les rangers ainsi que l'ambiguïté de la position de chercheur dans un tel contexteIn Northern Australia, a new category of Indigenous social actors emerged in the 1990s: “rangers”. Their jobs and programmes are based on the professionalization and formalization of “traditional” responsibilities for the land and sea. They are presented as natural resource management and biodiversity conservation mechanisms controlled by Indigenous communities and as a basis for local “development”.This thesis proposes a critical view of the ranger system, starting from the following question: is this system a form of “ecological imperialism”? The ethnography (2009-2010) of the social interactions at work in the activities of the Ngukurr community's ranger group (Arnhem Land, Northern Territory) is combined with a contextualization and an analysis linking local, regional and national levels with the international discourse.The ranger system reflects various endogenous and exogenous logics that go beyond its stated aims of environmental and socioeconomic resilience. It is based on complex power relations and negotiations between the different actors involved (including the Australian State), between “traditional ecological knowledge” and science, and between local and bureaucratic social relationships. This study reveals the bureaucratization process and the many external interventions and ambivalences inherent in this system which (re)produces social distinctions and tensions. It also highlights the mediator or broker role played by the rangers as well as the ambiguous position of the researcher in such a context
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Shuster, Gabriela. "The Management Of Feral Pig Socio-Ecological Systems In Far North Queensland, Australia." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1357345563.
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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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Blake, David. "Inorganic hydrogeochemical responses to fires in wetland sediments on the Swan Coastal Plain, Western Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2013. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/689.
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In the past decade the wetlands of the Swan Coastal Plain (SCP) region of Western Australia have been subject to increasing fire frequency and intensity. Whilst wetland sediment fires (also known as peat fires) on the SCP are not new phenomena, the increased frequency, duration and extent of combustion have been concomitant with an increase in urbanisation and reduction in average annual rainfall for the region. This has led to a decrease in ground- and surface-water levels which, in turn, has increased the susceptibility of the wetland sediments to ignition and combustion events. Increased wetland fire severity has resulted in the loss of large pools of organic matter as well as numerous geochemical changes in wetland sediments. The physical and chemical modifications of wetland sediments have implications for the water quality of these wetlands, particularly on the SCP where an intimate link between water quality and the underlying geomorphology can be demonstrated. Previous wetland sediment disturbance events, such as drought and dewatering, have led to the oxidation of sediments, which has resulted in the acidification, base cation leaching and metal contamination of both ground- and surface-waters. The buffering capacity is strongly linked to the underlying geomorphology. Wetlands on the highly-leached, poorly-buffered Bassendean dune geomorphic unit tend to acidify readily, whereas wetlands on the well-buffered, Spearwood dune geomorphic unit, generally tend to be less acidic and have the capacity to recover (i.e. return to near-neutral conditions). In recent times, some of the wetlands on the Spearwood dune system have remained acidic. This suggests that the buffering capacity of this system is finite and may be linked to the severity of the oxidation event. The physical, temporal and chemical nature of water quality response from dried, heated and combusted wetland sediments are not well understood nor are the processes that drive them. The aim of this research, therefore, was to identify and characterise the inorganic water quality responses to the combustion of organic-rich wetland sediments. The study examined post-fire sediment pore-water and downstream ground-water quality, and the short and long term temporal characteristics of these responses. A laboratory microcosm experiment was conducted to investigate the role of temperature and sediment heterogeneity on observed water quality responses. The porewater of burnt sediments differed greatly from that of unburnt sediments and was indicative of pyrite oxidation. There were also temporal changes associated with seasonal rainfall events and groundwater fluxes. Results of the long-term temporal analysis indicated the exhaustion of the in-situ buffering capacity of the wetland sediments, which resulted in the permanent acidification of the groundwater downstream of the burnt sediments. These patterns were partly obscured by transient buffering supplied by the ash created from the combustion of vegetative organic material and the influx of carbonate-rich groundwater. Laboratory microcosm analyses confirmed the inorganic hydrochemical signals, and the significance of sediment type; including parent geomorphology, in influencing the water quality response. The increased frequency, duration and extent of drying, heating and combustion of wetland sediments suggest an erosion of buffering, and thereby a loss of resilience for these wetlands, threatening their ecological integrity. This research enhances our understanding of the environmental impacts of wetland sediment fires and increases the potential for pre-emptive, rather than reactive management services.
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Thompson, Scott A. "Mine site rehabilitation index using the reptile assemblage as a bio-indicator." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2004. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1646.
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Currently in Western Australia there are no mandated standards for assessing rehabilitation success for the mining industry. A decade ago the focus of most mine site rehabilitation programs was to establish good density and cover of vegetation across the disturbed area. While this resulted in rehabilitated sites that were essentially stable and may have looked aesthetically pleasing, it did not necessarily mean that the rehabilitated sites were moving towards the establishment of functional ecosystems. The goal for rehabilitated mined land should be to restore the structure, diversity, function and dynamics, of the undisturbed ecosystem. In many circumstances this will mean the creation of a self-sustaining, functional ecosystem similar to that in the adjacent undisturbed area from which the rehabilitated area will recruit most of its fauna. The need for 'high-quality' rehabilitation has become necessary with the phasing in of performance standards for assessing the development of rehabilitated mine sites. Mine site rehabilitation should be viewed as managing succession processes towards the creation of ecosystems that are functionally compatible with that which existed before the disturbance or in the adjacent undisturbed areas.
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Aidoo, Eric. "Geostatistical modelling of recreational fishing data: A fine-scale spatial analysis." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2016. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1813.
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The sustainability of recreational fisheries resources rely on effective management of the fishery which includes monitoring of any changes in the fishery. In order to facilitate the ongoing management of the recreational fishery, an understanding of the spatial dynamics of catch per unit effort (catch rate), fishing effort and species diversity is important for fishery managers to make area-specific decisions and to develop strategies for ecosystem based fisheries management. These indices are critical components of information used to inform on recreational fishing activities and evaluate the changes in the fishery resources.
Geostatistical techniques such as kriging can provide useful tools for characterising the spatial distributions of these indices. However, most recreational fishing data are highly skewed, zero-inflated and when expressed as ratios are impacted by the small number problem, which can influence estimates obtained from the traditional kriging. In addition, the use of recreational fishing data obtained through surveys may influence mapping and area-specific decisions as such data are associated with uncertainty.
In Western Australia, recreational fishing has a participation rate of approximately 30%. Data for this thesis were collected from boat-based recreational fishers through phone-diary surveys at spatial resolution that supports spatial analysis and mapping through geostatistical techniques. In this thesis, geostatistical modelling techniques were used to analyse those recreational fishing data in the West Coast Bioregion of Australia, with the development and evaluation of a data transformation approach that takes into account data characteristics and uncertainty. As a first step in the analysis, a suitable kriging estimator for recreational fishing data was determined. This was based on the application of ordinary, ordinary indicator and Poisson kriging estimators for seven aquatic species with different behaviours and distribution patterns. Some of these estimators can handle different distribution properties including high skewness, zero-inflation and small number problems. In general, the indicator kriging performed similarly across species with different life history characteristics and distribution patterns and provided accurate estimates of catch rates for most of those species. To evaluate the incorporation of measurement uncertainty, the study presents a soft indicator kriging approach that uses a logistic function transformation, which is combined with probability field simulation to determine the effect of measurement uncertainty on mapping and fishing area delineation. The results suggest that the incorporation of the measurement uncertainty improves the ability to draw valid conclusions about the estimation results, which may influence any decision regarding the delineation of areas with high catch rates for spatial management. The recreational fishing data used also provided the basis for studying the spatial patterns in species diversity in the entire fishery. The analysis revealed that species diversity, dominance and evenness display similar spatial patterns on a global scale.
The study highlighted the inherent spatial variability in catch rate, fishing effort and species diversity, illustrating areas with high values, or hotspots of these indices. This statistical-based modelling approach is important as it allows prediction of these indices in specific locations taking into account data characteristics and uncertainty. The estimated maps are important for supporting fishery resources management.
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Purnama, Dadang. "The evaluation of transboundary environmental impact assessment : a case study of the Timor Gap." xi, 103 leaves : ill., map, 1999. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envp9849.pdf.
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Bibiography: leaves 91-96. The Timor Gap area is managed jointly by Australia and Indonesia through the Treaty of Timor Gap (1989). The Zone of Cooperation area A 's main activity is oil exploration and exploitation. The main concern of the research is the provisions for environmental protection and the procedure of environmental impact assessment in the Treaty.
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Chapman, Kelly. "Complexity and creative capacity : reformulating the problem of knowledge transfer in environmental management." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2013. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/696.
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The Ningaloo Reef is Australia’s largest fringing coral reef and an iconic tourist destination; however tourism development in Ningaloo has been ad hoc and the area is challenged by human pressure on numerous fronts. In response to these challenges a number of research agencies brought together a range of scientists to study the effects of human interaction on the reef. Moving from research to practice has been understood to depend on the adaptive capacity of the institutions responsible for governing human activities, in this case in the Ningaloo area. Knowledge transfer describes the suite of strategies used to try to bridge the gap between research and management. Knowledge transfer efforts, however, seldom have the desired impact of seeing research applied to decision-making. The ubiquity of knowledge transfer difficulties across disciplines suggests a common root to the problem, based in our shared cultural assumptions. This study pairs a multidisciplinary theoretical investigation with action research to shed light on why knowledge transfer efforts so often fall short in terms of seeing research applied to practice.
Recent environmental management perspectives on knowledge transfer illustrate the shift towards stakeholder participation as a means of improving knowledge transfer success. As such, the action research study involved the researcher embedding herself in the Ningaloo community for 18 months, adopting the role of a knowledge broker and engaging and collaborating with modelling researchers and local stakeholders on knowledge transfer efforts. However, despite intensive stakeholder engagement, evaluation interviews at the end of the process indicated that although the knowledge transfer process had the effect of catalysing relationships between stakeholder groups in the region, and between regional stakeholders and scientists, it appeared to have relatively little effect on the representational knowledge of local stakeholders or the actual application of research in practice. This led to the question of whether knowledge transfer is itself is part of the research uptake problem, as per the principles of problem formulation, which specify that resolving seemingly intractable problems requires examining the assumptions that underpin our thinking about the problem situation.
On this basis, the theoretical component of this study explored the Newtonian assumptions that inform our understanding of knowledge transfer. An alternative complexity-based ontology is proposed, unifying the metaphysics of materialism and idealism, based on a synthesis of process philosophy, mathematical logic, quantum theory, general systems theory and the complexity sciences. The phenomena of cognition, learning, knowledge and organising are compared in relation to how they’ve been understood within the Newtonian paradigm, and how they are now being explained from the perspective of a complexity-based paradigm. By reframing the action research results from a complexity perspective, the Ningaloo knowledge transfer process does not constitute a failure in terms of enhancing the capacity of the Ningaloo system to make more sustainable decisions. Rather, the increased connectivity between stakeholder groups and scientists can be viewed as more importantly enhancing the creative capacity of Ningaloo’s governance system. It is posited that the research uptake problem should be reformulated from the basis of complexity paradigm, and the notions of knowledge transfer and adaptive capacity reconceptualised accordingly. Instead of devising rational objective arguments for someone else to improve the ‘adaptive capacity’ of human systems, scientists should focus instead on improving their own creative capacity in their local interactions.
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Frevola, Danielle Marie Frevola. "Can Surrounding Land Use Promote Phenotypic Plasticity and Invasion Success in Wetland Plants Through Variable Nutrient Regimes?" The Ohio State University, 2018. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1531230832080876.
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Greenhill, Susan Heather. "Maps for the lost: A collection of short fiction And Human / nature ecotones: Climate change and the ecological imagination: A critical essay." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2015. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1701.
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The thesis comprises a collection of short fiction, Maps for the Lost, and a critical essay, “Human / Nature Ecotones: Climate Change and the Ecological Imagination.” In ecological terms, areas of interaction between adjacent ecosystems are known as ecotones. Sites of relationship between biotic communities, they are charged with fertility and evolutionary possibility. While postcolonial scholarship is concerned with borders as points of cross-cultural contact, ecocritical thought focuses upon the ecotone that occurs at the interface between human and non-human nature.
In their occupation of the liminal zones between human and natural realms, the characters and narratives of Maps for the Lost reveal and nurture the porosity of conventional demarcations. In the title story, a Czech artist maps the globe by night in order to find his lover. The buried geographies of human landscapes coalesce with those of the non-human realm: the territories of wolves and the scent-trails of a fox mingle imperceptibly with nocturnal Prague and the ransacked villages of post-war Croatia. In “Seeds,” a narrative structured around the process of biological growth, the lost memories of an elderly woman are returned to her by her garden. “The Skin of the Ocean” traces the obsession of a diver who sinks his yacht under the weight of coral and fish, while in “Drift,” an Iranian refugee writes letters along the tide-line of a Tasmanian beach.
The essay identifies the inadequacy of literature and literary scholarship’s response to the threat of climate change as a failure of the imagination, reflecting the transgressive dimension of the crisis itself, and the dualistic legacy which still informs Western discourse on non-human nature. In order to redress this shortfall, which I argue the current generations of writers have an urgent moral responsibility to do, it is critical that we learn to understand the natural world of which we are a part, in ways that cast off the limitations of conventional representation. Paradoxically, it is the profoundly disruptive (apocalyptic?) nature of the climate crisis itself, which may create the imaginative traction for that shift in comprehension, forcing us, through loss, to interpret the world in ways that have been forgotten, or are fundamentally new. By analysing Alexis Wright’s The Swan Book, and Les Murray’s “Presence” sequence, the essay explores the correlation between imaginative and ecological processes, and the role of voice, embodiment, patterning and story in negotiations of nature and place. In the context of the asymptotical essence of the relation between text and world, and the paradox of phenomenological representation, it calls for a deeper cultural engagement with scientific discourse and indigenous philosophy, in order to illuminate the multiplicity and complexity of human connections to the non-human natural world
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Thiebot, Jean-Baptiste. "Déplacements et sélection d'habitat chez les animaux non contraints par la reproduction : une étude de l'écologie en mer des Manchots durant les phases d'immaturité et inter-nuptiale." Phd thesis, Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris VI, 2011. http://tel.archives-ouvertes.fr/tel-00660333.
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Les déplacements entrepris par les animaux dans leur milieu reflètent les ressources conditionnant leur survie dans ce milieu. En milieu marin, l'intensité des activités humaines (notamment la pêche) a entraîné des bouleversements écologiques, particulièrement aux échelons trophiques supérieurs. Cette thèse a donc visé à documenter les déplacements de prédateurs marins dont les effectifs baissent à un niveau local ou global. Nous avons étudié les déplacements en dehors de la période de reproduction (lorsque les animaux font généralement face à des conditions défavorables pour leur survie en mer) chez 5 espèces de manchots dont le rôle de consommateurs est capital sur un gradient de milieux de l'Océan Indien austral. Leurs déplacements ont été connus grâce à la géo-localisation par la lumière ou la télémétrie satellitaire, et leur écologie trophique par l'analyse des isotopes stables du carbone et de l'azote. Nos travaux ont mis en évidence et caractérisé les zones océaniques exploitées durant la période inter-nuptiale par 3 espèces du genre Eudyptes. Des comparaisons inter-site, inter-espèce et interannuelle ont ensuite souligné des mécanismes spectaculaires de ségrégation écologique dans le temps, l'espace et dans les proies ciblées pour l'exploitation de ressources proches. Enfin, l'étude de la dispersion post-natale chez 2 autres espèces a révélé un habitat différent de celui des adultes et l'action probable de mécanismes innés. Ces études sont cruciales pour la conservation des espèces et des habitats concernés, et posent la question de la dynamique des patrons de déplacement observés, face aux pressions de compétition et au déplacement des habitats recherchés.
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Rosauer, Daniel. "Systematic techniques to locate reserves for biodiversity conservation : including a case study on the conservation of floristic diversity in East Gippsland." Thesis, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/147137.
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Holloway, Geoff. "Access to power : the organisational structure of the wilderness conservation and anti-nuclear movements in Australia /." 1991. http://adt.lib.utas.edu.au/public/adt-TU20060330.120349.
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Ellemor, Heidi Maree. "Place and natural resource management : the case of the Barmah-Millewa Forest, Australia." Phd thesis, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/144216.
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Lindsay, Eamon John. "Establishing government-sponsored initiatives in environmental science communication in the wet tropics of North Queensland." Thesis, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/147466.
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Pearson, Diane M. "The impact of human activity on landscape diversity in space and time : measurement and analysis of spatial structure and change in the Milton-Ulladulla area of NSW." Phd thesis, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/144620.
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Kirby, Ronald Vernon. "A comparative study of the enforcement of environmental law with regard to the conservation of fauna and flora in the RSA." 2002. http://hdl.handle.net/10500/17092.
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Douglas, Steven Murray. "Is 'green' religion the solution to the ecological crisis? A case study of mainstream religion in Australia." Phd thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/49314.
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A significant and growing number of authors and commentators have proposed that ecologically enlightened (‘greened’) religion is the solution or at least a major part of the solution to the global ecological crisis. These include Birch, 1965 p90; ... . Proponents offer a variety of reasons for this view, including that the majority of the world’s and many nations’ people identify themselves as religious, and that there is a large amount of land and infrastructure controlled by religious organisations worldwide. However, the most important reason is that ‘religion’ is said to have one or more exceptional qualities that can drive and sustain dramatic personal and societal change. The underlying or sometimes overt suggestion is that as the ecological crisis is ultimately a moral crisis, religion is best placed to address the problem at its root. ¶ ... ¶ This thesis tests the proposition that religion is the solution to the ecological crisis. It does this using a case study of mainstream religion in Australia, represented by the Catholic, Anglican, and Uniting Churches. The Churches’ ecological policies and practices are analysed to determine the extent to which these denominations are fulfilling, or might be able to fulfil, the proposition. The primary research method is an Internet-based search for policy and praxis material. The methodology is Critical Human Ecology. ¶ ...
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Nielsen, Robin Christian. "A sustainability review of the NSW Native Vegetation Conservation Act 1997 and its implementation." Thesis, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/148135.
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Woodhill, Anthony James. "Sustaining rural Australia : a political economic critique of natural resources management." Phd thesis, 1999. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/147700.
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Brawata, Renee Louise. "Is the dingo top dog? : the influence of dingo management on the behaviour of introduced carnivores in arid Australia, with implications for native fauna conservation." Phd thesis, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/132137.
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An improved understanding of how ecosystems function is important for effective natural resource management and biodiversity conservation. Recent research suggests that top-order predators have important ecological roles in many ecosystems through controlling populations of smaller predators. This thesis examined how the management of Australia's apex predator, the dingo (Canis lupus dingo), influenced the activity and behaviour of two introduced mesopredators, the red fox (Vulpes vulpes) and feral cat (Felis catus) and select prey species. The aim was to increase our understanding of the role dingoes may play in the conservation of endangered fauna through the trophic regulation of exotic mesopredators.
The study monitored the activity and behaviour of dingoes, foxes, feral cats and select prey species at five sites in arid Australia. Dingo management varied between the study sites. Sites included areas where dingoes remained uncontrolled, where dingoes were controlled through exclusion fencing and where 1080 poison baiting was conducted. At each site the activity of predators and prey, including macropods, rabbits and small vertebrates was monitored over two summers. Sampling times included prior to, three months post and one year post a significant rainfall event. Transects and scent stations were used to measure activity while behaviour was monitored through direct observation and the use of a thermal imaging camera attached to a remote recording system.
Results showed the management of dingoes to be a key determinant of the activity of foxes and select prey, including macropods, rabbits and small mammals. Feral cat activity showed a positive response to both dingo and fox control through poison baiting. Dingo management also affected the activity of mesopredators around shared resources, particularly in proximity to water resources. Both feral cats and foxes showed an avoidance response to the presence of dingoes around water points, and again feral cats displayed an increased response to the removal of both canids. Habitat use by mesopredators did not appear to be affected by dingo management, and while foxes showed a behavioural avoidance response, limited data was collected on the response of feral cats to dingoes at shared food and water resources so results were inconclusive.
The results of this study supported the presence of top-down regulation occurring in the arid ecosystems under some conditions and that behavioural mechanisms, such as avoidance, are important in the ability of dingoes to regulate smaller predator populations. While arid ecosystems are traditionally viewed as "bottom-up" or productivity driven, evidence from this research showed that while the strength of trophic regulation by dingoes may fluctuate, top-down effects occurred both prior to and post significant rainfall events at the study sites. In particular, strong relationships were found between dingo management, fox activity and fox behaviour at the study sites regardless of rainfall.
In conclusion, it may be that dingoes provide a net benefit to prey populations, particularly medium-sized and small mammals, through reducing predatory impacts of foxes and under some conditions, feral cats. Thus retaining dingo populations in some ecosystems may assist in the management of biodiversity over the long term, including the conservation of native fauna populations susceptible to fox and feral cat predation. While further research into the trophic effects of dingoes in other bioregions is recommended, through improving our understanding of such trophic interactions, results from this research could assist managers in making more ecologically informed decisions about control of top-order carnivores in arid areas.
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Maclean, Kirsten Marion Eileen. "Creating spaces for negotiation at the environmental management and community development interface in Australia." Phd thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/149730.
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Gilfillan, Anna. "Institutional changes and challenges associated with Australia's Indigenous Protected Area Program." Thesis, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/147915.
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Eames, Rory. "Participation, collaboration, and governance : community roles in regional natural resource management, the case of the Swan region, Western Australia." Phd thesis, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/150172.
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Mason, Bram Derek. "Directions for best management of Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra Forssk.) re-establishment in southeastern Australian native grassland remnants." Thesis, 2005. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/15637/.
Full textAbstract:
Western basalt plains native grasslands, which extend from the west of Melbourne in Victoria to the South Australian border, are recognised as one of the most threatened ecosystems in Victoria (DC&E 1992). Ecosystem functions and their ability to support life are disappearing along with the remnant grasslands. The research project reported in this thesis aimed to develop methods to re-establish the dominant native grass. Kangaroo grass (Themeda triandra) in ways designed to out-compete invasive grassy weeds.
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Weir, Jessica Kate. "Murray River country : an ecological dialogue with traditional owners." Phd thesis, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/150474.
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Faithfull, Ian Guthrie. "Biodiversity impacts of Chilean needle grass Nassella neesiana on Australia’s indigenous grasslands." Thesis, 2012. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/19944/.
Full textAbstract:
The exotic invasive Chilean needle grass Nassella. neesiana (Trin. & Rupr.) Barkworth has
been recognised as a major threat to biodiversity in the endangered natural grasslands of
south-eastern Australia. Research was undertaken in Canberra and Melbourne grasslands to
examine mechanisms by which N. neesiana invades native grasslands, the impacts of
invasion on vascular plant and invertebrate biodiversity and mechanisms of impact. Time
series analysis of historical aerial photographs demonstrated that invasion was absent or very
slow when infestations abutted healthy grassland, but grasslands in poor condition
experienced linear infestation expansion rates >5 m per year. A field experiment
demonstrated that major disturbance (death of the native grasses) was required for N.
neesiana recruitment from panicle seeds and that intact grassland was not invaded, even with
high propagule pressure. Gaps of c. 1 m (as opposed to 10-30 cm) were required for
establishment. Pin transect sampling demonstrated that increased senescence of Themeda
triandra swards correlated with greater invasion. Nassella neesiana was found to deplete soil
water in spring compared to T. triandra, a likely mechanism of biodiversity impact. Areas
occupied by N. neesiana in three disparate grasslands were found to have significantly
reduced native vascular plant diversity (species m-2). Diversity decreased with increasing
size of the N. neesiana patch. Forbs were the most affected group but one or more dominant
grasses were absent at the smallest patch sizes. Exotic plant diversity was similar inside and
outside patches. Analysis of sweep net samples determined that invertebrate populations and
species richness were significantly reduced in N. neesiana grassland, although numerous
native insect species consume the plant. Much of the loss of diversity in invaded areas
probably precedes invasion and is caused by anthropogenic disturbances including T.
triandra senescence dieback, mowing and major soil disturbance. Native grasslands in good
condition are resistant to invasion.
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Palisetty, Raghunadh. "Effects of sheep, kangaroos and rabbits on the regeneration of trees and shrubs in the chenopod shrublands, South Australia." 2007. http://arrow.unisa.edu.au:8081/1959.8/28390.
Full textAbstract:
After European settlement, Australian rangelands especially in South Australia underwent significant changes because of the main land use of pastoralism. Many studies have revealed that the plant communities are negatively effected by herbivory mainly by sheep. The main aim of this study is to separate the different effects of sheep, rabbits and kangaroos. This was examined by survey supported by experimental and modelling research. A 32,000 km² area previously surveyed by Tiver and Andrew (1997) in eastern South Australia was re-surveyed to monitor populations of perennial plant species at sites of various intensity of grazing by sheep, rabbits and kangaroos (goats populations are low in the study area), the most important vertebrate herbivores. Plant population data were collected in both sheep paddocks and historically ungrazed by sheep (road reserves) by using the Random Walk method and analyzed using Generalized Linear Modelling (GLM) to separate the effects of sheep and rabbits on plant regeneration and their regeneration in response to grazing. These data were also compared to similar data collected by Tiver and Andrew in 1992 (1997) to ascertain if the reduction in rabbit numbers through introduction of RCV had allowed increased regeneration. Regeneration of many species inside paddocks were negatively affected and species in roadside reserves neither did not significantly increase from 1992 to 2004. However, some species showed increase of populations in spite of sheep grazing, with some species being less susceptible than others. This research also indicates kangaroo grazing impact on some plant species. Reduction in rabbit numbers following the 1995 release of calicivirus has not been effective in restoring regeneration. Another experiment was conducted at Middleback Field Station near Whyalla to identify herbivore grazing pressure on the arid zone plant species Acacia aneura using unfenced, sheep fenced and rabbit fenced grazing exclosures. This experiment was set up with seedlings in exclosures, ten replicates of each treatment, at plots four different distances from the watering point to identify the survivorship of seedlings. Data were collected by recording canopy volumes of seedling over an 18 month period and analyzed by Residual Maximal Likelihood (REML). Seedlings both near and far from the watering point were severely effected by large herbivores, either sheep, kangaroos or both, and in a separate experiment kangaroo grazing effects on the seedling were also identified. Seedlings browsed by the rabbits were recovered better than the seedlings grazed by the large herbivores. Decreasing kangaroo activities has been noticed when the rabbit movements increased. Computer modelling was conducted to predict the future plant population structure over 500 years using a matrix population model developed by Tiver et al. (2006) and using data collected in the survey as a starting point. Extinction probabilities of populations of Acacia aneura near watering points, far from watering points and under pulse grazing scenarios were compared. Sheep grazing was found to cause eventual extinction of populations in all parts of sheep paddocks. Together, the results indicate that sheep are the major herbivore suppressing regeneration of perennial plant species. Kangaroo and rabbits have an identifiable but lesser effect. The results have implications for conservation and pastoral management. To achieve ecological sustainability of arid lands a land-use system including a network of reserves ungrazed by sheep and with control of both rabbit and kangaroo numbers will be required.
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Wieslaw, Jan Zielinski. "Evaluation of Wastewaters to Provide Optimum Water and Nutrient Products for Growing Turf and Native Plants." Thesis, 2015. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/29727/.
Full textAbstract:
The recent drought in South Eastern Australia and associated water restrictions led to
a significant increase in the use of greywater for the watering of lawn and garden
areas. There was also an emerging trend for sustainable drought resistant landscaping
for which some Australian native plants were suitable. There however was an
uncertainty about whether greywater was a useful source of water for plants or
whether it could be harmful. This study investigated how two varieties of turf Kikuyu (Pennisetum Clandestinum)
and Tall Fescue (Festuca arundinacea), and two varieties of Australian native flowers
Scaly Buttons (Leptorhynchos squamatus) and Small Vanilla Lilies (Arthropodium
minus) grew when watered with several different types of greywaters sourced from a
bathroom shower and a laundry.