Browsing by department "Department of Geosciences and Geography"
Now showing items 61-80 of 426
-
(2018)Digital education has increased in the 21st century, and it has challenged teachers to update their knowledge and teaching. In geography teaching, digital maps and digital map-making tools has changed geographical method and research skills. The aim of this thesis is to research the utilizing of digital maps and digital map-making in upper secondary geography. It is possible to achieve more diverse learning benefits by using digital maps than by using paper maps. This requires using the kind of digital features that paper maps doesn’t include. There are also diverse possibilities to develop method skills, research skills and higher-order cognitive skills by making digital maps. To develop higher-order cognitive skills, digital map-making should involve application of skills independently, analysis and evaluation of knowledge, and creation of new information. This study was carried out as a survey for Finnish upper secondary geography teachers. The purpose of the survey was to research how digital maps are utilized and made in upper secondary geography, how well higher-order cognitive skills are developed when making digital maps, and what are teacher’s opinions of the teaching with digital maps. The data (N=65) was descriptively analyzed and the results were discussed based on the literature. The aim was to get an overview about the current digital map teaching. The study provides information to improve digital map teaching, digital education and geography education. According to the results, digital maps are used often and in fairly different ways in upper secondary geography. Static digital maps and online map services, such as Google Maps are commonly used in geography lessons. However, the most diverse digital map types, such as interactive digital maps and virtual globes are used less often. Furthermore, advanced use of digital maps is rare. Digital maps are commonly made with drawing software and webGIS software. Due to lack of time, it is not possible to make digital maps very often. Because of that, digital maps are not necessarily made at all in most of geography courses. In addition, there is not enough time to practice advanced skills and higher-order cognitive skills sufficiently when making digital maps. The teachers are mainly positive about teaching with digital maps, and they see it as a relevant part of modern geography education. Nonetheless, teaching with digital maps in upper secondary geography doesn’t cover all the learning and teaching benefits of digitality, especially in the case of digital map-making. Besides the lack of time, the lack of technical skills and user-friendly materials and applications are the main reasons for this. To correspond better to the modern goals of geography education with the digital map teaching, more training for teachers, equal ICT education for students, and easy-to-use materials and digital map applications are needed.
-
(2015)Tässä tutkimuksessa perehdytään lukion maantieteen opetuksen sähköistämiseen niin yhteiskunnan digitaalisen murroskauden kuin myös ainetta opettavien opettajien kautta. Lukion maantieteen opettajien asema tutkimuksessa on keskeinen, koska heidän vastuullaan on opetussuunnitelman mukaisesti toteuttaa opetusta nykypäivän vaatimusten mukaan. Sähköistäminen on tapahtunut vauhdilla eivätkä opetusmenetelmät ole pysyneet mukana. Nuoret käyttävät usein sähköisiä välineitä paremmin kuin opettajansa. Ero kasvaa, kun opetetaan vanhoilla menetelmillä ja välineillä arjessaan uutta teknologiaa käyttäviä nuoria. Arjen ja tulevaisuuden vaatimukset tulisi saada kunnolla osaksi kouluopetusta. Viimeistään ylioppilaskirjoitusten sähköistäminen syksyllä 2016 herättää siihen, että sähköisiä opetusmenetelmiä ja -välineitä tulisi käyttää jo nyt. Mutta mikä tilanne on nyt ja miten opettajat asiaan suhtautuvat? Tässä tutkimuksessa selvitettiin sähköisen kyselytutkimuksen avulla eri puolella Suomea työskentelevien lukion maantieteen opettajien (n = 96) käyttämiä sähköisiä opetusmenetelmiä ja -välineitä sekä asenteita koko sähköistämistapahtumaan. Kolmantena tutkimuskysymyksenä toimi opetuksen sähköistymisen tulevaisuuden kehitys. Kyselyä täydensi kolmen asiantuntijan haastattelut aihepiiristä. Kyselyn tulokset analysoitiin ja esitettiin tilastokuvioina aina laitekäytettävyydestä oman tietoteknologiseen osaamisen arviointiin. Tulosten analysoinnin yleisenä linjana paljastui lukion maantieteen opettajien myönteinen asenne muutoksia kohtaan teoriassa, mutta uusien menetelmien ja välineiden ottaminen konkreettisesti mukaan opetukseen ei ollut ajan tasalla. Koulutuksen ja ajan puute, vähäiset resurssit ja osaamattomuus nousivat suurimmiksi kompastuskiviksi. Tutkimuksen mukaan opettajat kokivat, että ylioppilaskirjoitusten sähköistäminen tapahtuu liian nopeasti eikä koettu, että siitä olisi tiedotettu tarpeeksi. Perusohjelmat ja sähköiset opetusvälineet olivat käytössä yleisesti, mutta esimerkiksi tilastollisia menetelmiä ja paikkatieto-ohjelmia ei hyödynnetty vielä kaikkialla Suomessa. Tuloksista nousee esiin kysymys sähköisten ylioppilaskirjoitusten ajoituksesta ja siitä, miten maantieteen opetuksen käytännön puoli saataisiin mukaan päättäjätason edellyttämän kehityksen mukaiseksi.
-
(2018)The geological Discrete Fracture Network (DFN) model is a statistical model for stochastically simulating rock fractures and minor faults (Fox et al. 2007). Unlike the continuum model approaches, DFN model geometries explicitly represent populations of individual or equivalent fractures (Wilson et al. 2011). Model construction typically involves stochastic approaches that create multiple deterministic realizations of the fracture network (Gringarten 1998). This study was made as a part of a broader Salpausselkä project to gain deeper understanding of the brittle structures in the study area.This thesis can be broken down to three steps: literaturereview of the DFN methodology, parameterization of the model variables, and DFN modeling itself. For the purposes of the DFN modeling one-dimensionalfracture intensities measured in the field (P10) had to be converted into their volumetric counterpart (P32). Wang’s (2005) C13 conversion factor was decided tobe the most appropriatemethod. Calculation of the angles between the scanlines and fracture normals (α), conversion factor C13, and P32 were done in Python by applying the methods presented by Wang (2005) and Fox et al. (2007, 2012). Fracture setswere weighted by their P10 intensities to get clearer picture of the dominant fracturing orientations. For better and automated classification clustering of the fracture poles into desired number of mean vectorswas conducted byusing kmeansfunctionof Python module MPLstereonet. The function finds centers of multi-modal clusters of data by using a numpy einsummodified for spherical measurements. Fracture set poles were divided into populationsby finding the mean vector with the smallest angular distance from each pole. C13 calculation was done by integrating over the probability distribution function(PDF)of each population.C13 values produced by the script fall within the expected range quoted by the reference literature(Wang 2005, Fox et al. 2007, 2012). In the final modeling phase the clustered groups were modeled in MOVE as finite surfaces and the resulting DFN model was compared to the Local anisotropy interpolator (LAI) model created by Ruuska (2018).Fracture populations were modeled on an outcrop level as well as interpolated over the whole study area, producing two different interpretations of the most dominant fracturing orientations.Based on the results, fracture set pole clustering with open source methods (MPLStereonet K-means) is a feasible approach. K-means clustering algorithm was superior to the expert approach on every level, though more studies are needed to ascertain the soundness of the methodology. Statements made at this point are merely tentative due to the quality and amount of the available data. Taking into account the results of the parallel MSc thesis (Ruuska, 2018) thesis, the DFN and clustered fracture populations constructed using aforementioned methods can be used as a tentative approximation of the preferred fracturing orientations within the boundaries of the study area. Outcrop level model shows the true, measured values and could be used as ground truth in future modeling efforts. Efficient production of large-scale brittle models could be possible with the added flexibility of the implicit modeling methods and automated clustering.
-
(2017)Tourism is one of the main contributors in the fight against poverty, as it has become one of the strongest drivers of trade and prosperity in the global south. Protected area tourism is an especially quickly growing segment of the industry, having an important role in regional development on many rural areas of global south. However, territories labelled as protected areas represent a great variety of spaces. This research aims at unifying the holistic picture of protected area tourism governance by analysing, how protected areas with divergent landownership arrangements, management objectives and associated regulations influence tourism development and its local socio-economic impacts at the grass roots. This comparative case-study survey scrutinizes local-level tourism governance and territorial regulations on three neighbouring protected areas in Taita Taveta County, Kenya. The Tsavo National Parks are state-owned conservancies focusing on conserving biodiversity. LUMO community wildlife sanctuary is a nature tourism project owned and orchestrated by a local community, which aims to advance local socio-economic development via tourism while preserving the environment at the same time. The third area, Sarova, is a private-owned conservancy harnessed solely for nature tourism and profit-making. The areas are liable to same legislative framework and international phenomena have similar influence on them, which makes comparison on their divergent management objectives and local-level regulations expedient. By giving voice to local-level tourism stakeholders, it is possible to point out how the category (i.e. public, private or community) of the land owner and the areas’ respective management objectives influence tourism operations and impact the socio-economic outcomes from both conservation and tourism. The comparative analyses focus first on spatial socially constructed preconditions for tourism development and second, on its developmental outcomes that will primarily be analysed by reflecting the livelihood changes generated by protected area tourism and protection regulations in place. The data-set was gathered during field research in February–March 2016, and it is mainly based on semi-structured interviews with tourism employees, employers and regional experts. The principal method of interviewing is supplemented by observation and statistics, and the data is analysed by thematic and qualitative content analyses. The protected areas’ management objectives and associated regulations have drastic impacts on tourism development within their respective borders. The local administrations of the protected areas were identified as the primary institutions to explain the stark spatial differences in the case-study areas tourist numbers. Instead of the mere ”type” of the landowner, the areas’ respective management objectives and associated regulations determined whether protected area tourism generated livelihoods or other positive socio-economic outcomes. Altogether, similar preconditions for tourism development and similar socio-economic outcomes cannot be expected from all territories labelled as protected areas.
-
(2016)Multiple factors determine diversity of diatoms in running waters. Diversity is a complex concept and made up by different components. Diversity can be divided into alpha, beta and gamma diversity. These different types of diversity are regulated by factors operating on a large geographic scale and by local environmental factors. Studies concentrating on diversity patterns of diatoms have become more common in the last 10 years. Especially beta diversity has gotten an increasing interest. Despite the increasing interest in the subject, the driving mechanisms are still not fully understood in aquatic ecosystems. The aim of this theses is to investigate which factors affect alfa and beta diversity in 10 streams in southern Finland. The influence of habitat heterogeneity on beta diversity is also investigated. In addition, the aim is to examine which local environmental factors structure the variation in species composition. The study area covers a 115 km wide area to minimize the effect of large scale factors on species composition. The material consists of environmental data and diatom data from 49 study sites. Land use data used in the study is derived from CORINE Land Cover 2012 data set. All samples were collected during a two-week period (30.7.2014–11.8.2014). Statistical methods used were linear models, generalized linear models (GLM), distance based redundancy analysis (db-RDA) and test for homogeneity of multivariate dispersions (PERMDISP). Water conductivity and light conditions at the study sites were strong environmental factors determining diatom alpha diversity. Habitat heterogeneity showed only a marginally significant positive relationship to beta diversity but a clear trend was visible in the data. The db-RDA results showed that different environmental factors accounted for the variation in species composition. Conductivity, light, water color, water temperature and stream width were important factors explaining variation in species composition. These results suggest that there is a possible connection between habitat heterogeneity and beta diversity. Further research in the subject should be done to determine if there is a significant relationship. The local environmental factors are important for structuring species composition. Possible anthropogenic stress factors influencing stream ecosystems can affect patterns of beta diversity and should be emphasizes in coming research.
-
(2013)East Usambara Mountains situated in North-Eastern Tanzania, are globally recognized tropical forests that have a high biodiversity value. The Amani Nature Reserve encloses a high concentration of endemic species within versatile biodiversity. The aim of this study is to measure the ecotourism possibilities and potential of the Amani Nature Reserve and to provide sustainable areal development and livelihood option and outline the regional characteristic important in terms of ecotourism. The data for this study was gathered during a field trip in Tanzania, in January-March 2012, as part of an internship for WWF Finland, Coastal East Africa Initiative. The qualitative methods used included a structured questionnaire, semi-structured and in-depth interviews, field observation and literature analysis. Also, several discussions between different regional stakeholders were carried out. Six villages in the East Usambara Mountains are studied. The study concludes that the Amani Nature Reserve has high potential for ecotourism development and the area offers diverse nature related activities albeit the current visitor statistics are low. The overall results indicate the high value and possibilities with regional biodiversity, the locals' positive attitudes towards tourism but also the areal weaknesses; poor infrastructure, lack of facilities and services. The locals' willingness to cooperate and participate in ecotourism functions and existing cultural assets were also recognized. The Amani Nature Reserve's location, uniqueness and existing facilities strongly support the future ecotourism development. However the locals' knowledge on tourism impacts and conservation issues should be reinforced because there are currently multiple threats towards these tropical forests such as population growth and forest fragmentation. Ecotourism could reinforce forest conservation, local empowerment and sustainable livelihoods. In order to safeguard the ecotourism resource base, the environment, the ecotourism actions need to follow the ecotourism objectives and principles and consider different spatial environmental, social and economic characteristics. According to these principles the locals must be integrated in actions and decision-making processes at all levels and careful ecotourism planning, management and monitoring must take place. The ecotourism network development in Tanzania is highly possible because of the country's spectacular natural beauty and political stability. In order to safeguard the remaining life supporting wildlife also different stakeholders and locals should be engaged to work in cooperation seeking sustainable conservation means, such as ecotourism.
-
(2016)The northern peatlands are significant sources of methane into the atmosphere. As methane (CH4) is a powerful greenhouse gas, understanding the mechanics of peatland CH4 production/consumption and the controls on CH4 emissions are vital in order to calculate global CH4 budgets. The isotopic composition of CH4 can be used as a tool to identify pathways of methanogenesis, CH4 oxidation and transport. The aim was to learn how microtopography effects CH4 emission and its δ13C values at a boreal mire complex Siikaneva, located in southern Finland. The study sites were an ombrotrophic bog and a minerotrophic fen. The hypothesis of the study was that microtopography is an integrating controlling factor of CH4 emissions and that isotopic composition of the emitted CH4 would reflect the processes beneath the peat surface. Also, it was expected that at the fen there would be more acetate fermentation which would show in the isotope results. Gas samples of emitted CH4 were drawn from hummocks, lawns and hollows using a closed chamber method to analyse CH4 flux and δ13CCH4. Pore water samples for DIC analysis were collected at the depth of 0.5 m to analyse δ13CDIC. In addition, water table levels and peat temperatures were measured at each sampled plot. All samples were collected once a month from May to August to identify changes during the growing period in 2015. The results revealed that the emissions of CH4 were the lowest from the hummocks at both sites, but the differences between fluxes from the hollows and lawns were less affected by microtopography. Water table levels and peat temperatures seem not to be the controlling factors for CH4 emissions. The isotopic composition of emitted CH4 was also mostly unaffected by microtopography. Only the hummocks at the bog had distinctively higher carbon isotope values compared to the other microsites. Unlike the CH4 flux results, the δ13CCH4 results depicted a seasonal trend during the growing period with all the microsites showing the most negative values in July. Combined to the results of the DIC analyses, it appears that the fen is characterized by more acetate fermentation, though the production pathway could not be identified unambiguously. The isotopic composition of emitted CH4 proved to be a suitable, but not sufficient application to differentiate CH4 production pathways, oxidation and transport. To better understand the processes beneath the peat surface and the effects of microtopography, CH4 flux and isotope data should be combined to multi-isotopic (CH4 and DIC) pore water samples drawn from multiple depths to demonstrate the vertical changes in the isotope composition at different layers of peat.
-
(2016)In the past few years the role of green space as part of the condensing urban structure has increased significantly. As a result of habitat fragmentation and environmental change, the value of green areas is emphasized, for example in managing future uncertainty and adapting to changing conditions. A comprehensive approach based on ecosystem services and green space functionality has become the norm of several strategic land use plans, which are targeted at maintaining connectivity, multifunctionality and ecosystem production in urban green space. The national and international aims to restore biodiversity, increase energy efficiency and enhance well-being of the citizens have set new quality requirements for urban green space planning. Along with this change the practices and criteria of traditional land use planning system have turned out to be insufficient in sustaining the quality of green infrastructure. An update to the green area and landscape based plan symbols, set by the Ministry of the Environment in 2000, has been strongly demanded by the planners and professionals of land use. This thesis is based on the examinations of MAMA -working group (Considering landscape as a part of land use planning), aimed at strengthening the role of green space and landscape in nationwide legislation and planning system. The purpose of this thesis is to explore the deficiencies and the needs for improvement related to present green area symbols, from the viewpoint of comprehensive green infrastructure and ecosystem services. By comparing the plan symbols and provisions between different Finnish cities and by interviewing the professionals of land use, I am pursuing a well-rounded knowledge of the functionality of the existing master plan and detailed plan symbols and practices behind them. Based on the needs and problems discovered within the research material and through the interviews, the final part of my thesis aims at gathering an understanding of how plan symbols could be developed in the future. According to research, the green area and landscape based plan symbols vary significantly between different Finnish cities, a result of inadequacy related to the planning practices and instructions applicable for today's expectations and needs. Even though green infrastructure comes up in land use plans, the functionality and continuity of urban green space is not fully taken into account in the plan symbols. In addition to utilizing green infrastructure more diversely, the practices of green space planning should deal better with the changing conditions of the environment and be based more on the efficient use of different assessment and planning tools.
-
(2015)Ecosystem services are benefits people obtain from ecosystems. Ecosystem services can be classified to provisioning, supporting/regulating and cultural services. The target of ecosystem services framework is sustainable management of nature. By applying the ecosystem services framework we can identify ecosystem services and understand the way in which nature benefits people. Ecosystem service approach can be applied for example in landscape planning. This research focuses on urban ecosystem services. Urban landscape is constantly developing. Therefore, decisions that strongly affect ecosystem services are required in landscape planning process. Especially, green areas are decreasing due to new urban structure. Via the concept of green infrastructure, green infra can be designed particularly to produce ecosystem services that support thewhole city structure. Before this is possible, ecosystem services and structures that creates them must be identified. Ecosystem services mapping produce background information for planning. There is no single mapping method as we can map ecosystem services for example by demand, supply or production potential. The objective of this case study was to examine the ecosystem services potential in Kivenlahti by using GIS data. Research was carried out producing two mappings both based on same method but different datasets. First dataset, the green infrastructure map, is based on aerial photos and field surveys. The other dataset is 'Corine Land cover'. Hypothesis was that using different data would create different results. Both green infra and Corine land cover data were compared to ecosystem services in order to find out different land cover types' capacities to provide the individual service. The relation between land cover classes and ecosystem services was valued on a scale 0-3. 0 stands for no potential to produce ecosystem service and 3 that potential is high. Based on these results and using GIS, it was possible to survey single ecosystem services, ecosystem service sectors and to find out where ecosystem hot-spots and blind spots are located. There are five ecosystem hotspots recognized in the area. Blind spots include densely built areas. Both forests and ocean have high potential to produce major of provisioning, supporting/regulating and cultural services. The meaning of provisioning services is least important whereas cultural services are significant. The variance of supporting and regulating services is wide. The most significant difference between the two mapping methods is that the grid size in Corine land cover is 25 meters whereas the green infra data is very detailed. On the other hand, Corine data covers the whole Finland therefore it is possible to conduct the research in other areas. The findings in the research can be used as a background information in upcoming planning process. Ecosystem hot-spots should be included into planning of green infrastructure. Functional ecosystem service network supports in various ways city structure. In addition, well-planned and functional green infrastructure ensures sustainability of ecosystem services in the future.
-
(2012)Tutkin Pro Gradussani eläinsuojelun globalisoitumista ja sen seurauksia keskittyen Suomeen ulkomailta tuotuihin ns. rescuekoiriin ja ilmiön vaikutuksiin. Rescuekoira ei terminä ole virallinen, mutta se on vakiintunut yleiseen käyttöön puhuttaessa ulkomaisista koiratarhoista tai kadulta peräisin olevista koirista. Näkökulma tutkimukseeni on maantieteellinen ja tutkimuksen teoreettisena viitekehyksenä voidaan nähdä eläinmaantiede, terveysmaantiede ja globalisaatioteoriat. Tutkimusaineiston olen kerännyt havainnoimalla koiratarhalla, josta on tuloksena kuvaus 'elämää koiratarhalla', jonka tarkoituksena on antaa esimerkinomainen kuvaus siitä millaista on elämä koiratarhalla. Suomeen tuotujen rescuekoirien omistajilta olen kerännyt kyselyaineiston, jossa kartoitan esimerkiksi mistä Suomeen tuodaan rescuekoiria, millaisia koiria tuodaan ja miksi. Kysely on tehty e-lomakkeella ja siihen oli mahdollista vastata Internetissä loppusyksystä 2010 tammikuuhun 2011. Vastauksia kyselyyn tuli 467. Tavoitteenani oli saada vastaukset seuraaviin tutkimuskysymyksiin: 1. Mistä ja miksi juuri sieltä Suomeen tuodaan rescuekoiria? ja 2. Millaisia seurauksia rescuekoirien tuontiin saattaa liittyä? Tutkimukseni on luonteeltaan kvalitatiivinen ja tulokset olen analysoinut luokittelemalla vastauksia. Lisäksi olen käyttänyt kuvaavia tunnuslukuja, tehnyt ristiintaulukointeja riippuvuuksien osoittamiseksi ja hyödyntänyt khiinneliötestiä tulosten merkitsevyyden arvioinnissa. Rescuekoiria on tuotu Suomeen eniten Virosta, Espanjasta ja Venäjältä. Koirista valtaosa (91,6 %) on tuotu Suomeen jonkin koiria tuovan yhdistyksen kautta, joten koiria tuodaan ensisijaisesti sieltä missä on tarjontaa ja mistä järjestöt laajamittaisimmin koiria tuovat. Maantiede vaikuttaa tuontiin, sillä tuontisäädökset eri maista vaihtelevat esimerkiksi tautien esiintymisen (terveysmaantiede) mukaan. Lisäksi tuontiin vaikuttaa esimerkiksi maan sijainti ja kulkuyhteydet. Globalisaation seurauksena ns. ruohonjuuritason eläinsuojelukin on siirtynyt maiden rajojen yli. Tieto on Internetin kautta helposti ja nopeasti kaikkien saatavilla ja ihmiset sekä eläimet matkustavat enemmän kuin milloinkaan ennen. Rescuekoirien tuonnin jatkuminen vaatii kysyntää. Suomessa on kysyntää kohtuullisen edullisille sekarotuisille, mutta tarjonta ei ole riittävää. Kyselyyn vastanneista huomattavan moni ilmaisi, että olisi mielellään ottanut myös suomalaisen kodinvaihtajan, mutta näistä ei ole riittävää tarjontaa. Rescuekoirien tuonti voidaan nähdä eläinsuojelutekona. Tuonti ei auta ratkaisemaan lähtömaan kulkukoiraongelmaa, mutta muuttaa kyseisen koiran elämän. Mahdollisesti lähtömaan tarhalla myös vapautuu paikka toiselle koiralle. Lisäksi joku saa koiran. Koiria tuovat järjestöt pyrkivät yleensä parantamaan kulkukoirien oloja myös lähtömaassa koirien tuonnin ohella. Rescuekoirien tuonnissa on erilaisia riskejä. Tautiriski alueilta, joissa esiintyy vakavia tartuntatauteja on todellinen. Laittomia maahantuonteja tapahtuu, jonka lisäksi tuontisäädösten noudattaminen ei poista tautiriskiä kokonaan. Eri tavoin sairaita koiria tuodaan myös tietoisesti, mikä on eettisesti arveluttavaa. Alkuperältään kyseenalaisten koirien terveys ja luonne eivät ole tiedossa ja uusi omistaja ei ole välttämättä osannut varautua mahdollisiin vaikeuksiin. Tämä voi johtaa siihen, että koira vaihtaa kotia Suomessa. Kyselyyn vastanneet kuitenkin toivat valtaosin esille tyytyväisyytensä rescuekoiran hankintaan, vaikka jonkinlaisia ongelmia olisi ilmennyt ja huomattavan moni totesi, ettei ollut kokenut lainkaan vaikeuksia.
-
(2013)Microfinance has been introduced to poor people as a means for economic and social development. The movement has received significant support worldwide and as a result microfinance is considered an essential part of the current development discourse. Microfinance as a self help strategy depicts the microborrower as an active actor who helps oneself. Yet it is still unclear how and when microfinancing promotes development. Although microborrowers are considered responsible for 'climbing out of poverty' themselves, only little theoretical understanding of the perspective of the customer exists. Against this backgroud the purpose of this study is to research the attributions that microborrowers give to explain the success or failure of microlending. Additionally, this research examines the influence microborrowers have on the success of the microlending process, as seen through the given attributions. The research is based on fieldwork which was conducted in three rural villages in Cambodia. Thirty members of a local non-governmental organisation's Village Bank programme who had been granted a microloan were used as informants in this study. The aim of this research is to give voice to the borrowers themselves, thus the data was gathered by using the method of empathy based stories. The borrowers were asked to tell stories on the success or failure of microlending based on two short frame stories. The data was then analysed using qualitative content analysis that was guided by the attribution theory, which describes how individuals develop causal explanations for behaviours and outcomes. Attributions given to the success or failure of microlending were planning and effort, motivation, devotion, ability and features of personality, influence of other people or the lack of it, as well as chance, conditions and the model used in lending. Attributions found in the stories were distributed in dimensions of control, stability and controllability according to the attribution theory. Attributions given to success as well as failure of microlending were distributed evenly in the locus of control, but in the locus of stability, stable attributions were somewhat emphasised. Also, in the locus of controllability, uncontrollable attributions were told more often, especially in stories on the failure of microlending. The results of the research implicate that borrowers have limited possibilities to change the course of the microlending process. On the other hand, other actors than borrowers themselves can have an influence on many of the given attributions. The depiction of a borrower that helps oneself seems idealised and romanticized according to these results. In reality, the possibilities and limitations of ones' action always form in relation to the local institutional, social, cultural and historical context of microfinance. Also the various attributions given to the success and failure of microlending were seen through local context. Since local aspects define the possibilities of the microlending process, the question of wether microfinancing can perform to further development should always be examined and resolved locally.
-
(2014)New transportation links tend to have a major impact on the location decisions of businesses. Although the decision-making process of the location of businesses is too complex to fully open up with a theoretical framework, accessibility in all of its different forms seems to be one of the key factors for all industries. Globalization and the development of ICT were believed to diminish the importance physical location for businesses. However, the impact has been the opposite. In the new urban form, it is possible to find relational economic spaces, which do not depend on borders or predefined areas. Still the predefined area remains a key factor in the coordination and identification of the business. With Kehärata, a commuter railway link set to open in 2015, a new horizontal transportation rail-link and several highly accessible locations will emerge in Vantaa and in the Helsinki region. The purpose of this thesis was to research how Kehärata will affect the locations of workplaces and businesses in Vantaa. The research methods were thematic interviews and GIS analyses. 10 thematic interviews were conducted with real estate investors, businesspeople, construction company representatives and local politicians. The GIS analysis showed that already in the current state, the workplaces in Vantaa form various regional patters in different industries. During the last decades, the workplaces in the Helsinki Metropolitan Region have moved strongly towards a polycentric form and so-called Metapolis structure. This kind of urban form has also been in the core of the new paradigm of urban geography research. The thematic interviews showed that Kehärata is a welcomed improvement to the horizontal transportation network in Vantaa and in the whole region. The urban form in Vantaa is already now polycentric, but Kehärata will increase the number of sub-centers even further with areas like Vehkala, Leinelä and Kivistö, which are highly dependent on the railway. From the point of view of firms, all stations cannot be equally appealing. In this situation the new polycentric urban form should be seen as a resource, where the locations with highest accessibility are developed within the city. However these locations should not be homogenous, but rather be differentiated through branding and urban planning. Differentiated areas within the city enable high level of specialization and make it possible for firms to gain agglomeration benefits. For instance the development and future prospects of Aviapolis area was highlighted in the interviews as very positive. According to the GIS analysis, the amount of workplaces accessible by train in Vantaa, will increase approximately by half after the railway is operational (From one third, to almost half of all workplaces in Vantaa). Additionally new railway connections have the tendency to concentrate workplaces near the stations, so the workplace accessibility by rail is probably even higher in the future. However car transport has had a major impact on the current urban form of Vantaa. The accessibility by car and by train are very different in nature and with Kehärata, two overlapping transportation networks are formed to the city. Despite of the negative environmental impacts of private cars, the city has to be still strongly planned also form the point of view of car owners. Interviewees were hoping that the new station areas would be built as compact urban environments, but contradictory they also saw that good logistical accessibility (with trucks) was one of the key benefits of the current economic environment in Vantaa and it should be supported also in the future. The somewhat poor imago of Vantaa was not seen as an obstacle when firms located to Vantaa, but it was seen as a problem when attracting new residents to the city. In the post-industrial society, the importance of employees to firm location is higher than ever and through tax income it is also a key factor in the public finance of cities.
-
Emplacement conditions and wallrock reactions of pegmatitic granitoid dikes, Kopparnäs, SW Finland (2017)The topic of this thesis is the emplacement conditions and wallrock reactions of pegmatitic granitoids dikes in Kopparnäs, Southwestern Finland. Two locations from Kopparnäs peninsula, where pegmatitic granitoid dikes intrude into mafic host rocks, were chosen for a detailed petrological study. In the first study location, the granitoid dikes intrude into a noritic host rock and in the second study location the dikes intrude into a migmatitic host rock. Analysis on previous studies, field observations and aerial pictures taken with a drone revealed that two generations of granitoid dikes were emplaced in quick succession during the formation of the Southern Finland Granitoid Zone at around 1.83 Ga. The first generation of dikes intruded into E-W trending shear zones. The second generation of dikes intruded into N-S trending shear zones that were formed under SE-NW transpression. Quantitative estimates of pressure and temperature conditions could not be made. The structural evidence points to an intrusion of hot magma into a cold host rock. This information combined with PT-information from previous studies implies a high temperature and low pressure environment. A study of the rock microstucture was done with optical and cathodoluminescence microscopes in order to describe melt-wall rock reactions. Mineral identification and a study of major element composition were done with the electron probe microanalyzer (EMPA). Trace element measurements were made on the laser ablation inductively coupled mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS) to find out what transpired chemically when the dikes were emplaced in the host rocks. There are clear sings of melt-wallrock interaction between the granitoid dikes and the mafic host rocks. It is possible that a drop in pressure caused expulsion of fluids from the dikes. Alteration was most extensive in first study location where amphibole devolatilization reactions in the host norite released fluids to the contact zone causing further alteration. The alteration zone around the contacts of the dikes and the migmatites is much narrower in the second study location, since no fluid was released from devolatilization reactions. Despite this, existence of myrmekite in the contact zone in the second location point to sodic-calcic auto-metasomatism. The alteration reactions had a big effect on the trace element compositions, creating some clear linear diffusion trends. Elements, such as zinc, gallium, niobium and tantalum were mobilized and diffused from the dikes to the host rocks. The most hydrothermally altered rocks in the first study location were enriched in easily soluble elements, such as barium and cesium, and depleted in rare earth elements.
-
(2014)This research concentrates on microfinance and microcredit and the empowerment of women. This particular method of financing is targeted towards people who are the poorest and who cannot use normal channels of financing. Policymakers, development agencies and politicians promote microfinance as an effective anti-poverty intervention. Nevertheless there is no consensus yet whether microcredit is the right and most effective tool for empowering women. Another key concept in this thesis is empowerment. Empowerment is a process of change by which individuals or groups with little or no power gain the ability to make choices that affect their lives. Women`s empowerment in particular refers to a process by which women redefine gender roles and have the capacity to increase their own self-reliance and internal strength. The aim of this research is to discover what kind of impact microcredit has on poor rural women in the village of Devichaur In Nepal. The role of women`s groups is essential in the context of microfinance in Devichaur. The research question of this thesis is whether microcredit is a valuable tool in empowering poor women. Another important question is what kinds of changes that can be said to associate with the increased access to credit can be discovered in poor women`s situation. This research concentrates on the experiences of local women in Devichaur. The empirical data was collected via personal interviews with twenty-three women. The empirical research findings are compared with the theories concerning the empowering effect of microfinance and microcredit for poor women. The research was conducted using a descriptive, qualitative method. Qualitative research emphasizes processes and meanings not measured in quantity, amount or frequency. Instead it stresses socially constructed reality and it seeks to find out the quality of phenomena. Semi-structured theme interviews were carried out to get insights into the genuine feelings and thoughts of the interviewees. Content analysis was used in analyzing the research material collected from the field. The units of analysis derive from the main themes of the interview questions. The results of this research show clear improvements in the status and self-esteem of women within their households and the whole community. Women in Devichaur felt empowered as individuals as well as a group in comparison to the situation before microcredits and women's groups. Women are more independent economically and also more independent in their decisions about the use of money. Although microfinance has a great potential and ability to empower women, the connection is neither straightforward nor automatic. Lending money to women and giving them access to financial assets can create new challenges and extra burdens for women. Microfinance operations should also include well-planned and long lasting non-credit aspects such as training on literacy to have long lasting positive impacts on empowerment. It is important also to make sure that evaluation and monitoring of the loan cycles occurs, in order to channel microfinance systems into more profitable use.
-
(2015)This thesis explores territorial stigma in the Helsinki capital region from residents' perspective. The aim of the study is to find out, whether there are stigmatised neighbourhoods in the region. Another purpose is to analyse what kind of neighbourhoods are stigmatised and what kind of people experience the stigma. In this study people are considered to experience the stigma if they are unwilling to tell where they live. The analysis focuses on the socioeconomic structure of the neighbourhoods and the socioeconomic status and the cultural orientation of the residents. The primary research data is a survey about the wellbeing of residents in the Helsinki metropolitan region conducted in 2012. The experience of the territorial stigma is determined based on the agreement with a statement 'I don't like telling where I live'. Statistical data about the structure of neighbourhoods is provided by Statistics Finland. The study is quantitative, and the main research methods include descriptive analysis, comparison of means and factor analysis. In addition, GIS methods are used to combine and visualise the data. The results show that territorial stigma is an existing phenomenon in the Helsinki capital region. There are mainly two types of stigmatised neighbourhoods: areas with either a very low or high socioeconomic profile. However, the stigma is not very strong since even in the most stigmatised neighbourhoods only a clear minority experiences it. On the individual level the stigma does not seem to be related to respondents' socioeconomic status but rather to their cultural orientation. The respondents who don't like telling where they live find challenges, success and personal development less important than the other respondents. Not all low and high-profile neighbourhoods are stigmatised, however. It seems that the stigma is a problem mainly in those neighbourhoods that have a significantly bad or an elite reputation. In the light of international research the stigmatisation of low-profile neighbourhoods is not a surprise. What makes the Helsinki region an interesting and special case is the stigma attached to living in elite neighbourhoods. The reason for this phenomenon might lie in the 'Finnish mentality' that stresses normality and modesty. This study focuses solely on the existence of the territorial stigma. Previous international research shows that living in a stigmatised neighbourhood may have a negative impact on many aspects of life including social relationships and employment. Therefore it would be important to study the consequences of the stigma and the possible ways to prevent them in the Helsinki capital region as well.
-
(2018)One of the most important purposes of urban planning is to create good living environments for city residents. However, there are several conflicting interests that city planners should be able to reconcile in urban planning. For example, city planners should be able to accommodate a variety of functions and modes of transport in a limited street area. In addition to the different modes of transport, accessibility should also be taken into account in urban planning. Urban planning can have a strong influence on the accessibility of physical urban space, and to create accessible urban areas special focus has to be given to accessibility. In this master's thesis, urban planning is researched from the point of view of accessibility. The aim in this thesis is to find out how to coordinate accessibility and different modes of transport (pedestrian, cycling and trams) in urban planning. The thesis sought answers to the following research questions: How accessibility of urban space appeared in planning legislation, guidelines and regulations? What are the biggest challenges of combining accessibility and different modes of transport in same street areas? And how can these challenges be solved? The methods used in this thesis are literature analysis and interview surveys. The aim of literature analysis was to find out, what accessibility is and what is the relationship between accessibility and different modes of transport. Expert interviews were performed to find out, what are the challenges of combining accessibility and different modes of transport in street areas. City of Helsinki was used as a case example in this thesis. Based on this study, it seems that accessibility is taken quite well into consideration in urban planning of Helsinki. The challenges of combining accessibility and different modes of transport in same street, are caused by the lack of available street space, and the conflicts of interest related to the division of street space. These challenges can be avoided if accessibility is taken into account at the beginning of the planning process. However, best results require that accessibility is taken into account in all stages of urban planning.
-
(2015)This thesis examines the concepts of accessibility in the process of urban planning. Conducted thesis emphasises the political aspect of the planning and is focused on the use of power. The objective of this thesis is to develop a new approach to accessibility debate. By examining the use of power, this thesis highlights the notion of accessibility as a process, its ongoing nature and the importance of local-historical context. The adapted conceptual framework consists of intertwined theoretical concepts which are related through their connection to the political aspect of urban planning and marginalization. The main perspective is the power analytics by Michel Foucault. Research questions, developed based on literature, are examined with the help of the project of Matkakeskustunneli in Tampere, Finland. Data obtained from this project consists of eight interviews of the key project actors during the beginning of the project of Matkakeskustunneli. Early stages are analyzed with narrative method. The results are presented as local stories on micro level and as research findings on macro level. According to the results, the planning concept of accessibility is dynamic and projects are custom-made. The key in accessibility research is to understand actual political and administrative behavior in each case because of the unique nature of the planning processes. The conducted brings forth that the accessibility should be understood as a part of process of urban planning and special attention should be paid to the local-historical planning context. The empirical results from the project of Matkakeskustunneli indicated that the forming the subject of accessibility requires more attention. This will expand the understanding of those (hidden) starting points which affect to the procedures and planning policies. Moreover, this study argues how the planning of accessibility should be understood as a two-part planning process where each actor has a different position and emphasis and the key points of planning of accessibility are formed in both actor arenas. Results of this thesis also demonstrates how power relations and the use of power affects to accessibility planning in a positive way allthought it requires favorable context.
-
(2012)The indigenous forests of the Taita Hills, SE Kenya, boast a vast biodiversity and provide several vital ecosystem services to local communities. Population growth and land use change pressures have resulted in a significant decrease in indigenous forest cover in the Taita Hills in recent decades. Quantifying the aboveground biomass (agb) and carbon sequestration capacity of the Taita forests provides a strong argument for striving for their more efficient protection in the context of UN-REDD programme. Although the role of tropical forests as global carbon sinks has been widely recognized, their agb and leaf area index (LAI) remain uncertain. Optical remote sensing (RS) provides a cost-effective means of LAI and agb estimation in remote areas, but empirical modeling using remote sensor data has limited certainty in densely vegetated tropical forests. The agb and LAI of the Taita Hills were estimated using empirical regression modeling by relating in situ data (n = 181 for agb, n = 172 for LAI) and spectral vegetation indices (SVIs) derived from SPOT HRVIR optical remote sensing data. Field plots (20 m x 20 m = 0.04 ha) were located in indigenous (n = 80) and exotic (n = 83) forests, woodlands (n = 9) and agroforestry areas (n = 9). In situ LAI was derived from hemispherical photography (HP) using Lang's approach and the foliage clumping correction method by Chen & Cihlar. In situ agb was estimated using allometric equations which relate agb with tree parameters such as tree diameter at breast height. Empirical relations between the response variables (agb, LAI) and SVIs were utilized in predictive regression modeling. The predictor variables were selected using forward stepwise regression based on Akaike Information Criterion (AIC) values. The regression models resulted having only one predictor each due to the redundancy of the SVIs. Also topography-based predictor variables were tested, but they were poorly or not at all related with LAI and agb. The models performed moderately (D2 = 0.62 for LAI model, D2 = 0.41 for agb model). The total agb and carbon sequestration of the study area were estimated as 4.264 Tg and 2.132 Tg C, respectively. Mean agb densities of the indigenous forests and the whole study area were estimated as 463 ± 190 Mg ha-1 and 126 ± 115 Mg ha-1, respectively. Mean in situ LAI of the indigenous forests and all plots were estimated as 3.66 ± 0.44 and 3.12 ± 0.84, respectively. Indigenous plots had the highest mean in situ agb density and LAI values compared to exotic forests, woodlands and agroforestry areas (ANOVA p < 0.001). The RMSE values of the models were 0.59 (18.6 %) for LAI and 376.85 Mg ha-1 (82.9 %) for agb. The agb model was negatively biased (bias: -107.1 Mg ha-1, 23.6 %), but there was no statistically significant bias in the LAI model. The resulting agb estimates are rather high due to high in situ agb values, partly resulting from the emphasized contribution of very large trees to biomass on small plots. LAI values are quite low for dense tropical forests due to indirect estimation method using HP, but still comparable with other similar studies. As expected, the modeling performance was impaired by SVI saturation effect in relation to LAI and agb. The agb model was biased most likely due to the use of transformed variables in linear regression. The predictive models are not transferable to other regions as such, for the relative prediction performance of SVIs is case-specific and the model parameters have to be estimated using in situ data for each site. In order to improve the model credibility, a more extensive dataset based on a random or a systematic sample should be used, having larger plot size and containing more observations with low LAI and agb values.
-
(2016)Global climate change is predicted to have a major impact on northern temperate and arctic zones climates. Rainfall and temperatures are likely to increase in the future decades. Increasing erosion is one of the major threats linked to these phenomena. In Finland specifically, winter months are expected to face the most radical change in climate. This master's thesis aims to answer the following questions: how much does erosion increase in changing climate, what are the factors that either increase or control erosion rates, and how well does the physically based SWAT- model behave in the settings of Southern Finland. Two gauging stations inside the study area were used to calibrate and validate the physical SWAT- model (Härkälänjoki and the lower-part of Lepsämänjoki). Total of 16 parameters controlling runoff were used. NS & R2 as well as P- & R-factors were chosen to quantify and measure model behavior. In the calibration period, the R2 & NS values for Härkälänjoki were 0,29 and -0,05, and for Lepsämänjoki 0,40 and 0,34. In the validation period, the R2 & NS values for Härkälänjoki were 0,30 and -0,57, and for Lepsämänjoki 0,54 and 0,21. In the calibration period, the P & R-values were 0,33 and 0,24 for Härkälänjoki and 0,32 and 0,29 for Lepsämänjoki. In the validation period, the P & R values were 0,42 and 0,57 for Härkälänjoki and 0,50 and 0,63 for Lepsämänjoki. The results of R2 and NS and the other criteria indicate that Lepsämänjoki responded better to model calibration and validation, being satisfactory. Values for Härkälänjoki were generally unsatisfactory. The RCP8.5 scenario used in this thesis increases erosion by approx. 94% compared to the validation period. However, spatial variability is considerable. Average annual erosion in the climate change scenario was 1,22 t/ha. Winter months contribute most to the total annual erosion. Areas covered by evergreen forests and located near the edges of the study area experience least erosion, while areas near the downstream of the river experience the most erosion. SWAT model behaved reasonably well, and worked well with high-quality GIS data. However, the model still needs some further adjustment and development in order to have more consistent and user-friendly interface.
-
(2013)Tämän Pro Gradu –tutkielman tarkoituksena oli selvittää Euran Vaaniin pohjavesialueen rajojen muutostarve. Tutkimus oli osana laajempaa ympäristöministeriön ja maa –ja metsätalousministeriön hanketta, jonka tarkoituksena on luoda yhtenäinen ja selkeä ohjeistus hienoainespeitteisten akviferien pohjavesialueiden rajaamiselle. Kenttätyöt tehtiin kesällä 2011. Tutkimusmenetelminä olivat raekokoanalyysi kuiva- ja märkäseulonnalla ja hiukkasmittarilla, ionikromatografia, massaspektrometria, veden stabiilien isotooppien määritys ja rakennetulkinta. Tutkimusten perusteella Vaaniin pohjavesialueen nykyiset rajat eivät ole toimivia pohjaveden suojelun kannalta. Nykyisen pohjavesialueen ulkopuolisilta alueilta, joiden vedenjohtavuusarvot mahdollistavat pohjaveden muodostumisen, on hydraulinen yhteys harjuun. Vedenjohtavuusarvojen perusteella tutkimusalue voidaan jakaa kolmeen eri luokkaan, jotka ovat muodostumisalue (K > 10-6 ms-1), vettä osittain läpäisevä alue (10-7 < K < 10-6 ms-1) ja vettä läpäisemätön alue (K < 10-7 ms-1). Rakennetulkinnan perusteella hyvin vettä johtavat kerrokset ovat jatkuvia Vaaniin ja Euran keskustan välisellä osuudella. Harjun morfologia on vaihtelevaa eivätkä muutokset näy maanpinnalla aluilla, joilla harju on hienoainessedimenttien peittämä. Pohjaveden päävirtaussuunnat Kauttualta kohti Vaaniita ja jokilaakson reunoilta harjuun. Pohjaveden redox-oloissa tapahtuu muutos Mölsin alueen hapettavista oloista pelkistäviksi kohti Vaaniin vedenottamoa ja samanaikaisesti kemiallinen koostumus muuttuu jonkin verran. Veden stabiilien isotooppien perusteella pohjaveden osuus jokivedestä on noin 5 – 8 %. Vaaniin pohjavesialueen rajoja on tutkimusten perusteella syytä muuttaa. Ehdotetaan kahta muutosvaihtoehtoa. Ensimmäisessä pohjavesialueen rajoja siirretään itään ja länteen siten, että muodostumisalueeksi lukeutuvat moreenikumpareet ovat pohjavesialueella. Toisessa vaihtoehdossa pohjavesi- ja muodostumisalueiksi rajataan alueet, joiden vedenjohtavuusarvot mahdollistavat pohjaveden muodostumisen. Peitteisten akviferien pohjavesialueiden rajauksissa tulisi tutkimusten perusteella ottaa huomioon myös harjualueen ulkopuoliset alueet, joilta voi olla hydraulinen yhteys harjuun. Muodostumisalueen rajauksissa käytetään perusteena, että muodostumisalueeksi rajaan alue, jonka vedenjohtavuusarvo vastaa hienon hiekan vedenjohtavuutta tai on sitä suurempi. Tutkimusten perusteella määritelmää suositellaan muutettavaksi siten, että rajaksi otetaan vedenjohtavuusarvo 10-6 ms-1, koska se ei ota kantaa sedimentin laatuun.
Now showing items 61-80 of 426