http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/3889 2026-10-15T13:58:33Z http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/6842 Title: Assessing benefits and opportunities from tree planting in the southern agricultural growth corridor of Tanzania Authors: Durrant, Eleanor Sarah Abstract: Ecosystem restoration is seen as essential for conserving forests, preserving biodiversity, and addressing climate change. However, achieving e ective and equitable restoration requires integrating social considerations to better understand and manage trade-o s that arise from these interventions. This thesis addresses the need for a more inclusive approach to tree-cover restoration by examining methods that incorporate local perspectives and preferences into restoration planning. Firstly, I map the global evidence on participatory scenarios in ecological restoration to understand their role in assessing trade-o s across restoration outcomes. The findings suggest that participatory scenarios enable the integration of diverse knowledge types and methods, yet their impact on restoration planning remains unclear. Then, through participatory scenarios with smallholder farmers and a sentiment analysis, I explored farmers' preferences and attitudes toward tree-cover restoration in Tanzania’s Kilombero Valley. Farmers' desired outcomes diverge from current restoration policies and plans that emphasise exclusionary protected areas, underscoring the importance of participatory planning approaches that align with local aspirations. Lastly, I investigate how homegarden agroforestry and sugarcane contract farming contribute to household resilience to climate change. Both farming strategies can positively and negatively a ect livelihood resilience as smallholders grapple with trade-o s from limited land, costs of planting and maintaining, and risks to livelihood outcomes. Farmers have cleared trees from their plots for sugarcane, leading to a concentration of farmers' trees within homegardens, suggesting that homegardens may be important for ensuring the direct benefits of trees for smallholders and conserving aboveground carbon stocks. Overall, this thesis argues that agroforestry o ers a promising strategy to enhance livelihood diversity and resilience. However, achieving equitable restoration requires recognising and addressing the trade-o s and preferences of all stakeholders. I advocate for a broader methodological approach that combines diverse data types and participatory methods to ensure that tree-cover restoration e orts align more closely with the needs and values of local communities. Description: PhD Thesis 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/6787 Title: Assessing pedagogic benefits of the virtual world to enhance fieldwork Authors: Maddison, Janine Abstract: This research explores the evolving landscape of fieldwork practice, particularly the integration of digital tools in Higher Education (HE) fieldwork within the biosciences. Informed by expert panel interviews, a facilitators of fieldwork survey and student focus groups, the study examines the purpose of both traditional in-field approaches and emerging digital fieldwork practice. A fieldwork taxonomy is presented within this research, which uses pedagogic approach and delivery mode to define fieldwork practice. It investigates the role students can play in co-designing digital tools to address specific pedagogical challenges in fieldwork. Using an iterative design process, the research develops a Digital Field Notebook (DFN), Digital preparation resources, and a Virtual Field Trip (VFT). Student feedback is also used to exemplify the Technology Pedagogic and Content Knowledge (TPACK) framework to support the integration of technology in fieldwork. Additionally, expanding upon the role of student partnership, this research examines the feasibility of working with students to design, develop and deliver low-cost live fieldwork broadcasts. In evaluating the co-production partnership valuable insights into skill development and the future role of live broadcasting in fieldwork are shared. Despite students being involved in developing the DFN and recognising the benefits of this digital tool, barriers to the digital tools, barriers to their adoption within biosciences fieldwork remain. Recognising the need for practitioner training to address knowledge and skills gaps when adopting digital tools and the potential for adopting open scholarship practice, the digital tools were shared with the wider fieldwork community as Open Education Resources (OERs) during participatory workshops. These workshops played a key role in disseminating the tools, increases knowledge of the digital tools with participants, facilitating collaboration among attendees, fostering new ideas and supporting the integration of digital tools in fieldwork practice. Description: Ph. D. Thesis. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/6786 Title: Life history, ecology and management of blue sharks (Prionace glauca) in the North Atlantic Authors: Lucas, Solomon Abstract: Overfishing has caused a decline of oceanic sharks and rays by over two thirds since 1970. Resilience to fishing pressure is informed by species-specific life history strategies, which are shaped by phylogeny, environment and individual energy budgets. Blue sharks (Prionace glauca) are potentially more resilient to fishing pressure, with their relatively high reproductive output compared to most other sharks. However, blue sharks are listed as Near Threatened on the IUCN red list, with declines of more than 50% across three generations in the North Atlantic. To support life history assessments and halt population declines, low-cost methods to assess blue shark growth and to mitigate fisheries bycatch are needed. In addition, the genetic population structure of blue sharks is unresolved, with contrasting evidence for panmixia and regional substructure, preventing effective conservation and management. This thesis aimed to investigate the relationship between shark life history strategies and conservation biology, assess blue shark genetic population structure, and test low-cost methods to assess body size and to reduce bycatch. The thesis starts by exploring the potential for sensory deterrents to reduce marine megafauna mortality in fisheries. The efficacy of sensory deterrents is context specific, depending on species biology, fishery and environmental characteristics. Next, life history strategies of 151 elasmobranch species are assessed using energy budget models. Elasmobranch life history strategies are structured along two axes: pace of life (the fast-slow continuum) and a reproductive strategy axis. Species’ life history strategies, population growth rates and demographic resilience changed between a low and high feeding level. The thesis then develops and tests designs for low-cost stereo-video and laser photogrammetry systems. Stereo video performed significantly better than laser photogrammetry in both pool and field trials, offering a cheap and accurate method to attain non-invasive length measurements of pelagic sharks. The thesis further assesses genetic structure of blue sharks for 307 individuals across eight global sampling locations. Subtle population substructure was found between one cluster in the eastern and southeastern Pacific and a second cluster for all other regions, which suggests they should be treated as independent management units. Finally, the thesis investigates behavioural response of blue sharks to ferrite magnet deterrents deployed on fishing lines. There was no significant difference in bait choices between control and magnet lines. Further development in sensory deterrents is required before implementation in fisheries. Overall, this thesis investigates conservation challenges and multidisciplinary assessment of blue sharks, with potential applications for fisheries management Description: Ph. D. Thesis. 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z http://theses.ncl.ac.uk/jspui/handle/10443/6781 Title: Investigations into Electrochemical CO2 Reduction Catalysts via Gas Diffusion Electrodes Authors: Fidment, Ella Abstract: The advancement of carbon dioxide (CO2) electroreduction technology is crucial for address ing climate change by transforming CO2 into valuable chemicals and fuels. eCO2RR offers a route to decarbonise energy requirements for industries where energy-dense molecules are typically used to provide energy, such as aviation and domestic heating. However, developing catalysts that afford selectivity towards multi-carbon products is still the focus of much re search. With longer reduction pathways requiring more electrons, multi-carbon products are still hard to produce at significant rates. Furthermore, degradation of the gas diffusion elec trode is an issue under the electrochemical conditions for CO2 electroreduction. Flooding of the gas diffusion electrode reduces the availability of CO2 at the ideal triple phase reaction centres and hence the selectivity towards carbonaceous products reduces and hydrogen evo lution (HER) increases. This thesis presents research on the optimization of gas diffusion elec trodes for CO2 electroreduction, focusing on the effects of bimetallic catalyst selectivity and hydrophobicity. The hypothesis of this work was the addition of gold with the Cu2O catalyst would have a higher faradaic efficiency for multi-carbon products. The catalytic performance of Au-Cu2O bimetallic catalysts in gas diffusion electrodes was evaluated and it showed enhanced selec tivity for CO2 reduction to ethanol and propanol when compared to the Cu2O catalyst. The research found that the presence of gold in the catalyst composition significantly influences the reaction pathway by facilitating CO insertion and dimerization, leading to a higher selec tivity for C2+ oxygenates over ethylene. Chapter 4 presents the work on Au decorated Cu2O microparticles via electrodeposition were observed to produce higher faradaic efficiency of longer chain alcohols compared to Cu2O microparticles, however the overall rate of production of carbonaceous products decreased. The rate of ethanol and propanol production increased by 2 and 4.5 nmol s-1 cm-2 respectively with the AuCu2O compared to Cu2O. Overall the inclusion of gold in the catalytic layer resulted in higher *CO concentration which favoured high length carbon products. Faradaic efficiency of hydrogen was marginally lower at 16% faradaic efficiency with AuCu2O with respect to Cu2O. In exploring the role of hydrophobicity, the impact of modifying gas diffusion layers with hy drophobic additives was assessed. Nanoporous carbon particles, functionalized with polyfluoroaromatic compounds, were employed aiming to enhance CO2 diffusion whilst main taining hydrophobicity. The hypothesis of this work was that the use of polyfluorophenyl car bons as an additive in the catalyst layer would prevent flooding in the gas diffusion electrode. Initial results indicate that these hydrophobic substrates improve the faradaic efficiency for carbon monoxide production with Ag catalysts. However, the durability of hydrophobicity un der electrochemical conditions poses a challenge, as the effectiveness of these additives de creases over time, affecting the overall stability and efficiency of the CO2 reduction process. The hydrophobicity of nanoporous carbon particles functionalised with fluorophenyl mole cules was measured with capacitance in different potential windows and compared to na noporous carbons absent of functionalisation. It was found that the capacitance per mass was 2.69 F/g of PhF5CIC with respect to a capacitance per mass of 10.92 F/g of CIC. When a more negative potential window was applied, the capacitance of PhF5CIC per mass increased to 6.8 F/g for the PhF5CIC, providing evidence for electrowetting of PhF5CIC. PhF5CIC was utilised as a hydrophobic additive in the catalyst layer with Ag particles and the ratio of CO/H2 was measured. At 5 min, the ratio of CO/H2 faradaic efficiency was 50, showing preference of CO2 electroreduction with respect to HER. However, under longer electrochem ical conditions, the CO/H2 faradaic efficiency ratio lowered to 3 at 22 min, indicating electro lyte intrusion. This is in agreement with the capacitance studies conducted to measure hydro phobicity, whereby hydrophobicity of PhF5CIC decreases significantly under electrochemical conditions. Description: PhD Thesis 2025-01-01T00:00:00Z