Finch A | Argosy University (original) (raw)
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Thesis Chapters by Finch A
Owners of various small businesses foster the instigation and growth of their local societies. No... more Owners of various small businesses foster the instigation and growth of their local societies. Nonetheless, several small businesses fail to thrive beyond the first five years. Cognizant of the theory that revolves around systems, the focus of this particular case study is to investigate the approaches that small businesses implement to develop and withstand long-term businesses. Through a multiple case study technique, administration of semi-structured interviews among retail business owners is necessary to find out more about the research topic. The correspondents will provide in-depth information regarding the strategies used to maintain their businesses. The semi-structured interviews will bring forth insights into the respondents’ conversations while the field notes and member interview checking will help the researcher to foster triangulation and facilitation of the key themes. In essence, there will be three main themes from the study including provision of improved customer services, assessing capital, and choosing good locales. The strategies that will be provided by the respondents often give guidance for the small business owners who have the quest to do business for long. Novel and existing businesses will benefit from this research through expanding knowledge from the explicated strategies; hence, bolstering job creation and growth of the local economies via small businesses.
Papers by Finch A
Journal of Environment and Earth Science, 2013
Harmful algal blooms are known to cause mortalities of aquatic organisms when in high biomass thr... more Harmful algal blooms are known to cause mortalities of aquatic organisms when in high biomass through formation of anoxic conditions or production of marine biotoxins (that ultimately reach humans through food web transfer). Only a few studies of phytoplankton communities have been carried out along the Kenyan coast. Of these studies, very few have focused on potentially harmful algae. Due to the increasing economic importance of harmful algal blooms, there is need to carry out an inventory of potentially harmful algal species that are present in the Kenyan coastal waters. Phytoplankton samples were collected along the Kenya Coast from 2009-2010 and analyzed for species abundance. A total of 39 taxa of potentially harmful algae were encountered over the study period. Potentially harmful algal taxa with high abundance were Chaetoceros sp., Nitzschia sp., Coscinodiscus sp., Pseudo-nitzschia sp., Rhizosolenia sp., Anabaena sp., Protoperidinium sp., Oscillatoria sp. and Trichodesnium sp. whereas the taxa with lowest abundances were Fibrocapsa sp., Chrysochromulina sp., Umezakia sp., Dinophysis sp. and Aphanizomenom sp. Taxa such as Dinophysis sp. that is generally known to be toxic at low cell densities occurred in most sampling stations. Highest cell densities of potentially harmful algae (39.51x10 2 cells/L) were recorded in the estuarine systems as compared to the creeks (22.83x10 2 cells/L) and near-shore (2.86x10 2 cells/L) ecosystems. Compared to previous studies, this study registered increased number of potentially harmful algae species, an indication of potential threat of future bloom occurrences with the risks of phycotoxins contamination in the expected scenarios of increased eutrophication and climate change.
Fisheries Research, 2013
ABSTRACT The species composition, distribution patterns and abundance of penaeid shrimps in Malin... more ABSTRACT The species composition, distribution patterns and abundance of penaeid shrimps in Malindi-Ungwana Bay, Kenya, were investigated after six years of no bottom trawling in the area. Two surveys undertaken during the dry Northeast Monsoon (NEM) and wet Southeast Monsoon (SEM) seasons in 2011 identified areas with abundant shrimps near the outflows of the Sabaki and Tana rivers. Distinct species composition and abundance patterns were found at the two areas, attributed mainly to depth, turbidity and season. Penaeus semisulcatus was more abundant at the Sabaki area, where it was deeper with a muddy bottom and less turbid waters. Fenneropenaeus indicus was more abundant in the Tana area, a shallower, more turbid area with sandy-mud sediments. Penaeus monodon, Penaeus japonicus and Metapenaeus monoceros were found in both areas, suggesting wider tolerance to environmental conditions. Shrimp total biomass and catch rates were significantly greater during the SEM survey, and decreased as depth increased beyond 10 m. Small-sized M. monoceros and P. monodon individuals were abundant during the SEM survey, whereas large ones with ripe and spent gonads were more common during the NEM survey, suggesting that spawning took place between the two surveys. Seasonal patterns in gonad maturity were less clear for F. indicus and P. semisulcatus. The length at first maturity (L50) varied among species, suggesting that different species in the bay start spawning at different sizes, an important biological reference for sustainable resource exploitation. This study confirms the importance of the Sabaki and Tana areas as important habitats for penaeid shrimps in Malindi-Ungwana Bay.
Mangrove ecosystems are of great socioeconomic and ecological importance but are adversely affect... more Mangrove ecosystems are of great socioeconomic and ecological importance but are adversely affected by anthropogenic activities. Benthic infaunal community studies, particularly of polychaetes, are useful indicators of the health of an ecosystem. An unbalanced After Control/Impact (ACI) design was used to compare the polychaete infaunal community in polluted peri-urban mangrove swamps with nearby mangroves unaffected by sewage in Kenya and Mozambique. Differences were detected in the polychaete community between the peri-urban and un-impacted mangroves in both countries. In Kenya, the results showed that periurban mangroves are subjected to more severe human impact, leading to a decrease in polychaete diversity and a shift to more opportunistic species. In contrast, in Mozambique, the polluted peri-urban system had higher polychaete diversity when compared with the control sites. This was probably due to domestic sewage making more organic matter available in the foodweb. Among the polychaete families found in this study, the most tolerant to sewage were the Nereididae and Capitellidae, with Dendronereides zululandica, Perinereis vancaurica and a Mediomastus sp. the main representatives.
Journal of Soils and Sediments, 2015
Journal of Soils and Sediments, 2015
This paper uses a random sample of 881 farmers drawn from eastern and western Kenya to examine th... more This paper uses a random sample of 881 farmers drawn from eastern and western Kenya to examine the prevalence and drivers of seed and pollen mediated geneflow in the two major sorghum growing regions. It employs both qualitative and quantitative techniques to assess farmers' awareness of wild sorghum varieties, the practices they use in maintaining varietal purity and the conditioners of their success in maintaining the purity of cultivated varieties. The study finds that, among others, cultural differences, agroclimate and poverty affect the awareness, practices used in maintaining varietal purity and farmers' success in doing so. These findings have implication for biosafety and policy in Kenya due to the clamour to introduce genetically modified bio-fortified sorghum varieties in Africa.
Owners of various small businesses foster the instigation and growth of their local societies. No... more Owners of various small businesses foster the instigation and growth of their local societies. Nonetheless, several small businesses fail to thrive beyond the first five years. Cognizant of the theory that revolves around systems, the focus of this particular case study is to investigate the approaches that small businesses implement to develop and withstand long-term businesses. Through a multiple case study technique, administration of semi-structured interviews among retail business owners is necessary to find out more about the research topic. The correspondents will provide in-depth information regarding the strategies used to maintain their businesses. The semi-structured interviews will bring forth insights into the respondents’ conversations while the field notes and member interview checking will help the researcher to foster triangulation and facilitation of the key themes. In essence, there will be three main themes from the study including provision of improved customer services, assessing capital, and choosing good locales. The strategies that will be provided by the respondents often give guidance for the small business owners who have the quest to do business for long. Novel and existing businesses will benefit from this research through expanding knowledge from the explicated strategies; hence, bolstering job creation and growth of the local economies via small businesses.
Journal of Environment and Earth Science, 2013
Harmful algal blooms are known to cause mortalities of aquatic organisms when in high biomass thr... more Harmful algal blooms are known to cause mortalities of aquatic organisms when in high biomass through formation of anoxic conditions or production of marine biotoxins (that ultimately reach humans through food web transfer). Only a few studies of phytoplankton communities have been carried out along the Kenyan coast. Of these studies, very few have focused on potentially harmful algae. Due to the increasing economic importance of harmful algal blooms, there is need to carry out an inventory of potentially harmful algal species that are present in the Kenyan coastal waters. Phytoplankton samples were collected along the Kenya Coast from 2009-2010 and analyzed for species abundance. A total of 39 taxa of potentially harmful algae were encountered over the study period. Potentially harmful algal taxa with high abundance were Chaetoceros sp., Nitzschia sp., Coscinodiscus sp., Pseudo-nitzschia sp., Rhizosolenia sp., Anabaena sp., Protoperidinium sp., Oscillatoria sp. and Trichodesnium sp. whereas the taxa with lowest abundances were Fibrocapsa sp., Chrysochromulina sp., Umezakia sp., Dinophysis sp. and Aphanizomenom sp. Taxa such as Dinophysis sp. that is generally known to be toxic at low cell densities occurred in most sampling stations. Highest cell densities of potentially harmful algae (39.51x10 2 cells/L) were recorded in the estuarine systems as compared to the creeks (22.83x10 2 cells/L) and near-shore (2.86x10 2 cells/L) ecosystems. Compared to previous studies, this study registered increased number of potentially harmful algae species, an indication of potential threat of future bloom occurrences with the risks of phycotoxins contamination in the expected scenarios of increased eutrophication and climate change.
Fisheries Research, 2013
ABSTRACT The species composition, distribution patterns and abundance of penaeid shrimps in Malin... more ABSTRACT The species composition, distribution patterns and abundance of penaeid shrimps in Malindi-Ungwana Bay, Kenya, were investigated after six years of no bottom trawling in the area. Two surveys undertaken during the dry Northeast Monsoon (NEM) and wet Southeast Monsoon (SEM) seasons in 2011 identified areas with abundant shrimps near the outflows of the Sabaki and Tana rivers. Distinct species composition and abundance patterns were found at the two areas, attributed mainly to depth, turbidity and season. Penaeus semisulcatus was more abundant at the Sabaki area, where it was deeper with a muddy bottom and less turbid waters. Fenneropenaeus indicus was more abundant in the Tana area, a shallower, more turbid area with sandy-mud sediments. Penaeus monodon, Penaeus japonicus and Metapenaeus monoceros were found in both areas, suggesting wider tolerance to environmental conditions. Shrimp total biomass and catch rates were significantly greater during the SEM survey, and decreased as depth increased beyond 10 m. Small-sized M. monoceros and P. monodon individuals were abundant during the SEM survey, whereas large ones with ripe and spent gonads were more common during the NEM survey, suggesting that spawning took place between the two surveys. Seasonal patterns in gonad maturity were less clear for F. indicus and P. semisulcatus. The length at first maturity (L50) varied among species, suggesting that different species in the bay start spawning at different sizes, an important biological reference for sustainable resource exploitation. This study confirms the importance of the Sabaki and Tana areas as important habitats for penaeid shrimps in Malindi-Ungwana Bay.
Mangrove ecosystems are of great socioeconomic and ecological importance but are adversely affect... more Mangrove ecosystems are of great socioeconomic and ecological importance but are adversely affected by anthropogenic activities. Benthic infaunal community studies, particularly of polychaetes, are useful indicators of the health of an ecosystem. An unbalanced After Control/Impact (ACI) design was used to compare the polychaete infaunal community in polluted peri-urban mangrove swamps with nearby mangroves unaffected by sewage in Kenya and Mozambique. Differences were detected in the polychaete community between the peri-urban and un-impacted mangroves in both countries. In Kenya, the results showed that periurban mangroves are subjected to more severe human impact, leading to a decrease in polychaete diversity and a shift to more opportunistic species. In contrast, in Mozambique, the polluted peri-urban system had higher polychaete diversity when compared with the control sites. This was probably due to domestic sewage making more organic matter available in the foodweb. Among the polychaete families found in this study, the most tolerant to sewage were the Nereididae and Capitellidae, with Dendronereides zululandica, Perinereis vancaurica and a Mediomastus sp. the main representatives.
Journal of Soils and Sediments, 2015
Journal of Soils and Sediments, 2015
This paper uses a random sample of 881 farmers drawn from eastern and western Kenya to examine th... more This paper uses a random sample of 881 farmers drawn from eastern and western Kenya to examine the prevalence and drivers of seed and pollen mediated geneflow in the two major sorghum growing regions. It employs both qualitative and quantitative techniques to assess farmers' awareness of wild sorghum varieties, the practices they use in maintaining varietal purity and the conditioners of their success in maintaining the purity of cultivated varieties. The study finds that, among others, cultural differences, agroclimate and poverty affect the awareness, practices used in maintaining varietal purity and farmers' success in doing so. These findings have implication for biosafety and policy in Kenya due to the clamour to introduce genetically modified bio-fortified sorghum varieties in Africa.