Digital Commons Network^™

Spatial Pattern Analysis Of Agricultural Soil Properties Using Gis, Corrin Jared Mccarn

Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural soil properties exhibit variation over field plot scales that can ultimately effect the yield. This study performs multiple spatial pattern analyses in order to design spatially dependent regression models to better understand the interaction between these soil properties. The Cation Exchange Capacity (CEC) and Calcium-Magnesium Ratio (CaMgR) are analyzed with respect to Calcium, Magnesium, and soil moisture values. The CEC and CaMgR are then used to determine impact on the yield values present for the field. Results of this study show a significant measure of model parsimony (0.979) for the Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) model of the CEC with …

Women Workin’ It In Gis: A Mixed Methods Study Of Underrepresentation And The Gendered Experience Among Female Gis Practitioners, Livia M. Betancourt Mazur

Theses and Dissertations

Through novel empirical research, this thesis explores the experience of women working in the professional field of geographic information systems (GIS), adding to GIS literature, as well as to academic geography and wider science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) discourses, addressing gaps in these bodies of knowledge.

A Gis Analysis Of Sidewalk Infrastructure In Starkville, Ms, Robert Devon Bise

Theses and Dissertations

Sidewalks provide many community services, yet not much geospatial research exists regarding sidewalks, especially in Mississippi. The purpose of this thesis was to use geographic information systems to inventory and map sidewalks for Starkville, MS and to compare sidewalk availability and quality to 2010 US census block demographics. In Starkville, sidewalks served 28% of the census block population, which classifies the city as “Car-Dependent” according to a Walk Score criteria. Majority minority census blocks and majority white census blocks had similar proportions of sidewalks. However, 97% of “Excellent” quality and 64 more sections of ADA compliant sidewalks were within majority …

Utilizing Remote Sensing Imagery To Monitor Vegetation Change Within World Heritage Sites, Mimi Eve Hatzis

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT

World Heritage sites provide a glimpse into the stories and civilizations of the past. There are currently 1007 unique World Heritage properties with 779 being classified as cultural sites, 197 as natural sites, and 31 falling into the categories of both cultural and natural sites (UNESCO & World Heritage Centre, 1992-2015). However, of these 1007 World Heritage sites, at least 46 are categorized as in danger and this number continues to grow. These unique and irreplaceable sites are exceptional because of their universality. Consequently, since World Heritage sites belong to all the people of the world and provide inspiration …

Investigating Virtual Globes For A Prototype Community Archive Of 3d Subsurface Data, Derek C. Whitman

Theses and Dissertations

Geoscience data sharing and processing is very advanced in terms of surface data. Subsurface data sharing has not received the attention that surface data sharing has received and so there are fewer applications or software packages which focus on it. This research is funded by the NSF EarthCube GEO Domain program in an effort to develop a continental-scale repository of 3D subsurface data to facilitate the sharing of complex 3D data and to enable the development of geoprocessing tools and workflows that operate on that data. The work in this thesis is a small part of the EarthCube project with …

Determining The Source Of Anomalous Segments In A Karst Stream, Kathryn Emily Schroeder

Theses and Dissertations

Southeastern Minnesota is characterized by an extensive karst network. In Kentucky, Carter Caves State Resort Park is a similar karst area that has exhibited karst anomalies, or `bumps,' in a longitudinal stream profile. This study aimed to determine if these same karst anomalies can be found in southeast Minnesota, where LiDAR data are available, and if these bumps are actually karst features. Profiles of carbonate and siliciclastic streams were observed to determine if the presence of anomalies in only carbonate streams, both lithologies, or neither. Another objective was to determine if GIS could be an effective method at generating these …

Island Karst Classification: Spatial Modeling-Oriented Approach With Multispectral Satellite Imageries, Hung Chak Ho

Theses and Dissertations

This project developed a series of spatial models to classify the island karst landforms and predict the island karst feature distribution. Spatial models with unsupervised classified images, and fuzzy-based spatial models were used in this study. Forecasting verification and spatial regressions were used to validate the models. The case study was conducted on San Salvador Island, the Bahamas, a recognized carbonate island with island karst features. Fieldwork data on banana holes on the island were used for model validation. The results showed that most models had accuracy higher than 90%, and were statistically proved that they could be used as …

Spatial Patterns Of Herbaceous And Woody Recruitment In A Recently Restored Mixed Tidal Regime Freshwater Wetland, James B. Deemy

Theses and Dissertations

Ecological restoration of a converted wetland was characterized within a recently drained impoundment along the James River in Charles City County, Virginia. Colonizing vegetation was assessed over three growing seasons in both tidal and non-tidal environments. Study objectives were to (1) examine geospatial relations of recruitment patterns among colonizing species over three growing seasons, (2) quantify species composition and potential differences between extant species cover and soil seed banks across restored and natural wetland habitats and (3) assess geospatial patterns to develop a GIS model of bald cypress (Taxodium distichum L.) recruitment. The two most common native colonizing species during …

Identifying Locations Of Highly Eroded Agricultural Land In The Devils Lake Basin, Nd Using Gis Terrain Analysis Modeling, Matthew J. Dinger

Theses and Dissertations

Soil erosion modeling using terrain analysis holds great potential due to the simplicity of the models, and the ease in running the analysis in a GIS. Terrain analysis of the upper Devils Lake basin was conducted using a 3-meter Light Detection and Ranging-derived digital elevation model. Portions of the Mauvais Coulee and Calio Coulee watersheds in the basin were analyzed to evaluate soil erosion potential and determine if terrain analysis was an accurate tool for modeling erosion in this fairly flat landscape. The analysis used slope, flow accumulation, and stream power index (SPI) within a GIS to identify highly eroded …

A Gis Model To Rapidly Predict Probability Of Hurricane Damage, Ryan Christopher Vaughan

Theses and Dissertations

Emergency managers are faced with the challenge of acting quickly after a hurricane but rarely have detailed information available about type and amount of damage. In response to this need, linear additive geospatial models based on logistic regression analyses of driving variables including wind, rain, surge, topography were developed and automation routines programmed that rapidly and accurately predict a variety of damage types. Since a preponderance of damage is associated with falling trees, over 2000 post-Katrina forested plots were used to fit and validate independent models for hardwood blowdown and pine shear. Additional models using peak wind gusts and maximum …

Spatio-Temporal Characteristics Of Mississippi Wildfires, Saranee Dutta

Theses and Dissertations

Based on wildfire data acquired from Mississippi forestry commission from 1991- 2005 approximately 4,000 wildfires occur in Mississippi each year, burning over 60,000 acres of forest and grassland. This study focuses on Mississippi’s wildfires from 1991- 2005 for the summer/fall period defined for this study as the May-November fire season. Statistical analysis indicates that there is significant correlation between vegetation indices derived from remotely sensed data and wildfire size at various time lag periods. Forest areas are correlated with vegetation indices at longer lag periods, nonorested areas are correlated at shorter lag periods. The inverse correlation between wildfire size and …

The Development And Use Of A Geographic Information System For Evaluating The Association Between Pesticide Exposure And Prostate Cancer, Kristen Wells

Theses and Dissertations

Abstract 1 – A Geographic Information System for Evaluating Residential Pesticide Exposure and Prostate Cancer Incidence Agricultural pesticide exposure is hypothesized to be a risk factor for prostate cancer, and such exposures are of particular concern for men living in farming communities where large-scale pesticide applications occur. Prostate cancer incidence data were obtained from the State Health Registry of Iowa for the years 1996 through 2006, and county and census tract level age-adjusted incidence rates were calculated. Historical crop-specific land use records and pesticide sales data for the state of Iowa during 1990 were integrated into a geographic information system …

Predictive Modeling Of Sulfur Flower Buckwheat (Erigonum Umbellatum Torrey) Using Non-Parametric Multiplicative Regression Analysis, David B. Davis

Theses and Dissertations

Impacts of humans on ecosystems in western United States have necessitated ecological restoration, which includes the development of native seed that can be used for revegetation efforts. Development of such seed sources are costly and time consuming. This study describes the use of non-parametric multiplicative regression analysis (NPMR) to develop a predictive model for occurrence of sulfur-flower buckwheat (Eriogonum umbellatum Torrey) population seed collection. This perennial forb species is of interest for seed source development in the western United States. Presence and absence data for E. umbellatum was taken from the Utah Division of Wildlife Resources Big Game Range …

A Gis-Based Strategy For Managing Levee Simulation Data, Jeffrey R. Handy

Theses and Dissertations

Understanding and improving the state of the nation's levees has become a national priority following the devastating events surrounding Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Federal legislation passed in 2007 created a new national Committee on Levee Safety and spurred the development of the National Levee Database, a central repository of information relating to the location and state of levees across the United States (Water Resources Development Act, 2007). One of the major goals in developing such a database is to improve the safety of America's levees. The National Levee Database, however, does not include features for storing seepage and slope stability …

The Maya Footprint: Soil Resources Of Chunchucmil, Yucatan, Mexico, Ryan V. Sweetwood

Theses and Dissertations

Agricultural yields in Northwest Yucatán are constrained by climate, thin soils, and low fertility. Despite this, the ancient Maya city of Chunchucmil Yucatán, Mexico, boasted an immense, dense, and wealthy population during the Middle Classic period (ca A.D. 400-700). Soil physical and chemical properties were explored to determine how the ancient Maya of Chunchucmil fed themselves. Soil profiles were collected from various locations within ancient Chunchucmil's suspected sustaining area. The physical and chemical properties, carbon isotopes, black carbon, and coprostanols of soil profiles sampled were compared to ancient rural settlement and remotely sensed images, such as AIRSAR (airborne synthetic aperture …

Gml Represntation For Interoperable Spatial Data Exchange In A Mobile Mapping Application, Venu Madhav Singh Kanaparthy

Theses and Dissertations

Geographic information is critical to GIS applications located remotely for executing business operations. GIS applications need to interoperate to be able to share information for analysis and decision making process. Heterogeneity and complexity of information models and structures limit the data flow and application interoperation. Advancements in Internet technologies provided new opportunities for delivering spatial information to remote users. However, spatial data delivered is in proprietary structures, limiting the utility to GIS applications. To enable information flow between GIS applications a portable data modeling approach is necessary. However, geographic information is inherently complex to model. A comprehensive and standardized vocabulary …