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Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Food Policy Coalitions In Strengthening Community Food Security In The United States., Joseph G. England Iii
Perceptions Of The Effectiveness Of Food Policy Coalitions In Strengthening Community Food Security In The United States., Joseph G. England Iii
USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations
Food insecurity is experienced most acutely and addressed most innovatively at the community level to which the concept of community food security (CFS) finds purchase (Hamm and Bellows, 2003). In recognition of the many varying dynamics embedded in the CFS concept, Food Policy Coalitions have become an organizational model adapted by communities across the United States. While FPCs have grown in number considerably over the last decade, there remains a considerable lack of empirical research documenting evaluation and engagement methods, as well as strategies used to address community food security. This research, framed by the Community Coalition Action Theory, draws …
A Needs Assessment Of The Perceptions And Opportunities To Enhance Nature Exploration At Publicly Funded Preschools, Naomi Liebhold
A Needs Assessment Of The Perceptions And Opportunities To Enhance Nature Exploration At Publicly Funded Preschools, Naomi Liebhold
WWU Graduate School Collection
Extensive research supports the benefits of nature exploration in children’s lives. Research also suggests, however, that low-income families and other historically marginalized groups experience multiple barriers to accessing green spaces. In an attempt to counteract this inequality, a needs assessment was performed to understand the challenges and barriers public preschool providers face in regularly leading their children in nature exploration. The target audience of this evaluation was Head Start and Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program [ECEAP] teachers and parents. Along with measuring the challenges and barriers at these centers in regard to nature exploration, this evaluation assessed the resources …
Evaluation Of 'Structure-From-Motion' From A Pole-Mounted Camera For Monitoring Geomorphic Change, Rebecca K. Rossi
Evaluation Of 'Structure-From-Motion' From A Pole-Mounted Camera For Monitoring Geomorphic Change, Rebecca K. Rossi
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
Emerging "Structure-from-Motion" (SfM) photogrammetry techniques encourage faster, cheaper, and more accessible field methods for accurately reconstructing 3D topography. The SfM method consists of collecting sets of overlapping images of the ground surface with a point and shoot camera, and reconstructing surface topography from the images with developed software programs. This research develops and implements a SfM image acquisition method and post-processing workflow as a supplemental technique to the traditional total-station method to aid in monitoring sandbar change in Marble and Grand Canyons along the Colorado River in Arizona. Due to permitting in Grand Canyon National Park, a 4.9 m pole-mounted …
Policy Analysis: Alaska Salmon Hatcheries, Jessica Eller
Policy Analysis: Alaska Salmon Hatcheries, Jessica Eller
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Using an adapted Ecological Risk Assessment (ERA) - Evaluation, this study analyzes policy regulating Alaska salmon hatcheries to evaluate its effectiveness at sustaining wild salmon runs.When Alaska became a state in 1959, its salmon industry was suffering from years of overfishing. Runs were at an all-time low, prompting constitutional drafters to mandate management of salmon via the sustained yield principle. The hatchery system that operates today and is responsible for a third of the commercial catch each year was put in place in the 1970s to help supplement depressed salmon runs. The effects of hatchery salmon on wild salmon populations …
Cityscape Connections: National Park Service Relevance And Resilience In Urban Areas, Elizabeth Eleanor Perry
Cityscape Connections: National Park Service Relevance And Resilience In Urban Areas, Elizabeth Eleanor Perry
Graduate College Dissertations and Theses
The National Park Service (NPS) strives to embody U.S. democratic ideals, conserving our collective stories and scenery for their intrinsic value and the enjoyment of current and future generations. However, although these places are conserved for all, they are not enjoyed by all. As with other conservation agencies, the NPS finds itself increasingly concerned with building relevance with diverse potential stewards. In cities, where 80% of the U.S. population and 40% of the NPS portfolio is based, there is a prime opportunity to build relevance with large, diverse, and proximate audiences. Recognizing this opportunity, the NPS initiated its Urban Agenda …
An Integrated Evaluation Of The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program In South Dakota, Jarrett D. Pfrimmer
An Integrated Evaluation Of The Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program In South Dakota, Jarrett D. Pfrimmer
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Grassland restoration efforts in North America typically share the goal of improving ecological conditions for wildlife; however, it is unclear in many cases if goals are met. The South Dakota Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) was initiated to alleviate agriculturally-related environmental degradation by converting 40,469 hectares of eligible cropland and marginal pastureland to perennial vegetation. The program aims to provide habitat for obligate grassland breeding songbirds, while producing an additional 285,000 pheasants and 60,000 ducks annually. As part of a collaborative comprehensive evaluation effort, my research assessed the response of grassland-dependent breeding birds to CREP implementation at varying spatial scales …
Economic Efficiency Of Fuel Reduction Treatments In The Home Ignition Zone To Mitigate Wildfire Risk In Montana, Usa, Howard L. Williams
Economic Efficiency Of Fuel Reduction Treatments In The Home Ignition Zone To Mitigate Wildfire Risk In Montana, Usa, Howard L. Williams
Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers
Wildland-urban interface growth and factors increasing the probability of wildfire suggest that annual spending on wildfire risk mitigation and suppression will continue to increase. With limited information about the benefits and costs of risk mitigation, land managers and homeowners may under- or over-invest in risk mitigation, where costs are disproportionate to the expected benefits of the strategy. This study accounted for expected increases in wildfire risk (due to growth of the WUI, climate change and vegetation growth) over time in Flathead County, Montana, and estimated the expected avoided loss in structure values associated with three treatment levels that would require …
A Decision Support System To Analyze, Predict, And Evaluate Solar Energy System Performance: Pvsysco (Photovoltaic System Comparison), Lisa Bosman
Theses and Dissertations
In 2010, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the SunShot Initiative, which aims to reduce the total installation cost of solar technologies by 75% between 2010 and 2020. This implies that solar energy is a top priority in the U.S. and many other countries. The purpose of this dissertation research is focused on creating a model to better understand the performance and reliability of photovoltaic (PV) energy systems over time. The model will be used to analyze, predict, and evaluate the performance of PV systems, taking into consideration technological and geographical location attributes. The overall research goal is to build …
A Metaevaluation Of Energy Efficiency Evaluations, Brandy Brown
A Metaevaluation Of Energy Efficiency Evaluations, Brandy Brown
Dissertations
This study systematically reviews the methodological characteristics of energy efficiency evaluations and uses metaevaluation to assess its quality. Metaevaluation is used to systematically assess the quality of evaluation products, confirm that evaluations deliver sound findings and conclusions, are useful to the client, are credible, are ethically conducted, and are done as cost-effective as possible. The results of this study show that the ability to accurately assess evaluation for methodological quality using evaluations reports as a primary data source depends on the presence of detailed descriptions of evaluation methods. Furthermore, the study suggests that methodological variations of energy efficiency evaluations coalesce …
Evaluation Of Some Soil Loss Equations For Predicting Sheet Erosion, Douglas Joseph Trieste
Evaluation Of Some Soil Loss Equations For Predicting Sheet Erosion, Douglas Joseph Trieste
All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023
The objectives of this study were (a) to apply sediment and associated plot data from various infiltrometer studies to the parameters in the Universal Soil Loss Equation, a modified version of the original Musgrave Equation, and a modified version of the original Universal Soil Loss Equation, and compare the computed results with the measured soil loss, (b) to suggest reasons for any differences between computed and measured soil loss, and (c) to suggest improvements for each equation so that it will give results near the measured soil loss. The data used consisted of 2805 infiltrometer plots collected by previous researchers …