Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Landscape Variation On Landform Categorization, Maia Williams, Werner Kuhn, Marco Painho

Journal of Spatial Information Science

This paper compares the landform vocabularies of residents from two regions in Portugal. Participants described both their own and the other less familiar landscapes in response to video footage of the regions. The results indicate that participants used more detailed vocabularies to describe the known landscape compared to the less familiar study site with detail triggered by individual place recognition. A relationship between landform lexica content and landscape type was observed in the relative placement of detail within each vocabulary. The observed drivers of categorization were the salient features of the landscape (elevation and land cover) and utilitarian motivations (land …

E-Government Challenge In Disaster Evacuation Response: The Role Of Rfid Technology In Building Safe And Secure Local Communities, A. Chatfield, S. F. Wamba, T. Hirokazu

Dr Akemi Chatfield

While geographic information systems (GIS) can provide information on the static locations of critical infrastructure and evacuation routes, they do not provide the dynamically changing locations of things and people on the move. In contrast, radio frequency identification (RFID) wireless network technology can automatically identify and track the movement of assets (i.e., fire engines, ambulances, and rescue workers) and vulnerable citizens on the move (i.e., the elderly and the disabled), and hence providing local governments and communities with real-time information and enhanced decision-making capabilities, during chaotic disaster response operations (i.e., evacuation). Although the potential high impact and strategic value of …

A Pragmatic Gis-Oriented Ontology For Location Based Services, Jun Shen, Aneesh Krishna, Shuai Yuan, Ke Cai, Yuemin Qin

Dr Jun Shen

With advances in automatic position sensing and wireless connectivity, location-based services (LBS) are rapidly developing, particularly in fields of geographic, tourism and logistic information systems. Currently, Web service has been viewed as one of most significant innovations in business industry, and designed on demand to provide spatial related information for LBS consumption. However, the traditional Web Service Description Language (WSDL) cannot meet those requirements, as WSDL is not able to support semantic content and information. In recent years, Ontology came up with an effective approach to enhance service description, automated discovery, dynamic composition, enactment, and other tasks such as managing …

Geosensor Data Representation Using Layered Slope Grids Sensors., Yongmi Lee, Young Jin Jung, Kwang Woo Nam, Silvia Nittel Editor, Mary-Kate Beard-Tisdale, Keun Ho Ryu

Publications

Environmental monitoring applications are designed for supplying derived and often integrated information by tracking and analyzing phenomena. To determine the condition of a target place, they employ a geosensor network to get the heterogeneous sensor data. To effectively handle a large volume of sensor data, applications need a data abstraction model, which supports the summarized data representation by encapsulating raw data. For faster data processing to answer a user’s queries with representative attributes of an abstracted model, we propose such a data abstraction model, the Layered Slopes in Grid for Sensor Data Abstraction (LSGSA), which is based on the SGSA. …

Integrating Expert System And Geographic Information System For Spatial Decision Making, Sriharsha Shesham

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Spatial decision making is a process of providing an effective solution for a problem that encompasses semi-structured spatial data. It is a challenging task which involves various factors to consider. For example, in order to build a new industry, an appropriate site must be selected for which several factors have to be taken into consideration. Some of the factors, which can affect the decision in this particular case, are air pollution, noise pollution, and distance from living areas, which makes the decision difficult. The geographic information systems (GIS) and the expert systems (ES) have many advantages in solving problems in …

Using Biophysical Geospatial And Remotely Sensed Data To Classify Ecological Sites And States, Carson A. Stam

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Within the Intermountain West, vast expanses of big sagebrush shrubland and steppe are considered emblems of the western range. Currently, there are approximately 60 million hectares of big sagebrush within the 11 western states, four million of which are in the state of Utah. However, the historic distribution of sagebrush has been impacted by conversion to other types of land cover through juniper encroachment, urbanization, invasive weeds, and agricultural expansion. In Utah alone, big sagebrush communities have been reduced to approximately 55% of their historic extent. A primary and current example of the cumulative impact of big sagebrush loss is …

Shoreline Evolution: City Of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Chesapeake Bay, Lynnhaven River, Broad Bay, And Atlantic Ocean Shorelines, Donna A. Milligan, Christine Wilcox, C. Scott Hardaway Jr., Mary C. Cox

Reports

The City of Virginia Beach is situated along both the Atlantic Ocean and Chesapeake Bay (Figure 1). Through time, the City’s shoreline has evolved, and determining the rates and patterns of shore change provides the basis to know how a particular coast has changed through time and how it might proceed in the future.Along Chesapeake Bay’s estuarine shores, winds, waves, tides and currents shape and modify coastlines by eroding, transporting and depositing sediments.
The purpose of this report is to document how the shore zone of the City of Virginia Beach has evolved since 1937. Aerial imagery was taken for …

Toward Renewable Eenergy Geo-Information Infrastructures: Applications Of Giscience And Remote Sensing That Build Institutional Capacity, K. Calvert, Joshua M. Pearce, W. E. Mabee

Department of Materials Science and Engineering Publications

Sustained policy support is necessary in order to drive a transition toward renewable energy (RE). The ability to realize RE policy objectives is constrained by a range of geographic factors related to resource potential, the distribution of resources, land availability/suitability, the absorptive capacity of proximal infrastructure, and local socio-political acceptance. With this in mind, this paper provides a systematic review of how geographic information science and remote sensing techniques have been applied to reduce uncertainties surrounding renewable energy development, with emphasis on policy and planning needs. The concept of a ‘geo-information infrastructure’ is used to bring coherence and direction to …

Large Scale Archaeological Satellite Classification And Data Mining Tools, Kelly Canham

Theses

Archaeological applications routinely use many different forms of remote sensing imagery, the exception being hyperspectral imagery (HSI). HSI tends to be utilized in a similar fashion as multispectral imagery (MSI) or processed to the point that it can be utilized similarly to MSI, thus reducing the benefits of HSI. However, for large scale archaeological surveys, HSI data can be used to differentiate materials more accurately than MSI because of HSI's larger number of spectral bands. HSI also has the ability to identify multiple materials found within a single pixel (sub-pixel material mixing), which is traditionally not possible with MSI. The …

Techniques And Methods Of Spatial Data Creation For National Address System In Albania, Arbi Shehu

UBT International Conference

The creation of the National Address System in Albania has passed several crucial stages which are characterized in several groups from which it worth mention the creation of legal base, collection of data, the creation of spatial data, GIS application and geodatabase construction, etc. The main part of this process is characterized by the creation of the spatial data through digital techniques and methods. These techniques were implemented through the use of AutoCAD Map and ArcGIS software, using a specific methodology for this process. In this paper it is involved the process of digitizing from orthophotos, identifying streets, buildings and …

Shoreline Evolution Update: 1937/38-2009 End Point Rate Calculations Counties Of Accomack, Gloucester, And York Cities Of Newport News, Norfolk, And Poquoson, Donna A. Milligan, Christine Wilcox, Mary C. Cox, C. Scott Hardaway Jr.

Reports

Through time, Chesapeake Bay’s shoreline has evolved, and determining the rates and patterns of shore change provides the basis to know how a particular coast has changed through time and how it might proceed in the future. Along Chesapeake Bay’s estuarine shores, winds, waves, tides and currents shape and modify coastlines by eroding, transporting and depositing sediments.

The purpose of this report is to document how the shore zone of six Virginia localities, Accomack, Gloucester, York, Newport News, Norfolk, and Poquoson, have evolved since 1937/38 (Figure 1). Aerial imagery was taken for most of the Bay region beginning then and …

5d: A Gis-Based Approach For Determining And Displaying The Degree Of Operational Difficulty Of Demining, Pierre Lacroix, Rocío Escobar

The Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction

Clearance operations highly depend on environmental, geographic and socioeconomic conditions. These conditions make demining easier, more difficult or nearly impossible. This article proposes an analytical method called 5D (Determining and Displaying the Degree of Operational Difficulty of Demining), which classifies degrees of difficulty as low, medium, high or extreme.

Shoreline Evolution: Westmoreland County, Virginia Potomac River And Rappahannock River Shorelines, Donna A. Milligan, Christine Wilcox, C. Scott Hardaway Jr., Mary C. Cox

Reports

Westmoreland County is situated along the Potomac River and Rappahannock River. Through time, the County’s shoreline has evolved, and determining the rates and patterns of shore change provides the basis to know how a particular coast has changed through time and how it might proceed in the future. Along Chesapeake Bay’s estuarine shores, winds, waves, tides and currents shape and modify coastlines by eroding, transporting and depositing sediments. The purpose of this report is to document how the shore zone of Westmoreland County has evolved since 1937. Aerial imagery was taken for most of the Bay region beginning that year …

Historical Integration Of Remote Sensing Data: Can Gis Extract Information From Grayscale Aerial Photographs?, Kristina Robertson

All Theses

There have been many changes in land management policies of the National Forest system over the past 100 years. Changes in policy related to law, population growth and economics directly cause changes in land cover. Global land cover changes are occurring at such a pace and magnitude that they are affecting Earth system functioning (Lambin et al., 2001). The analysis of land cover changes plays a key role in understanding several environmental phenomena, resulting in a need for objective and comparable land cover maps (Gennaretti et al., 2011). Advances in remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have modernized land-use …

Sediment Yield Modeling And Identification Of Erosion Hotspots In Tropical Watersheds: The Case Of Upper Ruvu Catchment In Tanzania, Juliana J. Msaghaa

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The main objective of this study was to test the sediment prediction capability of the Water Erosion Prediction Project (WEPP) model on tropical watersheds and also identify erosion hotspot areas. The maximum total discharge at the watershed outlet was 3,462m³/s. Runoff also varied with soil type in all four watersheds. The highest average annual runoff depths occurred on areas with high percentage of ferralic cambisols and humic acrisols soils. The lowest runoff depth was in areas with high percentage of rhodic ferralsols and eutric leptosols soils in Kibungo chini. The soil loss and sediment yield had the same …

Remote Sensing Of Forest Health Trends In The Northern Green Mountains Of Vermont, Michael G. Olson

Graduate College Dissertations and Theses

Northeastern forests are being impacted by unprecedented environmental stressors, including acid deposition, invasive pests, and climate change. Forest health monitoring at a landscape scale is necessary to evaluate the changing condition of forest resources and to inform management of forest stressors. Traditional forest health monitoring is often limited to specific sites experiencing catastrophic decline or widespread mortality. Satellite remote sensing can complement these efforts by providing comprehensive forest health assessments over broad regions. Subtle changes in canopy health can be monitored over time by applying spectral vegetation indices to multitemporal satellite imagery. This project used historical archives of Landsat-5 TM …

A Discussion Of Factors Involved In The Formation Of Slab Avalanches And An Analysis Of Avalanche Risk In The Sierra Nevada Mountains Using Gis, Kevin C. Howen

Natural Resources Management and Environmental Sciences

As winter recreational activities increase in mountainous environments, the need for a better understanding of snow avalanches is necessary. This project consists of a study into the physical factors that contribute to slab avalanche formation, and a GIS analysis of an avalanche prone area within the Sierra Nevada Mountains. The primary physical factors that contribute to the conditions that lead to avalanches include the slope of a mountain face, the aspect, and bare ground conditions lacking thick forest vegetation. ArcGIS is a powerful software tool that was used to map each of these factors, and then combine them to create …

A Geospatial Analysis Of Cdc-Funded Hiv Prevention Programs For African Americans In The United States, G. A. Gilliam, Carol L. Hanchette, Kieran J. Fogarty, Deborah A. Gibbs

Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice

Given the increase in HIV/AIDS infection rates among racial and ethnic minorities, particularly African Americans, this study was undertaken as part of a larger research effort to examine the distribution of HIV prevention services focusing on African American populations within the United States. Data were gathered via a national survey of community-based organizations (CBOs) funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A geocoded national database was constructed to identify, locate, and map these HIV prevention programs. A total of 1,020 CBOs responded to the survey, yielding a response rate of 70.3%. These CBOs administered a total of …

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 …

An Integrated Approach For Developing Adaptation Strategies In Climate Planning: A Case Study Of Vulnerability In Dukes County, Massachusetts, Jonathan Pollak

Master's Theses

Climate Action Plans (CAP’s) are recent innovations in policy that have been catalyzed by a need to adjust the relationship between human activity and the Earth’s climate system. CAP’s often are composed of methods to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in addition to adaptation strategies. Research indicates, however, that many plans focus on mitigation strategies while adaptation policies related to predicted changes caused by climate change are often overlooked. This thesis presents an integrative framework for locating areas that are in need of adaptation strategies through a GIS based decision support system that visualizes vulnerability. It is operationalized through an empirical …

Creating A Pedestrian Level-Of-Service Index For Transit Stops: Evidence From Denver’S Light Rail System, Patrick Gallagher

Master's Theses

No abstract provided.

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 …

Predictive Geospatial Modeling For Archaeological Research And Conservation: Case Studies From The Galisteo Basin, Vermont And Chaco Canyon, Wetherbee Bryan Dorshow

Anthropology ETDs

Geospatial modeling of ancient landscapes for predictive scientific research and hypothesis testing is an important emerging approach in contemporary archaeology. This doctoral dissertation is comprised of three published North American case studies that clearly demonstrate the value of predictive geospatial modeling to address explicit goals of contemporary archaeological research, conservation and cultural resource management. The case studies consist of a GIS-based prioritization analysis of natural and cultural resources conservation value in the Galisteo Basin of north-central New Mexico, an archaeological sensitivity analysis (site-discovery potential) for the state of Vermont, and a predictive model of agricultural potential during the Bonito Phase …

The Role Of Human Awareness On The Spatial Patterns Of The Tick-Borne Disease Human Monocytic Ehrlichiosis In Missouri., James Edward Nunn 1985-

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Human monocytic ehrlichiosis (HME), a tick-borne disease that has recently surfaced in the United States, exists in regions where the tick vector population is established. This study utilizes methods that look beyond identifying high-risk regions, and investigates disparate awareness, self-perceived threat, and seriousness of HME to further enhance existing spatial modeling. The Health Belief Model provides a theoretical framework that encompasses the disease ecology aspect of medical geography to understand the relationship between people and their environment by surveying participants in study regions of Missouri. Results are suggestive that awareness differs between high/low incidence regions. Furthermore, education and income were …

Spatial Discrepancies Between Nhdplus And Lidar-Derived Stream Networks, Nicole Marie Samu

Masters Theses

Many organizations demand that current water resource issues necessitate improved stream network mapping for more accurate and reliable watershed analysis and modeling results, which can ultimately enable better management and policy decisions. Stream network data from the National Hydrography Dataset Plus (NHDPlus) and derived from Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) are each widely accepted to be of superior quality compared to many other conventional datasets. Each dataset indicates potential to improve a wide range of water resource applications; NHDPlus for its high spatial accuracy and functionality, and LIDAR-derived networks for their high resolutions. NHDPlus is publicly available and widely used; …

Shoreline Evolution: Lancaster County, Virginia Rappahannock River And Chesapeake Bay Shorelines 2012, Donna A. Milligan, Christine A. Wilcox, C. Scott Hardaway Jr., Mary C. Cox

Reports

ancaster County is situated along the Rappahannock River and Chesapeake Bay (Figure 1). The County has 330 miles of tidal shoreline (Lancaster, 2007). Through time, the County’s shoreline has evolved, and determining the rates and patterns of shore change provides the basis to know how a particular coast has changed through time and how it might proceed in the future. Along Chesapeake Bay’s estuarine shores, winds, waves, tides and currents shape and modify coastlines by eroding, transporting and depositing sediments. The purpose of this report is to document how the shore zone of Lancaster County has evolved since 1937. Aerial …

Gis Collaborations In Saskatchewan: Sgic And The University Of Saskatchewan Library (Accepted Manuscript Version), Jasmine R. Hoover

Library Research and Publications

GIS (Geographic Information System) libraries face challenges at both ends of the spectrum when it comes to acquiring GIS data. On one hand, the increase in popularity of GIS driven by services like Google Earth, Bing maps, and open data has made large amounts of GIS data freely available to users. On the other hand, specialty GIS data products, often needed by researchers, industry, and government, can be so costly that they are impossible for a library to purchase on its own. In situations like the latter, collaborations often provide the solution for acquiring the necessary GIS data. This report …

Agbufferbuilder: A Filter Strip Design Tool For Gis, Surendran Neelakantan, Tom Mueller, Michael G. Dosskey, Todd Kellerman, Eduardo Abel Rienzi

Plant and Soil Sciences Research Tools

AgBufferBuilder is a GIS-based computer program for designing vegetative filter strips around agricultural fields that utilizes terrain analysis to account for spatially non-uniform runoff (Figure 1). The core model is derived from the process-based Vegetative Filter Strip Modeling System (VFSMOD-W). A detailed description of the core model and its development is provided in Dosskey et al. (2011). The GIS program runs with ArcGIS (ESRI, Redlands, CA).

Community Food Security Via Urban Agriculture: Understanding People, Place, Economy, And Accessibility From A Food Justice Perspective, Mahbubur Meenar, Brandon Hoover

Sociology Educator Scholarship

This paper examines the role of urban agriculture (UA) projects in relieving food insecurity in lowerincome neighborhoods of post-industrial U.S. cities, using Philadelphia as a case study. Based on food justice literature and mixed-methods such as GIS, survey, field observations, and interviews, we discuss how neighborhoods, nearby residents, and the local food economy interact with UA projects. Our findings suggest that, although UA projects occupy a vital place in the fight against community food insecurity in disadvantaged inner-city neighborhoods, there are debates and concerns associated with the movement. These concerns include geographic, economic, and informational accessibility of UA projects; social …

Use Of Environmental Isotope Tracer And Gis Techniques To Estimate Basin Recharge, Abdulganiu A.A. Odunmbaku

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The extensive use of ground water only began with the advances in pumping technology at the early portion of 20th Century. Groundwater provides the majority of fresh water supply for municipal, agricultural and industrial uses, primarily because of little to no treatment it requires. Estimating the volume of groundwater available in a basin is a daunting task, and no accurate measurements can be made. Usually water budgets and simulation models are primarily used to estimate the volume of water in a basin.

Precipitation, land surface cover and subsurface geology are factors that affect recharge; these factors affect percolation which invariably …