Geography Commons^™

Classifying Forest Composition Using Fractal Dimension As An Index Of Image Texture, Fitria Latifah Wahid

Masters Theses

In this study, Landsat imagery from June (summer) and October (autumn senescence) 2000 of the area of Fort Custer Training Center in Kalamazoo and Calhoun Counties, Michigan, were analyzed for forest classification accuracies. The use of fractal analysis to improve forest classification, particularly to distinguish among northern hardwood species, was examined. Using moving windows with different sizes, measurement of local fractal dimension and spatial autocorrelation (Moran's I) were performed on the NDVIs and the panchromatic images. The measurement products were combined with Landsat TM bands as additional layers in supervised maximum- Iikelihood multispectral classifications. The accuracy for multispectral classification of …

Testing The Transfer Of Hydrologic Model Parameters Across Scales: Modeling The Emory River, Daddy’S Creek, And Crooked Fork Watersheds., Benjamin Bryan Arthur

Masters Theses

Modeling the hydrologic response of small watersheds is often hindered by lack of data. We cannot calibrate robust models without ample and sufficiently accurate precipitation and discharge measurements. Limited data prevent the calibration process from estimating parameter values that adequately depict the physical characteristics of the watershed. But physical characteristics change gradually over space and hydrologic processes behave in predictable ways across scales. These factors suggest that the modeling of data-limited small watersheds could be improved by using the physical characteristics of a large, data-rich watershed to estimate the characteristics of a small watershed.

This thesis presents such an application. …

A Spatial Temporal Analysis Of Infant Mortality In The Midwest Industrial Belt: 1940 And 2000, Julie Macarthur

Masters Theses

This study compares and analyzes the spatial patterns of infant mortality (IM) for 1940 and 2000 using county-level socio-economic variables in the Industrial Belt, assesses the changes in IM as an indicator of the living standards for the population over time and space, and explains the changes. The region was delineated using 1940 employment data. OLS, spatial regression, and exploratory spatial data analysis were used on IM (the dependent variable) and socio-economic variables to study the standard of living in the region. Some important factors were statistically significant in the various models including: minority population, levels of industrialization, and urbanization …

Providing Customized Real Time Traffic Information Through The Internet: Implementation Using Gis, Moinak Chatterjee

Masters Theses

For my Masters thesis I implement a web enabled GIS application for presenting personalized real-time traffic condition information. Due to the dynamic nature of traffic condition reporting, often large amounts of data have to be reported. The process of introducing personalization to traffic condition reporting hopes to reduce the amount of such data transmitted to users. The personalization of the presented traffic condition information is achieved by storing geographic definitions of routes and travel zones frequently traveled by the client. Since traffic update areas frequently requested for daily travel routes are often geographically identical, stored routes or zones can be …

Soil Survey Enhancement Of Landsat Thematic Mapper Delineation Of Wetlands: A Case Study Of Barry County, Michigan, Rosemary Ann Anger

Masters Theses

The Landsat Thematic Mapper Satellite system has provided a unique platform for the study of natural and man-made features since 1972. This suite of sensors has become an important tool in assessing vegetation type and health over large areas of the earth. This paper reviews the Landsat Thematic Mapper’s ability to categorize wetlands using an unsupervised classification scheme. A preliminary exploration of an unsupervised classification of wetlands using soil engineering characteristics from the Natural Resource Conservation Service’s soil survey as a pseudo bandwidth is described. The result of this project suggests that when compared to the National Wetlands Inventory, a …

Assessing The Acceptance Of The New Environmental Paradigm In Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Jaclyn Rose Burke

Masters Theses

Since the first Earth Day in 1970, there has been an expanding popular movement to protect the environment and a growing consciousness that humans are an integral part of nature. The New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) is a worldview that emphasizes the relationship that exists between humans and the environment. The purpose of this Master's Thesis is to assess Kalamazoo County, Michigan residents' attitudes on the environment based on their acceptance of the NEP. The acceptance of the NEP by Kalamazoo County residents was evaluated by residents' responses on a survey developed to measure their environmental attitudes. Kalamazoo County was found …

Shoreline Perceptions And Planning Of Five Lakes In Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Jonathan Peter Marsch

Masters Theses

Lakeshore development can have adverse affects on inland lakes. Effective planning and control is necessary to help communities and lakes stay healthy in the future. This paper provides planning for five lakes in Kalamazoo County, Michigan through the examination of lakeshore residents' perceptions of lake issues and the zoning ordinances of their local jurisdictions. Shoreline residents and jurisdictions around Austin, Gull, Long, West, and Woods Lakes are targeted in the survey and ordinance reviews. Evaluation of the survey through various statistical tests provides insight on residents' views of their rationale for living on the lakes, identification of lakeshore problems, and …

Stream Bank Erosion And Land Use/Land Cover Along The Gun River, Allegan County, Michigan, Kenneth James Sexton

Masters Theses

The Gun River, located in Allegan County, MI, is experiencing profound erosion and sedimentation due to past channel modifications and current land use activity. The Gun River historically has been dredged and straightened to drain water faster and more effectively for agricultural production. Additionally, human land use activities in the watershed influence the current land cover and riparian vegetation. The purpose of this study was to determine if variations in land use (residential, agricultural, and forested) and vegetative cover along the banks of the Gun River influence erosion. Additionally, the study provided a unique opportunity to compare the upper portion …

Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Of Gull Lake Water Quality Summer Of 1998, Jill Downing

Masters Theses

Suspended sediments derived from surface runoff can cause deterioration in aquatic ecosystems by reducing sunlight penetrating through suspended solids to reach subsurface biological organisms. It can also have an adverse effect on recreational, agricultural, and industrial uses. Monitoring the spatial distribution of suspended sediments is important in resource management of surface waters. Field spectrometry has been applied successfully toward establishing relationships between spectral response and water quality parameters including suspended sediment concentrations. The objective of this research was to develop possible correlations between hyperspectrum and water quality attributes of depth, turbidity, and nutrients of an inland freshwater lake in southwest …