Geography Commons^™

Interannual Variability Of Photosynthesis Across Africa And Its Attribution, Christopher A. Williams, Niall P. Hanan, Ian Baker, G. James Collatz, Joseph Berry, A. Scott Denning

Geography

Africa is thought to be a large source of interannual variability in the global carbon cycle, only vaguely attributed to climate fluctuations. This study uses a biophysical model, Simple Biosphere, to examine in detail what specific factors, physiological (acute stress from low soil water, temperature, or low humidity) and biophysical (low vegetation radiation use), are responsible for spatiotemporal patterns of photosynthesis across the African continent during the period 1982-2003. Acute soil water stress emerges as the primary factor driving interannual variability of photosynthesis for most of Africa. Southern savannas and woodlands are a particular hot spot of interannual variability in …

Let's Not Pull Back On The Peace Corps, William G. Moseley

William G Moseley

No abstract provided.

Timing And Characterization Of The Change In The Redox State Of Uranium In Precambrian Surface Environments: A Proxy For The Oxidation State Of The Atmosphere, Gerald D. Pollack

Geosciences Dissertations

The redox-sensitive geochemical behavior of uranium permits the use of Th/U ratios as a geochemical proxy for the oxidation state of the atmosphere and oceans during sedimentary processes. Due to the effects of post-depositional uranium mobility on Th/U ratios during events involving oxygenated fluids, direct measurements of Th/U ratios are often misleading, but the whole rock Pb isotope composition may be used to determine a sample¡¦s apparent time-integrated Th/U ratio (ƒÛa) and the timing associated with the onset of the U-Th-Pb geochemistry. Rare earth element (REE) concentrations were determined by isotope dilution mass spectrometry to evaluate the influence of multiple …

Neogeographies, Cathy Moulder

Cathy Moulder

‘Neogeographies’ are Web 2.0 applications using geographic information. This session will show a few examples of this type of web-based tool but will focus mostly on Google Earth. Cathy Moulder has done some research specifically on Google Earth and its application to student assignments in higher education. This particular neogeography offers considerable potential for incorporation into student assignments in many disciplines.

Using Palaeobotanical Techniques To Guide Peatland Restoration. A Case Study From Byron Bay, Australia, Kathryn H. Taffs, Jeffrey F. Parr, Keith G. Bolton

Jeffrey Parr

No abstract provided.

Influences On Growth: Development Beyond Conventional Wastewater Infrastructure, Kendrick J. Curtis

Doctoral Dissertations

Wastewater treatment has long had a powerful restraining influence on land use patterns in the United States. The limited availability of central sewers confined intense property development to the sewered areas of cities and towns. The drawbacks associated with septic systems restrained even moderate-density development in areas with inappropriate soils. The advent of decentralized wastewater systems abolished these restraints, however. This technology made it possible to develop land at even high densities with no regard for the proximity of sewers and little for soil quality. This presented an opportunity for developers to pursue projects wherever attractive conditions prevailed. It also …

Optimization Of Check Dams Through The Application Of Advanced Technologies, Praveen Jha Dr

Praveen Jha Dr

Scientific planning for conserving water and while minimizing the financial resources requirement for its implementation could be done through application of advanced technological programs developed by the author. Three state-of-art geo-spatial programs - Multi-Algorithm Automation Program (MAAP), Water Analysis Program (WAP) and Check Dam Optimization Program (CDOP) - would be used. MAAP produces land use land cover (lulc) map primarily by undertaking Digital Image Processing (DIP) of satellite data in an automated fashion using Artificial Intelligence (AI). WAP, a hydrology modeling program, would be used to generate information related to watershed, water flow, water accumulation etc. CDOP, coupled with MAAP …

The State Of African Geography In The North American Academy, William G. Moseley, Kefa Otiso

William G Moseley

The objective of this article is to examine trends in the production of Africa-related geography PhDs at US and Canadian universities.

Integrating Landscapes That Have Experienced Rural Depopulation And Ecological Homogenization Into Tropical Conservation Planning, Aerin L. Jacob, Ismael Vaccaro, Raja Sengupta, Joel N. Hartter, Colin A. Chapman

Geography

If current trends of declining fertility rates and increasing abandonment of rural land as a result of urbanization continue, this will signal a globally significant transformation with important consequences for policy makers interested in conservation planning. This transformation is presently evident in a number of countries and projections suggest it may occur in the future in many developing countries. We use rates of population growth and urbanization to project population trends in rural areas for 25 example countries. Our projections indicate a general decline in population density that has either occurred already (e.g., Mexico) or may occur in the future …

On The Trail Of Fine Ale: The Role Of Factor Conditions In The Location Of Craft Breweries In The United States, James Daniel Baginski

Masters Theses

Since their origin in the late 1970s, craft breweries have diffused throughout the United States, greatly changing American perceptions of beer in the process. The manner in which craft breweries have spread throughout the nation has not been ubiquitous; at all scales of analysis, a great deal of variation exists. Some areas are far more developed than others in terms of the number of craft breweries present. The data indicate that, while population does play a role in influencing the development of craft breweries, other sociological and demographic conditions also appear to be of great importance in explaining the spatial …

Gis Data And Geoprocess Modeling For Hydrologic Network Conservation Analysis In A Green Infrastructure Plan, Andrew Lorenz Wunderlich

Masters Theses

As urban sprawl swallows the areas around cities, planners are looking for alternative methods of development that help to protect and preserve the environment, enhance the lives of residents, and help reduce the skyrocketing costs of maintaining sprawling infrastructure. Green Infrastructure (GI) planning principles have gained in popularity due to their holistic nature and ability to balance preservation and development. A GI plan seeks to identify the critical “green” infrastructure in an area (the environmental resources that we rely on for clean air and water) and proposes complementary development strategies. One plan component of particular interest is the analysis of …

Historic Maps Meet Google Maps : The University Of Louisville's Kentucky Maps Collection., Terri L. Holtze, Rachel I. Howard

Faculty Scholarship

Online access to historic maps, enhanced by JPEG2000 format and, in some cases, Google Maps, has proved popular with scholars, students, community members, and librarians. This article will discuss the planning, scanning, metadata creation, and Google mapping of the University of Louisville's Kentucky Maps Collection (http://digital.library.louisville.edu/cdm/landingpage/collection/maps/).

Generating Contour Maps For Dynamic Fields Monitored By Sensor Networks, Cheng Zhong

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Wireless sensor networks provide a new tool that enables researchers and scientists to efficiently monitor dynamic fields. In order to extend the lifetime of the network, it is important for us to minimize network data transmission as much as possible. Previous work proposed many useful aggregation techniques to answer max, min and average questions, and some of them have been employed in real applications. But we cannot get spatial information from these aggregation techniques. This thesis presents an efficient aggregation technique for continuous generation of contour maps for a dynamic field monitored by a wireless sensor network. A contour map …

Washington Heights/Inwood Demographic, Economic, And Social Transformations 1990 – 2005 With A Special Focus On The Dominican Population, Laird Bergad

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report examines demographic and socioeconomic factors concerning New York City based Latinos in Washington Heights and Inwood – particularly Dominicans.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: Since the 1980s the upper Manhattan neighborhood of Washington Heights/Inwood has been transformed by the immigration of a large Latino population of whom Dominicans have been the most prominent national group. Latinos made up …

Demographic, Economic, And Social Transformations In Bronx Community District 9: Parkchester, Unionport, Soundview, Castle Hill, And Clason Point, 1990 - 2006, Astrid Rodríguez

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report analyzes demographic and socioeconomic characteristics among the five largest Latino nationality groups during 1990-2006 in the NYC Community District 9 of the borough of the Bronx, which comprises the neighborhoods of Parkchester, Unionport, Soundview, Castle Hill, and Clason Point.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: Puerto Ricans are the largest Latino subgroup in the Bronx Community District 9, accounting …

The Latino Population Of New York City, 2007, Laura Limonic

Center for Latin American, Caribbean, and Latino Studies

Introduction: This report provides and in-depth demographic profile of Latinos in 2007 New York City.

Methods: Data on Latinos and other racial/ethnic groups were obtained from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, reorganized for public use by the Minnesota Population Center, University of Minnesota, IPUMSusa. Cases in the dataset were weighted and analyzed to produce population estimates.

Results: New York City’s Latino population increased by 2.5% between 2006 and 2007. Puerto Ricans remained the largest national group among all Latinos (778,628) and 33.3% of the total Hispanic population of the City, an increase of .9% since 2006. Even though …

Contention And Ambiguity: Mining And The Possibilities Of Development, Anthony J. Bebbington, Leonith Hinojosa, Denise Bebbington, Maria Luisa Burneo, Ximena Warnaars

Geography

The last decade and a half has witnessed a dramatic growth in mining activity in many developing countries. This article reviews these recent trends and describes the debates and conflicts they have triggered. The authors review evidence regarding debates on the resource curse and the possibility of an extraction-led pathway to development. They then describe the different types of resistance and social mobilization that have greeted mineral expansion at a range of geographical scales, and consider how far these protests have changed the relationships between mining and political economic change. The conclusions address how far such protests might contribute to …

Social Movements And The Dynamics Of Rural Territorial Development In Latin America, Anthony J. Bebbington, Ricardo Abramovay, Manuel Chiriboga

Geography

This special section brings together 4 of the 12 studies conducted within a research program analyzing the relationships among social mobilization, governance, and rural development in contemporary Latin America. The introduction gives an overview of the contemporary significance of social movements for rural development dynamics in the region, and of the principal insights of the section papers and the broader research program of which they were a part. This significance varies as an effect of two distinct and uneven geographies: the geography of social movements themselves and the geography of the rural political economy. The effects that movements have on …

Water Quality Impacts From Agricultural Land-Use In The Karst Groundwater Basin Of Qingmuguan, Chongqing, China, Ted W. Baker

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Karst regions are composed of soluble rock, often limestone, which leads to the formation of fissures, sinkholes and water flow conduits such as caves. Pollutants in karst waters tend to be quickly directed and concentrated into these subsurface conduits. As a result of this and other factors, water resources are especially sensitive to contamination and pollution in karst areas. Pollutant concentrations going into fluvial systems travelling through the subsurface in karst areas are often very similar to the concentrations arriving at outlets such as springs. Areas connected by karst conduit flows must be distinctly determined and special attention should be …

La Libertad De La Ciudad, David Harvey

Publications and Research

David Harvey explora aquí la relación existente entre el problema de la reubicación del excedente de capital y las transformaciones del espacio urbano a una escala cada vez mayor. En este artículo, escrito antes de que fuera declarada la crisis económica mundial, Harvey ofrece un análisis espacial que anticipa dicha crisis y analiza las consecuencias que la continuidad del modelo económico vigente tendrá para el futuro de la vida urbana.

In this paper David Harvey explores the existing relation between the problem of surplus capital allocation and the increasing transformations of urban space. The paper, written before the world economic …

Fire History Of Gum Swamp And Black Pond In Eastern Tennessee, U.S.A., From Macroscopic Sedimentary Charcoal, Alisa Lynn Hass

Masters Theses

Eastern Tennessee and Great Smoky Mountains National Park are biological hotspots in which settlement by Native Americans and Euro-Americans dramatically changed the landscape through land clearance and changes in fire occurrence. I present two local fire histories using macroscopic sedimentary charcoal, one from a highly managed area and one from private agricultural land. Gum Swamp (35°35' N 83°50' W) is a pond located in Cades Cove, Great Smoky Mountains National Park that experiences seasonal drying. The 0.94 m sediment profile extends to about 425 cal yr BP, based on an AMS radiocarbon date on charcoal fragments at mid-depth in the …

The Kozolec: Material Culture, Identity, And Social Practice In Slovenia, Toby Martin Applegate

Masters Theses

This research investigates the intersections of national identity, representation, and material culture in the Republic of Slovenia. The subject of the thesis, the kozolec, is a freestanding farm implement, usually made of wood, used to dry hay as fodder for animals and, occasionally, corn for human and animal consumption. It is found on the landscape of Slovenia, a small alpine country that was formerly part of Yugoslavia. The kozolec has been romanticized as being indicative of “where” Slovenia is. It has also been cast aside as a symbol marking the Slovene landscape for both representational and practical reasons.

This thesis …

Simulation Modeling Of Karst Aquifer Conduit Evolution And Relations To Climate, John D. Broome

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

ABSTRACT Karst regions of the world that receive relatively similar amounts of precipitation display a wide variety of landscapes. It has been suggested (Groves and Meiman, 2005) that climates exhibiting larger discrete storm events have more dissolving power and consequently higher rates of conduit growth than climates with more uniform precipitation distributions. To study this concept, a computer program “Cave Growth” was developed that modeled the growth of a cross-section of a cave passage under dynamic flow and chemical conditions. A series of 46 simulation datasets were created to represent different climatic conditions. These simulations had the same total annual …

Estimate Of Limited English Speaking Eligible Voters In Select Communities Of The Boston Metropolitan Area, Marcos Luna

Marcos Luna

A New Application Of Spatiotemporal Analysis For Detecting Demographic Variations In Aids Mortality: An Example From Florida, Yuwen Chiu, Chiehwen Ed Hsu

Chiehwen Ed Hsu

The purpose of the present study was to characterize, geographically and temporally, the patterns of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) death disparity in 67 Florida jurisdictions, and to determine if the detected trends varied according to age, race, and sex. The space-time scan statistic proposed by Kulldorff et al was used to examine the excess AIDS deaths that occurred between 1987 and 2004. Results were geographically referenced in maps using EpiInfo and EpiMap made available by the Centers for Disease Control. Miami-Dade and the nearby counties including Broward, Martin, and Palm Beach are the most likely clusters (observed/expected: 1505.16) with …

Finding A "Disappearing" Nontimber Forest Resource: Using Grounded Visualization To Explore Urbanization Impacts On Sweetgrass Basketmaking In Greater Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, Patrick T. Hurley, Angela C. Halfacre, Norm S. Levine, Marianne K. Burke

Environment and Sustainability Faculty Publications

Despite growing interest in urbanization and its social and ecological impacts on formerly rural areas, empirical research remains limited. Extant studies largely focus either on issues of social exclusion and enclosure or ecological change. This article uses the case of sweetgrass basketmaking in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, to explore the implications of urbanization, including gentrification, for the distribution and accessibility of sweetgrass, an economically important nontimber forest product (NTFP) for historically African American communities, in this rapidly growing area. We explore the usefulness of grounded visualization for research efforts that are examining the existence of "fringe ecologies" associated with NTFP. …

Case Study: Access To Public Data, David Dibiase, Francis Harvey, Dawn Wright

Ethics in Science and Engineering National Clearinghouse

No abstract provided.

Background And Study Concerning Water Wave Effects On Airborne Imagery, Charles R. Bostater

Ocean Engineering and Marine Sciences Faculty Publications

This paper describes ongoing research and initial results regarding collection of airborne imagery for detection of submerged features in optically shallow water types. The approach is to utilize land surface, water surface and submerged or in-situ line targets of various types during the airborne flights or fixed platforms. The imagery collected by the airborne sensing systems is processed in concept to correct for the presence of the water surface wave effects and water column effects. The correction approach is based upon calculation of a residual image between either (a) the observed submerged target image and the non-submerged image or (2) …

From Migrant Surveys To Migrants’ Stories: Reflections On Research On And In Southern Africa, Belinda Dodson

Migration and Ethnic Relations Colloquium Series

No abstract provided.

Using Palaeobotanical Techniques To Guide Peatland Restoration. A Case Study From Byron Bay, Australia, Kathryn H. Taffs, Jeffrey F. Parr, Keith G. Bolton

Dr Kathryn H Taffs

No abstract provided.