Physical and Environmental Geography Commons^™

A Tale Of Two Working Landscapes, Sage C. Sutcliffe

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.

Arctic Greening: Characterizing Tundra Vegetation From In-Situ And Remotely Sensed Observations, Shira Ann Ellenson

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

As the Arctic has warmed at twice the rate of the global average, vegetation productivity has also been increasing. While satellite remote sensing is useful for summarizing Arctic-wide trends, changes in tundra species heights, densities, composition, and distribution can be missed at coarse resolution. Smaller, plot-scale studies are necessary to better understand vegetation dynamics at fine scales occurring on the ground.

In 1995, high-resolution traditional aerial photographs and in-situ measurements of vegetation characteristics were taken at a series of plots established on the Alaskan North Slope. Repeat field surveys in 2021 revealed increases in plant cover for deciduous shrubs and …

Prioritizing Parcels For Conservation Easements Using Least-Cost Path Analyses Of Land Ownership: Case Study Within Theorized Grizzly Bear Migration Corridors Of Western Montana, Joseph H. Offer

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

As the world’s human population has grown and converted large natural habitats to human dominated landscapes, the planet’s biodiversity has decreased. To combat the loss of biodiversity from human development, many conservation professionals champion the concept of conservation corridors between intact habitats. Conservation corridors, made up of protected land, serve as a connection for wildlife populations to intermix genetics and, subsequently, help reduce the risk of extinction. The ideal geographic location of corridors is generally determined through geographic information system modeling using biophysical conditions and theorized animal movement. However, the resulting corridors are often expansive and protecting entire corridors is …

The Habitat Of European Brown Bears In Northern Spain: Mapping Habitat Fragmentation And Potential Connectivity, Alma D. Pacheco

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The European brown bear in northern Spain is considered to be an endangered species whose habitat has been fragmented into two subpopulations due to habitat loss and lack of connectivity. The importance of improving connectivity and preventing more habitat destruction is vital to recover the species in this region. This research looks at spatial and temporal variations of brown bear habitat by mapping the conditions of habitat fragmentation and potential connectivity at a regional extent. This research examines net changes of brown bear habitat fragmentation between 1990-2000, 2000-2006, and overall 1990-2006; and the degree of brown bear habitat connectivity between …