Digital Commons Network^™

Who Will Put America Back Together Again?, David J. Keeling

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 83, No. 1, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news.

Gis Aided Archaeological Research Of El Camino Real De Los Tejas With Focus On The Landscape And River Crossings Along El Camino Carretera., Jeffrey M. Williams

Faculty Publications

Many generations of indigenous pathways through the forests of eastern Texas have their origins obscured in antiquity. Utilized by early European explorers, these pathways became modified through heavy use and the expansions and improvements needed to accommodate easy passage of European horses and carts and finally the heavy wagons of Anglo-American settlers. The first road through Texas, El Camino Real de Los Tejas, utilized portions of these early trails.

El Camino Carretera (known as the cart road) is an early segment of El Camino Real de los Tejas that crossed the Sabine River at the boundary between Texas and Louisiana. …

The Rise Of A Hispanic Enclave In Davidson County, Tennessee, Jim Chaney

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In recent years, the United States has observed a significant increase in the Hispanic population within its borders through immigration. Since the 1980s, there has been a shift in the immigration and movement of the Hispanic population from border states to states in the southeastern United States. Many Hispanics, attracted by employment opportunities, have moved into growing metropolitan areas in the American South. In some of these cities, new Hispanic immigrants have created distinct enclaves. These enclaves provide almost all needs for the Hispanic community, such as shopping, healthcare, legal assistance, dining, employment, entertainment, and religion. This study examines the …

Relationships Between Landscape Pattern And Land Surface Temperature And Their Applications To The Study Of West Nile Virus: As Case Studies In Cities Of Indianapolis And Chicago, United States, Hua Liu

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A new synthesis of remote sensing and landscape ecology approaches was developed to establish relationships between the landscape patterns and land surface temperatures (LST) in the city of Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. Land use and land cover (LULC) and LST images were derived from Terra Satellite's Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) imagery. An analytical procedure using landscape metrics was developed, applying configuration analysis oflandscape patterns and land surface temperature zones. Detailed landscape pattern analyses at the landscape and class scales were conducted using landscape metrics in the City of Indianapolis. The effects of spatial resolution on the …

Chicago And Hope Vi: Examining The Dislocation Of Urban Poor, Todd W. Sink

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The inception of HOPE VI in 1992 was proposed as a solution to concentrated poverty and disinvestment in inner city neighborhoods. The US General Accounting Office estimates that as of November 2003, approximately 49,000 people have been forced to relocate to permanent or temporary residences since the nationwide implementation of HOPE VI. Today, the effects of HOPE VI on the urban poor of Chicago have received little attention. This research examines the dislocation of urban poor and possible gentrification in Chicago's public housing areas, and the socioeconomic condition of new destinations for voucher movers. 111 Twenty public housing tracts and …

Mapping Better Business Strategies With Gis, Tin Seong Kam

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

The value of location as a business measure is fast becoming an important consideration for organisations. GIS (Geographical Information Systems), with its capability to manage, display, analyse business information spatially, is emerging as a powerful location intelligence tool. In the US, Starbucks, Blockbuster, Hyundai, and thousands of other businesses use census data and GIS software to help them understand what types of people buy their products and services, and how to better market to these consumers. For example, McDonald’s in Japan uses a GIS system to overlay demographic information on maps to help identify promising new store sites. Singapore Management …

An 828 Year Streamflow Reconstruction For The Jordan River Drainage Basin Of Northern Utah, Bryan P. Tikalsky

Theses and Dissertations

Bryan Tikalsky Department of Geography Master of Science Mountain water resources are essential to those living along the Salt Lake City urban corridor. Water resource planners base their policy on twentieth century climate conditions and streamflow records. Often these records only account for a small amount of the natural variability in streamflow and climate. By utilizing dendrochronology this study seeks to better understand variability of streamflow in the Jordan River Drainage Basin over the last 828 years. A GIS model was used to identify potential sampling sites where tree growth would be sensitive to climate and factors affecting stream run-off. …

Handling And Analysis Of Public Comments In Natural Resource Planning, Lisette Borchert Thurgood

Theses and Dissertations

The National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1970 required public input in any federal planning process or action. Consequently, natural resource planning can be characterized as more of a complex situation in recent years due to the increasing involvement of the number of constituents who want to be heard. Likewise, the public wants to know their ideas have been heard and considered. Unfortunately, there is very little information available which identifies how the BLM handles and analyzes public scoping comments that are required under NEPA. The purpose of this research is to identify the handling and analysis methodology used by …

Planning Gone Hog Wild: Mega-Hog Farm In A Mountain West County, Jeffrey Melvin Sanders

Theses and Dissertations

Lacking the natural amenities “New West" counties, some rural communities have attempted to attract land use activities that are normally seen as undesirable. One example of these undesirable industries is the hog concentrated animal feeding operation, or CAFO. While a number of studies have explored the socio-economic and environmental aspects of hog farms, few studies have focused on the planning process and evaluated its effectiveness in dealing with the threats and challenges that a CAFO poses. This qualitative study used interviews, observations, public meeting minutes, and other written sources of data to evaluate whether or not a rural, western community, …

Observing Panda Play: Implications For Zoo Programming And Conservation Efforts, Sarah M. Bexell, Olga S. Jarrett, Luo Lan, Hu Yan, Estelle A. Sandhaus, Zhang Zhihe, Terry L. Maple

Zoos and Aquariums Collection

This study explores the effects of visitor observation of giant panda play on visitor concern for endangered species and satisfaction with seeing giant pandas. A total of 335 visitors to three institutions that house giant pandas participated in the study. These institutions are: the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, and the Chengdu Zoo, in China; and Zoo Atlanta in the U.S. After viewing the giant pandas, visitors were interviewed on whether they ever observed a panda play session, whether they observed panda play on the day of the visit, whether they wanted additional information on panda protection, and …

Analyzing Construction-Related Market Trends In Apec Countries Using Gis, Low Sui Pheng, Benny Raphael, Faisal Manzoor Arain

Business Review

GIS (Geographical Information System) is a means of representing data in digital form that has been used increasingly in various domains. GIS has the ability to capture,model, manipulate, retrieve, analyze and present geographically referenced data. In managing overseas building projects, research and analysis are especially crucial. It is necessary to collect enough information of the country that is related to the rule of law, government policies, and the performance of individual economic sectors, among other things. Although GIS has been shown to be a useful tool in various types of planning and management, it has not been used so far …

Healthy Eating And Active Living In North Portland: Asset Mapping With G.I.S., Arthur Aldridge, Susan M. Anderson, Mike Aspros, Lisa Barnes, Matt Bergstrom, Ambra Bingham, Ernest Bork, Sara Cottam, Jeremy Crawford, Shawna Graber, Jonathan Jubera, Patrick Louisel, Rebecca Symonds, Eric Wright

Asset Mapping: Community Geography Project

Making community development as democratic as possible has long been a challenge for urban planners and municipalities alike. A number of obstacles stand in the way of greater community participation in the planning process and consequently communities who are best served by their design. Visual Preference Surveys (VPS) are a tool planners can use to increase participation in the design process within the communities they serve. This can result in community plans that more accurately reflect the wants or needs of its members. Relying heavily on image driven content, VPS offers communities a straightforward methodology that asks participants to rate …

Modeling Habitat And Environmental Factors Affecting Mosquito Abundance In Chesapeake, Virginia, Alan Scott Bellows

Biological Sciences Theses & Dissertations

The models I present in this dissertation were designed to enable mosquito control agencies in the mid-Atlantic region that oversee large jurisdictions to rapidly track the spatial and temporal distributions of mosquito species, especially those species known to be vectors of eastern equine encephalitis and West Nile virus. I was able to keep these models streamlined, user-friendly, and not cost-prohibitive using empirically based digital data to analyze mosquito-abundance patterns in real landscapes.

This research is presented in three major chapters: (II) a series of semi-static habitat suitability indices (HSI) grounded on well-documented associations between mosquito abundance and environmental variables, (III) …

Geo-Politics, The ‘War On Terror’ And The Competitiveness Of The City Of London, Richard Woodward

Books/Book Chapters

No abstract provided.

The Scope And Nature Of Panhandling And The Related Crime In Denver, Colorado, Megan A. Gall

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Nationally, increases in the number of panhandlers and homeless people are associated with social and economic issues and are the subject of public policy debate, sociological inquiry and public interest (DHPG 2003). Panhandlers and homeless people are collectively called transients for this research. In the 1950s, the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill caused the first major influx of homelessness. Discrepancies between affordable housing and wages grew through the 1960s and 1970s and the problem did not gain national attention until the 1980s (DCEH n.d.). The increased attention is primarily due to the continued scarcity of housing, increasing discrepancies between housing …

Session 7 - A Comparative Geographic Analysis Of The Impact Of Scale On Hazards And Vulnerability In Industrialized Continental Lands And Small Pacific Islands, William J. Smith Jr.

International Symposium on Technology and Society

Geography, specifically scale, has significant impacts in terms of hazards and vulnerability. Small islands, such as those found in the Pacific, experience the impacts of their relatively unique geography and scale in terms of hazards and vulnerability in at least five ways: 1) Perception and communication; 2) Impact and escape from impact; 3) Technology; 4) Recovery; and 5) Socio-environmental justice. Comparative analysis in these five areas between the Pacific’s small islands and industrialized continental regions illuminates differences regarding the way hazards and vulnerability should be conceptualized in the under-treated small islands of the world. Lessons from this analysis will aid …

Can You Hear Us Now? Voices From The Margin: Using Indigenous Methodologies In Geographic Research, Renee Pualani Louis

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Indigenous methodologies are an alternative way of thinking about research processes. Although these methodologies vary according to the ways in which different Indigenous communities express their own unique knowledge systems, they do have common traits. This article argues that research on Indigenous issues should be carried out in a manner which is respectful and ethically sound from an Indigenous perspective. This naturally challenges Western research paradigms, yet it also affords opportunities to contribute to the body of knowledge about Indigenous peoples. It is further argued that providing a mechanism for Indigenous peoples to participate in and direct these research agendas …

An Indigenous Perspective On National Parks And SáMi Reindeer Management In Norway, Jan ÅGe Riseth

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Protection of nature for biodiversity, and for the material livelihoods of Indigenous peoples, have much in common. Indigenous relations to nature are, however, based on unity between use and protection, implying that human use is necessary for effective protection. Often protected areas include the homelands of Indigen- ous peoples, whose needs and rights are still being ignored to a large extent. This paper explores the effects of a plan for a significant increase of large nature protection areas in Norway, still under implementation. Most of the new protec- tion areas are in the heartland of the Indigenous Sámi, whose core …

Healthy Eating Active Living: A Project Of The Spring 2007 North Portland Asset Mapping Capstone, Andrew Clarke, Melissa Lindsey, Greg Waite, Robert Y. Lee

Asset Mapping: Community Geography Project

Our mission is to identify, map, and link assets that promote healthy eating and active living in St. Johns and Portsmouth. This study will target young families with the intent of creating a tool that will aid in defining incentives and barriers for the community.

Spatial Analysis Of Great Lakes Ferry Transit Systems, Joe Lane

Masters Theses

This thesis will explore the feasibility of a cross-lake ferry on Lake Michigan between Metropolitan Chicago and Southwestern Michigan. Two potential origins have been chosen in Northeastern Illinois (Evanston and Downtown Chicago) and two potential destinations have been chosen in Southwestern Michigan (St. Joseph/ Benton Harbor and South Haven).

The introduction includes historical information on Great Lakes Ferry Systems, information about Great Lakes ports, routes and locations along with the operation requirements for a ferry system. The Methodology includes In-Depth interviews that were done with maritime experts of the Michigan Department of Transportation. This is in order to illustrate a …

A Potential Pollen Proxy For Enso Derived From The Sajama Ice Core, Kam-Biu Liu, Carl A. Reese, Lonnie G. Thompson

Faculty Publications

An annually resolved pollen record spanning a 39-year period ( 1958 - 1996) from the Sajama Ice Cap, located on the western Bolivian Altiplano, reveals significant interannual variations in both pollen concentration and composition. The pollen assemblages within the annual layers are dominated by typical Altiplano taxa, especially Poaceae and Asteraceae. On an annual basis the pollen concentrations are strongly negatively correlated (Pearson's r = - 0.716) with the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI). Studies from Sajama and other tropical ice caps have shown that during El Nino years, the weather on the Altiplano is decidedly warmer and drier, which enhances …

An Analysis Of Key Aspects Of Warm And Cool Season Flash Flooding In The Southern Appalachians, William Baldwin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Flash flooding kills more people in the United States than any other severe weather phenomenon. One of the most vulnerable areas for flooding is the southern Appalachians. These mountains lie in a geographical location that places them near the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, two major moisture source regions. This ample supply of moisture, mid-latitude circulation patterns, and orographic lifting leads to annual precipitation totals in the southern Appalachians that are comparable to locations along the Gulf coast. The present study investigates eight non-tropical flash flood events. Four of the events occurred in the cool season and four …

Farming On The Fringes: Changes In Agriculture, Land Use And Livelihoods In Peri-Urban Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, Sara C. Nelson

Geography Honors Projects

Agriculture is a central part of Tanzania’s economy. Both within Dar es Salaam, its primate city, and in the city’s peri-urban zone, agriculture is an important part of the livelihood strategy for people of all social classes. However, because the peri-urban zone is one of transition from urban to rural, it tends to undergo more pronounced changes in land use over time than do the city and rural area it borders. This paper examines recent changes in agriculture, land use and livelihoods in the peri-urban zone of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Based on a literature review and semi-structured interviews conducted …

Spatio-Temporal Analysis Of Observed Soil Moisture From Nebraska, Ashley Littell

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Soil moisture is a measure of the water content in a soil that is dependent upon precipitation, evapotranspiration, runoff, drainage, and irrigation. Nebraska is one of the few states that measures soil moisture in an extensive network that records weather variables on a daily basis. Daily soil moisture observations are collected from depths of 10, 25, 50, and 100 centimeters and analyzed in this research. Data from these stations are evaluated on the spatial and temporal scales using spatial interpolations, time-series analysis, and cross-correlations to better understand the variations of soil moisture in the Northern Great Plains. Spatial interpolation grids …

Splashpads, Swings, And Shade: Parents' Preferences For Neighbourhood Parks, Patricia Tucker, Jason Gilliland, Jennifer D. Irwin

Geography & Environment Publications

Background

Physical activity is a modifiable behavior that can help curtail the increasing worldwide problem of childhood obesity. Appropriate recreational opportunities, including neighborhood parks, are particularly important for promoting physical activity among children. Because children's use of parks is mainly under the influence of their parents, understanding parents' preferences is essential for creating the most inviting and usable park space to facilitate children's physical activity.

Methods

Eighty-two intercept interviews were conducted with a heterogeneous sample of parents / guardians watching their children at neighborhood parks in London, Ontario. Parents / guardians were asked questions about how often they frequent the …

Modeling Of Culicidae Population Capacity Using Remote Sensing, Gis, And Fractal Geometry, Daniel Patrick Johnson

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A remote sensing and fractal geometric approach is proposed for the surveillance of mosquito population. The spread of vector-borne pathogens is becoming increasingly important with recent discussions of extensive human urbanization and global climate change. To date most studies dealing with mosquito transmitted disease surveyed by remote sensing and Geographic Information Systems have been conducted in tropical homogenous locales. This study approached the issue in a rapidly suburbanizing county in the Midwestern portion of the United States. Adult mosquitoes were trapped over a several year period and the landscape of the surrounding patches analyzed via remote sensing, fractal geometry, and …

Cultural Icons And Urban Development In Asia: Economic Imperative, National Identity, And Global City Status, Lily Kong

Research Collection School of Social Sciences

Global cities are characterized by the multiplicity of flows that they are implicated in - flows of people, goods, services, ideas, and images. Yet, global cities do not derive their status only on the basis that they are networked nodes. They also require particular forms of cultural capital. Cities with global aspirations have thus increasingly recognized the need to accumulate cultural capital, for which one means is to create new urban spaces, in particular, new cultural urban spaces (e.g. grand theatres, museums, libraries). These often monumental structures are intended to support a vibrant cultural life, in order to attract and …

Resisting Agricultural Assimilation: The Political Ecology Of Hmong Growers In The Twin Cities Metropolitan Region, Laura M. Kerr

Geography Honors Projects

Over one and a half million Hmong refugees have arrived in the United States since the end of the “Secret War” in 1974. The Saint Paul and Minneapolis metropolitan area is home to the largest urban population of Hmong immigrants in the United States. A significant number of Hmong refugees living in the Twin Cities metropolitan area have chosen farming as both a primary and supplemental source of income. While living in the metro area many Hmong rent land in peri-urban areas to farm and subsequently sell at local markets. Employing a cultural and political ecology framework, this research critically …

The Influence Of Ethnicity And Nationalism On Soviet And Post-Soviet Urbanization In Tallinn, Estonia And Kazan, Russia., Curran F. Hughes

Geography Honors Projects

Ethnic identity affected urban planning and architecture to varying degrees across the Soviet Union. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the landscapes of cities located within its former boundaries have undergone dramatic change. In some cases these changes have been heavily influenced by the surge of ethnic identity and nationalism prevalent across the former Soviet bloc. This project specifically looks at the roles ethnicity and nationalism have had in determining the development of the Soviet and Post-Soviet urban landscapes in Tallinn, Estonia and Kazan, Russia.