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Model Data Of "Aerial Imagery Resolution Optimization And Machine Learning Model Comparison For Land Cover Classification", Jessica Suoja

Research Data Sets

Downloadable zip file contents:

• 1MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 8.5 KB)
• 1MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 81.4 MB)
• 2MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.6 KB)
• 2MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 20.8 MB)
• 5MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.1 KB)
• 5MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 2.4 MB)
• 50CentimeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.7 KB)
• 50CentimeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 333.3 MB)
• 75CentimeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.6 KB)
• 75CentimeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 147.0 MB)
• 1125MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.0 KB)
• 1125MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 65.8 MB)
• 125MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.6 KB)
• 125MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 53.1 MB)
• 1375MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.5 KB)
• 1375MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 44.1 MB)
• 150MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.0 KB)
• 150MeterPrediction.csv (CSV file, 37.0 MB)
• 175MeterModel.csv (CSV file, 9.6 KB)
• 175MeterPrediction.csv …

Model Data Of "Land Cover Classification Of A Desert Riparian Ecosystem Using A Basic Stacked Ensemble Modeling Approach", Jessica Suoja

Research Data Sets

Downloadable zip file contents:

• CARTscript.R (R script, 2.2 KB)
• ForModel.csv (CSV file, 9.5 KB) 
• ForPrediction.csv (CSV file, 44.1 MB)

Spatial Patterns And Morphometric Evolution Of Sinkholes In Response To Watershed Hydrogeomorphology: Examples From A Karst Landscape In The Missouri Ozarks, Usa, Marcell Tóth

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Sinkholes are characteristic enclosed depressions with internal drainage connecting the surface and subsurface karst hydrologic system. Their morphological evolution involves gradual subsidence of the ground surface and hazardous collapses. Therefore, understanding sinkhole morphometry and linked spatial distribution is critical for managing geohazards in karst watersheds. Sinkhole occurrence shows spatial variability based on watershed geomorphological attributes, surficial hydrological patterns, hydrogeological and geological settings. The aim of this research is to investigate morphometric properties and distribution of sinkholes in the carbonate karst-dominated lands of Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri, USA. The specific objectives were to (1) identify sinkhole clusters based on …

Systematics Of Disk-Winged Bats (Thyroptera), Courtney L. Klumpp

Capstone Showcase

This thesis investigates the evolutionary relationships among disk-winged bats in the genus Thyroptera, a small group of Neotropical bats known for the adhesive suction disks on their wings and feet that allow them to roost inside tightly rolled leaves. The distinctive morphology and behavior of these bats have not been extensively documented, and their phylogenetic relationships remain only partially resolved. The goal of this research is to better understand how these species are related to one another and to determine whether the five recognized species of Thyroptera form a single monophyletic group. To address this question, morphological and genetic …

Improving Flood Risk Mapping By Incorporating Local-Scale Calibration Data Derived From Stakeholder Input, Jennifer M. Holifield, Wei Wu, Patrick D. Biber, Margo Posten, Dennis Mcgrury, Stephen C. Deal, Alexandria Hancock

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Globally, flooding is the most frequent and costly natural hazards, disproportionately affecting populations based on environmental, social, and economic factors. Understanding the spatial variability of flood risk as well as the respective flood drivers is essential for informing cost-effective mitigation strategies and enhancing community resilience. Here we mapped flood risk that combines flood hazards and vulnerability in an under-resourced coastal community prone to compound flooding. Our approach integrates stakeholder engagement with GIS-based analysis using open-access datasets.

We first developed an initial flood hazard map using an equal-weight combination of factors commonly associated with flood occurrence/prevention, including upslope area, impervious surface …

Workshop Outcomes Report: 2nd International Workshop On Seismic Resilience Of Arctic Infrastructure And Social Systems, Majid Ghayoomi, Daniela Morganti

Faculty Publications

The report provides an overview of the second international workshop on Seismic Resilience of Arctic Infrastructure and Social Systems. The report discusses agenda, workshop activities, interdisciplinary working groups, and results. It ends with several strategic questions and investigation plans that were developed as part of the workshop activities.

Perceptions And Metaperceptions Of Bison In The West, Riley Rush Comstock

Undergraduate Theses, Professional Papers, and Capstone Artifacts

Effective coexistence between wildlife populations and the people that live with them requires an understanding of how people feel toward the species and their management. Bison occupy a unique place in conservation history and management. Once extirpated across nearly all of their range and only recently introduced to areas outside of large tracts of federal land, they are now a jurisdictionally challenged species, with varying management paradigms across a patchwork of landowners and managers. Recent research has shown how activating different social identities can distort people’s attitudes toward species. Here, I explore whether activating urban and rural identities distorts people’s …

The Online Atlas Of Illinois: Teaching The Geography Of The Land Of Lincoln, John C. Kostelnick, Jill Freund Thomas, Amy M. Bloom

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

From the introduction:

The state atlas, with a variety of thematic and reference maps, has an established history within cartography in part due to the convenience of using political boundaries to organize map content for presentation to wide audiences. Several US states have produced state atlases to highlight their unique history, physical geography, and human geography (e.g., Meacham and Allan 2003). Such atlases may be designed for general map enthusiasts, and they may play an important role in the teaching of regional geography and key concepts that students may find more relatable when presented in a familiar geographic context.

Atomic Sameness: Static Placemaking And Nuclear Dynamism, Rex J. Rowley

Faculty Publications - Geography, Geology, and the Environment

Dozens of locations across the United States were impacted by the development and deployment of American atomic weapons. Some of these places continue to change along with the world around them. Other sites remain in intentionally static space. Using a cultural landscape approach, this paper analyzes two such places that represent two broad groups of static atomic landscapes: 1) atomic testing sites; and 2) remnant sites for containment of stored materials and byproducts from the processing and extraction for and scientific testing of atomic technology. Influencing the static nature of such landscapes is a combination of intentional government-led efforts to …

Identifying Mobility Hub Suitability In The Mid-Sized United States Urban Area Using Weighted Overlay And Percentile Based Local Peak Analysis, Eric Asplund

Theses and Dissertations

IDENTIFYING MOBILITY HUB SUITABILITY IN THE MID-SIZED UNITED STATES URBAN AREA USING WEIGHTED OVERLAY AND PERCENTILE‑BASED LOCAL PEAK ANALYSIS

By Eric Asplund

A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Urban and Regional Planning at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Virginia Commonwealth University, 2026.

Major Director: Dr. Ivan Suen, Ph. D., Associate Professor, Faculty of Urban and Regional Studies and Planning

Shared mobility hubs are increasingly posited in transportation planning as interventions supporting multimodality, sustainability, and equitable access, but guidance on evaluation of potential hub locations remains uneven, particularly in mid-sized United States cities where …

Urbst 103 Urban Diversity Syllabus, Padmini Biswas

Open Educational Resources

This course introduces the study of urban diversity in the United States. It explores the different forms of identity, community and cultural belonging that dot the urban landscape, and analyzes the historical, social, political, and economic forces that shape the everyday lives of diverse urban populations.

Envisioning The Role Of Community-Owned Stores & Aligning Federal Food Policies: A Participatory Approach To Food Security And Food Sovereignty In Sambaa K’E, Denendeh (Northwest Territories, Canada), Narayan Subramoniam

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

Northern Indigenous communities have relied on traditional food systems for meaningful, nutritious diets since time immemorial. But many Indigenous communities in remote northern regions of Canada still face disproportionately elevated levels of food insecurity due to climate change radically altering the availability for traditional foods, colonial food policies imposing Western diets, and the high costs of transporting store-bought foods. Extreme weather events such as wildfires further isolate fly-in remote communities increasing both the costs of transporting store-bought foods and the difficulties of harvesting traditional foods. There are many examples of community-based initiatives for supporting traditional and locally grown foods, however, …

Investigating The Impact Of Winter Exposure To Natural Environments On Perceived Health And Well-Being Using Geographic Ecological Momentary Assessment: A Case Study At Arrowhead Provincial Park, Faith M. Laing

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This study examined how winter exposure to specific natural environments influenced perceived health and well-being outcomes using Geographic Ecological Momentary Assessment (GEMA) in Arrowhead Provincial Park. Studies performed in the wintertime are limited, as is our understanding of how specific park features and/or activities impact health and well-being. To address this, GEMA was used with a video component to capture participants’ real-time experience and emotional responses in specific park locations defined by polygon boundaries. Two surveys were administered through participants mobile devices, one being an in-situ engagement survey triggered by entering a bounded location, which included a video and …

Cultivating Diversity In Sustainable Food Systems: Black Farming And Lived Experience In Rural Southern Ontario, Kadeem Jerofy Morgan-Adamson Mr.

Theses and Dissertations (Comprehensive)

This research examines the lived experiences of Black food growers in rural Southern Ontario to understand how their perspectives challenge dominant narratives of rurality and inform broader discussions on food sovereignty in Canada. Grounded in postcolonial theory, the study highlights how historical dispossession and persistent inequities shape the access of Black communities to land and resources. Using a mixed-methods approach that includes surveys, semi-structured interviews, and reflexive journaling within a community-based research framework, the study documents the barriers Black food growers face. These include limited land access, insufficient funding, inadequate training pathways, and experiences of racial isolation in rural contexts. …

The Landless Rural Workers Movement (Mst) And New Agrarian Questions In Brazil, Estavan Coca, Gustavo Oliveira

Geography

The Landless Rural Workers Movement of Brazil (MST) primarily organized occupations of large-scale farms, forcing the redistribution of land for creation of agrarian reform settlements. In the past 20 years, however, land occupations and the establishment of new agrarian reform settlements have consistently declined, while the MST shifted strategies to strengthening existing agrarian reform settlements, increasing marketing mechanisms through government purchasing programs and direct rural–urban connections, cultivating new financial instruments, advancing agroecological transformations to strengthen production and contesting space in governance and discourse about sustainability, rural development and socio-ecological wellbeing. We argue this shift represents not an abandonment of the …

Improved Climate Services In Hawai‘I: The Collaborative Development Of Drought-Related Decision Support Tools, Ryan J. Longman, Derek Ford, Cherryle Heu, Jennifer Geis, Abby Frazier, Christian P. Giardina, James T. Potemra, Sean B. Cleveland, John J. Marra

Geography

Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and increasingly variable rainfall are negatively impacting natural and cultural resources and agricultural production systems in Hawai‘i. To effectively manage resources in the face of these changes, stewards and producers now require accurate, timely, and site-specific climate data and information. However, access to such data as well as the ability to interpret available data remain limited for many sectors. In response to various needs, a team of scientists working with the Pacific Drought Knowledge Exchange (PDKE) has developed two open-source decision-support tools (DSTs) through a collaborative, user-informed process aimed at closing longstanding gaps in local climate …

A Proposed Conceptual Framework For Assessing Quality Of Life In The United Arab Emirates: Application To Ras Al Khaimah Emirate, Aaesha Saif Al Shehhi

Dissertations

Quality of Life (QoL) has become a central concern in urban planning and sustainable development, particularly in rapidly transforming contexts such as the United Arab Emirates. This dissertation proposes and empirically validates a comprehensive framework for assessing urban QoL, with a focused application to the Emirate of Ras Al Khaimah. A mixed-methods approach integrates objective indicators and residents' subjective perceptions, aligned with national strategies including UAE Vision 2030, the National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031, and UAE Centennial 2071.

The methodology combines Geographic Information Systems (GIS), the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), and statistical analyses to evaluate seven key sectors: environment, infrastructure …

Assessing Fisheries Dependence Of Coastal Communities In Managed Mangrove Forests In Latin America, Ariel Alexander Quintanilla Magana

Open Access Dissertations

Fisheries dependency refers to the action of a person, community, or society linking their social, cultural, and economic actions to different ecosystem services (ES) for covering their food system with essential marine species, developing a governance system to conserve these fishing areas, their local ecological knowledge, and guaranteeing food security in the coastal areas. In Latin America, most fishing activities are practiced within three nautical miles of the shoreline, estuaries, lagoons, and mangrove forest channels, using small vessels and traditional gear such as hooks, trammel nets, and gill nets. Some coastal communities have developed their subsistence and livelihood activities in …

Modeling Inundation Susceptibility, Dengue Fever Risk, And Social, Ecological, And Technological Vulnerability To Climate Change At Small Geographic Scale In Thailand, Zachary Alan Zoet

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

The climate is changing, and the livelihoods of more than 3.3 billion people are presumed to be vulnerable to a climate altered significantly from historical norms. Despite international concerns that ramifications of climate change may affect environmental conditions in ways that could exacerbate inundation, dengue fever incidence, and social vulnerability in large areas of the planet, research focused on revealing the roots of these problems tends to cover small areas at large geographic scales. Inconsistencies in research design elements that may ramify from data classification regimen and misappropriation of variable selection, non-consensus about unit of analysis or scale, and disagreement …

Climate Change In Gilgit-Baltistan: Satellite-Based Land Use/Land Cover Change Detection, Socio-Economic Dimensions, And Adaptation Strategies, Ali Muhammad

Graduate Theses/Dissertations

Climate change is increasingly transforming the cryosphere, hydrology, and human landscape of Gilgit-Baltistan, a highly climate-sensitive mountain region in northern Pakistan. This thesis investigates these transformations through satellite-based land use/land cover (LULC) change detection in four representative tehsils of Gilgit-Baltistan—Ali Abad, Gilgit, Nagar, and Sikander Abad—selected to span a gradient of human pressure and cryospheric exposure within the region. Using summer, cloud-free (< 10%) imagery from USGS Landsat 7 (2000) and Landsat 8 (2025), it conducts a multi-temporal comparison of environmental and socio-spatial change. After atmospheric correction and band compositing, the imagery is classified in ArcGIS Pro into six classes—Water, Barren land, Vegetation, Snow, Glacier, and Built-up—using a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier, with Maximum Likelihood Classification and Random Forest also tested but found less suitable for the final workflow. The analysis detects a pronounced reduction in mapped glacier-class area alongside a comparatively stable snow class, together with built-up expansion, while examining how temperature, precipitation, tourism, and population dynamics relate to observed LULC transitions. The results reveal a pattern of cryospheric decline and urban growth, with implications for water availability, ecological stability, hazard exposure, and settlement pressure. By integrating geospatial change detection with climatic and socio-economic interpretation, the thesis moves beyond mapping to explain interacting environmental and human drivers of landscape transformation and provides a reproducible remote-sensing baseline for monitoring land-surface change in heterogeneous mountainous terrain. It recommends integrated water-resource management, climate-resilient land-use planning, watershed and glacier monitoring, and sustainable tourism governance, supporting evidence-based decision-making by the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan and organizations working on climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable regional development.

Mapping Historical Neighborhoods With Geospatial Viewshed Buffers, James B. Townsend

Dissertations, Master's Theses and Master's Reports

The concept of neighborhood has been long studied with little agreement beyond the notion that neighborhoods are somewhat self-contained areas within a wider urban environment. Despite the lack of a finite definition, there is wide agreement of the importance of studying population dynamics at the neighborhood scale. Many attempts have been made to spatially define, measure, and quantify contemporary neighborhoods, but less attention has been given to methods to spatially define historical neighborhoods. In this paper, we utilize a historical spatial data infrastructure for the city of London, Ontario to develop a viewshed methodology that recognizes that ‘neighborhood’ is unique …

A Sustainable & Universal Redesign Of Hickory Hill Park In Richmond, Virginia, Ren Hollis, Cynthia Lin, Kira Miller, Jackson Nivera, Patrick O’Shea, Corinne Tsou, Hayston Wines

UROP Posters

Urban green spaces provide essential environmental, psychological, and physical benefits, yet access to these resources is often inequitable. Cities are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, highlighting the need for adaptive design. This study focuses on the redesign of Hickory Hill Park in Southside Richmond, selected through a combination of site suitability analysis and qualitative survey. The guiding research question is: How can a park in Richmond be designed to optimize environmental resilience, accessibility, and community benefits?

The selection of a research location and scope used a mixed-methods approach integrating spatial analysis, environmental assessment, and community engagement. A site suitability analysis …

Geospatial Analysis Of Wildfire Ignitions And Proximity To Electric Transmission Lines In Arizona’S National Forests, Shane Ishmael, Ronny Schroeder

Student Works

The number of wildfires in Arizona rose by 18% from 2023 to 2024. Wildfires hit the Western United States hard, especially in states like Arizona and California, where vast national forests often fall victim to the biggest blazes. According to the Western Fire Chiefs Association, 19% of wildfires from 2016 to 2020 were sparked by electrical transmission lines.

This study explores whether wildfire start-location hotspots line up with power transmission routes running through Arizona’s Coconino and Tonto National Forests. The main hypothesis is that areas near power lines are more likely to become wildfire hotspots than other regions.

We used …

Between A Rockpile And A Hard Place: Mapping The Folk-Hydronymy Of Southern New England, Amanda Gilmore

Open Access Master's Theses

Fishermen in Southern New England (SNE) utilize a wide variety of placenames to delineate areas of significance on the open ocean. This information provides new revelations not just about the way fishermen navigate the ocean, but also insight about overlaps between Local Ecological Knowledge (LEK) and Fishermen’s Ecological Knowledge in the historically prolific fishing sector of Southern New England. Prior to this study, this collection of vernacular place names on the water, or folk-hydronymy, had never been documented or analyzed, as it was held almost entirely in cognitive maps and proliferated through communication with other fishermen. This project’s goal was …

Beyond Discrete Indicators: Modeling Intersectional Flood Vulnerability, Sina Razzaghi Asl, Eric Tate, Christopher T. Emrich, Md Asif Rahman, Kaeleb Royster

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Social vulnerability to flooding is shaped by intersectional social marginalization, yet most quantitative assessments employ indicators of single populations. This study applies spatial machine learning to examine how the intersectional social vulnerability indicators of poverty-race, poverty-housing tenure, and race-housing tenure compare with traditional discrete indicators of single populations in predicting flood exposure in California. Using geographically weighted random forests and partial dependence plots, we model spatial heterogeneity and non-linear relationships between social vulnerability and exposure. We quantified flood exposure using a population-adjusted measure derived from building footprints and modeled 500-year fluvial and pluvial flood hazard. The results reveal distinct explanatory …

Global Evidence On Scaling Nature-Based Solutions For Compound Hazards, Sina Razzaghi Asl, Anahita Azadgar

Political Science & Geography Faculty Publications

Nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly promoted for climate adaptation to compound hazards, but systematic evidence of their effectiveness is still scarce. We address this gap with a systematic review of 38 studies. Each study was sorted by what its measurement design can support, not by what its authors claim. This produced four groups. Direct studies attribute a measured hazard reduction to the intervention, proxy studies infer protection from ecosystem condition, prioritization studies map suitable locations without estimating performance, and qualitative studies describe effectiveness without measuring it. We detect trends in geographic distribution, hazard combinations, intervention types, methodological approaches, and strength …

Tourism And Quality Of Life In Montana: A Longitudinal Study Of Resident Attitudes 2012-2023, Sophie Morris, Melissa Weddell, Carter Bermingham, Megan Schultz

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

Montana’s outdoor recreation and tourism industries have experienced steady growth over the past decade. This report explores how that expansion has shaped residents’ perceptions of tourism. Drawing on data from Montana residents, we track changes in attitudes from 2012 to 2023 on key issues, including overcrowding, the balance between tourism’s benefits and its impacts, quality of life, and the state’s role in promoting tourism.

The State Of Short-Term Rentals – 2024, Elena Bigart, Melissa Weddell, Jesse Wheeler, Sophie Morris, Jenna Asnault

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report examined the role short-term rentals (STRs) play in Montana’s housing challenges, building on earlier ITRR research (Bigart et al., 2021). Using a mixed-methods approach, the study analyzed STR and housing data from 2019 to 2023 and incorporated interviews with local officials to assess evolving regulations, occupancy patterns, and perceptions of STR impacts. Findings highlight that STRs interact with broader market forces contributing to tight housing conditions and underscore the need for balanced policy approaches that support housing supply and affordability while sustaining tourism-related economic activity.

Plurality Of Place: A Critical Walk Through The Ananda Meditation Retreat, Heidi L. Cram

Cal Poly Humboldt theses and projects

This autoethnographic research project is located in the fertile literary world of authors Gary Snyder and J. Donald Walters’s historic Bald Mountain land cooperative in Northern CA. This is the site of Walters’s Ananda Meditation Retreat, and Snyder's Ring of Bones Zendo. The project takes a creative embodied approach to analyzing and contributing to this location's literature of place through the genres of creative nonfiction and interpretive mapping. The cooperative's focus on Eastern and Indigenous spiritual practice seeded the countercultural bubble which surrounds these two institutions and generated a ripple of rich and varied literature of place. Through autoethnographic inquiry, …

Validating Uas Lidar With Airborne Lidar For Precision Streamline Generation In Del Rio Springs, Arizona, Brad Rudy, Colton Weeks, Hank Vincent, Ronny Schroeder

Student Works

Accurate streamline delineation and high-resolution topographic products are essential across numerous disciplines, including hydrological analysis, environmental monitoring, construction, and erosion modeling. Products derived from high-accuracy elevation data provide greater reliability and improved decision-making outcomes for all fields that depend on them. A 2018 USGS airborne LiDAR dataset covering the Del Rio Springs riparian area north of Chino Valley, Arizona, offers a valuable opportunity to evaluate the relative accuracy of the DJI L1 LiDAR sensor when mounted on a Matrice 300 RTK UAV platform. Compared to traditional manned airborne systems, the UAV-mounted L1 provides high-accuracy, high-density point cloud data over small …