Digital Commons Network^™

Sequential Decision Learning For Social Good And Fairness, Dexun Li

Dissertations and Theses Collection (Open Access)

Sequential decision learning is one of the key research areas in artificial intelligence. Typically, a sequence of events is observed through a transformation that introduces uncertainty into the observations and based on these observations, the recognition process produces a hypothesis of the underlying events. This learning process is characterized by maximizing the sum of the reward signals. However, many real-life problems are inherently constrained by limited resources. Besides, when the learning algorithms are used to inform decisions involving human beings (e.g., Security and justice, health intervention, etc), they may inherit the potential, pre-existing bias in the dataset and exhibit similar …

Managing The Environmental And Socio-Economic Impacts Of Rohingya Refugees In Bangladesh, Mousume Azad

Master's Projects and Capstones

In August 2017, nearly 1 million Rohingya people fled to Bangladesh to save their lives from the genocide inflicted by the military of Myanmar. At present, over 1.3 million Rohingyas are staying at Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, in 34 overcrowded refugee camps. This research examined the environmental impacts especially the change in vegetation cover and land surface temperature as well as the socioeconomic alteration of the host country after the refugee influx. The research found a 5488 ha or 9.58% decrease in forest area, accompanied by an 8.25% increase in refugee settlement areas, an increase in average land surface temperature within …

Mitre Attack Framework Adaptation In Uav Usage During Surveillance And Reconnaissance Missions, Jeffrey Greer Iv

Theses and Dissertations

As unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) increasingly become integral to surveillance and reconnaissance (S&R) operations, their susceptibility to cyber threats poses significant risks to operational integrity. The current cybersecurity protocols often fail to address UAV operations’ unique vulnerabilities and challenges in S&R contexts, highlighting a gap in specialized cybersecurity strategies. This research adapts the MITRE ATTACK framework to enhance cybersecurity approaches, safeguarding UAVs against evolving cyber threats. This thesis maps existing vulnerabilities against comprehensive tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) through a scenario-based analysis. Hypothetical and practical S&R operation case studies demonstrate the applicability of proposed cybersecurity strategies, validating their effectiveness in …

The Decline In Monarch Butterfly, Danaus Plexippus, Populations: An Example Of The Global Threat To Biodiversity, Olivia Sidoti

Honors Projects

Biodiversity encompasses the variety of all life on Earth and how these aspects of nature interact with each other. To have stable and abundant biodiversity, vast amounts of species and organisms are required within an ecosystem. As a result of the increase in negative impacts of human activities and behaviors on the health of nature, biodiversity has been decreasing. An example of the decrease in biodiversity is depicted by the recent decline of the monarch butterfly species. The monarch butterfly is an iconic North American insect that is experiencing a decline in its population due to threats such as deforestation, …

Road Extraction On Remote Sensing Imagery: Historical Mapping Of The Brazilian Amazon, Jonas Paiva Botelho Jr

MSU Graduate Theses

This work proposes an artificial intelligence model based on U-Net architecture to map road networks in the Brazilian Amazon. Over the years, the Amazon region has been heavily exploited, leading to increased deforestation rates, contributing to CO2 emissions, amplifying global warming, and causing a disturbance in local fauna and flora. The expansion into the forest by illegal miners, loggers, and land grabbers can be tracked down by the construction of roads, which we can refer to as the arteries of deforestation. Previous works on the matter proposed algorithms that use high-resolution imagery to map roads precisely. However, this work approach …

Monarch Butterfly (Danaus Plexippus) Oviposition Preferences And A Survey Of Fungal Pathogens On Native Milkweeds (Asclepias) Of The Northern Great Plains, Grace Damiano

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

North American monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus) populations are experiencing significant declines due to habitat loss caused by land use changes. Much of the American Midwest where milkweed, the only host plant of the monarch butterfly, was once much more abundant has been converted to a predominantly agricultural landscape. There are nineteen species of milkweed native to the northern Great Plains region occupied by South Dakota, North Dakota, and Minnesota. Some of these milkweed species may be preferable to monarch butterflies for different reasons, including morphological factors such as stem length, species-level chemical factors, and temporal factors. As monarch …

Modern Slavery As A Product Of Transnational Corporate Supply Chains: An Ecofeminist Evaluation Of Systems To Address The Linkage Between Modern Slavery, Climate Change, And Gender Injustice, Miranda Kanter

University Honors Theses

Neoliberal ideologies and economics are based on the concept of endless economic growth. This growth is sustained through the use of market domination and the exploitation of the vulnerable and their resources. As pressures of economic growth place priority on industry over human and environmental health, our world faces dire consequences for its corrupt relational values. This research demonstrates the link between modern slavery, the environment-climate crisis, and gender injustice in three separate case studies of modern enslavement in transnational corporate supply chains. Through the use of ecofeminist theory, modern systems of domination and their internalizations are used as a …

Identity Vs Institution: Political Violence Against Environmental Activists In Colombia, Sophie Genolio

Student Theses 2015-Present

This paper addresses the political violence against environmental activists in Colombia and analyzes the roles colonization, political history, and identity play in this violence. It discusses the causes environmental activists have put their lives on the line for and the response of the state, which is often to murder, displace, silence, or brutalize these individuals. I argue that from the first instances of European colonization in the Americas to the modern extractive economies of globalization, the hegemony of foreign interests in Colombia has been maintained through the violence against Colombians resisting environmental degradation and the theft of wealth and resources …

An Analysis Of White-Collar Crime In Fort Bend County, Texas., Glenda Ann Higgins

Dissertations (2016-Present)

In many respects, white-collar crimes are invisible, with offenses characteristically cloaked within organizational routines that often render them undetectable by observers, victims, or law enforcers. The prosecution of such crimes is unique in different states and distinct on a case-by-case basis. Studies have shown that despite the increased number of white-collar crimes fostered by explosive advancements in technology, many white-collar crime cases still go undetected and are not subjected to the criminal justice system. This dissertation will examine the approach of the Office of the District Attorney for Fort Bend County, Texas, in the prosecution of white-collar crimes in the …

Cartographic Analysis Of Earth-Sun Relationships In Ancient Amazonia, Jackson Bennett Critser

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The alignments of ancient man-made earthworks across the Amazon Basin, known as geoglyphs, have recently been discovered to predate early societal dates. Although much research indicated that the Amazon was uninhabitable until the last 1000 years (Meggers 1971), new evidence suggests this is not the case. The application of advanced cartographic and GIS technologies were implemented to link solar ‘marker’ days (e.g. solstices, equinoxes) with the alignment of geoglyphs, megaliths, stone architecture, and broader city forms to discover and analyze previously unknown Earth-Sun relationships across the Amazon Basin to conceivably sophisticated urban and architectural plans. The study of these geoglyphs …

Conflict And Nature: How War In Cambodia Shaped Its Natural Landscape, Emily Lifs

Theses and Dissertations

Through the efforts of the Cambodian people and historians, the world is familiar with the tragic human story that unfolded over decades of war and the brutal rule of the Khmer Rouge. This thesis is an attempt to tell the equally tragic but untold story of how decades of conflict shaped the Cambodian landscape and the lives and populations of elephants and other animals.

Advancement Of Field-Deployable, Computer-Vision Wood Identification Technology, Adam Carter Wade

Theses and Dissertations

Globally, illegal logging poses a significant threat. This results in environmental damage as well as lost profits for legitimate wood product producers and taxes for governments. A global value of $30 to $100 billion is estimated to be associated with illegal logging and processing. Field identification of wood species is fundamental to combating species fraud and misrepresentation in global wood trade. Using computer vision wood identification (CVWID) systems, wood can be identified without the need for time-consuming and costly offsite visual inspections by trained wood anatomists. While CVWID research has received significant attention, most studies have not considered the generalization …

Evolving Deforestation Narratives In Practice: A Study Of The Un-Redd+ Readiness Programme In Nigeria, Stuart Clive Blackwell

Master's Theses

The UN-REDD+ Readiness Programme was conducted between 2009 and 2015. The REDD+ Programme in Nigeria began once the readiness program was completed. This study conducts a document analysis of the program utilizing a political ecology lens to determine the extent to which the program adheres to or strays away from critical narratives surrounding both drivers of deforestation and inclusion and autonomy of federal, state, and local communities. By examining the entirety of the available documentation of the REDD+ Readiness program in Nigeria using a political ecological lens, this study demonstrates both an evolution of the program itself, and an evolution …

Attitudes And Perceptions Of College Students And Recent College Graduates Towards Forestry And Wood Products Science Fields, Amanda Peres Vieira Bedette

Theses and Dissertations

Over the past few decades, university level US Forestry and Wood Science and Technology programs have faced declining enrollment. As a result, the seeming disinterest of younger generations has impacted employment in these sectors. In an attempt to bridge the communication gap among colleges/industries, this study was created to attract the interest and maintain the enthusiasm of new generations of professionals and currently enrolled college students in the United States. In September 2021, an online survey was created and distributed to over 1500 alumni and students and received 1,495 usable surveys. Analysis performed on the resultant data included descriptive statistics …

A Policy Analysis Of The Endangered Species Act, Kendall Beggs

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The goal of this thesis was to identify and analyze common characteristics that are shared by recovering species listed in the Endangered Species Act (ESA). NatureServe population data was used to determine which listed species were recovering, and a logistic regression analysis was performed to identify which aspects of the ESA most contribute to recovery. Of the 747 species tested, only 24% had a population that was stable or improving. Time listed and classification group were found to significantly influence recovery, and recovery plan presence and critical habitat designation also increase the odds of recovery. The analysis found no relationship …

Assessing The Efficacy Of Cites Restrictions On Malagasy Rosewood, Nicholas Cargill

Honors Theses

This paper seeks to determine whether the CITES trade restrictions on rosewood have been effective. Effectiveness will be measured by the amount of illegal logging the restrictions reduce. The Matt Hansen Global Deforestation dataset, which measures deforestation from year to year, will be analyzed in the Google Earth Engine Code Editor to determine the yearly amount of deforestation in Madagascar. This output will then be loaded into R and assessed using OLS estimation techniques to determine whether the ban had a significant impact on the amount of illegal logging occurring in Madagascar. Because CITES restrictions are lifted and restored with …

Comparing Geostatistical Methods On Flood Risk To Infrastructure In Southeast Asia Using Google Street View Imagery: A Master’S Thesis, Christopher S. Aime

Theses

Urban flooding poses a serious challenge to development and the lives of people, particularly the residents of the rapidly expanding towns and cities in developing countries. Floods affect people's livelihood in Southeast (SE) Asia, ranging from death and injury to damaged homes, infrastructures, and agricultural land. In addition, floods expose infrastructure to more risks of structural damage, wearing them out, and aging them quickly, thus increasing maintenance and replacement costs.

Presented study found associations between such infrastructure elements as sill height, floors, building structures (e.g., attached vs. detached), slope, drainage, land-use, and street conditions. The study used Mechanical Turk method …

Rural Development In Papua New Guinea: Mining, Logging, Agriculture, And Alternatives, Tj Askew

CMC Senior Theses

This thesis examines multiple approaches to providing rural, indigenous Papuans with improved social services and economic opportunities. Rural Papuans, who make up 80 percent of the population, face below average rates of nutrition, education, disease, crime, and other quality of life indicators. Due to location, land use rights, lack of infrastructure, and minimal access to economic markets, the PNG government has struggled to provide rural communities with basic social services. Historically, the development of resource extraction projects such as mining, logging, and agriculture have been the main strategies used to improve the livelihood of rural Papuans, with limited success. This …

The Global Impact Of Covid-19 And Tourism On Conservation Rangers' Guardianship Capabilities, Zachary Bockler

Honors Undergraduate Theses

This thesis explores how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted wildlife rangers with an emphasis on the influences of tourism rates. Two sets of data are used: one is a survey of rangers around the world and the other looks at global governmental tourism data. While coming from a routine activities perspective, the problem of decreased capable guardianship becomes apparent in the form of massively decreased tourism arrivals and troubling ranger perceptions. This data allows for the establishment of tourism trends and changes during COVID. The findings of this thesis link the downturn in tourism with impacts on formal and informal …

Forest Offsets In The California Carbon Market: Challenges Of A Market Based Climate Solution, Eric Warmoth

CMC Senior Theses

Within California’s cap-and-trade program, forest offsets allow landowners to earn carbon credits for protecting forests that sequester carbon and sell these credits to polluters that can then emit one additional ton of carbon. The state’s top regulator, the California Air Resources Board (CARB), is tasked with overseeing cap-and-trade and the forest offset system. CARB is currently updating the state’s Climate Change Scoping Plan to set California on track to achieve its 2030 climate goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions to 40% below 1990 levels. CARB is approving forest offsets that overestimate emissions reductions, while allowing companies to continue polluting in …

The Request Is Not Compatible: Competing Frames Of Public Lands Discourse In The Lolo Peak Ski Resort Controversy, Philip A. Sharp

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Sharp, Philip, A., M.A., Spring 2022

Communication Studies

ABSTRACT

The Request Is Not Compatible: Competing Frames of Public Lands Discourse in the Lolo Peak Ski Resort Controversy

Co-Chair (in absentia): Steve Schwarze Co-Chair: Joel Iverson

In mid-2003, the United States Forest Service (USFS) received a pre-application for a Special Use Permit to build and operate an all-season ski resort on public lands near Missoula, Montana. The ensuing public deliberation over the possible use of protected lands for outdoor commercial recreational purposes provides a site of rhetorical inquiry. In this rhetorical criticism I analyze and evaluate arguments presented by the USFS, …

การฟอกเขียวด้วยการซื้อขายคาร์บอนเครดิตในประเทศไทย, วนัสนันท์ กันทะวงศ์

Chulalongkorn University Theses and Dissertations (Chula ETD)

การศึกษาเรื่องนี้มีวัตถุประสงค์เพื่อศึกษากระบวนการฟอกเขียวด้วยการซื้อขายคาร์บอนเครดิต ศึกษาความสัมพันธ์ของการฟอกเขียวด้วยการซื้อขายคาร์บอนเครดิต และศึกษาทัศนคติของประชาชนเกี่ยวกับการฟอกเขียวด้วยการซื้อขายคาร์บอนเครดิต เป็นการวิจัยแบบผสมผสาน (Mixed method) การวิจัยเชิงปริมาณ เครื่องมือที่ใช้ในการวิจัยคือ แบบสอบถาม โดยวิธีการเก็บข้อมูลกับกลุ่มตัวอย่าง จำนวน 400 คน ในจังหวัดเชียงราย เชียงใหม่ กรุงเทพมหานคร สมุทรสาคร ตราด และสุราษฎร์ธานี และการวิจัยเชิงคุณภาพด้วยการวิจัยเชิงเอกสาร 10 ปีย้อนหลัง พ.ศ. 2556 - 2566 และใช้เทคนิคการสัมภาษณ์แบบเจาะลึก ผู้ให้ข้อมูลสำคัญ จำนวน 15 คน ในหน่วยงานที่เกี่ยวข้องกับคาร์บอนเครดิต นักวิชาการและผู้เชี่ยวชาญ องค์กรไม่แสวงหากำไร ผลการศึกษาพบว่า การซื้อขายคาร์บอนเครดิตสามารถบรรเทาปัญหาภาวะโลกร้อน ก่อให้เกิดโครงการเพื่อสิ่งแวดล้อม และนำไปสู่การลงทุนรูปแบบใหม่ที่เป็นมิตรต่อสิ่งแวดล้อม ทั้งนี้การซื้อขายคาร์บอนเครดิตไม่ได้เป็นอาชญากรรมในตัวเอง หากแต่มีการใช้เป็นเครื่องมือกระทำความผิดและนำไปสู่การฟอกเขียว การฟอกเขียวด้วยการซื้อขายคาร์บอนเครดิต ประกอบด้วย 6 องค์ประกอบ 1) ผู้กระทำ 2) กิจกรรมการฟอกเขียว 3) ฟอกเขียวด้วยกลไกคาร์บอน 4) เป้าหมาย 5) ผลกระทบ 6) กระทำด้วยเจตนา โดยผู้กระทำการฟอกเขียว ประกอบด้วย 1) บุคคลธรรมดา มีลักษณะอาชญากรคอปกขาว 2) นิติบุคคล มีลักษณะอาชญากรรมที่กระทำโดยบริษัทหรือธุรกิจองค์กร 3) รัฐ ที่เกี่ยวข้องกับอุบัติเหตุจากความประมาทจากการประกาศนโยบายของรัฐ หรือการดำเนินการผิดพลาดที่นำไปสู่การทุจริตคอร์รัปชัน การฟอกเขียวด้วยการซื้อขายคาร์บอนเครดิตสามารถเกิดใน 3 รูปแบบ ได้แก่ การใช้ช่องโหว่ของกระบวนการซื้อขายคาร์บอนเครดิต การพึ่งพาการชดเชยมากเกินไป และการใช้กลไกการทำธุรกรรมของกลไกคาร์บอน ความสัมพันธ์ของการฟอกเขียวด้วยการซื้อขายคาร์บอนเครดิต จำแนกเป็น 2 ลักษณะคือ การซื้อขายคาร์บอนเครดิตช่วยบรรเทาปัญหาภาวะโลกร้อน และการซื้อขายคาร์บอนเครดิตนำไปสู่ปัญหาสังคม 2 ลักษณะ ได้แก่ เป็นเครื่องมือการฟอกเขียว และ ก่อให้เกิดอาชญากรรมรูปแบบใหม่ในลักษณะห่วงโซ่อาชญากรรม ได้แก่ การฉ้อโกงประชาชน อาชญากรรมสิ่งแวดล้อม อาชญากรรมคอปกขาว อาชญากรรมทางเศรษฐกิจ อาชญากรรมไซเบอร์ การฉ้อโกงภาษี และการฟอกเงิน จากการศึกษาทัศนคติของประชาชนเกี่ยวกับการฟอกเขียวด้วยการซื้อขายคาร์บอนเครดิตปรากฎว่า มีความสัมพันธ์กับการบรรเทาปัญหาภาวะโลกร้อน โครงการเพื่อสิ่งแวดล้อม และการลงทุนที่เป็นมิตรต่อสิ่งแวดล้อมในระดับน้อย มีความสัมพันธ์กับไม่ช่วยลดการปล่อยก๊าซเรือนกระจก …

Predicting Tropical Rainforest Deforestation Using Machine Learning, Remote Sensing & Gis: Case Study Of The Cross River National Park, Nigeria, Ossai Alu

Culminating Projects in Geography and Planning

Population growth, urban sprawl, agricultural expansion, and illegal logging has led to losses in forested land in most parts of the world, especially in a highly populated country like Nigeria. The Cross River National Park (CRNP) in southeastern Nigeria with an area just above 4000km² is designated a biodiverse hotspot and one of the oldest rainforests in Africa. As with all other tropical forests spread across the globe the CRNP is not immune to these factors that threaten its existence. The focus of this study is to analyze the change of forest cover at the Oban division of the …

No More Shade: Deforestation And Rural-Urban Migration In Nigeria, Kambre Sims

Master's Theses

Some of the most well-documented motivating factors of migration in Nigeria include education, employment opportunities, and cultural conflicts. However, as the deforestation crisis has not improved and Nigeria has maintained its spot as the country with the most deforestation on Earth, access to critical forest resources may be in danger. In light of this crisis, this paper attempts to determine if deforestation has become a new motivating factor for migration as those in rural communities seek other avenues of obtaining those vital resources. Subsequently, Nigeria is also experiencing a housing crisis within its rapidly growing urban centers; obtaining and keeping …

Forest Conservation Within Bounds: An Analysis Of The Development And Impact Of Protected Area Policies In Uganda, Michaela Foster

Yale Graduate School of Arts and Sciences Dissertations

Deforestation is a critical global challenge in the 21st century. Policies that effectively tackle forest loss are essential given that the consequences of deforestation can be severe for both people and nature. There is hence an urgent need to generate knowledge about effective policies and, in particular, to unpack how existing conservation interventions have contributed to improving forest governance and outcomes. Protected areas have emerged as the pre-eminent tool for conserving forests worldwide, and in view of their role as one of the most prominent conservation policies, it is imperative to assess their effects. This dissertation addresses this research need …

Framing A Pandemic: Evaluating Nigerian Print Media Reportage Of China Before And Following The Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, Ernest Chukwunyere Makata

Theses and Dissertations

This study investigates the effect of the Coronavirus pandemic on the framing of news about China/Chinese by three selected Nigerian Newspapers, The Punch, The Nation, and The Sun. A total of 350 articles mentioning China or Chinese were examined using the content analysis method to determine the news writers' dominant frames. The research employs the qualitative method. Three frames emerged as dominant in the analysis, the Economic Consequence Frame, the Human-Interest Frame, and the Conflict Frame. The result shows that Nigerian Newspapers paid more attention to China after the index case of COVID-19 in Nigeria. It also discovered that most …

Dominance Or Leverage? An Analysis Of Female Power In Captive Varecia, Jessie E. Birckelbaw

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Lemurs are unusual in that, unlike in most other primates, females have more power than males. This is evident by females receiving priority access to foods and preferred spaces, and frequent grooming. Rebecca Lewis provided a framework to analyze the basis of female power that distinguishes between true dominance and leverage. Dominance is defined as the physical ability to overpower an individual, whereas leverage is the ability to influence others based on intangible resources, such as social currency like grooming or the potential for mating. This study aimed to investigate female power in the critically endangered ruffed lemurs (genus Varecia). …

Using New And Long-Term Multi-Scale Remotely Sensed Data To Detect Recurrent Fires And Quantify Their Relationship To Land Cover/Use In Indonesian Peatlands, Yenni Vetrita

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Indonesia has committed to reducing its greenhouse gases emissions by 29% (potentially up to 41% with international assistance) by 2030. Achieving those targets requires many efforts but, in particular, controlling the fire problem in Indonesia’s peatlands is paramount, since it is unlikely to diminish on its own in the coming decades. This study was conducted in Sumatra and Kalimantan peatlands in Indonesia. Four MODIS-derived products (MCD45A1 collection 5.1, MCD64A1 (collection 5.1 and 6), FireCCI51) were initially assessed to explore long-term fire frequency and land use/cover change relationships. The results indicated the product(s) could only detect half of the fires accurately. …

Species Selection And Plantation Management In Enrichment Planting With Native Timber Species In The Panama Canal Watershed, Abigail A. Marshall

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Large areas of the Panama Canal Watershed have been converted to monocultures of teak (Tectonia grandis), a non-native timber species that is generally not providing hoped-for economic and ecological benefits of Forest Landscape Restoration. Enrichment planting offers a potential strategy for revitalizing these underperforming plantations through the addition of high-value, native species to the understory, but more information is needed to guide implementation and management in this region and other tropical areas. I assessed the performance of six promising native species (B. crassifolia, D. retusa, D. oleifera, H. alchorneoides, P. pinnatum, T. amazonia) as an enrichment …

Population Status, Threats, And Conservation Of Preuss's Red Colobus (Piliocolobus Preussi) And Other Diurnal Primates In The Ndokbou Forest, Littoral Region, Cameroon, Ruth Bowers-Sword

Masters Theses, 2020-current

The Ebo-Makombe-Ndokbou forest block in southwest Cameroon lies within the Gulf of Guinea biodiversity hotspot, characterized by extremely high levels of species richness and endemism, including those of primates. These forests may contain one of the last populations of the Critically Endangered Preuss’s red colobus monkey (Piliocolobus preussi; PRC), which is found only in southeastern Nigeria and western Cameroon. Gun hunting for bushmeat and habitat loss and degradation from logging and agriculture are the main threats to PRC. The conservation status of PRC and other primates in the Ndokbou forest are largely unknown, with most regional research efforts occurring in …