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2016

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Biophilic Architecture, Connectedness To Nature, And The Importance Of Environmental Issues, Sarah Michelle Kahl Jan 2016

Biophilic Architecture, Connectedness To Nature, And The Importance Of Environmental Issues, Sarah Michelle Kahl

Honors Papers

In today’s world where climate change consequences are apparent, we need to be searching for ways to encourage more pro-environmental behaviors. Connectedness to nature, which is the sense of kinship and sense of community with the natural world, is one factor that has been shown to promote pro-environmental behavior. While architecture types have been tested with states of well-being, they have never been assessed to examine the effects on one’s connectedness to nature. This study used Seeley G. Mudd Center (Mudd) and the Adam Joseph Lewis Center (AJLC) at Oberlin College to determine whether biophilic types of architecture versus architecture …

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The Importance Of Motivation, Weapons, And Foul Odors In Driving Encounter Competition In Carnivores, Maximilian L. Allen, Christopher C. Wilmers, L. Mark Elbroch, Julie M. Golla, Heiko U. Wittmer Jan 2016

The Importance Of Motivation, Weapons, And Foul Odors In Driving Encounter Competition In Carnivores, Maximilian L. Allen, Christopher C. Wilmers, L. Mark Elbroch, Julie M. Golla, Heiko U. Wittmer

Environment and Society Faculty Publications

Encounter competition is interference competition in which animals directly contend for resources. Ecological theory predicts the trait that determines the resource holding potential (RHP), and hence the winner of encounter competition, is most often body size or mass. The difficulties of observing encounter competition in complex organisms in natural environments, however, has limited opportunities to test this theory across diverse species. We studied the outcome of encounter competition contests among mesocarnivores at deer carcasses in California to determine the most important variables for winning these contests. We found some support for current theory in that body mass is important in …

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Gvsu Undergraduate And Graduate Catalog, 2016-2017, Grand Valley State University Jan 2016

Gvsu Undergraduate And Graduate Catalog, 2016-2017, Grand Valley State University

Course Catalogs, 1963 - Current

Grand Valley State University 2016-2017 undergraduate and/or graduate course catalog published annually to provide students with information and guidance for enrollment.

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Nature As Spiritual Lived Experience: How Five Christian Theologians Encounter The Spirit In And Through The Natural World, Brad A. Martell Jan 2016

Nature As Spiritual Lived Experience: How Five Christian Theologians Encounter The Spirit In And Through The Natural World, Brad A. Martell

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This qualitative study explored five Western Christian theologians’ religious lived experience of God’s Spirit in and through Nature. The hermeneutic phenomenological research method was utilized. Rich descriptions of lived experience were collected through 60-90 minute long phenomenological interviews which were recorded and transcribed verbatim into a text for analysis. Analysis included repeated readings of the text, identification of themes, and validation and/or correction of themes. Synthesis looked at the research as a whole and established implications and applications for Christian theology, particularly ecotheology. The study contributes to the literature of phenomenology and theology, calls for a place for lived experience …

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The Impact Of Climate Change On Coastal Fog Hours Of California's Central Coast, Chrissy Rogers Jan 2016

The Impact Of Climate Change On Coastal Fog Hours Of California's Central Coast, Chrissy Rogers

Master's Theses

This study used observations and downscaled model output from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 to investigate diurnal temperature differences and their relationship to the number of fog hours in the future along California’s central coast. The study area extended north-south from Bodega Bay to the Santa Lucia Range and east-west from the coast of California to the western flank of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Analyses of Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios 4.5 and 8.5 showed that most of California’s central coast will likely see minimal changes in the number of fog hours per day through the turn of the …

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Positive Organizational Leadership And Pro-Environmental Behavior: The Phenomenon Of Institutional Fossil Fuel Divestment, Abigail Abrash Walton Jan 2016

Positive Organizational Leadership And Pro-Environmental Behavior: The Phenomenon Of Institutional Fossil Fuel Divestment, Abigail Abrash Walton

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Climate change is one of the most significant dynamics of our time.The predominant contributor to climate change is combustion of fossil fuels by humans.This study deepened understanding of organizational leaders’ role in enacting one approach to addressing climate change:institutional fossil fuel divestment.The study used a qualitative research design to explore U.S.-based foundation leaders’ readiness to pursue fossil fuel divestment by their institutions.The study examined leaders’ motivations and actions in pursuing divestment, while simultaneously exercising their fiduciary duty to steward institutional assets.Research questions focused on the divestment behavior change process and the outcomes of divestment on leaders and their organizations.Data collection …

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"One Narrow Thread Of Green": The Vision Of May Theilgaard Watts, The Creation Of The Illinois Prairie Path, And A Community's Crusade For Open Space In Chicago's Suburbs, Anne M. Keller Jan 2016

"One Narrow Thread Of Green": The Vision Of May Theilgaard Watts, The Creation Of The Illinois Prairie Path, And A Community's Crusade For Open Space In Chicago's Suburbs, Anne M. Keller

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Women's environmental activism prior to the early 1960s in America focused on women's roles as municipal housekeepers or emphasized wilderness conservation. I offer in this dissertation the story of the Illinois Prairie Path, the country's first rails-to-trails conversion to apply for National Recreation Trail status, and the innovative women who fought for nature preservation in a suburban setting rather than in a wilderness area. Led by renowned writer and naturalist, May Theilgaard Watts, these women built support for the public footpath project by fostering an ecological awareness throughout their region. I place them in the tradition of Chicago female reformers …

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The Behavioral Ecology And Population Characteristics Of Striped Skunks Inhabiting Piper Plover Nesting Beaches On The Island Of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Luanne Johnson Jan 2016

The Behavioral Ecology And Population Characteristics Of Striped Skunks Inhabiting Piper Plover Nesting Beaches On The Island Of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, Luanne Johnson

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

We studied coastal striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, USA to gather information on the population characteristics of this mesopredator on Atlantic coast beaches with nesting piping plovers (Charadrius melodus). From 2004 – 2008, we captured and marked 138 skunks and fitted 51 adults with VHF radio-collars. Capture rates ranged from 1 – 7 individuals/100 trap nights (TN) in the spring and 4 – 21 individuals/100 TN in the fall. Spring capture rates were highest at Dogfish Bar (DB), a beach with abundant wrack in the intertidal zone in close proximity to low-density housing, where …

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Enhancing The Resilience Of Vulnerable Groups Through Participatory Climate Change Adaptation Planning: A Case Study With The Elderly Community Of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Jason L. Rhoades Jan 2016

Enhancing The Resilience Of Vulnerable Groups Through Participatory Climate Change Adaptation Planning: A Case Study With The Elderly Community Of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Jason L. Rhoades

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Recent reports highlight the vulnerability of the elderly to climate change. Unfortunately, a lack of research incorporating the perspectives of the elderly on this topic could cause their needs to go unrecognized and unaddressed. To promote adaptation planning that is responsive to the concerns of the elderly, this dissertation presents the results of a participatory research and adaptation planning process conducted in partnership with the elderly community of Bridgeport, Connecticut. The process combined a five-step climate change adaptation planning model with a community-based action research approach that placed the elderly participants as key drivers in the research and planning processes. …

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Collaboration In Conservation Networks: Regional Conservation Partnerships In New England, Jill L. Weiss Jan 2016

Collaboration In Conservation Networks: Regional Conservation Partnerships In New England, Jill L. Weiss

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Environmental problems are becoming increasingly complex and harder for any one discipline or approach to address. In the case of land conservation, there is an incongruity between how we view and manage social and natural systems even though each is reliant on the other. Adaptive co-management of these socio-ecological landscapes by a cross section of stakeholders and disciplines is necessary. In New England this is happening through Regional Conservation Partnerships (RCPs). RCPs are conservation networks comprised of land trusts, local governments, landowners, and localized conservation action groups. The geographic range of each RCP varies in size from a few hundred …

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Making Meaning Together: The Role Of Interpretation During A Short-Term Nature Excursion, Kate Jurow Jan 2016

Making Meaning Together: The Role Of Interpretation During A Short-Term Nature Excursion, Kate Jurow

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Interpretive nature walks are an important tool for conservation organizations, which use them to educate, and to connect visitors with their sites. Interpretive studies often focus on program outcomes. However, less research exists on how the experience itself is perceived by visitors. Is it primarily a learning process? What role does the guide play, and how does the process of interpretation affect the visitor experience? What implications might this have for interpretive techniques, and for organizations seeking to build supportive stewardship communities? The purpose of this study was to explore how the process of interpretation affects a short-term nature experience …

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Opportunities For Conversion To More Sustainable Practices By Houses Of Worship Through Team Performance Enhancing Strategies That Include Leadership With Facilitative Skills, Carolina Del Carmen Saiz Jan 2016

Opportunities For Conversion To More Sustainable Practices By Houses Of Worship Through Team Performance Enhancing Strategies That Include Leadership With Facilitative Skills, Carolina Del Carmen Saiz

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

This research focused on assessing the performance of teams of volunteers in Houses of Worship (HOWs) in the State of Massachusetts that are successfully planning, advancing and completing sustainable initiatives. The sustainable initiatives included solar photovoltaic (PV) installations, city public parks cleaning projects, efficient windows installations, efficient lighting fixtures installations, and building insulation improvements. The goal of this research was to assess the dynamics of a total of eight successful teams, including the relationships among team members and their leaders with facilitative skills that they perceived were instrumental to their effective and efficient performance. The role of team leadership was …

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Building & Measuring Psychological Capacity For Biodiversity Conservation, Kayla A. Cranston Jan 2016

Building & Measuring Psychological Capacity For Biodiversity Conservation, Kayla A. Cranston

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

Capacity building has become the centerpiece of recent attempts to strengthen regional biodiversity conservation. Many conservation organizations aim to increase this capacity by training local conservation professionals. While many practitioners will agree that these trainings presumably have a psychological effect on their participants that may benefit long-term local action toward conservation goals, there also seems to be a resignation that these effects are difficult if not impossible to measure and target, especially within diverse cultures. The common result is a perfunctory evaluation of observable behaviors or basic knowledge, which may be easy to count but undoubtedly fails to represent the …

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Piglets And Perspectives: Exploring Sustainability Communication Through Participatory Filmmaking, Dyanna Innes Smith Jan 2016

Piglets And Perspectives: Exploring Sustainability Communication Through Participatory Filmmaking, Dyanna Innes Smith

Antioch University Dissertations & Theses

The goal of this research was to conduct a qualitative study applying narrative theory to participatory video methodologies in order to better understand how the process of filmmaking can be used to create a method of sustainability communication. To do this, the study collaborated with individuals who are currently practicing different types of sustainable agriculture on small farms in southern New Hampshire. A group of five farms participated in a new method of filmmaking designed to blend specific elements of participatory video technique with principles of narrative theory. This method included camera training, filmed personal interviews, participants filming their own …

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New Verified Nonindigenous Amphibians And Reptiles In Florida Through 2015, With A Summary Of More Than 152 Years Of Introductions, Kenneth L. Krysko, Louis A. Somma, Dustin C. Smith, Christopher R. Gillette, Daniel Cueva, Joseph A. Wasilewski, Kevin M. Enge, Steve A. Johnson, Todd S. Campbell, Jake R. Edwards, Michael R. Rochford, Ryan Tompkins, Jeffrey L. Fobb, Scott Mullin, Christopher J. Lechowicz, Dallas Hazelton, Alície Warren Jan 2016

New Verified Nonindigenous Amphibians And Reptiles In Florida Through 2015, With A Summary Of More Than 152 Years Of Introductions, Kenneth L. Krysko, Louis A. Somma, Dustin C. Smith, Christopher R. Gillette, Daniel Cueva, Joseph A. Wasilewski, Kevin M. Enge, Steve A. Johnson, Todd S. Campbell, Jake R. Edwards, Michael R. Rochford, Ryan Tompkins, Jeffrey L. Fobb, Scott Mullin, Christopher J. Lechowicz, Dallas Hazelton, Alície Warren

Papers in Herpetology

More nonindigenous species occur in Florida, USA, than any other region worldwide and may threaten many of Florida’s natural resources. The frequency of new reports mandates the need for regular updates. Herein, we use photographic and specimen vouchers in addition to literature records to provide updated information on verified nonindigenous amphibians and reptiles in Florida. Between our most recent summary in 2012 and the end of 2015, 38 additional species are known to have been intercepted (n = 2) or introduced (n = 36). We also update the invasion stage of seven species previously reported from Florida and …

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Richmond Journal Of Global Law And Business Volume 15, Issue 1 - Prefatory Matter Jan 2016

Richmond Journal Of Global Law And Business Volume 15, Issue 1 - Prefatory Matter

Richmond Journal of Global Law & Business

No abstract provided.

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An Introductory Examination Of Worldviews And Why They Matter For Environmental And Sustainability Studies, Loren B. Byrne Jan 2016

An Introductory Examination Of Worldviews And Why They Matter For Environmental And Sustainability Studies, Loren B. Byrne

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

A worldview is a complex cognitive and affective lens through which a person sees and interprets the world, including human-environment relationships. Examining worldviews is relevant to environmental and sustainability studies, in part, because they influence a person’s environmentally related decisions and divergent worldviews create conflict about environmental problems and solutions. Using physical glasses that make an abstract concept more concrete, the activity described in this chapter introduces students to worldviews and their links to environmental and sustainability issues through informal, open-ended, exploratory dialogue, catalyzed by the examination of four individuals’ hypothetical worldviews as playful case studies. The activity’s goal is …

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Learner-Centered Teaching Activities For Environmental And Sustainability Studies, Loren B. Byrne Jan 2016

Learner-Centered Teaching Activities For Environmental And Sustainability Studies, Loren B. Byrne

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

Learner-centered teaching is a pedagogical approach that emphasizes the roles of students as participants in and drivers of their own learning. Learner-centered teaching activities go beyond traditional lecturing by helping students construct their own understanding of information, develop skills via hands-on engagement, and encourage personal reflection through metacognitive tasks. In addition, learner-centered classroom approaches may challenge students’ preconceived notions and expand their thinking by confronting them with thought-provoking statements, tasks or scenarios that cause them to pay closer attention and cognitively "see" a topic from new perspectives. Many types of pedagogy fall under the umbrella of learner-centered teaching including laboratory …

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Preface, Loren B. Byrne Jan 2016

Preface, Loren B. Byrne

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

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Learner-Centered Teaching For Environmental And Sustainability Studies, Loren B. Byrne Jan 2016

Learner-Centered Teaching For Environmental And Sustainability Studies, Loren B. Byrne

Arts & Sciences Faculty Publications

This volume merges two aspects of education that have rapidly changed in recent years: environmental and sustainability education, and knowledge about effective pedagogy. Its central purpose is to disseminate engaging teaching activities that instructors can use to help increase students’ environmental literacy. The included activities are that require minimal instructor preparation, do not require elaborate setups or specialized materials, and can be used in many course contexts but especially in traditional (i.e., non-laboratory, indoor) classroom spaces; most can be completed in one or two class sessions. The target audience is primarily higher-education instructors (including graduate level), but high school teachers …

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Some Key Elements On Entomophagy In Africa: Culture, Gender And Belief, S. Niassy, H. D. Affognon, K. K.M. Fiaboe, K. S. Akutse, C. M. Tanga, S. Ekesi Jan 2016

Some Key Elements On Entomophagy In Africa: Culture, Gender And Belief, S. Niassy, H. D. Affognon, K. K.M. Fiaboe, K. S. Akutse, C. M. Tanga, S. Ekesi

All Peer-Reviewed Publications

Edible insects are a natural renewable food resource and, within the context of food security could be one solution for Africa. Although, entomophagy is still being practiced in Africa, there is a degree of rejection in certain milieu due to negative images associated with insects and poor awareness efforts. In order to understand the key elements that govern entomophagy in Africa, we conducted an online survey on edible insects in African countries and documented the importance of insects, cultures and believes associated to their use. We eventually looked at gender participation in entomophagy. Study showed that insect consumption can be …

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Fingerprinting And Tracing The Sources Of Soils And Sediments: Earth And Ocean Science, Geoarchaeological, Forensic, And Human Health Applications, P. N. Owens, W. H. Blake, L. Gaspar, D. Gateuille, A. J. Koiter, D. A. Lobb, E. L. Petticrew, D. G. Reiffarth, H. G. Smith, J. C. Woodward Jan 2016

Fingerprinting And Tracing The Sources Of Soils And Sediments: Earth And Ocean Science, Geoarchaeological, Forensic, And Human Health Applications, P. N. Owens, W. H. Blake, L. Gaspar, D. Gateuille, A. J. Koiter, D. A. Lobb, E. L. Petticrew, D. G. Reiffarth, H. G. Smith, J. C. Woodward

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences

No abstract provided.

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Graduate Survey, 2015-2016, Hart Career Center, Illinois Wesleyan University Jan 2016

Graduate Survey, 2015-2016, Hart Career Center, Illinois Wesleyan University

First Destination Survey

No abstract provided.

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Increasing Energy Efficiency In Existing Residential Buildings: A Case Study Of The Community Home Energy Retrofit Project (Cherp), Jenna Perelman Jan 2016

Increasing Energy Efficiency In Existing Residential Buildings: A Case Study Of The Community Home Energy Retrofit Project (Cherp), Jenna Perelman

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis uses a case study of the Community Home Energy Retrofit Project (CHERP) and it analyzes the larger statewide effort in California to increase energy efficiency in existing residential buildings to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. CHERP’s primary strategy is to embed itself into a community, educate residents on the multiple benefits of energy efficiency, and inspire them to take energy-saving actions in their own homes. It then builds its own community by connecting like-minded individuals together and provides an opportunity for them to exercise their political agency. This thesis analyzes CHERP’s effort in the context of the political, social, …

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Disasters Are Not, They Become: An Understanding Of Social Vulnerability In The United States Gulf Coast With Respect To Hurricanes, Katherine Franklin Jan 2016

Disasters Are Not, They Become: An Understanding Of Social Vulnerability In The United States Gulf Coast With Respect To Hurricanes, Katherine Franklin

Scripps Senior Theses

Scientific literature is concerned with the impact that climate change will have on natural disasters in the near future. These events disrupt our daily lives and can cause damage that may never be repaired. Merging science and social science, the study of vulnerability looks at how human systems will be impacted by these natural disasters. In the United States, hurricanes in the Gulf Coast are projected to increase in intensity as well as have an increased capacity for damage with a rise in sea level. Therefore, it is important to understand who is systematically vulnerable to these impacts of natural …

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Indigenous Rights Policy And Terrorist Discourse: A Strategy To Stifle Mapuche Self-Determination In Chile, Reyna Mckinnon Jan 2016

Indigenous Rights Policy And Terrorist Discourse: A Strategy To Stifle Mapuche Self-Determination In Chile, Reyna Mckinnon

Scripps Senior Theses

When President Sebastián Piñera entered office in 2010 the Mapuche indigenous people were receiving two contrasting messages from the Chilean State. On the one hand, the government ratified ILO Convention 169, pledging to protect the indigenous right to prior consultation in programs that affect their communities. On the other hand, the government was involved in the oppression of Mapuche communities in the region of the Araucanía through militarisation and the application of the Anti-Terrorist Law to punish radical Mapuche activists that protest corporate encroachment on their land. While Piñera had the opportunity to legitimize the Mapuche demand for self-determination by …

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Dismantling Structural Inequality In The Inland Empire: Rebuilding Community From The Ground Up At Huerta Del Valle Garden, Jennifer E. Reyff Jan 2016

Dismantling Structural Inequality In The Inland Empire: Rebuilding Community From The Ground Up At Huerta Del Valle Garden, Jennifer E. Reyff

Scripps Senior Theses

This thesis provides an analytical case study of Huerta del Valle Community Garden as a successful model of redefining social capital through not only providing healthy, affordable, high quality produce to a community subjected to the disproportionate consequences of systemic inequality, but also in incorporating a food justice education framework to underlie all development at the garden. Located in the city of Ontario, Southern California – the heart of the Inland Empire, known for its prominence within the nation’s goods movement industry and its landscape of sprawling warehouses – local residents face high rates of poverty, obesity, and a lack …

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Following The Flat Hat: What Leads People To National Park Service Interpretive Careers?, Avarie Fitzgerald Jan 2016

Following The Flat Hat: What Leads People To National Park Service Interpretive Careers?, Avarie Fitzgerald

University Honors Theses

National Park Service interpreters around the United States are dedicated to connecting people to their parks and historical sites. While these interpretive rangers have an important mission of preserving the landscape and stories of our nation’s most treasured places, a gap in the research of significant life experiences and environmental education professions exists in understanding the motivations behind following a career in the park service. Through semi-structured phenomenological interviews, the significant life experiences of interpretive park rangers were investigated as to their degree of influence on their choice of career. The findings indicate that quality time spent outdoors, family involvement, …

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350 College Of Arts And Sciences Dean’S Subject Files 2001-2009, University Libraries, Lane Library Jan 2016

350 College Of Arts And Sciences Dean’S Subject Files 2001-2009, University Libraries, Lane Library

Finding Aids

Planning and management of the College, including: buildings, grants, salaries, and work with other departments on campus. Mainly academic program review, development of new academic degrees and curriculum issues. Also, services to students: Weekend College, early college and learning communities. Subject files, arranged alphabetically. 2 linear feet. 4 files on Liberty Center 2004-2005 mostly photos.

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Laser Mobile Mapping Standards And Applications In Transportation, Steven D. Johnson, James S. Bethel, Chisaphat Supunyachotsakul, Scott Peterson Jan 2016

Laser Mobile Mapping Standards And Applications In Transportation, Steven D. Johnson, James S. Bethel, Chisaphat Supunyachotsakul, Scott Peterson

JTRP Technical Reports

This report describes the work that was done to support the development of a chapter for the INDOT Survey Manual on Mobile Mapping. The work includes experiments that were done, data that was collected, analysis that was carried out, and conclusions that were drawn about accuracy of Mobile Terrestrial Laser Scanning (MTLS) systems. The resulting Manual chapter, located in the appendix, defines standards and procedures for preparing, collecting, editing, delivering, exploiting, and archiving electronic mapping data that is created for Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT). The purpose of the standards and procedures within this manual is to obtain statewide uniformity …

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