Digital Commons Network^™

Identifying Locations Of Highly Eroded Agricultural Land In The Devils Lake Basin, Nd Using Gis Terrain Analysis Modeling, Matthew J. Dinger

Theses and Dissertations

Soil erosion modeling using terrain analysis holds great potential due to the simplicity of the models, and the ease in running the analysis in a GIS. Terrain analysis of the upper Devils Lake basin was conducted using a 3-meter Light Detection and Ranging-derived digital elevation model. Portions of the Mauvais Coulee and Calio Coulee watersheds in the basin were analyzed to evaluate soil erosion potential and determine if terrain analysis was an accurate tool for modeling erosion in this fairly flat landscape. The analysis used slope, flow accumulation, and stream power index (SPI) within a GIS to identify highly eroded …

Analyzing The Impact Of County Radon Levels And Population Size On The Allocation Of The State Indoor Radon Grant (Sirg) Funds, Stephen Douglas De Jong

Master's Theses

This thesis examines the SIRG program's effectiveness to target funds to states with the highest risk potential, based on county radon levels and population size. The primary method of determining the program's effectiveness was an analysis of the program's allocation of funds at a regional as well as a state level. The analysis focused on two of four input variables that the EPA utilizes in its regional allocation model (e.g., county radon levels and population size).

The analysis showed that the state-level allocation of funds is only marginally related to a combination of county radon levels and population size, while …

Incentivizing Biodiversity Conservation: The Ecological Icms In Brazil, Erin Franks

CMC Senior Theses

This study evaluates the effectiveness of the ecological ICMS (ICMS-e) in the Brazilian Amazon, an intragovernmental transfer for incentivizing biodiversity conservation. Tax funds are passed from state governments to municipalities in proportion to the amount of protected area within their borders; biological reserves, sustainable use areas, and indigenous lands are all considered. Econometric analysis using a fixed effects model found that the policy had little positive effect on increasing protected areas compared to the significant negative influence of poor land tenure, agricultural influences, and lack of monitoring for illegal deforestation. However, the policy may increase municipal governments' acceptance of and …

Social Interaction At The Maya Site Of Copan, Honduras: A Least Cost Approach To Configurational Analysis, Heather Richards-Rissetto

Department of Anthropology: Faculty Publications

In this article, I employ least cost paths using GIS to measure the relationship between site configuration and social connectivity at the ancient Maya site of Copan, Honduras. I investigate two questions. First, did people of different social classes experience varying degrees of social connectivity? Second, did people living in different parts of the city experience difference degrees of social connectivity? Ultimately, the goal is modify traditional configurational analysis using least cost analysis (LCA) to identify how social hierarchy was embedded in landscapes and how ancient people may have strategically manipulated landscapes to structure social interaction and community organization.

A Discourse On Geospatial Technology Applications In Predictive Analytics And Evidence-Based Decision Support For Disaster Research And Management, Steven Matthew Ward

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Continued population growth and development in vulnerable locations across the world are creating a new geography of hazards and disasters. Increasing storm frequencies coupled with unrelenting efforts to control flooding through structural means will undoubtedly intensify the intersection between flood hazards and humans. Accordingly, the baseline capacity of places to prepare for and rebound from disaster events adequately is negatively impacted. Hurricane Katrina brought this reality to the forefront of disaster science and management in 2005. Concurrent with the increased awareness of evolving hazardscapes has been the identification of deficiencies in how components of disasters are studied and managed. The …

Applying Gis Metrics To Determine Degree Of Glacial Modification In Mountainous Landscapes, Carl Delbert Swanson Ii

All Master's Theses

The ability to quantitatively assess the degree of glaciation in mountainous areas can be a powerful tool in unraveling the evolution of landscapes, and provide key insights in regions where field research is difficult. Here we determine, test, and apply metrics that assess the relative degree of past glacial modification in mountainous landscapes. Results show that slope results can be used to quantitatively assess the degree to which an area is modified by glaciation. In particular, analysis of basins using slope frequency distribution curves and slope vs. elevation plots capture steeper slopes, flatter valley bottoms, cirques, and arêtes of glaciated …

Transboundary Political Ecology In The Peru-Brazil Borderlands: Mapping Workshops, Geographic Information, And Socio-Environmental Impacts, David S. Salisbury, A. William Flores De Melo, Pedro Tipula Tipula

Geography and the Environment Faculty Publications

Development, resource, and settlement frontiers inspired by national policies and global demand continue to expand into the international boundary lands of Amazonia. National policies promote development and conservation projects on lands already inhabited and managed. Regional governments are increasingly frustrated by the inadequate and outdated geographic information available to solve overlapping claims and improve planning in sensitive border regions. The resulting combination of inappropriate policies, contested resources, and poor geographic information in the borderlands create impacts not only for national, regional, and local landscapes and livelihoods but also foreign relations due to transboundary effects. This article uses a transboundary political …

A Comparison Of Two Versions Of Modified Mercalli Intensity For Earthquake Exposure Assessment, Jamie Lynne Ratliff

Master's Theses

The U.S. Geological Survey conducted an earthquake exposure assessment for the State of Washington using peak ground acceleration (PGA) shaking from the USGS ShakeMap Project grouped to approximate Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) classes. Since ShakeMap datasets also have data representing official MMI classes, a companion exposure assessment was performed to determine whether MMI-grouped PGA data and official MMI data are interchangeable. Along with the exposure assessment, a spatial sampling process was used to further check how MMI-grouped PGA and official MMI data compared. Results indicated that significant variations existed spatially between the two ShakeMap datasets; generalizations by ShakeMap in creating …

Modeling Wildfire Hazard In The Western Hindu Kush-Himalayas, David Bylow

Master's Theses

Wildfire regimes are a leading driver of global environmental change affecting diverse ecosystems across the planet. The objectives of this study was to model regional wildfire potential and identify environmental, topological, and sociological factors that contribute to the ignition of regional wildfire events in the Western Hindu Kush-Himalayas. The environmental, topological, and sociological factors were used to model regional wildfire potential through multi-criteria evaluation using a method of weighted linear combination. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and geographic information systems (GIS) data were integrated to identify regional wildfire factors. Point pattern and inferential statistical analysis were used to analyze regional …

Geography And Social Structure Of Monasteries: Cultural Diffusion Or Convergent Evolution?, Constance Powell Chin

Master's Theses

At both ends of the Eurasian continent, cenobitic monasticism took root and flourished in the fourth century. This parallel development at roughly the same time in regions so different and distant from each other as Egypt and China lends itself to an interesting comparison and a large question. Is this a case of cultural diffusion, a borrowing of ideas and attitudes and perhaps even monastic rules and practices from India, which lies midway between the two? Is it instead a case of convergent evolution?

Monastic rules and behaviors, the archaeology of monasteries, and the functions of early monasteries are explored …

Analysis Of Abundance And Biodiversity Of Mosquitoes And Their Epidemiological Implications In Three Urban Neighborhoods In The Southeastern United States, Erick Xavier Caamano

All ETDs from UAB

Birmingham, Alabama has experienced several mosquito-borne epidemics, including Saint Louis encephalitis (SLE) and West Nile virus (WNV). Despite the outbreak of these diseases, the city lacks a mosquito surveillance program that would assist in vector control efforts. In order to assess the possible advantages of implementing a surveillance system for the city, three neighborhoods were chosen for surveys based on the fact that past epidemics have been concentrated in these areas. During the two surveillance years, 2009 had more abundance of mosquitoes and more species variability than the 2010 season. Overall, as abundance of mosquitoes increased in a particular site, …

Use Of Environmental Isotope Tracer And Gis Techniques To Estimate Basin Recharge, Abdulganiu A.A. Odunmbaku

Open Access Theses & Dissertations

The extensive use of ground water only began with the advances in pumping technology at the early portion of 20th Century. Groundwater provides the majority of fresh water supply for municipal, agricultural and industrial uses, primarily because of little to no treatment it requires. Estimating the volume of groundwater available in a basin is a daunting task, and no accurate measurements can be made. Usually water budgets and simulation models are primarily used to estimate the volume of water in a basin.

Precipitation, land surface cover and subsurface geology are factors that affect recharge; these factors affect percolation which invariably …

Carbon Management And Scenario Planning At The Landscape Scale With Gis, Shabnam Delfan Azari

School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences Theses

Carbon Management and Scenario Planning at the Landscape Scale with GIS By: Shabnam Delfan Azari It is now widely believed that globally averaged temperatures will rise significantly over the next 100 years as a result of increasing atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide. Responses to the threat of future climate change are both adaptations to new climate conditions, and mitigation of the magnitude of change. Mitigation can be achieved both through reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and by increasing storage of carbon in the earth system. In particular it is thought that there is potential for …

A Gis Based Spatial Decision Support System For Landscape Character Assessment, Faye Elanor Davey

Other Faculty of Science and Engineering Theses

Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) provides a structured approach to identifying the character and distinctiveness about the landscape. It is a tool used to identify what makes a location unique, a set of techniques and procedures used to map differences between landscapes based on their physical, cultural and historical characteristics. Although the UK has committed to assessing all of its landscapes by signing the European Landscape Convention in 2006, only 60% of coverage has been achieved. The majority of LCAs are carried out by professional environment or landscape consultancies rather than ‘in-house’. Geographical Information Systems are increasingly being used to collate …

Illinois Local Food Systems: A Geospatial Analysis, Abu S. Khan

Research Papers

Recently, more attention has been paid to studies of local food systems that are specific to a particular place as a potential solution for providing healthy food, reducing carbon emissions, and promotion of local agriculture sustainability. In the United States, the demands of locally produced foods have increased substantially in recent years. There are several reasons for this increase, including long-distance food transportation’s contribution to greenhouse gas emissions, the community food-security movement, and the increase of negative environmental problems related to large scale agriculture, etc., have contributed to the shift of attention from global food systems to local ones. Moreover, …

Gis-Based Spatial Analysis Of Place Names In Yunnan, China, Ling Zhang

LSU Master's Theses

Yunnan, with the largest number of minority languages in China, is labeled as “The Museum of Dialects”. The rich diversity of ethnic groups is reflected in its toponyms (place names). The objectives of this study are to (1) construct a GIS database of toponyms in Yunnan at the prefecture, county and township levels from a comprehensive toponymical dictionary series of China; (2) analyze the spatial distribution of Han, Tibeto-Burman (Zang-Mian) and Kam-Tai (Zhuang-Dong) toponyms and its association with environmental factors; and (3) examine the historical evolution of toponyms. Results show that the study shows that the highest concentrations of Zang-Mian …

Developing A Geospatial Protocol For Coral Epizootiology, Jennifer Anne Lentz

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

This dissertation explores how geographic information systems (GIS) and spatial statistics, specifically the techniques used to map, detect, and spatially analyze disease epidemics, could be used to advance our understanding of coral reef health. Given that different types of spatial analysis, as well as different parameter settings within each analysis, can produce noticeably different results, poor selection or improper use of a given technique would likely lead to inaccurate representations of the spatial distribution and false interpretations of the disease. For this reason, I performed a comprehensive review of the following types of exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA): mapping and …

The Effect Of Mortgage Liberalization On Housing Patterns In Tampa Bay, Jason Richardson

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study seeks to determine whether the process of mortgage finance liberalization, manifested in concurrent activities of securitization, deregulation, and neo-liberal policy, have resulted in changes to the tenure of residents in neighborhoods in Tampa Bay. It makes use of existing literature on gentrification and mortgage finance and compares those findings with three sample neighborhoods in and around the city of Tampa. To do so the thesis employs data collected from lenders pursuant to the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, court records of sales and mortgages filed with the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Hillsborough County, and interviews with stakeholders …

Spatial Assessment And Analysis Of Pollution Sources And Water Quality In The Bogue Falaya River And Abita River Watersheds, St. Tammany Parish, La, Chelsea Core

LSU Master's Theses

Watershed planning is an important ongoing process for enabling communities to repair polluted waterways and ensuring the health and vitality of waterways for future generations. This study defines a process to spatially track pollution sources entering into our waterways. An essential tool used in the watershed planning process is geographic information systems. It is important to gather spatial information to illustrate where all potential pollution sources are located within each watershed. The data for this study were assembled into a database and mapped to locate pollution sources including: commercial/small business wastewater treatment plants; subdivisions without community wastewater treatment; and individual …

Spatial Analysis Of Fatal Automobile Crashes In Kentucky, William Nathan Oris

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Fatal automobile crashes have claimed the lives of over 33,000 people each year in the United States since 1995. As in any point event, fatal crash events do not occur randomly in time or space. The objectives of this study were to identify spatial patterns and hot spots in FARS (Fatal Analysis Reporting System) fatal crash events based on temporal and demographic characteristics. The methods employed included 1) rate calculation using FARS points and average daily traffic flow; 2) planar kernel density estimation of FARS crash events based on temporal and demographic attributes within the data; and 3) two case …

Distribution Of Trace Elements In Cumberland River Basin Reservoir Sediments, Laura Mahoney Benneyworth

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Nashville District, maintains ten reservoirs in the Cumberland River Basin in Kentucky and Tennessee, and has been monitoring sediment chemistry in the reservoirs since 1994. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the sediment data collected from the reservoirs from 1994 to 2010 to determine if there are any spatial patterns of the trace elements: arsenic, beryllium, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, and zinc. The results indicated that trace element levels were consistent with national baseline concentrations measured by the U.S. Geological Survey. Center Hill reservoir had the greatest number of trace …

Measuring Accessibility To Primary Care Physicians In The Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area, Sami M. Almudaris

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The growing concern for the shortage of primary care physicians (PCPs) prompted a government legislation to designate areas where shortage in the delivery of primary care services occurs. The implemented systems (e.g., HPSA, MUA, and MUP) analyze utilization of health services within confined administrative units and fail to account for spatial interactions that occur across administrative borders. This research examines the spatial accessibility to PCPs and the underlying demographic and socioeconomic settings. With the Nashville Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA) as a study area, this study utilized data from the U.S. Census 2000 and 2010, as well as the known locations …

A Gis Approach For Estimating Optimal Sites For Grid-Connected Photovoltaic (Pv) Cells In Nebraska, Tomotoshi Funabashi

Department of Environmental Studies: Undergraduate Student Theses

In the context of rising energy concerns and increased spotlight on solar energy, this study examines and draws attention to the state of mid potential sunlight. The purpose of this study is to estimate the optimal sites for grid-connected photovoltaic cells in Nebraska, which is ranked 13th nationally in terms of insolation potential. Five factors – insolation potential, adjacency to roads, accessibility to grid, topography, and acreage – are examined with the use of Geographic Information System (GIS). Insolation potential was quantitatively analyzed by averaging, plotting, and interpolating the 20 years of datasets recoded at 28 weather stations of High …

Spatial Distribution Of Obesity Among West Virginia 5th Grade Children: Analysis Of The Socioeconomic, Physical, And Personal Environment, Sherry Roper

Theses and Dissertations (ETD)

Childhood obesity defined as a body mass index (BMI) at or above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex, is considered an epidemic in the United States. Biology and lifestyle behaviors have been identified as important factors in the development of childhood obesity; however, researchers are beginning to place more emphasis upon the impact that continual environmental exposures have upon obesity development. Environmental risk factors associated with obesity are distributed continuously over space, yet evidence suggests that burden of risk may not be evenly dispersed across a community. West Virginia (WV), a rural Appalachian community has …

The Migratory Response Of Labor To Special Economic Zones In The Philippines, 1995–2005, Scott R. Sanders, David L. Brown

Faculty Publications

In the mid 1990s the Filipino government adopted a new export-led development policy in an attempt to attract new investments and lower the unemployment rates throughout the country. The central idea was to provide foreign investors more access to Filipino markets and labor by giving them investor tax breaks and lowering trade tariffs. In return, the government hoped that investors would bring large amounts of capital into designated areas thereby creating new jobs and stimulating the domestic economy. The Filipino created the Philippine Economic Zone Authority (PEZA) and Base Conversion Development Authority (BCDA) to manage the operation of the Special …

Classifying And Mapping Diversity In A Species-Poor System: The Mangrove Meta-Community Of Laguna Chacahua National Park, Oaxaca, Mexico, Elizabeth Kay Weisgerber

Master's Theses

ABSTRACT

Classifying and Mapping Diversity in a Species-Poor System: the mangrove meta-community of Laguna Chacahua National Park, Oaxaca, Mexico

by

Elizabeth Kay Weisgerber

Both field transects and imagery grid plots were analyzed with the goal of creating a community classification map for the mangrove forest of Parque Nacional Lagunas de Chacahua. In total, data was collected in 49 sites throughout the park, recording measures such as DBH, basal area, estimated dominance, frequency, cover and relative dominance. Field locations were marked and georeferenced with a GPS and grid plots overlaid on satellite imagery of the park were generated via a random …

Digital Mapping As A Student And Staff Communication Tool, Ryan Gyurkovitz

Horticulture and Crop Science

A study in the use of Geographic Information Systems in the development of digital maps for use by students and staff in Plant Identification Courses.

A Climatology Of High-Wind Events Associated With Post-Tropical Cyclones In The United States, Joshua M. Gilliland

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

During 1951-2009, 47% of all tropical systems (TSs) within the Atlantic Basin transitioned to post-tropical (PTC) extratropical classification. These systems have shown the capability of producing hurricane-force winds and gusts for portions of the eastern United States. This study provides a climatological foundation for high-wind observations that were contributed from PTCs. In this study, 76 PTC systems were identified and tracked using six hourly observations from the National Hurricane Center’s HURDAT dataset. Mean wind radii buffers were calculated and used to determine the high-wind observations attributed by PTCs. High-wind climatology was developed by using hourly surface wind data from the …

Online Education Of Public Participants In The Data Collection Process For The Monitoring Of Giant Hogweed In Latvia, Rebecca Leigh Almond

Electronic Theses and Dissertations Archive

Utilization of Public Participation with Geographic Information Sciences is a method intended to document the locations and spread of poisonous, invasive Giant Hogweed in Latvia. To reach students in an international setting, a website and tutorials trained participants about the characteristics and dangers of the plant, GPS concepts, and the data collection process. To ensure safe and accurate data collection, students were tested on their mastery of educational materials, evaluated on their ability to collect data in the field, and were questioned about their experience with the project. The results determined that students who take the online tutorial become better …

Spatial-Temporal Neighborhood-Scale Urban Water Demand Estimation, Steve P. Linger

Geography ETDs

Water distribution systems are one of the vital infrastructures within the urban environment. The urban population is highly dependent on a reliable, clean, safe, and affordable supply of drinking water. Understanding and characterizing the demand for water on municipal water distribution systems is critical for managing this resource. A reasonable estimate of water demand for a municipal system would provide meaningful characterization and potentially enable defensible hydraulic analyses of that system. Much of the previous research and methods on estimating demand required detailed system data to estimate demand at coarser spatial and temporal resolutions for a specific system. The objective …