Digital Commons Network^™

Businesses As Cultural Icons: Their Application Towards Understanding Urban Morphology, Stephanie Lawrence

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Icons surround us but are so ubiquitous they are difficult to observe. Specifically urban cultural icons are a scientific sub-topic under urban morphology's heading and as well are closely related to economic development issues. This study premises that businesses are urban cultural icons which can be computed into four rankings: local cultural icons, focal, zonal, and global cultural icons. And through using dimensional measurement an index is measured. This index can then be used to assess urban morphology. The data set ranges from businesses opening in 1865 to the present. Some are globally-distributed "big boxes"; others are unique one-store shops. …

Temporal Changes In The Spatial Distribution Of Venture Capital Investment To Biotechnology Companies Within The United States., Rocky Graziano Bilotta

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this research is to investigate temporal changes in the spatial distribution of venture capital investments to biotechnology companies within the United States. Data included venture capital to biotech investments from 1995 to 2005. Venture capital and biotech data from the Money Tree Report, were gathered, analyzed, and mapped to show if a spatial relationship exists. The research examined venture capital investments at both the individual and the aggregated levels. At the individual level, the research examined whether the amount of investments a biotech company receives are influenced by physical distance to its closest investor, number of venture …

A 17-Year Assesment Of Changes In Biomass In The South Of Chile, Using Landsat Satellite Images, Fredy A. Bernales

Theses and Dissertations

Southern Chile is recognized by different international organizations such as UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), and Conservational International as an ecologically sensitive area. The country of Chile is home to one third of the earth’s remaining temperate forests. Monitoring and assessing land cover changes in these forests is important not only to international organizations but to the people of Chile. The lack of multi-temporal studies that evaluate changes in land cover biomass make this study an important one for increasing awareness of how the evolution of the landscape affects environmental planning and development of legal precedents aimed …

The Spatial Distribution Of Geoprivacy Concerns In Florida: A County Level Analysis, Joshua W. House

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Certain types of spatial data maintained and distributed by counties at taxpayer expense can be used with powerful mapping and analysis software, called Geographic Information Systems (GIS), to compromise an indvidual's locational privacy. The kind of privacy at threat here is referred to as geoprivacy, which is concerned with the rights to prevent disclosure of the location of one's home, workplace, or daily activities. While the availability of accessible and accurate geospatial data has increased geoprivacy concerns in recent years, this threat remains virtually unknown to the general public.

Although previous research has explored various components of the geoprivacy …

Hidden Village (42sa2112): A Basket Maker Iii Community In Montezuma Canyon, Utah, Donald G. Montoya

Theses and Dissertations

ABSTRACT This thesis focuses on the Basketmaker III period of the Ancestral Puebloan culture commonly known as the Anasazi, which means ‘ancient stranger’ or ‘ancient enemy’ in the Navajo language, or as preferred by the Hopi; "Hisatsinom" for "The Ones Who Came Before." I use the terms Anasazi and Ancestral Puebloan interchangeably in this study. My particular focus concentrates on a Basketmaker III settlement (42Sa2112 – Hidden Village) in Montezuma Canyon in southeastern Utah. My thesis presents data and an interpretive hypothesis that village formation and complex social organization emerged earlier than most standard texts (Plog 1997) assume. Analysis of …

Improving Resolution Of Census Data In Metropolitan Areas Using A Dasymetric Approach: Applications For The Baltimore Ecosystem Study, Christopher G. Boone

Cities and the Environment (CATE)

A dasymetric map is a type of thematic map where boundaries are altered by the distribution of other phenomena. In dasymetric maps, administrative or enumeration boundaries are redrawn to better represent the distribution of data classes. Dasymetric mapping methods can improve the resolution of historical and present day census data. Using data collected for the Baltimore Ecosystem Study, I use the dasymetric approach to remap the distribution of census data based on residential land use. By overlaying census boundaries with land use and land cover information in a GIS database, census data can be partitioned into places where, from the …

Watershed Forest Management Information System (Wfmis), Yanli Zhang, P. K. Barten

Faculty Publications

Maintenance of a sustainable clean water supply is critical for our future. However, watershed degradation is a common phenomenon around the world that leads to poor water quality. In order to protect water resources, the Watershed Forest Management Information System (WFMIS), was developed as an extension of ArcGIS® and is described in this paper. There are three submodels to address nonpoint source pollution mitigation, road system management, and silvicultural operations, respectively. The Watershed Management Priority Indices (WMPI) is a zoning approach to prioritize critical areas for conservation and restoration management. It meets the critical need to spatially differentiate land cover …

Assessing Urban Environmental Quality At Multiple Spatial And Temporal Scales Using Remote Sensing, Gis, And Geospatial Algorithms, Bingqing Liang

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Timely and regular information on urban environmental quality (UEQ) is essential for urban planning. UEQ studies using the technologies of remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) have not been extensive. There are a few attempts to focus on the properties of spatial context and scale-dependency in UEQ. This research provided a multiple spatial and temporal scale analysis of UEQ in Indianapolis, U.S.A, based on the synthetic indicators of physical components extracted from remotely sensed data and socioeconomic components derived from census data. The geospatial algorithms applied in this study included fractals, texture, spatial autocorrelation indexes, and spatial metrics of …

Environmental Justice In Canada: The Statistical Correlation Between Socioeconomic Status And Pollution In Five Major Canadian Cities, Nilima Bhoi

Digitized Theses

This thesis explores the existence of environmental injustice in five Canadian census metropolitan areas (CMA): Edmonton, London, Montreal, Toronto and Victoria. Spatial/distributive environmental injustice refers to situations where specific, already disadvantaged, groups bear a disproportionate share of pollution exposure. Several studies in the United States have found that pollution is often more prevalent in areas that are predominantly low income backgrounds or are visible minorities (UCC, 1987; Mohai and Bryant, 1992; Szasz and Meuser, 1997; Ringquist, 2005). Though there are limitations to the ecological approach typically used in these cases, important lessons from the US research (e.g., Bowen, 2000; Maantay …

Identifying Influences Of Social And Physical Environments On A Child’S Mode Of Travel To And From School, Kristian Larsen

Digitized Theses

This study examined environmental influences on a child’s mode of travel between home and school. Students (n=614) from 21 schools throughout London, Ontario, completed a school-based travel survey. A Geographic Information System was used to link survey respondents to data on environmental characteristics around home and school neighbourhoods, and along the probable route to school. Logistic regression analysis tested the influence of environmental factors on mode of travel to and from school. Over 62 percent of students walked/biked to school and 72 percent home from school. The likelihood of actively commuting was associated with shorter trips, residential density, land use …

Gps & Gis: A New Direction, D. J. Miller

Senior Seminars

GPS 's are becoming more and more popular these days, and are used in a wide variety of fashions. Global Positioning Systems (GPS) is used for travel, business, and pleasure. GPS' s have become an imp ortant part of our society in every aspect of life. They help us get where we want to go in a timely matter. "GPS provides accurate location and time information for an unlimited number of people in all weather, day and night, anywhere in the world" (Global Positioning System). Some say that GPS's have found their greatest connection with that of GIS. Geographic Information …

Landslide Susceptibility Zonation Gis For The 2005 Kashmir Earthquake Affected Region, Benjamin Growley

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The October 8, 2005 Kashmir earthquake triggered several thousand landslides throughout the Himalaya of northern Pakistan and India. A spatial database, which included 2252 landslides, was developed and analyzed using ASTER satellite imagery and geographical information system (GIS) technology. A multi-criterion evaluation was applied to determine the significance of event-controlling parameters in triggering the landslides. The parameters included lithology, faults, slope gradient, slope aspect, elevation, land cover, rivers and roads. The results were broken down into four classes of landslide susceptibility. The results indicated that lithology had the strongest influence on landsliding, particularly when the rock is highly fractured, such …

Geodatabase Design For Resource And Land Management Gis: Missoula Field Office Blm Case Study, Mark English

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is in the process of improving their geographic information system (GIS). The main intention is to upgrade their data and present their employees with the geospatial means necessary to accomplish their resource and land management responsibilities. Environmental Systems Research Institute (ESRI„µ) designed the geodatabase model, which provides multiple advantages in organization, management, and maintenance of geographic data. The geodatabase model implements advanced relationships between geospatial features and database tables, creates platforms available in organization and editing, and instills GIS functionality to ensure data integrity. The main goal of this work is to investigate the …

Impacts Of A Teacher Geospatial Technologies Professional Development Project On Student Spatial Literacy Skills And Interests In Science And Technology In Grade 5 – 12 Classrooms Across Montana, Jeffrey Willard Crews

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

This study utilized participants in a teacher geospatial technologies professional development project. Data was collected on the impact this professional development model, and the corresponding classroom implementation of the curriculum, had on student spatial literacy skills and students' interest in science and technology. Twenty teachers from across Montana with demonstrated competency in the use of geospatial technologies were selected for participation in this project. These twenty teachers were broken into two cohorts, cohort one served as the experimental group and cohort two served as the control group. Students within these classrooms ranging in grades 5 - 12, took two assessments, …

Evaluating Forest Harvesting To Reduce Its Hydrologic Impact With A Spatial Decision Support System, Yanli Zhang, P. K. Barten, Ramanathan Sugumaran

Faculty Publications

Timber harvesting changes the condition of forest ecosystems, which are a major influence on the characteristics of headwater streams. Such characteristics include the quantity and timing of base flow and storm flow, concentrations of sediment and dissolved nutrients, water temperature, and the stability of the stream channels. This paper explores previous studies dealing with the relationship between timber harvesting and its hydrologic effects, especially long term water yield increase. The watershed disturbance threshold theory is raised and investigated in detail. The development and evaluation of a spatial decision support system, the Harvest Schedule Review System (HSRS), is then described. The …

Geomorphological Mapping Of The K2 Area, Pakistan Using Gis And Remote Sensing, Deborah Jeanne Belden

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

Geomorphological mapping assists in evaluating the polygenetic role of glaciation, mass movement denudation, and fluvial erosion in landscape development. A series of thirteen 1:100,000 geomorphological maps covering the area between Skardu and K2 were produced using field mapping and photography, GPS measurements, ASTER satellite imagery, and digital elevation model (DEM) analyses. Satellite and morphometric analyses were performed using GIS software. The landforms are described in relation to geology, geomorphological processes, and altitudinal zones. Case studies include flash flood deposits, active landslide areas, sackungen, and rock avalanches. The Skardu Basin has tills preserved on many higher slopes, and sand dunes cover …

An Evaluation Of A Low-Cost Uav Approach To Noxious Weed Mapping, Brandon Tyler Jones

Theses and Dissertations

Mapping their location and extent is a critical step in noxious weed management. One of the most common methods of mapping noxious weeds is to walk the perimeter of each patch with a handheld GPS receiver. This is the method used at Camp Williams, a National Guard Bureau training facility in Utah where this study was conducted. It was proposed that a low-cost Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) that made use of a hobbyist remote control airplane equipped with a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver and digital camera could be used along with automated post-processing techniques to reduce the cost of …

Tempo-Spatial Patterns Of Land Use Changes And Urban Development In Globalizing China: A Study Of Beijing, Yichun Xie, Chuanglin Fang, George C.S. Lin, Hongmian Gong, Biao Qiao

Publications and Research

This study examines the temporal and spatial changes in land use as a consequence of rapid urban development in the city of Beijing. Using a combination of techniques of remote sensing and GIS, the study identifies a substantial loss of plain dryland and a phenomenal expansion of urban construction land over the recent decade. Geographically, there is a clear shifting of urban construction land from the inner city to the outskirts as a consequence of suburbanization. The outward expansion of the ring-road system is found to be one of the most important driving forces explaining the temporal and spatial pattern …

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

Faculty Publications

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

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

Invasive Species Management And Research Using Gis, Tracy Holcombe, Thomas J. Stohlgren, Catherine Jarnevich

Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species

Geographical Information Systems (GIS) are powerful tools in the field of invasive species management. GIS can be used to create potential distribution maps for all manner of taxa, including plants, animals, and diseases. GIS also performs well in the early detection and rapid assessment of invasive species. Here, we used GIS applications to investigate species richness and invasion patterns in fish in the United States (US) at the 6-digit Hydrologic Unit Code (HUC) level. We also created maps of potential spread of the cane toad (Bufo marinus) in the southeastern US at the 8-digit HUC level using regression …

Mapping Better Business Strategies With Gis, Tin Seong Kam

Research Collection School Of Computing and Information Systems

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

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

Business Review

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

Gis As A Web 2.0 Education Tool, Jeremy W. Donald

Library Faculty Research

This talk will present the results of a partnership between university and middle school students who will learn basic techniques for representing demographic and political boundary data with GIS software, and then create one or more projects focused on encouraging and facilitating the use of public information by the local community. GIS, in combination with Web 2.0 tools, will be used as a medium for communicating the data that serves as the basis for political representation and policy decisions.

Goals and objectives will be to increase political awareness, dialogue, and participation among both (university & middle school) groups of students. …

An Evaluation Of A 3d Sampling Technique And Lidar For The Determination Of Understory Vegetation Density Levels In Pine Plantations, Matthew Thomas Clarkson

Theses and Dissertations

A three dimensional sampling technique was used to compare field understory conditions in Southeastern Louisiana using a laser range finder at three height levels (0.5m, 1.0m, and 1.5m) to LiDAR generated understory conditions to determine if a relationship existed. A similar comparison was made between densitometer crown closure measurements and understory LiDAR vegetation counts. A comparison between overstory LiDAR counts and understory LiDAR counts was also performed. LiDAR and understory counts exhibited a significant linear relationship but were poorly correlated at each sample level (Level-1 R2 = 0.34 ? 0.38, Level-2 R2 = 0.36 ? 0.43). The Level-3 LiDAR slope …

Archsites In Final Testing, Jonathan Leader

Faculty & Staff Publications

No abstract provided.

Settlement Patterns In The Lower Mississippi River Valley, Carl Philipp Lipo, Robert C. Dunnell

Anthropology Datasets

No abstract provided.

Tigers, Wolves, And Moose, Oh My: Challenges And Opportunities For Promoting Undergraduate Research In Environmental Studies With Gis, Philip J. Nyhus, F Russell Cole, David H. Firmage

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

An Interface Of Drainage Division For Modeling Wetlands And Riparian Buffers In Agricultural Watersheds

Journal of Spatial Hydrology

In a complex watershed, isolated wetlands, riparian wetlands and riparian buffers provide important functions such as flood attenuation and water quality improvement. For conservation purposes, it is critical to properly delineate drainage areas for these features such that their impacts on runoff, sediment and pollutant transport can be reasonably simulated. However, traditional methods for watershed delineation typically fill depressions or ignore riparian features in order to maintain the continuity of surface flow pattern. In this study we develop an ArcView geographic information system (GIS) interface for watershed delineation that accounts for wetlands and riparian buffers. Based on digital elevation model …

Conceptualizing Wilderness Through Gis, Sarah Stevens

Undergraduate Research Symposium (UGRS)

The word “wilderness” in America is generally identified with pristine places where humans are not among the primary influences on the land and its ecology. The American wilderness ethic creates a strict dichotomy between humans and nature. The Wilderness Preservation Act of 1964 defines wilderness as “an area where the earth and its community of life are untrammeled by man, where man himself is a visitor who does not remain” (wilderness.net). This statutory definition of wilderness is essentially the functional embodiment of the American wilderness ethic. Wilderness can also be interpreted in ways that incorporate humans as active players in …

An Evolutionary Model Of Parabolic Dune Development: Blowout To Mature Parabolic, Padre Island National Seashore, Texas, Winston Mckenna

LSU Master's Theses

The Texas barrier islands have been studied and well documented in relation to barrier island evolution and morphology (Leatherman, 1979; Morton, 1994; White and Weise, 1980). The detailed analysis and mapping of various dune types and systems that comprise Padre Island National Seashore, specifically parabolic dunes, is the focus of this research. Dune surveys and doqq’s, along with wind and weather records were used to develop an improved morphodynamic model for parabolic dunes. The wind records were provided by the Padre Island National Seashore, the National Data Climate Center, and the Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network. Individual dune surveys were …