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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Spatial Proximity Matters: A Study On Collaboration, Arianna Salazar Miranda, Matthew Claudel Dec 2021

Spatial Proximity Matters: A Study On Collaboration, Arianna Salazar Miranda, Matthew Claudel

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

As scientific research becomes increasingly cross-disciplinary, many universities seek to support collaborative activity through new buildings and institutions. This study examines the impacts of spatial proximity on collaboration at MIT from 2005 to 2015. By exploiting a shift in the location of researchers due to building renovations, we evaluate how discrete changes in physical proximity affect the likelihood that researchers co-author. The findings suggest that moving researchers into the same building increases their propensity to collaborate, with the effect plateauing five years after the move. The effects are large when compared to the average rate of collaboration among pairs of …


Making A Water Data System Responsive To Information Needs Of Decision Makers, Alida Cantor, Michael Kiparsky, Susan S. Hubbard, Ronan Kennedy, Lidia Cano Pecharroman, Kamyar Guivetchi, Gary Darling, Christina Mccready, Roger Bales Nov 2021

Making A Water Data System Responsive To Information Needs Of Decision Makers, Alida Cantor, Michael Kiparsky, Susan S. Hubbard, Ronan Kennedy, Lidia Cano Pecharroman, Kamyar Guivetchi, Gary Darling, Christina Mccready, Roger Bales

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Evidence-based environmental management requires data that are sufficient, accessible, useful and used. A mismatch between data, data systems, and data needs for decision making can result in inefficient and inequitable capital investments, resource allocations, environmental protection, hazard mitigation, and quality of life. In this paper, we examine the relationship between data and decision making in environmental management, with a focus on water management. We focus on the concept of decision-driven data systems—data systems that incorporate an assessment of decision-makers' data needs into their design. The aim of the research was to examine the process of translating data into effective …


Using Gis-Based Spatial Analysis To Determine Urban Greenspace Accessibility For Different Racial Groups In The Backdrop Of Covid-19: A Case Study Of Four Us Cities, Arun K. Pallathadka, Laxemi Pallathadka, Sneha Rao, Heejun Chang, Dorn Van Dommelen Oct 2021

Using Gis-Based Spatial Analysis To Determine Urban Greenspace Accessibility For Different Racial Groups In The Backdrop Of Covid-19: A Case Study Of Four Us Cities, Arun K. Pallathadka, Laxemi Pallathadka, Sneha Rao, Heejun Chang, Dorn Van Dommelen

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

As the United States leads COVID-19 cases on global charts, its spatial distribution pattern offers a unique opportunity for studying the social and ecological factors that contribute to the pandemic’s scale and size. We use a GIS-data-based approach to evaluate four American cities—Anchorage (Alaska), Atlanta (Georgia), Phoenix (Arizona), and Portland (Oregon) characterized by the significant composition of different racial and ethnic group populations. Building upon previous studies that investigated urban spatial inequalities using the environmental justice framework, we examine: (1) the relative racial vulnerability of Census Block Groups (CBG) and ZIP Code Tabulation Areas (ZCTA) to COVID-19 (2) green space …


A Global Assessment Of Policy Tools To Support Climate Adaptation, Nicola Ulibarri, Idowu Ajibade, Eranga K. Galappaththi, Elphin T. Joe, Alexandra Lesnikowski, Katharine J. Mach, Issah J. Musah-Surugu, G. Nagle Alverio, Alcade C. Segnon, Multiple Additional Authors Oct 2021

A Global Assessment Of Policy Tools To Support Climate Adaptation, Nicola Ulibarri, Idowu Ajibade, Eranga K. Galappaththi, Elphin T. Joe, Alexandra Lesnikowski, Katharine J. Mach, Issah J. Musah-Surugu, G. Nagle Alverio, Alcade C. Segnon, Multiple Additional Authors

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Governments, businesses, and civil society organizations have diverse policy tools to incentivize adaptation. Policy tools can shape the type and extent of adaptation, and therefore, function either as barriers or enablers for reducing risk and vulnerability. Using data from a systematic review of academic literature on global adaptation responses to climate change (n = 1549 peer-reviewed articles), we categorize the types of policy tools used to shape climate adaptation. We apply qualitative and quantitative analyses to assess the contexts where particular tools are used, along with equity implications for groups targeted by the tools, and the tools’ relationships with transformational …


Seamless Wayfinding By A Deafblind Adult On An Urban College Campus: A Case Study On Wayfinding Performance, Information Preferences, And Technology Requirements, Martin Swobodzinski, Amy T. Parker, Julie D. Wright, Kyrsten Hansen, Becky Morton Sep 2021

Seamless Wayfinding By A Deafblind Adult On An Urban College Campus: A Case Study On Wayfinding Performance, Information Preferences, And Technology Requirements, Martin Swobodzinski, Amy T. Parker, Julie D. Wright, Kyrsten Hansen, Becky Morton

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

This article reports on an empirical evaluation of the experience, performance, and perception of a deafblind adult participant in an experimental case study on pedestrian travel in an urban environment. The case study assessed the degree of seamlessness of the wayfinding experience pertaining to routes that traverse both indoor and outdoor spaces under different modalities of technology-aided pedestrian travel. Specifically, an adult deafblind pedestrian traveler completed three indoor/outdoor routes on an urban college campus using three supplemental wayfinding support tools: a mobile application, written directions, and a tactile map. A convergent parallel mixed-methods approach was used to synthesize insights from …


Global Evidence Of Constraints And Limits To Human Adaptation, Adelle Thomas, Emily Theokritoff, Alexandra Lesnikowski, Diana Reckien, Kripa Jagannathan, Roger Cremades, Donovan Campbell, Elphin Tom Joe, Asha Sitati, Idowu Ajibade, Multiple Additional Authors Sep 2021

Global Evidence Of Constraints And Limits To Human Adaptation, Adelle Thomas, Emily Theokritoff, Alexandra Lesnikowski, Diana Reckien, Kripa Jagannathan, Roger Cremades, Donovan Campbell, Elphin Tom Joe, Asha Sitati, Idowu Ajibade, Multiple Additional Authors

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Constraints and limits to adaptation are critical to understanding the extent to which human and natural systems can successfully adapt to climate change. We conduct a systematic review of 1,682 academic studies on human adaptation responses to identify patterns in constraints and limits to adaptation for different regions, sectors, hazards, adaptation response types, and actors. Using definitions of constraints and limits provided by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we find that most literature identifies constraints to adaptation but that there is limited literature focused on limits to adaptation. Central and South America and Small Islands generally report greater …


Climate Change Adaptation In Conflict‑Affected Countries: A Systematic Assessment Of Evidence, Asha Sitati, E. Joe, C. Grayson, C. Jaime, E. Gilmore, Eranga K. Galappaththi, A. Hudson, G. Nagle Alverio, Idowu Ajibade, Multiple Additional Authors Sep 2021

Climate Change Adaptation In Conflict‑Affected Countries: A Systematic Assessment Of Evidence, Asha Sitati, E. Joe, C. Grayson, C. Jaime, E. Gilmore, Eranga K. Galappaththi, A. Hudson, G. Nagle Alverio, Idowu Ajibade, Multiple Additional Authors

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

People affected by conflict are particularly vulnerable to climate shocks and climate change, yet little is known about climate change adaptation in fragile contexts. While climate events are one of the many contributing drivers of conflict, feedback from conflict increases vulnerability, thereby creating conditions for a vicious cycle of conflict. In this study, we carry out a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature, taking from the Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative (GAMI) dataset to documenting climate change adaptation occurring in 15 conflict-affected countries and compare the findings with records of climate adaptation finance flows and climate-related disasters in each country. Academic literature …


Active Rock Glaciers Of The Contiguous United States: Geographic Information System Inventory And Spatial Distribution Patterns, Gunnar Johnson, Heejun Chang, Andrew G. Fountain Aug 2021

Active Rock Glaciers Of The Contiguous United States: Geographic Information System Inventory And Spatial Distribution Patterns, Gunnar Johnson, Heejun Chang, Andrew G. Fountain

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

In this study we present the Portland State University Active Rock Glacier Inventory (n=10 332) for the contiguous United States, derived from the manual classification of remote sensing imagery (Johnson, 2020; https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.918585). Individually, these active rock glaciers are found across widely disparate montane environments, but their overall distribution unambiguously favors relatively high, arid mountain ranges with sparse vegetation. While at least one active rock glacier is identified in each of the 11 westernmost states, nearly 88 % are found in just five states: Colorado (n=3889), Montana (n=1813), Idaho (n=1689), Wyoming ( …


Relative Impacts Of Climate Change And Land Cover Change On Streamflow Using Swat In The Clackamas River Watershed, Usa, Junjie Chen, Heejun Chang Aug 2021

Relative Impacts Of Climate Change And Land Cover Change On Streamflow Using Swat In The Clackamas River Watershed, Usa, Junjie Chen, Heejun Chang

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

To understand the spatial–temporal pattern of climate and land cover (CLC) change effects on hydrology, we used three land cover change (LCC) coupled scenarios to estimate the changes in streamflow metrics in the Clackamas River Watershed in Oregon for the 2050s (2040–2069) and the 2080s (2070–2099). Coupled scenarios, which were split into individual and combined simulations such as climate change (CC), LCC, CLC change, and daily streamflow were simulated in the Soil and Water Assessment Tool. The interannual variability of streamflow was higher in the lower urbanized area than the upper forested region. The watershed runoff was projected to be …


The Effects On Public Health Of Climate Change Adaptation Responses: A Systematic Review Of Evidence From Low- And Middle-Income Countries., Pauline F D Scheelbeek, Alan D. Dangour, Stephanie Jarmul, Grace Turner, Anne J. Sietsma, Jan C. Minx, Max Callaghan, Idowu Ajibade, Stephanie E. Austin, Robbert Biesbroek, Kathryn J. Bowen, Tara Chen, Katy Davis, Tim Ensor, James D. Ford, Eranga K. Galappaththi, Elphin T. Joe, Issah J. Musah-Surugu, Gabriela Nagle Alverio, Patricia Nayna Schwerdtle, Pratik Pokharel, Eunice A. Salubi, Giulia Scarpa, Alcade C. Segnon, Mariella Siña, Sienna Templeman, Jiren Xu, Carol Zavaleta-Cortijo, Lea Berrang-Ford Jul 2021

The Effects On Public Health Of Climate Change Adaptation Responses: A Systematic Review Of Evidence From Low- And Middle-Income Countries., Pauline F D Scheelbeek, Alan D. Dangour, Stephanie Jarmul, Grace Turner, Anne J. Sietsma, Jan C. Minx, Max Callaghan, Idowu Ajibade, Stephanie E. Austin, Robbert Biesbroek, Kathryn J. Bowen, Tara Chen, Katy Davis, Tim Ensor, James D. Ford, Eranga K. Galappaththi, Elphin T. Joe, Issah J. Musah-Surugu, Gabriela Nagle Alverio, Patricia Nayna Schwerdtle, Pratik Pokharel, Eunice A. Salubi, Giulia Scarpa, Alcade C. Segnon, Mariella Siña, Sienna Templeman, Jiren Xu, Carol Zavaleta-Cortijo, Lea Berrang-Ford

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Climate change adaptation responses are being developed and delivered in many parts of the world in the absence of detailed knowledge of their effects on public health. Here we present the results of a systematic review of peer-reviewed literature reporting the effects on health of climate change adaptation responses in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). The review used the 'Global Adaptation Mapping Initiative' database (comprising 1682 publications related to climate change adaptation responses) that was constructed through systematic literature searches in Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar (2013-2020). For this study, further screening was performed to identify studies from …


Detecting Change In Precipitation Indices Using Observed (1977-2016) And Modeled Future Climate Data In Portland, Oregon, Usa, Alexis Kirsten Cooley, Heejun Chang Jun 2021

Detecting Change In Precipitation Indices Using Observed (1977-2016) And Modeled Future Climate Data In Portland, Oregon, Usa, Alexis Kirsten Cooley, Heejun Chang

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

This study addresses how regional changes to precipitation may be identified by exploring the effect of temporal resolution on trend detection. Climate indices that summarize precipitation characteristics are used with Mann–Kendall monotonic testing to investigate precipitation trends in Portland, Oregon (OR) from 1977 to 2016. Observational records from rain gages are compared with downscaled global climate models to determine trends for the historic (1977–2005) and future (2006–2100) periods. Standard indices created by the Expert Team on Climate Change Detection and Indices (ETCCDI) are deployed. ETCCDI indices that summarize conditions at the annual level are generated alongside a limited number of …


Broad-Scale Surface And Atmospheric Conditions During Large Fires In South-Central Chile, David B. Mcwethy, René D. Garreaud, Andres Holz, Gregory T. Pederson Jun 2021

Broad-Scale Surface And Atmospheric Conditions During Large Fires In South-Central Chile, David B. Mcwethy, René D. Garreaud, Andres Holz, Gregory T. Pederson

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

The unprecedented size of the 2017 wildfires that burned nearly 600,000 hectares of central Chile highlight a need to better understand the climatic conditions under which large fires develop. Here we evaluate synoptic atmospheric conditions at the surface and free troposphere associated with anomalously high (active) versus low (inactive) months of area burned in south-central Chile (ca. 32–41° S) from the Chilean Forest Service (CONAF) record of area burned from 1984–2018. Active fire months are correlated with warm surface temperatures, dry conditions, and the presence of a circumpolar assemblage of high-pressure systems located ca. 40°–60° S. Additionally, warm surface temperatures …


Introduction: Managed Retreat And Environmental Justice In A Changing Climate, A. R. Siders, Idowu Ajibade May 2021

Introduction: Managed Retreat And Environmental Justice In A Changing Climate, A. R. Siders, Idowu Ajibade

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

In response to global climate change, managed retreat has emerged as a controversial adaptation strategy. The purposeful movement of people and communities away from hazardous places raises numerous social and environmental justice concerns that will become even more pressing as retreat occurs more frequently and at larger scales. This special issue contributes to an emerging body of literature on managed retreat by providing a range of perspectives and approaches to considering justice in managed retreat. The assembled papers represent diverse voices(including perspectives from individuals whose communities are currently relocating or considering relocation), disciplines (including oral histories, legal analyses, and cultural …


Assessment Of Urban Flood Vulnerability Using The Social-Ecological-Technological Systems Framework In Six Us Cities, Heejun Chang, Arun Pallathadka, Jason Sauer, Nancy B. Grimm, Rae Zimmerman, Chingwen Cheng, David Iwaniec, Yeowon Kim, Multiple Additional Authors May 2021

Assessment Of Urban Flood Vulnerability Using The Social-Ecological-Technological Systems Framework In Six Us Cities, Heejun Chang, Arun Pallathadka, Jason Sauer, Nancy B. Grimm, Rae Zimmerman, Chingwen Cheng, David Iwaniec, Yeowon Kim, Multiple Additional Authors

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

As urban populations continue to grow through the 21st century, more people are projected to be at risk of exposure to climate change-induced extreme events. To investigate the complexity of urban floods, this study applied an interlinked social-ecological-technological systems (SETS) vulnerability framework by developing an urban flood vulnerability index for six US cities. Indicators were selected to reflect and illustrate exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity to flooding for each of the three domains of SETS. We quantified 18 indicators and normalized them by the cities’ 500-yr floodplain area at the census block group level. Clusters of flood vulnerable areas were …


Diagnosing Non-Gaussian Temperature Distribution Tails Using Back-Trajectory Analysis, A. J. Catalano, P. C. Loikith, J. D. Neelin Apr 2021

Diagnosing Non-Gaussian Temperature Distribution Tails Using Back-Trajectory Analysis, A. J. Catalano, P. C. Loikith, J. D. Neelin

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Coherent regions exhibiting non-Gaussian 2-m temperature distribution tails are present across the globe, indicating changes in extreme temperatures under future warming may manifest in more complex ways than were the underlying distributions symmetric about the mean. To further the understanding of physical processes that govern temperature distribution tail shape, this work utilizes a back-trajectory model to diagnose mechanisms for extreme daily mean temperature development at select extratropical locations exhibiting non-Gaussian tails. Although characteristics such as direction, distance, and temperature evolution vary among back-trajectories associated with extreme temperature days, results reveal principal pathways for air parcel propagation associated with preferred patterns …


The Influence Of Microsite Conditions On Early Performance Of Planted Nothofagus Nitida Seedlings When Restoring Degraded Coastal Temperate Rain Forests, Jan R. Bannister, Manuel Acevedo, German Travieso, Andres Holz, Nicole Galindo Mar 2021

The Influence Of Microsite Conditions On Early Performance Of Planted Nothofagus Nitida Seedlings When Restoring Degraded Coastal Temperate Rain Forests, Jan R. Bannister, Manuel Acevedo, German Travieso, Andres Holz, Nicole Galindo

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Widespread impacts of changes in land use, climate, and disturbance regimes continue to affect mature forests and their subsequent post-disturbance recovery. In South American temperate rainforests, the recovery of the original composition, structure, and ecological services of now-degraded old-growth forests is additionally hampered by the aggressive competition that the native Chusquea bamboo understory exerts on juvenile trees, thus arresting ecological succession. In this study, we aim to evaluate the early performance of Nothofagus nitida seedlings (pioneer tree species that tolerate shade) planted beneath nurse canopy following removal of the understory, and to define which microsite conditions can facilitate N. nitida …


Regulators And Utility Managers Agree About Barriers And Opportunities For Innovation In The Municipal Wastewater Sector, Alida Cantor, Luke Sherman, Anita Milman, Michael Kiparsky Mar 2021

Regulators And Utility Managers Agree About Barriers And Opportunities For Innovation In The Municipal Wastewater Sector, Alida Cantor, Luke Sherman, Anita Milman, Michael Kiparsky

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Despite pressures to improve performance and reduce costs, innovation in the municipal wastewater sector in the United States has been notoriously slow. Previous research has suggested that wastewater utility managers may see regulation as a barrier to developing and deploying new technologies. To better understand how environmental regulation may fuel or hinder innovation in this sector, we conducted a nationwide survey of wastewater utility managers and wastewater regulators in the United States, asking both populations about their perceptions of specific aspects of regulation and innovation. Survey results revealed broad agreement between the two groups that funding and capacity, regulatory relationships, …


Combating Ecosystem Collapse From The Tropics To The Antarctic, Dana M. Bergstrom, Barbara C. Wienecke, John Van Den Hoff, Lesley Hughes, David B. Lindenmayer, Tracy D. Ainsworth, Christopher M. Baker, Lucie Bland, David M J S Bowman, Shaun T. Brooks, Josep G. Canadell, Andrew J. Constable, Katherine A. Dafforn, Michael H. Depledge, Catherine R. Dickson, Norman C. Duke, Kate J. Helmstedt, Andrés Holz Feb 2021

Combating Ecosystem Collapse From The Tropics To The Antarctic, Dana M. Bergstrom, Barbara C. Wienecke, John Van Den Hoff, Lesley Hughes, David B. Lindenmayer, Tracy D. Ainsworth, Christopher M. Baker, Lucie Bland, David M J S Bowman, Shaun T. Brooks, Josep G. Canadell, Andrew J. Constable, Katherine A. Dafforn, Michael H. Depledge, Catherine R. Dickson, Norman C. Duke, Kate J. Helmstedt, Andrés Holz

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Globally, collapse of ecosystems-potentially irreversible change to ecosystem structure, composition and function-imperils biodiversity, human health and well-being. We examine the current state and recent trajectories of 19 ecosystems, spanning 58° of latitude across 7.7 M km , from Australia's coral reefs to terrestrial Antarctica. Pressures from global climate change and regional human impacts, occurring as chronic 'presses' and/or acute 'pulses', drive ecosystem collapse. Ecosystem responses to 5-17 pressures were categorised as four collapse profiles-abrupt, smooth, stepped and fluctuating. The manifestation of widespread ecosystem collapse is a stark warning of the necessity to take action. We present a three-step assessment and …


The Value Of Urban Flood Modeling, B. R. Rosenweig, P. Herreros Cantis, Y. Kim, A. Cohn, K. Grove, J. Brock, Heejun Chang, Multiple Additional Authors Jan 2021

The Value Of Urban Flood Modeling, B. R. Rosenweig, P. Herreros Cantis, Y. Kim, A. Cohn, K. Grove, J. Brock, Heejun Chang, Multiple Additional Authors

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Floods are important disturbances to urban socio-eco-technical systems and their meteorological drivers are projected to increase through the century due to global climate change. Urban flood models are numerical models that have the capability of representing the features of urban ecosystems and the mechanisms of flooding that impact them. They have the potential to play a critical role in flood risk assessment, operational response, and resilience planning, but existing models remain limited in their capability to represent integrated flooding processes in urban areas and provide the credible quantitative information needed to support risk assessment and resilience practice. Research to advance …