Geography Commons^™

Opportunities For Urban Resilience To Climate Change: Understanding Local Climate Perceptions, Motivations, And Barriers To Green Infrastructure Use, Emmilene Berski

Department of Geography: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Global climate change poses a substantial threat to cities in the United States, particularly through increases in flooding and extreme heat. Cities must adapt to these threats to preserve their residents’ livelihoods and prevent economic loss. One adaptation strategy is the implementation of green infrastructure (GI). The opportunity for GI to foster urban resilience to climate change necessitates a deeper understanding of the extent to which cities utilize GI as a strategy for local climate change adaptation as well as perceptions and motivations surrounding the use of GI at a local level. I sought to address this need through a …

What's In A Name? Plant Naming As Cultural Artifact And Story In The Midwestern United States, Sophie Wesseler

Undergraduate Theses

This project sought to collect and contextualize the historical and contemporary names given to plants by inhabitants of the Midwestern United States, understanding plant names as cultural artifacts that can offer insight into the communities in which they were created and evolved. Formatted as a series of entries, this collection gathered these names and contextualized them within other artifacts of cultural significance, such as art or poetry, and alongside historical research on their origins and cultural environments. Examining plant names through the fields of linguistics, semiology, anthropology, cultural studies, taxonomy, and ethnobotany, this work traces the names of various plants …

A Compilation, Analysis, And Categorization Of 403 Atmospheric And Climate Science Misconceptions, Haeli Leighty

Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

The National Association of Geoscience Teachers (NAGT) has listed the inaccessibility of research related to misconceptions in atmospheric and climate science as a Geoscience Education Research Grand Challenge (Cervato et al. 2018). This project was a direct response to this call for research and consisted of three distinct steps: 1) data gathering, which included reviewing the literature for relevant misconception data, 2) a qualitative analysis, which included compiling, organizing, and categorizing the data collected, and 3) a quantitative analysis, which included determining the prevalence of each misconception across topic categories, demographic categories, and over time. A total of 403 misconceptions …

Bay Water Level Influences On Inundation And Morphological Changes Of A Semi-Connected Barrier Island During A Hurricane, Sydney D. Goodman

Graduate Theses and Dissertations (2019 - present)

This research aims to identify flooding and erosion changes along a semi-connected barrier island system due to varying bay water levels during storm conditions. The numerical model XBeach is used to simulate Hurricane Michael conditions and the resulting inundation and morphological change near Tyndall Air Force Base (Tyndall AFB). The installation is located 12 miles southeast of Panama City Beach along the panhandle of Florida and is vulnerable to flooding due to its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico (GoM), Saint Andrew Sound and Saint Andrew Bay. A land bridge connects the barrier island to the mainland of Tyndall AFB …

Designed For Life: Unearthing Just And Sustainable Urban Design Through The Daylighting Of Phalen Creek, Corgan R. Archuleta

Geography Honors Projects

This thesis conceptualizes a relational approach to urban design. Often separated from justice, I argue urban design can shape spaces to enable respectful and reciprocal human and more-than- human relationships. Focusing on Phalen Creek in Saint Paul, Minnesota, I illuminate just and sustainable possibilities between ecologically sustainable and socially inclusive design. Phalen Creek was a natural waterway buried in a pipe during 20th century urbanization to be partially reconstructed through daylighting. The Indigenous and Immigrant stories driving restoration expand urban design’s liberatory potential. Combining just sustainabilities with infrastructure theory and Indigenous Knowledges, I contend urban design offers a relational approach …

Family Medicine’S Role In Addressing The Intersections Of Redlining And Climate Change, Daryl O. Traylor, Eboni E. Anderson, Brianna Clark, Alex M. Smith, Cooper K. Allenbrand

Journal of Sustainable Social Impact

Redlining, the practice of discriminating against specific neighborhoods based on race and socioeconomic status, leads to persistent environmental hazards and socioeconomic inequalities that have lasting adverse health effects on their populations. Health disparities are further exacerbated through the concentration of environmental hazards, as well as the escalating impact of climate change, which poses an increased risk of respiratory illness, cardiovascular disease, mental health issues, heat-related illness, infectious diseases, food insecurity, and socioeconomic difficulties in redline neighborhoods.

This paper examines the interplay of redlining, climate change, and health disparities, with an emphasis on the enduring consequences for these marginalized communities. Through …

Human-Environment Interactions In Coastal Belize: Insights Into Sea-Level Rise And Ancient Maya Activities At The Paynes Creek Salt Works, Cheryl Mae Foster

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

Dissertation excavations were carried out in 2019 and 2022 at the underwater sites of Ta’ab Nuk Na and Ek Way Nal in Paynes Creek National Park, Belize. Sea-level rise submerged the sites in antiquity and preserved the artifact record in red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle) peat. Red mangrove peat can be used as a proxy for sea-level rise. The goals of the two excavations included: 1) excavating a 14m-long transect within and extending beyond building J at Ta’ab Nuk Na to determine the function of the building, 2) investigating the production of salt making pottery at Ta’ab Nuk Na; …

Unveiling The Power Of Tourism Research: Navigating Insights From Montana For 2024 And Beyond, Melissa Weddell, Kara Grau, Matthew Pettigrew

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

ITRR presentation from the 2024 Governor's Conference on Tourism

Positioning Disability In Wilderness Space, Rebecca Hobart

Geography ETDs

This thesis examines the social construction of the disabled body in recreational wilderness space. A political ecology framework guides the research questions: What are the actual or perceived barriers to participation for differently abled hikers in wilderness recreational spaces, and how do these challenges manifest in long-distance hiking spaces? In situating Foucault’s theories of the body as shaped by power relations, this thesis asserts wilderness spaces to be privileged based on power conceptualized in normative notions of ability. 44 participants who self-identified as wilderness recreationalists with a disability and/or chronic health illness completed this study’s mixed-method questionnaire. Themes around practices, …

Water Awareness In The Irung-Irung Tradition As Implementation Of Water And Sanitation Management For The Community Of Cihideung Village, West Bandung Regency, Anindyta Fitriyani, Siti Nurhalizah, Salma G. Felisa, Retno A. Hardiyanti

CSID Journal of Infrastructure Development

The local wisdom that exists within a community plays a crucial role in influencing the thinking and conduct of the community. One local wisdom that contains a hydrological educational message that impacts community awareness in maintaining water hygiene and proper sanitation is the Irung-Irung Tradition by the people of Cihideung Village, West Bandung Regency. The objective of this study is to comprehensively examine and assess the components of water awareness within the Irung-Irung Tradition practiced by the people of Cihideung Village in the West Bandung Regency. This study involves a descriptive qualitative research design, including data collection methods such as …

Unearthing The Past: A Comprehensive Study Of Natural And Anthropogenic Changes At An Archaeological Site Through Hydrogeologic Connectivity Utilizing Gis, Mehlich Ii Phosphorus Extractant, And Ph, Dana L. F. Herren

Theses

This thesis aims to thoroughly analyze the Mehlich II Phosphorus Extractant and pH levels at the Bains Gap Village Site in Anniston, AL., while examining the impact of various environmental factors and human activities on them. Phosphorus is often used in archaeology as an indicator of human activity. Soil core samples were collected to analyze anomalies in phosphorus levels.

To establish any relationships, phosphorus and pH levels from soil cores were correlated with findings from past excavation units and features. The potential effects of hydrogeologic connectivity on soil phosphorus and pH levels were investigated. Geospatial technologies were used to manage …

The Ghanaian War Against Malaria: A Geospatial Approach To Malaria And Healthcare Access In Ghana, Emmanuel Aklie

Theses

This geospatial research project aims to analyze the complex factors influencing malaria incidence in Ghana, including healthcare access, cultural beliefs, and preventive measures. Using GIS mapping and spatial analysis, the study examines malaria distribution and healthcare facility locations to identify hotspots and access inequalities. Combining quantitative data from sources like Demographic and Health Surveys with qualitative methods like surveys and interviews, the project analyzes the relationship between malaria prevalence and vaccination rates, bed net usage, and cultural views on treatment. By taking a comprehensive approach focused on evidence-based insights, the research seeks to inform targeted interventions by the Ghanaian government …

Does The Use Of Media And Other Information Sources Cause The Perceived Experience Of Climate Change Or Is It The Other Way Around?, Sonny Rosenthal, Pengya Ai

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

The perceived experience of climate change can be an important motivator of individual climate action. Recent scholarship argued that the use of media and other information sources is a basis of perceived experience. The current study analyzed a cross-lagged panel model to know if the use of information causes perceived experience or vice versa. Analysis of longitudinal data from a sample of Singapore residents (N = 466) showed that the use of traditional media, but not social media or interpersonal sources, explained change in perceived experience. In contrast, perceived experience explained change in the use of traditional media and interpersonal …

Montana Residents' Attitudes Towards Tourism - 2023, Carter Bermingham, Megan Schultz, Matthew Pettigrew

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

A summary of Montana residents' attitudes towards tourism from the 2023 season. Overall, results from this study show that Montana residents hold a generally positive attitude towards tourism in the state. Residents are aware of the economic benefit that tourism provides to their communities, and agree that the overall benefits outweigh the negative impacts. Perceptions of crowding at the statewide and community level appear to be easing from previous years.

The Montana Travel Industry - 2023 Summary, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

2023 summary infographic of the Montana travel and recreation industry.

2023 Estimates - Nonresident Visitation, Expenditures, And Economic Contribution, Kara Grau

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report is a collection of estimates of 2023 nonresident visitation to Montana, expenditures by nonresident travelers in the state, and the contribution to Montana's economy of that traveler spending. Included are estimates by full year, quarter, trip purposed, and other visitor segments.

Growing Natural Connections: The Effects Of Modality And Type Of Nature On Connectedness To Nature, Audria Huixuan Low, Carynn Yan Min Chung, Irene Jia Yi Cheong, Charmaine Xin Yu Loke, Sonny Rosenthal

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

An important predictor of pro-environmental attitudes and behavior is connectedness to nature. However, current research lacks consensus on how to effectively cultivate it in individuals, particularly with media messages. To address this gap, this study investigated how the modality of nature experiences and type of nature influence connectedness to nature in young adults. Data collection involved 164 undergraduate students at a Singapore university who participated in a 2 (modality: physical tour vs video tour) × 2 (nature type: forested area vs botanic garden) factorial experiment. Results showed that nature type did not affect connectedness to nature, nor did fear or …

Effects Of Social Media Use Disparities On Community Resilience To Disasters, Kejin Wang

LSU Doctoral Dissertations

With the rapid development of social media, many researchers chose to use social media data to conduct studies of disaster resilience. This dissertation addresses three fundamental challenges related to social media use and disaster resilience analysis including: how the spatial analysis scale affects the results of social media use disparity and its impacts on disaster resilience; how different vulnerability and resilience measurement methods can generate very different results; and how social media use disparity can be identified to help improve the fairness of AI-based emergency rescue model development. Therefore, the first part of the dissertation measured the relationships between disparities …

Design And Test The Effectiveness Of Interpretive Signs Using Eye Tracking And Biometric Data, Hadara Gordon, Wendy Miyazaki

Baker/Koob Endowments Awarded Projects

Recreational trails on forested lands should satisfy the needs of recreationists, safeguard important habitats, and maintain the natural environment (Kortenkamp et al., 2021). Appropriate management is critical because of the increasing number of visitors. Signs are a cost-effective method to reduce the negative impacts on visitors and enhance visitor experiences (Brown et al., 2010). This research aimed to investigate how visitors pay attention to signs, view the trail surrounded by trees and behave in a natural space.

Tragedi Kebudayaan Dan Objektivasi Hubungan Manusia: Sebuah Refleksi Mengenai Pemikiran Georg Simmel, Kevin Nobel Kurniawan

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

This article attempts to describe Simmel’s intellectual thoughts, particularly those related to the mode of human relationship. By applying a systematic literature review, this article demonstrates the uniqueness of Simmelian thought in comparison to other major classical sociological thinkers, like Emile Durkheim, Karl Marx, and Max Weber. For Simmel, a macro-level analysis on societal culture can be carried out by focusing on the micro dimension of the everyday life. In this context, Simmel speaks of the tragedy of culture that transpires through the process of objectification, where relationships become increasingly impersonal. At the end, this article provides a commentary on …

Digital Echoes: The Influence Of Internet And Social Media On The “Ideal” Conception Of Motherhood In Indonesian Stunting Programs, Sari Damar Ratri

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

This article examines how information about childhood care available on social media affects the construction of ideal Indonesian mothers. Specifically, I pay closer attention to how women's roles and experiences in stunting prevention campaigns are portrayed and enacted online in the context of the digital socialization of these programs. Based on online ethnographic research from 2021-2023, which examined social media accounts of healthcare professionals and mothers, this article explores the construction of “ideal” motherhood within the digital realm of stunting programs. As health care professionals’ social media accounts carried messages and embodied the authoritative power of medical knowledge, they helped …

“Merdeka Belajar”: A Cultural Political Economy Of Indonesia’S Neoliberalising Nationalist University, Inaya Rakhmani

Masyarakat: Jurnal Sosiologi

This article examines the realignment of nationalist higher education in Indonesia to suit market interests. Using a cultural political economy approach to knowledge and power, this article selects and analyses university policy reforms and narratives in Indonesia that have guided university reform in the past decades. It suggests that the reorganisation of Indonesia’s higher education sector can be understood through the relationship between structural change in the global economy, which occurs together with cultural shifts within national and local conditions. It looks at how universities and higher education policies are organised in post-authoritarian Indonesia under the framework of neoliberal governance, …

Inventory Of Western United States Glaciers- 2020, Shrinidhi Ambinakudige, Bernard Abubakari

CAS Publications

The dataset employed for delineating glacier boundaries in the Western United States comprises a compilation of original Sentinel-2 images obtained from the European Space Agency's Copernicus website. These images were instrumental in generating the glacier inventory. Additionally, the dataset includes a Python and R script specifically crafted for processing and classifying Sentinel images. The outcome of this process is represented in an ESRI shapefile, which contains an inventory of glaciers extracted from Sentinel images.

The Effect Of Water Scarcity On Gender Dynamics In Egypt, Zahwa Kortam

The Undergraduate Research Journal

This article investigates the complex relationship between Egypt's agriculture, water scarcity, and gender dynamics. It highlights the challenges facing the agricultural sector due to water shortages in a country highly dependent on the Nile River for food security and agricultural development. Women, who have been traditionally integral to agriculture, have to deal with multiple challenges posed by water scarcity. For men, their roles are changing, and with that, the power dynamics and social norms. This article attempts to reveal opportunities for gender equality and sustainable use of water resources through the examination differences in experiences between men and women in …

Generating Climate Resilience Or Intensifying Vulnerabilities? A Feminist Poltitical Ecology Analysis Of Climate Resilient Agriculutre Projects In Sri Lanka’S Dry Zone, Nethmi Sachithma Perera Bathige

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

Conserving water for irrigation of crops has become a concern in the dry zone of Sri Lanka due to changes in climate patterns. In response, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has developed climate-resilient water management projects designed to build climate-resilience and water management practices among farmers. One such program called ‘Wew Gam Pubuduwa’ disseminates climate smart home gardening techniques, where women farmers receive sprinkler and drip irrigation systems, seeds and fertilizers, as well as training on water management methods. This study draws on a feminist political ecology framework to analyze the experiences of women home gardeners who …

Beauty And The Anthropocene: On The Emancipatory Potential Of Experiences Of Beautiful Places In The Natural World, Matthew John

Theses and Dissertations--Geography

This dissertation investigates the proposition that beauty—specifically, experiences of beautiful places in the natural world—can contribute to the emancipation of modern persons (and thereby developed societies) from instrumental rationality, which is theorized as a major driver of contemporary socioecological crises of the Anthropocene. Buber’s concept of the I–Thou relation provides a framework for conceptualizing ideal non-instrumental relations. The project’s methodology, rooted in post-phenomenology, consisted of semi-structured remote interviews and four follow-up focus groups with 35 then current and recently former residents of Juneau, Alaska. Taken together, data confirm that experiences of beautiful places in the natural world can and do …

Mind, Body, And Farmland: The Agricultural Revolution Of Regenerative Agriculture And The Social Construction Of Sustainability., Amanda C. Pennett

Honors Theses

An agricultural revolution has begun to take place in light of the growing awareness of environmental issues that impact crop production on farms. In the beginning of the fall of 2022, I began to study the culture of regenerative agriculture in rural Pennsylvania using anthropological methods, including participant-observation and semi-structured interviews, working alongside local farmers. I was also interested in uncovering the flaws in our current industrial agricultural system and how farming could be reimagined to benefit farmers’ mental health, soils, and ecosystems while privileging the voices of those farmers committed to regenerative farming. The ongoing evolution of regenerative farming …

The Last Valley: A Fictional Story For Environment, Hikmat Yar, Nida Ayaz

Books

This fictional book is an outcome of the Climate Action Fellowship carried out by the Aga Khan University Institute for Educational Development (AKU-IED) and funded by the U.S. Mission in Pakistan.

Whose Vote Is It Anyway? A Geospatial Analysis Of The California Voter's Choice Act Ballot Drop Box Criteria In Santa Cruz County, Judith Heher

Master's Projects

The way Californians vote is changing. While some of the laws surrounding these changes are close to a decade old, the events of 2020 surrounding the November Presidential Election and the COVID-19 pandemic both accelerated and expanded the adoption of contactless voting approaches such as vote-by-mail and the ballot drop box. Neither tool is new to California voters. Vote-by-mail was introduced to the state in 1962 (CA Secretary of State, unknown) and ballot drop boxes were first used in 2014 (Sherman, 2020). In 2016 California Senate Bill 450 (SB-450, 2016) was signed into law. Also known as the Voters Choice …

A Tale Of Two Working Landscapes, Sage C. Sutcliffe

Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers

No abstract provided.