Geography Commons^™

Spatiotemporal Analysis Of Wildfire Activity In The Tundra Biome Using Modis Data (2000-2014), Arif Masrur

Annual Graduate Student Symposium

Although tundra wildfires have an important impact on arctic ecosystems, there is comparatively little knowledge about their geography and characteristics. I have been using MOSID-derived active fire data to analyze spatial and temporal patterns of tundra wildfires between 2000 and 2014.

Geography News, V38n1, Spring 2015, Geographic Alliance Of Iowa.

Geography News

Inside This Issue:
--Coordinator's Corner
--Teaching the Holocaust Today: Why and How
--National Parks and Bioblitz
--2015 Workshops

Spaces Of Disadvantage, Places Of Hope : Women Empowerment, Economic Emancipation And Ngos In Bogotá Slums, Ekaterina Korzh

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This research is devoted to the gender issue in Colombian Slums with the specific focus on the social and economic place of women, challenges that women are facing within this extremely impoverished and criminalized areas and avenues to improve women empowerment and emancipation in the slums of Bogotá.

The goal of this research is to improve understanding of social and economic roles of women in the slums and identify NGO-supported coping strategies that allow improving women empowerment and emancipation in the slums of Bogotá. The first objective is to define “slums” and determine their extent, morphology and population characteristics using …

Spacial Analysis Of Foreclosure And Neighborhood Characteristics In Miami Metropolitan Area, Florida, Adejoh Emmanuel Ogbe

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

In 2013, the State of Florida had 13 of the top 20 metropolitan statistical areas (MSA) with the highest foreclosure rate in the country. Despite the high ranking, extensive research on foreclosure has yet to be carried out within the Miami-Fort LauderdalePompano Beach MSA. This research is a foray into an uncharted territory to understand the relationship between foreclosure and neighborhood characteristics in the Miami metropolitan area (MMA) within Miami-Dade County. The study was conducted in two phases: The first phase was to identify the foreclosure pattern in the MMA from 2010- 2013 by implementing the use of spatial analysis …

Geography News, V37n2, Fall 2014, Geographic Alliance Of Iowa.

Geography News

Inside This Issue:
--Coordinator's corner
--Changes at National Geographic
--Resources for Elementary Education
--2015 Workshops
--New Resources

Geography News, V37n1, Spring 2014, Geographic Alliance Of Iowa.

Geography News

Inside This Issue:
--Coordinator's Corner
--GAI Updates--Nat Geo's "Big Cats Initiative"
--Summer 2014 Workshops

Understanding The Long-Term Spatiotemporal Dynamics Of The Taimyr Reindeer Herd During The Summer Concentration Period, Matthew D. Cooney

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study was part of a larger research effort devoted to investigation of spatiotemporal patterns and dynamics of the Taimyr Reindeer Herd (TRH) migration under changing climate and environmental conditions. The research aimed to systematize and analyze available historical (archival) data on wild reindeer (Rangifer tarandus L.) migration and ecosystems change in the Taimyr Peninsula, Russia. The summer concentration patterns of the TRH as observed from 1969-2009 were investigated through the utilization of existing and innovative spatioanalytic methods and advanced GIS technologies not previously used to examine R. tarandus migration in the Russian Arctic. The project applied and tested the …

Geography Newsletter, 2013-2014, University Of Northern Iowa. Department Of Geography.

Geography Newsletter

Inside this issue:

-- Faculty and Graduate Student Travel to the Canadian Arctic for Research Project
-- Geography Continues Success with NSF REU Program
-- In Memory of Irina Childinova (1984-2013)
-- Welcome Bing Liang
-- UNI to Become a National Focus Center for Research on Sustainable Development in the Arctic
-- Congratulations to Dr. Owusu on His Promotion
-- Recognition to Outstanding Individuals
-- Lu Lecture in Biblical Geography
-- New Director
-- 2013 Awards Banquet

Creative Heartland: Creative Capital And Knowledge Economy In Micropolitan Midwest, Philip A. Cavin

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Recent regional development studies increasingly focus on creative economies that provide an alternative perspective to regional development in a globalizing world-economy. However, most research in economic geography of creativity and innovation is exclusively concerned with larger metropolitan areas. The lack of attention does not make knowledge-based economy less relevant or creative capital less important in smaller urban regions, where it acts as an agent of economic development and revitalization. This study is the first attempt to use creative capital metrics and a combination of qualitative and qualitative analyses to investigate the creative capital and its economic implications in micropolitan areas …

Climate Analysis Using Tree-Rings From The Wind River Range, Wyoming, Derek Richards

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

This study utilizes tree‐rings from the Wind River Range to determine past climates in this region of Wyoming and how they may have been affected by climate oscillations connected to the Pacific Ocean, such as El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). The research considers what type(s) of past climatic cycles can be found in a roughly 500‐year series of tree‐rings collected from the Southeast Wind River Range using dendroclimatology and spectral analysis. It includes the reconstructed past temperature and precipitation data and how these compare with other reconstructions near the study area. The tree‐rings were found to …

Understanding The Impact Of Vegetation On Surface Roughness Length For Enhancing Wind Resource Characterization In Iowa, Andrei Vladimirovich Kushkin

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Wind energy development shows a rapid growth in the United States. This renewable energy source not only mitigates environmental concerns by reducing greenhouse gas emission, but also provides energy independence. Wind is clean and abundant, and is one of the most promising sources of alternative energy. Iowa is among the top wind energy producers in the nation, it is third by installed capacity and first in per capita production. In order to utilize wind resource potential most efficiently, accurate wind resource assessments are required. Changes in the aerodynamic characteristics of a site can have a major influence on the wind …

Developing An Integrated Spatially Explicit Scale Dependent Modeling Framework For Wind Farm Suitability Assessment In Iowa, Tesfay G. Russell

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Wind energy development is occurring rapidly in the United States due to the drive for energy independence and to mitigate environmental concerns. Wind is a clean, abundant, and entirely renewable source of energy and the most promising source of alternative energy. Among the top wind energy producers in the nation, the state of Iowa is experiencing tremendous growth and it’s projected to grow. However, despite the vast development, the contributing factors and spatial decision principles for optimal wind farms placement are not yet well understood. This research advanced an empirical methodology for building site suitability assessment framework for the state …

Geography News, V36n1, Spring 2013, Geographic Alliance Of Iowa.

Geography News

Inside This Issue:
--Coordinator’s Corner
--GAI Updates
--Summer 2013 Workshops

Automated Sinkhole Extraction And Morphological Analysis In Northeast Iowa Using High-Resolution Lidar Data, Jonathon Launspach

Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Accurate and detailed mapping of sinkholes is necessary to ensure sinkhole monitoring and management. Historically, sinkholes were found and digitized manually by a visual examination of aerial photos or through field surveying. This paper develops a new, multicriteria LiDAR-based sinkhole extraction method and automated processes to detect sinkholes and their boundaries. This technique of extraction is unique as it identifies sinkhole boundaries automatically using remotely sensed data, compared to traditional methods of manually tracing the perimeter. A sinkhole detection module was developed within a GIS environment to determine location and boundaries of the sinkholes. Several small study areas were selected …

Geography News, V35n1/2, Spring/Fall 2012, Geographic Alliance Of Iowa.

Geography News

Inside This Issue:
--Coordinator’s Corner
--GAI Updates
--Google Earth Resources
--Upcoming 2013 Workshops
--Teaching With the Stars

Art Around The World: Gps Scavenger Hunt, Debralee Lithimane

Open Educational Resources

Students will successfully fill out Around the World Scavenger Hunt. Students will discuss the artworks presented in the worksheet, and the larger idea about the universal nature of art and its connections all around the world.

Biomes, Heather Schoenwetter

Open Educational Resources

Students should be able to identify food webs, as well as all the other biotic and abiotic features in their assigned biome and organize their informational facts and visual aids into a classroom Pinterest board that all can access and learn from one another.

Cache A Gps And Map It In Your Notebook, Susan Reed

Open Educational Resources

The students will learn how to properly use a GPS device. Students will use latitude and longitude points to locate a cache while taking notes. Students will write up directions and construct a map on how other students can find the cache.

Bosnia: Then And Now, Barry Eberhard

Open Educational Resources

To instruct students in the historical and geographical importance of the events of Bosnia.

Child Labor In India, Luke Juran

Open Educational Resources

Students will be able to convert rupees to US dollars and vice versa. Students will be able to get a feel for poverty and strife that exists in India. Students will be able to see how basic necessities are considered luxuries for some people.

City/Building/Directions/Nature/Weather/Forest Animal Words, Denise Liechty

Open Educational Resources

Students will be able to recall/recognize/identify/define and demonstrate knowledge of the City/Building/Directions/Nature/Weather/Forest Animal words.

Fiction, Geography, And Migration, Dr. Kay Weller

Open Educational Resources

Students will read Grapes of Wrath, citing specific examples of the role of geography in the story in geography field notes.

Common Threads And Surprises? Messages In The National Anthems Of The World, Kenny Shannon

Open Educational Resources

Look at the similarities and differences between the National Anthems of the United States and the United Kingdom. Analyze the meanings of the lyrics of anthems from around the world. Select which national anthems either represent or not represent their ideals and beliefs.

Comparing And Contrasting Water In The United States And Nigeria, Kim Daughetee, Anne Hoeper

Open Educational Resources

Students will describe the various sources and uses of water. Students will compare the similarities and differences of water acquisition in Nigeria and the US. Students will discuss problems associated with water quality.

Creating Detail In The Settling Of A Short Story Using Geography, Deborah Vroom

Open Educational Resources

Students will be able to create a short story, rich in detail and set in another area other than Mt. Pleasant, Iowa or the United States.

Cultural Aspects Of Spanish Speaking Countries, Robin Bliesmer

Open Educational Resources

Students will have a greater understanding globally of the different cultural aspects to many Spanish speaking countries.

Good Apples, Phyllis Nuehring

Open Educational Resources

Students will understand that cultural differences among people have a positive value to society. Students will understand that such differences add to the quality, interest, and value of our lives. Students will realize that although we are different, we have many things in common.

Culture In Our Community, Carmen Besler, Tammy Van Cleve, Molly Baumhover, Amy Steffensmeier

Open Educational Resources

Students will define culture and become aware of the various cultures in our community.

Cultural Variations Through Gestures, Erin Coffey

Open Educational Resources

Students will be able to describe cultural universals and why they exist. Students will be able to identify factors that account for variations among and within cultures.

Conflict Minerals In The Congo, Patrick Davis

Open Educational Resources

The student will be able to identify and discuss the role of conflict minerials to the history of the D.O.C.