Geography Commons^™

Sustainability With Globalization: An Unsustainable Proposition, Daniel B. Reader

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Globalization is recognized as a world-encompassing phenomenon, even as its benefits are debated. Sustainability, the capacity to maintain high standards of living through generations, is at stake. This paper examines the problems of sustainability with globalization from several perspectives. High statistical correlation between indices of globalization and environmental degradation (r2 = 0.977, p < .001) is found using multi-dimensional scaling software. The socially destabilizing, culture flattening effects of globalization are examined, and the terms ‘nationalism’ and ‘terrorism’ are defined. On the basis of its medial position among the indices of both globalization and environmental degradation, Chile is explored in a case study of the interaction. Conclusions regarding Chile’s vulnerabilities are reached, and the country’s environmental, social, and economic ‘weak spots’ are identified. The ethical positions of globalization and sustainability are considered, and the conclusion that there is very little that can be done to alter the nature of the interaction is drawn. It is suggested that globalization minimizes the prospects of success in efforts toward sustainability by maximizing vulnerabilities among sustainability’s components.

Globalization, Urban Competitiveness, And Human Capital: Davidson County, Tennessee's Place In The Equation, James Russ

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Profound changes in the structure of the global economy since the end of World War II have drastically affected the way governments, businesses, and individuals interact with one another. The development of regional trading alliances (European Union, NAFTA, APEC), the end of the Cold War, and the rapid development of information technologies have contributed to new global economic theories that are being adopted by places large and small. Simply put, economic paradigms have changed. Local concerns have become more prevalent in the public debate over economic, political, and societal changes as a whole. The goal of my research is to …

Tourism And Rural Identity In The Waasland, Belgium, Joel Stuart Thomas

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The northern portion of Belgium, a region known as Flanders, is one of the most densely settled, industrialized areas in the world. Existing in small, isolated tracts, are "green spaces" mainly devoted to agricultural output.

The Flemish way of life and environment has become increasingly "urbanized." Tourism commissions operating in the countryside have drawn on Flemish heritage and identity, as well as the rural landscape to act as marketing tools. In terms of perception and the notion of a distinctly Flemish rural "space'" how are tourist flow patterns influenced? Does the process of perception result in an exclusive urban to …

Evaluating Spatial Variability Of Precipitation In Kentucky With Exploratory Data Analysis, Daniel Taylor

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Spatial variability of precipitation is examined over the state of Kentucky and surrounding areas. The study focuses on the analysis of monthly precipitation totals from the period of 1961-2000. The purpose of the study is to develop a set of indices to represent the spatial variability of the study area for a given month. Various exploratory data analysis methods such as variography, kriging, and cluster analysis were used. The study attempts to quantify the second order (local) effects of the spatial variation of precipitation as a means to provide insight into the prediction of precipitation randomness. This task can be …

Roadside Memorial Practices: An Examination Of Landscapes Of Commemoration In Warren County, Kentucky, Michael Briggs

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Roadside memorials commemorating the death of automobile crash victims are scattered throughout the Kentucky landscape. This persistent cultural practice contains symbolic elements oftentimes indicative of religious connotations. Because there is a constitutional separation of church and government in the United States, these memorials can prelude controversy if located on state-maintained rights-of-way. This study examines Warren County, Kentucky, and analyzes the spatial distribution of these memorials on the landscape and the cultural implications to society because of their ties to death and dying. Scientific research in various fields of psychology, sociology, folk studies, geoscience, and religious studies was analyzed, including religious …

Understanding Perceptions Of Accessibility And Mobility Through Structuration Theory, Mark Graham

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Structuration theory in geography states that social systems are reproduced through the relationships between systems, structures, actors and their perceptions. Therefore, understanding the modes through which social systems are reproduced will allow for a clearer understanding of the nature of society. However, much of the relevant social theory has not been empirically tested. Thus, by empirically examining general perceptual differences between different built environments, on a macro and a micro level, it is hoped that the links between perceptions, social structures, and the built environment can be more fully understood. A better understanding of these links will, in turn, allow …

A Spatial Analysis Of The Impact Of Development On Wetland Habitat In Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, Jenna Medlin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

In response to growing concerns over wetland habitat loss and the associated impact on water resources, federal and state legislation has been enacted to protect vulnerable wetland habitats from the impacts of humans. In order to examine the efficacy of current coastal resource policy and its implementation, a study was conducted in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, a coastal city of the Atlantic, focusing on the quantification of wetland habitat change over time within a specific area of interest. The study incorporated an assessment of the effects of escalating population pressures and subsequent urban development on local wetland habitats due to …

Hydrochemical Variations During Flood Pulses In The South-West China Peak Cluster Karst: Impacts Of Caco3–H2o–Co2 Interactions, Chris Groves, Zaihua Liu, Daoxian Yuan, Joe Meiman, Guanghui Jiang, Shiyi He, Qiang Li

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

High-resolution measurements of rainfall, water level, pH, conductivity, temperature and carbonate chemistry parameters of groundwater at two adjacent locations within the peak cluster karst of the Guilin Karst Experimental Site in Guangxi Province, China, were made with different types of multiparameter sonde. The data were stored using data loggers recording with 2 min or 15 min resolution. Waters from a large, perennial spring represent the exit for the aquifer's conduit flow, and a nearby well measures water in the conduit-adjacent, fractured media. During flood pulses, the pH of the conduit flow water rises as the conductivity falls. In contrast, and …

Geographic Information System Methodologies To Evaluate Relationships Between Land Use And Groundwater Quality In South Central Kentucky, Rhonda Pfaff

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The development of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology has provided techniques for a holistic approach to the study of karst groundwater contamination. While karst groundwaters supply water to a large percentage of the earth's population, its complex environments often have lacked the scientific examination and conservation measures typical of non-karst regions. In this study, GIS methodologies were explored to examine the relationships between land-use and water quality in karst watersheds. Eight watersheds throughout southern and western Kentucky were examined. The study areas included the Mammoth Cave Karst Aquifer, which is the watershed that drains the Mammoth Cave System, and seven …

Ua66/8/3 Geogram, Wku Geography & Geology

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the WKU Geography & Geology highlighting activities of faculty, students and alumni.

Estimating Population Numbers Of Black Bears (Ursus Americanus) In Eastern Kentucky Using Microsatellite Analysis, Kelly Vowels

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Black bears (Ursus americanus) occur sporadically in eastern Kentucky, and there is some evidence that a breeding population exists. In order to establish management practices to enhance the black bear population in Kentucky, information about this population is needed. However, until recently, no population size estimate has been available. Gathering information on black bears is difficult because black bears are elusive animals. The development of new molecular methods has made it easier to track and gather information on black bear populations, including estimates of population size. Molecular markers are particularly useful in that they do not require physical contact with …

The Evolution Of A Commercial Landscape: A Case Study Of The Motels Along U.S. Highway 31-W, Jill Brown

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The cultural landscape is shaped by human imprints on the natural environment. Many decisions are made that have rippling effects over time. One type of development that changes the landscape is transportation innovation. As improved transportation links are introduced, people change their movement to include the quicker, more efficient route. As movement changes due to increased accessibility, roads that were once traveled by all now have fewer travelers. The rippling effects of the decision to add new infrastructure start at the opening of the innovation. New businesses will spring up at crossroads and common stopping areas. The long established businesses …

The Progression Of Recycling In Bowling Green, Kentucky, Susan Marklin

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Recycling is an important issue when dealing with solid waste. It keeps many tons of garbage out of our landfills and prolongs landfill life. Although many people in the Bowling Green area participate in the mandatory recycling program, there are still many who do not. The number of people who participate in the program has steadily grown over the past five years; however, there are still many people who need to get involved. This research argues that much effort has been put into recycling in recent years at the global, national, and local level. However, it also argues that even …

Ua3/9/2 Warren / Edmonson Counties I-66 Scoping Study, Wku Presiden'ts Office

WKU Administration Documents

Agendas, statistics, maps and other data regarding the I-66 corridor through southern Kentucky.

Park And Ride Feasibility Analysis For The Evansville, Indiana, Metropolitan Area, Brian Howard

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Congested roadways and declining air quality standards are major concerns for many communities faced with the challenges of suburban growth and city decay. How each community chooses to fight the problems created by urban sprawl depends greatly on individualized characteristics of the community. Analyzing and understanding unique values of each community provides a sound foundation for measures designed to promote sustainable growth initiatives. The Evansville, Indiana, region is experiencing many of the growing pains associated with increased residential, commercial, and industrial development. Many roadways are currently strained near capacity, and traffic problems are anticipated to increase over the next 20 …

A Model Of Precipitation Rates In Kentucky, 1965-1996, Kevin Cary

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Hourly precipitation data from thirty cooperative stations in Kentucky from 1965 to 1996 were used to determine the diurnal distribution of precipitation rates. Descriptive summaries for the diurnal distribution for each climate division in Kentucky and for Kentucky as a whole were calculated. In each case, the trends were similar. Precipitation rates increased into the afternoon and then decreased until sunrise. A stochastic model was developed to estimate mean seasonal precipitation rates in Kentucky by using regional and localized parameters. More than half of the variation (r2 = 0.57) in precipitation rates can be explained by the following variables: 1) …

In-Cave Dye Tracing And Drainage Basin Divides In The Mammoth Cave Karst Aquifer, Kentucky, Chris Groves, Joe Meiman, Shannon Herstein

Earth, Environmental, and Atmospheric Sciences Faculty Publications

Karst ground-water basin divides are generally depicted as two-dimensional lines on maps, but they are better considered as three-dimensional surfaces within the subsurface. Dye traces are necessary to map out these surfaces and to locate conduits inaccessible to cave surveyors, and are indispensable for understanding the geometry of the complex networks of flow paths through the aquifer. A key reason why the Mammoth Cave System is the world's longest known cave is that its passages extend over several major ground-water basins. The divides between these basins define the drainage system geometry and precise location of them is critical for understanding …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 76, No. 35, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. Articles in this issue:

• Walsh, Erica. Chris Groves Recovering After Dramatic Cave Rescue – Sides Cave
• Lynch, Caroline. Night-long Rescue Effort Has Happy Ending – Chris Groves
• Youngman, Sam. Students Helping Bowling Green Economic Boom
• Pre-Law Club Hosting Panel
• New Support Group Forming – Eating Disorders
• Hall, Rex. New Traffic Signal Delayed – University Boulevard
• Ragan, Jason. Engineering Program A Step Closer
• Student Government Association Will Benefit from Online Voting
• Grady, Brian. Editorial Cartoon re: Virtual Voting
• Kreitzer, Debbie. Opinion Page an Instrument of Gossip
• Van der Meer, Wieb. …

Ua12/2/1 College Heights Herald, Vol. 76, No. 34, Wku Student Affairs

WKU Administration Documents

WKU campus newspaper reporting campus, athletic and Bowling Green, Kentucky news. Articles in this issue:

• Karen, Mattias. Professor Trapped in Cave – Chris Groves
• Walsh, Erica. Elections May Go Online – Student Government Association
• Hoang, Mai Beauty King – Matt Curry, Mr. Hilltopper
• Western Grad Places Eighth in Hearst – Matt Batcheldor
• Forensics Team Wins Indiana Tournament
• Moore, Brian. Race Lawsuit File Full of Discrepancies, Contradictions – Robert Dye
• Football Players Deserve Rings
• Grady, Brian. Editorial Cartoon re: Football Championship Rings
• Conger, Aaron. Teachers Should Show Compassion
• Chaney, David. Intro to Toilet Flushing – General Education
• Moore, Conrad. Geography, Geology …

Ua99/7 Tour Of Bu-Related Sites & Hangouts, Sue Lynn Mcdaniel, Wku Archives, Wku Publications

WKU Administration Documents

Map of Bowling Green, Kentucky with inset of downtown area 15th to 2nd Street and Center to High Streets showing the location of various buildings for the period 1935 through 1963. These include restaurants, boarding houses, theatres and other establishments frequented by BU students. A list of establishments is provided along with the location and the establishment in that location in 2001.

Place, Disease And Mortality: Trimble County, Kentucky 1849-1894, Nancy Demaree

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

This researcher describes the characteristics of place...physical, cultural and human...of a small Kentucky county and looks at the incidence of disease and dying that occurred in that place in the last half of the nineteenth century. The impact of death on particular subsets of the general population was given a closer evaluation. Very young, females and the slave/Black communities were investigated individually. The overall site and situation of all aspects of Trimble County, Kentucky were viewed in an effort to support the notion that it is the manner in which man interacts with this environment that causes disease and death …

Ua30/1/1 Visitor's Guide Campus Map, Wku Planning, Design & Construction

WKU Administration Documents

Map of Western Kentucky University with historical data and photographs.

A Quantitative Analysis Of Interstitial Fluid-Chemistry And Limestone Dissolution Rates Within The Clastic Sediment Of A Karst Aquifer Conduit, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, Kevin Vaughan

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Many active stream conduits within karst aquifers transport and deposit non-carbonate, clastic sediment. However, little is known about how these sediments impact conduit development and enlargement rates. For example, can dissolution take place at the sediment/bedrock interface beneath a flowing stream? If not, cavern enlargement might be dominated by flood conditions when the bare rock of the walls and ceiling are in contact with the dissolving fluids. An approach using limestone tablet weight loss experiments, along with water sampling and geochemical modeling, has been undertaken to understand the nature of fluid movement and chemistry with the sediment beneath an active …

Ua66/8/3 Geogram, Wku Geography & Geology

WKU Administration Documents

Newsletter created by and about the WKU Geography & Geology highlighting activities of faculty, students and alumni.

Seasonal Effects On The Geochemical Evolution Of The Logsdon River, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, Darlene Anthony

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The following research describes the collection and evaluation of geochemical data from the Logsdon River, an open-flow conduit that drains a portion of the Turnhole Spring drainage basin within the Mammoth Cave karst aquifer of south-central Kentucky. This spatial survey of nearly 10 km of continuous base-level conduit included seasonal sampling of carbon dioxide partial pressures (Pco2)> dissolved ions, and saturation indices for calcite (SIcal). The highest PC02 values are found at the upstream site, closest to the Sinkhole Plain recharge area, which creates under-saturated conditions. Rapid outgassing of C02 into the cave atmosphere creates oversaturated conditions for several thousand …

Measuring The Applicability Of The Seville Strategy To The Mammoth Cave Area Biosphere Reserve, Debra Kreitzer

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The dominant paradigms of the past decade involve the preservation of biodiversity through the use of landscape corridors and buffer zones, as well as the integration of economic growth through sustainable use. The International Biosphere Reserve (IBR) program, as defined in the Seville Strategy, encourages locations already involved in conservation to continue to protect biodiversity and foster harmonious relationships between humans and their environment through sustainable development. An excellent example of an IBR is the Mammoth Cave Area Biosphere Reserve (MCABR) in south-central Kentucky. In order to measure the significance of the implementation of the Seville Strategy in the MCABR, …

The Bicycle As A Transportation Vehicle: An Assessment Of Bicycle Suitability In Bowling Green, Kentucky, Ryan Gordon

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

Today automobile-related problems of congestion, air pollution, and aesthetic pollution are an ever-increasing concern for urban and suburban areas. In this thesis the researcher examines the bicycle as a viable alternative transportation mode. Research examines levels of bicycle transportation around the world and in the United States. A brief historical analysis of bicycle transportation in the United States revealed that bicycling was an important mode of transportation in the late 1800s. Bicycles regained popularity in the 1970s, and many cities began to develop plans in order to handle the sudden increase in bicycling. Case studies of both foreign and domestic …

Exploring Social Polarization In Jefferson County, Kentucky: An Analytical Approach, Jason Finley

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The purpose of this study is to explore the processes of social polarization, an increasing gap between the rich and poor, in Jefferson County, Kentucky, to determine the spatial characteristics involved and to investigate useful methodological tools. I argue that social polarization processes are evident in Jefferson County, and I attempt to describe and analyze the emerging spatial characteristics of polarization in the study area. The study area comprises the thirteen market areas of Jefferson County, which were broken down into 3 socioeconomic regions based on the natural breaks of market area median household income. Each market area is analyzed …

Measuring The Momentum Of Throughfall Drops And Raindrops, Paul Kimble

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

The methods previously used to determine the momentum and kinetic energy of throughfall drops in the field do not account for the drop's shape at impact or for the variations of the drop's velocity caused by chaotic air currents. The drop's shape at impact is critical because it influences the drop's measurable momentum, kinetic energy, impact force, and the amount of soil that can be displaced by the falling water drop. Since the momentum and kinetic energy of raindrops and throughfall drops are used as indices of soil particle displacement the most accurate momentum and kinetic energydata would be required …

Ua66/8/3 Annual Report, Wku Geography & Geology

WKU Administration Documents

Annual report created by and about WKU Geography & Geology.