Geography Commons^™

Geographic Information Systems In High School Geography Education: A Feasibility Study, C. Sonia Wardley

Masters Theses

This research focused on three aspects of the integration of GIS into the high school curriculum. Firstly, the investigation strove to demonstrate how GIS could enrich the high school geography curriculum in Michigan. Secondly, GIS software programs were evaluated for suitability using three techniques, and thirdly, the study area high schools were assessed for their technological capabilities relative to GIS.

The pedagogical and cognitive benefits of using GIS as a tool were established _ from the pertinent literature and the feasibility of incorporating GIS into the curriculum was examined with the reference to the Michigan geography content standards and benchmarks. …

Remote Sensing Of Freshwater Coastal Wetland Changes In Tuscola County, Michigan: An Evaluation Of Noaa’S C-Cap Program, Theodore S. Krumbach

Masters Theses

Coastal wetland protection and monitoring in the United States is becoming an increasingly important issue. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) has been developed to provide a protocol for satellite monitoring of the coastal regions of the United States. This research evaluated the effectiveness of the C-CAP program when being applied to a freshwater Great Lakes ecosystem in the Saginaw Bay region by investigating four components of the protocol: (1) suitable classification methodology, (2) suitable change detection logic, (3) accuracy assessment, and (4) source of digital data. Using two dates of satellite imagery, it was …

The Relationship Of Crime Patterns To Social And Ecological Conditions In Grand Rapids, Michigan: 1980-1990, Christine L. Mcgavin

Masters Theses

The spatial distribution of the relationship between crime rates and urban ecology in Grand Rapids, Michigan over time is the focus of this study. Urban ecology can often be measured by indicators of social disorganization. Five crimes (larceny, burglary, robbery, aggravated assault, and homicide) were regressed with several indicators of social disorganization. The independent variables were poverty, transience, family disorganization, the percentage of youth in the population, race, and household density. Both violent and property crimes were strongly related to race while specific crimes were related to poverty, family disorganization, the percentage of youth in the population, and transience. Property …

The Ethnic Aspects Of Population Change In Latvia After Independence, Ilmars Mezs

Masters Theses

This study examines current and historic ethnic and demographic trends and their spatial and cultural contexts within Latvia. Comparisons with the other two Baltic states are also presented and discussed. The Latvian population underwent fifty years of Soviet rule, with deliberate policies to dilute the homogeneity of Latvians through Russification, in-migration, and political dominance. The period from 1940 to 1991 greatly impacted Latvians and immigrants, who were mainly Russians, by placing stresses on the spatial structure of the ethnic groups and their cultural relationship.

Latvians in particular feared ethnic and cultural extinction. The process of ethnic dilution and mixing under …

Gis Application For Nitrogen Dioxide Pollution Monitoring In Moscow, Russia, Maria V. Privalsky

Masters Theses

The focus of this study was nitrogen dioxide pollution monitoring in Moscow, Russia. ERDAS GIS was used to create maps of nitrogen dioxide distribution on the territory of the city for the years from 1983 to 1991.

A special model was written to compare the consecutive pairs of years in respect to the nitrogen dioxide pollution change. Results of model application were analyzed in order to determine the territories that experienced maximum changes during the study period.

Relationship between street density as a measure of car flow and nitrogen dioxide pollution was estimated. Two measures of the relationship were used: …

A Classification Of Ecosystem Desertification Using Satellite Imagery, Dzheltyrbas Gulf, 1980-1989, Marni D. Cavis

Masters Theses

This study focused on the development of a land cover classification method for the Dzhiltyrbas Gulf region southeast of the Aral Sea in the former Soviet Union. Desertification of the region was mapped based on ecosystem descriptions taken from a database defining four stages of desertification. Landsat MSS images (bands 1, 2, and 4) were used as the basis for classification. Standard unsupervised and supervised classification methods did not distinguish the level of detail required to map each stage of desertification in each ecosystem. Therefore, the ecosystems had to be defined and classified as separate entities (based on SBI and …

Hourly Rainfall And Goes Infrared Radiances In Amazonia, Dean Gregory Butzow

Masters Theses

Ground-based hourly rain of the Amazon Basin was investigated for the period of January 1988 to December 1990. UFPa, Careiro, and CEPLAC rain stations were selected to represent the rain characteristics of coastal Amazonia, central Amazonia near the river, and central Amazonia in the "terra firme" respectively.

Throughout the period, UFPa exhibits a distinct diurnal cycle, with peak rain occurring from the mid-afternoon to early evening hours. The diurnal cycles of the inland stations is less pronounced, presenting significant nocturnal and early morning components.

Results from the pulse analysis of the hourly rainfall time series, lead to an average model …

Spatial Distribution Of Hispanic Households In Holland, Michigan: 1960-1990, Cynthia J. Longstreet

Masters Theses

This paper examines patterns of Hispanic household concentration and segregation from non-Hispanic households in Holland, Michigan for the decades from 1960 to 1990 with some analysis of 1950 patterns. Household data were obtained from United States census reports and Polk directories, from which location quotients and indices of dissimilarity were calculated for census tracts and census blocks within the study area.

Data showed that most of Holland’s Hispanic households have been found in the three census tracts closest to the central city, but that deconcentration is occurring as more Hispanic families setde in peripheral areas of Holland. Data also indicated …

Location Analysis Of The Recycling Drop Off Program In Knox County, Tennessee, Carol Michelle Donoghue

Masters Theses

This study examines the drop-off recycling program in Knox County, Tennessee, in order to evaluate the convenience of the drop-off site locations. Measures of convenience were distance, level of recycling participation, and location of the site. Surveys were administered to 461 individuals participating in the program at the three Convenience Centers with drop-off recycling facilities. The spatial analysis compared the drop-off locations to the development patterns of the surrounding area.

The survey results indicate that more people are recycling now than before the beginning of the drop-off program. More than half of those surveyed recycle at least once a week …

Goal Achievement In Two English New Towns: An Analysis Of Occupational Class Mixing In Crawley And Hemel Hempstead New Towns, Phillip J. Zimmerman

Masters Theses

Introduction

The decision of the British Government to publicly finance New Town building was a landmark event. The decision was, however, a result of many years of prior experimentation. These experiments ranged from trial-and-error to plans well thought out, that contained within them many philosophical goals.

The first widely accepted formulation of a New Town was that of Ebenezer Howard. The theoretical plan contained several goals that were to be developed, used, and modified by later British planners. Although Howard borrowed many goals from other "planners," he was one of the first to incorporate many identifiable goals into a single …

Vegetational Communities On An Abandoned Farm In Van Buren County, Michigan, Larry G. Visser

Masters Theses

Introduction

Several studies have been made of xeric forests in southern Michigan which have developed through secondary succession following the cutting of the presettlement vegetation. Brewer et al. (1973) described such an area in Allegan County, Michigan which was dominated by presettlement pine and is now dominated by oak. The oak forests of the Harvey Ott Preserve in Calhoun County, Michigan have been described by Catana (1967). Studies of the oak forests in the Haven Hill area in southeastern Michigan have been made by Thompson (1953). In addition to these studies of xeric forests in southern Michigan, extensive studies of …

Continentality Variability In The United States, 1934-1973, John L. Kerr

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Measurement Of Affect In Unit 3 Of The High School Geography Project, Barbara E. Gerken

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Evolution Of The Gull Lake Community, 1900-1975, Mary E. Penzkofer

Masters Theses

Introduction and Conceptual Framework

The Purpose

Kalamazoo County, like much of southern Michigan in which it is located, is the locale for a unique type of rural settlement - the lakeshore dormitory community. These communities, located at inland lakes which were popular summer resorts in the early years of this century, have experienced stages of development unlike those of any other type of rural community. These stages and the historical events connected with them, have undoubtedly left visible impressions on the character of the present communities.

A Study Of The Relationship Between Perspective Ability And Map Conceptualization In Elementary School Children, Russell L. Cobb

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Useful Seed Plants And Plant Products Of Kenya, Elizabeth A. Muthiani

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Geographical Analysis Of Selected Causes And Effects Of Michigan Tornado Patterns, 1930-1969, Hans J. Stolle

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Utilization Of Topographic Maps To Verify Selected Aspects Of Pre-Collected Data Accuracy, Larry L. Patrick

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Metropolitan Area Concept And Its Development In Lima, Peru, Jose Luis Mesa

Masters Theses

Introduction

The paucity of comparative urban research is of course not due to indifference or lack of foresight on the part of social scientists, but to the absence of comparable or standardized information from one country to another and to the technical problems presented by this deficiency. The units of observation themselves, that is "cities" and "towns," have not been standardized, nor have we had information on a representative sample of these for the world as a whole. Furthermore, the structure of urban communities has changed with increasing urbanization, a change that has gone further in some countries than in …

The Evolution And Character Of The Bedding Plants Industry In Kalamazoo County, Michigan, Robert F. Wiseman

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Late Pleistocene Geography Of Southwestern Michigan: A Cultural And Historical Study, David R. Williams

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Early Intracounty Railroad Network And The Development Of Fruit Culture: Van Buren County, Michigan, Dale L. Kubicki

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Comfort Climates At Grand Rapids, Michigan: A Dynamic Approach, Robert L. Janiskee

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

An Indeterministic Approach To The Investigation Of Cbd Commuter Flows In Tulsa, Oklahoma, Bruce Richard Bullis

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Land Use Change And Natural Resource Problems On Eastern Long Island, John Edward Carroll

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

The Spatial Context Of The Church Building In Kalamazoo, Michigan, Harmon G. Hart

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Geographic Study Examining The Major Elements Involved In The Rise Of Cotton Production In Southeast Missouri 1922-1925, Charles E. Hudson

Masters Theses

The delta area of Missouri comprises the seven counties in the southeastern part of the state. These counties form the only area in Missouri where cotton is widely produced. Although cotton was grown in the region as early as 1850, the delta area did not become a major cotton producer until 1922. For a number of years prior to 1922 certain elements, including soil and topography, climate, forest clearance, land drainage, and the influx of farmers prior to 1920, formed a potential favorable to large-scale cotton production, yet none occurred. For an increase in production to occur some element had …

The Sensation Seeking Scale As A Predictor Of Need For Sensory Stimulation, John C. Hocking

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

Charcoal: Its Multifarious Effect In A Rural Guatemalan Community, John G. Hehr

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.

A Geographic Interpretation Of The Growth And Development Of Constantine, Michigan, Mary Jeanne Dowty

Masters Theses

No abstract provided.