Geography Commons^™

Gis Mapping For Peace Corps, Jeremy Huey

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

International volunteerism programs, such as the Peace Corps, find interested, educated men and women to live abroad in order to help local communities in need of assistance. The goal of this project is to create maps intended to enhance the training of those volunteers. When volunteers leave training programs and head to their prospective service communities, a certain period of time is needed in order to obtain a full grasp of the terrain, boundaries, weather, climate etc. A more effective training program, which incorporates maps of regional climates, environments, landscapes, cultures and resources, will lead to more effective volunteerism. By …

North Korea: Gis Study Of The Slowed Migration Of North Korean Refugees, Brandi Hunnicutt

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Since 2009, human rights organizations have noted an almost fifty-percent decrease of North Korean refugees reaching freedom in South Korea, when for so many years there was a steady increase. This capstone paper evaluated the decline by taking two perspectives of research, one perspective being physical terrain changes or modifications prohibiting the flow of refugees and a second approach of examining the lifestyle demographics of the refugees who have successfully crossed the North Korean border. Geographic Information System (GIS) tools were utilized to determine that in both research approaches there is data indicating purposes for the decrease -- proving that …

Assessing The Risk Of West Nile Virus On The Age 65 And Older Population Segments In Fort Collins, Colorado, Richard Cornell

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

West Nile virus (WNV) is an arbovirus whose more severe, neurologic symptoms may include seizures, paralysis, or coma. Despite a variety of possible symptoms, most people do not realize they are infected with the virus with a majority of those infected not developing any symptoms. Members of the population aged 65 and older naturally experience reduced immunity to viruses as they get older. Exposure to West Nile virus can occur around one’s home, in a park, natural area, alongside a source of water, or even walking along a trail. Areas exist around town that present risks of being infected or …

Using Gis To Assess Species Distributions In The Pacific Northwest, Leslie Perry

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

A species distribution application was developed using ArcGIS (Model Builder) and Python to support management decisions and species reviews for the BLM and Forest Service in the Pacific Northwest. The application integrates observation data for flora and fauna species from agency geodatabases and available data on various environmental factors, such as ownership, land uses, and forest types. Results of the application include species-specific geodatabases containing observation data and combined observation-environmental data with tables presenting distribution information based on the environmental factors. These results are intended to provide baseline information about species distribution patterns and can be used for a variety …

Utilizing Web-Based Gis Applications For Spatial Analysis Of Real Estate Appraisal Data, Esther Bowlin

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Internet-based map applications have become a widely implemented GIS tool, and by most estimations, will experience continued growth over the coming years. The real estate industry is particularly well positioned to capitalize on the boom of web mapping technologies as real estate is a largely spatial discipline. To fulfill the marketing objectives of a real estate appraisal firm, a web-based mapping application was developed to execute simple spatial analysis tasks. The application is capable of analysis tasks such as heat mapping and includes geolocation services as well as coordinate conversion. All processes are executed within the Google Map API and …

Who, What And Why: A Statistical And Geospatial Analysis Of The Development Of The Marcellus Shale In West Virginia, Erin Sevatson

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Over the last decade, the Marcellus Shale in West Virginia has seen a rapid rise in exploitation of resources. The boom is undeniable but the reasons behind the success stories remain debatable. What factors have led to successes for operators in the Marcellus Shale in West Virginia? Statistical and spatial analysis can aid in making that determination. Statistical analysis will focus on correlating leased acreage numbers to drilled and producing well data to demonstrate the correlation between leased acres and number of wells. Spatial Analysis will be used to determine the areas with the highest prevalence of drilled and producing …

Locating A Wildlife Corridor For The Wild Tiger In India, Carmen George

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

The tiger (Panthera Tigris) has been on the ICUN red list of endangered species since 1972. In the early 20^th century, 100,000 wild tigers roamed Asia and today approximately 3,600 remain. India is home to over half of the remaining wild tigers and continues to struggle in creating effective conservation plans. Poaching, habitat destruction and prey depletion are several primary causes of tiger population degradation and remain major barriers to rejuvenation of healthy populations in the wild. Wildlife corridors are essential to the process of repairing fragmented habitats. Through the use of GIS and remote sensing this …

Habitat Selection Of Wolverines: A Geospatial Analysis Of Wolverine Movements In Southwest Montana, Bryn Karabensh

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Wolverine research in the contiguous United States is not abundant and understanding of the ecology of this species is not fully understood in this ecosystem. Specifically lacking in research is data regarding wolverine movements. This paucity of data and analysis inhibits the ability to effectively develop and implement conservation and management strategies. This paper seeks to identify patterns and habitat preferences of wolverines with respect to their movements. Specifically, do they avoid roads and clear-cuts zones from timber harvest and do they display a preference to topography features during movements? Using GPS locations of wolverines a regression analysis was applied. …

Selection Of A Reanalysis Meteorological Product For Use In Solar Resource Assessment, Anthony Lopez

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory and collaborators are updating the National Solar Radiation Database with the next-generation satellite-based solar resource assessment known as the Physical Solar Model (PSM). This is part of an effort to achieve NREL and DOE’s goal to make solar energy technologies cost competitive with other forms of energy in the United States. Required in this effort is the selection of an appropriate meteorological reanalysis product- that provides critical inputs for solar energy estimation. This analysis quantitatively and qualitatively assessed the spatial and temporal accuracy of three meteorological reanalysis products using ground measurements. …

Classification, Visualization, And Analysis Of The Islamic State’S Narrative, Steven D. Bixler

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

The Islamic State (IS) declared the establishment of a Caliphate on June 29, 2014 in Mosul, Iraq. Since that declaration, IS has communicated a four-part narrative to the global community through Dabiq magazine, its e-publication. Each of the ten editions of Dabiq has provided insight into IS’s aspirations and reinforced its message of rejecting post-colonial structures. Critical to realizing its objective is establishing a foothold for the Caliphate through jihad (holy war), establishing legitimacy through jamaah (governance), achieving tawhid (unity), and expanding through hijrah (immigration). Each publication contains these narrative elements to document IS’s progress. Classifying, visualizing, and mapping will …

Food Deserts: Usda Report Review, Christopher Rahm

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

The purpose of this Capstone will be to provide city, county, and eventually state, entities with the knowledge to better identify those areas which would fall under the auspice of the Healthy Food Financing Initiative, as laid out in a report by the United States Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Council on “Food Deserts.” Food deserts are those areas in which access to nutritious foods is limited by distance, by lack of transportation, or both. Food deserts have also been linked to obesity in children and adults, with the attendant health problems. With this knowledge, starting at the local level, …

Network Analysis Of The Walkability Of Denver’S Light Rail And Bus Rapid Transit Network And How This Can Be Improved, Ryan Ferriman

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

This study evaluates how well the existing and proposed light rail and bus rapid transit lines in Denver serve residents who want to get by without a car. The number of residents and jobs within half mile and one mile walking distances of stations are calculated using network and buffer analysis methods. Results are compared to determine the accuracy benefit of conducting a network analysis rather than the more common buffer analysis. The study looks at ways to boost the number of residents and employees within walking distance by maximizing access around each station. It also quantifies the available land …

September 2013, Colorado Front Range Flooding, And Impacts On Agriculture And Irrigation Infrastructure: A Case Study In The Left Hand Ditch System, Boulder County, Colorado, Nick Ludolph

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Flooding can cause massive harm to the agricultural sector by flooding fields and damaging the infrastructure that is essential for agricultural activities. Crops are often lost and repairs may be necessary to restore irrigation systems to functional status. This research aims to quantify the damages and losses experienced from the unprecedented September 2013 flooding event in Boulder County Colorado’s Left Hand Ditch Company service area. Damages are cataloged and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technologies were used to estimate economic impact and determine the landscape characteristics of lands where the highest rates of flooding occurred. Alfalfa and non-alfalfa hays experienced the …

Geospatial Analysis Of Smart Growth And Transit Oriented Developments, Michelle J. Nichols

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Rapid population growth, water and air pollution, overloaded public services, and traffic congestion can stress economies and result in unsustainable communities. Geographic Information Science (GIS) is a valuable technology for reversing negative these types of trends by identifying areas that may presently exhibit Smart Growth characteristics. Rather than expand on the current transportation infrastructure and develop new Smart Growth communities, San Diego Metropolitan’s Transit System (SDMTS) intends to use this study to review the current transit routing infrastructure in an effort to support communities exhibiting Smart Growth potential. Communities along existing transportation infrastructure will analyzed as potential Smart Growth and …

Vinoflot Rs Unification Of Unmanned Aerial Systems And Remote Sensing Practices To Better Analyze Grapevine Health, James M. White

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Success in agriculture is derived from nutrient-rich soil, well-tilled earth and hands-on attention. In order to meet the needs of increasing food demand, agricultural practices have endured a growing use of chemical and fertilization methods in order to produce higher yields. While the transition to an entirely chemical-free agricultural model is not achievable with regard to the quantity of crop yield, the integration of new technology and updated practices can lessen the amount of chemical and fertilizer adjuncts needed. The purpose of this plan is to offer a lightweight, customizable GIS solution to better understand crop health, in particular grapevines …

Ambient Geographic Information And Risk Mapping, Todd Barr

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Research on social media as an information source for emergency managers and epidemiologists is expanding at a rapid pace. When combined with the spatial predictive analysis methodology known as Risk Terrain Mapping and the capability of the local health agencies to response, the predictions of outbreaks and their affects can be modeled. This study attempts to create a spatial Risk Terrain Model outbreaks of influenza, and influenza like illnesses within the continental United States. The Risk Terrain Model will be built upon accepted epidemiological models form the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as Google’s Flu index and …

Spatial Relationships, Movements, And Habitat Associations Of Introduced “Non-Native” Elk Populations On Etolin And Zarembo Islands, Alaska, Jean S. Davidson

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Etolin and Roosevelt Elk were introduced to Afognak Island, Alaska in 1929 (State of Alaska, 2013). Due to the success of that introduction, Roosevelt Elk and Rocky Mountain Elk were subsequently introduced to Zarembo and Etolin Islands in Southeast Alaska in 1987. Due to the environment of Southeast Alaska, the ability to determine movements, trends, and habitat preferences are limited. In support of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), this project analyzes the habitat preferences of the elk based upon data from global positioning systems. Locational data is analyzed for proximity to managed lands and considers proximity to …

Delineating Firewise Communities/Usa® Developing Self-Mapping Techniques For Communities For Wildland Fire Behavior Modeling, Jennifer Muha

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

In an effort to collect boundaries of Firewise Communities/USA® participants in Colorado for academic and professional research, fire prevention efforts of homeowner’s insurance policy holders, and community-level risk planning, an instructional document for Google Maps Engine to self-define was developed. Ten ‘test communities’ were asked to participate, with a 60% response rate. From these responses, no initial problems or difficulties were noted. One boundary was used to model fire behavior in ArcMap, utilizing Spatial Analyst for fuel mitigation and the Wildland Fire Assessment Tool plugin to run behavior models with raster outputs. In conclusion, when Firewise communities worked in conjunction …

Powering The Future: Siting Guidelines For Renewable Wind Energy Development In Eastern Colorado, Zach Ancona

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Wind energy is one of the fastest growing renewable energies around the world. The United States contains approximately 49,000 active wind turbines and Colorado accounts for less than 3 percent of that number, even though Colorado ranks 11^th in the nation for wind development potential. The siting process for wind development is lengthy, taking from 5 to 10 years, and many facilities that are proposed end up not being built due to complications from inadequate pre-siting techniques. The research in this report aims to identify high priority areas in eastern Colorado through the examination of key variables used in …

Using Gis To Predict Areas Of Cultural Resources Within The Walnut Canyon Study Area Near Flagstaff, Arizona, Laura Pernice

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Predicting locations of cultural resource in the Walnut Canyon Study Area near Flagstaff, Arizona was accomplished by using geostatistical and spatial analysis techniques of Directional Distribution, Kernel Density, and Average Nearest Neighbor. Known cultural resource sites within Walnut Canyon National Monument were analyzed to identify spatial patterns and densities to apply the results to the study area. Cultural resource sites are predicted to be highly clustered within 200 feet of fresh water sources as well as in woodland and shrub land vegetation types. Results can be used for land-use managers to identify areas to survey with high potential of containing …

Potential Impacts To Resident Populations, Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project, Megan Ross

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

In 2014, the Alaska Energy Authority is preparing to construct a hydropower dam on Alaska's Susitna River, known as the Susitna-Watana Hydroelectric Project. Changes to water levels, sediment content, and flow rates are likely to affect the river itself and the salmon that are sustained by the Susitna ecosystem. The potential geomorphological and biological impacts of the dam as they could affect activity in the local communities are studied using currently available data. GIS tools are applied to identify areas of reservoir fill, risk of erosion, and endangerment of salmon habitat; then compare these impact areas to areas used by …

Determining Home Range And Preferred Habitat Of Feral Horses On The Nevada National Security Site Using Geographic Information Systems, Ashley V. Burns

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Feral horses (Equus caballus) are free-roaming descendants of domesticated horses and legally protected by the Wild and Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act of 1971, which mandates how feral horses and burros should be managed and protected on federal lands. Using a geographic information system to determine the home range and preferred habitat of feral horses on the federally managed Nevada National Security Site can enable wildlife biologists in making best management practice recommendations. Site suitability was calculated for elevation, forage, slope, water presence and horse observations and were combined in successive iterations into one polygon. Suitability rankings established …

Montgomery County, Md Public Schools: Student Performance And Achievement Of Low-Income And Minority Students, Richard Joseph

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

The student demographics of Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) in Maryland have changed dramatically since 1970 resulting in a majority-minority de facto segregated school system. A major concern of MCPS is the student performance and achievement gap between students of different racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds.

Using data available from MCSP the performance and achievement of MCPS high school students will be examined for differences between students attending high, medium or low poverty schools. Six high schools will be selected for examination, two for each of the three poverty categories. Primary focus will be to compare the performance and achievement …

Ailanthus Altissima In Urban Neighborhoods Of Denver, Colorado, Jenny Todd

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Ailanthus altissima (Mill.) Swingle, also known as Tree of Heaven, is a non-native tree found throughout North America. The competitive advantages of Ailanthus make it a formidable invader that reduces biodiversity, especially in urban environments. In these areas, Ailanthus can cause structural damage to buildings, pavement, and other infrastructure such as plumbing. Although Ailanthus can commonly be observed throughout neighborhoods of Denver, Colorado, its prevalence and frequency are not well documented. The purpose of this study was to determine the distribution and abundance of Ailanthus among selected urban, residential areas and parks within the City of Denver. This was accomplished …

Identifying Potential Wilderness Areas On The Fremont-Winema National Forest With Arcgis Modelbuilder, Zach Adams

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

The Fremont-Winema National Forest administers over two million acres in south central Oregon. Part of managing this landscape includes overseeing existing wilderness areas and identifying new potential wilderness areas. In the past this process has been cumbersome, with little thought given to standardizing the effort across the administrative area. This project was an effort to develop a geospatial model that incorporates U.S. Forest Service spatial datasets ultimately standardizing the potential wilderness identification process during site specific NEPA analysis.

Gis Analysis Of Placer Gold Mining Potential In The Yuba River Watershed, California, J. D. Chandler

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Can a Geographic Information System (GIS) be used to analyze and locate precise geographic locations along rivers and creeks that have high potential for placer gold extraction in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California?

Spacing Units In The Greater Wattenberg Area, Tera Dillon

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Horizontal wells are the most commonly drilled wells in the Wattenberg Field, located in Weld County, Colorado. Petroleum engineers have become interested in determining how many horizontal wells can economically be drilled per section in this vertically, well-developed field. Using the Colorado Oil and Gas Conservation Commission’s spacing unit regulations as a guide, a GIS workflow was developed to create the deliverables required for further analysis. Spacing units were created by applying a buffer to horizontal well surveys, and using this buffer to select intersecting quarter-quarter sections. The selected quarter-quarter sections were simplified using the dissolve tool and then spatially …

Blm Riparian Area Management Technical Reference: Using Uas Remotes Sensing Imagery To Assess Proper Functioning Condition Of Riparian-Wetland Areas, Heather Fonda

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) was loaned older military Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and is pioneering their employment for land management applications. Riparian areas make up a small percentage of BLM lands but are some of the most environmentally and economically valuable. Assessments of these riparian areas are required by law. Assessments from UAS imagery could become an important monitoring tool that is cheaper, safer and allows access to previously unreachable areas. This capstone project tests the UAS imagery for conducting riparian proper functioning condition (PFC) and quantitative assessments; and includes a technical reference with an interpretation key and …

Alaska Winter's Relationship To Domestic Violence And Alcohol Abuse, Jennifer Marie Read

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Alaska is known for its long, dark, cold winter months. Daylight savings time exists to cope with months that have little sunlight, but that still leaves on average, five hours of daylight. Special light bulbs exist to help with the darkness by providing light that tricks the body into thinking it is getting more sun than it really is. As daylight decreases, the weather turns colder; depression, alcohol, and domestic violence begin to rise. Studies show alcohol related crime and domestic violence occur more during the winter months in Alaska. This research paper will analyze the data pertaining to alcohol …

A New View On Ski Maps, Greg Schonberger

Geography and the Environment: Graduate Student Capstones

Traditional ski area trail maps have remained mostly unchanged for many decades. Since the earliest maps were produced, they have shown picturesque panoramic views of the ski mountain nestled in with its the surrounding peaks. Trees individually painted on the slopes, pristine and snow-covered, the runs marked as a winter wonderland. These maps are each an individual work of art, painstakingly created by skilled artists but they are not quality maps. This project will present a new view on the ski area map, creating a more traditional topographic map depicting ski runs, elevation contours, and shaded topography. The project will …