Geography Commons^™

Rowing Concerns: Collaborative Governance And Stakeholder Determination In The Central Oregon's Deschutes Basin, Noel Vineyard

Dissertations and Theses

In 2019, a coalition of irrigation districts in central Oregon's Deschutes Basin submitted the Deschutes Basin Habitat Conservation Plan to the US Department of Fish and Wildlife. This Habitat Conservation Plan purported to have been constructed through a collaborative governance structure between the irrigation districts and various community stakeholders who all had interests in basin management, however segments of the Basin's river recreation community began to raise concerns that their voices were not included. The purpose of this research was to investigate how stakeholder status in the Deschutes Basin is created through collaborative water governance processes like development of the …

Analyzing Satellite Ocean Color Match-Up Protocols Using The Satellite Validation Navy Tool (Savant) At Moby And Two Aeronet-Oc Sites, Adam Lawson, Jennifer Bowers, Sherwin Ladner, Richard Crout, Christopher Wood, Robert Arnone, Paul Martinolich, David Lewis

Faculty Publications

The satellite validation navy tool (SAVANT) was developed by the Naval Research Laboratory to help facilitate the assessment of the stability and accuracy of ocean color satellites, using numerous ground truth (in situ) platforms around the globe and support methods for match-up protocols. The effects of varying spatial constraints with permissive and strict protocols on match-up uncertainty are evaluated, in an attempt to establish an optimal satellite ocean color calibration and validation (cal/val) match-up protocol. This allows users to evaluate the accuracy of ocean color sensors compared to specific ground truth sites that provide continuous data. Various match-up constraints may …

The Sustainability-Peace Nexus In Crisis Contexts: How The Rohingya Escaped The Ethnic Violence In Myanmar, But Are Trapped Into Environmental Challenges In Bangladesh, Saleh Ahmed, William Paul Simmons, Rashed Chowdhury, Saleemul Huq

Global Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations

Because of ethnic and cultural violence in Myanmar, approximately a million Rohingya fled to neighboring Bangladesh starting from August 2017, in what the UN has called a “textbook example of ethnic cleansing”. Those arriving in Bangladesh were able to escape decade-long ethnic violence in Myanmar, but the Rohingya’s immediate destination, Cox’s Bazar district is one of the most climate-vulnerable and disaster-prone areas in Bangladesh. Currently, they have been subjected to extreme rainfalls, landslides, and flashfloods. With the COVID-19 pandemic, they continue to face fear and further marginalization in resource-constrained Bangladesh, as well as increased vulnerability due to tropical cyclones, flashfloods, …

Measuring Accessibility To Pediatricians In The Los Angeles Metropolitan Statistical Area, Craig Zwiren

Masters Theses & Specialist Projects

No abstract provided.

How To Resolve Channel Travel Time Errors In The Tr-55 Worksheet Using Arc Hydro Tools, Hec-Geohms And Hec-Hms, Philip A. Adalikwu, Suzette R. Burckhard

Civil and Environmental Engineering Reports and Manuals

This tutorial is an illustration of a stepwise procedure for resolving errors in calculated channel travel times that occur when processing watershed parameters in HEC-GeoHMS. Channel travel time errors occur when a GIS-defined channel slope value during preprocessing of the Digital Elevation Data (DEM) is zero or negative (Adalikwu, 2021). The tutorial is intended to assist a relatively experienced ArcMap user resolve channel travel time errors that are documented in the TR55 Worksheet. Particularly, this tutorial is useful if the Muskingum method is selected by the watershed modeler as the river routing method. The K parameter value in the Muskingum …

Deep Learning Reveals Extent Of Archaic Native American Shell-Ring Building Practices, Dylan Davis, Gino Capsari, Carl P. Lipo, Matthew Sanger

Anthropology Faculty Scholarship

In the mid-Holocene (5000 - 3000 cal B.P.), Native American groups constructed shell rings, a type of circular midden, in coastal areas of the American Southeast. These deposits provide important insights into Native American socioeconomic organization but are also quite rare: only about 50 such rings have been documented to date. Recent work using automated LiDAR analysis demonstrates that many more shell rings likely exist than are currently recorded in state archaeological databases. Here, we use deep learning, a form of machine intelligence, to detect shell ring deposits and identify their geographic range in LiDAR data from South Carolina. We …

College Of Natural Sciences Newsletter, July 2021, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

Volume 2, Issue 7.

Page 1 Dean's Message
Page 2 Celebrating Three Years
Page 3 Summer School Travel
Page 4 Media Coverage of CNS
Page 5 Chemistry Teachers Visit
Page 5 Remembering Dr. Warren Hein
Page 6 Research Spotlights: Undergraduate Summer Experiences
Page 7 Open PRAIRIE Data; Grants Awarded in CNS

Trends In Land Surface Phenology Across The Conterminous United States (1982-2016) Analyzed By Neon Domains, Liang Liang, Geoffrey M. Henebry, Lingling Liu, Xiaoyang Zhang, Li-Chih Hsu

Geography Faculty Publications

Tracking phenological change in a regionally explicit context is a key to understanding ecosystem status and change. The current study investigated long-term trends of satellite-observed land surface phenology (LSP) in the 17 National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) domains across the conterminous United States (CONUS). Characterization of LSP trends was based on a high temporal resolution (3-d) time series of the two-band enhanced vegetation index (EVI2) derived from a long-term data record (LTDR) of the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) and the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). We identified significant trend patterns in LSP and their seasonal climate and land …

Deep Learning Approaches For Seagrass Detection In Multispectral Imagery, Kazi Aminul Islam

Electrical & Computer Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Seagrass forms the basis for critically important marine ecosystems. Seagrass is an important factor to balance marine ecological systems, and it is of great interest to monitor its distribution in different parts of the world. Remote sensing imagery is considered as an effective data modality based on which seagrass monitoring and quantification can be performed remotely. Traditionally, researchers utilized multispectral satellite images to map seagrass manually. Automatic machine learning techniques, especially deep learning algorithms, recently achieved state-of-the-art performances in many computer vision applications. This dissertation presents a set of deep learning models for seagrass detection in multispectral satellite images. It …

Codar's Surface Flow At The Mouth Of The Chesapeake Bay: Relation To Bay's And Atlantic's Forcing, Shelby Kathryn Henderson

OES Theses and Dissertations

Surface currents in the lower Chesapeake Bay (CB) observed with land-based high-frequency radar antennas, or Coastal Ocean Dynamics Application Radar (CODAR), produce hourly 2D maps of current velocities used for search and rescue, pollution tracking, and fishing operations. This study analyzes the correlations between a 9-year record of surface currents measured by CODAR to coastal sea level, local wind forcing, river discharge into CB, and water transport through the Florida Straits, representing the Gulf Stream’s control on sea level along the U.S. mid-Atlantic coast. The goal of this study is to find ways to use CODAR data to detect and …

Towards An Integrated Assessment Of Sea-Level Observations Along The U.S. Atlantic Coast, Brett A. Buzzanga

OES Theses and Dissertations

Sea levels are rising globally due to anthropogenic climate change. However, local sea levels that impact coastal ecosystems often differ from the global trend, sometimes by a factor of two or more. Improved understanding of this regional variability provides insights into geophysical processes and has implications for coastal communities developing resilience to ongoing sea-level rise. This dissertation conducts an investigation of sea level and its contributing processes at multiple spatial scales. Focusing on primarily interannual time-scales and data-driven approaches, new data sources and technologies are utilized to reduce current uncertainties.

First, sea-level trends are assessed over the global ocean and …

Geolocation Of Monitoring Wells Using Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Joel Deyoung

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Groundwater monitoring wells are commonly installed on a property as part of an environmental investigation to observe hydrological subsurface conditions, facilitate the collection of groundwater samples, and predict the flow of groundwater across a site. In addition to their installation, monitoring wells should be surveyed or mapped as accurately as possible. Traditional surveying techniques have employed the use of global navigation satellite systems (GNSS) technologies or other surveying equipment. A common surveying approach is to use real-time kinematic (RTK) GNSS to accurately measure the coordinates of each monitoring well on the site.In recent years, drones, or small unmanned aircraft systems …

Of Biodiversity, Boundaries, And Distribution: The Myxomycetes Of The Philippines And Beyond, Sittie Aisha Bustamante Macabago

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This dissertation contains a compilation of independently performed studies primarily focusing on the myxomycetes (plasmodial slime molds) from the Philippines and integrating local and worldwide data to demonstrate regional and global trends. The major themes include the following: (I) a review of the diverse group of spore-producing amoeboid protists, including the myxomycetes; (II-IV) diversity assessments in three different groups of islands in the Philippine archipelago; (V) mapping the myxomycetes found in the Philippines for databasing and analyzing the geocoded data; (VI) a study on regional boundaries, including the Philippines, using myxomycete species composition; and, (VII) creating a global species distribution …

Minerva Cuevas: Disidencia, Alaina Claire Feldman, Clayton Press, Solange Farkas, Gabriel Bogossian

Publications and Research

Bilingual catalogue for the exhibition "Minerva Cuevas: Disidencia" presented at Baruch College's Mishkin Gallery.

Economically Optimal Nitrogen Side-Dressing Based On Vegetation Indices From Satellite Images Through On-Farm Experiments, Qianqian Du

Department of Agricultural Economics: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Optimal N fertilizer rates for corn (Zea mays L.) vary substantially within and among fields, and by corn growth stages. Improving N side-dressing management can improve fertilizer use efficiency, farmers’ profitability, and the sustainability of crop production. The objective of this study is to introduce a framework along with a methodology that can find the site-specific economically optimal N rates (EONRs) within one field for a particular growing season. An on-farm experiment was conducted in the 2019 corn growing season. A base N rate was applied uniformly on the field. NDRE images from the Sentinel-2 satellite were observed during …

Riverology: Promoting Stewardship Of Rivers Through Youth Participation In Science And Art, Robin R. Dunbar

Institute for the Humanities Theses

This project focuses on mentoring children to help reduce marine debris in their local river by implementing one of ten lessons from an inquiry-based Riverology curriculum to empower youth voice, increase geo-literacy, and spatial thinking. Eighteen participants aged seven and eight, piloted Riverology Lesson 2: What Do I Know or Imagine about the Elizabeth River? that includes six steps: inquire, visualize, draw, share, act, and reflect. The children were asked to make drawings before and after viewing an Elizabeth River Story Map presentation (Dunbar, 2021a). The drawings were then compared to see if the participants included marine debris, stewardship solutions, …

Examining Melt Pond Dynamics And Light Availability In The Arctic Ocean Via High Resolution Satellite Imagery, Austin Wesley Abbott

OES Theses and Dissertations

As the Arctic experiences consequences of climate change, a shift from thicker, multi-year ice to thinner, first-year ice has been observed. First-year ice is prone to extensive pools of meltwater (“melt ponds”) forming on its surface, which enhance light transmission to the ocean. Changes in the timing and distribution of melt pond formation and associated increases in under-ice light availability are the primary drivers for seasonal progression of water column primary production and warming. Observations of melt pond development and distribution require meter scale resolution and have traditionally been limited to airborne images. However, recent advances in high spatial resolution …

Methods For Detecting Floodwater On Roadways From Ground Level Images, Cem Sazara

Computational Modeling & Simulation Engineering Theses & Dissertations

Recent research and statistics show that the frequency of flooding in the world has been increasing and impacting flood-prone communities severely. This natural disaster causes significant damages to human life and properties, inundates roads, overwhelms drainage systems, and disrupts essential services and economic activities. The focus of this dissertation is to use machine learning methods to automatically detect floodwater in images from ground level in support of the frequently impacted communities. The ground level images can be retrieved from multiple sources, including the ones that are taken by mobile phone cameras as communities record the state of their flooded streets. …

Butte Reclamation Evaluation System Field Manual, Pioneer Technical Services, Inc.

Silver Bow Creek/Butte Area Superfund Site

No abstract provided.

Taking The Pulse Of Undergraduate Introductory Geographic Information Systems Courses, Christopher Krause

Theses and Dissertations

As colleges and universities expand their geographic information systems (GIS) course offerings, the pedagogies involved in teaching such courses ought to be critically evaluated. Existing research concerning the teaching of geospatial technologies has been characterized as “sparse, inconsistent, and overly anecdotal” (Baker et al., 2015, p. 118). Answering the call for “more systematic and replicable” (p. 118) GIS education research, this study adopted a suite of mixed methods used within other discipline-based education research (DBER) and deployed them in introductory GIS courses. These methods included classroom observation protocols, interview protocols, focus group protocols, and student questionnaires.

This research had three …

Racialized Space: Historical, Economic, And Social Factors Contributing To The Gentrification Of North & Northeast Portland's Albina Neighborhoods, Red Burkett

University Honors Theses

Portland, Oregon has long held the reputation of being a quirky, artistic, mid-size American city for the ecologically friendly and progressively minded. What is less well-known is that Portland has a long history of segregation, racial violence, and public policy that is often viewed as hostile by the Black residents, especially the Albina neighborhoods of North and inner-Northeast Portland. Since Dr. Gibson published Bleeding Albina: A History of Community Disinvestment in 2007, terms such as gentrification, redlining and restrictive racial covenants have become more common in academic and social parlance concerning Portland. In this thesis, we will explore how gentrification …

Internal And External Factors’ Influence On Recycling: Insights From A Laboratory Experiment With Observed Behavior, Nooh Linder, Sonny Rosenthal, Patrik Sorqvist, Stephan Barthel

Research Collection College of Integrative Studies

Internal psychological factors, such as intentions and personal norms, are central predictors of pro-environmental behavior in many theoretical models, whereas the influence from external factors such as the physical environment is seldom considered. Even rarer is studying how internal factors interact with the physical context in which decisions take place. In the current study, we addressed the relative influence and interaction of psychological and environmental factors on pro-environmental behavior. A laboratory experiment presented participants (N = 399) with a choice to dispatch a used plastic cup in a recycling or general waste bin after participating in a staged “yogurt taste …

Law Library Blog (July 2021): Legal Beagle's Blog Archive, Roger Williams University School Of Law

Law Library Newsletters/Blog

No abstract provided.

The Montana Expression 2021: Resident Employment, Relocation, And Outdoor Recreation During Covid-19, Megan Schultz, Carter Bermingham

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report is a summary of Montana residents and their self-reported use of public lands and waterways during 2020 compared to previous years. Data were collected from January 1st to March 31st of 2021. As a result of the pandemic, the number of people participating in outdoor recreation in certain parts of the country increased significantly – Montana being one of those places. Public lands and waterways, like state and federally managed parks, reported record visitation numbers for some months of 2020. In addition, anecdotal reports from public land managers and tourism partners also suggests that the level of use …

Assessing Impacts Of Winter-Hay Feeding On Soil And Forage Nutrient Dynamics In A Rotationally-Grazed Pasture System In Arkansas, Lawrence Gordon Berry Iv

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

More than 38 % of United States’ rural land area was used for grazing (i.e., pastureland or rangeland) ruminant animals in 2017, constituting the largest private land use group. The expansive nature of these lands means that grazing and pasture management decisions have potential to impact water quality as well as profit margins. As a result, beef producers are under increased pressure from economic and environmental standpoints to limit application of nutrients beyond those required to grow the forage needed for animal consumption. At the same time, a large amount of nutrients is recycled back to pasture systems directly from …

Machine Learning & Big Data Analyses For Wildfire & Air Pollution Incorporating Gis & Google Earth Engine, Abdullah Al Saim

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The climatic condition, the vegetation type, and the landscape of the United States have made it susceptible to wildfires. This research is divided into two parts based on the analysis of two different aspects of wildfires of two distinct regions. The first part of the study investigates the wildfire susceptibility in Arkansas. Arkansas is a natural state, and it is heavily dependent on its forest and agricultural resources. During the last 30 years, more than 1,000 wildfires occurred in Arkansas and caused more than 10,000 acres of burned areas. Therefore, identifying wildfire-susceptible areas is crucial for ensuring sustainable forest and …

Implications Of The Links Between Demography And Ecology For The Economy Of The Republic Of Karakalpakstan, Keunimjay Allanazarov, Gulya Khodjaeva, Katherine Shields

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

This article analyzes the impact of demographic factor on territorial organization of production in rural areas of the Republic of Karakalpakstan and reveals the main trends in production development. The analysis of statistical data of rural areas is given and proposals to improve the negative situation are given. More than 1306.8 thousand people live in rural areas of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, where they are concentrated in 1187 settlements, 26 urban settlements, and 11 towns of district subordination. All this testifies to the presence of large undeveloped production reserves and huge human potential. However, due to reduction of Amudarya water …

The Use Of Landsat Evi Remote Sensing In Landscape Monitoring (On The Example Of The Aydar-Arnasay Lakes System), Subkhan Abbasov, Nilufar Sabirova

Karakalpak Scientific Journal

In the article presents the radiometric readings of the Landsat satellite in landscape monitoring. The object of the research is the monitoring of agro-irrigation landscapes adjacent to the Aydar-Arnasay lakes system using Landsat 8 EVI (Enhanced Vegetation Index). Landsat EVI proved to be the most optimal vegetative index for plant monitoring.

Weather And Crime: New York State, Yuna Kim

Student Theses

The present study assesses the degree to which temperature affects the crime rates in all 62 counties in the State of New York. Five different crimes (i.e., robbery, aggravated assault, burglary; larceny, and motor vehicle theft) for the year 2019 were selected from the Division of Criminal Justice Services of New York to be examined. The current study examined whether the rate of these crimes was associated with the changes in weather, with the assumption that higher weathers would lead to higher property and violent crimes, when controlling for the effect of various control variables. The findings suggest that the …

الرعي الترحالي بالأقاليم الجنوبية للمغرب: مقارنة منهجية, بكار المرتجي

Dirassat

Nomadic Pastoralism in the Southern Provinces of Morocco: A Systematic Comparison

The article presents a systematic approach to the subject of nomadic pastoralism, based on its new transformations and problems in the southern provinces of the Kingdom of Morocco.

The researcher conducts field research to clarify the ambiguities -socially and economically- surrounding the subject, especially in the southern desert regions in which nomadic pastoralism is still active, and in which many systems and mechanisms have been developed in line with socio-economic transformations.