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Articles 121 - 150 of 12313

Full-Text Articles in Geography

Evapotranspiration Everywhere, All The Time: Towards A Unified View From Earth Observation, Joshua B. Fisher, Martha C. Anderson, Diego G. Miralles, Kanishka Mallick, Paul C. Stoy, Youngryel Ryu, Wim G. M. Bastiaanssen May 2026

Evapotranspiration Everywhere, All The Time: Towards A Unified View From Earth Observation, Joshua B. Fisher, Martha C. Anderson, Diego G. Miralles, Kanishka Mallick, Paul C. Stoy, Youngryel Ryu, Wim G. M. Bastiaanssen

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Scientists want to know everything, everywhere, and all the time. This is particularly true in Earth science, where we seek to understand processes that span from the molecular to the planetary scale in how the world works, how it affects us, and how we impact it—especially the water cycle. Evapotranspiration (ET) was the last component to be measured in closing the water cycle: for decades, closing the water budget meant adding up all the measurable components, then inferring ET as the residual. Early measurements relied on water loss from pans and weighing lysimeters, followed by sensors inserted into plants to …

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Resilience In Place Names: German-Hehe War Memories And Cultural Identity In Iringa Toponyms, Claudio G. Kisake, Sophilini M. Yisega, Spemba E. Spemba May 2026

Resilience In Place Names: German-Hehe War Memories And Cultural Identity In Iringa Toponyms, Claudio G. Kisake, Sophilini M. Yisega, Spemba E. Spemba

Journal of Humanities and Social Sciences

Toponyms, or place names, act as vital markers of historical memory, cultural identity and resilience. In Iringa, Tanzania, toponymy offers valuable insights into the enduring impacts associated with the German-Hehe War (1890–1898), and colonial encounters on indigenous communities. This study explores how place names—such as Kitanzini (‘a place with a noose for hanging people’), Ilundamatwe or Lundamatwe (‘a collection of slaughtered heads’), and Gangilonga (‘the speaking stone’)—convey narratives of Hehe war superiority, resistance, and survival. Using a qualitative approach, the research incorporates archival sources, oral histories, and linguistic analysis to investigate the stories behind naming and renaming, the role of …

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Walking The Map: Exploring Illinois Using Giant Traveling Maps, Irenea Walker, Kim Carthans May 2026

Walking The Map: Exploring Illinois Using Giant Traveling Maps, Irenea Walker, Kim Carthans

The Great Lakes Social Studies Journal

While it is common for any social studies discipline to receive limited instructional time in the elementary classroom, geography would be among the least taught (Bauml, 2023; Hinde, 2014). As a result, many students lack even the basic knowledge of geography, such as state capitals, geographical locations, and major landmarks. It is even more alarming that elementary students are unaware of the geography of their own state. National Geographic Society introduced giant floor traveling maps over a decade ago through each state’s National Geographic Alliance (2025). The gigantic floor map helps students get a sense of the map's places through …

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Hotspot Analysis Of Nitrate And Arsenic Concentrations In Minnesota Well Water, Jadyn Keeler May 2026

Hotspot Analysis Of Nitrate And Arsenic Concentrations In Minnesota Well Water, Jadyn Keeler

Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Showcase

Water contamination is one of the biggest threats to water supply and can have long term human health consequences. It is key to identify vulnerable regions to develop better management strategies. This project utilizes hotspot and outlier geospatial analysis to locate areas across Minnesota with elevated levels of nitrate and arsenic in well water and better understand potential factors that might be influencing this. Statistically significant hotspots and cold spots were identified with up to 99% confidence. Hotspots of nitrate were located mainly in the south-central region while hotspots of arsenic were located primarily in the western and south-central portions …

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Spatial Analysis Of Heavy Metal Leaching Threats From North Dakota Landfills To Drinking Water Aquifers, Leila Campbell May 2026

Spatial Analysis Of Heavy Metal Leaching Threats From North Dakota Landfills To Drinking Water Aquifers, Leila Campbell

Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Showcase

Groundwater is a primary fresh water source for most rural communities in North Dakota. The EPA acknowledges that landfill leakage is not a matter of if but when, and early detection can be extremely difficult. This project identifies which counties and aquifers face the greatest threat from landfill heavy-metal leaching based on proximity, waste types, and groundwater vulnerability, thereby indicating which landfills warrant the closest monitoring and regulatory compliance.   The methodology combines two indexes. The DRASTIC index identifies aquifer vulnerability to surface pollution based on hydrogeologic factors. These factors are weighted by their significance to produce a score that reflects …

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Change Of Accessibility In The Izu Islands Before And After Tourism Development In The Pre-World War Ⅱ Period, Kantaro Takahashi May 2026

Change Of Accessibility In The Izu Islands Before And After Tourism Development In The Pre-World War Ⅱ Period, Kantaro Takahashi

International Journal of Islands Research

This study compares accessibility on the Izu Islands, an inhabited archipelago. part of Tokyo Prefecture, from around the 1910s to the 1930s, during the early years of tourism development. Most islands in the archipelago started attracting tourists during the economically prosperous 1960s and 1970s; uniquely, Izu Oshima, the largest island, had been a tourist destination since before World War II. Tourism research on this region and period has predominantly employed a descriptive approach; quantitative studies have been rare owing to the dearth of data. Addressing this gap, this study conducts a network analysis of data acquired from the books of …

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What’S In A Map?: Evaluating Mapping Techniques And Measures Of Culture To Inform Equitable Cultural Planning In Dallas, Texas, Kena Nicol May 2026

What’S In A Map?: Evaluating Mapping Techniques And Measures Of Culture To Inform Equitable Cultural Planning In Dallas, Texas, Kena Nicol

Planning Masters Professional Reports

The City of Dallas developed a neighborhood typology map to assess cultural resource distribution as part of its 2018 Cultural Plan, representing a relatively new approach that remains underexplored in academic literature. In the same plan, stakeholders identified equity as a central value, highlighting the need for tools that better support equitable cultural planning. This study evaluates the outcomes of two mapping techniques–cultural asset mapping and opportunity mapping – to examine how each represents cultural resource distribution across Dallas and supports equity-oriented analysis. Cultural asset mapping, the standard approach in cultural planning, identifies the spatial distribution of physical cultural infrastructure. …

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What In The Fukushima Should We Do? Analyzing The Costs Of The Fukushima Daiichi Disaster And Japan’S Reactions, Sara Deal, Mary Blair Dellinger May 2026

What In The Fukushima Should We Do? Analyzing The Costs Of The Fukushima Daiichi Disaster And Japan’S Reactions, Sara Deal, Mary Blair Dellinger

Caravel Undergraduate Research Journal

The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, which resulted from the Tōhoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami on 11 March 2011, has caused much debate about the future of the nuclear power industry.  Japan has shut down all of its 54 nuclear reactors and increased power production through fossil fuel plants to make up the difference (Foster 2012).  This paper analyzes Japan’s decision to shut down its nuclear reactors and investigates the environmental, economic, and health costs of this decision. Nuclear power is compared with other forms of power in regards to life cycle cost, land use, CO2 emissions, and deaths on …

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The Queer Family Farm: Exploring Agrifood Justice And Management Philosophies Among Lgbtq+ And Family Farmers In Minnesota And Wisconsin, Julia I. Castellano May 2026

The Queer Family Farm: Exploring Agrifood Justice And Management Philosophies Among Lgbtq+ And Family Farmers In Minnesota And Wisconsin, Julia I. Castellano

Geography Honors Projects

Agriculture in the US countryside has long been idolized as a symbol of traditional American values via the “family farm” while queerness has become associated with avant-gardism and urbanity. This study contributes to the nascent but growing scholarship at the convergence of these seemingly opposing propositions: queer farming. Specifically, I contextualize LGBTQ+ farmers in Minnesota and Wisconsin through historical and modern perspectives on the dominant heteronuclear family farm and industrial agricultural landscape to understand how they approach farming in the absence of traditional gender roles and as predominantly small, alternative farmers. The family farm as we imagine it today is …

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Food Sovereignty In Post-Apartheid South Africa: A Case Study Among Gardeners And Non-Gardeners In Genadendal, Western Cape, Timothy P. Delventhal May 2026

Food Sovereignty In Post-Apartheid South Africa: A Case Study Among Gardeners And Non-Gardeners In Genadendal, Western Cape, Timothy P. Delventhal

Geography Honors Projects

In post-Apartheid South Africa, large-scale commercial farming is promoted by the state as the only viable agricultural development model, while small-scale agriculture is marginalized in development discourse and the national land reform program aimed at addressing historical wrongs. However, food sovereignty movements across the Global South, such as Via Campesina, have promoted small-scale gardening for communities to gain control over their food systems and prevent the distancing of food from the labor that produced it. The research question investigated is whether people in the Genadendal area who grow their own food from gardens have better dietary diversity outcomes and increased …

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Increasing Access To Rural Resources: A Spatial Exploration Of The Social Implications Of Mobility In Appalachian Kentucky., Anna Morris May 2026

Increasing Access To Rural Resources: A Spatial Exploration Of The Social Implications Of Mobility In Appalachian Kentucky., Anna Morris

College of Arts & Sciences Senior Theses

Mobility and accessibility are key predictors in the way that people navigate their communities. However, many rural areas lack holistic transportation systems that support the needs of a diverse range of users. As a result, rural residents, especially rural non-drivers, often face barriers to equitable mobility and access to necessary resources, like healthcare. This study examines the role that mobility plays in facilitating access to healthcare facilities for driving and non-driving populations in Appalachian Kentucky. The study pairs the Enhanced 2-Step Floating Catchment Area method with a demographic index to evaluate mobility equity through spatial accessibility to primary care facilities. …

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Splitting Shores: Comparative Analysis Of Italy’S And Spain’S Reactions To Immigration, William E. Montgomery V May 2026

Splitting Shores: Comparative Analysis Of Italy’S And Spain’S Reactions To Immigration, William E. Montgomery V

International and Global Studies Undergraduate Honors Theses

The divergence in public immigration sentiment between Italy and Spain, two countries with striking historical, geographic, and demographic similarities, is seen as a mystery for popular theoretical frameworks. Although both nations transitioned from net emigration to net immigration beginning in the 1970s and 1980s, Italy has consistently exhibited more negative attitudes toward immigration relative to the European average, while Spain has seen sustained improvement in immigration sentiment despite receiving immigrants at historically unprecedented levels. Employing a Most Similar Systems Design and drawing on quantitative demographic and survey data, primary legislative texts, and secondary scholarly literature, this thesis tests Group Threat …

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Fresh Phytoplankton Bloom Growth In The Fall And Its Control On Ocean Heating In The Pacific Arctic Region, Clare B. Gaffey, K E. Frey, Bonnie Light, Lee W. Cooper, Jacqueline M. Grebmeier May 2026

Fresh Phytoplankton Bloom Growth In The Fall And Its Control On Ocean Heating In The Pacific Arctic Region, Clare B. Gaffey, K E. Frey, Bonnie Light, Lee W. Cooper, Jacqueline M. Grebmeier

Geography

Delayed sea ice freeze-up and decreased sea ice extent in the Pacific Arctic region have altered light availability in marine waters, extending the ice-free season and increasing opportunities for photosynthetic activity and energy exchanges. This study investigates phytoplankton bloom progression during the fall using chlorophyll pigments and examines the impact phytoplankton have on heat distribution within the water column. Measurements of chlorophyll-a concentrations and its associated degradation product pheophytin were made in conjunction with optical measurements of light transmittance within the upper water column during the Synoptic Arctic Survey cruise in the Central Arctic Ocean and northeast Chukchi Sea in …

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Assessing Tourism-Induced Impacts In Communities Around The Indiana Dunes National Park, Charles James Kovacs May 2026

Assessing Tourism-Induced Impacts In Communities Around The Indiana Dunes National Park, Charles James Kovacs

Masters Theses

This project aims to examine the effects of the tourism industry in and around a new National Park within the United States’ National Park system (NPS). The Indiana Dunes National Park (IDNP) received National Park designation in 2019. The park, situated on the south shore of Lake Michigan, is a roughly fifty-minute drive east of Chicago. This project seeks to ask and answer how the tourism industry has grown and continues to impact the lives of residents near the IDNP. Two communities, Michigan City and Chesterton, serve as the primary study areas along with the park itself. Qualitative methods, centered …

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Gis-Based Trail Accessibility Assessment At Lime Hollow Nature Center, Ashley Siergiej May 2026

Gis-Based Trail Accessibility Assessment At Lime Hollow Nature Center, Ashley Siergiej

Honors Theses

Outdoor recreation, such as hiking, is an important component of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, especially in regions such as Central New York where natural areas are abundant. Hiking trails provide opportunities for people to connect with the environment, making it important that individuals of all abilities can access and experience these spaces. However, many environmental and physical factors can influence the difficulty and accessibility of hiking trails. This study evaluates trail accessibility at Lime Hollow Nature Center in Cortland, New York using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and field-based data collection. Field observations were collected along the Art Meadow Loop and …

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Distribution Mapping And Modeling Of The Invasive Japanese Knotweed, Jossalyn Rogalski May 2026

Distribution Mapping And Modeling Of The Invasive Japanese Knotweed, Jossalyn Rogalski

Masters Theses

This thesis investigates the distribution of invasive Japanese knotweed across Michigan. This plant poses significant challenges to land management due to its rapid growth, environmental impacts, and difficulty of removal once established. Using geographic information systems (GIS), remotely sensed data, and secondary environmental datasets, this research maps current infestations and analyzes key factors influencing the species’ growth and dispersal, such as soil composition, hydrology, land use, and a range of environmental variables, including climatic (annual mean temperature, temperature seasonality, annual precipitation, precipitation seasonality), elevation, vegetation and hydrological indices (NDVI, EVI, NDWI), percent tree cover, and distance to roads. Spatial analysis …

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Immigration Related Stress As A Social Determinants Of Health Among Immigrants In Santa Cruz County, Jose Manuel Martinez May 2026

Immigration Related Stress As A Social Determinants Of Health Among Immigrants In Santa Cruz County, Jose Manuel Martinez

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Immigration related stress is a major public health issue for undocumented immigrants and mixed status families. That is linked towards the social determinants of health associated with mental health, stress, and disparities. This capstone project was implemented at Santa Cruz County Immigration Project, a program within the Community Action Board in Watsonville, California, that provides legal assistance and support towards the community. The purpose of this project was to evaluate & analyze collected data from clients feedback through bilingual surveys & intake forms that were distributed in person, email, text, and QR code. A total of 50 surveys were collected, …

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The Effects Of Impervious Land Cover And Red Tide (Karenia Brevis) On The Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) In The Gulf Coast Of Florida, Anna Compton May 2026

The Effects Of Impervious Land Cover And Red Tide (Karenia Brevis) On The Florida Manatee (Trichechus Manatus Latirostris) In The Gulf Coast Of Florida, Anna Compton

Honors College Theses

Red tide, caused by the dinoflagellate Karenia brevis, is an algal bloom event that occurs annually in the West Florida Continental Shelf. The algae releases brevetoxin, a toxin that can be fatal to wildlife in high concentrations. These algal bloom events are thought to be exacerbated by warming ocean temperatures and increased nutrient runoff from urbanization. Red tide is responsible for the mass mortality of various marine organisms like the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris). This study analyzes the changes in nutrient runoff and sea surface temperatures, and how these factors affected red tide cell concentrations and Florida manatee mortalities …

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Dendroclimatic Response Of The Wet Miombo Woodland Species: A Case Study Of Mufulira District, Copperbelt Province, Zambia, Collins Chibuye Malubeni May 2026

Dendroclimatic Response Of The Wet Miombo Woodland Species: A Case Study Of Mufulira District, Copperbelt Province, Zambia, Collins Chibuye Malubeni

All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Zambia is a tropical, landlocked country that lies in the South-Central part of Africa. The climate in Zambia includes distinct dry and rainy seasons, mainly influenced by the north-south movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which shifts seasonally. This research is focused on understanding the relationship between tree growth and climate using dendrochronology. Forty-nine tropical species, including Julbernardia paniculata, Brachystegia longifolia, and Pericopsis angolensis, were analysed for dendroclimatic potential, and 70% showed clear ring formation, indicating that trees in this locality produce distinct annual ring boundaries. For the single species chronology, thirteen cores from eight trees that were initially …

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Creating A Gis-Based Site Suitability Index For A Major Sports Stadium In Kansas City, Theodore E. Blair May 2026

Creating A Gis-Based Site Suitability Index For A Major Sports Stadium In Kansas City, Theodore E. Blair

Political Science Undergraduate Honors Theses

There are many considerations taken when siting major sports stadiums. Most literature, though, has focused on the political and economic considerations, the negative outcomes of using public money for private projects. However, geographic considerations play a major part in deciding where to site a stadium. These considerations are wide-ranging and can change with the times. This thesis determines ten modern site suitability criteria, and with them, creates a site suitability index using GIS to determine and quantify more and less suitable areas for stadium development. It applies this index to the Kansas City area, as the city is currently in …

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The Personality Of Place: Physical Geography And The Shaping Of The Nineteenth-Century German Immigrant Ethnic Identity, Abigail Ward May 2026

The Personality Of Place: Physical Geography And The Shaping Of The Nineteenth-Century German Immigrant Ethnic Identity, Abigail Ward

Honors Theses

In the nineteenth century alone, approximately five million German-speaking immigrants arrived in America. However, the motivations of these individuals for moving to America, far from identical, were nearly as numerous as the individuals themselves. The German ethnic identity in America was not uniform, but the expression of many factors having to do with both the Vaterland and the new land. These factors ranged from the timing of emigration, which was largely influence by religious, political, and economic upheaval in Europe, to each German’s system of values, which dictated the kind of future he saw for himself and therefore where he …

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Redeveloping Mississippi: A Case Study On Brownfields In Central & Southern Mississippi, Sahrah R. Yeroozedek May 2026

Redeveloping Mississippi: A Case Study On Brownfields In Central & Southern Mississippi, Sahrah R. Yeroozedek

Master's Theses

Brownfields, or properties that are or possibly are contaminated with dangerous materials, represent a common obstacle for communities in Mississippi. The real or potential presence of contaminants at these sites often deters investors due to costly cleanup requirements (EPA, n.d. -b). The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), through its Brownfield Revitalization Program, implemented guidelines for covering the costs and labor associated with the remediation of these properties. The EPA is not, however, responsible for redevelopment that supports long-term environmental and economic sustainability. Although the EPA maintains inventories of all Brownfields, there is also no comprehensive database of Brownfields and their current …

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College Of Natural Sciences Spring Newsletter, College Of Natural Sciences May 2026

College Of Natural Sciences Spring Newsletter, College Of Natural Sciences

College of Natural Sciences Newsletters and Reports

[Page 1] Dean's Message
[Page] 2 Awards & Recognitions // Student Spotlights
[Page] 3 Zhang Named to Landsat Science Team // The Power of Teaching
[Page] 4 “Science as Art” Competition Welcomes High School Artists
[Page] 5 Testing for “Forever Chemicals” in Surface Water // New Faculty Spotlight
[Page] 6 Ambassador Initiated Outreach
[Page] 7 57th Annual Geography Convention
[Page] 8 Twice the Impact on On Call with the Prairie Doc
[Page] 9 Making Staple Foods Healthier // Halaweish & Cole-Dai Retire
[Page] 10 Drone Day 2026
[Page] 11 Student Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activity Day (SRSCAD)
[Page] 12 Ceremony …

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From Guyana To Queens: The Formation Of The Indo-Guyanese Ethnoburb In New York City, 1970-1990, Lianne R. Persaud May 2026

From Guyana To Queens: The Formation Of The Indo-Guyanese Ethnoburb In New York City, 1970-1990, Lianne R. Persaud

Theses and Dissertations

Expanding on Li’s concept of ethnoburbs, this study examines Indo-Guyanese settlement in Little Guyana, Queens (1970–1990). I propose the Vertical Enclave Model, which suggests that multi-family homeownership and internal rental markets facilitated the residential permanence of working-class individuals. The IPUMS Census microdata corroborates this community’s reliance on metropolitan integration, thereby refuting traditional self-sufficient ethnic enclave theories.

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Evaluating Long-Term Seasonal Variability Of Aerosol Optical Properties In Colorado, Erin K. Boedicker, Andre Bergeron, Gerardo Carrillo-Cardenas, Dominik Kulakowski, John Rogan, Elizabeth Andrews, Gannet A. Hallar May 2026

Evaluating Long-Term Seasonal Variability Of Aerosol Optical Properties In Colorado, Erin K. Boedicker, Andre Bergeron, Gerardo Carrillo-Cardenas, Dominik Kulakowski, John Rogan, Elizabeth Andrews, Gannet A. Hallar

Geography

Aerosol particles resulting from both wildfires and dust events introduce considerable uncertainty into both climate research and public health assessments. These challenges are becoming particularly evident in the western US. To gain a deeper understanding of western US aerosol properties, we analyzed 13 years (2011–2024) of surface in-situ aerosol optical data from Storm Peak Laboratory (SPL) in northwestern Colorado, and 6 years (2019–2024) of surface in-situ aerosol optical data from Table Mountain (BOS) in central Colorado. The aerosol optical properties at both sites demonstrate a strong summer wildfire smoke signal (peaking in August) and evidence of springtime dust events. BOS …

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The "Evil Forest" As Threshold: A Computational Eco-Feminist Study Of The Forest In Nigerian Fantasy, Cynthia O. Mbagwu May 2026

The "Evil Forest" As Threshold: A Computational Eco-Feminist Study Of The Forest In Nigerian Fantasy, Cynthia O. Mbagwu

Department of English: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

This study examines the representation of the “evil forest” in Nnedi Okorafor’s Zahrah the Windseeker and Ukamaka Olisakwe’s Don’t Answer When They Call Your Name, arguing that the forest functions as a liminal threshold that catalyses female transformation. Combining close reading with computational tools like TF-IDF keyword extraction in Ruby and sentiment analysis using VADER, the project investigates how pre-colonial and colonial connotations of the “evil forest” are re-imagined in contemporary Nigerian fantasy fiction. By segmenting each narrative into pre-liminal, liminal, and post-liminal phases, the study tracks shifts in sentiment toward the forest and correlates them with thematic developments …

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Factors Affecting Pedestrian-Vehicle Conflicts: An Empirical Analysis, Christo D. Jamo May 2026

Factors Affecting Pedestrian-Vehicle Conflicts: An Empirical Analysis, Christo D. Jamo

Honors Scholar Theses

The number of pedestrian deaths increased by 78% between 2009 and 2023, while other motor vehicle crash deaths increased by 13% in the same period [1]. To identify potential pedestrian safety measures, this study analyzed the effects of location-based demographics, pedestrian phasing type, and other physical infrastructure and behavior variables on the probability of pedestrian-vehicle conflicts at signalized intersections, which is a surrogate measure of crash risk. Data were collected from 55 intersections in Connecticut, and the pedestrian-vehicle interactions were classified by severity based on the Swedish Traffic Conflict Technique: undisturbed passage, potential conflict, minor conflict, or serious conflict. Because …

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Modeling Bicycle Ridership In Northwest Arkansas, Nelofar Qulizada May 2026

Modeling Bicycle Ridership In Northwest Arkansas, Nelofar Qulizada

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

In a global comparison, the U.S. ranks second lowest in bicycle use for urban trips, surpassed only by Brazil. This underutilization signals missed opportunities to improve public health, environmental sustainability, and community connections. In Northwest Arkansas (NWA), a region actively investing in active transportation infrastructure, efforts were underway to reverse this trend. However, a key question remained: Were these investments effectively boosting bicycle ridership? To address this question, communities required reliable methods to measure cycling activity. Traditionally, this involved stationary counters placed at strategic locations to monitor ridership patterns. While accurate, these counters had limited spatial coverage. In contrast, emerging …

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Old-Growth Surveys And Landowner Outreach In The Cross Timbers Of Oklahoma, Jon Webb May 2026

Old-Growth Surveys And Landowner Outreach In The Cross Timbers Of Oklahoma, Jon Webb

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Cross Timbers ecoregion represents a critical ecologic transition zone, spanning approximately 17 million acres across Oklahoma, Texas, Kansas, and Arkansas. Situated between eastern deciduous forests and the southern Great Plains, the Cross Timbers are dominated by drought-tolerant post oak (Quercus stellata) and blackjack oak (Quercus marilandica). Despite retaining some of the most extensive old-growth forests in the eastern United States, this ecoregion remains threatened by urban expansion, agricultural conversion, altered fire regimes, and eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) encroachment. This project sought to identify, survey, and document large, previously un-surveyed or unreported tracts of old-growth Cross Timbers in Oklahoma, …

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Building Collaborative Capacity For Coexistence With The Montana Beaver Working Group, Shane Randle May 2026

Building Collaborative Capacity For Coexistence With The Montana Beaver Working Group, Shane Randle

Graduate Student Portfolios, Professional Papers, and Capstone Projects

Despite beavers’ recent surge in popularity, prevailing negative attitudes and the persistence of beaver removal practices remain obstacles for those advocating living with beavers. The Montana Beaver Working Group (BWG) advances beavers’ role in ecological and community resilience through members’ collaborative efforts, including beaver-related restoration and conflict resolution projects. Bringing together people with diverse values and perspectives, the BWG builds collective understanding, develops a holistic vision for beavers in Montana, and supports members in pursuing it. As the group’s impacts and membership have grown, so too has their need to adapt. For my Civic Engagement Project, I strengthened the BWG’s …

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