Geography Commons^™

Unaccompanied Migrant Children In The Mountain West, 2015-2023, Annie Vong, Caitlin J. Saladino, William E. Brown Jr.

Demography

This fact sheet examines data on the number of unaccompanied migrant children who obtained sponsors and relocated to 22 cities in five Mountain West states from 2015 to 2023. Data from Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah are included from a New York Times report which includes U.S. Department of Human Health and Services data on unaccompanied migrant children in all 50 states and Washington D.C.

Cover And Forewords, Steven M. Schnell

The Geographical Bulletin

Cover and Forewords

Volume 57-1 Complete Issue, Steven M. Schnell

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 57-1 Complete Issue

Who Lives Where: A Comprehensive Population Taxonomy Of Cities, Suburbs, Exurbs, And Rural Areas In The United States, Brian Edward Johnson, Jason Shifferd

The Geographical Bulletin

This paper answers the question: how many Americans live in cities, suburbs, exurbs, and rural areas in the United States? Previous works have examined only one or some of these settlement types instead of accounting for the entire country’s population, or have employed highly technical classifications uncommon in common parlance. T his paper develops a comprehensive classification scheme using vernacular settlement types, then organizes U.S. Census data into the taxonomy presented here. This research contributes to the existing literature by (1) reporting the number and percentages living in all four major settlement types rather than covering only one or two …

Sustainable Campus Landscapes In The United States And China: A Comparative Analysis, Zhaofang Zhang, Jing Zhou, Deanna Schmidt, Kathleen Garland

The Geographical Bulletin

This paper explores landscapes of sustainability. Universities across the world have incorporated sustainability into their curriculum, research, infrastructure operation, and resource management. However, campus landscapes are relatively unexplored assets to promote university sustainability. As the physical embodiment of university values as well as an enduring legacy, campus landscapes offer the potential to integrate sustainability into the fabric of universities for generations to come. The paper presents findings from an empirical study of two universities: China T hree Gorges University, Yinchang City, Hubei province, China, (CTGU) and the University of Houston, Clear Lake, Texas, United States (UHCL). The research utilizes landscape …

Downy Woodpecker Habitat Suitability In Gourdneck State Game Area, Michigan, Emma Fojtik, Lisa M. Dechano-Cook

The Geographical Bulletin

This study examines the habitat suitability for the downy woodpecker (Picoides pubescens) for a parcel of land in Gourdneck State Game Area (GSGA), Kalamazoo County, Michigan. Land within GSGA has undergone habitat restoration from forest and shrub to savanna and prairie, intentionally excluding two parcels. This study took place on one of the excluded parcels. We used the Habitat Suitability Index Model created by the Fish and Wildlife Service to determine suitability. We measured basal area and number of snags in 0.4 hectares to determine the food and reproduction life requisites that are the basis of the Habitat Suitability Index …

Testing The Feasibility Of Dendrogeomorphic Studies In The Southeastern U.S. On Mt. Le Conte, Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee, U.S.A., Maegen L. Rochner, Henri D. Grissino-Mayer

The Geographical Bulletin

Dendrogeomorphic analyses of mass movement events have been sparingly conducted at sites in the western United States, and are especially uncommon in the eastern U.S. The goal of this study was to determine if southeastern tree species in Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP) record evidence of debris slides in their tree-ring record. Following initial reconnaissance on three debris slide scars on Mt. Le Conte in GSMNP, we performed preliminary dendrogeomorphic analysis on one of the slides, LC01. This slide is considered, although not thoroughly documented, to have occurred following a cloudburst on September 1, 1951. The identification of suppressed …

Volume 56-2 Complete Issue, Steven M. Schnell

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 56-2 Complete Issue

Cover And Forewords, Steven M. Schnell

The Geographical Bulletin

Cover and Forewords

A Comparison Of North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program Output And Oklahoma Mesonet Observations: Precipitation And Temperature, Emma L. Kuster, Charlotte E. Lunday, Renee A. Mcpherson

The Geographical Bulletin

In this study, we compare precipitation and temperature model output from the North American Regional Climate Change Assessment Program (NARCCAP) against observations from the 120-station Oklahoma Mesonet . Our goal is to better understand how well the combinations of global and regional climate models in NARCCAP represent the gradients, diurnal cycles, and seasonality of precipitation and temperature across Oklahoma . Although several studies have compared NARCCAP output to surface observations, this research is the first comparing regional climate model output with observations from such a rich source of quality surface observations . Our results showed that warm season precipitation was …

An Examination Of Abstract The Effect Of Building Compactness And Green Roofs On Indoor Temperature Through The Use Of Physical Models, Gon Park, Timothy W. Hawkins

The Geographical Bulletin

Green roofs provide energy and cost savings during summer by insulating buildings and therefore keeping them cooler . Most prior studies have used only roof area to calculate the energy savings of green roofs . T his study observed four physical models for 54 days to ascertain how building geometry and compactness impact indoor temperature on buildings where a green roof has been installed . Indoor temperature was decreased due to green roof implementation by 8 .1°C on a less compact building compared to 4 .6°C on a more compact building . These results are more apparent on warm days …

Quantifying Forest Structure Within Two Managed Units In Rock Cut State Park, Dustin P. Bergman, David Goldblum

The Geographical Bulletin

The 1251 ha Rock Cut State Park (RCSP) is the largest state park in northern Illinois . Over the past 56 years, management practices have included prescribed burning, regular mowing, and tree plantings . Specifically, we sought to quantify the species composition, age structure, and light environment in two management units within the park . The first unit (campground) was last burned in 2009 and is comprised of primarily small trees; the second unit (Willow Creek Natural Area – WCNA) is more open and relatively undisturbed with larger trees . To assess these two units we used several methods, including …

Growing Local Food Movements: Farmers’ Markets As Nodes For Products And Community, Martin Aucoin, Matthew Fry

The Geographical Bulletin

Throughout the United States, there is a fast growing movement centered on locally produced food . Consumers, farmers, and farmers’ markets are central components of this local food movement . In this study, we examine the local food movement in the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex (DFW) and use farmers’ markets to understand DFW’s developing local food system and foodsheds . We also analyze how notions of place and community are manifest in DFW’s local food system . Research methods include interviews with farmers, customers, and farmers’ market coordinators and an analysis of the spatial distribution of three farmers’ market networks in …

Cover And Forewords, Steven M. Schnell

The Geographical Bulletin

Cover and Forewords

Volume 56-1 Complete Issue, Steven M. Schnell

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 56-1 Complete Issue

Global Information Society: Technology, Knowledge, And Mobility By Global Information Society: Technology, Knowledge, And Mobility Wilson, Mark I, Aharon Kellerman, And Kenneth E Corey Rowman & Littlefield, Jessica Breen

The Geographical Bulletin

Global Information Society: Technology, Knowledge, and Mobility authors Mark I . Wilson, Aharon Kellerman and Kenneth E . Corey are very clear in their intentions for this book: to “empower its reader to understand the complexities of the networked global information society and to use that understanding to promote awareness and to positively effect change .” That this work is intended to facilitate the work of practitioners in the field of information and communication technology (ICT) development is a point the authors frequently return to throughout the text, but students of the field will also find this book highly useful

Influence Of Academic Abstract Variables On Geospatial Skills Of Undergraduate Students: An Exploratory Study, Kanika Verma

The Geographical Bulletin

Spatial thinking and learning are essential components of geography education . The National Research Council’s 2006 report “Learning to Think Spatially” emphasized that people vary with respect to performance on spatial tasks . This pilot study at a large Texas university investigated geospatial thinking variances among undergraduate students based on academic experience of students . T his exploratory study uses the Geospatial T hinking Survey (GTS), based on the Spatial T hinking Ability Test (STAT) endorsed by Association of American Geographers (2006) and published by Lee and Bednarz (2012), to assess the geospatial thinking differences of undergraduate students . The …

Compassionately Hidden: The Church Telling Local Homeless To “Come To Our House”, Robert Oliver, Matthew Robinson, C. Theodore Koebel

The Geographical Bulletin

In early 2011, the To Our House (TOH) thermal shelter program opened its doors to homeless men in the New River Valley Area (NRV) of Virginia . The program was a grass roots response to the death of a wellknown local homeless man and the goal of the program is to provide winter shelter for single adult men by using rotating host sites at local churches . We highlight that in the NRV local churches have sought to remedy a socially unjust situation by providing shelter for men that was previously unavailable . We illustrate that faith-based outreach in the …

The Right To The City In The Informal Sector: Claiming Rights Or Gaining Access In Kampala, Uganda?, Matthew F. Pietrus

The Geographical Bulletin

In the developing world, the vast majority of urban poor have been marginalized from their cities, denying them what Henri Lefebvre called the right to the city . In response to this denial, many turn to the informal sector as a means to claim access to space and to the economy . However, using interviews from citizens participating in the informal sector in Kampala, Uganda, this paper argues that while the informal sector provides access to socioeconomic benefits (which is positive), it cannot guarantee them as rights because all activity taking place within it is unprotected and therefore easily and …

Exploring Heat Variations In Columbia, South Carolina, Michael Graeme Hohlfeld

Theses and Dissertations

As the leading cause of weather-related fatalities in the United States, the concept of heat as a hazard has been studied for decades, especially in the urban environment. Urban heat island research is limited by the fact that most investigate land surface temperature rather than air temperature and other variables that affect human comfort including humidity. This thesis utilizes a public network of weather stations in Richland County, South Carolina to investigate differences in heat between the city of Columbia, and more rural parts of the county. The study period was June, July, and August of 2022. Results indicate that …

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Hot Spots In Mississippi, Taylor Jansen, Elizabeth Dugan

Journal of Public Health in the Deep South

Abstract

Introduction. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is the sixth leading cause of death in the US and approximately 10% of people 65 years and older have COPD. This study examines the association of geographic-level risk factors with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) prevalence using spatial-based analyses with the goal of identifying risk factors associated with county-level COPD and to identify communities at risk.

Methods. The study sample consisted of all N=82 counties in Mississippi and all data is reported at the county level. All measures were drawn from the 2023 Mississippi Healthy Aging Data Report. A hot spot …

A Lifetime Of Climate Changes: Female Farmers' Perceptions Of Climate Change Impacts To Well-Being And Livelihood In Antigua And Barbuda, Jamie Matthews

Capstone Collection

This capstone project emphasizes the value of smallholder farmers working on small island developing states (SIDS) in an era of climate change—with a particular focus on female farmers in light of the global feminization of agriculture. This research study engaged female farmers living in Antigua and Barbuda, a SIDS in the Caribbean, to capture their perceptions of climate risks and the impacts climate change has had on their well-being and livelihood. Qualitative data was collected via life history interviews (LHI), as well as focus group discussions (FGD). These methodologies addressed the primary questions of this research: (i) How do female …

Levain: The Sourdough Miracle: Living Cultures Part 3, Jean Lavigne

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Exploration Of Large-Scale Vegetation Transition In Wet Ecosystems: A Comparison Of Conifer Seedling Abundance Across Burned Vs. Unburned Forest-Peatland Ecotones In Western Patagonia, Kyla Zaret, Andres Holz

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Altered fire regimes, combined with a warmer and drier climate, have been eroding the resilience of temperate rainforests and peatlands worldwide and leading to alternative post-fire vegetation communities. Chronic anthropogenic burning of temperate rainforests at the forest-peatland ecotone in western Patagonia appears to have shifted vegetation communities in poorly-drained sites from forests dominated by the threatened conifer, Pilgerodendron uviferum, to peat-accumulating wetlands covered by Sphagnum mosses. We collected and modeled post-reburn field data using ordinations and hierarchical Bayesian regressions to examine mechanisms through which P. uviferum forests may recover following fire or become locked into alternative development pathways by comparing …

Global Portraits From A Changing Climate: The Influence Of Environmental Storytelling On The Climate Narrative, Alexandra Welch

Capstone Collection

Environmental Storytelling can influence the climate narrative and serve as a catalyst to structurally alter how individuals think about the environment. The medium of the “Eco-film” allows viewers to create intimate connections with the natural world, and in turn alter how individuals engage and perceive issues like climate change. To combat climate denialism this project showcases different hopeful stories in a deliverable video collection, called “Global Portraits from a Changing Climate”. Two of these videos will be filmed in Germany, featuring the Waldrapp Team Research and Conservation project. One of the videos from Waldrapp Team will touch on the social …

Living Dead Forests: Assessing Detrital Services In Puget Sound Pseudotsuga Menziesii Ecosystems, Forrest Becker

Capstone Collection

Coarse woody debris (CWD), the detrital result of down wood recruitment, contributes to wildlife habitat, nutrient cycling, morphological processes like soil formation, and each forest’s sense of place but if undermanaged can fuel wildfires or obstruct stakeholder use. Despite its ubiquity in Puget Sound Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests in Washington, USA, few studies quantify the exact ecosystem services which down wood provides. This study seeks to understand how forest managers can estimate the ecosystem services of down wood and how human communities perceive down wood management between community, public, and private Douglas fir (P. menziesii) …

Watching The Paris Olympics From France, Jean Lavigne

Environmental Studies Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Reflections And Revelations In Autoethnography: A Review Of Meaningful Journeys Of Quest And Identity Transformation, Niroj Dahal

The Qualitative Report

In this review of—Meaningful Journeys: Autoethnographies of Quest and Identity Transformation, edited by Alec Grant, Ph.D., and Elizabeth (Lizzie) Lloyd-Parkes, Ph.D., I have made an effort to offer my evaluation that explores the autoethnographies of quest and identity transformation (Grant & Lloyd-Parkes, 2024). The book presents a curated anthology of personal ethnographic narratives, each grounded in the foundational concepts, philosophical insights, and linguistic roots of “journeying,” “questing,” and both ancient and contemporary interpretations of “pilgrimage.” As an autoethnographer, even during the different phases of life—personal and professional—I have been through the different roots of transformation, and now, at …

Fibersheds: Textiles As The Basis For A New World, Rebecca John

Theses and Dissertations

The Fibershed movement seeks to develop bioregional fiber systems to cultivate natural fibers through regenerative agriculture. Through this, it seeks to revive domestic textile production as an alternative to the global textile industry. This thesis investigates the Fibershed movement at national and regional scales, and assesses how they position themselves as an alternative economy.

Gps Accuracy Of Smartphones For Crowdsourcing Research, Derron L. Dike

Master of Science in Environmental Sciences and Management Projects

ABSTRACT GPS Accuracy of Smartphones for Crowdsourcing Research Derron Dike Utilizing crowdsourcing with smartphones as a method for field data collection can contribute an array of data for scientific studies and land management applications. This study used crowdsourcing to examine smartphone built-in GPS performance for providing location-specific information with potential forestry applications. The usability of smartphones for GPS data collection in forestry studies or other practical applications is dependent on the level of accuracy required for those applications. A Smartphone Accuracy Trial was designed to test the GPS accuracy performance of current smartphones. Participants used the ArcGIS Field Maps application …