Geography Commons^™

Learning By Doing To Teach Research Skills In Econometrics, Christie Byun

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

This paper examines a revision in an introductory econometrics course at an undergraduate liberal arts college. The instructors have incorporated extensive use of data from the Integrated Public Use Microdata Series from the Current Population Survey (IPUMS-CPS), with applied examples that demonstrate econometric theory. The key element is a short empirical paper assignment in which all students work on a common research question, but with different data sets. The paper assignment includes a series of scaffolding assignments using IPUMS-CPS data. This approach has several benefits, including ease of implementation into any course that has an empirical paper component, significantly streamlined …

Call For Papers

Midwest Social Sciences Journal

No abstract provided.

Montana Resident Report: Impact Of Air Quality And Wildfire Smoke On Travel And Outdoor Recreation In Montana, Q2 2026, Carter Bermingham, Megan Schultz, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This study was designed to better understand how residents respond to wildfire smoke in their community, and the associated impacts it has on their travel and outdoor recreation behavior (if any at all). The Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research (ITRR) conducts resident studies quarterly to better understand current topics across the state. In a year marked by a lack of winter snowpack and warm spring temperatures, 2026 was an ideal time to broach the topic of wildfire smoke in Montana.

Respondents were asked whether they check current smoke conditions before leaving for a trip and at what level of …

What Controls The Spatial Variation In Thermal Sensitivity In A Cascades River Basin During An Extreme Heat Year?, Savannah Milburn, Michael Krochta, Heejun Chang

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Increasing stream temperatures resulting from climate change and consequent detrimental impacts on temperature‐dependent aquatic species have signalled the need to better understand how different streams respond to changes in air temperature. This research generates a new assessment of thermal sensitivity in the Clackamas River Basin, Oregon, USA by analysing how underlying geology, climate, hydrology and land cover explain spatial variation in stream thermal sensitivity. Multiple linear regression analysis using spatially explicit landscape predictors across 72 sites identified upstream High Cascades geology, elevation, baseflow index, total upstream area and upstream shrubland area as the most significant and stable predictors determining thermal …

Tornado Impacts: St. Louis Neighborhoods And Physical Environment, Jeremiah J. Dyson, Kymberli Philpott, Ricardo Belle, Jamilah Bracely, Will Ranney, Cornell Evans

Undergraduate Research Symposium

This work explores the aftermath of the St. Louis May tornado last year that impacted parts of the area. Many homes, forests, properties, and other spaces such as wildlife habitats were destroyed. Through field explorations, geospatial technology, interviews, documentation, and comparing data, as a group we aimed to gain a better understanding of the geographic and sociological impact of the tornado, and the steps taken to help rebuild. With this project in mind, this work is also an explanation on what the preventative measures are to avoid mass destruction in natural disasters.

Mapping St. Louis History: Slavery, Redlining, And The May 16th Tornado, Safa M. Altamimi, Aster Horbanova, Riley J. Bearden, Vivian B. Rhodes, Bridget Ragan

Undergraduate Research Symposium

For this project, our group members are traveling across St.Louis to areas that are affected by the May 16th tornado. We will be taking pictures and using ArcGIS survey123 to input data connecting the tornado to historical forces such as Redlining and Slavery. Using this data, we will be creating an ArcGIS StoryMap and presenting our findings.

One Land, “Different Owners”: Theoretical Explanations Of Communal Conflicts In Nigeria, Chukwudi G. Njoku

Journal of Peace, Conflict, and Security Studies

Communal conflicts are prevalent in Nigeria, with thousands of fatalities recorded. Literature suggests that an overwhelming percentage of these conflicts are land ownership related. Through a systematic review of literature and an analysis of conflict data, this study provides further understanding of the role of land ownership and competition in the occurrence and lethality of communal conflicts. It argues that land competition, more than other socio-economic factors is the key driver of communal conflicts in Nigeria. The findings from the analyses are explained with three theories – the tragedy of the commons which proved that the conflicts are triggered by …

Oco-3 Meets Ecostress: Insights Into Ecosystem Diurnal Water-Use Efficiency From Co-Located Solar-Induced Fluorescence And Thermal Observations, Zoe Amie Pierrat, Thomas P. Kurosu, Abhishek Chatterjee, Joshua B. Fisher, Maggie Johnson, Le Kuai, Kanishka Mallick, Nicholas Parazoo, Benjamin Wiebe, Kerry Cawse-Nicholson

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Terrestrial ecosystem regulation of carbon and water fluxes is critical for constraining climate–biosphere feedbacks but remains poorly quantified across space and time. Here, we evaluate whether co-located observations from NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-3 (OCO-3) and the ECOsystem Spaceborne Thermal Radiometer Experiment on Space Station (ECOSTRESS) can reproduce ecosystem water use efficiency (WUE) dynamics observed at FLUXNET sites across temporal scales, vegetation types, climates, and drought conditions. We created the ECOCO3 data set, which harmonizes OCO-3 and ECOSTRESS observations in space and time. ECOCO3 captures broad seasonal and diurnal carbon and water flux patterns including midday drought responses. Sampling sensitivity analysis …

The Fragmentation Of Helcar: A Paratethyan Model For Rhûn, Núrnen And The Dead Marshes, Federico Manzoni

Journal of Tolkien Research

This work proposes a conjectural paleogeographic model linking the Sea of Rhûn, Núrnen and the Dead Marshes to the former Sea of Helcar. Beginning from Christopher Tolkien's suggestion that Rhûn may represent Helcar ``vastly shrunken,'' the study combines textual evidence, the Ambarkanta, Fonstad's cartographic reconstructions, and terrestrial analogues drawn from the evolution of the Paratethys, the Messinian Salinity Crisis and other endorheic basins. Helcar is interpreted not merely as an isolated body of deep water but as the centre of a broader hydrological province subsequently partitioned by relief change, sedimentary infilling, basin isolation and drainage reorganization. Within this model, Rhûn …

Evolution Of Economic Geography’S Focus On Resource Studies: Historical Trajectory, Research Progress, And Emerging Trends, Yanxiang Fan, Canfei He

Bulletin of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Chinese Version)

Amid the intertwined contexts of global climate change, the reshaping of the geopolitical landscape, and China’s economic transformation, complex issues in the resource sector have increasingly come to the fore, highlighting the urgent need for systematic research from the perspective of economic geography. This study constructs an interactive analysis framework of core–extended dimensions to systematically review the developments and trends in resource research from an economic geography perspective. This study establishes a two-layer theoretical analysis framework of core and extended dimensions. The core dimension includes four aspects: resource elements in regional economic development, resource flows in global trade networks, resource …

Historical Redlining, Walkability, And Green Gentrification In Baltimore, Usa, Rafael B. De Andrade, Ella Baynes, Vanessa Belt, Joseph Colasacco, Camden Speilman

The Geographical Bulletin

Historical redlining created persistent patterns of racial segregation and spatial inequality in American cities. However, urban initiatives aimed at increasing green spaces in these neighborhoods increasingly trigger gentrification that can displace original residents. In this study, we examine the spatial intersection of 1930s-era Home Owners' Loan Corporation (HOLC) redlining boundaries, current property values, and multimodal park accessibility in Baltimore, Maryland. Using geographic data from 245 properties and 13 major parks, we developed an accessibility framework incorporating walking, public transit, and automobile travel modes to estimate accessibility to green spaces across neighborhoods with different redlining histories. Our spatial analysis reveals that …

Data-Driven Risk Mapping For Safer Roads: Unincorporated Dekalb County, Georgia, Getachew B. Demisse, Stacy C. Grear, Araya D. Araya, Shimelis Gebru, Solomon Negash, Leo Ladefian, Carlo Frate

The Geographical Bulletin

This study presents a decade-long spatiotemporal analysis of more than 206,000 traffic accidents recorded between 2015 and 2024 in unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia. The primary goal of the study is to identify critical patterns of roadway risk and inform data‑driven safety interventions. Using crash records from the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) AASHTOWare Safety platform and standardized crash‑rate calculations, the analysis revealed strong temporal regularities, including elevated crash frequencies during afternoon peak hours, Fridays, and seasonal transition periods such as October. Spatial analyses further demonstrate that crashes are highly concentrated along a limited subset of corridors, consistent with High Injury …

Volume 67-1, May 2026, Nancy Hoalst Pullen, Mark W. Patterson

The Geographical Bulletin

Volume 67-1, May 2026: Complete

A Note From The Editors, Nancy Hoalst Pullen, Mark W. Patterson

The Geographical Bulletin

A Note From the Editors

Cover And Foreword, Nancy Hoalst Pullen, Mark W. Patterson

The Geographical Bulletin

Cover and Foreword

Diversity Of Forest Vegetation In The Quarry Landscapes Of Central Polissia, Ukraine (Eastern Europe), Ivan Khomiak, Oleksandr Harbar, Ruslana Vlasenko, Tamara Andriichuk, Oleksandr Lavryk

The Geographical Bulletin

The features of territorial differentiation of vegetation in quarry landscapes are crucial for addressing theoretical issues in landscape science and applied problems of restoration ecology. This study aims to establish the phytocenotic diversity of forest communities. The forest vegetation of the quarry landscapes of Central Polissia includes 7 classes, 9 orders, 15 unions, 24 associations, and 2 groups of undetermined rank. Based on phytocenotic diversity, the quarries of Zhytomyr Polissia fall into three distinct zones: northern, central, and southern. The northern zone necessarily includes groupings of the Vaccinio-Piceetea class and excludes Salicetea purpurea. The central zone mainly features derived forests …

Low-Income, Minority-Serving Public Schools In Southern California Have Disproportionately High Surface Temperatures, Joaquin Murillo, Gabriella R. Dauber, Joshua B. Fisher, Gregory R. Goldsmith

Biology, Chemistry, and Environmental Sciences Faculty Articles and Research

Extensive evidence demonstrates that people from minority backgrounds often face unequal exposure to extreme heat and have less access to green space that can provide cooling relief. What is less clear is whether these inequities extend to students on school playgrounds, where high temperatures can affect physical health, social and emotional well-being, and learning. We paired high resolution, satellite remote sensing surface temperature data for all 615 of the public schools in Orange County, California (serving ca. 450,000 students) with data on neighborhood household income, race/ethnicity of school enrollment, distance from the coast, and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index as a …

Lgbtq+ People On The Camino De Santiago, Xose Santos, . Wisulanbou

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

In the many published works on the Camino de Santiago, LGBTQ+ people have never been considered as an subject of study. The widespread idea that the Camino is for everyone serves to invisibilise this group of people. The problems and accusations we have had to face in our fieldwork are proof of how uncomfortable it is for some persons to talk about gender, sexuality and non-heteronormative identities on the Camino. Regardless of the variety of motivations for pilgrimage to Santiago, religion continues to have a very strong presence on this itinerary which generates tensions with sexualities, especially those that are …

Hajj Pilgrimage And Spatial Behaviour In Sacred Space, Zuhriddin Juraev, Young-Jin Ahn, Ji-Yeong Gu

International Journal of Religious Tourism and Pilgrimage

This study examines the behavioural and spatial dynamics of the Hajj pilgrimage through the conceptual lens of behavioural geography, focusing on how sacred space, ritual choreography, and communal experiences shape religious engagement. Centred on the Kaaba and surrounding pilgrimage sites, this study explores how ritual practices such as Tawaf, Sa’i, and standing at Arafat construct immersive and affective experiences for pilgrims. Drawing on an interpretive analysis of visual and textual sources, the study argues that sacred space operates not only as a physical setting but also as a symbolic framework that mediates spiritual transformation and social cohesion. It also highlights …

From Disaster To Resilience: Developing Smart Settlements In The Himalayas, Keshav Bhattarai, Ambika P. Adhikari

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

Nepal’s catastrophic 26 August 2026 Bhote Koshi–Trishuli flood should be understood not only as a humanitarian tragedy but also as a potentially major turning point in updating national settlement and reconstruction policy. Engineers and scientists have described the floods as a glacier–bedrock collapse that triggered an ice-rock avalanche and debris flow. As per the live updates on September 7, 2026, the total death toll was 1,355, and 4,996 people were missing (The Hindu, 2026). Indian and Nepali rescuers worked urgently to locate and rescue people buried under hydropower tunnels, buildings, mud, and landslide debris.

UN News reported on September 3, …

From Himalayan Catastrophe To National Resilience: Lessons From The 2026 Bhote Koshi And Trishuli River Floods In Nepal, Keshav Bhattarai, Ambika P. Adhikari

Himalayan Research Papers Archive

On the morning of 26 August 2026, the mountains above Nepal’s northern frontier delivered a disaster of almost unimaginable speed and scale. A massive mass of ice, rock, and sediment detached in the high Himalayan terrain near the Nepal–Tibet border, descended roughly 1,200 metres, interacted with the Lhende Khola system, and generated a debris-rich flood that surged through the Bhote Koshi and Trishuli river corridors, destroying settlements, markets, roads, bridges, hydropower facilities, and an international border crossing and transforming them into fields of mud, boulders, and wreckage within minutes (ICIMOD, 2026b; Reuters, 2026a). Satellite analysis indicates that a substantial section …

Post-Fire Erosion And Debris Flows In The Western Pacific Northwest, United States: Recent Science And Opportunities, Sara A. Wall, Kevan Moffett, Annette Patton, Ben Leshchinsky, Andrew C. Wilcox, Maryn Sanders, Heejun Chang, Josh Roering

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

Most research into post-fire geomorphology has been conducted in regions with frequent fire, such as in dry Mediterranean and temperate climates and less has been conducted in wet forests where wildfire is now expanding with climate change. Because climate, soils, topography, vegetation, management legacies and fire history influence post-fire geomorphic processes, research into post-fire erosion and debris flow hazards across a broader set of climatologies is needed. The western Pacific Northwest (wPNW) of the United States is susceptible to multiple types of post-fire debris flows (i.e. shallow landslide-initiated and runoff-generated) that can be initiated by longer-duration lower-intensity rainfall compared to …

"Our Heritage From The People", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Writings

A lecture presented to a history seminar at the University of North Alabama in March of 1979. The lecture addresses the geography and geology of North Alabama, removal of indigenous people, cultural influence of settlers, and development of the Tennessee Valley into contemporary settlements.

"Islands At The Muscle Shoals", William Lindsey Mcdonald

Writings

Speech outline of the islands located within the vicinity of Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The content is organized under subheadings divided by location, including those below the Wilson Dam, at and above the Wilson Dam, and above the Wheeler Dam. The text includes short depictions of the geography of the islands and notes whether they are still visible after the building of the dams. The mentioned islands include Waterloo Island, Bee Tree Island, an unnamed island between Waterloo and Bee Tree, Brush Creek Island, Colbert Island, Koger Island, Seven-Mile Island, Patton Island, Jackson Island, Polk Stalk Island, Forty-Acre Island, King Island, …

Readme Template For Geospatial Data, Alyssa Renteria

Library Faculty Research

A readme file provides descriptive information about a dataset, file(s), or software. The goal is to ensure that the files and data can be correctly interpreted by your future self or others when sharing or publishing data, code, or software.

2026 Annual Report – Celebrating 40 Years Of Research Excellence, Melissa Weddell

Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research Publications

This report marks the 40th anniversary of the Institute for Tourism and Recreation Research (ITRR) at the University of Montana, founded in 1987 as the research arm of the state's tourism and recreation industries and funded through a small share of the Lodging Facility Use Tax.

It covers the 2025 travel year, when 13.2 million nonresident visitors spent $5.6 billion in Montana, supporting 52,610 jobs and $360 million in state and local tax revenue. Featured studies cover the state's museums and paleontological sites, its $1.27 billion outfitting and guiding industry, and tourism's growing role in Eastern Montana's rural economies. Additional …

Modeling Bald Eagle Habitat Suitability In The Del Rio Springs Ecosystem Using Lidar And Spatial Analysis, Noah Morales, Hank Vincent, Ronny Schroeder

Student Works

This study expands upon prior research that utilized NDVI-based hotspot analysis from UAS and satellite imagery (Morales et al. 2026) to identify potential bald eagle nesting and foraging areas. While NDVI effectively captures vegetation density, it does not distinguish between vegetation types or landscape structural characteristics necessary for nesting. To address this limitation, this research integrates LiDAR-derived canopy height, terrain slope, and proximity to stream networks to develop a more refined habitat suitability model within the Del Rio Springs ecosystem.

Airborne LiDAR data were used to generate Digital Surface Models (DSM) and Digital Elevation Models (DEM), which were employed to …

Gis Methods To Distinguish Between Land Changes From Smallholder Agriculture And Mining In A Time Series For A Tropical Protected Area Forest, Pacifique Mubamba Madibi, Jean-Paul Kibambe Lubamba, Aiyin Zhang, Robert Gilmore Pontius

Geography

Tropical protected areas face pressures from smallholder agriculture and illegal mining, yet many monitoring approaches reduce these dynamics to net forest loss, obscuring whether change is alternating or persistent. In the Okapi Wildlife Reserve, Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the zoning plan allows only nonperennial crops in agriculture zones and forbids mining throughout the reserve, we analyzed annual Joint Research Centre–Tropical Moist Forest maps from 2000 to 2024 at 30 m spatial resolution. We applied Trajectory Analysis and DynamicPATCH across three study zones: agriculture, mining, and hunting–conservation. Trajectory Analysis classifies each pixel’s twenty-five-year non-forest time series into categories such …

The Timing Of Albedo Declines With Reforestation, Christopher A. Williams, Surendra Shrestha, Susan Cook-Patton, Natalia Hasler, Drew E. Terasaki-Hart, Samantha Yeo

Geography

Reforestation is a leading climate solution for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, but generally decreases surface albedo, which diminishes its climate mitigation value. Knowing how quickly this albedo effect unfolds relative to carbon removal is critical for planning climate mitigation actions, yet the temporal changes in albedo are poorly described. This study uses satellite observations to characterize temporal changes in albedo with stand development for different forest types and ecoclimatic settings around the world. We find that about half of the climate warming effect from decreased albedo occurs within 40 years, but that it takes anywhere from 50 to …

Legal Geographies Of The Public Trust Doctrine, Alida Cantor, John P. Casellas Connors, Elizabeth Carlino

Geography Faculty Publications and Presentations

The Public Trust Doctrine (PTD) is a legal principle that recognizes a duty of the government to hold certain natural resources in trust for public benefit. The doctrine has been extended within the United States to address issues of water, coastal access, wildlife conservation, and climate change. Its implementation is spatially uneven and subjective, however, raising geographic questions around scale, power, and political economy. This article uses a legal geographic approach to understand the PTD. Focusing on water, wildlife, and atmospheric resources, we analyze themes of scale and jurisdiction, property and commons, and legal and environmental subjectivity. We argue that …