Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Evaluation Of A Low-Cost Uas And Phenocams For Measuring Grapevine Greenness, Timothy J. Hoheneder

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports

Unpersoned aerial systems (UAS) could provide winegrowers with the potential to monitor vineyard productivity with ultra-high-resolution imagery and low operational costs. This ability could prove particularly valuable in the challenging cool-climate viticultural areas of Appalachia. Especially in this mountainous region of increasingly variable microclimates, there could be of great value from an ability to use UAS-measured greenness to monitor wine grape phenology and predict harvest quality and quantity. In this study, I assess how UAS-measured greenness relates to three complementary measures of field-based: leaf angle measurements, phenocam measured greenness, and leaf spectral measurements of greenness. After correlating these field-based measures …

Species Distribution Modeling For Arid Adapted Habitat Specialists In Zion National Park, Sam Driver, Daniel R. Unger, David L. Kulhavy, Chris M. Schalk

Student Publications

The Arizona toad (Anaxyrus microscaphus) and Jones’ waxy dogbane (Cycladenia humilis var. jonesii) are habitat specialists with historical ranges in the desert southwest and specifically, Zion National Park (ZION). The machine learning method, MaxEnt, constructed species distribution models (SDMs) in ZION for the two study species at 30 m and 900 m spatial resolutions using climate, topographic, and remotely sensed data. Additionally, 900 m forecasting models were constructed to observe the shifts in suitable habitat for the years 2050 and 2070, based off two representative concentration pathway scenarios. Results indicate promising predictive power for both high …

Study On Temporal‐Spatial Variability Of Climatic Factors And Its Influence On Net Primary Production Of Grassland In Inner Mongolia, China, Guogang Zhang, Yumei Kang

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Management Effects On Rangelands In Western Usa And Northern Mongolia Using Remote Sensing And Gis, Temuulen Tsagaan Sankey, Keith T. Weber, Corey Moffet

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

No abstract provided.

Geoinformatics Application To Investigate Agricultural Potential In The Cholistan Desert, Farooq Ahmad

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

No abstract provided.

Optimal Strategies For Grassland Restoration To Increase Spatial Carrying Capacity Of Florida Sandhill Cranes In Pasco County, Florida, Ibrahim Kaya

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The Florida sandhill crane (Antigone canadensis pratensis) is a non-migratory bird species occurring throughout the Florida peninsula and the Okefenokee Swamp in southeastern Georgia. Human land-altering activities have led to a substantial decline in the amount and condition of suitable habitat, including grasslands, for the species in Florida, thereby decreasing the population size significantly. Grasslands located in close proximity to nesting locations are one of the habitat types on which the population viability of the species depends, as they provide foraging and brooding habitat which is crucial for successful reproduction. The purpose of this study is to propose the most …

Alfalfa Suitability Zone Mapping Using Climatic And Soils Spatial Data And Quantitative Plant Tolerances, David B. Hannaway, Christopher Daly, Michael D. Halbleib, Dan James, Jinbo Shen, Weixing Cao, Xuezheng Shi, Xianglin Li, Yuegao Hu, Liping Feng, Lining Fang

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

No abstract provided.

Using Gis And Geostatistics To Study Spatial Variation Of Soil Test Phosphorus In Grassland, Weijun Fu, H. Tunney, C. Zhang

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

No abstract provided.

Remote Sensing With Gis And Gps For Monitoring Steppe Degradation, T. Akiyama, K. Kawamura, H. Yokota

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

No abstract provided.

Simulation Tools And Pastoral Resources Dynamics In Sahelian Area: The Senegalese Example, Alassane Bah, Ibra Touré, Alexandre Ickowicz, Amadou Tamsir Diop

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

No abstract provided.

Changes In Range Condition In The Arid Shrublands Of Western Australia: Application Of Spatialand Temporal Analysis To Long‐Term Monitoring Data, Peter J. Russell, Ian W. Watson, Phil W. E. Thomas, Brien E. Norton

IGC Proceedings (1993-2023)

No abstract provided.

Snow-Albedo Feedback In Northern Alaska: How Vegetation Influences Snowmelt, Lucas C. Reckhaus

Theses and Dissertations

This paper investigates how the snow-albedo feedback mechanism of the arctic is changing in response to rising climate temperatures. Specifically, the interplay of vegetation and snowmelt, and how these two variables can be correlated. This has the potential to refine climate modelling of the spring transition season. Research was conducted at the ecoregion scale in northern Alaska from 2000 to 2020. Each ecoregion is defined by distinct topographic and ecological conditions, allowing for meaningful contrast between the patterns of spring albedo transition across surface conditions and vegetation types. The five most northerly ecoregions of Alaska are chosen as they encompass …

Land Suitability Analysis For Windfarm Development In Texas, Robert Laszlo Milecz

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Due to the negative impact on the environment of conventional electric power generation methods, especially coal and oil-fired generating plants, wind power as an alternative for sustainable energy has received more attention in recent years. The purpose of this project was to apply Geographic Information System (GIS), integrated with Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM), for identifying suitable areas for wind turbine applications in Texas. Factors taken into consideration included socioeconomic criteria such as distance to highways, proximity to airports and urban areas, localized environmental criteria such as terrain slope and distance to rivers, affected waterbodies, and wildlife management areas. Also …

Evaluating Particulate Matter 2.5 In The Yangtze River Delta, Muhammad Abdullah

MSU Graduate Theses

Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM_2.5) is a growing concern in industrialized countries. In China, high concentrations of PM_2.5 are causing devastating health and environmental effects for the people living there. Coal-burning for domestic and industrial purposes is the main culprit for decreasing air quality in China. The focus of this paper is on the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) located on the eastern coast of China. Hourly PM_2.5 readings from March 2015 to June 2016 were obtained from 125 air quality monitoring stations (AQMS) in 23 cities in the YRD. In this study, PM_2.5 readings were examined …

Utilizing The Public On Public Lands: The Application Of Community Science To Monitor And Model Erosion In National Forests, Jacob L. Hansen

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Unpaved forest roads are adversely affecting coldwater streams through excessive erosion and the subsequent sedimentation of adjacent waterways. To help identify areas of concern, Trout Unlimited (TU) in the Southern Appalachian region developed a Community Science initiative to gather data on sediment sources and stream-road crossings. Volunteers were recruited and trained to monitor road and trail conditions and collect and submit data using a Survey123 application on their cell phones. Analysis of the contributed data reveals statistical connections between drainage type and both erosion level and stream sedimentation. The contributed data were also included as a calibration for the lite …

Analysis Of Interdunal Wetlands And Ecosystem Dynamics Using Uas And Obia In Ludington State Park, Michigan, Claire Gilbert

Masters Theses

The Great Lakes sand dunes are the world's largest freshwater dune complex. There is a functional relationship between coastal wetlands and freshwater sand dune, referred to as interdunal wetlands. Interdunal wetland systems are highly dynamic and change dramatically seasonally and annually. Using geographic information systems (GIS) and unoccupied aerial systems (UAS), this thesis project is focused on understanding the spatial distribution of sparse and dense vegetation, and abiotic influence such as distance to coast, slope, and aspect influence interdunal wetland stability within a Great Lakes shoreline dune system. Object-based image analysis (OBIA) classification results extracted meaningful vegetation densities of growth …

Quantitative Analyses Of Cirques On The Faroe Islands: Evidence For Time Transgressive Glacier Occupation, Keyleigh N. Wallick, Sarah M. Principato

Student Publications

This study presents the first analysis of ice‐free cirques on the Faroe Islands using a Geographical Information System (GIS) and the Automated Cirque Metric Extraction (ACME) tool. The length, width, area, circularity, mean aspect, mean slope, and elevation range, minimum, and maximum were calculated using ACME. Cirque distance to coastline was measured using ArcGIS. A total of 116 cirques were identified. Mean cirque length is 950 m and mean cirque width is 890 m. Average cirque area is 0.8 km2 and mean elevation is 386 m a.s.l. The modal orientation of the aspect of cirques is north‐northeast, with a vector …

Triple Threat Gateway? Respiratory Health, Demographics And Land Use In Metro East St. Louis, Missouri-Illinois, Usa, Stacey R. Brown-Amilian

International Journal of Geospatial and Environmental Research

This paper examines a triple threat for residents of two counties in the St. Louis metropolitan area. Previous environmental justice research has focused on demographics and toxic facilities. This research builds upon those assessments by incorporating hospital discharge data and demographics as well as three different types of pollution sources. Air pollution monitors were unavailable to use during the time period of 2009-2011, therefore proxy measures of pollution in the form of major roadways, industrial land use parcels, and toxic facility information from the EPA Toxic Release Inventory are utilized. This study integrates both spatial coincidence and proximity analysis methods …

Using Gis And Remote Sensing Satellite Data To Mapping And Monitoring Shatt Al-Arab Estuary And Nearby Coastline Southern Iraq, Usama Q. Khalifa, Meelad A. Hussein, Layal F. Al-Kaaby

Al-Qadisiyah Journal of Pure Science

The main objective of this study is to evaluate the most important geomorphological changes of the Shatt al-Arab estuary as it is a border area and affect the Iraqi coast, through the analysis of morphological changes using the application of remote sensing techniques and GIS. As well as the use both a series of maps Admiral old and recent to monitor the temporal - spatial changes that took place in the mouth of the Shatt al-Arab (Delta Shatt al-Arab), also identify the factors affecting the Iraqi coast and regional maritime borders, whether natural or human, according to the changes resulting …

Efficient Viewshed Computation Algorithms On Gpus And Cpus, Faisal F. Qarah

USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations

Nowadays with the advance in managing and collecting large data, GIS is one of the applications that suffer from lack of efficient data management methods. GIS data often come in form of maps with different types of data such as temperature, topology, and population.

This dissertation focuses on exact-viewsheds computation for large terrains, and due to the poor performance of current exact-viewshed algorithms that may need several hours to process a midsize map, we found the need for new algorithms that are capable of efficiently computing viewshed for large size maps. This work presents a highly-efficient exact-viewshed computation algorithm based …

An Integrated Approach (Remote Sensing, Hydrogeology, Gis, And Statistical Modeling) To Identify The Distribution Of Shallow Groundwater Occurrences Over Southwest Saudi Arabia, Fahad Khudier Alshehri

Dissertations

Identifying shallow (near-surface) groundwater in arid and hyper-arid areas has significant societal benefits, yet it is a costly operation when traditional methods (geophysics and drilling) are applied over large domains. In this study, we developed and successfully applied methodologies that rely heavily on readily available temporal, visible and near-infrared, radar, and thermal remote sensing data sets and field data, as well as statistical approaches to map the distribution of shallow (1–5 m deep) groundwater occurrences in Al Qunfudah Province, Saudi Arabia and to identify the factors controlling their development. A four-fold approach was adopted: (1) constructing a digital database to …

Geospatial Applications To Mitigate Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations From Impacting Surface Water Resources, Elias Rex

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) offer the ability to meet the rising demands of population growth by housing large amounts of livestock on relatively small areas of land, using medication to accelerate their maturation, and reusing waste products as fertilizers. However, there is a growing abundance of literature related to land use configurations and their effects on water resources, many of which highlight agriculture as a primary contributor of nutrients and fecal bacteria found in surrounding water resources. The purpose of this study is to advance the current knowledge surrounding CAFO land-use and its effect on tributaries within the Cape …

Using Historical Maps For Contaminated Site Identification And Prediction, And Environmental Justice Implications: A Case Study In Grand Rapids, Michigan, Dana Heusinkveld

Masters Theses

As the production of synthetic chemicals has grown in the past centuries to increase production, lower costs, and generally make our lives more convenient, detecting and understanding the environmental impacts of these compounds has lagged significantly behind their mass production and wide-spread use. To combat this trend, sources of these contaminants, especially those that have been removed from the landscape, need to be quickly identified to make mitigation and remediation efforts more effective. In this study, historical Sanborn maps are used to extract and digitize historical site/land use in Grand Rapids during the early 1900s through the practical application of …

Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis In Traffic Safety, Amin Azimian, Dimitra Pyrialakou

International Journal of Geospatial and Environmental Research

This paper presents an exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) of road traffic crashes at different severity levels in West Virginia (WV). Although ESDA can support transportation safety decision-making by helping planners understand and summarize crash data, it is underutilized in practice. This paper describes the application of five representative easy-to-use method to identify crash patterns and high crash-risk counties in WV. Analysis of crash data from 2010 to 2015 indicated that traffic crashes in WV were not spatially correlated. However, crash severities were found to be positively correlated.

Statistical Analysis Of Land Cover Conversion Trends In Northwest Ohio, Chaska Mcgowan

Honors Projects

Agricultural land in the U.S. is abundant but not infinite. Change in cropland impacts national and local economies and the natural environment. The Black Swamp Conservancy (BSC), a non-profit land trust in Perrysburg, Ohio, is committed to preserving agricultural and natural lands in the Northwest Ohio region for future generations. This project was designed in collaboration with the BSC to illustrate the spatial distribution of land cover change within their sixteen-county service area in Northwest Ohio and to find a list of factors associated with land cover change in the region. The primary data source was the National Land Cover …

A Novel Approach To Updating Municipal Tax Parcel Impervious Surface Calculations, Patrick D. Muradaz

Senior Honors Projects, 2020-current

Accurate impervious surface calculations are important to many municipalities due to the high volumes of surface rainwater runoff caused by high impervious surface density. Municipalities must deal with this runoff through the establishment and maintenance of drainage facilities. To help offset the added cost of these facilities, many municipalities impose taxes and fees on privately owned impervious surfaces such as homes, driveways, and patios. Currently, in order for a city like Harrisonburg to calculate tax parcel impervious surface density, aerial images must be manually digitized or mapped using computer-based classification techniques using predictive models. These methods of impervious surface calculations …

Changes In Land Use Land Cover (Lulc), Surface Water Quality And Modelling Surface Discharge In Beaver Creek Watershed, Northeast Tennessee And Southwest Virginia, Tosin James

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Beaver Creek is an impaired streams that is not supporting its designated use for recreation due to Escherichia coli (E.coli), and sediment. To address this problem, this thesis was divided into two studies.

The first study explored changes in Land Use Land Cover (LULC), and its impact on surface water quality. Changes in E.coli load between 1997-2001 and 2014-2018 were analyzed. Also, Landsat data of 2001, and 2018 were examined in Terrset 18.31. Mann-Whitney test only showed a significant reduction in E.coli for one site. Negative correlation was established between E.coli load, and Developed LULC, Forest LULC, and …

Archaeological, Geophysical, And Geospatial Analysis At David Crockett Birthplace State Park, In Upper East Tennessee, Reagan Cornett

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

A geophysical survey was conducted at David Crockett Birthplace State Park (40GN205, 40GN12) using ground-penetrating radar (GPR) and magnetometry. The data indicated multiple levels of occupation that were investigated by Phase II and Phase III archaeological excavations. New cultural components were discovered, including the remnants of a Protohistoric Native American structure containing European glass trade beads and Middle Woodland artifacts that suggest trade with Hopewell groups from Ohio. A circular Archaic hearth was uncovered at one meter below surface and similar deep anomalies were seen in the GPR data at this level. A semi-automated object-based image analysis (OBIA) was implemented …

Geospatial Analysis Of Potential Flooding From Storm Surge And Sea-Level Change On The Texas Coast By 2100, Gennadii Prykhodko

Earth & Environmental Sciences Theses

Tropical cyclones pose a major hazard to the State of Texas. Anthropogenic climate change and global warming have the potential to increase extreme weather events and lead to enhanced flood hazard zones. This study aims to analyze potential flooding from hurricane induced storm tides in the Houston metroplex area, and particularly in Harris County. A geospatial framework is proposed for modeling inundation from storm surge with sea-level rise. Spatial models and statistics are applied to the State of Texas with the focus on the Houston metropolitan area including Harris County. Historical and observational tropical cyclone data is used to examine …

Sea Level Rise Vulnerability Analysis Of Mangrove Ecosystems Using Gis, Kayla Caldwell

HCNSO Student Theses and Dissertations

Climate change is accelerating beyond what is natural due to excessive emissions from human activities. The sea level has been rising for many years and is currently at a rate of 3.6 mm/yr. Mangroves are known to only keep pace with a sea level rate of less than 1.2 mm/yr. Mangroves are particularly vulnerable to rising sea levels if they are not able to keep pace through vertical sediment accretion or inland migration. To test the vulnerability of the south Florida mangrove ecosystems to sea level rise, this study analyzed changes in the mangrove forest coverage of the Oleta River …