Geography Theses and Dissertations

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An Evolution of Land Use in Kent County, Maryland
(1953) Singleton, Carey B. Jr; Van Royen, William; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The object of this study is to determine the land use changes that have taken place in Kent County, located on the Eastern Shore of Maryland (See Fig. 1) with emphasis on recent land use changes. The principal objectives of this study will be to ascertain, analyze, and review the evolution of land utilization in Kent County. A major trend within the past ten years has been toward a decreasing number of farms and, at the same time, a decreasing number of people gainfully employed in agriculture. This trend has resulted in the displacement of agricultural earners by fa.rm machinery and farm consolidations. An increase in the average size of farms is due to "outsiders" - business men from out-of-state -- who have established themselves in the county by buying and combining principally waterfront property. Thus large estates are formed along with the restoration of Colonial homes. This type of land tenure has been bringing about utilization of the land in the form of large dairy and beef herds. Kent County has the smallest number of farms of all the counties in Maryland but it has the largest average farm size in the state. This is an area of predominantly large dairy farms with highly mechanized machinery and equipment. The major trend in the last 25 years has been from cash grain to livestock raising which has resulted from the growth of dairying. The pattern of field crops has also changed from cash grains to feed grains for the large dairy herds. This study has been accomplished through the use of field work historical data, tables, maps, and photographs. The assumption can be made that greater permanency and stability in land use may be assured by utilizing the land for what it is best suited to produce. In an agricultural county, such as Kent, the retention of the soil, maintenance of its fertility, and the productivity are fundamental and therefore, the outstanding problems of optimum land utilization in the county. Land use adjusted into a pattern set by man should be utilized according to its capabilities. Optimum production and use of the land may be obtained by utilizing it for purposes to which it is best adapted. This is essentially a geographical problem in the final analysis and is manifested by a myriad of socio-economic factors that compose the gamut of land use implications. The author's interest in this area emanates from a field course in Geography and a number of trips through parts of this county. Field work was accomplished during the spring and summer of 1952 and constitutes the primary source of data for this thesis. The initials of the author appear where compilation of maps and graphs have been drawn from research and field data. All photographs have been taken by the author during his field work in the county.
The Chinese in Latin America, A Preliminary Geographical Survey with Special Reference to Cuba and Jamaica
(1956) Chang, Ching Chieh; McBryde, F. Webster; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The present study concerns itself with the geographical origin, distribution, routes of migration and ports of embarkation of the Chinese in Latin America. It also purports to bring out the similarities and dissimilarities in their demographic composition, economic activities and some other aspects in different Latin American countries. The term "Latin America" is used to include all the European possessions in the area, and the term "Chinese" is used to include all those of Chinese parentage, but not those born to Chinese who intermarried with individuals of other races. Chinese immigration to Latin America on a large scale did not begin until the eighteen forties. Between 1847 and 1874, known as the coolie trade period, about one quarter of a million Chinese migrated to Latin America as "contract laborers". The great majority of them were "forced" immigrants, because they were kidnapped or decoyed by the coolie recruiters and did not migrate voluntarily. After 1874, Chinese immigration entered a new era. All the immigrants came voluntarily. But the good time of free Chinese immigration did not last very long. In or before the first quarter of the 20th century, most of the Latin American countries adopted laws to prohibit the entrance of Chinese. The Chinese immigrants were primarily from nine hsiens (or counties) in Kwangtung province immediately behind the port of Macao. Only those in Jamaica were not from this area, but exclusively from three hsiens in the same province north of Hongkong. At the present time, there are about 77 thousand Chinese in Latin America, and their distribution is highly localized. The localization of the geographical origin and the geographical distribution can be explained only in terms of the special type of Chinese emigration in general and the early history of the Chinese migration to Latin America in particular. Moreover, the Chinese are mainly concentrated in large cities. This is the result of their occupation. Almost all of them are engaged in commerce, and particularly in the grocery trade. Therefore, in places where their number is large, they are very influential in the grocery business. The Chinese population in almost all Latin American countries is characterized by two demographical anomalies: the great excess of males and the abnormally large number of old and middle-aged people. This is owing to the fact that, within the past one hundred years, the number of females among the immigrants has always been extremely small, and a large portion of the population still consists of immigrants who came in or before the nineteen twenties. Generally speaking, there has been no segregation against the Chinese along racial lines. Nevertheless, social contacts between Chinese and natives remain on a business basis and are purely ·functional. Racial consciousness still plays an important role among the Chinese, native-born as well as immigrants. Among the immigrants, it is also because most of them retain their Chinese nationality and want to go back to China eventually. Thus, in Latin America, the Chinese are not only racial minorities but also groups of aliens.
Land Use in Charles County
(1962) Langen, John S.; Van Royen, W.; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
The land use of Charles County does not basically differ from that in the past. Land in forest and land in farms are the two categories of land utilization. The great demand for tobacco on the overseas markets in the early days of the county's history, led to the introduction of this crop. Because of the favorable climate and soils, tobacco became soon the mainstay of the county's economy, a situation which still exists today. The purpose of the thesis was to determine which geographical factors and others accounted for the use of the land. In addition to field work, use was made of detailed statistical data. It was found, that the county could be divided into three sections. In the western section, land in forest was the dominating land use form. In the central section, land in forest and land in farms were about equal in areal extent, whereas in the eastern section, land in farms dominated. The reason was that soils in the western part became exhausted, and a shift to the eastern section took place. Landforms contributed much to the distribution of land in crops, especially for tobacco. Recently, a change in the use of the land is taking place. The encroachment of the Washington Metropolitan area, and the building of a major highway, connecting the North with the South, have induced farmers to sell their lands, which are converted into residential areas.
Colonia Incognita: The Formation of Chinatown, New York City, 1850-1890
(1975) Tom, Henry; Muller, Edward K.; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The genesis of ethnic areas in cities is attributed to the process of residential concentration. For the Chinese experience in New York, however, the emergence of Chinatown occurred through the concentration of institutions. A rapid influx of Chinese into this northern industrial city followed by an occupational specialization in laundries – the coterminous place of work and residence – resulted in their widespread distribution. This spatial pattern prevented a residential concentration of the Chinese, who possessed a great cultural variance from the indigenous population. The migrational objective of returning to China with their accumulated earnings gave rise to the sojourning nature of Chinese migrants and its attendant detached status of migration without wives or families. These conditions generated a desire among the migrants to preserve their cultural identity, incurring a heavy reliance on things Chinese. In response, Chinatown had formed by 1880. Initially, a concentration of service and social institutions which fulfilled the socio-cultural needs of the dispersed Chinese population, Chinatown eventually became the basis for Chinese residential concentration.
Land Tenure, Property Ownership, and Home Mortgages in the Late Nineteenth Century: A Case Study of Baltimore's Germans
(1976) Vill, Martha J.; Groves, Paul A.; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, MD)
During the late nineteenth century the rapidly expanding urban population of the United States created an increased demand for housing. At the same time, mortgage money for the finance of home purchases was in short supply because of the availability of more lucrative investment opportunities elsewhere and because there were legal restrictions on the power of banks to lend money on real estate . Recent literature has emphasized the importance of property ownership among different components of the population, including immigrant groups. Little attention has been paid to the process of property acquisition or to the patterns of land tenure which resulted. An immigrant population, handicapped in numerous ways, was likely to have limited access to available mortgage financing, thereby limiting its ability to purchase property. Yet, the literature suggests that immigrants actively acquired property. This study examines some preliminary ideas about tenure patterns and home mortgages within immigrant residential areas, using a sample of Baltimore's Germans as a case study. The argument presented is that housing acquisition was facilitated by the activities of the immigrants themselves. In view of the restrictions on the supply of mortgage money, financing for property purchases had to come from sources independent of the city's major financial institutions, and the immigrants had to generate their own sources of capital. It was expected that tenants and landlords would have common national origins, another reflection of the immigrants' reliance on members of their own group for housing. Another expectation of the study was that Germans of different origins in Germany would exhibit different tenure patterns. Arguing that the term "German" was an imprecise indicator of national origins, and that the residential patterns of immigrants from different parts of Germany were distinct, it was expected that this diversity would also find expression in tenure patterns. The selection of the sample areas in the study was, therefore, conditioned by the need to isolate areas inhabited by Germans of diverse origins. Land tenure, property ownership, and relationships between landlords and tenants were analyzed. The hoped for differences in rates of property ownership did not materialize, and home ownership was not systematically related to age, income, or family employment. The findings do indicate, however, that home ownership was within the grasp of people with relatively low income. The mechanism which enabled home purchasers to obtain mortgages was the building and loan associations which were organized and directed by men whose origins, occupations, and residences reflected those of the associations' clientele. Thus, the hypothesis that immigrants generated their own mortgage funds was confirmed. The findings of the study concerning landlords and tenants further substantiate the argument that the provision of housing was accomplished by the immigrants themselves. Landlords' residences were close to the properties they rented, and there was a marked tendency for tenants to rent from landlords who shared their German origins.
The Evolution of Symbols on Nautical Charts Prior to 1800
(1979) Clawson, Mary G.; Wiedel, Joseph W.; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
This study attempts to determine the way in which symbols evolved on nautical charts, the identity of originators of these symbols, the spread in their use, and the forces involved in their continuing evolution. A twofold approach is utilized to resolve these questions. First a history of nautical charts prior to 1800 is presented and second, the actual examination of over 4200 nautical charts was carried out to discover and document their symbol content. A graphic summary of the symbols used on these charts is presented along with an analysis of the data gathered in 1 ight of the history of nautical cartography. The evolution of the symbols on nautical charts was found to be closely aligned with one of the three types of symbols described by Dreyfuss (1972): arbitrary, abstract or representational. The arbitrary symbols examined in this study clearly went through an evolutionary process, whereas the abstract and representational symbols remained virtually static throughout the period. The originators of the symbols are given when identifiable and the spread and evolution of the symbols is discussed. From this study it can be concluded that this type of research is most valuable in discovering the evolution of symbols on nautical charts and that the graphic summary could be considered a standard for evaluating the evolution and use of symbols on nautical charts prior to 1800.
Washington, D.C.'s Streetcar Suburbs: A Comparative Analysis of Brookland and Brightwood, 1870-1900
(1979) Prince, Thomas Eugene; Groves, Paul
The evolution of public transportation systems in the large American cities of the late nineteenth century culminated in the innovation of the streetcar. Such transportation changes affected urban structure and by the last quarter of the century had produced a distinctive residential area, the streetcar suburb. Washington, D.C. had a number of such suburbs, some the result of subdivision development associated with the extension of streetcar lines to link existing village suburbs to the downtown core, others the product of concurrent residential subdivision and streetcar development. Such suburbs were predominantly middle-class, white, residential areas. An examination of two Washington, D.C. suburbs: Brightwood and Brookland, indicated distinct physical, social, economic, and demographic structures in these village suburbs in the early 1880's. After the subsequent introduction of streetcar links to downtown Washington--an employment core characterized by much white-collar government employment--the two suburbs became increasingly similar in terms of the chosen measurements. By the end of the century, there was little in their structures to indicate the very different paths they had taken to the same end.
Washington, D.C. and the Growth of Its Early Suburbs : 1860-1920
(1980) Levy, Anneli Moucka; Groves, Paul A.; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
During the nineteenth century, the North American city greatly changed in size and internal structure. With the introduction of mass transportation, large scale suburbanization took place as one aspect of this change. Members of the evolving middle class not only wished to escape the pollution and congestion of the urban core, but also believed strongly in a 'rural ideal,' translated into a 'suburban ideal.' Urban changes and suburban growth were especially pronounced in industrial cities, and descriptions of conditions in these cities identify the accepted model of the spatial configuration of the metropolis existed in 1920. Examination of the growth of Washington D. C. between the Civil War and World War I indicates that the city shared few of the characteristics of the accepted urban model. Nevertheless, it exhibited distinct suburban movement connected with three major transport modes, including the steam railroad. The belief in the 'suburban ideal' was broadly based in Washington and therefore much variation was found among the city's suburban communities, even among those associated with the same transportation mode. Furthermore, in contrast to the suburban model, conditions in the suburban areas often did not compare favorably with those in the city. Even so, the suburbanization process accelerated from small beginnings, so that by 1920 the city displayed the local variant of the typical star-shaped pattern.
Historical Shoreline Changes in Response to Environmental Conditions in West Delaware Bay
(1990) French, Gregory T.; Leatherman, Stephen
This study quantified historical changes in the coastline of the west shore of Delaware Bay. Shoreline changes were measured through the compilation of historical maps and photographs utilizing the Metric Mapping technique. These changes were correlated with various environmental conditions and with human influences. The results portray a 135 year pattern of overall erosion, with long-term rates averaging -4.5 ftjyr, which is considerably greater than the u.s. Atlantic coast average. Coastal engineering (e.g., groins, jetties and beach nourishment) were locally effective in reducing erosion rates and in some cases promoting limited accretion. Perhaps more importantly, there were few associated negative effects alongshore suggesting that various forms of coastal engineering can be effective in a low-energy environment, even when done in a somewhat unorganized fashion. A correlation was found between erosion rates and underlying Pleistocene morphology. Where pre-Holocene sediments were exposed in the nearshore, erosion rates were lower. However, erosion rates were substantially higher along marshy shorelines. This erosion is not continuous either spatially or temporally, but instead is largely storm-driven. Periods of relative quiescence corresponded with lowered rates of average annual shoreline recession. With the exception of the northernmost marshy areas, severe erosion occurs along all shorelines, regardless of morphology, in response to major coastal storms.
Island Land Loss in the Chesapeake Bay: A Quantitative and Process Analysis
(1992) Wray, Rachel Donham; Leatherman, Stephen P.; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
The rates and processes of land loss were studied for seven islands in the Chesapeake Bay: Barren, Bloodsworth, Hooper, James, Poplar, Smith and South Marsh Islands. Rates and patterns of land loss were quantified for the years 1848 to 1987 with the Metric Mapping technique which utilizes digitized data from historical maps and vertical aerial photographs. Processes of land loss were determined through field surveys and correlated with environmental factors. Two distinct island types were identified which exhibited different, long-term patterns of land loss. Small, upland islands, termed the Northern Group, showed rapid land loss along the main stem of the Bay primarily due to wave action driven by the predominant westerly winds. Land loss appeared to accelerate during periods of high storm frequency. The long-term averaged land loss rate for Northern Group islands is 1.9 ha/yr. The averaged erosion rate on the western side of the islands is 4.9 m/yr, compared to 0.68 m/yr on the eastern side of the islands. In contrast, the large, marshy islands of the Southern Group experienced uniform marsh edge erosion and interior marsh degradation. The Southern Group islands lost land at an averaged rate of 5. 6 ha/yr, with an averaged rate of marsh edge erosion of 1.2 m/yr. Land loss appeared to be weakly correlated to storm frequency. Interior marsh loss was not quantified for this study, however, so this study provides an underestimation of total land loss of coastal wetlands.
RECONSTRUCTION OF A DOWNTOWN: THE AFTERMATH OF THE GREAT BALTIMORE FIRE OF 1904
(1993) Wingo, Amanda Jean; Groves, Paul; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
Reconstruction following a major disaster has farreaching impacts which can alter the functioning of a city. Understanding this process is therefore vital. The results of such a study add to the small body of literature on reconstruction following disaster and thus provides additional testing of the findings of Bowden(l967), the critical piece of literature on reconstruction to date. Specifically, this thesis considers the process of reconstruction by looking at the structural and spatial changes predicted by one catastrophic event. Using both Sanborn Atlases and Baltimore Business Directories between 1902 and 1914, the Central Business District (CBD) is examined through the analysis of concentration, sequencing, and persistence processes. More important, however, is the extent to which these processes impact the spatial characteristics of establishments within the Burnt District over a specific period of time (1902- --- ·--·-- 1914). A significant finding indicates that in the pre- and post-fire period Baltimore maintains a high degree of consistency within the Burnt District. However 1 the vertical dimension of Baltimore changes drastically from 1902 to 1914 allowing an increase in the availability of space explained by the vertical growth of buildings. The sequence of return of the "building block" establishments occurred within a surprising two years following the fire. Several defining situations fix or anchor establishments to their locations 1 which act to mitigate the variations in land-use patterns over time. The findings of this study provide a spatial view of the functional districts which play an important role in the life of the CBD of Baltimore.
THE USE OF NARROW SPECTRAL BANDS FOR IMPROVING REMOTE SENSING ESTIMATIONS OF FRACTIONALLY ABSORBED PHOTOSYNTHETICALLY ACTIVE RADIATION
(1994) Kim, Moon Sung; Townshend, John R.G.; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md)
Most remote sensing estimations of vegetation variables such as leaf area index (LAI), absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (Apar,), and primary production are made using broad band sensors with a bandwidth of approximately 100 nm. However, high resolution spectrometers are available and have not been fully exploited for the purpose of improving estimates of vegetation variables. The study was directed to investigate the use of high spectral resolution spectroscopy for remote sensing estimates of f apar in vegetation canopies in the presence of nonphotosynthetic background materials such as soil and leaf litter. A high spectral resolution measure defined as the chlorophyll absorption ratio index (CARI) was developed for minimizing the effects of nonphotosynthetic materials in the remote estimates of f apar CARI utilizes three bands at 550, 670, and 700 nm with bandwidth of 10 nm. Simulated canopy reflectance of a range of leaf area index (LAI) were generated with the SAIL model using measurements of 42 different soil types as canopy background. CARI calculated from the simulated canopy reflectance was compared with the broad band vegetation indices such as normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), soil adjusted vegetation index (SAVI), and simple ratio (SR). CARI reduced the effect of nonphotosynthetic background materials in the assessment of vegetation canopy f apar more effectively than broad band vegetation indices.
Improving the Estimation of Leaf Area Index from Multispectral Remotely Sensed Data
(2003-10-27) Fang, Hongliang; Liang, Shunlin; Prince, Stephen D.; Townshend, John R.; Weismiller, Richard; Geography
Leaf Area Index (LAI) is an important structural property of surface vegetation. Many algorithms use LAI in regional and global biogeochemical, ecological, and meteorological applications. This dissertation reports several new, improved methods to estimate LAI from remotely sensed data. To improve LAI estimation, a new atmospheric correction algorithm was developed for the Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) imagery. It can effectively estimate the spatial distribution of atmospheric aerosols and retrieve surface reflectance under general atmospheric and surface conditions. This method was validated using ground measurements at Beltsville, Maryland. Several examples are given to correct AVIRIS (Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer), MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) and SeaWiFS (Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor) data using the new algorithm. Next, a genetic algorithm (GA) was incorporated into the optimization process of radiative transfer (RT) model inversion for LAI retrieval. Different ETM+ band combinations and the number of "genes" employed in the GA were examined to evaluate their effectiveness. The LAI estimates from ETM+ using this method were reasonably accurate when compared with field measured LAI. A new hybrid method, which integrates both the RT model simulation and the non-parametric statistical methods, was developed to estimate LAI. Two non-parametric methods were applied, the neural network ((NN) algorithms and the projection pursuit regression (PPR) algorithms. A soil reflectance index (SRI) was proposed to account for variable soil background reflectances. Both atmospherically corrected surface reflectances and raw top-of-atmosphere (TOA) radiances from ETM+ were tested. It was found that the best way to estimate LAI was to use the red and near infrared band combination of surface reflectance. In an application of this hybrid method to MODIS, the PPR and NN methods were compared. MODIS LAI standard products (MOD15) were found to have larger values than my results in the study area.
A Negotiated Landscape: Planning, Regulation, and the Transformation of San Francisco's Waterfront , 1950 to the Present
(2003-11-06) rubin, m jasper; Christian, Charles; Geography
This is a study of a landscape, in particular, San Francisco's urban waterfront landscape. Landscape is taken to be both the physical, visible aspects of an area and the often invisible processes that shape it; landscapes both reflect and shape forces of transformation. The analysis is rooted in an historical treatment of the waterfront, covering the period from 1950, when the Port of San Francisco began to experience pressures that would cause a serious and lasting decline in shipping activity, to the present, which is witness to a waterfront very different from early visions for its revitalization. The discussion is placed in the "top-down" and "bottom-up" framework sometimes used to characterize forces that effect change. Because this simple dichotomy is not always satisfactory, the study proposes a modified version that better captures the complexity of the interplay of forces, how their relationship changes over time, and the dual roles that some actors and agencies play. Much research has focused on the effect of larger, external forces on places. This study argues that while such forces have affected the waterfront, especially its decline, local forces evolved that strongly influenced the pace and nature of its transformation. One of the most important ways that local, or bottom-up, power is wielded is through the control of land use. This is a case study, then, of how the evolution of land use policy and regulation, and generally the planning process, has affected this physically and symbolically important part of San Francisco. In presenting a history, the study reveals that the relationship between planning and waterfront transformation moved through four stages. The stages progress from a period characterized by an absence of plans wherein modernist proposals for massive development were proffered, to the current stage characterized by a mature set of policy documents that have encouraged development that is more respectful of the public domain. Each stage is characterized by different aspects of the interplay among top-down and bottom-up forces with different results for the waterfront's morphology. This study concludes that various forces, mediated through a maturing planning process, have produced a negotiated landscape.
MODELING OF SEASONAL TRACE GAS AND PARTICULATE EMISSIONS FROM VEGETATION FIRES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
(2004-04-29) Korontzi, Stefania; Justice, Christopher O; Geography
Fire is widespread in southern African savannas with important implications for tropical and global atmospheric chemistry. However, previous regional emission studies have not fully accounted for the variability of the emissions throughout the burning season and the associated impacts on emissions quantification. The main aim of this study is to address this gap. The complexity of the emissions process is described using a spatially and temporally explicit modeling approach that integrates recently published satellite-driven fuel load amounts, satellite burned area products, and empirically derived parameterizations of combustion completeness and emission factors. To represent fire behavior characteristics, land cover is classified into grasslands and woodlands, using a satellite-derived percent tree cover product. The combustion completeness is modeled as a function of grass fuel moisture and the emission factors as a function of grass fuel moisture in grasslands and fuel mixture in woodlands. Fuel moisture is derived from a fuel load model and by using satellite vegetation index time series. A sensitivity analysis with respect to three satellite burned area products reveals large differences in emissions due to differences in their amounts and spatial distribution. The analysis at the regional scale shows, that early burning in grasslands may lead to higher amounts of products of incomplete combustion despite the lower amounts of fuel consumed, compared with late dry season burning. In contrast, early burning in woodlands results in lower emissions because less fuel gets consumed. These seasonal emissions trends become more pronounced when the fuels are wetter. Burning in woodlands dominates the regional emissions budgets. Emissions estimates for various atmospheric species, many of which are modeled for the first time, are reported and compared with other regional sources of pyrogenic emissions and global biomass burning and fossil fuel emissions. The modeled estimates for 2000 are (in Tg): 537 CO2, 23.2 CO, 0.726 CH4, 0.661 NMHC, 2.4 particulates (< 2.5 micron), 1.0 NOx and account for significant fractions of regional emissions from all pyrogenic sources. Especially high is the previously undetermined contribution of Oxygenated Volatile Organic Compounds (1.8 Tg). The methodology and results have direct implications for national reporting of savanna fire emissions.
The Role of Theology in the Production of Space in Shaker Societies
(2005-02-10) Carter, Catherine; Geores, Martha; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Social space is produced by societies according to the spatial practices that exist within the society. The produced space is a set of relations between objects within the space. The set of economic relations, for example, corresponds to space in which manufacturing and trade can take place while the set of political relations characterizes the space in which governments operate. Theology is also a relation that exists within a society's space, but the space it defines is not well studied and the nature of theological space is not well understood. In some cases, theology is the dominant factor in the production of the space within which a community interacts. The relative importance of theology to its concomitant space is expressed by the architecture, icons, and symbols produced by the society. This research studies the nature of theological space and its production by examining the spatial practices of the religious sect known as the Shakers. This 19th century millennial sect worked to establish heaven on earth, building communities across the northeastern and Midwestern United States. These early planned communities were built according to the precepts of the Shaker theology. Their theology was centered in their belief that the Shaker villages would be the locus of God's kingdom on earth. The Shakers produced their space by regulating the appearance of their villages-- by conforming the village layout and architecture to the precepts of their theology and by reinforcing the tenets of their theology by restricting contact between the sect's members and citizens of the world at large--and through the way they drew and used maps and religious art.
A New Geographic Process Data Model
(2005-03-02) Maxine, Penelope Aurelia Annabell; Albrecht, Jochen; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Processes, although the subject matter of geography, have not been represented in a manner that aids their querying and analysis. This dissertation develops an appropriate data model that allows for such a process oriented representation, which is built upon a theory of process. The data model, called nen, focuses existing modeling approaches on representing and storing process information. The flux simulation framework was created utilizing the nen data model to represent processes; it extends the RePast agent based modeling environment. This simulator includes basic classes for developing a domain specific simulation and a set of query tools for inquiring after the results of a simulation. The methodology was then prototyped with a watershed runoff simulation. NOTE: The author was formerly called Femke Reitsma.
ANALYZING FOREST CHANGE AND POLICY IN WASHINGTON, DC SUBURBAN COUNTIES
(2005-05-27) Jantz, Claire Ann; Geores, Martha E; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Geographical approaches for landscape studies have emphasized the interpretation of landscape change as a cultural phenomenon, but often have neglected modern geographic techniques, such as remote sensing observations and quantitative spatial analysis, to characterize and understand landscape change. This study attempts to bridge these gaps by integrating a socio-cultural analysis of land use policy formation and quantitative assessments of land cover change to demonstrate how policy decisions can influence forest landscape patterns in suburban areas. Historical data from Montgomery County, MD and Fairfax County, VA, two counties adjacent to the Washington, DC urban core that have different governmental structures, were assembled and analyzed. A policy database was developed and analyzed using qualitative techniques, such as grounded theory and content analysis, to address questions related to policy formation and trends. Key findings included the identification of a strong link between land use policies and the broader environmental discourse, demonstrating that dominant cultural values are institutionalized in the development of land use policy. Furthermore, many policies related to forest management and preservation, particularly in recent decades, had a strong focus on protecting riparian forests. Land cover change between the late 1930s and 1998 was studied for local case study areas using time series of aerial photographs, and between 1990 and 2000 across both counties using satellite-derived land cover maps. Using a statistical technique, weights of evidence, the processes of new development, deforestation, and forest persistence were modeled. The results highlighted the role of biophysical variables, such as steep slopes and the presence of poorly drained soils, in constraining new development and enhancing forest persistence. However, the role of land use policies was also evident in enhancing forest persistence through the establishment of protected areas and riparian protection policies. This study demonstrated the impact that land use regulations can have on the evolution of forested landscape patterns within the built environment. The links between socio-cultural values and policy formation highlighted the institutional and cultural barriers that prevent rapid shifts in policy orientation, despite social and environmental problems that arise within a rapidly changing landscape.
Monitoring land degradation in Southern Africa by assessing changes in primary productivity.
(2005-06-15) Wessels, Konrad; Prince, Stephen D.; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
Land degradation is one of the most serious environmental problems of our time. Land degradation describes circumstances of reduced biological productivity. The fundamental goal of this thesis was to develop land degradation monitoring approaches based on remotely sensed estimates of vegetation production, which are capable of distinguishing human impacts from the effects of natural climatic and spatial variability. Communal homelands in South Africa (SA) are widely regarded to be severely degraded and the existence adjacent, non-degraded areas with the same soils and climate, provides a unique opportunity to test regional land degradation monitoring methods. The relationship between 1km AVHRR, growth season sumNDVI and herbaceous biomass measurements (1989-2003) was firstly tested in Kruger National Park, SA. The relationship was moderately strong, but weaker than expected. This was attributed to the fact that the small areas sampled at field sites were not representative of the spatial variability within 1x1km. The sumNDVI adequately estimated inter-annual changes in vegetation production and should therefore be useful for monitoring land degradation. Degraded areas mapped by the National-Land-Cover in north-eastern SA were compared to non-degraded areas in the same land capability units. The sumNDVI of the degraded areas was consistently lower, regardless of large variations in rainfall. However, the ecological stability and resilience of the degraded areas, as measured by the annual deviations from each pixel's mean sumNDVI, were no different to those of non-degraded areas. This suggests that the degraded areas may be in an alternative, but stable ecological state. To monitor human-induced land degradation it is essential to control for the effects of rainfall on vegetation production. Two methods were tested (i) Rain-Use Efficiency (RUE=NPP/Rainfall) and (ii) negative trends in the differences between the observed sumNDVI and the sumNDVI predicted by the rainfall using regressions calculated for each pixel (RESTREND). RUE had a strong negative correlation with rainfall and did not provide a reliable index of degradation. The RESTREND method identified areas in and around the degraded communal lands that exhibit negative trends in production per unit rainfall. This research made a significant contribution to the development of remote sensing based land degradation monitoring methods.
HISTORICAL AND COMPUTATIONAL ANALYSIS OF LONG-TERM ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE: FORESTS IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY OF VIRGINIA
(2005-08-01) Wilson, James W.; Geores, Martha E; Geography; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
The increase and decrease of forests is a major factor of land cover change. This study of forest change in the Shenandoah Valley builds upon the rich historiography of the region through the analysis of generalized and spatially explicit primary and secondary sources covering the period of 1700 to 2000. Combining geo-historical and geo-computational approaches produced a more robust picture of land cover change than would be possible using only one method. Comparing modern and historical reports on the timing of forest clearance and re-growth revealed that a discrepancy existed between the spatially explicit sources and existing historical interpretations regarding the timing and location of forest clearance and re-growth. Understanding this discrepancy is important for the interpretation of forest change and its implications in the Shenandoah Valley and beyond. Two main aspects of the study are the thorough interrogation and comparison of different data sources, and the subsequent analysis and interpretation of the data. Historic maps (1864, 1906, and c. 1945) and digital data sets derived from remotely sensed images (c. 1974 and c. 1992) were analyzed in a geographic information system (GIS) and compared to agricultural census data and published reports of land use and land cover change. Three major findings came out of this study. First, the spatially explicit sources produced values for the amount of cleared area that were within 0.5 to 2.7% of the same information derived from the agricultural census. Second, the maximum amount of forest clearance occurred 25 - 50 years later than existing published reports indicated. Third, the commonly held explanations of federal land acquisition and the abandonment of farms on steep slopes did not account for the observed patterns of forest re-growth. The documented variations in spatial and temporal patterns and reasons for the variations have impacts on our understanding of cultural and physical processes that took place in the region.