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Title: Understanding Human-Black Bear Conflicts in the Florida Apalachicola Bear Management Unit: A Two Year Comparison.
Creator: Markwardt, Krista, Zhao, Tingting, Horner, Mark, Stallins, J. Anthony, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Human-wildlife conflicts are a major challenge for wildlife management owing to the rapid expansion of settlement growth into wilderness. Research has been conducted on human development impacts on the overall survival of wildlife, as well as wildlife feedback (such as movement and other behavior) at the forefront of conflicts. Public attitudes toward wildlife conservation have also been explored for a better understanding of human-wildlife conflicts. In Florida, human-black bear interactions...
Show moreHuman-wildlife conflicts are a major challenge for wildlife management owing to the rapid expansion of settlement growth into wilderness. Research has been conducted on human development impacts on the overall survival of wildlife, as well as wildlife feedback (such as movement and other behavior) at the forefront of conflicts. Public attitudes toward wildlife conservation have also been explored for a better understanding of human-wildlife conflicts. In Florida, human-black bear interactions have been investigated over decades; however, the human socio-demographic dimension of conflicts was generally missing from the previous research. This study is among the first attempts to explore the increase in human-Florida black bear conflicts, measured by the count of bear calls, through the examination of call data in relation to human demographic trends, settlement growth, and bear habitat distribution. The study area covers the Apalachicola Bear Management Unit (BMU), which saw a tremendous increase in bear calls during the last decade. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Bear Management Program, which is responsible for managing the conflict calls received, the number climbed approximately 20 folds from 1999 to 2009. Factors contributed to such increasing human-bear interactions in the Apalachicola BMU have not been fully investigated and understood. My hypothesis was that the number of bear calls is correlated with caller's proximity to bear habitats and conservation areas, neighborhood's demographic status (such as population densities, population age structures, and household income levels), and the newly developed residents. Demographic, residential, and bear habitat data were collected and compiled at two spatial scales, i.e., by counties and by Census block groups. Three different generalized linear models, including Poisson loglinear regression, negative binomial regression, and binary logistic regression, were used to detect relationships between the count of bear calls and predictor variables at the Census block group level. Results indicate that (1) the call number increased significantly with the shorter distance to conservation areas for all three models; (2) two age groups (0-17 and 35-59) appeared to be negatively related to the count of bear calls according to the Poisson loglinear and negative binomial regressions, which means block groups with lower percentage of juniors and middle-aged population tended to be places with higher call numbers; (3) although density of new residents did not stand out as a significant predictor for the count of bear calls, higher percentage of new multi-family homes was found to contribute to the increased number of bear calls in the Poisson loglinear regression analysis. The results showed that block groups with higher percentage of new multi-family homes near a conservation area are more likely to have bear calls and hence should be a focus of FWC's public outreach and education program. This study contributes to knowledge of human-wildlife conflicts by integrating dynamics of human socio-demographics and settlement development. Methodology may be applied to other areas of Florida to identify the statewide trend of human-bear conflict and to provide scientific reference and guide for FWC's bear management practice. The more knowledge wildlife researchers and managers have in regards to human-wildlife interactions the better informed they will be when making decisions affecting both humans and wildlife.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-2727
Format: Thesis

Title: Morphological Barrier Island Changes and Recovery of Dunes after Hurricane Dennis, St. George Island, Florida.
Creator: Priestas, Anthony Michael, Fagherazzi, Sergio, Stallins, J. Anthony, Kish, Stephen, Georgen, Jennifer, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: A robust dune system is one of the principal factors in the protection of recreational and residential property within barrier islands. Storm surge from significantly large storm events may remove some or all of the dunes during overwash processes and deposit sediment as washover fans or terraces in the back-barrier. During the summer of 2005, Hurricane Dennis greatly overwashed much of the northwest barrier island chain along the Florida panhandle. The post-storm recovery of dunes and...
Show moreA robust dune system is one of the principal factors in the protection of recreational and residential property within barrier islands. Storm surge from significantly large storm events may remove some or all of the dunes during overwash processes and deposit sediment as washover fans or terraces in the back-barrier. During the summer of 2005, Hurricane Dennis greatly overwashed much of the northwest barrier island chain along the Florida panhandle. The post-storm recovery of dunes and morphological changes occurring after Hurricane Dennis within St. George Island State Park is investigated, in addition to the application of numerical methods as a supplemental tool in determining the post-storm "recovery state" of the barrier and envision morphologic trends. Dune recovery rates are estimated by calculating sediment volume changes of profiles through time. One-dimensional, spatial-series Fourier analysis of individual profiles are used to quantify the recovery and morphologic nature of secondary dunes. Two-dimensional Fourier analysis of elevation data were attempted to be used as a tool to discriminate geomorphic trends in the barrier. Digital elevation models are used to describe post-storm morphologic changes, and the future recovery state of the barrier may be supplemented by analyzing the distributions of curvature and gradients calculated numerically from LIDAR data. Results show that secondary dunes recovered at an average rate of ~3-4 cm per month, and sediment volume changes across transects varied between -1.5 m3/m to1.2 m3/m depending on the presence of vegetation, storm-debris pavement, and proximity to washover deposits. Despite some transects having a net sediment volume loss, all dunes in the presence of vegetation had increased in height. Vegetation did not propagate where storm-debris pavement existed during the one-year duration of the study. The presence of vegetation inhibited dune migration thus favoring dune growth or decreasing the effect of erosion from strong wind events. Fourier analysis of profiles captured changes in dune height at specific wavelengths. The highest energies from the spectra were usually at 30 to 40 meter wavelengths for each profile in time, which reflects the immobility of the dunes and may also reflect the controls of vegetation on dune spacing. The results of two-dimensional Fourier analysis on terrain data were difficult to interpret, but may prove a potential use in terrain analysis. Overwash was prevalent throughout the barrier. For the studied area, St. George Island had experienced inundation overwash with an estimated 100,000 ft3/ft net loss of sediment following the hurricane. Nearly the entire foredune complex was removed, save a few remnants. Storm surge had likely penetrated first in areas where foredunes were either low or discontinuous; in these areas, beach widening was less prevalent. In contrast, the beach widening (~30ft) occurred in areas where the foredunes were higher and more continuous.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0458
Format: Thesis

Title: Improved Flood Prediction from Basin Elevation Distribution.
Creator: Dickey, Jeffrey James, Elsner, James B., Paradice, David, Cooper, Harry, Klooster, Daniel J., Stallins, J. Anthony, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: In this research I explored the use of the statistical characteristics of the distribution of elevation points within a basin for predicting the rate at which at peak in rainfall at some point within the basin becomes at peak in runoff at the outlet of that basin. My research was stimulated by the desire to improve flood forecasting in ungauged basins and based on the pioneering hydrology research of Langbein, Horton and Strahler as updated by Harlin and Luo. I developed a simplified model of...
Show moreIn this research I explored the use of the statistical characteristics of the distribution of elevation points within a basin for predicting the rate at which at peak in rainfall at some point within the basin becomes at peak in runoff at the outlet of that basin. My research was stimulated by the desire to improve flood forecasting in ungauged basins and based on the pioneering hydrology research of Langbein, Horton and Strahler as updated by Harlin and Luo. I developed a simplified model of a basin with stream development and showed how basin factors known to affect runoff – area, slope, stream network development, and basin shape – could be represented by the statistical characteristics N (count), standard deviation, median less minimum, skewness, and kurtosis. Linear regression of average runoff accumulation rate on the statistical characteristics showed N, median less minimum, and skewness to have a significant effect with an R-squared of 83%, a residual standard error of 0.25 on 28 degrees of freedom, and an overall p-value of 2.4e-11. A model skill assessment through cross-validation yielded a mean square error of 11%.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0733
Format: Thesis

Title: A Geographical Ontology of Objects in the Visible Domain.
Creator: Bitters, Barry, Yang, Xiaojun, Schwartz, Daniel G., Stallins, J. Anthony, Klooster, Daniel J., Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This dissertation describes the development of a very large, multi-domain ontology. It addresses the processes involved in developing object-oriented ontological data structures in general and specifically ontological data structures of the geospatial domain. The ontological data structure developed during this research effort – the Visual Objects Taxonomy/Thesaurus (VOTT) - is a compendium of feature classes and concepts within the visual domain that are of interest to geographers,...
Show moreThis dissertation describes the development of a very large, multi-domain ontology. It addresses the processes involved in developing object-oriented ontological data structures in general and specifically ontological data structures of the geospatial domain. The ontological data structure developed during this research effort – the Visual Objects Taxonomy/Thesaurus (VOTT) - is a compendium of feature classes and concepts within the visual domain that are of interest to geographers, cartographers, geographic information science (GISci) practitioners, geospatial modeling and simulation engineers, and cognitive scientists. This data structure is an object-oriented, knowledge base of geospatial objects in the visual domain – those objects that we see when we look out a picture window; or objects we see when we look out an aircraft window; even those objects that we see when we view an urban setting. The semantic integration process used in this effort was designed to allow the integration of all forms of existing ontological data structures – word-lists, dictionaries, taxonomies, thesauri, and many other forms of ontologies to create a compendium of class concepts. The final products generated during this phase of the research – a broad-based taxonomy and its counterpart thesaurus - provide object-naming consistence for future cartographic, geographic information science, and modeling and simulation production endeavors. An additional by-product of this research effort is a 3-D model library of generic OpenFlightTM models of a representative number of the concepts in the geospatial ontology. These models are in the public domain and are freely distributable.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-3713
Format: Thesis

Title: Humandolphin Encounter Spaces: A Qualitative Investigation of the Geographies and Ethics of Swim-with-the-Dolphins Programs.
Creator: Stewart, Kristin L., Stallins, J. Anthony, Opel, Andrew, Kodras, Janet E., Warf, Barney, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Throughout history and all over the world, dolphins have been welcomed across the human-animal boundary as an ethical subject fit for human companionship. The dolphin's charismatic status has led to a burgeoning swim-with-dolphins industry that offers eager customers opportunities for close, in-water interactions with dolphins. With qualitative methods, I investigate human-dolphin encounter geographies in the marketplace today. Contributing to a growing animal geographies literature, three...
Show moreThroughout history and all over the world, dolphins have been welcomed across the human-animal boundary as an ethical subject fit for human companionship. The dolphin's charismatic status has led to a burgeoning swim-with-dolphins industry that offers eager customers opportunities for close, in-water interactions with dolphins. With qualitative methods, I investigate human-dolphin encounter geographies in the marketplace today. Contributing to a growing animal geographies literature, three case studies in Florida and the Bahamas inform a situated understanding of particular animal encounter spaces. Through the use of narrative, I suggest that as encounter spaces change, so do the views and experiences associated with human-dolphin interactions, as well as the essential nature of what it means to be dolphin. Encouraging further dialogue about how we ought to interact with dolphins, I evaluate various encounter contexts, consider policy alternatives, and propose a practical ethic for human-dolphin encounters in a decidedly normative effort to advance the well-being of dolphins, humans and the spaces we share.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0389
Format: Thesis

Title: Long-Term Change in Hydrology, Tree Growth, and Forest Composition along the Apalachicola River.
Creator: Smith, Matthew C., Stallins, J. Anthony, Elsner, James B., Yang, Xiaojun, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Recent shifts in the hydrologic regime of the Apalachicola River have been attributed to anthropogenic changes in the watershed, particularly those associated with dam and reservoir construction. To assess the impact of these changes on the forests on the river's floodplain, a two-tiered methodology was applied to a 1-ha forest plot. First, repeat-survey data spanning a 27-year interval was subjected to multivariate analysis for identification of major trends in forest composition. While the...
Show moreRecent shifts in the hydrologic regime of the Apalachicola River have been attributed to anthropogenic changes in the watershed, particularly those associated with dam and reservoir construction. To assess the impact of these changes on the forests on the river's floodplain, a two-tiered methodology was applied to a 1-ha forest plot. First, repeat-survey data spanning a 27-year interval was subjected to multivariate analysis for identification of major trends in forest composition. While the changes identified were small, the increased representation of upland tree species on the plot was a potential indication of ecological response to declining river stages. To examine patterns in tree growth in more detail, a dendrochronological approach was used, beginning with the collection of core samples from every species present on the plot. Of these, cores from 4 different species were selected as suitable for analysis. The annual growth increment record from these cores was subjected to correlation and multiple regression analysis with various hydrologic and climatic parameters in an attempt to isolate the primary factors influencing growth. The use of the hydrologic analysis software IHA allowed the development of parameters characterizing the site-specific flooding regime, including parameters approximating annual frequency, average duration, and average timing of inundation events. Finally, intervention detection analysis was used to identify major trends, shifts, and unusual features in the growth record. Growth in all four species was found to correlate most strongly with hydrologic parameters, particularly with the site-specific parameters generated by IHA. Regression models developed primarily from hydrologic parameters were successful in accounting for variance in growth in all four species, particularly after removal of disturbance-related outlier years (0.36
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0349
Format: Thesis

Title: Network Analysis of Animal Space-Use Patterns.
Creator: Downs, Joni A., Horner, Mark W., Chicken, Eric, Stallins, J. Anthony, Elsner, James B., Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Home range analysis involves characterizing the spatial extent that an animal occupies from sample points that record its location periodically over time. Kernel density estimation (KDE) is currently the most widely applied and accepted method of home range estimation, although several authors have recently questioned its use for this purpose, citing instances when it performed poorly for certain types of point distributions. The first part of this dissertation provides a critical evaluation...
Show moreHome range analysis involves characterizing the spatial extent that an animal occupies from sample points that record its location periodically over time. Kernel density estimation (KDE) is currently the most widely applied and accepted method of home range estimation, although several authors have recently questioned its use for this purpose, citing instances when it performed poorly for certain types of point distributions. The first part of this dissertation provides a critical evaluation of KDE in the context of home range estimation from a geographic information science (GIScience) perspective. First, the accuracy of KDE as a home range estimator is tested using simulated animal locational data that conform to different shapes. Because those results suggest that KDE is not robust to point pattern shape, the method then is examined in the context of its underlying statistical and spatial assumptions. This review reveals that KDE implicitly assumes that the point locations used in the analysis were generated by a stationary, Euclidean-based process. As point locations for home range analysis are derived from an animal's continuous movement trajectory through space, a nonstationary, network-based process, application of KDE to home range analysis is in violation of the technique's underlying assumptions. This leads to the conclusion that KDE is inappropriate for home range estimation. The second part of this dissertation then develops and explores an alternative method of density estimation that assumes network-based rather than Euclidean-based space usage: network-based kernel density estimation (NKDE). NKDE is applied to wildlife-vehicle collision data for illustration. Because animal locational data are generated by a network based process, NKDE is extended to estimate wildlife home ranges. Then, NKDE is applied to the same point pattern data of different shapes used to evaluate KDE. The results suggest that NKDE performs much more accurately as a home range estimator than traditional KDE.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0680
Format: Thesis

Title: Assessment of Glacier Mass Balances from Small Tropical Glaciers to the Large Ice Sheet of Greenland.
Creator: Albert, Todd Hayden, Elsner, Jim, Stallins, J. Anthony, Fuelberg, Henry, Yang, Xiaojun, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: A combination of field work, modeling, and remote sensing was used to determine mass balances for the Quelccaya Ice Cap in Peru and for parts of the Greenland Ice Sheet. A 40-year history of deglaciation on Quelccaya derived from satellite is presented. Automatic Weather Station and snow pit data throughout Greenland were utilized to determine a mass balance profile for the ice sheet which will serve as a baseline for future comparison. Finally, a series of models were tested in west-central...
Show moreA combination of field work, modeling, and remote sensing was used to determine mass balances for the Quelccaya Ice Cap in Peru and for parts of the Greenland Ice Sheet. A 40-year history of deglaciation on Quelccaya derived from satellite is presented. Automatic Weather Station and snow pit data throughout Greenland were utilized to determine a mass balance profile for the ice sheet which will serve as a baseline for future comparison. Finally, a series of models were tested in west-central Greenland for their ability to accurately simulate measured melt conditions given hourly observations of the surface meteorology. A new analytical melt model, SOSIM, was developed and tested for this study.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0157
Format: Thesis

Title: Fluctuations in Hurricane Landfall Frequency along the East Coast of Florida as a Function of Regional Climate Variability.
Creator: Wood, Jefferson, Elsner, James B., Hart, Robert E., Stallins, J. Anthony, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Hurricane track data from the NHC HURDAT best track dataset from 1900-2003 are analyzed with respect to landfalls along the east coast of Florida. Using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method changepoint analysis technique, a changepoint in the landfalls along the coast of east Florida is identified in 1969. The changepoint represents a significant decline in the number of hurricane landfalls along the coast of east Florida starting in 1969 relative to the period 1900-1968. Overall Atlantic...
Show moreHurricane track data from the NHC HURDAT best track dataset from 1900-2003 are analyzed with respect to landfalls along the east coast of Florida. Using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method changepoint analysis technique, a changepoint in the landfalls along the coast of east Florida is identified in 1969. The changepoint represents a significant decline in the number of hurricane landfalls along the coast of east Florida starting in 1969 relative to the period 1900-1968. Overall Atlantic activity and U.S. landfalls are analyzed with respect to this date and it is found that despite an increase in hurricane activity in the Atlantic basin and little variance in the number of landfalls elsewhere in the U.S. between the two periods, landfalls along Florida's east coast have declined significantly. Using spatial intensity analysis, hurricane activity shows a marked decrease around the Florida peninsula, the Bahamas, and the western Greater Antilles since 1969, as compared to the period from 1900-1968. A domain is constructed that covers this area of decreased activity. Using NCEP/NCAR reanalysis, NOAA Extended Reconstructed SST, and NOAA/CPC SOI and NAO data, an analysis of the regional climate with respect to variables that have previously been found to be important to hurricane formation and distribution is performed. Reanalysis data for seven thermodynamic and dynamic parameters (SST, 500-700hPa average RH, surface air temperatures, 200-850hPa zonal vertical shear, 925hPa relative vorticity, 200hPa divergence, and sea-level pressure) as well as observations of the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI), the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index, and the Quasi-Biennial Oscillation (QBO) are used to form yearly seasonal averages, covering the months of August through October over the domain from 1948-2003. These yearly seasonal averages are then used to construct a forward stepwise Poisson regression model that predicts the number of landfalls along the east coast of Florida. The variables that contribute significantly to the model are variables that have an important influence on the number of landfalls the east coast of Florida receives. The variables that had the greatest significance in the model were 200-850hPa zonal vertical shear, the NAOI, and surface air temperatures. Decreases in all three variables correspond to increased landfall rates in the model. When these variables are examined, it is found that the average trend in shear and the NAOI were highest during the period of most suppressed hurricane activity along the east coast of Florida and lowest during the active period for Florida. The trends in the two variables display a cyclic nature with a period on the order of approximately 40 years. In addition, the trend for both variables has been moving towards a more favorable regime for hurricanes since the early 1990s. This suggests that the regional climate may be returning to a regime that is conducive for increased hurricane activity in and around Florida. However, this trend may be tempered by the relatively steady increase in surface temperatures over the study domain. This increase in surface temperatures may be due to deforestation and other changes in land use over the region during the last 50 years and could have a significant effect on convection in the region, as evidenced by a decreasing trend in OLR over the domain.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0803
Format: Thesis

Title: Hydrology-Based Wetland Delineation.
Creator: Cole, George M., Stallins, J. Anthony, Fagherazzi, Sergio, Elsner, James B., Yang, Xiaojun, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This study involves evaluation of a hydrological approach for the delineation of jurisdictional wetlands and the planning and monitoring of wetland restoration. The proposed process uses short-term groundwater observations for the development of the rate of drainage (infiltration) and response to evapotranspiration and rainfall for a site. Those parameters are then used in a site-specific hydrological model that, together with long-term precipitation records, may be used to estimate the...
Show moreThis study involves evaluation of a hydrological approach for the delineation of jurisdictional wetlands and the planning and monitoring of wetland restoration. The proposed process uses short-term groundwater observations for the development of the rate of drainage (infiltration) and response to evapotranspiration and rainfall for a site. Those parameters are then used in a site-specific hydrological model that, together with long-term precipitation records, may be used to estimate the extent of saturation and inundation at the site over the long term. The extent of long-term saturation and inundation may then be compared with prevailing legal criteria for wetlands. The study includes an examination of the rationale for the model as well as tests of its validity for the prediction of groundwater levels. In addition, the limits of wetland areas determined by this process are compared with those determined by the use of traditional vegetative and soil indicators of wetlands. The study also addresses possible applications of the process for the planning of wetland restoration.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-3566
Format: Thesis

Title: Implications of Spatial Resolution on Hydrological Network Modeling: A Case Study in the Chipola River Basin, Florida.
Creator: Verdi, Richard Jay, Yang, Xiaojun, Stallins, J. Anthony, Mesev, Victor, Hu, Bill X., Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: There are two major paradigms in geography. These are human-environment interaction and spatial analysis. Human-environment interaction is defined as how the human race interacts with the environment it is surrounded by and spatial analysis is defined as the analysis of geographical entities with spatial scale. The main goal of this thesis is to examine the role that spatial scale and resolution of digital data has on hydrologic modeling using the Chipola River Basin in Florida as the case...
Show moreThere are two major paradigms in geography. These are human-environment interaction and spatial analysis. Human-environment interaction is defined as how the human race interacts with the environment it is surrounded by and spatial analysis is defined as the analysis of geographical entities with spatial scale. The main goal of this thesis is to examine the role that spatial scale and resolution of digital data has on hydrologic modeling using the Chipola River Basin in Florida as the case study. This goal was achieved by (1) comparing and contrasting each data set with a summary of statistics for the DEM data, as well as the drainage line feature class, and (2) completing a drainage density evaluation of the hydrologic network. This thesis contrasts with previous research in that previous studies did not include the use of the Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) dataset. This thesis includes both, the SRTM data and National Elevation Dataset (NED) data for analysis. This research contributes to literature by (1) providing a methodology for drainage density evaluations, (2) providing technical aspects of this research, (3) bridging a literature gap on the use of SRTM data in this type of analysis, (4) providing readers with the implications of spatial scale and spatial resolution on hydrological modeling, and (5) providing a well-documented case study for the Chipola River Basin. Conclusions at the technological, theoretical, and application levels have been developed based on this research. At the technological level, GIS has proven to be a useful tool that has the capability to extract multiple parameters from a digital elevation model and create a hydrological network database out of it. At the theoretical level, this thesis has shown that some difficult parameters (e.g. stream definition threshold) exist when doing this research. Thresholds used in this research were based on EDNA standards, but the research shows the drainage density estimations may be improved if the threshold was lowered. At the application level, the researched showed that spatial resolution does play a role in how hydrologic features are modeled and instituted a well-documented case study by using the Chipola River Basin.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4566
Format: Thesis

Title: Social Spatialization in the Atchafalaya Basin.
Creator: Keul, Adam, Steinberg, Philip E., Davis, Frederick R., Stallins, J. Anthony, Doel, Ronald E., Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This dissertation elucidates how tourism is a context in which people have the capacity to perform exotic spatializations by creating nature/culture hybrids in marginalized spaces. Specifically it focuses on how swamp tour guides in Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin negotiate between images established by place-myths and the guides' actual experiences in the swamp in order to sell Cajun-swamp cultures to tourists without `selling out'. This perspective is informed by a review of relevant...
Show moreThis dissertation elucidates how tourism is a context in which people have the capacity to perform exotic spatializations by creating nature/culture hybrids in marginalized spaces. Specifically it focuses on how swamp tour guides in Louisiana's Atchafalaya Basin negotiate between images established by place-myths and the guides' actual experiences in the swamp in order to sell Cajun-swamp cultures to tourists without `selling out'. This perspective is informed by a review of relevant literatures from geographers and social theorists and by fieldwork comprised of participant-observation of thirteen tours in the study area and interviews with guides and tourists alike. The findings suggest that rather than relying on images of a `backwater' culture in an equally exotic environment, guides perform hybridities-in-the-making that blend Cajuns and the swamp, wild and `civilized' spaces and people and alligators. The present-tense performance of these hybridities allows for the exotic to be coded to the time-space itself rather than the particular people or landscape. This tactic creates a context where guides can perform nature through culture and not a culture from nature. This conjecture is crucial for understanding how tourism produces exoticism and particularly how ethnic groups are able to participate in tourism without creating hierarchies that rely on the continuation stereotypes.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4944
Format: Thesis

Title: The Embeddedness of Hognose Snakes (Heterodon Spp.) in the Wildlife Pet Trade and the Relevance of Assemblage Geographies for Reptile Conservation.
Creator: Kelley, Lauren Grace, Stallins, J. Anthony, Steinberg, Philip E., Jordan, Lisa, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The wildlife pet trade is global in scope and generates large economic revenues. Reptiles are moved across international borders to supply an extensive network of breeders, collectors, and pet owners. This study invokes new materialist geographies and the concept of assemblages to characterize the trade in hognose snakes (Heterodon spp.), a genus native to North America and comprised of three species. A mixed methods approach was used to establish 1) what characteristics of hognose snakes...
Show moreThe wildlife pet trade is global in scope and generates large economic revenues. Reptiles are moved across international borders to supply an extensive network of breeders, collectors, and pet owners. This study invokes new materialist geographies and the concept of assemblages to characterize the trade in hognose snakes (Heterodon spp.), a genus native to North America and comprised of three species. A mixed methods approach was used to establish 1) what characteristics of hognose snakes have led to their incorporation into the pet trade; and 2) what sites are involved in the hognose pet trade and how does the mutual embeddedness of their spatialities shape an overall topology. Interviews with reptile breeders, participatory observations at reptile shows, and content analysis indicated that the western hognose (H. nasicus) has visual, behavioral, and physiological characteristics that contributed to its incorporation into the trade. Its smaller size, less dramatic displays of bluff aggression, phenotypic variability, and flexible dietary preferences make it more suitable than the eastern or southern hognose. The evolutionarily contingent distribution of western hognose collection sites is embedded within transitory social networks of reptile breeders that operate under highly variable state wildlife regulations. These state to state asymmetries, although greatly contextual, are nonetheless generative in bootstrapping a very fluid and functional trade in hognose. Ordination (non-metric multidimensional scaling) was used to fuse the absolute and relative distances that define these asymmetries into a single visualization of the phase space of the hognose reptile trade. Clusters of states in this mapping corresponded to the categories breeders assigned to states in terms of their openness to the hognose pet trade and in terms of their status as collection states or gateway states for the international market. It is proposed that the hognose snake trade is a robust, self-organizing, horizontal assemblage that could be incorporated into more vertical global and federal wildlife protection initiatives as a form of citizen science. The contingent and ad hoc nature of this assemblage provides an efficient mechanism for promoting not only the emergence of new color patterns (or morphs) that drive the trade, but it also coheres into a self-policing entity with a wealth of resources and knowledge.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4942
Format: Thesis

Title: Variations in Typhoon Landfalls over China.
Creator: Fogarty, Emily A., Elsner, James B., Jagger, Thomas, Stallins, J. Anthony, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The inter-annual variability of typhoon landfalls in China is investigated using historical and modern records. A north-to-south anti-correlation in yearly activity is confirmed from the historical records. When activity over Guangdong is high, it tends to be low over Fujian and vice versa. This spatial variation is identified in the modern record using a factor analysis model, which delineates the southern provinces of Guangdong, and Hainan from the northern provinces of Fujian, Taiwan,...
Show moreThe inter-annual variability of typhoon landfalls in China is investigated using historical and modern records. A north-to-south anti-correlation in yearly activity is confirmed from the historical records. When activity over Guangdong is high, it tends to be low over Fujian and vice versa. This spatial variation is identified in the modern record using a factor analysis model, which delineates the southern provinces of Guangdong, and Hainan from the northern provinces of Fujian, Taiwan, Zhejiang, Shanghai,Jiangsu, and Shandong. An index of annual activity representing the degree to which each year follows this pattern of activity is used to identify correlated climate variables. A useful model that includes sea level pressure differences between Mongolia and western China and SST over the midlatitude NW Pacific during the summer explains 27% of the inter-annual variability of the index. Physically, we suggest that a stronger than normal north to south pressure gradient increases the surface easterly wind flow over northern China, this coupled with lower SST over midlatitude NW Pacific, favors typhoons taking a more southerly track toward Hong Kong.
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Date Issued: 2004
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4431
Format: Thesis

Title: The Effects of Population Size and Spatial Structure on Genetic Variation and Response to a Novel Environment in a Perennial Plant.
Creator: Oakley, Christopher G., Winn, Alice A., Stallins, J. Anthony, Beerli, Peter, Houle, David, Travis, Joseph, Department of Biological Science, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: While theory shows that the distribution of populations in space can have profound ecological and evolutionary consequences, the complexity of numerical and genetical dynamics in space has made evaluation of model assumptions and predictions in natural populations challenging. Evolutionary dynamics in a spatial context will involve complex interactions between natural selection, genetic drift, migration, and genetic architecture. These factors have seldom been evaluated for natural...
Show moreWhile theory shows that the distribution of populations in space can have profound ecological and evolutionary consequences, the complexity of numerical and genetical dynamics in space has made evaluation of model assumptions and predictions in natural populations challenging. Evolutionary dynamics in a spatial context will involve complex interactions between natural selection, genetic drift, migration, and genetic architecture. These factors have seldom been evaluated for natural populations. I explored evolution in a spatial context in the perennial plant Hypericum cumulicola, exploiting natural variation in population size and degree of isolation. This species has recently colonized a novel roadside habitat, and populations in the novel habitat show dramatic differences in life history traits suggesting divergent selection. In chapter 2, I quantified the pattern of population size and migration using molecular marker data and coalescent methods, and sought to determine the effects of population size on patterns of recessive or nearly recessive unconditionally deleterious mutations. I found that migration was overall very low but that it was difficult to reliably distinguish differences among populations based on estimates of effective size. Agreement of point estimates of effective size, Nei's gene diversity, and habitat patch area and census size indicate that in this system, differences in census size represent a reasonable proxy for difference in long term differences in relative population size; populations with more individuals have higher genetic diversity and occupy larger habitat patches than populations with fewer individuals. I performed controlled pollinations and quantified the fitness of the progeny in the greenhouse to examine the effects of population size on the distribution of recessive or nearly recessive deleterious mutations for 16 populations. I found strong (71%) heterosis in small populations only, indicating an accumulation of deleterious mutations fixed by genetic drift. Qualitatively lower inbreeding depression in small populations was also consistent the action of drift in small populations. In chapter 3, I conducted a field transplant experiment to examine if population size was positively associated with mean individual fitness in either the native scrub of novel roadside habitat. I also examined if there was local adaptation between populations in the two habitats, and quantified the pattern of phenotypic selection in each habitat. I found that population size is not associated with mean individual fitness in the native scrub habitat, but is in the roadside habit. A 200% increase in mean individual fitness in the road habitat, suggests that population size might influence the ability to respond to more beneficial growing conditions. I found no evidence of local adaptation between the native and novel habitat types. There was significant phenotypic selection for traits associated with faster growth, earlier reproduction, and larger adult size in both environments, with selection being stronger in the native scrub environment for some traits. In chapter 4, I asked if larger populations had greater quantitative genetic variation for potentially important traits. I quantified population differentiation and broad sense coefficients of genetic variation (CV) for phenotypic traits and examined the relationship of trait means and CV to population size for plants grown in their natural scrub habitat and in the greenhouse. I found limited evidence for reduced quantitative genetic variation in small populations, or depressed trait means for traits related to fitness. I did find consistently positive associations between estimates of Nei's gene diversity and CV for traits measured in their natural habitat. I suggest that reduced plasticity for relevant traits and increased frequency of deleterious mutations could limit the ability of small populations to respond to a novel environment. In sum, I detected an extreme degree of spatial subdivision in which populations of a dozen to a few hundred individuals are completely isolated on scales of just a few hundred meters. Such isolation and small population size appears to result in substantial fixation of recessive to nearly recessive deleterious mutations. Small populations also appear to have a reduced ability to capitalize on more beneficial environmental conditions. I find no effect of population size on levels of quantitative genetic variation, but suggest that the few cases in which populations are exchanging migrants may obscure the expected pattern. My results suggests that interactions among selection, drift, migration, and non-additive genetic architecture are unlikely to facilitate adaptive evolution in this system, but that there is an important role of genetic drift in how evolution proceeds.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-2442
Format: Thesis

Title: Integrating Geographic Information Technologies for Land Change Analysis and Modeling in an Urban Area.
Creator: Liu, Ting, Yang, Xiaojun, Chapin, Timothy S., Pierce, Joseph, Stallins, J. Anthony, Zhao, Tingting, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Land changes are complex and dynamic processes that involve the human and natural systems interacting over space and time to reshape the earth's surface. As a fundamental form of global environmental changes, land changes also hold wide-ranging significance for the functioning of the earth's ecosystem and the human society. However, understanding land change dynamics remains a major challenge for global environmental change and sustainability research. The primary objective of this...
Show moreLand changes are complex and dynamic processes that involve the human and natural systems interacting over space and time to reshape the earth's surface. As a fundamental form of global environmental changes, land changes also hold wide-ranging significance for the functioning of the earth's ecosystem and the human society. However, understanding land change dynamics remains a major challenge for global environmental change and sustainability research. The primary objective of this dissertation research is to investigate the feasibility and applicability of integrating various geographic information technologies to improve the understanding of land change dynamics in a complex urban environment. Specifically, the following dimensions of land change science are examined: land change observation and monitoring, driving force analysis, and spatially-explicit modeling. Firstly, a stratified classification approach combined with sub-pixel analysis is developed to map various land use and land cover types in the heterogeneous urban area from medium-resolution satellite imagery. Secondly, remote sensing, GIS and landscape metrics are used in combination to characterize both the spatial characteristics and the nature of urban land changes. Thirdly, a multi-scale analysis is performed to explore the biophysical and socioeconomic driving factors of urban land use change at different spatial aggregation levels and across different spatial extents. Fourthly, given a wide array of existing land change modeling approaches, the theoretical and methodological foundation of these modeling techniques are reviewed and the outstanding issues are discussed in the context of global environmental change research. Lastly, an agent-based model is developed that is coupled with GIS-based spatial data analysis to simulate the residential development decision-making processes and the emergent land use patterns. Overall, this dissertation research has demonstrated the usefulness of integrating various geographic information technologies, such as remote sensing, GIS, and spatial modeling, in land change research. The technological integration also provides the foundation for the coupling of human and environment sciences in understanding land change as a coupled system. An interdisciplinary effort is needed towards more comprehensive research in land change that integrates theories, methods, and techniques in human, environmental, and geographic information sciences.
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Date Issued: 2014
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-9034
Format: Thesis

Title: Georeferencing and Species Distribution Modelling of Invasive Plants in the State of Florida, USA.
Creator: Braun, Sarah J., Mast, Austin, Stallins, Anthony, Miller, Tom, Inouye, Brian, Nelson, Gil, Department of Biological Science, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Invasive exotic plants have wide ranging impacts. They contribute to the decline of native plant species (Mack et al. 2000; Hulme 2003; Collingham et al. 2000), negatively impact hydrology of certain habitats (Parker et al. 1999; Graf 1978 in Hobbs and Humphries 1995), and create problems for wildlife by altering vegetation structure and food sources (Mack et al. 2000; Hulme 2003). Researchers continue to look for new strategies and tools to learn about the ecology of these organisms to...
Show moreInvasive exotic plants have wide ranging impacts. They contribute to the decline of native plant species (Mack et al. 2000; Hulme 2003; Collingham et al. 2000), negatively impact hydrology of certain habitats (Parker et al. 1999; Graf 1978 in Hobbs and Humphries 1995), and create problems for wildlife by altering vegetation structure and food sources (Mack et al. 2000; Hulme 2003). Researchers continue to look for new strategies and tools to learn about the ecology of these organisms to reduce the negative impacts of these species. Species occurrence data and species distribution models are two tools that can assist researchers studying invasive exotic species (Chapman 2005; Peterson and Vieglas 2001). The objectives of this research were to (1) georeference all of the records in the Florida Exotic Pest Plant Council (FLEPPC) database using a geographic information system (GIS) and a protocol adapted from the MaNIS guidelines to produce maps of invasive exotic plants of Florida (2) analyze the relationships within the records and between these records and other spatial patterns (e.g., population density) in Florida and (3) predict the future distribution of three pairs of invasive exotic plant congeners in Florida using the species distribution model OM-GARP while addressing two questions: (1) What are the impacts of the precision of the species occurrence records on the distribution models? and (2) Is OM-GARP's accuracy in predicting current species occurrences related to features of the species distributions, in particular the areal extent of the distribution? The six species I investigated were: Lygodium microphyllum (old world climbing fern), Lygodium japonicum (Japanese climbing fern), Dioscorea alata (wild yam), Dioscorea bulbifera (air potato), Ardisia crenata (coral Ardisia) and Ardisia elliptica (shoebutton Ardisia). A total of 4,349 (80.4%) of the records in the FLEPPC database were georeferenced. The majority of the records were in coastal counties of the peninsula. The panhandle contained far fewer records and several counties in the north central part of Florida did not have any records. The numbers of records per county were strongly correlated with population density per square mile, number of cities, and total miles of roads. Models generated for 5 of the 6 invasive exotic species had greater than 72% accuracy (Table 2.5). The model generated for Lygodium japonicum had the lowest accuracy (48%) and two models generated for A. elliptica had the highest accuracy (100%). The models presented suggest that, for at least one species, the precision of the records used for modelling can impact the accuracy of the predicted distribution. The features of the species distributions may also influence the accuracy of predicted distributions. Across all pairs of congeners, models with higher accuracy were consistently generated for the species with the narrower known distribution (A. elliptica > A. crenata; D. alata > D. bulbifera; L. microphyllum > L. japonicum; Table 2.5). I suggest that a reason for this relationship may be that species with smaller niche hypervolumes are more likely to be adequately represented in small sample sizes of species occurrence records than species with larger niche hypervolumes. A. crenata; D. alata > D. bulbifera; L. microphyllum > L. japonicum; Table 2.5). I suggest that a reason for this relationship may be that species with smaller niche hypervolumes are more likely to be adequately represented in small sample sizes of species occurrence records than species with larger niche hypervolumes. D. bulbifera; L. microphyllum > L. japonicum; Table 2.5). I suggest that a reason for this relationship may be that species with smaller niche hypervolumes are more likely to be adequately represented in small sample sizes of species occurrence records than species with larger niche hypervolumes. L. japonicum; Table 2.5). I suggest that a reason for this relationship may be that species with smaller niche hypervolumes are more likely to be adequately represented in small sample sizes of species occurrence records than species with larger niche hypervolumes.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-3080
Format: Thesis

Title: Prelandfall Intensity as Precitor of Economic Loss from Florida Hurricanes, 1900-2007.
Creator: Malmstadt, Jill C., Elsner, James B., Mesev, T. Victor, Stallins, J. Anthony, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Florida is uniquely susceptible to economic loss from hurricanes and has been affected by some of the most destructive to ever reach the United States. In the wake of the devastating 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, risk assessment companies and reinsurance companies have spent millions of dollars annually to try and predict the expected economic loss from direct hurricane strikes. These companies base their predictions on historical hurricane events and the expected intensity of the current...
Show moreFlorida is uniquely susceptible to economic loss from hurricanes and has been affected by some of the most destructive to ever reach the United States. In the wake of the devastating 2005 Atlantic hurricane season, risk assessment companies and reinsurance companies have spent millions of dollars annually to try and predict the expected economic loss from direct hurricane strikes. These companies base their predictions on historical hurricane events and the expected intensity of the current event at landfall. A large portion of economic loss from hurricanes comes from the storm surge, and storm surge is better predicted using intensities prior to landfall (Jordan and Clayson 2008). The relationship between economic loss and hurricane intensity prior to landfall is analyzed using the best available data, and a log linear model is created for use in economic loss prediction. Results show that intensity 5 hours prior to landfall is a better estimate of overall economic loss than the expected intensity at landfall. Additional storm variables may be considered to further explain the relationship between economic loss and hurricane characteristics prior to landfall.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-2764
Format: Thesis

Title: Big Water, Little Water: Identification of Small and Medium-Sized Reservoirs in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River Basin with a Discussion of Their Ecological and Hydrological Impacts.
Creator: Ignatius, Amber, Stallins, J. Anthony, Zhao, Tingting, Jordan, Lisa, Light, Helen, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Dams and reservoirs in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) Rivers have been associated with significant hydrologic change including water quality decline, habitat loss through stream fragmentation and habitat conversion, temperature alteration, disrupted riparian zone function, modified sediment distribution, and loss of water through evaporation. As this river basin is both an international hotspot of biodiversity and one of the fastest growing areas of the country, the implications...
Show moreDams and reservoirs in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) Rivers have been associated with significant hydrologic change including water quality decline, habitat loss through stream fragmentation and habitat conversion, temperature alteration, disrupted riparian zone function, modified sediment distribution, and loss of water through evaporation. As this river basin is both an international hotspot of biodiversity and one of the fastest growing areas of the country, the implications of these alterations are of great importance both economically and environmentally. While the basin's few large government and public utility owned reservoirs have been examined extensively, the cumulative impact of the tens of thousands of small reservoirs is less well known. To assess the impact of these small reservoirs, a geographic database of reservoirs was constructed for the ACF basin for a range of reservoir sizes. The initial framework for this reservoir database was generated through inspection, standardization, and synthesis of data from several agencies. The database was edited using high-quality aerial photography from 2005 through 2008, topographic maps, and landcover data and then assessed for accuracy. The creation of this dataset confirmed over 24,500 small reservoirs throughout the basin. Trends for a variety of reservoir characteristics were observed within reservoir size categories (small, medium, and large based on reservoir volume). Small and medium reservoirs were unevenly distributed throughout the basin with fewer found in the flat and more southerly regions of Florida. More small and medium reservoirs were found in the agricultural belt of southern Georgia, but the highest densities were found in the steeper and more populated region between the northern Georgia cities of Columbus and Atlanta. Examination of purpose and ownership trends confirmed that larger reservoirs are owned by federal and state governments and public utilities and provide recreation, hydropower, water supply, navigation, and flood control. Smaller reservoirs are local or privately owned and are typically recreation, farm, irrigation, or stormwater retention ponds. Only 5% of the total volume of reservoirs in the ACF basin is contained in small reservoirs because water depths in small reservoirs are relatively shallow compared to depths in medium and large reservoirs. In terms of surface area, however, small reservoirs contribute 25% of the total surface area of all reservoirs in the basin. Surface area is an important measure with regard to impacts on downstream flow because of the potential for evaporative losses from reservoir surfaces. In addition, small reservoirs have clearly had a major impact on stream integrity through fragmentation and conversion of riverine habitat to lacustrine-type habitat. Based on an analysis of the intersection of reservoirs with flowlines, over 11,000 small reservoirs intersect streams, with the result being conversion and fragmentation of extensive riverine habitat throughout the basin. Of the 6 percent (3,900 kilometers) of the total linear stream distance in the ACF basin covered by reservoirs, approximately half (1,900 kilometers) is covered by small reservoirs. In summary, small reservoirs have had multiple impacts throughout the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint river basin, and based on the results of this research, habitat conversion, stream fragmentation, and the potential for decreasing downstream flows through evaporative losses appear to be the most important of those impacts.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-3884
Format: Thesis

Title: Evidence for a Solar Influence on U.S.-Affecting Hurricanes.
Creator: Hodges, Robert Edward, Elsner, James B., Jagger, Thomas H., Stallins, J. Anthony, Jordan, L., Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This study examines the robustness of the proposed modern solar activity / hurricane frequency relationship in light of recently compiled Atlantic hurricane records made available for the period 1700-1850. Constructing a thermodynamic efficiency for hurricanes utilizing mean monthly sunspot numbers (SSN), a Bayesian model that incorporates HURDAT (1851-2008) and Chenoweth archive (1700-1850) datasets is employed to maximize the information about the sun-hurricane relationship through the...
Show moreThis study examines the robustness of the proposed modern solar activity / hurricane frequency relationship in light of recently compiled Atlantic hurricane records made available for the period 1700-1850. Constructing a thermodynamic efficiency for hurricanes utilizing mean monthly sunspot numbers (SSN), a Bayesian model that incorporates HURDAT (1851-2008) and Chenoweth archive (1700-1850) datasets is employed to maximize the information about the sun-hurricane relationship through the centuries. The information contained within the Chenoweth archive adds support to the hypothesis that solar variation influences hurricane activity. Results have impacts for U.S. seasonal hurricane science, as well as life and property for coastal and near-coastal populations.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4005
Format: Thesis

Title: The Role of Local Adaptation in the Evolution of Reproductive Isolation in Diodia Teres.
Creator: Hereford, Joe, Winn, Alice A., Stallins, J. Anthony, Bass, Hank, Houle, David, Travis, Joseph, Department of Biological Science, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Numerous studies of local adaptation have shown that populations can adapt quickly to local environmental conditions. Other studies have shown that sister species tend to occur in different environments. Recent work has gone a long way toward showing that adaptation can directly result in reproductive isolation under some circumstances, but few studies have attempted to measure the effects of local adaptation on the degree of reproductive isolation. Here I have attempted to bring together the...
Show moreNumerous studies of local adaptation have shown that populations can adapt quickly to local environmental conditions. Other studies have shown that sister species tend to occur in different environments. Recent work has gone a long way toward showing that adaptation can directly result in reproductive isolation under some circumstances, but few studies have attempted to measure the effects of local adaptation on the degree of reproductive isolation. Here I have attempted to bring together the research on local adaptation and studies of reproductive isolation to test hypotheses of the ultimate causes and mechanisms of local adaptation, and their consequences for the evolution of reproductive isolation between locally adapted populations. In the first chapter I describe a test of the underlying mechanism of local adaptation between populations of the annual plant Diodia teres. In the second chapter (written in collaboration with Alice A. Winn), I test the hypothesis that the degree of adaptive divergence between six populations of this species is correlated with the degree of environmental variation between populations. The third chapter is a test of hypotheses about the differences between the strength of prezygotic and postzygotic reproductive isolation. In the fourth chapter I test hypotheses that reproductive isolation is correlated with the degree of adaptive and nonadaptive divergence between populations. I found evidence of local adaptation between some populations, but was not able to identify traits that were responsible for that adaptation. The degree of adaptation was not correlated with environmental differences, suggesting that divergent selection is not the only force acting on reproductive isolation. I found that postmating/prezygotic isolation was stronger than postzygotic isolation, and that the degree of divergence was not correlated with any measure of reproductive isolation. Overall this study shows that adaptation to local conditions can be associated with the evolution of reproductive isolation, but it also shows that divergent selection alone does not account for all adaptive divergence and isolation. It is one of the few studies to quantify reproductive isolation early in divergence, and to examine the relationships between divergence and reproductive isolation over a range of variation, not limited to a single pair of nearly completely isolated populations.
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Date Issued: 2005
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4095
Format: Thesis

Title: Assimilation or Transformation?: An Analysis of Change in Ten Secondary Science Teachers Following an Inquiry-Based Research Experience for Teachers.
Creator: Blanchard, Carrie, Davis, Nancy T., Stallins, J. Anthony, Gilmer, Penny J., Southerland, Sherry A., School of Public Administration and Policy, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: This dissertation examines the role of agency in county level decision making regarding Wal-Mart development within Florida counties. Framed by the theories of principal-agent, local government decision making and open systems this research examines key factors that influence a decision to allow or disallow a Wal-Mart. The method Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is employed to both theory test and theory build around the factors of agency, with the findings demonstrating that county...
Show moreThis dissertation examines the role of agency in county level decision making regarding Wal-Mart development within Florida counties. Framed by the theories of principal-agent, local government decision making and open systems this research examines key factors that influence a decision to allow or disallow a Wal-Mart. The method Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) is employed to both theory test and theory build around the factors of agency, with the findings demonstrating that county poverty rates and staff recommendation are significant factors in a decision to allow a Wal-Mart.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-3660
Format: Thesis

Title: Assimilation or Transformation?: An Analysis of Change in Ten Secondary Science Teachers Following an Inquiry-Based Research Experience for Teachers.
Creator: Blanchard, Margaret R., Davis, Nancy T., Stallins, J. Anthony, Gilmer, Penny J., Southerland, Sherry A., Department of Middle and Secondary Education, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: It is argued that teachers must experience inquiry in order to be able to translate it to their classrooms. The National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Research Experiences for Teachers (RETs) offer promising programs, yet scant empirical support documents the effectiveness of these programs. In this study, ten experienced, secondary science teachers were followed back to the classroom after a five-week, marine ecology RET, addressing the questions: How do teachers' conceptions and enactment of...
Show moreIt is argued that teachers must experience inquiry in order to be able to translate it to their classrooms. The National Science Foundation's (NSF's) Research Experiences for Teachers (RETs) offer promising programs, yet scant empirical support documents the effectiveness of these programs. In this study, ten experienced, secondary science teachers were followed back to the classroom after a five-week, marine ecology RET, addressing the questions: How do teachers' conceptions and enactment of classroom inquiry change after the program?; What are the program's goals?; What accounts for these differences?; and What do these findings imply for future RETs? Data collected includes pre and post program questionnaires, audiotapes and videotapes of pre and post program teaching, post program STIR instrument responses, interviews, and field notes. The study found that an extensive, reflective program model, conducted by scientists who are teacher-centered, successfully conveyed the program model of inquiry. Post program, teachers' conceptions of inquiry were more student centered, focused less on assessment and classroom management and more on authentic content, questions, and presentations, and incorporated program language. Question patterns during enactment shifted to fewer teacher questions, more student questions, and increased higher order questions by students and teachers. More procedural questions indicated role shifts. The STIR instrument fostered understanding of enactment and, with critical incidents analyses, highlighted underlying teacher value structures. Teachers with more theoretical sophistication and who had Rationalistic and Egalitarian value structures applied inquiry throughout their teaching and moved beyond contextual constraints. Implications suggest that those who develop and implement RETs need to be masterful "bridge builders" to help transition teachers and their learning back to the classroom. Reflection holds promise for illuminating teachers' underlying values and goals and in gaining an understanding of teachers' enactment. Curriculum materials and theoretical readings can assist teacher change. Assimilation of new knowledge does not necessarily lead to transformation of practices. Rather, this study found that teachers with values and goals that were compatible to the RET, as well as an accompanying high level of theoretical sophistication, moved toward transformational change.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-3664
Format: Thesis

Title: French Thought and the American Military Mind: A History of French Influence on the American Way of Warfare from 1814 Through 1941.
Creator: Bonura, Michael A., Davis, Frederick R., Stallins, J. Anthony, Jones, James P., Grant, Jonathan, McMahon, Darrin M., Department of History, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The French Revolution had a tremendous impact on the social, political, and cultural development of the western world. Similarly, it had a revolutionary impact on warfare in both Europe and the United States. Although the U.S. had a distinctly British military tradition through the War of 1812, in the span of a single year, the U.S. Army adopted the French system of warfare or French Combat Method as the intellectual framework for the American way of warfare. This French Combat Method...
Show moreThe French Revolution had a tremendous impact on the social, political, and cultural development of the western world. Similarly, it had a revolutionary impact on warfare in both Europe and the United States. Although the U.S. had a distinctly British military tradition through the War of 1812, in the span of a single year, the U.S. Army adopted the French system of warfare or French Combat Method as the intellectual framework for the American way of warfare. This French Combat Method informed and guided the way in which American officers conceptualized the battlefield, how they organized their formations and their regulations, how they equipped them, and how they learned lessons from their experiences on the battlefield. This French influence dominated the American way of warfare from 1814 through the Civil War and World War I, and into the 1930's. It was not until the catastrophic fall of France in 1940 that caused the U.S. Army to fundamentally change their intellectual framework.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-3548
Format: Thesis

Title: Effects of Scale Insects on Forest Dynamics in Fragmented Tropical Montane Oak Forests of Veracruz, Mexico.
Creator: Gamper, Heather A., Stallins, Anthony J., Elsner, James, Inouye, Brian, Yang, Xiaojun, Mesev, Victor, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The montane cloud forests of northeastern Mexico have a high concentration of endemism, and are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, deforestation, and habitat fragmentation. Ninety percent of the original montane cloud forest in Mexico has been lost. As habitat fragmentation becomes more pervasive throughout the world, our understanding of forest fragmentation has also grown more sensitive to context. The species interactions initiated with fragmentation, and post-fragmentation...
Show moreThe montane cloud forests of northeastern Mexico have a high concentration of endemism, and are increasingly vulnerable to climate change, deforestation, and habitat fragmentation. Ninety percent of the original montane cloud forest in Mexico has been lost. As habitat fragmentation becomes more pervasive throughout the world, our understanding of forest fragmentation has also grown more sensitive to context. The species interactions initiated with fragmentation, and post-fragmentation disturbance regimes may magnify the impacts of fragmentation. This dissertation research seeks to develop a better understanding of post-fragmentation pattern and processes in the montane oak cloud forests of northeastern Mexico. Central to this goal is the documentation of a forest change occurring within these fragmented forests. An endemic scale insect, Stigmacoccus garmilleri, which typically occurs in low densities in the upper canopy of intact oak forests, has expanded throughout forest fragments within the oak forests of Chiconquiaco, Mexico. This research focuses on how the high population densities of S. garmilleri may augment local diversity in fragmented habitat by providing a food source upon which other species depend. Of critical importance is how these scale insects, at the high densities that augment diversity, impact their host trees. The majority of scale insects are considered pests in agricultural settings. How the host oaks respond to scale determines not only the diversity of these forest fragments, but also their future persistence. As part of this dissertation research, the potential for these fragmented forested areas to support beekeeping and lessen the dependence upon the agricultural land uses that are driving forest fragmentation are discussed. The sociecological context of deforestation and the promotion of beekeeping for the township of Chiconquiaco lends itself to critical examination of apicultural development. This case study in Veracruz state serves as a template for a more adaptive framework for implementing forest conservation beekeeping projects.
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Date Issued: 2012
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-4852
Format: Thesis

Title: Impacts of Landscape Characteristics on Waterquality: Roles of Empirical and Process-Based Modeling.
Creator: Zhang, Tao, Yang, Xiaojun, Hu, Bill X., Elsner, James B., Mesev, Victor, Stallins, J. Anthony, Department of Geography, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Landscape characteristics are believed to have a close linkage with in-stream nutrient level. Both empirical and process-based approaches have been used to model the relationship between landscape characteristics and non-point source (NPS) nutrient loading level in the literature. Empirical models are suitable to explicitly define the relationships between landscape characteristics and nutrient fluxes. Spatially-explicit, process-based modeling can be used to explore the process--pattern...
Show moreLandscape characteristics are believed to have a close linkage with in-stream nutrient level. Both empirical and process-based approaches have been used to model the relationship between landscape characteristics and non-point source (NPS) nutrient loading level in the literature. Empirical models are suitable to explicitly define the relationships between landscape characteristics and nutrient fluxes. Spatially-explicit, process-based modeling can be used to explore the process--pattern interactions in an ecosystem. Both approaches have their advantages and disadvantages. Empirical regression models have been criticized for their oversimplification, poor predictive power, and possible scientific flaws, while process-based models have been blamed for its complicated nature, poor applicability, and prohibitive data requirements. The purpose of this dissertation research is to explore the possibility of coupling these two modeling approaches to better understand the relationship between watershed landscape characteristics and in-stream nutrient loading. To this end, a simple, spatially-explicit, process-based model, IGED (Integrated Grid's Exporting and Delivery model), is developed to estimate annual average in-stream nutrient loading at the watershed scale. Then, the validated IGED model is used to examine the impacts of watershed landscape characteristics upon the NPS nutrient loading measured at stream outlets. Two major issues are focused: the effectiveness of riparian buffers in controlling nutrient discharges to streams and the impact of watershed size on the regression model predictive power when using proportions of landscape types as predictors. In the first focus research area, the process-based model IGED is used to hep construct empirical models that explicitly address the riparian buffer and nutrient load relationship. In the second focus research area, the process-based model is used as a heuristic tool to verify and explain some exploratory observations derived from empirical regression modeling. The different roles of these two modeling approaches suggest the need of coupling them in order to improve the understanding of the relationship between the watershed landscape characteristics and the NPS nutrient loading.
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Date Issued: 2009
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-0536
Format: Thesis

Title: Evolution in Response to Direct and Indirect Effects in Pitcher Plant (Sarracenia Purpurea) Inquiline Communities.
Creator: TerHorst, Casey P., Miller, Thomas E., Levitan, Don R., Stallins, J. Anthony, Houle, David, Wulff, Jeanette L., Department of Biological Science, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: The fields of community ecology and evolution are theoretically tightly linked, but in general, community ecologists discount evolution in describing the dynamics of present-day community patterns. Yet, evolution in response to strong selection pressure might affect species interactions and alter ecological patterns on a relatively short time scale. Conversely, evolutionary studies are typically limited to examining the evolution of traits in response to, at most, one other species. In more...
Show moreThe fields of community ecology and evolution are theoretically tightly linked, but in general, community ecologists discount evolution in describing the dynamics of present-day community patterns. Yet, evolution in response to strong selection pressure might affect species interactions and alter ecological patterns on a relatively short time scale. Conversely, evolutionary studies are typically limited to examining the evolution of traits in response to, at most, one other species. In more complex communities, higher-order indirect effects emerge that might have significant effects on how species evolve. Evolution in a community context provides more insight into how species evole in natural communities. This dissertation focuses on the evolution of a ciliated protozoan, Colpoda sp. that lives within the water-filled leaves of the purple pitcher plant (Sarracenia purpurea). The evolution of several traits was measured in response to the direct effects of predators (specialist mosquito larvae that live in the same inquilines community), competitors (another co-occuring ciliated protozoan) and indirect effects that emerge when both predators and competitors are present. Two traits (cell size and population growth rate) evolved in response to predation, resulting in predator avoidance and tolerance, respectively. The evolution of these traits resulted in a significant decrease of the ecological effect of predators in only 12 days (approximately 40 prey generations), but less than one predator generation. These same two traits, as well as cyst production, evolved in response to competition. However, evolution in response to the indirect effects that occurred when both predators and competitors were present was stronger and in the opposite direction of direct effects. The result was little net evolution in response to the sum of direct and indirect effects. The importance of these indirect effects suggests that evolution in a community context may proceed much differently from that predicted by the simple additive effects of multiple species. To fully understand how species evolve in natural communities, complex interactions between multiple species must be fully understood. Similarly, to explain ecological patterns, it is imperative to account for the constant evolution of species in response to the suite of other species in their environment.
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Date Issued: 2010
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1619
Format: Thesis

Title: Assessing Storm Severity Using Lightning and Radar Information.
Creator: Rudlosky, Scott D., Fuelberg, Henry E., Stallins, J. Anthony, Clayson, Carol Ann, Hart, Robert E., Liu, Guosheng, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Florida...
Show moreRudlosky, Scott D., Fuelberg, Henry E., Stallins, J. Anthony, Clayson, Carol Ann, Hart, Robert E., Liu, Guosheng, Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences, Florida State University
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Abstract/Description: Lightning data provide a valuable tool for examining interactions between multi-scale weather phenomena. Weather events are determined by complex atmospheric interactions at various spatial and temporal scales. Long-term climatologies facilitate discussion of average meteorological conditions and can help isolate the relative influence of multi-scale systems (e.g., synoptic scale, mesoscale, etc.) on local weather patterns. Lightning datasets allow the development of large-scale, long-term...
Show moreLightning data provide a valuable tool for examining interactions between multi-scale weather phenomena. Weather events are determined by complex atmospheric interactions at various spatial and temporal scales. Long-term climatologies facilitate discussion of average meteorological conditions and can help isolate the relative influence of multi-scale systems (e.g., synoptic scale, mesoscale, etc.) on local weather patterns. Lightning datasets allow the development of large-scale, long-term climatologies. These lightning climatologies then are compared with additional atmospheric observations (e.g., numerical models and radar) to examine the regional, seasonal, and storm-scale variability of thunderstorm characteristics. The National Lightning Detection Network (NLDN) underwent a major upgrade during 2002–2003 that increased its sensitivity and improved its performance. Therefore, this study applies the same methodology to pre- and post-upgrade NLDN datasets to allow direct quantitative comparisons between them and thereby examine the influence of the recent upgrade on regional distributions of cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning characteristics. Although seasonal variability must be understood to better define apparent relationships between storm properties and lightning production, seasonal differences are best described on the regional scale. Therefore, this study also examines Florida's seasonal, regional, and storm-scale CG variability during 2004–09. Since lightning data are recorded instantaneously and typically reported every minute, they also provide valuable information on storm-scale development and evolution. Automated procedures are developed to create grids of lightning and radar parameters, cluster individual storm features, and data mine the lightning and radar attributes of many individual storms. These procedures facilitate detailed analysis of relationships between lightning and radar-derived parameters in many individual storms in the Mid-Atlantic Region during 2007–09. A major goal of this research is to combine information about the near-storm environment, radar-defined storm structure, and both intra-cloud (IC) and CG lightning characteristics to better quantify relationships between storm structure, lightning production, and storm severity.
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Date Issued: 2011
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1929
Format: Thesis

Title: Diversity Patterns in Pen Shell (Atrina Rigida) Communities.
Creator: Munguia, Pablo, Levitan, Don R., Miller, Thomas E., Stallins, J. Anthony, Inouye, Brian D., Wulff, Janie L., Department of Biological Science, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: My dissertation work involves the study of how marine communities develop in the context of local and regional processes. In particular, I am interested in how diversity in a community can be affected through processes such as habitat destruction, community density, and migration, using pen shells and their inhabitants as a model system. In St. Joe Bay, Florida, pen shells (Atrina rigida) are the most abundant source of hard substrate, and the shell provides habitat for approximately 70...
Show moreMy dissertation work involves the study of how marine communities develop in the context of local and regional processes. In particular, I am interested in how diversity in a community can be affected through processes such as habitat destruction, community density, and migration, using pen shells and their inhabitants as a model system. In St. Joe Bay, Florida, pen shells (Atrina rigida) are the most abundant source of hard substrate, and the shell provides habitat for approximately 70 species. These communities are discrete habitats that differ from the surrounding seagrass beds and sandy areas. Sixty-six percent of the species found on pen shells are not found in the habitat surrounding pen shells. Pen shells provide shelter for many motile species and hard substrate for settling sessile species and egg-laying fishes. I first demonstrate the role of the pen shell community within sea grass ecosystems. Results suggest that a large component of species found on pen shells are only found with pen shells, and those that are found in the surrounding habitat tend to occur at much lower densities. I then carried out an experiment that showed that the age of the community can affect diversity at local and regional scales. Results also showed that more motile species were more sensitive to these spatial scales, and showed changes in the spatial relationship through time; while for sessile species, the local-regional diversity relationship did not change with succession. In 2003 I performed an experiment that tested successional patterns on pen shells that occurred at high and low densities, as well as a pen shell region that suffered habitat destruction. Local community density did affect local diversity as predicted. Further, motile and sessile species had different responses to habitat destruction. What was interesting from this study is the way individual species responded to different regional sizes. It seems that species' changes in abundance and distribution (number of shells occupied) differed between the common species and the rare species. The pattern and probability of successful dispersal among habitats can therefore be crucial in determining whether local populations will become rare or increase in abundance. I studied three amphipod species that disperse at different life stages: Neomegamphopus hiatus and Melita nitida disperse as adults, while Bemlos unicornis disperses as juveniles. The metapopulation dynamics of the three species seems highly dependent on the life history stage involved in dispersal.
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Date Issued: 2006
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-2193
Format: Thesis

Title: "By the Noble Daring of Her Sons": The Florida Brigade of the Army of Tennessee.
Creator: Sheppard, Jonathan C., Jones, James P., Stallins, J. Anthony, Richardson, Joe M., Garretson, Peter, Creswell, Michael, Department of History, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: Between 1861 and 1862, Floridians flocked to join the six regiments that eventually constituted the Florida Brigade of the West. As the fragile remains of the 1st and 3rd Florida's Battle Flag attests, portions of the brigade saw action in every major campaign of the Western Theater, save Iuka and Corinth. Until November 1863, the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th Infantry Regiments and the dismounted 1st Cavalry Regiment, served in separate brigades in different areas of the west. While the 1st,...
Show moreBetween 1861 and 1862, Floridians flocked to join the six regiments that eventually constituted the Florida Brigade of the West. As the fragile remains of the 1st and 3rd Florida's Battle Flag attests, portions of the brigade saw action in every major campaign of the Western Theater, save Iuka and Corinth. Until November 1863, the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 6th, and 7th Infantry Regiments and the dismounted 1st Cavalry Regiment, served in separate brigades in different areas of the west. While the 1st, 3rd, and 4th soldiered with the Army of Tennessee in major campaigns, the others protected the important Virginia-Tennessee railine against East Tennessee Unionists. Following the Florida Brigade's organization in November 1863, it became the epitome of the hardluck Army of Tennessee. Below strength, poorly armed, and shoddily equipped, the soldiers of the brigade followed their commanders through some of the hardest fighting of the war. From Missionary Ridge to Nashville, attrition whittled away at the small units. While many fell in battle, wounds incapacitated others, and still more wasted away in Northern prison camps. At the time of the surrender at Bennett Place, just over four hundred veterans remained with the brigade. Through "By The Noble Daring Of Her Sons," the story of these regiments, from their inceptions to their surrenders, will be told. While this dissertation seeks to describe the Florida Brigade's military campaign, that is not its sole purpose. Rather, "By The Noble Daring Of Her Sons" uses the context of the Florida Brigade to allow the reader to experience various aspects of the war, including important but little-known facets. Furthermore, this dissertation proposes that Florida, before the war was a fractured state, with citizens maintaining regional allegiances. The overarching theme of this study is to establish that the Floridians' service during the Civil War helped to create a state identity.
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Date Issued: 2008
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1768
Format: Thesis

Title: Correlates of E-Government Use in County Governments.
Creator: Yagmurcu, Abdulhamit, Klay, William Earle, Stallins, J. Anthony, deHaven-Smith, Lance, McCreary, Samuel M., School of Public Administration and Policy, Florida State University
Abstract/Description: One hundred and one American counties were selected randomly within predetermined strata and used to study the extent of use of e-government technologies. The study design was cross-sectional and the time period of the study was a single year, 2006. Each website was analyzed to obtain an e-government utilization score. The research objective of this dissertation was twofold: First, to develop an up-to date and comprehensive index of e-government utilization, to be used to evaluate the extent...
Show moreOne hundred and one American counties were selected randomly within predetermined strata and used to study the extent of use of e-government technologies. The study design was cross-sectional and the time period of the study was a single year, 2006. Each website was analyzed to obtain an e-government utilization score. The research objective of this dissertation was twofold: First, to develop an up-to date and comprehensive index of e-government utilization, to be used to evaluate the extent of e-government utilization in county governments. The second objective was to identify the characteristics of those counties that are associated with more extensive utilization of e-government technologies. Counties' use of e-government technology was evaluated using four different levels of utilization; publish, interact, transact, and integrate. This study found that most of the sampled U.S. counties used the web only to publish information and to provide basic unsophisticated services. It was found that counties with larger populations, those in which employees were more professionally oriented toward communicating with citizens, and those that did Information Technology (IT) planning make greater use of e-government technology. This study found that neither population size nor local per capita wealth is an impediment for extensive use of e-government technology. It seems that within every county that utilizes e-government technology well there is a story as to why that has happened. The most important implication of this study is that the story seems to be related to professionalism. To tell the stories as to how e-government utilization emerges especially in local governments, the quantitative analysis of this study needs to be followed by good qualitative research.
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Date Issued: 2007
Identifier: FSU_migr_etd-1174
Format: Thesis

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