Author

Sleight, Nate

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (DGES)

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Rivers and streams within the Great Plains have undergone extensive levels of fragmentation by road culverts, which has led to habitat loss, degraded water quality, and a loss of aquatic biodiversity. There is a pressing need to retrofit the most problematic structures to ensure aquatic organism passage. At the same time, a vast majority of the road crossing infrastructure within the Great Plains is beyond its projected lifespan, and significant investments will be needed to ensure that this transportation infrastructure remains safe and functional. Historically, these two problems have been addressed separately. The aim of this study is to identify road culverts that are in need of restoration based on both ecological impact and its state as infrastructure. By identifying locations that are in need of repair for both of these parameters managers can pool their funds and restore more sites than previous operations. We surveyed over 700 road-stream crossings to determine if they were fragmenting aquatic habitat, and to determine the condition of the structure. We than developed an index of ecological impact and an index of infrastructure condition based on the 20 physical variables measured at each crossing, and the spatial coordination between crossings. The survey revealed a large number of crossings that were both fragmenting the river network and in poor physical condition. These crossings are high-priority locations where culvert replacement would have both high ecosystem benefit and would eliminate a piece of transportation infrastructure with a high risk of failure. It is hoped that future river restoration practices can be collaborative efforts between conservation managers and those who are managing infrastructure.

Author

Castleberry, Becca

Institution (department)

The University of Oklahoma (Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability)

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Western Oklahoma has seen explosive growth in the development of wind energy over the last decade, going from no installed capacity to producing over 18% of the state's energy. Associated with that development has been an increase in tax revenue and support for local schools, including many in struggling areas. This poster examines and quantifies the overall impact of the increased wind-industry related tax revenue in western Oklahoma. The spatial patterns of local school revenue and related variables have been analyzed and compared to available socio-economic and demographic information. Spatial and multivariate analysis has been undertaken to highlight differences in characteristics of public school districts with and without wind turbines. Results show significant differences in property values and revenue from local and county sources between school districts with and without wind farms. Results are particularly striking for the smaller school districts, with the smallest 25 percent having a pronounced increase in resources after the incorporation of wind-related revenue. However, school districts with wind farms did not have higher per-student expenditures or lower student-teacher ratios than surrounding districts. The overall results illustrate the relative importance of the industry, particularly in those areas with fewer revenue sources. The significant difference in revenue from local and county sources suggests those smaller and less economically diverse school districts are more impacted by the influx of a new revenue source and subsequently less susceptible to changes in funding from state and federal sources.

Author

Magee, Chloe

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (Geography and Environmental Sustainability)

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Advances in computer technology and observations have aided weather forecasting improvements. Meteorologists make an effort to apply these advances during severe weather occurrences, especially for issuing timely tornado warnings, but people are still not seeking shelter when prompted. The literature calls for a more detailed look at the factors influencing how individuals respond to tornado warnings. With this project, I will present my preliminary thesis research to digitally model survey participant responses to tornado warnings using geographic information systems (GIS). I will analyze a national survey dataset of given to over 5,500 decision-makers. Participants were asked to make a set of decisions based on the hypothetical role of airport managers. They were given tornado warning information, including graphical, verbal, and textual forecast assistance. The resulting responses to the warning prompts are set as a cost/loss scenario, with participants needing to choose to “protect” or “not protect”. I will combine response classifications with a set of independent variables in the ArcMap mapping platform. Independent variables to be implemented include, but are not limited to, socioeconomic status, tornado vulnerability index, proximity to urban area, and ages of participants. A principal component analysis (PCA) will be applied to the digital data to indicate the geospatial relationships of these variables. For broader impacts, results of this research can be integrated into efforts to enhance warning graphics through the National Weather Service.

Author

Ankele, William

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (Anthropology )

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In comparison to the Late Paleoindian period (10,000-8,000 rcybp), the Early Archaic (8,000-6,500 rcybp) in the Gunnison Basin, Colorado is a poorly understood time because of its relatively light archaeological signature. Not only do we have a lighter archaeological record, but we also see a change in technologies, such as projectile points types in this transitional period. Some archaeologists explain these observations as a result of changing environments and shifting settlement processes as new populations move into the basin. Others suggest the results may be due to survey bias, as archaeologists continue to survey portions of the basin. I will investigate whether there is a possible difference in site selection and settlement patterns between the two time periods that may indicate a reason for this lighter signature. Using R and ArcGIS, I will create a predictive model for both the Late Paleoindian sites and Early Archaic sites and then compare the results. These results will then be plotted against previously surveyed areas in an attempt to determine the reason for the relatively small Early Archaic record in the Gunnison Basin.

Author

Duan, Yi

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (Economics)

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This project investigates aid effectiveness and aid spillovers at sub-national level in sub-Saharan Africa over 1995-2013. The previous literature examines aid-growth relationship and gets mixed results. One reason of their contrast conclusions is that they are prone to “aggregation bias”. By using geocoded aid dataset and spatial analytical skills, I am able to reveal more detailed pictures of aid effectiveness at different aggregate levels. Overcoming the potential simultaneity problem, I find that aid targeted at local level tends to promote local economic growth, while aid received at more aggregate levels hurts local economic activities. The conjecture is that more specifically targeted aid tends to be less fungible compared to “general” aid, while aid generally given to a more aggregate level is more likely to be misappropriated for other purposes, thus creating rent-seeking opportunities to cause corruption and hurt institutional environment. The patterns of aid impact on of total income growth and population are consistent with that of economic growth. Aid directly received at all levels behaves diminishing returns, which is consistent with the theory that aid directly stimulates investment and adds capital accumulation. While aid spillovers show weak increasing returns, which indicates the spillover effects partly function through technology and knowledge dissemination. No systematic story is found that aid is effective conditional on policy or institutions, probably due to data limitations that local policy and institutions data are unavailable in Sub-Saharan Africa. The findings have very profound policy implications that to promote local economic growth, we are more supposed to focus more on specifically targeted and less-fungible aid projects rather than aid generally given to governments at more aggregate levels; also we are supposed to reduce barriers to these activities within the country to promote positive spillover effects.

Author

Hanson, Kyndra

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (Geography and Environmental Sustainability)

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The Rio Grande River basin (RGB) stretches through Colorado, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico before it reaches the Gulf of Mexico, spanning a politically, socio-economically, and environmentally diverse region. Management decisions in this highly complex system may lead to unintended outcomes in other parts of the basin, both upstream and downstream. One example is the management for the Rio Grande Silvery Minnow. The Silvery minnow, an endangered fish species, is affected by many water management decisions in the RGB, as it requires a minimum in-stream flow to sustain life. Under certain climatic conditions, the in-stream flow requirements may compete with irrigation requirement for agricultural production, essential to sustain the needs of local farmers. A change in climatic conditions is likely to aggravate these management conflicts in the RGB. We will use the Envision framework to create a simulation model for the RGB. Envision has the ability to represent landscape characterizations, behaviors of decision-makers, and many other plug-ins that represent components of the Rio Grande River. We will focus on 10 regions of the basin to further understand how water resources are allocated, how the river is perceived by conservation managers, and how the public and managers value of the river. With Envision, we will develop scenarios based on climate change predictions and use these to guide future decisions within the Rio Grande River basin in order to support sustainable management decisions.

Author

Thompson, Emily

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability)

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The Rust Belt region of the United States was once the beacon of industrial and economic power, but today is characterized by declining populations. While many studies examine these shrinking cities in the realm of socio-economic implications, there is a lack of research that investigates the physical artifacts of drastic population loss. This study aims to fill that void by examining land cover change in the Rust Belt shrinking cities of Detroit, Michigan and Youngstown, Ohio. Detroit has served as the poster-child for population decline, having experienced a loss of 62% from its peak population in 1960 to 2010. In Detroit we use LIDAR data to extract building footprints which are then compared to property survey data to create a 5-year land cover change map that highlights demolished properties. Youngstown has seen a 60% decline in population from its peak in 1930 to 2010. Here, we use orthoimagery to manually identify structure loss in conjunction with demolition records to map land cover change at multiple times scales. These case studies provide, in high detail, a snapshot of what the contemporary urban landscape of the American Rust Belt looks like today. Additionally, we challenge the manner in which studies approach urban land cover change by showing that methods used for urban growth studies are not ideal and are ineffective in urban shrinkage research.

Author

Buerger, Claude

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (Department of Geography and Environmental Sustainability)

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Combining numerous input data sources, such as the US Census, Oklahoma state transportation information, The Oklahoma Biological Survey’s Protected Areas Dataset, and the National Land Cover Database we are in the process of implementing the FUTURES Model in Oklahoma.  Using the FUTURES Model, we will investigate the expansion of the Oklahoma City-Shawnee Combined Statistical Area under several different scenarios of future growth.  One such scenario is a simple continuation of current growth expectations and patterns previously established.  Another scenario would be a full implementation of Smart Growth policies, such as infill development, denser development, and efforts to alter transportation methods.  The FUTURES Model produces raster maps that can be compared to each other.  By examining the location and structure of potential future growth we can examine methods of managing growth and compare possible approaches.  Doing so will allow planners and policymakers to determine the best approach for dealing with climate related problems, such as increased extreme weather events, expanding urban-wildland fringe issues, and cost of development issues.

Author

Zhou, Yuting

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology)

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Burning, grazing, and baling (hay harvesting) are common management practices for tallgrass prairie. However, the impacts of these management practices on grassland phenology and carbon uptake are not well understood. Utilizing multiple observations to detect fingerprints of various management practices on phenology and carbon uptake is important to develop and adopt sustainable management practices. In this study, we used canopy greenness (green chromatic coordinate, GCC) extracted from PhenoCam images, vegetation indices (VIs) extracted from satellite images (Landsat and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS)), and eddy covariance data to investigate the impacts of burning, an intensive field campaign, baling, and grazing on phenology and carbon uptake in a tallgrass prairie site in El Reno, Oklahoma. Landsat images were used to assess the baling area and the trajectory of vegetation recovery. The MODIS-derived VIs were used in a satellite-based Vegetation Photosynthesis Model (VPM) to simulate gross primary production (GPPVPM) at the flux tower (baled) site. For comparison, we substituted VIs of the flux tower located pixel with VIs from a neighbor pixel (unbaled) and simulated GPP. Phenocam images vividly showed the land management activities (burning, baling, and grazing) and the quick recovery of grassland after field campaign and baling. GCC values showed two peaks with similar magnitude (0.37-0.38) because of quick recovery of grassland after baling. VIs and GPPVPM values showed that the grassland recovered in one month after field campaign and baling. The GPPVPM matched well (R2 = 0.89) with the eddy covariance-derived GPP (GPPEC). The reduction in GPP after baling was compensated by higher GPP after rain pulses in late July and early September, causing little differences in GPP between the baled and unbaled conditions. Our results show that different management practices and their interactions with climate make it complicated to understand the impacts of different land management practices on carbon dynamics and phenology of grasslands. Thus, it is necessary to further investigate the responses of tallgrass prairie ecosystem to both individual and compounded land management practices under different climate.

Author

Zhang, Yao

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (Microbiology and plant biology)

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We designed a compact system using two Spectrometers and a Raspberry Pi to monitor the irradiance and radiance of the vegetation at very high spectral resolution. The resultant mesurement can be used to calculate solar-induced chlorophyll fluorescence and different vegetation indices.

Author

Wu, Xiaocui

Institution (department)

eomf (Microbiology and plant biology)

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Gross Primary Production (GPP), defined as the amount of carbon (energy) sequestered by plant photosynthesis, is the largest flux in the global cycle. Accurate estimation of GPP is a prerequisite to quantify the global carbon cycle and predict the future trajectories of the atmospheric CO2 concentration. However, recent light use efficiency (LUE) models have large uncertainties in estimating GPP, especially in croplands. One main reason is the ignorance of the difference of C3/C4 pathway in these LUE models. We used the modified Vegetation Photosynthesis Model which differentiating C3/C4 croplands (VPM, Xiao et al., 2004), MODIS satellite images and NCEP/NARR climate data to estimate GPP from 2009-2014, and evaluated the VPM-predicted GPP with the estimated GPP from the CO2 eddy flux tower sites (26 sites). Our results showed the VPM-predicted GPP have a significant improvement in C4 croplands. The VPM-predicted GPP could successfully detect the intra- and inter- annual change. This new GPP product can be helpful in the study of terrestrial carbon cycle.

Author

Doughty, Russell

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology)

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Ecosystems in Oklahoma respond differently to drought. This analysis compares gross primary production and evapotranspiration of evergreen forest, deciduous forest, and pasture/grasslands. The results provide a foundation for future research into what role these ecosystems play in the carbon and water cycles during wet and drought periods.

Author

Wenger, Kathryn

Institution (department)

Oklahoma State University (Geography)

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Union County, New Mexico and Cimarron County, Oklahoma are within the Southern High Plains Region of the United States, which has experienced dramatic land-use/land-cover change (LULCC) in the last century. Over the past 65 years, this arid region has transformed from an intermittent producer of dry land crops and ranching to an increasingly irrigation based agricultural industry. Center pivot irrigation (CPI) systems in particular, are one of the largest drivers of such land change and water decline in the area. We explore two counties within the High Plains region that have agriculturally based economies where irrigation has transformed the landscape. This study seeks to better understand the complex nature between LULCC and socio-economic influences. We employ Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) to map CPI change in the 1950s (pre-CPI)-2014. Secondary research draws on national, regional and state level documents to further investigate and reveal possible policies and practices that influence the change in CPI use. RS/GIS Results show that CPI increased in each incremental year analyzed in both counties until 2010. After that time, CPI in Union County, NM began to decline, while in Cimarron County, OK, CPI continued to increase. Secondary research results suggest that governmental policies and programs proved important influences throughout all analysis years. Programs and policies such as the farm bills, crop insurance premium subsidies and ethanol production had a great impact on CPI use. Additionally, the prices of corn, gas and demand for ethanol also impacted its growth, though differently between the two counties.

Author

Zou, Zhenhua

Institution (department)

The University of Oklahoma (Microbiology and Plant Biology)

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Open surface water bodies are the major water source for public water supply, thermalelectric power, agricultural irrigation and livestock production. In this study, the entire Landsat 5/7 surface reflectance archive spanning from 1984 to 2015 were used to generate Oklahoma annual inundation frequency maps in the spatial resolution of 30 m. Based on this, the maximum, year-long, seasonal and annual average water body conditions were analyzed to reveal the water body inter-annual dynamics. The relationship between water body dynamics and climate-related drivers (precipitation and temperature) were also analyzed. The average of maximum water body area and number over the last 32 years are ~2966 km2 and 78,930 respectively. There are severe inter-annual dynamics in water body area and number. The water area dynamics is mainly contributed by the large water bodies while the water body number dynamics is mainly contributed by the small water bodies. Significant downward trends have been found in the maximum water body area, year-long water body area and annual average water body area over the last three decades, indicating the gradually shrinking of open surface water bodies. There are also significant downtrends in maximum water body number and year-long water body number in the last 32 years, suggesting that some of the water bodies are vanishing year by year. The smaller water bodies have a higher risk to dry up and a lower probobility to have water throughout the year. Precipitation is the most dominant climate driver of water body dynamics. More precipitation means more water bodies and a larger total water body area. Seasonal water body dynamics is only significantly influenced by precipitation. The analysis of Oklahoma open surface water body variation could be used to support water resource management, agriculture irrigation, livestock production, and biodiversity conservation.

Author

Hatzis, Joshua

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (Geography and Environmental Sustainability)

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In recent years public storm shelters have come under a lot of scrutiny, and many have come to the conclusion they do more harm than good. The primary reasons for this are: people are generally at greater risk in transit to a shelter than they would be if they sheltered in place, buildings designated as public shelters are often not rated to withstand violent tornadoes, overcrowding can lead to having to turn people away, and the health concerns regarding the presence of pets in shelters. However, not everyone lives in structures which are sturdy enough to withstand even a weak tornado (e.g. mobile/manufactured homes) and personal storm shelters are only available to those that own their own land and can afford one. Since not all residents have access to suitable shelter, and safety should be a basic right, it is in the interest of municipalities to look into all possible sheltering options. This idea motivates this planning study to determine the cost for a network of public storm shelters in the city of Norman, Oklahoma to cover the entire population. In order to address the general concerns about public shelters, each shelter will be rated to withstand EF-5 wind and be placed within walking distance of the surrounding buildings with its maximum capacity at or below that of the surrounding population. Shelter placement will also be prioritized with shelters near schools, hospitals, and retirement homes given first priority and vulnerable populations (e.g. mobile homes, poor neighborhoods) given second. Given the price differential between community shelters and personal shelters two strategies will be attempted: community shelters throughout the city and private personal shelters where possible with community shelters available for the remainder of the population. The economic feasibility of such a plan and possible alternative strategies are also discussed.

Author

Broadfoot, Kyle

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (Biology)

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During the summer months, Purple martins (Progne subis) form dense roosting colonies across the eastern U.S. As they leave these sites on diurnal foraging trips in the lower atmosphere, their exodus is routinely captured by NEXRAD weather radar facilities across the country. Data collected by these facilities are publicly available through the National Weather Service and represents a free, large-scale archive of ecological and behavioral information for a multitude of airborne organisms. By translating radar reflectivity into a biological density product, raw estimates of roost populations can be derived. In addition, information concerning the height, timing, and extent of martin emergences can also be gleaned. These data are useful for refining estimates made of martin roost populations. Here, I present some ways of doing so, as well as a range-wide comparison of estimates made by this technique. The methods presented here have the potential to improve population estimates and illuminate some behavioral patterns at large spatial and temporal scales with broad applicability to other colonially roosting vertebrates.

Author

Hooker, Katherine

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (Biology)

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Harmful algal blooms of toxigenic cyanobacteria (cyanoHABs) are becoming more prevalent with changing climate and continued eutrophication of surface waters. CyanoHABs can be detrimental to lake ecosystems and can potentially threaten the health of humans exposed to cyanoHAB toxins. Remote sensing has potential for providing cheap, fast, and reliable monitoring of cyanoHABs, as relative reflectance of different wavelengths of light can be used to estimate the concentrations of algal pigments in water. We used an eight-year water quality dataset from a subtropical reservoir paired with corresponding satellite images to build a classification tree model predicting blooms using both chlorophyll and phycocyanin as proxies for total algal and cyanobacterial densities, respectively. Classification trees built using reflectance values of red, blue, and green light and their ratios successfully predicted chlorophyll and phycocyanin concentrations. Our analysis validates remote sensing as an effective and practical monitoring tool for cyanoHABS in subtropical reservoirs and demonstrates that remote sensing can serve as an integral tool in ecosystem and human health risk management.

Author

Shaffer, Alex

Institution (department)

OU (DGES)

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Media coverage is known to have an impact on an audience’s understanding of natural hazards. This research explores the patterns of media coverage of the drought of 2010-2014, specifically by newspapers in three communities (Altus OK, Amarillo TX and Austin TX.) Using articles taken from several online news databases, the data were transformed into formats ready for text analysis software. The data are examined at several temporal scales and comparisons made between the coverage in these locations. It is hypothesized that over the four-year drought period, changes in the framing of the drought will appear, with variations in terminology and language depending on length and severity of the drought and by the size of the markets served by the newspaper. It is also hypothesized that the issues raised will change over time, from reporting on basic facts of the drought and initial impacts to addressing long-term water issues in these communities.

Author

Brooks, Jennifer

Institution (department)

University of Oklahoma (Microbiology and Plant Biology)

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Plants, and especially their root systems, are highly sensitive to environmental stresses. Remote sensing technologies are currently used on the plant canopy to record light reflectance spectra, revealing the level of stress of plants growing under unfavorable environmental conditions. Here, we are proposing a new application of the remote sensing technology to phenotype the response of plant root systems growing under unfavorable conditions (e.g., drought and extreme salinity). To reach this objective, we are combining remote sensing and ultrasound aeroponic technologies. The latter allows for the complete control of the environment that the plants are exposed to and provides easy and instant access to the plant root systems compatible with the use of remote sensing technology. To validate this strategy, we analyze changes in the light reflectance spectra of the soybean root system in response to limited and extreme drought as well as elevated salinity and extreme pHs. This research project will ultimately lead to the development of a new, quantitative and reproducible method to characterize the early response of plants to various environmental stresses.