Projects
The following are abstracts or summaries from current and recent research projects I've conducted:
Ongoing
Dissertation Research: Ecosystem Service Assessment and Mapping among National Forest Stakeholders using Participatory Methods (Poster presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Association of Geographers, 2019)
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS) is now required to include the concept of ecosystem services - defined as the idea that humankind receives a variety of tangible and intangible benefits from ecosystems - in National Forest (NF) planning. Pacific Northwest National Forests, however, are only in the early stages of considering ES within individual forest plans. This doctoral dissertation research project focuses on investigating how the identification and mapping of ecosystem services using participatory methods can be used to more effectively and equitably inform ecosystem service-based management in the US National Forest context. This type of management-relevant, bottom-up identification and mapping of priority ES, integrating cultural values of diverse groups, is widely called for in the literature, yet case studies on US public lands are lacking. Field data collection will begin with interviewing managers at the regional USFS office in Portland, and at the offices of one National Forest (Gifford Pinchot National Forest). These interviews will investigate what ES are prioritized by management while allowing for the identification of key stakeholder groups. Then, interviews and a participatory mapping exercise with key informants identified via established stakeholder analysis methods will elicit individual values toward, and uses of, National Forest ecosystem services, as well as the spatial characteristics of these values and uses in GPNF. Finally, spatial analysis will be used to investigate the degree to which participatory mapping complements or contradicts expert-derived spatial models of ecosystem service provision.
Recent
Preliminary spatial analysis of Marine Monitor (M2) radar data for the South La Jolla Marine Reserve (technical report submitted to WildCoast, 2017)
The effectiveness of no-take marine protected areas (MPA) depends on the compliance of local resource users. However, identifying, understanding, and enforcing non-compliant behavior is a persistent challenge for MPA managers. Here, the Marine Monitor (M2) radar system is investigated as a cost-effective method to monitor MPA users and profile both MPA use and potential illegal fishing behavior within the South La Jolla State Marine Reserve. Over a six month period, the M2 system collected data on over 7,500radar tracks. Data analysis using ArcGIS and a day of in-the-field ground-truthing revealed several sources of error and artifacts within the data that should be addressed to improve the ability of the technology to create accurate spatiotemporal use profiles. Using the best available filtering methods to address some of these sources of error, analysis of radar tracks that passed through the MPA revealed that there were elevated levels of traffic on weekends and that the largest track density occurred slightly to the east (shoreward) of the center of the MPA. According to the current definition of fishing behavior embedded in the data collection process, 29% of these tracks demonstrated fishing behavior. Upon further refinement of data collection and filtering protocols, M2 data could become a valuable tool in identifying noncompliant behavior in the SLJSMR and in other MPAs globally. In its current configuration, the system has potential to be developed into a useful tool for live-monitoring of MPAs for compliance and enforcement of regulations, human use and stewardship.
Latent Trajectory Modeling of Spatiotemporal Relationships Between Land Cover and Land Use, Socioeconomics, and Obesity in Ghana (published in Spatial Demography, 2016)
Obesity is a growing public health concern in both developed and developing countries, creating acute challenges in places with scant resources. In Ghana, obesity rates have risen substantially in recent decades, a trend particularly noted in urban areas. However, high levels of migration and urbanization indicate a situation that is more complex than a simple urban/rural distinction may be able to explain. Latent trajectory modeling (LTM) with eigenvector spatial filtering offers a methodology to explore the spatial and temporal patterns of body mass index (BMI) change by going beyond the urban/rural distinction and examining how different environmental, social, and demographic variables contribute to BMI changes over time. Using data from a regional LULC study and the Ghana Demographic Health Survey (1993, 1998, 2003, 2008), the relationship between BMI and the amounts of urban, agricultural, and natural land covers, household size, % of houses with electricity, % houses with flush toilets, and % of houses with no toilets for 845 survey clusters is explored. Our findings suggest higher BMIs in the most urban areas, yet larger BMI increases in peri-urban areas (and lower BMI changes in slums and increasingly rural areas). The LTM modeling indicates a trajectory of BMI growth in the study region, yet one that is slowing over time. Earlier, indicators of higher socioeconomic status and larger households are associated with high BMIs, but these indicators are not associated with rising BMI over the entire study period. Areas with increases in urban land cover show consistent, significant relationships with BMI growth.
An Agent Based Model for Exploring Wolf Recolonization in Austria (published in GI_Forum, 2016)
Austria is one of the few countries in Europe that has not been recolonized by stable populations of wolves, yet many dispersing individuals have been observed. Understanding spatial and temporal patterns of recolonization can help prepare management agencies for conflict that may arise and allow for adaptive management, yet characterizations of the recolonization process are lacking in most areas where it is occurring. Here, a geospatial application of an agent-based model was explored as a potential tool in characterizing spatial and temporal patterns of wolf recolonization in Austria. Sub-models for wolf appearance in Austria, dispersal through a habitat-suitability model, mating, pack formation and death were developed in the Agent Analyst programming environment and parameterized with literature-derived values. Model outputs included total wolf numbers, wolf presence locations, and the number and location of packs formed. Throughout model runs, wolf presence locations were predictably focused near known neighbouring populations; yet different parameterizations resulted in varied larger-scale movement patterns. About half of all runs resulted in pack formation, predominantly near the Slovenian and Italian borders, indicating that it is possible for the model to predict recolonization. Although the approach has high uncertainty, it can lend insight into recolonization and can be refined through the collection of more empirical data and the application of further research into wolf decision-making.
MSc. Dissertation Research: Attitudes and risk perception toward the mountain lion bordering the Santa Cruz Mountains, California (published in Society and Animals, 2019)
Growth in human population, urban and rural development, and the popularity of outdoor recreation has increased the potential for conflict with mountain lions (Puma concolor) in California. This study used a questionnaire to gauge attitudes, risk perception, and management preferences toward mountain lions among different groups within the populated periphery of mountain lion territory in Santa Cruz County, California. Overall, attitudes were positive and risk perception was moderate. Age, gender, education, experience with mountain lions, recreation frequency in mountain lion territory, distance of residence to mountain lion territory, and nature organization support were associated with attitude, risk perception, and/or management preferences. Results of this study could be used to guide management toward incorporating diverse public views and conservation organizations toward capitalizing on positive attitudes by focusing on the mountain lion as a flagship species and by targeting initiatives toward groups with low attitudes or higher risk perception.