Spatial Scale and Population Assignment Choices in Environmental Justice Analyses1

Environmental justice laws protect certain populations against discriminatory actions that may result from a myriad of enterprises, including transportation activities. Previous environmental equity studies examining the effects of transportation‐engendered externalities have been criticized on several points, including (1) that the choice of a reference population for comparison to the criterion variable may influence the outcome of research results and (2) that the selection and use of inappropriate methodologies intended to identify and characterize populations may foreordain research outcomes. This article examines the potentially confounding effects of selected spatial scale and population assignment strategies as applied to a study of excessive noise levels at a large Midwestern airport, finding that reported outcomes can vary significantly as a function of methodological choices.     

A review of the impacts of pumped hydro energy storage construction on subalpine and alpine biodiversity: lessons for the Snowy Mountains pumped hydro expansion project

ABSTRACT

The Australian government’s proposal to expand the Snowy Hydro Scheme to include a second pumped hydro energy storage (PHES) system, and support for feasibility studies for PHES in Tasmania, offer an opportunity to incorporate more intermittent renewable energy generation into the National Energy Market. However, the infrastructure construction required for PHES expansion may have negative effects for biodiversity in subalpine and alpine areas. To identify the potential effects of PHES on biodiversity in Kosciuszko National Park (KNP), this systematic literature review assesses: (i) the key environmental disturbances likely to arise from PHES construction; and (ii) the specific impacts of these construction processes on biodiversity in subalpine and alpine environments. We find that the effects of PHES construction-related disturbances are likely to be negative for subalpine and alpine biodiversity, with impacts including the proliferation of exotic flora, habitat loss resulting from vegetation clearing, altered landscape hydrology and reduced water quality. Management recommendations to limit these impacts are provided and further research is recommended to assess: (i) the effects of PHES on fish populations in alpine reservoirs; (ii) the utility of spoil as artificial habitat for endemic fauna; and (iii) the chemical and physical impacts of spoil dumping in alpine reservoirs.     

Population Change Trends in Large U.S. Metropolitan Areas, 1960-70: a Review

Abstract

Seven hypotheses relating to change in metropolitan areas in the decade 1960-70 are developed from literature pertaining to the preceding decade. Analysis indicates that most of the trends apparent in the 1950's have continued in the 1960's, including racial polarization, the effects of age and location of SMSA's, the uniqueness of the South, and rapid growth in the Southeast and West. Several hypotheses were rejected: (1) black suburban populations remained constant, (2) suburbs in the South are losing nonwhites, and (3) SMSA's in the South decentralize more slowly than elsewhere. The influences of annexation, migration, and natural population increase on metropolitan change are briefly discussed.     

A Sustainability Initiative to Quantify Carbon Sequestration by Campus Trees

Abstract

Over 3,900 trees on a university campus were inventoried by an instructor-led team of geography undergraduates in order to quantify the carbon sequestration associated with biomass growth. The setting of the project is described, together with its logistics, methodology, outcomes, and benefits. This hands-on project provided a team of students with several learning opportunities including an introduction to carbon sequestration, basic arboriculture, field-based measurements, mapping, geographic information systems, and biogeography concepts. A GIS geodatabase was produced containing information on tree location, species, size, biomass, carbon content, and annual CO₂ sequestration, which was later customized for integration into campus facilities management.     

Geographical Positions of Base Lines and Principal Meridians Governing the Public Surveys

Abstract

Richard Edes Harrison. The Ginn World Atlas. Ginn &; Co., Statler Office Bldg., Boston 17, Mass., 1963. 62 pages (single page 7 1/2 × 10 in.) with table of contents, colored maps and index. $1.00.

National Geographic Society. Atlas of the World. National Geographic Society, Washington 6, D.C., 1963. 304 pages, including 115 pages of 11-color maps, with 127,071 place names. With introduction, table of contents, etc. The price for the standard edition in a flexible, leather-grained plastic cover is $18.75. The deluxe edition with hard-backed cover in a matching slipcase and gold-stamped lettering with the owner's name is $24.50.

Mary Louise Clifford. The Land and People of Afghanistan. J. B. Lippincott Company, E. Washington Sq., Philadelphia, Pa., 1962. 160 pages, illustrated with photographs, map and index. $3.25.

Pradyumna P. Karan and William M. Jenkins, Jr. The Himalayan Kngdoms: Bhutan, Sikkim, and Nepal. D. Van Nostrand Co., Inc., 120 Alexander St., Princeton, N.J., 1963. 144 pages with preface, table of contents, appendix, bibliography and index. Included are maps and sketches. $1.45.

Donald B. Cole. Atlas of American History. Ginn and Co., Statler Office Bldg., Boston 17, Mass., 1963. 151 pages with table of contents, maps and index. $1.60. (paperback)

D. M. LeBourdais. Stefansson: Ambassador of the North. Harvest House Limited, 220 Elm Ave., Montreal 6, P. Q., Can., 1962. 204 pages with table of contents, map and index. $2.50 (paperback)

Elvajean Hall. The Land and People of Norway (Portraits of the Nations Series). J. B, Lippincott Co., E. Washington Sq., Philadelphia 5, Pa., 1963. 158 pages with table of contents, one place name map, photographs and index. $3.25.

Sir Alan Burns. Fiji. British Information Services, 845 Third Ave., New York 22, N.Y., 1963. xv and 255 pages with table of contents, illustrations, photographs, drawings, maps, appendices and index. $6.00.

George B. Cressey. Asia's Lands and Peoples. McGraw-Hill Book Company, Inc., 330 West 42nd St., New York 36, N.Y., 1963. 652 pages plus table of contents and index. $9.95.

S. Carl Hirsch. The Globe for the Space Age. The Viking Press, 625 Madison Ave., New York, N.Y., 1963. 88 pages including table of contents, index, drawings, suggestions for further reading and list of globe manufacturers. $8.75.

Cuchlaine A. M. King. An Introduction to Oceanography. McGraw Hill Book Company, Inc., 330 West 42nd Street, New York 36, N.Y., 1963. xii and 337 pages with table of contents, index and illustrations. $7.95.

William Bixby. Waves, Pathways of Energy. David McKay &; Co., Inc., 119 W. 40th St., New York 18, N.Y., 1963. 160 pages, illustrations, suggested further readings index. $3.50.

Hans H. Lansberg, Leonard L. Fischman and Joseph L. Fisher. Resources in America's Future: Patterns of Requirements and Availabilities 1960–2000. Johns Hopkins Press, Baltimore 18, Md., 1963. 1067 pages with black and white and colored ilustrations, table of contents, appendices and index. $15.00.

C. Daryll Forde. Habitat, Economy &; Society. E. P. Dutton &; Co., Inc., 201 Park Avenue South, New York 3, N.Y., 1963. xv and 500 pages with preface, table of contents, illustrations, maps, drawings, chapter references, bibliography and index $2.35.

Patricia Horkheimer Suttles. Educators Guide to Free Science Materials, 4th ed. Educators Progress Service, Randolph, Wis., 1963. XV and 313 pages with publisher's foreword, table of contents, general directions, title index, subject index, source and availability index and eleven units. $7.75.

Irwin Isenberg (associate editor). The Soviet Satellites of Eastern Europe. Scholastic Book Services, Scholastic Magazines, Inc., New York, N.Y., 1963. 159 pages with photographs and index. Sixty-five cents, (paperback)     

Transportation Part II

Abstract

This article presents research on evaluating problem-based learning using GIS technology in a Singapore secondary school. A quasi-experimental research design was carried to test the PBL pedagogy (PBL-GIS) with an experimental group of students and compare their learning outcomes with a control group who were exposed to PBL but not GIS. The results show significant differences in the learning outcomes between the two groups. Specifically, students in the control group show more memorization skill while students in the experimental group demonstrate more analytical and evaluation skills. The conclusion is that learning with PBL-GIS pedagogy can result in higher-order learning outcomes.     

Productivity Profiles of PhD-Granting Geography Departments in the Unites States: 1980–1994

In our study, 48 U.S. departments that grant geography PhDs are compared along four measures of academic productivity. Using 1980–1994 as the base period, research productivity of faculty was assessed by counting book titles, as well as authorships in 77 journals. Teaching productivity was determined by placement of PhDs in graduate programs of geography in North America, and by a weighted index of teaching outcomes. Data were summed for departments, but are reported primarily as productivity per person (per FTE count). The results point to a wide variety of departmental profiles, from those departments that appear to emphasize teaching outcomes to those that are more productive in book publishing and journal authorship, with several exhibiting a balance between teaching and research.     

The State of Geography Education Research

Abstract

College enrollment and Association of American Geographers membership data reveal a significant deficit in minority participation in geography and environmental science. The author asserts that this dearth may have its origin at the K-12 level, where science subjects are presented in a manner that alienates socioeconomically disadvantaged pupils. With recent research indicating that low-income and nonwhite communities are disproportionately affected by environmental degradation, it is pertinent that methods be developed to increase the number of minority students choosing to pursue environmental careers. Involving students directly in projects investigating the pollution in their communities aids in enhancing student interest. By participating in a lead (Pb) contamination study, students are introduced to several geographic subdisciplines including cartography, demography, and environmental geography. Students also acquire skills in spatial analysis, map interpretation, and graphic design. Complementing basic lead-soil field investigations with geographic information systems, spreadsheet, and/or computer mapping software, offers students a valuable high-tech learning experience.     

Resident Attitudes Toward Timber Rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus)

Abstract

Timber rattlesnakes (Crotalus horridus) are endangered throughout the northeastern United States where multiple factors contribute to population declines. Challenges exist to managing rattlesnake populations because there is little information about human dimensions of this species or other small predators that are venomous or perceived as hazardous. Our objective was to evaluate relationships between resident attitudes and behavioral intentions toward timber rattlesnakes. A mail survey (n?=?593) was used to collect data from residents who live near a rattlesnake population in central Connecticut. Two variables defined resident attitudes toward rattlesnakes: coexistence with the species and perceived threats from the species. Rattlesnake-related factors and situational factors appeared to contribute more heavily to behavioral intentions toward rattlesnakes than general wildlife value orientations. Attitudes predicted behavioral intentions toward rattlesnakes. Results will help wildlife managers incorporate human factors into appropriate management and public outreach strategies.     

Using Audience Physiology to Assess Engaging Conservation Messages and Animal Taxa

Abstract

We used heart rate change as a tool to study how positive and negative wildlife conservation messaging impacts a viewer, and which types of animal images stimulate greatest reaction. We used scenes from five wildlife conservation videos available from environmental organization websites and YouTube, with positive and negative messaging. We found both very positive and very negative messaging in videos may be similarly effective in engaging viewers. A trend in greater changes in heart rate when insects, mammals, and birds appear on the screen suggests generally high human interest in these taxa, potentially due to avoidance and attraction responses. The number of scenes (N?=?54) in which various taxa appear reflects bias toward mammals (65%) and birds (17%) to capture viewers’ attention. Arousal is a primary step in engaging an audience to attend to a message. Physiological research offers innovative new techniques to evaluate public responses to communications about biodiversity conservation.     

Assessing Collaborative Conservation: A Case Survey of Output,Outcome, and Impact Measures Used in the Empirical Literature

Abstract

Much existing research on collaborative conservation has focused on process, even as researchers have called for greater attention to explaining what results these processes yield. It is time to take stock of collaborative conservation research by mapping what kinds of variables researchers are including in analyses. Here we conduct a case survey from the SCAPE database of environmental decision-making cases. We include cases involving collaboration across government, environmental protection, and resource exploitation interests in western democratic countries. Results reveal patterns in what researchers include in their outputs, outcomes, and impacts measures of collaborative conservation. While there is little difference by publication type (peer-reviewed journals, scholarly book chapters, or gray literature) or over time, we find significant differences in explicit measures across variable types. In particular, variables more proximate to process in a logic chain are more often measured, as are social rather than ecological variables.     

Uncertainties in the geographic context of health behaviors: a study of substance users’ exposure to psychosocial stress using GPS data

ABSTRACT

This study examined how contextual areas defined and operationalized differently may lead to different exposure estimates. Substance users’ exposures to environmental stress (in terms of two variables: community social economic status and crime) were assessed from global positioning systems (GPS) data. Participants were 47 outpatients with substance use disorders admitted for methadone maintenance at a research clinic in Baltimore, Maryland. From 35.2 million GPS tracking points, we compared 7 different methods for defining activity space. The different methods yielded different exposure estimates, which would lead to different conclusions in studies using only one method. These results have important implications for future research on the effect of contextual influences on health behaviors and outcomes: whether a study observes any significant influence of an environmental factor on health may depend on what contextual units are used to assess individual exposure.     

Effects of Spaced Repetition on Long-Term Map Knowledge Recall

ABSTRACT

Sixth-grade students studying Latin America were placed in experimental and comparison groups to test the effects of map-study repetition on long-term memory. Mean scores on place-name repetition indicated that the experimental (repetition) group out-performed the comparison group at a statistically significant level with respect to both posttest and retention-test outcomes.     

Addressing Integration Challenges of Interdisciplinary Research in Social-Ecological Systems

Abstract

Conducting research on coupled social-ecological systems (SESs) presents inherent challenges, such as coordination across disparate disciplines or integrating across multiple scales and levels of governance. To overcome these common challenges, we propose that structuring the research design itself according to SES principles provides for integrative execution of SES science. First, starting with pilot work, human and natural science researchers should work as a team to identify and access multi-level entry points (i.e. points of direct engagement) within the system, relative to the spatiotemporal scales under investigation. Second, teams should implement an adaptive process that begins with the proposed research design and uses shared experiences from pilot work to refine protocols prior to subsequent data collection. We provide examples of multi-level and multi-scale entry points, and show that adaptive management of research design through coordinated iteration allows for better research integration and applicable outcomes.     

Evangelical Protestantism,Politics, and the Environment: When and How Do Biblical Beliefs Matter?

Abstract

Literature on environment-related outcomes highlights the role of political and religious factors—in particular, political orientation, party affiliation and biblical beliefs. Less is known about how these factors independently and interactively shape attitudes towards policy and environmental behaviors including how political factors may be moderated by religious beliefs. Using structural equation modeling and data from the 2010 GSS, we find that in the United States political orientation and party affiliation independently affect willingness to pay for the environment and to engage in pro-environmental behaviors. Biblical beliefs have no effect on behaviors, but strongly influence willingness to pay. Moreover, biblical beliefs moderate the effects of political orientation: the more politically conservative biblical literalist are the more willing they are willing to pay for the environment. We conclude with a discussion of these surprising results by calling for more intersectional approaches to environment-related behaviors and attitudes.     

Sensitivity of disease cluster detection to spatial scales: an analysis with the spatial scan statistic method

ABSTRACT

The spatial scan statistic method has been widely used for detecting disease clusters. Its results may be affected by scales, including the aggregation level of the input data and the population threshold used in the detection. Previous studies offered inconsistent findings, and few had considered both types of scales at the same time. Using 24 simulated datasets and two real disease datasets, we investigated the method’s sensitivity to the two types of scales. We aggregated the individual-level data into areal units of three levels, including county, town, and a 900 m grid. We detected clusters with three population thresholds, including 10%, 25%, and 50%. We used two measurements, distance between cluster centres and the Jaccard index, to quantify the consistency of clusters detected with different scale settings. We find: (1) the method is not greatly sensitive to the data aggregation level when the cluster is strong and in a place with high population density; (2) the method’s sensitivity to the population threshold is determined by the actual size of the true cluster; and (3) a regular grid with fine resolution is advantageous over the subjectively defined areal units. The process and findings may have broader meanings to similar spatial analyses.     

Dilemmas of State-Led Environmental Conservation in China: Environmental Target Enforcement and Public Participation in Minqin County

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the acute socioecological crisis in the Minqin region of China’s Gansu province beginning in the 1980s and the multilevel, governmental response to that crisis in the first two decades of the 21st century. Drawing on extensive field research and interviews in the area, supplemented by analysis of available data, the paper presents a detailed case study of the development and implementation of the Shiyang River Watershed Restoration Plan in the period 2007–15. The case illustrates how conflicting policy objectives of the central state-led conservation project shaped patterns of interaction between local government officials, cadres, and farmers in Minqin County as well as ensuing outcomes and challenges in policy implementation. The study finds that top-level declaration of ecological and social issues in the watershed as a national security issue incentivized local government officials and cadres to overlook the Plan’s provision for local consultation, in favor of meeting binding ecological and economic targets. It contributes to scholarship on environmental authoritarianism, illuminating structural factors and institutional constraints that shape local government officials’ and cadres’ behavior in a centrally administered environmental policy context.     

Environmental Science Education Programs: Opportunities for Geographers

Abstract

Environmental agencies in most states have an environmental education Web page that can point geography teachers to a variety of opportunities and resources to enhance their teaching. Most states provide linkages to local and national programs such as Project WET and Project WILD, and access to lesson plans and other teaching materials. A number of state agencies have environmental resource centers, teacher workshops, and grant programs for field trips and class projects. A few states have workshops that provide graduate academic credit and special certification. Much of the content of these programs contributes to fundamental geographic education themes as specified in the 1983 Guidelines in Geographic Education K–12 and Geography for Life: National Geography Standards 1994.     

Breaking Out: The Opportunities and Challenges of Multi-Method Research inPopulation Geography

Research traditions exert a powerful influence over the thinking of academic researchers. In population geography an entrenched empiricism and a reluctance to engage in wider debates on theory and method within human geography have resulted in a degree of separate development. Such methodological complacency has, until recently, threatened to undermine population geography's role within the discipline as a whole. Thus the discussion of multi-method research designs is of particular significance because it offers population geographers an opportunity to break out from the confines of a dominant research tradition and participate with other human geographers in an important methodological debate. This paper seeks not only to provide a critical overview of the current debate within population geography (as represented in the preceding papers in this Focus section) but also to extend that debate by raising issues of much more general concern. I argue that there are dangers in drawing the terms of the debate too narrowly. If we are to understand the nature and potential of multi-method research, we must first pose fundamental questions about the interrelationships among methods, data, and research problems. Pragmatic views on the choice of research method are inadequate because they fail to recognise the theory-driven nature of research. Only once we have achieved a better understanding of the philosophical grounding of research strategies will the opportunities afforded by multi-method research be fully realised.     

Migration pattern of Yellow-throated buntings revealed by isotope-based geographic assignment

ABSTRACT

Migratory birds have evolved diverse migration strategies in response to a variety of factors, but information about the detailed migration patterns of Asian songbirds is not yet available. To understand the short-distance migration pattern of declining Yellow-throated Buntings (Emberiza elegans) in East Asia, we analyzed stable isotopes from the outermost tail feathers (rectrices) of individual buntings collected in Korea and Japan. Temporal changes in feather hydrogen (δ²H_f) and oxygen (δ¹⁸O_f) isotopic values at stopover islands suggested that northern populations start migration earlier than southern populations, especially in autumn. Latitudinal gradient in δ²H_f values of three wintering populations implied that northern breeders wintered farther north than southern breeders. The migration pattern of this bunting, known as Type II chain migration, was also inferred from hydrogen isotope-based geographic assignments of feather growth origins. Our data demonstrate that stable isotope analysis may help to bridge current knowledge gaps in songbird migration despite coarsely mapped isoscapes and as-of-yet undetermined isotope calibration functions in Asia.