This study investigated the vascular flora diversity, seed bank composition, and physical parameters of the fen at Red-Tail Nature Preserve (RTNP) in Delaware County, Indiana for a better understanding of plant community composition. Data were collected from eighty sample points established on transects occurring in four sampling zones. The results of the study were subjected to detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) in order to analyze plant community data and to provide an indication of differences in community composition between the sampling zones. Results from DCA analysis were compared to physical parameter analysis of soil and water from each sampling zone to determine relationships between plant community types and environmental factors.Ball State UniversityMuncie, IN 47306 / Department of Biology

This thesis has explored the diffusion of tile drainage in Delaware County, Indiana. The study discussed some of the deterrents that hampered agricultural development in the county. These obstacles included the presence of thick forests, vast areas of swampy lands, poor transportation facilities and the absence of local markets. Methods of overcoming some of these problems were then discussed. These included the clearing of forests to prepare land for cultivation, and the use of open ditches and clay tiles to drain the marshes.In addition, the introduction of new drainage techniques such as the laser beam, plow drain, and plastic tile were also discussed. The rate of adoption of plastic tile was then tested statistically to find out if it followed any pattern of distribution. Data obtained through interviews with selected farmers revealed that such an innovation will tend to approximate a growth or "S"-curve in about 1980. The study concluded that the majority of Delaware County farmers are still using clay or concrete tiles.

There is no abstract available for this thesis.

This thesis is a study of the occupational group consisting of the independent trash collectors in Center Township of Delaware County, Indiana. It represents an attempt to discover who the individuals are who comprise this group and what characteristics they have as trash collectors.This thesis explores the attitudes of the independent collectors toward the public, their attitudes regarding the public’s conception of them, and the collectors’ attitudes toward their work. The views these men hold regarding their future and the future of their business are also examined. This thesis also discusses the equipment which the collectors own and use and surveys the present situation and future developments likely in the trash business.

Thesis--University of Wisconsin. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 290-294).

Man's ability to change an agricultural landscape to suit his own needs is associated with the basic principles that govern all landscapes. This study incorporates several environmental and cultural variables to help explain the resultant woodlots patterns in rural Delaware County, Indiana. To a large degree, cultural variables are deemed most significant in describing the size and locations of agriculturally oriented woodlots in Delaware County.Agriculture in Delaware County ranks high in productivity when compared with the entire state. Most of the farming is now specialized, such as dairy farms and cash-grain farms, with small family farms decreasing in number. As a result, fields are being combined, enlarged, and intensified leaving woodlots in remote, distant locations. Agricultural land use, comprising about 85 percent of the total area in the county, is viewed as the primary culprit controlling the pattern of .woodlots existing today. This study attests to quantify the governing parameters of agriculturally oriented woodlots in order to describe their size and location in Delaware County, Indiana, in 1980.

The Muncie esker, a glaciofluvial ridged system, consists of three sharp-crested esker segments in the proximal and central sections, and a broad=crested, fan shaped distal segment. Grain size ranged from clay to boulders, although a larger presence of coarser material with high standard deviation values occurs in the proximal and central segments, while higher concentrations of finer sediment, primarily sand, exists in the distal segment. Field mapping and description included its geomorphic expression, stratigraphic relationships that consisted of facies identification, sedimentary structure , and paleocurrent direction. Sedimentological parameters, including downesker trends in grain size, sorting, a fractal analysis of grain size persistence, and clast roundness, was also investigated.The interpretation of the results provided us with detailed information allowing us to formulate a specific model of esker genesis. The depositional model consists primarily of nearly continuous, contemporaneous subglacial deposition that reulted in the formation of the proximal and central esker segments, and time-transgressive sedimentation, containing interlayered and randomly distributed ice rafted debris, in the form of a subaqueous delta that prograded beyond the ice-margin, forming the distal esker segment. Early stage deposition consisted of bed load transport from moderate flow velocities within a preglacial bedrock valley that served as an R-channel for preliminary subglacial meltwater drainage. Intermediate stage formation consisted of subglacial sedimentation from a hyperconcentrated deforming bed, induced by an outburst flood, and distal deltaic sedimentation as the subglacial flood discharged beyond the ice margin into an ice-marginal lake. Late stage deposition arises from bed load sedimentation of moderate fluvial activity reworking the upper portions of the hyperconcentrated flow deposits and upper deltaic facies. The finality of esker formation concluded with the ablation of the subglacial tunnel roof, sending a supraglacial debris flow that conformably covers the proximal and central esker segments in the form of a diamicton drape. / Department of Geology

An inventory of the vascular flora at Munsee Woods in Delaware County, Indiana revealed 399 species and varieties representing 255 genera and 86 families. The 10 families containing ~52% of the documented species (in order by number of species) were Asteraceae, Poaceae, Cyperaceae, Rosaceae, Brassicaceae, Lamiaceae, Fabaceae, Scrophulariaceae, Polygonaceae, and Liliaceae. Of the documented flora, 300 were native and 99 were exotics. The Floristic Quality Index (FQI) was 47.7, and the mean Coefficient of Conservation (Cav) was 2.4. A plot-based analysis of the woody vegetation was conducted for the southern mesic, upland woodland. Based on the relative importance values (RIV), the important species in order were Acer saccharum, Quercus alba, Celtis occidentalis, Prunus serotina, and Ulmus americana. Relative importance values were used to compare Munsee Woods to Christy Woods in Delaware County, Ginn Woods in Delaware County, and Yuhas Woods in Randolph County. The results of these comparisons were interpreted with regards to the disturbance history of the site, age of the stand, and the stage of succession. / Department of Biology

Food is a fundamental necessity of life. However, millions of Americans do not have access to adequate food and are considered to be "food insecure." Research has shown that low-income individuals have limited food preparation skills and low levels of self-efficacy to prepare healthy meals, further complicating their food situations. The purpose of this pilot study was to determine the effectiveness of a community cooking demonstration at increasing self-efficacy to prepare healthy meals with limited resources. Twenty-three low-income adults participated in the intervention and completed a pre- and post-test assessment to measure changes in self-efficacy to cook, as well as changes in general food and nutrition knowledge. Results indicated that although there were no significant improvements in participants’ self-efficacy to prepare healthy meals (39.3 ± 11.3 vs. 44.5 ± 9.1; t=1.76, p=0.25), subjects did experience significant gains in knowledge related to the MyPlate food guide (1.2 ± 0.5 vs. 1.8 ± 0.8; t=2.82, p=0.01) and basic food safety (0.7 ± 0.9 vs. 2.5 ± 1.0: t=6.05, p<0.001). Increased knowledge is a critical building block toward behavior change and increased self-efficacy. / Department of Family and Consumer Sciences

A study was undertaken to better understand the hydrogeologic framework of the Delaware County, Indiana. Arc View GIS 3-D and Spatial Analysts along with VISUAL MODFLOW are used to study the flow patterns by developing a 3-D model of major aquifers in the county, both glacial and bedrock. The GIS platform facilitates the time consuming task of preparing data input and output. In addition, major recharge zones are also identified in GIS using soil and slope data.The bedrock of Delaware County is composed of Silurian bedrock, which is overlain by glacial drift. The drift is mostly till that is interbedded with eight sand and gravel layers which are horizontal and discontinuous. Both, bedrock and sand & gravel glacial aquifers are good sources of groundwater in the county. More than 3000 water wells are located in the area. It is very interesting to note that 50% of the water-wells in the area are in confined sand and gravel and the remaining wells are in carbonaceous bedrock. The bedrock contains numerous preglacial karsts valley systems which are areas of high transmissivity solution features, also adding further interest to modeling this region.The hydraulic conductivity of sand and gravel is assumed to be 0.0015 m/s whereas for bedrock 0.00025 m/s is used. The streambeds in the area are also the source of groundwater discharge. The hydraulic conductivity of streambed is equal to 0.00028 m/s. Recharge to the area occurs as net recharge, which varies spatially depending on the nature of soil.Several simplifying assumptions were made for the conceptualization and simulation of flow in the basins. The main assumptions are as follows: 1) groundwater is in steady-state, 2) pumping does not significantly affect the level of hydraulic heads; therefore only high capacity pumping wells are simulated, 3) Net recharge from precipitation varies spatially, 4) flow in the bedrock aquifer occurs in the uppermost 40 m and is horizontal 5) vertical flow is assumed to be controlled by intervening sand and gravel units. Ground-water flow in the basins was conceptualized as a three-dimensional flow system. The model boundaries selected to represent natural hydrologic boundaries include (1) river leakage boundaries along major rivers; (2) a constant head boundary around the aquifer boundaries; (3) a general head boundary along the major streams; (4) drain boundaries along major drains; and 5) Evapotranspiration losses.The simulated region is an area of 398 square miles. The model consists of over 3600 cells and employed a regular grid spacing of 6o x 60. A variable grid was designed to provide additional detail in areas of special interest and thus allowed these areas to be simulated more accurately in the model.The model was calibrated using a manual trial-and-error adjustment of parameters. Hydraulic conductivity values, and streambed conductance were adjusted during successive simulations until the flow pattern matches the regional flow direction as computed from the water-well derived (static water level) potentiometric surface. The computed potentiometric surface is an adequate or reasonable match on a regional scale, with the general trend of SE-NW. It is observed that the model is extremely sensitive to changes in horizontal hydraulic conductivity and recharge in the form of precipitation. The model is least sensitive to streambed vertical hydraulic conductivity.The water budget for the calibrated model represents the distribution of groundwater inflow and outflow during calibration. The data indicate that 16.5% of the inflow to the modeled groundwater system is flow across model boundaries and 83% from effective recharge from precipitation, and the rest from streams and rivers. Outflow consists of 2% pumpage, 5% seepage to streams and drains, and 93% is flow across boundaries.It is expected that this study will be beneficial to improve the understanding of groundwater in Delaware County, including both vertical and horizontal flow and interaction of flow between surface and groundwater. Also, the results of the modeling study can be used as a predictive tool for long-term management and monitoring of water resources in the region. / Department of Geology