by Eric M. Power. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Bibliography: leaves 99-112.

This research provides a confirmatory based analysis which begins with the planning concept of land use mix and explores its explanatory affect upon resident perceptions of their built environment in terms of proximity of recreation and retail destinations within their neighborhood public realm. This research further explores the resident’s potential inclination to access these destinations by non motorized active travel modes of walking or bicycling. This research examines the relationship between the propensity for active travel within the neighborhood public realm and levels of resident active engagement (walking and bicycling) and passive engagement (sitting on the front porch) in the neighborhood public realm. This research then examines the relationship between public realm engagement and levels of neighborhood social capital. There are two overarching types of community design patterns, the traditional design pattern, which generally provides higher levels of land use mix and the conventional suburban design pattern, which generally provides lower levels of land use mix (primarily single use). Since the end of World War II, virtually all of the Florida landscape has been developed with the conventional suburban design pattern. In the past ten years, several planning based initiatives have been undertaken by regional planning advocacy and academic organizations which examine differing outcomes associated with the implementation of traditional versus suburban design patterns. Specifically, these studies sought to understand how these different design patterns would translate into the development of existing undisturbed uplands and wetlands. Two major studies, the Penn Design Study (2004) sponsored by the University of Central Florida Metropolitan Center for Regional Studies and the “How Shall We Grow” (2006) study sponsored by MyRegion.org in association with the Orlando Chamber of Commerce, provided scenarios associated with future growth outcomes over the next fifty years within the iii seven county Central Florida region. These study initiatives concluded that the conventional suburban pattern should no longer be implemented in order to reduce future adverse impacts to Florida’s environment. These studies supported the implementation of a more traditional pattern of growth, with its higher levels of compactness, mixed land uses and connectivity, as the preferred form of future land development. They demonstrated that traditional design forms would reduce the amount of impacted undeveloped land and also reduce the amount of public service costs associated with lower levels of compactness and land use mix. Although the aforementioned studies provide a very informative evaluation from an environmental perspective, they do not extend their differing potential growth scenarios to a “healthy communities” perspective. This research endeavors to begin to fill that gap through evidence based research using a confirmatory model approach that addresses relationships between phenomena that may be indicative of healthy communities. This study identifies the phenomena of outdoor neighborhood public realm engagement, primarily in the form of physical activity (walking and bicycling) and socializing in the public realm, and neighborhood level social capital, and their potential relationship with higher and lower levels of land use mix. This research posits a pathway mechanism, using structural equation modeling, to better grasp their possible relationships. This research seeks to add evidence based research to the public policy discussion pertaining to the type of future land development patterns that will be advocated by citizens and public policy makers by providing a fuller evaluative resource that includes a discussion of “healthy communities” in terms of outdoor physical activity and social interaction.

The doctrine of sovereign immunity in Florida has evolved over time as the common law and statutory environment within the state has changed. Public schools and public-school employees enjoy some level of immunity protection under both common law and statutory law. Nonetheless, Florida law creates a duty to provide a safe environment for students and creates potential liability in certain circumstances when a public school or public school employee fails to do so. In this dissertation, I analyzed litigation efforts and protections provided to public schools and public-school educators in Florida under the Florida Tort Claims Act (FTCA) of 1973 for claims of negligent supervision of students. This dissertation provided an in-depth analysis of negligence cases, statutes, protections, and lawsuits brought under common law after the passage of the Florida Tort Claims Act of 1973.

Disparity in sentence length has long been a topic of discussion (Spohn, 2009). Though most research is aimed at disparity due to race, few studies utilize sex as a focal point (Crow & Kunselman, 2009; Embry & Lyons, 2012; Gavin, 2014; Hartley, Kwak, Park & Min-Sik Lee, 2011; Hasset-Walker, Lateano, Di Benedetto, 2014; Messing, 2008; Steffensmeier, Ulmer & Kramer, 1998). The focus of this study is to examine the effect of sex on sentence length, controlling for characteristics derived from the evil woman hypothesis, chivalry hypothesis, and focal concerns theory, to discuss the potential paternalism of the criminal justice system, which may cause potential sentence disparities (Daly, 1989; Nagel & Hagen, 1983; Steffensmeir, Ulmer, & Kramer, 1998). The findings indicate that women always receive a reduced sentence compared to male offenders, regardless of the crime type of past criminal offenses. The statistically significant results indicate that there is a need to review the criminal justice system and implement new polices such as judicial review to help stymie the differing sentences given (Spohn, 2009). If not, offenders will continue to receive differing sentences, based solely on extra-legal factors, such as the sex of the offender. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2017. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Water conservation initiatives seldom quantify the volume of water that is at stake in lawn watering. In many communities, including those in South Florida, outdoor water use, which includes lawn irrigation, is not metered separately from indoor water use and is indistinguishable from indoor water usage. A large number of residents use self supply non-potable wells for lawn irrigation that are not regulated by the South Florida Water Management District. The result is that residential lawn water use is difficult to account for and quantify. This thesis project addressed these difficulties by combining semistructured interviews, daily watering observations and irrigation system audits to ascertain how much public supply water and self supply (well) water was being used for residential lawn irrigation. The study also examined lawn watering practices and how factors such as: precipitation, the minimum plant needs of St. Augstinegrass, and how local watering restrictions influenced watering behavior. / by Felicia D. Survis. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

The most important asset of any organization is its people (Danish & Usman, 2010). Whatever the market segment, they are the driving force behind creating and delivering on the organization’s strategic and financial objectives. The ability to attract, retain and motivate the necessary workforce, through use of financial rewards, is a main determinant in the degree to which these objectives are met (Fong & Tosi, 2007; Gomez- Mejia & Balkin, 1992b; Newman, Gerhart, & Milkovich, 2016). While there are many approaches to pay strategy, a key aspect, and the focus of this dissertation, is the market positioning of cash compensation. Specifically examined was the stated policy narrative of market positioning compared to actual pay practice. While compensation practices in the private sector have received significant research attention, much less focus has been given to pay in academia. This work seeks to address this apparent gap and extend our knowledge in this area. Utilizing faculty pay at Florida’s ten major public universities, this dissertation analyzes consistency between the narrative and practice at the levels of university, department, rank, size and region. The findings demonstrated a significant difference between pay and university but inconsistencies across all levels with the stated narrative. Additionally, the results indicate a widening gap between actual pay and the market average between the 2005- 2006 academic year to present. / Includes bibliography. / Dissertation (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The Argentine black and white tegu, Salvator merianae, is a nonnative species that has invaded parts of Florida. The potential impacts of this species on native Florida wildlife are not yet known. This study looks at the stomach contents of 169 S. merianae captured between 2011 and 2013 in south Florida to infer potential impacts of S. merianae and spatial or seasonal shifts in diet. Analysis of 169 GI tracts showed that S. merianae is an omnivorous, terrestrial forager with a broad dietary range which includes insects, fruits, plants, snails, crayfish, carrion, birds, small mammals, turtles, snakes, lizards, frogs and eggs. S. merianae diet composition varied with capture habitat, the fattest tegus were collected from disturbed/agricultural areas and these samples contained, primarily, gastropods and insects. Tegu dietary habits threaten local endangered and state listed species such as the American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus, and the Cape Sable seaside sparrow, Ammodramus maritimus mirabilis. Dedicated funds and efforts need to be focused on this species to limit its further spread and future impact on native species. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2015. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

The manner in which human settlements are arranged across the landscape holds clues to a society's internal social relationships and may indicate how a society fits into its environment. This research investigates settlement patterns during the formative pre-historic periods in Southeast Florida, the three Glades Periods (BC 500- AD 1750). During this time span, the inhabitants of the region adapted to a changing climate and environment by occupying places that were conducive to their particular hunter-gatherer way of life. However, while the Glades people moved from one locale to another, they never altered the manner in which they primarily sought sustenance; fishing and hunting. Evidence suggests substantial population increases beginning in the Glades II Period and shift of habitations due to flooding of earlier and lower sites. / by Paul Callsen. / Thesis (M.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2008. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Anthropogenic hydrologic alterations can affect the quality of lake littoral zone habitats for wading birds, such as the great egret (Ardea alba), snowy egret (Egretta thula), and white ibis (Eudocimus albus). One such lake in Florida, Lake Okeechobee, has experienced a marked decline in wading bird nesting since the 1970’s, concomitant with changes in lake level management. It’s hypothesized that a reduction in foraging habitat has led to the nesting decline; however, there is little quantitative evidence of this link. A habitat suitability model was developed for Lake Okeechobee wading birds that incorporate the spatial and temporal dynamics of environmental factors that affect wading bird foraging and tests whether foraging habitat is linked to numbers of nests. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2014. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Life history strategy suggests long lived bird species will adjust their nesting effort according to current conditions, balancing the costs of reproduction with their long-term needs for survival and future reproduction. The habitat conditions that produce these responses may differ between species, even within the same ecosystem, producing different nesting and population trends. I traced the pathway by which food availability influences the physiological condition of pre-breeding great egrets and white ibises through to reproductive measures, and the physiological condition of chicks. I focused on these two species with contrasting foraging strategies, in relation to foraging and habitat conditions to maximize the likelihood of application of these results to other wading bird species. Experimental food supplementation and physiology research on white ibis chicks demonstrated that in years with low prey availability white ibis were food limited, with increased levels of stress protein 60 and fecal corticosterone. This is the first study to demonstrate experimentally the response of stress protein 60 to changing levels of food availability. During a year with low prey availability (2007) white ibis adults and chick physiological condition was lower than that of great egrets. During the same year, fledging success was lower for both species (20% for white ibis versus 27% for great egret) but the magnitude of the decrease was particularly severe for the white ibis (76% decline versus 66% decline for the great egret). Results suggest white ibises modify their clutch size during years with poor habitat in accordance with life history traits of a long-lived species, whereas great egrets maintained their clutch size during years with poor habitat. / Increasing recession rates, hydrological reversals, and prey densities influenced white ibis, whereas great egrets were most influenced by prey densities and recession rates, with no effect of hydrological reversal. During the same year, fledging success was lower for both species (20% for white ibis versus 27% for great egret) but the magnitude of the decrease was particularly severe for the white ibis (76% decline versus 66% decline for the great egret). Results suggest white ibises modify their clutch size during years with poor habitat in accordance with life history traits of a long-lived species, whereas great egrets maintained their clutch size during years with poor habitat. Increasing recession rates, hydrological reversals, and prey densities influenced white ibis, whereas great egrets were most influenced by prey densities and recession rates, with no effect of hydrological reversals. This study is the first to make the link between landscape hydrology patterns, prey availability, and responses in wading bird nesting. These linkages provide critical insight into how species' nesting patterns could differ given the same time and spatial constraints and how that may be related to long-term nesting trends. This knowledge could ultimately lead to novel predictions about population and community patterns of wetland birds. / by Garth Herring. / Individual abstract for each chapter. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references at the end of each chapter. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, FL : 2008 Mode of access: World Wide Web.