Landscape is about the relationship between people and place and in 2000 was defined by the European Landscape Commission (ELC) as "an area as perceived by people whose character is the result of natural and human actions and interactions”. In the 70s the reason for studying the landscape was because of the necessity of attributing a value to it. Nowadays the motivations behind managing, conserving and enhancing the landscape is because the landscape is the place where people belong to and, consciously or not, recognise themselves. In addition, people identify different landscapes on the basis of the particular combinations of the elements in the landscape. As a consequence a landscape can be distinguished from another on the basis of its character which, according to the Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) guidance for England and Scotland (C. Swanwick and Land Use Consultant, 2002), is defined as “a distinct, recognisable and consistent pattern of elements in the landscape that makes one landscape different from the other rather than better or worse”. This definition was the starting point of a PhD research project aimed at developing and implementing a methodology able to identify and quantify the character of the Scottish landscape through the application of GIS and statistics. The reason for doing this research was to provide the landscape architects and practitioners with a tool that could help them to define the landscape character types in a more consistent, objective, and scientifically robust way. One of the objectives of the research was to identify the spatial patterns formed by the landscape elements by taking into account the influence of the spatial location. The first law of geography, which states that "everything is related to everything else but near things are more related than distant ones" (W Tobler, 1970), was transposed in the assumption of the presence of spatial autocorrelation amongst the data which contributes to form spatial patterns within the data. Since landscape comprises of many elements, data were also multivariate, thus the analysis required a method of calculation able to deal simultaneously with multivariate and spatial autocorrelation issues. MULTISPATI-PCA, a spatially constrained Principal Component Analysis, was the statistical technique applied for the analysis of the data whose results showed that it was possible to detect the spatial structure of the data and that each spatial pattern corresponded to a distinct landscape. Despite their importance in forming the character of the landscape, aesthetic and perceptual aspects were not inlcuded in MULTISPATI-PCA analysis. It was preferred to test the technique only on data that were quantifiable in a more objective way. Perhaps taking into account the human perception of the landscape can be the starting point for future investigation.

Through partnerships and collaborations with universities, non-profits, local government, and private foundations, neighborhood associations and residents have been using Public Participation Geographic Information Systems (PPGIS) as a tool for neighborhood recovery in post-Katrina and Rita New Orleans. The landfall of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita along the Gulf Coast Region changed the way that Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used for Emergency Management and Response, PPGIS, and community recovery. This research explores GIS and PPGIS best practices through an evaluation of New Orleans, LA case studies and seeks to present solutions for the development of a post-disaster PPGIS for community recovery.

Zhao Yibin. / Thesis submitted in: November 2001. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 103-111). / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / Abstract --- p.I / ACKNOWLEDGEMENT --- p.V / Table of Contents --- p.VIII / List of Tables --- p.IX / List of Figures --- p.X / Chapter Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1 / Chapter 1.1 --- Research background and problem statement --- p.1 / Chapter 1.2 --- Research objectives --- p.6 / Chapter 1.3 --- Methodology --- p.7 / Chapter 1.4 --- Significance of this study --- p.9 / Chapter 1.5 --- Organization of the thesis --- p.10 / Chapter Chapter 2 --- "Literature review: wildfire behavior simulation, Web GIS and public participation GIS" --- p.11 / Chapter 2.1 --- Introduction --- p.11 / Chapter 2.2 --- Investigating wildfire behavior --- p.12 / Chapter 2.3 --- Modeling wildfire with GIS --- p.20 / Chapter 2.4 --- Emergence of the Web GIS --- p.27 / Chapter 2.5 --- New agenda from public participation --- p.28 / Chapter 2.6 --- Summary --- p.31 / Chapter Chapter 3 --- System design: requirements analysis and feasibility analysis --- p.34 / Chapter 3.1 --- Introduction --- p.34 / Chapter 3.2 --- Analysis of functions requirement --- p.35 / Chapter 3.3 --- A host of solutions --- p.41 / Chapter 3.4 --- Summary --- p.52 / Chapter Chapter 4 --- Simulating the wildfire --- p.53 / Chapter 4.1 --- Physical Setting of experiment area and data preparation --- p.53 / Chapter 4.2 --- Adaptation and formularization of the Rothermel's fire behavior model --- p.60 / Chapter 4.3 --- Fire spreading algorithm --- p.66 / Chapter 4.4 --- Defining wildfire with Object Oriented Design (OOD) method --- p.71 / Chapter 4.5 --- Summary --- p.74 / Chapter Chapter 5 --- Participation process with interactive tools empowered by IT technologies --- p.76 / Chapter 5.1 --- Comprehending the problem in an interactive way --- p.76 / Chapter 5.2 --- Performing wildfire simulation --- p.81 / Chapter 5.3 --- Submitting of end users comments --- p.84 / Chapter 5.4 --- Discussion bulletin board --- p.94 / Chapter 5.5 --- Summary --- p.96 / Chapter Chapter 6 --- Discussions and conclusions --- p.98 / Chapter 6.1 --- Research limitations and discussions --- p.98 / Chapter 6.2 --- Conclusions --- p.99 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.103 / Appendix 1 .Defining MapService with ArcXML --- p.112 / Appendix 2.Defining MapNotes with ArcXML --- p.112

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 285-294). Also available on the Internet.

Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 46-01, page: 0340. Adviser: Arch I. Carson. Includes bibliographical references.

Geographic information systems and remotely sensed information provide an analytical platform for linking habitat features and animal distribution in a spatial context. The spatial culmination of such data using geographic information systems technologies is an important step towards providing information to decision makers on habitat suitability and the mapping thereof. Through the use of such techniques, environmental factors indicative of suitable habitat of the endangered oribi antelope were mapped within the extent of KwaZulu-Natal. The factors and individual weights were identified through multi criteria evaluation using analytical hierarchical process and expert knowledge. The resultant suitability indexed model provided a basis for cost distance procedures and was used to identify potential habitat corridors. An oribi conservation area network was created using these potential corridors and further cost distance functions. The Karkloof and Chelmsford conservation area networks reported the greatest concentrations of highly suitable habitat and therefore with reference to oribi specific habitat recommendations, draft management recommendations were collated. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2009.

Thesis (M.S.) -- Mississippi State University. Department of Geosciences. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

Dissertation (PhD)--University of Stellenbosch, 2008. / Bibliography. Also available via the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin, Madison, 2000. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 285-294).

Magister Artium - MA / Dental caries is a multi-factorial disease that affects everyone irrespective of race, class or gender, however, the burden of the disease is often found in children from lower socio-economic backgrounds. The nature of the disease is such that it can be prevented. Various international studies on fluoride have shown a reduction in the prevalence of dental caries. By using geographical information systems, oral health data can be linked to the fluoride levels and further analysis could be done to identify areas at risk of dental caries as well as show patterns in the distribution of dental caries. The aim of this study was therefore to assess the effects of different levels of fluoride on the prevalence of dental caries in selected towns in the Northern Cape and Westen Cape. It also examined the application of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) to oral health data. / South Africa