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Habitat degradation and hunting pose the most proximate threats to many primate species, while climate change is expected to exacerbate these threats (habitat and climate change combined henceforth as "global change") and present new challenges. Madagascar's lemurs are earth's most endangered primates, placing added urgency to their conservation in the face of global change. My dissertation focused on the critically endangered golden-crowned sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli; hereafter, "sifaka") which is endemic to fragmented forests across a gradient of dry, moderate, and wet forest types in northeastern Madagascar. I surveyed sifakas across their global range and investigated factors affecting their densities. I explored sifaka diets across different forest types and evaluated if nutritional factors influenced sifaka densities. Lastly, I investigated sifaka range-wide genetic diversity and conducted a connectivity analysis to prioritize corridor-restoration and other potential conservation efforts. Sifaka densities varied widely across forest fragments (6.8 (SE = 2.0-22.8) to 78.1 (SE = 53.1-114.8) sifakas/km²) and populations have declined by as much as 30-43% in 10 years, from ~18,000 to 10,222-12,631 individuals (95% CI: 8,230-15,966). Tree cutting, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) during the wet season, and Simpson's diversity index (1-D) predicted sifaka densities range-wide. Sifakas consumed over 101 plant species and spent 27.1% of their active time feeding on buds, flowers, fruits, seeds, and young and mature leaves. Feeding effort and plant part consumption varied by season, forest type, and sex. Minerals in sifaka food items (Mg (β = 0.62, SE = 0.19) and K (β = 0.58, SE = 0.20)) and wet season NDVI (β = 0.43, SE = 0.20) predicted sifaka densities. Genetic measures across forest fragments indicated that sifaka populations are becoming more isolated (moderate FIS values: mean = 0.27, range = 0.11-0.60; high M-ratios: mean = 0.59, range = 0.49-0.82; low overall effective population size: Ne = 139.8-144 sifakas). FST comparisons between fragments (mean = 0.12, range = 0.01-0.30) supported previous findings that sifakas still moved across the fragmented landscape. Further validation of these genetic results is needed. I identified critical corridors that conservation managers could protect and/or expand via active reforestation to ensure the continued existence of this critically-endangered lemur. / Doctor of Philosophy / Worldwide, many species of primates are threatened with extinction due to habitat degradation, hunting, and climate change (habitat and climate combined threats, henceforth, "global change"). These threats work at different time scales, with hunting being the most immediate and climate change likely to have its fullest impact experienced from the present to a longer time frame. Lemurs are a type of primate found only on Madagascar, an island experiencing rapid global change, which puts lemurs at a heightened risk of extinction. My dissertation research focused on the critically endangered golden-crowned sifaka (Propithecus tattersalli; hereafter, "sifaka"), a species of lemur found only in a few isolated forests across a dry to wet gradient in northeastern Madagascar. To better understand their extinction risk, I conducted surveys to estimate the number of sifakas remaining and investigated several factors that might determine how many sifakas can live in one place. I then explored how sifaka diets varied depending on the forest type that they inhabit and tested whether nutrients in their food might determine sifaka numbers. Lastly, I calculated sifaka genetic diversity to assess their ability to adapt to new environmental conditions and to determine whether sifakas can move across the landscape to find new mates and to potentially colonize new areas of habitat. Sifaka densities varied widely across their range (6.8-78.1 sifakas/km² ). Only 10,222-12,631 sifakas remain, which is 30-43% less than the range of estimates obtained 10 years ago (~18,000 sifakas). Tree cutting, normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI; a measure of plant health or "greenness" obtained from satellite data), and a tree species diversity index were useful measures to predict sifaka densities. Sifakas ate different plant parts (buds, flowers, fruits, seeds, and leaves) from over 101 plant species. The amount of time they spent eating each day varied by the time of year, forest type, and sex. On average, they spent a quarter of their day eating. Magnesium and potassium concentrations in sifaka food items also were useful nutrition-related measures to predict sifaka densities. Genetic analyses suggested that sifaka populations are becoming more isolated and inbred, meaning sifakas are breeding with other sifakas to which they are closely related. However, it appears that sifakas still can move between forest patches to find new mates and to potentially colonize new areas, if such areas are created. Further validation of these genetic results is needed. I also identified critical areas that will be important to protect and reforest to ensure that movements between populations can continue.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering / Stacy L. Hutchinson / The Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number (SCS-CN) method is widely used to estimate direct runoff from rainfall events; however, the method does not account for the dynamic rainfall-runoff relationship. This study used back-calculated curve numbers (CNs) and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to develop NDVI-based CNs (CN[subscript]NDV) using four small northeastern Kansas grassland watersheds with average areas of 1 km² and twelve years (2001–2012) of daily precipitation and runoff data. Analysis indicated that the CN[subscript]NDVI model improved runoff predictions compared to the SCS-CN method. The CN[subscript]NDVI also showed greater variability in CNs, especially during growing season, thereby increasing the model’s ability to estimate relatively accurate runoff from rainfall events since most rainfall occurs during the growing season. The CN[subscript]NDVI model was applied to small, disturbed grassland watersheds to assess the model’s ability to detect land cover change impact for military maneuver damage and large, diverse land use/cover watersheds to assess the impact of scaling up the model. CN[subscript]NDVI application was assessed using a paired watershed study at Fort Riley, Kansas. Paired watersheds were identified through k-means and hierarchical-agglomerative clustering techniques. At the large watershed scale, Daymet precipitation was used to estimate runoff, which was compared to direct runoff extracted from stream flow at gauging points for Chapman (grassland dominated) and Upper Delaware (agriculture dominated) watersheds. In large, diverse watersheds, CN[subscript]NDVI performed better in moderate and overall flow years. Overall, CN[subscript]NDVI more accurately simulated runoff compared to SCS-CN results: The calibrated model increased by 0.91 for every unit increase in observed flow (r = 0.83), while standard CN-based flow increased by 0.506 for every unit increase in observed flow (r = 0.404). Therefore, CN[subscript]NDVI could help identify land use/cover changes and disturbances and spatiotemporal changes in runoff at various scales. CN[subscript]NDVI could also be used to accurately estimate runoff from precipitation events in order to instigate more timely land management decisions.

Master of Public Health / Department of Diagnostic Medicine/Pathobiology / Michael W. Sanderson / A zoonotic disease is any disease or infection that is naturally transmissible from vertebrate animals to humans. Over 200 zoonoses have been described (Zoonoses and the Human-Animal-Ecosystems Interface, 2013). Many zoonotic viruses are arboviruses, viruses transmitted by an infected, blood-sucking, arthropod vector (Hunt, 2010). There are several endemic arboviruses in the United States; some foreign arboviruses, such as Rift Valley fever (RVF) virus, are potential bioterrorism agents (Dar, 2013). Arboviruses, both endemic and foreign, threaten public health (Gubler, 2002) and therefore disease surveillance, vector control and public education are all vital steps in minimizing arboviral disease impact in the United States. Mosquito-borne disease threats, such as West Nile virus and Rift Valley fever, are constant concerns in the United States and globally. Current strategies to prevent and control mosquito-borne diseases utilize vector distribution, seasonal and daylight timing, and variation in population numbers. Climate factors, such as availability of still water for development of immature mosquitoes, shade, and rainfall, are known to influence population dynamics of mosquitoes. Using 1995-2011 mosquito population surveillance data from Fort Riley, Kansas, we compared population numbers of Culex tarsalis (Diptera: Culicidae), a vector of several arboviruses including West Nile virus and potentially Rift Valley fever, to a satellite-derived index of climate, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) anomaly. No correlation between the population numbers and NDVI anomaly was observed, which contrasts with results from similar analyses in other locations. These findings suggest a need for continued investigation into mosquito population dynamics in additional ecological regions of the United States to better describe the heterogeneity of environment-population relationships within and among mosquito species.

Landsat imagery has been used successfully to assess burn severity and monitor post-fire forest structure in a variety of ecosystems, but to date there are few documented studies on its application in the eastern deciduous forests of the eastern United States. The occurrence of a wildfire in the Daniel Boone National Forest in2010 provided a rare opportunity for research into the use of Landsat data for assessing burn severity and its ecological effects. We used differenced normalized burn ratio (∆NBR) to quantify burn severity. The ∆NBR based burn severity classification had 70% agreement with a qualitative ground-based burn severity assessment. We also examined the relationship between the presence of an invasive species (Paulownia tomentosa), and our assessment of burn severity, where we found a weak but statistically significant relationship (adj R2 0.13, p<0.0001). We also examined the relationship between the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and forest structure measurements. The relationship between NDVI and basal area was strongly and significantly related (adj R2 0.41, p<0.0001). The relationship of NDVI with stem density was weak but significant (adj R2 0.23. p=0.004). These results indicate that data from Landsat imagery have great potential for quantifying burn severity, identifying potential hotspots for invasive species, and assessing post fire forest structure in the eastern deciduous forest.

Due to the high economic and social importance of the common bean in Brazil, still has doubts regarding the manner mode and use of topdressing nitrogen fertilizer aiming to obtain high yields, concern about the excessive use of nitrogenous fertilizers, associated with the development of new tools to assess quickly and accurately the nutritional status of crops.TIn this sense, the study aimed to evaluate the use of Sufficiency Chlorophyll Index (SCI) as a tool to identify the necessity for application and estimate the top dress nitrogen rate (N) should be applied, to obtain the common bean yield and its yield components and monitor the behavior of the index Falker chlorophyll (IFC), the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the N content in the leaf tissue and available N in the soil with different N rates application and nitrogen topdressing application timing . The experimental design was randomized blocks in a factorial arrangement of 8 x 5 x 4 (N rates x topdressing application timing x evaluation periods), with three repetitions. N rates evaluated were: 0, 40, 80, 120, 160, 200, 240 and 280 kg ha-1, topdressing application. The evaluation periods were: 15, 25, 35 and 45 days after emergence (DAE). The application timing were as follows: E1: application of N rates on seeding; E2: application of N rates at 10 DAE; E3: application of N rates when the SCI ≤ 95%; E4: application of N rates at 20 DAE and E5: application of N rates when SCI ≤ 90%. From the results obtained it was concluded that the SCI was efficient to identify differences in IFC levels of 15 to 40 DAE, however, it was not possible to estimate the N rates that should be applied according to the SCI, because the yield showed no significance differences due to N rates and application timing. The mean yield was 2,061 kg ha-1. With increasing of N rates occurs linear increase in the number of pods plant-1 and a linear decrease in the number of grain legume-1. Soil mineral N content showed linear increase with increasing N rates, but were not showed the same behavior to IFC, NDVI and leaf tissue N values, which showed low significant variation depending of the N rates. NDVI increased over DAE, reaching the highest value between 35 and 45 DAE and in 45 DAE the IFC values did not differ among treatments. / Devido à elevada importância econômica e social do feijoeiro para o Brasil, ainda persistem dúvidas quanto a o modo e uso de fertilizante nitrogenado em cobertura visando à obtenção de altas produtividades, a preocupação com o uso excessivo de fertilizantes nitrogenados, associado ao desenvolvimento de novas ferramentas para avaliar o estado nutricional das culturas de maneira rápida e precisa. Nesse sentido este estudo tem como objetivos avaliar a utilização do Índice de Suficiência de Clorofila (ISC) como ferramenta para identificar a necessidade de aplicação e estimar qual a dose de nitrogênio (N) a ser aplicada em cobertura, obter a produtividade do feijoeiro comum e seus componentes de rendimento e monitorar o comportamento do índice de clorofila falker (ICF), do índice de vegetação por diferença normalizada (NDVI), do teor de N no tecido foliar e do N mineral no solo, com a aplicação de diferentes doses de N e épocas de aplicação do N em cobertura. O delineamento experimental utilizado foi o de blocos ao acaso, num arranjo fatorial de 8 x 5 x 4 (doses de N x épocas da aplicação do N em cobertura x épocas de avaliação), com três repetições. As doses de N avaliadas foram de 0, 40, 80, 120, 160, 200, 240 e 280 kg ha-1, aplicados em cobertura. As épocas de avaliação foram aos 15, 25, 35 e 45 dias após a emergência (DAE). As épocas de aplicação do N foram os seguintes: E1: aplicação das doses no dia da semeadura; E2: aplicação das doses de N aos 10 DAE; E3: aplicação das doses de N quando o ISC ≤ 95%; E4: aplicação das doses de N aos 20 DAE e E5: aplicação das doses de N quando ISC ≤ 90%. A partir dos resultados obtidos concluiu-se que o ISC foi eficiente para identificar diferenças nos teores de ICF dos 15 aos 40 DAE, porem não foi possível estimar qual a dose de N que deveria ser aplicada em função dos ISC, pois a produtividade não apresentou diferença para as fontes de variação dose e manejo, a média da produtividade foi de 2.061 kg ha1. Com o incremento das doses de N ocorre um aumento linear do número de legumes planta-1 e uma redução linear do número de grãos legume-1. O Teor de N mineral no solo apresentou incremento linear com o aumento das doses, mas não repercutiu em mesmo comportamento das variáveis ICF, NDVI e N no tecido foliar, os quais apresentam variação pouco significativa em função das doses. O NDVI aumentou com o passar dos DAE, atingindo valor mais elevado entre 35 e 45 DAE e aos 45 DAE o ICF não diferiu entre os tratamentos.

Global climate change is predicted to affect environmental systems at the midlatitudes, but the scope, severity, and outcomes of these impacts are yet to be fully understood. This study focuses on the implications of short-term climate variability for forests in central Kentucky. Using a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) calculated from MODerate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument data, the photosynthetic activity of vegetation at Mammoth Cave National Park (MACA) is tracked from 2000 to 2013. Three methods were employed to examine the changes and climate influences in vegetation over the study period: 1) aggregating the NDVI of the Park by year and by summer months (June, July, and August) and examining how these productivity trends could be influenced by precipitation and temperature fluctuations, 2) examining the trend of the NDVI at selected dates throughout the study period to detect phenological shifts around leaf-out and leaf-off, and 3) using a generalized vegetation classification of MACA to clip the imagery based on areas of similar vegetation and then testing correlations between those subsets and teleconnections. The results from the aggregated NDVI show there is an insignificant negative trend. A negative relationship between summer forest productivity at MACA and temperature was found, though more data are needed to rigorously validate this result. Changes in phenology indicate forest productivity is decreasing earlier each year throughout the study period. Finally, the Multivariate ENSO Index and the Pacific Decadal Oscillation index are shown to have significant positive correlations with the summer productivity of MACA during the study period.

Submitted by José Carlos Toledo Veniziani Junior (veniziani@gmail.com) on 2018-05-30T10:46:24Z No. of bitstreams: 1 Veniziani_Jr_J_C_T.pdf: 11360032 bytes, checksum: c6b48273852e5aad2d73183ee856e5ec (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Adriana Aparecida Puerta null (dripuerta@rc.unesp.br) on 2018-05-30T13:15:02Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 venizianijunior_jct_dr_rcla.pdf: 10933461 bytes, checksum: 13254f5586b981ff360e18d863f2ad6d (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-05-30T13:15:02Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 venizianijunior_jct_dr_rcla.pdf: 10933461 bytes, checksum: 13254f5586b981ff360e18d863f2ad6d (MD5) Previous issue date: 2018-04-13 / A disponibilidade da água é influenciada pelo comportamento sistêmico do ciclo hidrológico, do qual a vazão, a precipitação e a cobertura vegetal são importantes elementos. Devido às suas características espaciais, a bacia hidrográfica constitui uma unidade geográfica adequada para a realização de estudos ambientais e hidrológicos. As ferramentas de geoprocessamento forneceram suporte metodológico à realização destes estudos, facilitando a obtenção, a organização e a análise espacial. Esta tese analisou a relação entre as variáveis vazão, precipitação, e a densidade da cobertura vegetal, estimada através do índice de vegetação da diferença normalizada, (IVDN), para as sub-bacias hidrográficas dos rios Jacaré-Pepira e Jaú (SP). Também objetivou verificar a viabilidade do uso do IVDN como subsídio à gestão ambiental de bacias hidrográficas. Os resultados mostraram que existe correlação entre as variáveis precipitação, vazão e o IVDN, utilizado como um indicativo das características da cobertura vegetal. Esses resultados indicaram que as vazões médias e mínimas apresentaram maior correlação com o IVDN. Considerando os anos padrão climáticos, secos, chuvosos e habituais, foi possível perceber que nos anos secos esta correlação ficou mais evidente reforçando a compreensão de que maiores densidades de cobertura vegetal aumentam a infiltração e reduzem o escoamento superficial, garantindo uma maior disponibilidade de água para as demandas socioambientais locais. A dinâmica espaço-temporal do uso e ocupação das terras na bacia do Jacaré-Pepira era menos intensa e caracterizada principalmente por pastagens e silvicultura que não demandam ciclos de cultivo curtos. Enquanto que na Bacia do Rio Jaú a dinâmica era mais intensa, sobretudo por influência do cultivo de cana de açúcar que apresenta ciclos curtos de plantio e colheita. A precipitação e IVDN apresentaram dependência espacial na sub-bacia do rio Jacaré-Pepira, enquanto no rio Jaú esta dependência não foi verificada. Isto se deve ao fato de que a cobertura vegetal suprimida no período da colheita, não ser influenciada diretamente pelas precipitações, diminuindo a dependência espacial destas duas variáveis. Foi possível verificar que o IVDN representa um importante indicador da situação ambiental hidrológica local, podendo subsidiar a gestão ambiental de bacias hidrográficas. Essas constatações são importantes para a gestão dos recursos hídricos superficiais em bacias hidrográficas, evidenciando o impacto do uso das terras na cobertura vegetal e na vazão, interferindo diretamente na disponibilidade da água superficial para a sociedade. / The systemic behavior of the hydrological cycle, mainly flow, precipitation and vegetation cover influence the availability of water. The watershed is the appropriate geographic unit for environmental and hydrological studies. Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and remote sensing, helping to carry out hydrological studies, making it easier to obtain, organize, and analyze data. The objective of this research was to characterize the main environmental aspects and analyze the relation among flow rate, rainfall, and the vegetation cover variables, estimated by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), for the sub-basins of the Jacaré-Pepira and Jaú rivers (SP). It was also possible to check the viability to use NDVI to manage the environmental conditions of watershed. These results indicated that the average and minimum flows are the variables that showed the highest correlation with the NDVI in both areas. In the dry standard years, the correlation between the IVDN and the flow were more evident. This situation showed that greater intensities of vegetal cover intensify the infiltration and reduce the surface runoff, offering a greater availability of water for the local socio-environmental processes. The dynamics of land use in Jacaré-Pepira was less intense and characterized mainly by pasture and silviculture that do not require short crop cycles. While in Jaú the dynamics were more intense, mainly to the influence of sugarcane cultivation, which presents short crop cycles. The variables precipitation and NDVI showed spatial dependence in the Jacaré-Pepira, while in Jaú the dependence was not present. This situation evidenced that the rainfall spatial distribution demonstrated by the coefficient of variation promotes greater impacts in areas where the dynamics of land use is more intense. This situation occurs because the suppressed vegetation in the harvest, by the anthropic action, is not influenced directly by the rains, reducing the spatial dependence of these two variables. The NDVI can be considered an important indicator of the local hydrological environmental situation and subsidize the environmental management of watersheds. It is important for the management of surface water resources, showing how land use and its consequent impact on vegetation cover can influence flow rate, and interfere in the accessibility of surface water to society.

Since the early 1800's, many studies have recognized increased heat in urban areas, known as the urban heat island (UHI) effect, as one of the results of human modification to the natural landscape. UHI is related to differences in land surface temperature (LST) between rural areas and urban areas where factors of the built environment such as the thermodynamic capacities of materials, structural geometry, and heat generating activities cause increased storage and re-radiation of heat to the atmosphere. This thesis examines the correlation between factors of urbanization and differences in land surface temperature (LST) in the subtropical climate of Pinellas County, Florida using remote sensing techniques. It describes the spatial pattern of LST, analyzes its relationship to factors of urbanization relative to NDVI, percentage of impervious surface, and land use land cover in the study area. It also assesses the effectiveness of remote sensing as an efficient method of identifying LST patterns at the local and neighborhood level for mitigation strategies. Landsat TM thermal band imagery for three dates; April 1986, 2001 and 2009 was processed using Qin's mono-window algorithm (MWA) technique to derive LST levels. This data was compared to in-situ readings, then normalized and statistically analyzed for correlation with vegetation ratio (NDVI) and imperviousness percentages derived using linear spectral mixing/unmixing, and also with land use/land cover classification. The resulting LST spatial pattern is a gradient across the peninsular landscape, from cooler water and wetland areas to a generally warmer interior, interspersed with micro-urban heat islands (MUHIs), corresponding to urban structures and "cool-islands" of parkland and lakes. Correspondence between LST pattern and urban structures and land use demonstrates the suitability of medium resolution remote sensing data and techniques for identifying micro-urban heat islands (MUHIs) for possible mitigation. Mitigation could include relatively low-cost measures like replacement of inefficient asphalt roofs with more reflective and emissive "cool roofs," placement of "street trees" to enhance shade, and replacement of impervious pavements by permeable surfaces. The thesis concludes that Landsat TM imagery processed with the MWA provides an efficient, relatively low-cost method for locating MUHIs. Satellite remote sensing, combined with aerial photography can facilitate neighborhood level analysis for the implementation of low-cost mitigation techniques. Previous studies have demonstrated that these are successful ways to mitigate the UHI effect at the micro-scale level; lowering urban heat and saving energy, and also facilitating the reintegration of natural elements into the urban environment.

Thesis (M. En.)--Miami University, Institute of Environmental Sciences, 2008. / Title from first page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 16-21-Xx).