The North American Monsoon System (NAMS) is a dominant factor in climate in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. Despite the influence of the NAMS and the intense research efforts it receives, its predictability, its variability, and the details of its influence on the environment are not well understood. This dissertation is comprised of three papers, which collectively address these three aspects of this complex climate phenomenon through an examination of various data and analyses at multiple spatial and temporal scales, while focusing on impacts in southern Arizona. In the first paper, a modified definition of the NAMS is established to delineate dates for monsoon onset, bursts, breaks, and retreat. The results are applied to an atmospheric compositing study in the second paper and to an applied study of monsoon-wildland fire relationships in the third paper. In the second paper, geopotential height patterns that affect moisture advection are identified. Onset, retreat, and break timing and duration are impacted by shifts in the latitude of the mid-level anticyclone and by lower-level gradients and contour orientation. Analyses in the third paper reveal the some of the complex effects of monsoon onset, variations in break timing and duration, and monsoon retreat on fire occurrence. This research contributes to the current knowledge of the NAMS in general and to the specific regional impacts of the monsoon. The results can (1) improve meteorological forecasts through the recognition of synoptic and sub-synoptic patterns related to the NAMS and (2) help fire managers by expanding the current understanding of the regional controls of wildland fire.

This thesis probes the ways in which land-based and bodily violence inform contemporary North American Indigenous poetry. Since the “Oka Crisis” of 1990, English-speaking North American Indigenous writers have produced a substantial body of poetry that has significant implications in forwarding national sovereignty struggles. Gender violence enabled settler colonial land appropriation; resource exploitation also harmed Indigenous bodies. This project considers the ways in which Indigenous authors with diverse geographic, cultural and embodied experiences employ common strategies toward using poetry as an emancipatory tool. A poem is both whole, and a fragment of a larger body of work; engaging with the works of individual poets, and multi-authored anthologies allows for varied readings of the same poems and their engagements with the project’s key themes of homeland and embodiment. This paper is informed by the reading of many Indigenous theorists and poets, and aligns with an Indigenous-feminist critique that suggests that nationalist sovereignty struggles are meaningless as long as bodily violence against Indigenous women and Two-Spirit people is still prevalent. As such, contemporary struggles for reclaiming Indigenous lands must also be struggles toward a sovereign erotic, sovereignty over one’s sexuality and gender identity. / Thesis (Master, Gender Studies) -- Queen's University, 2012-09-12 03:07:52.957

This study explores the role of the Royal Navy's North American squadron in protecting Britain's colonies and trade in North America from 1847 to 1815. The squadron had its origins in the war of 1739--48, when it became clear that a fleet based on the eastern Atlantic or the West Indies could not adequately support operations in the North American theatre. The British naval establishment, however, even when North America was the principle theatre of war, never developed as strong an attachment to the North American squadron as it did to its fleets in the West Indies or other theatres. It was, with a few notable exceptions, generally treated as one of the lesser commands of the Royal Navy, and rarely received more than secondary consideration from the Admiralty. This was especially true during the Napoleonic Wars, in which the North American station was viewed a one of the 'quiet' stations, especially when compared to the more active stations in the West Indies. / England's main priority was in defeating France, and she was willing to achieve this at the expense of antagonizing the United States, leading to an unnecessary war with them in 1812. Yet even when faced with a new war in North America, the needs of the squadron were considered of secondary importance to the war in Europe, and several months passed before sizable reinforcements were sent to the North American theatre. Even when the war in Europe ended in 1814, the British leaders continued to treat North America as a secondary theatre. Their efforts to gain victory were at best half-hearted, and the government was more interested in demobilizing the navy to cut costs than in defeating the United States. / The War of 1812 brought little glory to England or the Royal Navy, and there was much criticism in the way the conflict was fought after the war. The inability of England's leaders to correctly read the situation in the United States or to understand the American threat led them to send forces inadequate to wage more than a limited war in North America. Despite this, the performance of the North American Squadron in this period was far more commendable than has generally been acknowledged, especially in light of the handicaps set upon it. This work will give a detailed description of the operations of the squadron, to give a better understanding of its role in this period.

A challenge in hydrological studies in the Canadian Prairie region is to find good-quality meteorological data because many basins are located in remote regions where few stations are available, and existing stations typically have short records and often contain a high number of missing data. The recently released North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) data set appears to have potential for hydrological studies in data-scarce central Canada. The main objectives of this study are: (1) to evaluate and utilize NARR data for hydrologic modelling and statistical downscaling, (2) to develop methods for estimating missing precipitation data using NARR data, and (3) to investigate and correct NARR precipitation bias in the Canadian Prairie region. Prior to applying NARR for hydrological modelling, the NARR surface data were evaluated by comparison with observed meteorological data over the Canadian Prairie region. The comparison results indicated that NARR is a suitable alternative to observed surface meteorological data and thus useful for hydrological modelling. After evaluation of NARR surface climate data, the SLURP model was set up with input data from NARR and calibrated for several watersheds. The results indicated that the hydrological model can be reasonably calibrated using NARR data as input. The relatively good agreement between precipitation from NARR and observed station data suggests that NARR information may be used in the estimation of missing precipitation records at weather stations. Several traditional methods for estimating missing data were compared with three NARR-based estimation methods. The results show that NARR-based methods significantly improved the estimation of precipitation compared to the traditional methods. The existence of NARR bias is a critical issue that must be addressed prior to the use of the data. Using observed weather station data, a statistical interpolation technique (also known as Optimum Interpolation) was employed to correct gridded NARR precipitation for bias. The results suggest that the method significantly reduces NARR bias over the selected study area.

A challenge in hydrological studies in the Canadian Prairie region is to find good-quality meteorological data because many basins are located in remote regions where few stations are available, and existing stations typically have short records and often contain a high number of missing data. The recently released North American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) data set appears to have potential for hydrological studies in data-scarce central Canada. The main objectives of this study are: (1) to evaluate and utilize NARR data for hydrologic modelling and statistical downscaling, (2) to develop methods for estimating missing precipitation data using NARR data, and (3) to investigate and correct NARR precipitation bias in the Canadian Prairie region. Prior to applying NARR for hydrological modelling, the NARR surface data were evaluated by comparison with observed meteorological data over the Canadian Prairie region. The comparison results indicated that NARR is a suitable alternative to observed surface meteorological data and thus useful for hydrological modelling. After evaluation of NARR surface climate data, the SLURP model was set up with input data from NARR and calibrated for several watersheds. The results indicated that the hydrological model can be reasonably calibrated using NARR data as input. The relatively good agreement between precipitation from NARR and observed station data suggests that NARR information may be used in the estimation of missing precipitation records at weather stations. Several traditional methods for estimating missing data were compared with three NARR-based estimation methods. The results show that NARR-based methods significantly improved the estimation of precipitation compared to the traditional methods. The existence of NARR bias is a critical issue that must be addressed prior to the use of the data. Using observed weather station data, a statistical interpolation technique (also known as Optimum Interpolation) was employed to correct gridded NARR precipitation for bias. The results suggest that the method significantly reduces NARR bias over the selected study area.

Hierarchical habitat selection was studied in the North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) in Parc National du Bic, Quebec, Canada. To establish the study population, 150 porcupines were captured and immobilized using a mixture of ketamine and xylazine. Different drug doses and injection techniques were tested. Best results were obtained by injecting in the tail muscles, which allowed a 50% reduction in dose relative to reported dosage. Hierarchical analysis of habitat selection revealed that although porcupines are generalists at the landscape scale, they display habitat selection at the home range and individual tree scales. Human-used land and conifer forests were least preferred features of home ranges. Trembling aspen was found to be preferred over other deciduous trees, except for fruit-producing trees, which came out as being even more preferred at the tree scale. This study shows the importance of a multi-scale approach that includes fine-scale selection.

Note: / This study explores the role of the Royal Na'vy's North American Squadron in protecting Britain' s colonies and trade in North America from 1807 to 1815. The squadron had its origins in the war of 1739-48, when it became clear that a fleet based on the eastem Atlantic or the West Indies could not adequately support operations in the North American theatre. The British naval establishment, however, even when North America was the principle theatre of war, never developed as strong an attachment to the North American Squadron as it did to its fleets in the West Indies or other theatres. It was, with a few notable exceptions, generally treated as one of the lesser commands of the Royal Navy, and rarely received more than secondary consideration from the Admiralty. This was especially true during the Napoleonic Wars, in which the North American station was viewed a one of the 'quiet' stations, especially when compared to the more active stations in the West Indies. / Notre étude trace le role de la marine britannique en Amérique du Nord entre 1807 et 1815. L'origine de la flotte remonte à la guerre de 1739-48, quand c'était devenu évident que les flottes dans le secteur de l'est Atlantique ou dans les Antilles n'étaient pas capables de supporter des opérations en Amérique du Nord. Mais cette flotte était rarement considérée comme une des flottes importantes dans la marine britannique. Ceci était le cas durant la guerre contre Napoléon, quand la flotte américaine protégeait un secteur perçu comme tranquille comparativement à la flotte antillaise, elle plus active.

Plant-herbivore interactions play a significant role in the structure and functioning of ecosystems. Co-evolutionary theory suggests that plant defenses evolved due to herbivores and herbivore pressure can shape the genetic composition of their food resources. We used interactions between North American porcupines (Erethizon dorsatum) and trembling aspens ( Populus tremuloides) as a system to investigate this theory's important assumption that herbivores select food sources based on genetically controlled traits. We confirmed that porcupines exhibit intra-specific food selection and that this is linked to the genetic composition of the aspens. We also demonstrated that variation in phenolic glycosides and condensed tannins are strong components of this selection, thereby creating an important link between genetics, plant chemistry, and mammalian herbivory. We investigated potential impacts of porcupine herbivory on aspen using fluctuating asymmetry, however we did not detect any stress on heavily eaten trees, thereby questioning the validity of this tool for this study system.

Thesis equivalent (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1947.

Thesis (M.A. in Security Studies (Homeland Security and Defense))--Naval Postgraduate School, December 2008. / Thesis Advisor(s): Moran, Daniel. "December 2008." Description based on title screen as viewed on February 2, 2009. Includes bibliographical references (p. 87-97). Also available in print.