The inspiration for this thesis is rooted in the desire to challenge and exploit antiquated mainstream conceptions and practices of conservation in South Florida through the exploration of architecture as media. It is driven by the urge to be a part of the larger, more complex discussion regarding ecological restoration in the state. My desire to explore a relationship between architecture and conservation stems largely from personal experiences in Rookery Bay, the Everglades National Park, and adjacent estuaries. Experiencing the space on a tactile and interactive level provides perspective which both furthers and contradicts preconceived notions on conservation. It is important to note that the scope and commentary of this thesis includes all affected ecosystems in South Florida, as each is as important as the next in face of remediation. Degraded conditions in Everglades National Park, The Ten Thousand Islands, Big Cypress National Preserve, Florida Bay, Rookery Bay, the Florida Keys, and a number of the ecological regions comprise the larger dilemma in South Florida. The bulk of my personal experience takes place in Rookery Bay, just South of Naples and North of Everglades National Park. As an intermediate estuarine zone, Rookery Bay begins the transition of coastline from gulf beach to dense wetland which thickens down the west coast of Florida, through Everglades National Park, and into the Florida Keys. Rookery Bay is the most accessible effected estuarine ecosystem in public proximity to a populated and expanding metropolis. The rapid expansion of Naples in the past decade renders the city an ideal location for an intervention poised to furthering environmental awareness. Thereby subject to great discovery and interaction, Rookery Bay provides greater opportunity for public exposure than the largely isolated expanse that is the Everglades National Park. Accessibility and visibility are identified as part of both the problem and the solution to the rehabilitation of an estuarine ecosystem. A think tank w ch embodies these characteristics can begin to facilitate change by addressing the issue, furthering its awareness through education, and providing opportunity for research. Architecture as media is investigated as a means by which place can be given to the largely invisible issue plaguing South Florida. / 0 / SPK / specialcollections@tulane.edu

Rock, Paper, Scissors has developed into a story about Wren, a young man fresh out of the Navy, trying to make a name for himself in the world. Wren finds himself in Tampa, Florida because his oldest pal, Allen, has moved there, even though his younger sister has been diagnosed with leukemia back home. The problem is that Allen somewhere along the way has lost his mind. Wren finds out that Allen has recently been fired from a job as a server in a restaurant called the Bolognese, the same restaurant that Allen promised Wren a job. Wren decides to go ahead and get a job at the Bolo and simply not mention that he knows Allen, even though Allen has sworn to, "kill every last one of those mother fuckers." Wren further finds out that his old friend has developed a drug problem and has delusions of dealing and moving to Cuba. Wren has delusions of his own in his quest to make his mark on the world. Wren decides to be a doctor and drunkenly treks to an emergency room to interview one of the physicians. After meeting a scholarly street preacher he tries his hand at evangelism. Finally, he meets two crooked customers at the Bolo who claim to run a business in pharmaceutical sales. Little does Wren know that the business is crooked and the two conspirators are pedaling black-market pills. Even so, eager Wren buys into the program hook line and sinker and soon finds himself and his sister in harms way. Wren finally discovers that he is embroiled not only an illegal graft, but a mass murdering spree with his long time friend Allen.

Methods used to process raw Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data can sometimes obscure the digital signatures indicative of an archaeological site. This thesis explains the negative effects that certain LiDAR data processing procedures can have on the preservation of an archaeological site. This thesis also presents methods for effectively integrating LiDAR with other forms of mapping data in a Geographic Information Systems (GIS) environment in order to improve LiDAR archaeological signatures by examining several pre-Columbian Native American shell middens located in Canaveral National Seashore Park (CANA).

An Examination of Competency Restoration Training in a South Florida Community-based Setting by Josephine J. Tang, M.S. Doctor of Philosophy, Nova Southeastern University, 2010 Dr. David Shapiro, Chairperson The deficiency in competency restoration programs according to the literature (Grudzinskas & Clayfield, 2004) is that this intervention only provides a limited treatment to satisfy the legal requirements. There is also lack of research that examines the efficacy of treatment for incompetent defendants and the duration of competency restoration (Nicholson & McNulty, 1992). The present study examined a competency restoration program for pre-trial individuals. Those (BAP group) who received psychotherapy, competency restoration training, and medication were compared with those (BA group) who did not receive psychotherapy to determine which group will obtain competency faster and maintain it longer. The survival analyses did not find any significant difference between the groups in regard to duration of competency. Propensity scores were based on the logistic regression of psychotherapy on other covariates. Psychotherapy was not statistically significant in three way analyses. When all covariates were unadjusted, the hazard ratio was 2.09 (p = 0.13). When using the propensity score as a continuous variable, the hazard ratio was 1.75 (p = 0.70) and when using the propensity score in quintiles, the hazard ratio was 1.84 (p = 0.42). The probability is that participants in the BAP group are twice as likely to obtain competency as participants of the BA group. Although this result did not reach a significant level, the effect size is meaningful. The three analyses yielded similar results and identical direction. Logistic regression was used to examine the correlation between the treatment time and being judged incompetent among the individuals who were initially judged competent. Individuals of the BA group had slightly lower odds of being judged competent and later to relapse than those in the BAP group. Relapse of competency occurred more frequently in individuals diagnosed with psychotic symptoms, low intellectual functioning, and/or neurological deficit. The findings suggested that severe and persistent mental disorder is a chronic condition that requires long-term care and consideration for more comprehensive treatment.

This study illustrates the impact of the Tamiami Trail on the people and environment of South Florida through an examination of the road’s origins, construction and implementation. By exploring the motives behind building the highway, the subsequent assimilation of indigenous societies, the drastic population growth that occurred as a result of a propagated “Florida Dream”, and the environmental decline of the surrounding Everglades, this analysis reveals that the Tamiami Trail is viewed today through a much different context than that of the road’s builders and promoters in the early twentieth century. While construction projects that aim to prevent, or limit the once celebrated environmental destruction caused by the Tamiami Trail, the unrelenting and economically stimulating growth of South Florida continues to uncover a “paradox of progress.”

This thesis focuses on evaluation of joint occurrence of extreme precipitation and streamflow events at several hydrologic structures in South Florida. An analysis of twelve years storm events and their corresponding peak streamflow events during wet and dry season including annual peaks considering two seasons was performed first. Dependence analysis using time series data of precipitation and streamflow was carried out next. The analysis included use of storm events with different temporal lags from the time of occurrence of peak streamflow events. Bi-variate joint probability was found to be appropriate to analyze the joint occurrence of events. Evaluation of joint exceedence probabilities under two phases of Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (AMO) influencing south Florida was also evaluated. All methodologies are evaluated for application using observations at several structures in the case study region to provide advances and valuable insights on joint extremes of precipitation and streamflows. / by Chia-hung Lin. / Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

A number of studies have sought to identify factors influencing STEM students’ success in colleges and universities (Crisp et al., 2009; Excelencia, 2011; Hagedorn & Purnamasari, 2012). However, there are few qualitative studies focusing on students’ perspectives and how they make meaning of their experiences as participants in a mentoring program. The main purpose of this research was to explain the perceptions of Latino students in a STEM Mentoring Program at Miami Dade College. Because this study sought to gain an in-depth understanding of how students involved in a mentoring program make meaning of their experiences, the type of qualitative research that fits this inquiry was a single case study. This study was undertaken to address these questions: (a) How do STEM students make meaning of mentorship? (b) How do STEM students construct their experiences in the Program? (c) To what extent do gender and ethnicity play a role in how students make meaning of their mentoring experiences? (d) What do students identify as important for succeeding in a mentorship program? The major findings of this study were: (1) For the participants, a formal mentoring programs offers various forms of academic support, but they found interpersonal support with informal mentors; (2) For the participants, in a formal mentoring program a career match between mentor and mentee is essential; (3) For the participants, the required number of meetings in a formal mentoring program was burdensome, but other required activities were important; (4) For the participants, the peer mentoring experience was important and self-fulfilling; (5) For the participants, the gender or race of the mentor was insignificant, but some believed that sharing the same cultural background made them feel more connected with their majors; and (6) For the participants, encouragement and emotional support from their families was important, but only those with college-educated parents received the academic and financial support necessary important to succeed in college; (7) For the participants, a mentoring program will be successful if there are opportunities for building community among students and faculty, but ultimately, what matters for success are the personal characteristics of students. This study was significant because it provided insight into what students understand are key experiences of being in a mentoring program, and it also identified the kinds of institutional support students themselves thought would help in STEM careers. This information can help institutions of higher education plan and administer effective mentoring programs in STEM or even other fields.

Morella cerifera (L.) Small, the Wax Myrtle, forms both arbuscular mycorrhizas and cluster roots which generally are regarded as alternative adaptations for phosphorus acquisition. But whether or not arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) provide any benefit to M. cerifera is not known. Nevertheless, AMF can proliferate extensively within the litter leaves that accumulate beneath M. cerifera. The main objective of this study was to determine if AMF are beneficial to M. cerifera host plants in the presence of leaf litter. In the field, I examined leaf traits that affect the colonization of leaf litter by AMF. I compared AMF colonization of labile versus recalcitrant leaves, and that of leaf pieces with obstructed versus non-obstructed veins. In pot experiments, I examined if labile or recalcitrant litter influences the potential benefit of AMF to M. cerifera, and if nitrogen (N) or phosphorus (P) fertilization influences that benefit in the presence of recalcitrant leaf litter. I found that AMF extensively colonize both labile and recalcitrant leaves, but that they colonize labile leaves more rapidly than recalcitrant leaves. I found significantly less colonization in leaf pieces with obstructed veins than in those with non-obstructed veins which suggests that penetration by the fungi primarily is mechanical and not enzymatic. The pot experiments showed that AMF are parasitic on M. cerifera except when recalcitrant leaf litter is present, and that the effects of AMF on M. cerifera are indirect and mediated through effects of AMF on N-fixing nodule dry weight. In both pot experiments, AMF enhanced litter decomposition and may have enhanced plant P-nutrition. AMF benefited M. cerifera growth in the absence of N fertilization but negatively affected M. cerifera growth when N was added. In the presence of litter, inoculation with AMF increased cluster root formation, suggesting that these two adaptations may be complementary in extremely nutrient-poor soils. Overall, this study shows that M. cerifera does benefit from association with AMF, and it suggests that AMF play a more important role in the acquisition of mineral nutrients from leaf litter than previously recognized.

Ectomycorrhizas generally improve seedling mineral nutrition and growth, so I hypothesized that decline of the Florida native pine variety Pinus elliottii var. densa Little & Dorman is related to deficiency of appropriate ectomycorrhizal (ECM) fungi in the pine's native flatwoods. At Archbold Biological Station I examined how quickly ECM fungi colonize P. elliottii var. densa seedlings and I compared the effect of local absence versus presence of adult pines on ECM colonization and pine seedling performance. Under controlled greenhouse conditions, I investigated how a wide range of ECM colonization and spread of extraradical mycelium throughout a large volume of relatively infertile, flatwoods soil enhance the mineral nutrition and growth of pine seedlings. In a field bioassay, I transplanted two-month-old pine seedlings to three flatwoods sites with low (4 pines/400 square m), medium (9 pines/400 square m), and high (19 pines/400 square m) adult pine densities. I subsequently excavated seedlings every two weeks for four-and-a-half months and determined their ECM colonization, response to shade, and response to surrounding grass density. Across all sites, pine seedlings in high shade had a higher mean chlorophyll concentration and lower stem dry weight than in full sun. Competition with grass reduced seedling survival and stem dry weight. Initial colonization was rapid and not different among sites, with 5.4 % of roots colonized 15 days after transplant. Pine seedlings had midpoint means of 29.5 %, 18.1 % and 21.3 % ECM root tips in low, medium and high adult pine density sites, respectively, suggesting that pine seedlings establishing in flatwoods encounter sufficient ECM fungi to support their growth, regardless of adult pine density. In a field experiment, I determined in the presence versus absence of adult pines if pine seedlings had higher ECM colonization and consequent improved survival, mineral nutrition, and growth. Within and beyond pine stands, I transplanted seedlings into intact or drilled, hyphae in-growth pipes buried in the ground. I placed autoclaved or fresh ECM root inoculum in two sets of intact pipes, and autoclaved inoculum in drilled pipes into which mycorrhizal hyphae could extend from the surrounding vegetation. Seven-and-a-half months after transplant, ECM hyphae had penetrated the drilled pipes and colonized pine seedlings, but roots from the surrounding vegetation also penetrated pipes. Extraneous roots reduced the survival of seedlings both within and beyond pine stands, but extraneous roots reduced seedling growth only beyond pine stands. Because percentage ECM root tips was higher in the presence (53 %) than in the absence (38.8%) of adult pines, pine stands might benefit the competitive ability of seedlings by increased ECM colonization and possibly by common mycorrhizal networks connecting seedlings to adults. Because beneficial effects of ECM in the field were small, I also examined ECM effects on pine seedlings in a greenhouse experiment. I manipulated ECM fungus colonization and the volume of flatwoods soil to which extraradical mycelium had access. In a small volume of soil (220 mL), fresh ECM root inoculum promoted the mycorrhizal colonization of seedlings versus those receiving autoclaved roots, but seedling growth and uptake of Mg, Ca, and Zn was lower with fresh than with autoclaved root inoculum. Growth and mineral nutrient uptake likely was enhanced by a pulse of nutrients from autoclaved roots, but for inoculated plants may have been reduced because of nutrient retention by saprotrophic microorganisms degrading fresh ECM roots and because of mineral nutrient retention by ECM fungi. Ectomycorrhizal seedlings with extraradical mycelium access to a large soil volume had higher mean chlorophyll concentration than those in a small soil volume. Weekly disturbance of the extraradical mycelium, however, reduced foliar contents of Mn, K, P, N, and Zn by one-third to one-half, and reduced needle dry weight of seedlings by one-third, demonstrating the importance of extraradical mycelium accessing a large volume of soil when it is nutrient-poor. My research demonstrates that ECM fungi are widespread in flatwoods and rapidly colonize pine seedlings. ECM fungus inocula are greater in the presence than in the absence of adult pines, and ECM or seedlings' connections to a common mycorrhizal network improve seedlings' belowground competitive ability. ECM especially enhance seedling mineral nutrition and growth when undisturbed, extraradical mycelium extends throughout a large volume of soil. Populations of Pinus elliottii var. densa might best regenerate in flatwoods if seedlings recruit near adult pines and where there is little competition for light, water, and mineral nutrients.

In 1866 the seat of Manatee County was moved to Pine Level, a newly-formed town in the wilderness of south Florida. By the 1880s, it contained stores, boardinghouses, churches, and government buildings. In 1887, Pine Level became DeSoto County’s first seat. However, when it lost county seat status to Arcadia only 18 months later, in 1888, Pine Level rapidly declined in population and importance, and eventually died out. The investigations of the Pine Level site detailed in this thesis were carried out as a public archaeology project, involving the DeSoto County Historical Society, University of South Florida, and the Florida Public Archaeology Network West Central Region. As a public archaeology project, one central goal of this work was to involve the local community in the fieldwork and ongoing research. The efforts of community volunteers, along with graduate and undergraduate students, were critical to several phases of this project, which is presented in this thesis. The second goal of the project was to learn as much as possible about the little-studied site of Pine Level and its inhabitants, and to contextualize its founding, growth, and downfall within the development of the south Florida region. Specifically, one goal was to learn more about the people who moved to this rural town, including their ethnicity, social status, livelihoods, and political outlook. The second research question was discovering how Pine Level had been spatially organized, whether this layout had changed over time, and x what this spatial patterning could reveal about the town’s function within greater south Florida. Historical and archaeological research methods were used to try to answer these questions. Historical research into the Reconstruction era placed Pine Level in context within the tumultuous changes of this period. Study of primary documents revealed information about how the town was organized, and how several buildings at the site were probably constructed. Oral history interviews were also conducted with community members who had knowledge of Pine Level. Archaeological investigations at the site included a surface survey, artifact collection, shovel testing, and unit excavation. This work was focused on ground-truthing the information gathered during the historical research and oral histories. Last, analysis of the ceramic, glass, and metal artifacts at the site added to the interpretation of the social status of Pine Level’s citizens, contributed to an evaluation of the site’s spatial patterning, and underscored functional differences between certain areas of Pine Level. The research presented in this thesis shows that Pine Level was the creation of a Republican politician, and that it functioned as an enclave of Republican power during the Reconstruction era. During this time, Pine Level’s growth was sluggish, and it remained unpopular with many citizens in Manatee County. It consisted of a few government buildings in the center of the town, but little else. However, with the fall of the Manatee County Republicans in 1876, Pine Level suddenly began to prosper, adding many new landowners and businesses. A distinct business district developed, and areas of the town near the major roads garnered particularly high prices. Artifact analysis shows that the income level of these newcomers was probably modest, but that they had xi access to consumer goods from across the United States and as far away as England. The town’s prosperity was short-lived, though. As detailed in this thesis, once Pine Level lost county seat status, it immediately began to decline, and businesses quickly moved to Arcadia. The town continued on as a small community through at least the first decade of the twentieth century, but eventually became a nothing more than a spot on a map.