Thesis (M.S.) in Forestry--University of Maine, 2004. / Includes vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 104-115).

With rapidly disappearing natural areas due to development and fragmentation, public lands provide important habitat for birds. However, the increasing use of public lands for recreation may decrease the value of these areas for bird use. Human disturbance can damage birds in many ways, including disrupting foraging or social behavior, increasing nest predation, interfering with parent-offspring and pair bonds, increasing nesting failures, and reducing the viability of fledglings. Additionally, birds may perceive humans as predators and leave an area, and the resulting decline in species abundance resembles the effects of habitat loss. Increased human outdoor activity has created the need for information regarding the effects of human disturbance on birds. I investigated the effects of human disturbance on birds in Bastrop State Park (BSP) in central Texas in 1998 and 1999. A wide variety of people use much of BSP, and many areas within the park experience significant amounts of disturbance from people and vehicles, particularly in campgrounds. I evaluated the effects of various types of human disturbance on the presence of 20 avian species, including seven neotropical migratory species. Brown-headed Cowbird (Molothrus ater), Mourning Dove (Zenaida macroura), Carolina Wren (Thryothorus ludovicianus), and Summer Tanager (Piranga rubra), were sensitive to human presence, and Blue Jays (Cyanocitta cristata), and Downy Woodpeckers (Picoides pubescens) occurred in lower abundances in sites with higher numbers of vehicles. However, other species (e.g., American Crow [Corvus brachyrhynchos], Black-and-white Warbler [Mniotilta varia], Pileated Woodpecker [Dryocopus pileatus], Red-eyed Vireo [Vireo olivaceus], Ruby-throated Hummingbird [Archilochus colubris], White-eyed Vireo [Vireo griseus], and Yellow-billed Cuckoo [Coccyzus americanus]) tolerated humans, vehicles, or both. Neotropical migratory species did not show higher sensitivity to disturbance when compared to resident species, and forest interior species were not more sensitive than edge species. My results indicate that some species, including migrants, can become habituated to human presence in protected areas with low harassment and low-intensity, predictable disturbances. Management recommendations for BSP include protecting habitat, minimizing human disturbance in some areas, providing buffer zones between humandominated zones and sites containing vulnerable species, and softening edges in campgrounds.

Since Mounds State Park contains one of the best preserved Woodland earthwork complexes in the State of Indiana, any plans for development and improvements to the park facilities must take into account the need for conservation and interpretation of these archaeological resources. This thesis discusses and describes, the archaeological resources and their context and makes suggestions for their investigation, interpretation, and care.

This study tested two hypotheses related to Woodland settlement trends and ritual development in East Central Indiana through the example of Mounds State Park in Anderson, Indiana. The first hypothesis was that earthwork enclosure complexes, such as at Anderson, were utilized as central places within a defined territory for the redistribution of resources. The second hypothesis was that a link existed between increasing social stratification in a mixed foraging and horticultural economy and a shift in the function of earthwork complexes resultant from a change in subsistence. It was determined that no conclusions could be made about the validity of these hypotheses due to incomplete data. Suggestions for obtaining relevant data and a theoretical model of earthwork function based on available data are presented. / Department of Anthropology

Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 29-34). Also available via Humboldt Digital Scholar.

Thesis (M.A.)--Humboldt State University, 2008. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 40-47). Also available via Humboldt Digital Scholar.

Thesis (M.A.)--Ohio University, March, 2006. / Title from PDF t.p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 96-99)

Giant City State Park in Makanda, Illinois contains graffiti created by passersby and local residents. Many deem modern graffiti in parks as a depreciative behavior. However, the inscription created by Theodore Wilson Thompson in 1862 along the Giant City Nature Trail has implications for interpretive use by park staff. This is due to the inscription being etched prior to the park's establishment and Theodore's pioneering contributions to Makanda and Carbondale, Illinois. Therefore, Theodore Thompson was the focus of this study due to his inscription and the lack of park research conducted on his life history. In 1852, as a young boy, he moved to the Makanda vicinity with his family. Theodore and his brother Albert carved their names in sandstone during the Civil War, in an area that would later become part of Giant City State Park. After owning a large fruit farm as an adult and increasing the size of the town of Makanda, Theodore moved to Carbondale where he purchased 600 acres adjoining what would become Southern Illinois University. Thompson Woods and Thompson Lake (Campus Lake) were established by Theodore and were later added to the campus of Southern Illinois University. Through the documentation and research of other names etched throughout the park, it will be possible for park staff to not only create interpretive media to help visitors better connect with the resource, but also help preserve the history of the area before it became a park.

No description available.

My intention is to examine the evolution of early Christian architecture and redefine the role of the building type today, proposing an alternative design for the setting of the liturgy in the Greek Orthodox tradition. / Master of Architecture