Master of Arts / Department of Geography / J. M. Shawn Hutchinson / Time series of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data from satellite spectral measurements can be used to characterize and quantify changes in vegetation phenology and explore the role of natural and anthropogenic activities in causing those changes. Several programs and methods exist to process phenometric data from remotely-sensed imagery, including TIMESAT, which extracts seasonality parameters from time-series image data by fitting a smooth function to the series. This smoothing function, however, is dependent upon user-defined input parameter settings which have an unknown amount of influence in shaping the final phenometric estimates. To test this, a sensitivity analysis was conducted using MODIS maximum value composite NDVI time-series data acquired for Fort Riley, Kansas during the period 2001-2012. The phenometric data generated from the different input setting files were compared against that from a base scenario using Pearson and Lin’s Concordance Correlation Analyses. Findings show that small changes to parameter settings results in insignificant differences in phenometric estimates, with the exception of end of season data and growing season length. Next, a time-series analysis of the same MODIS NDVI data for Fort Riley and nearby Konza Prairie Biological Station (KPBS) was conducted to determine if significant differences existed in selected vegetation phenometrics. Phenometrics of interest were estimated using TIMESAT and based on a Savitzky-Golay filter with parameter settings found optimal in the previous study. The phenometrics start of season, end of season, length of season, maximum value, and small seasonal integral were compared using Kolmogorov-Smirnov (K-S) and showed significant differences existed for all phenometrics in the comparison of Fort Riley training areas and KPBS, as well as low- versus high-training intensity areas within Fort Riley. Fort Riley and high-intensity training areas have earlier dates for the start and end of the growing season, shorter growing season lengths, lower maximum NDVI values, and lower small seasonal integrals compared to KPBS and low-intensity training areas, respectively. Evidence was found that establishes a link between military land uses and/or land management practices and observed phenometric differences.

Master of Arts / Department of Geography / John A. Harrington Jr / Global and regional climates have changed significantly in recent decades. One of the sectors most affected by a changing climate is agriculture. While the scientific consensus is clear that climate has changed, a declining number of Americans believe in the seriousness of “global warming”. Bridging this knowledge gap will require a more in depth understanding of public perceptions of climate change. The research reported here addressed public perceptions of climate and environmental change in north central Kansas and found that farmers are aware that climate has changed over their lifetimes. Local residents were found to be aware on ongoing environmental changes and adopting changes in land management practices that balance improving environmental conditions with the need to make a profit. More information is needed on what information sources and presentation styles would work best for the communication of updated information, both for communicating with farmers and with educators.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Laurence A. Clement, Jr. / Increasing population in Manhattan, Kansas and rising enrollment at Kansas State University have increased the interest in establishing new residences and commercial businesses within the city limits. Locations for development include the revitalization of Manhattan’s south end and sites adjacent to Seth Child Road, US Highway 24, and K-177. Recent development patterns in Manhattan, such as residential development near Wildcat Creek, have resulted in severe environmental impacts. While most development enhances existing land use patterns, undeveloped natural areas along K-177 present several environmental opportunities and restraints that must be assessed and well-planned for to accommodate projected growth in a sustainable way. Topography, existing vegetation, drainage networks, wildlife habitats, and proximity to the Kansas River contribute to limitations in development along and extending from K-177. This proximity and resulting development could reduce existing wildlife habitat, plant species, and the overall health of Manhattan’s and the surrounding area’s air, soil and water quality. Developmental strategies are needed to ensure the conservation of sensitive ecosystems and to direct development to the most suitable areas. After conducting an inventory of the land’s natural resources and land use patterns, two suitability models were created to express areas most suitable for development based on two sets of values; conservation-minded and developer-minded. As sites for development were located and assessed, a trail suitability model was then created to express potential connections between new and old development and to show links to other significant destinations. This trail system also establishes greenway selection criteria, aiming to further protect remaining natural areas while providing a public amenity. Fulfillment of the goals and objectives of the Gateway to Manhattan Plan (GMP), establishes development suitability through a conservationist approach to ensure significant preservation of land. Such an approach and related conservation strategies are then discussed to act as a platform for decision making as lands along K-177 are developed. The trail suitability study and proposed greenway network provide solutions for meeting the GMP’s goals of establishing multi-modal connectivity along and across K-177 while conserving environmental resources. In addition to controlling development patterns, these greenways will act as conduits for wildlife, help maintain or enhance air, soil and water quality, protect endangered flora and fauna, and provide recreational amenities while minimizing overall negative environmental impacts.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Geography / Kevin P. Price / A major strategy in response to rapid degradation and loss of Louisiana’s coastal wetlands has been the construction of siphon diversion projects. The diversions are designed to reintroduce nutrient enriched freshwater from the Mississippi River into wetland ecosystems to combat saltwater intrusion and stimulate marsh growth. The lack of consensus regarding the effects of river diversions on nutrient enrichment of wetland ecosystems is coupled with major concerns about eutrophication. Locating, assessing, and monitoring eutrophic marsh vegetation represent major challenges to understanding the impacts of freshwater diversions. As a result, this study was undertaken to investigate the feasibility of modeling eutrophication vulnerability of a coastal Louisiana marsh receiving turbid Mississippi River water. The major objective was to integrate remotely sensed data with field measurements of vegetation biophysical characteristics and historical ecosystem survey data to delineate landscape patterns suggestive of vulnerability to eutrophication. The initial step in accomplishing this goal was to model the spatial distribution of freshwater impacts using satellite image-based turbidity frequency data associated with siphon diversion operation. Secondly, satellite and spectroradiometer band combinations and vegetation indices optimal for modeling marsh biophysical characteristics related to nutrient enrichment were identified. Finally, satellite image data were successfully integrated with measures of historical and concurrent marsh biophysical characteristics to model the spatial distribution of eutrophication vulnerability and to elucidate the impacts of freshwater diversions.

Master of Science / Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering / Stacy L. Hutchinson / Military training lands are a vital resource for national security and provide crucial habitat for a number of threatened and endangered species. Military land managers must manage the land in accordance with federal environmental policy and regulation, while simultaneously providing the lands needed for training military forces. Off road maneuver training can cause significant environmental damage including removal of vegetation, compaction of soils, increased erosion, loss of habitat, and degradation of the landscape to a point of not being useful for continued military training. Various techniques have been developed to help the military land managers determine a sustainable training level for the landscape. Many of these techniques have limitations in the spatial resolution of data collected and the ability to provide timely and accurate assessments of training disturbance. Advancements in GPS and GIS technology over the past two decades have shown the potential to fill this knowledge gap. In this study low cost civilian off the shelf (COTS) GPS devices were accuracy tested to determine their capability to provide reliable and accurate military vehicle locations during training (1.93 m CEP, 4.625m 2dRMS). The GPS data collected from COTS devices on three battalion training exercises at Fort Riley, KS were processed in a GIS and statistically analyzed to compare and contrast several off road maneuver metrics (speed, turning radius, distance traveled) by vehicle type tracked, and by platoon in order to determine if units or vehicle types could reliably explain the variation in these metrics. Lastly, a method of mapping the relative environmental disturbance was developed and mapped for the same data sets. Wheel sinkage was used as a measure of disturbance, it was calculated at each GPS point based on vehicle type and soil conditions then mapped in using a fishnet grid for Fort Riley, Kansas.

Master of Science / Biological & Agricultural Engineering / Stacy L. Hutchinson / Increasing attentiveness to climate change and the dependence of human life on natural resources has spurred awareness about the detrimental impacts of human activity on the environment. Ecosystem services, or the benefits that humans derive from ecosystems, have changed more in the past 50 years than in any other comparable period in human history (Carpenter et al., 2009).The dilemma of managing the trade-off between immediate human needs and maintaining the ability of the Earth to provide ecosystem services is considered to be one of the largest challenges of this century (Foley et al., 2005). The ecosystem service concept aims maximize the provision of services across an entire ecosystem to achieve overall ecosystem health through land management, policy, and economic decisions. The intent of this research was to improve such decisions by increasing the understanding about the relationship between urban best management practices and freshwater provision, erosion regulation, and flood regulation ecosystem services. Fifty-six land management scenarios with varying densities of BMP application were simulated using the Stormwater Management Model (SWMM). The ecosystem services resulting from these land management scenarios were quantified using indices developed by Logsdon and Chaubey (2013). Results demonstrate that the application of bioretention cells improve both freshwater provision and erosion regulation services immediately downstream from the implementation site, and an increase in erosion regulation services was observed at the greater watershed scale. There was no change in the provision of freshwater, erosion regulation, or flood regulation services observed by the application of green roofs or rain barrels at either scale of analysis.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Environmental Design and Planning Program / Lee R. Skabelund / Despite the growing number of urban adaptation planning initiatives to climate change hazards, there exist significant barriers related to implementation uncertainties that hinder translation of adaptation plans into actions, resulting in a widely recognized ‘planning-implementation gap’ across scales and regions. Bridging the planning-implementation gap will require overcoming implementation uncertainties by better understanding the relationships between the primary factors driving adaptation planning initiatives and emerging adaptation options across spatial scales. The modified Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response model published by Rounsevell, Dawson, and Harrison in 2010 provided a robust framework for identifying the primary factors driving adaptation planning initiatives and the emerging adaptation options related to risk of changing climate and flooding events in the urban context. Drawing on evidence from the systematic review of 121 adaptation planning case studies across North America, this research derived qualitative and quantitative data, which was subsequently analyzed using binary logistic regression to generate objective and generalizable findings. The findings of binary logistic regression models suggest that the choice of specific adaptation options (namely enhancing adaptive capacity; management and conservation; and improving urban infrastructure, planning, and development) may be predicted based on the assessment of primary factors driving adaptation planning initiatives (namely, anticipation of economic benefits; perceived threats to management and conservation of urban natural resources; support of human and social systems; and improvement of policy and regulations) in relation to the risk of changing climate and urban flooding events. This does not imply that other primary factors (namely information and knowledge; perceived funding and economic opportunities; evidence of climate change effects; and general concerns) have no or insignificant relationships with the selection of adaptation options, only that the review did not find evidence to support such claims. These study findings may offer useful guidance to the design and further development of planning and decision support tools that could be used for assessment of adaptation plans and selection of robust adaptation options that take account of uncertainties surrounding implementation of effective climate adaptation actions. Study findings can also inform evidence-based policy and investment decision making, especially in regions where urban adaptation plans are weak or absent.

Master of Science / Department of Biological & Agricultural Engineering / Stacy Hutchinson / Urban areas have traditionally been managed as separate entities from the natural environment. Recently, urban planners have been interested in reconnecting these areas back to the biosphere to capitalize on ecosystem services restoring damaged hydrologic processes. This study focuses on suburban Johnson County, KS (part of the Greater Kansas City area), which has 62 USEPA 303(d) listed “impaired” or “potentially impaired” waterbodies. Previous studies show that watersheds crisscrossed by multiple politically boundaries see increases in water quantity and decreases in water quality. Using a multi-watershed, multi-city spanning entity like a school district, it is investigated how stormwater best management practices (BMPs) employed over a large entity can help undo the negative effects of watershed political fragmentation. BMP modeling includes simulating grassroots and planning policy change movements across three target watersheds using PC-SWMM watershed model. The grassroots simulation models rain barrels at single family homes and an extended dry detention basin (EDDB) at schools. Planning policy simulation models 10% and 20% reductions in impervious roads and parking lots in accordance to EPA Smart Growth practices. Resulting, it was seen that all three of these BMPs saw the greatest improvements from current conditions at low precipitation events. Ranking from least to most effective across the outlet’s average flow, maximum flow, and total volume and supporting watershed infiltration, surface runoff, and surface storage are as follows: rain barrels + EDDB, 10% reduced, and 20% reduced impervious simulations. All three stormwater BMPs help demonstrate how grassroots movements and planning polices changes can positively impact regional waterbodies in this maturely suburbanized region.