Thesis (M.S.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2004. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2005. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (November 8, 2006) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2005. / The entire dissertation/thesis text is included in the research.pdf file; the official abstract appears in the short.pdf file (which also appears in the research.pdf); a non-technical general description, or public abstract, appears in the public.pdf file. Title from title screen of research.pdf file viewed on (November 13, 2006) Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis contributes to modeling the dynamics of forest community response to environmental gradients and disturbances over a mountain landscape. A gap model (FACET) was parameterized for species of various forest types (Tabonuco, Colorado, Dwarf and Palm), for many terrain conditions and was modified and extended to include species response to excess soil moisture and hurricanes. Landscape cover types were defined by dominance of species of each forest type and canopy height. Parameters of the landscape model (MOSAIC) were calculated from multiple runs of FACET. These runs were determined by combining terrain variables (elevation and soil) and hurricane risk. MOSAIC runs were analyzed for distribution patterns. Geographic Information Systems software was used to process terrain variables, hurricane risk and MOSAIC model output.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Waikato, 2004. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed Feb. 7, 2006). Includes bibliographical references (p. [349]-374).

A previously developed expert system for landscape visual quality assessment was evaluated for reliability and validity against four professional landscape architects, one of whom’s rules upon which the system was based, and two lay subjects. Results indicated that the system has good initial reliability and internal validity, but the external validity assessments appeared poor. It is believed that this was due to the subjects’ unfamiliarity with the system’s format and logical construction. For this reason, it is recommended that a training program be developed and the reliability and validity be reassessed, with and without training the subjects. / Master of Science

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Mississippi State University. Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. / Title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references.

The Meseta Purepecha, a volcanic plateau in the Mexican state of Michoacan, is home to one of the most species-rich pine forests in the world. Recent increases in demand for forest products has put added pressure on these resources. Though existing research has suggested significant deforestation in the Meseta, there is little information identifying specific areas of decline. This study focuses on two indigenous communities in the Meseta-Pichataro and Sevina. Both communities have long relied on wood as an economic resource. However, the two communities have reacted differently to increased demand for forest resources. The purpose of this study is to identify the differences in the rate and extent of forest change between Pichataro and Sevina. Three dates of Landsat satellite images - 1976, 1986, and 2000-were used to identify changes in the Meseta's forests. Supervised classification was used to classify the 2000 image into forested and non-forested areas. Change detection was performed on the 1976 through 2000 images to identify areas of forest clearing and forest regrowth. The 2000 image was then used as a reference for generating maps of historic forest extent based on the change detection results. Results show that between 1986 and 2000, Sevina cleared approximately 16% of its forested land between while Pichataro experienced a net gain of 7%. In the same period, 93% of the deforestation in the combined study area occurred within the community boundary of Sevina, which manages only 35% of the study area forests. Sevina's remaining forests are also more isolated and fragmented than the forests of Pichataro. The differences between the two communities appear related to management practices. Sevina has relied on larger-scale timber harvesting to derive economic benefits from its forests. Pichataro has focused on local harvesting and value-added production.

Social, political, economic, and environmental factors converge in developing countries to stimulate high rates of deforestation. Forest conversion reduces biodiversity, contributes to carbon loading of the atmosphere, alters the global water balance, and degrades the quality of life for rural people. Mexico is the fifth most biologically diverse country in the world and temperate and tropical forests in Mexico are rapidly disappearing with environmental and cultural repercussions for people and ecosystems. This study examines changes in the forest landscape surrounding two communidades indigenas in Michoacan, Mexico over a 15-year period. The research area includes communal forest, pasture, and agricultural land within the adjacent municipal boundaries of two Purepecha Indian communities: Sevina and San Francisco Pichataro. The economies of both villages depend in part on wood products manufacturing with timber harvested in local mixed-pine forests. As a result, forest landscapes surrounding the towns are at risk for potentially rapid land cover change and environmental degradation.