Many species of wildlife use roadside vegetation as habitat. The ring-necked pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) utilizes roadsides for all types of cover. Because pheasants are nonmigratory and generally live their entire lives within a 1- to 2-mile radius, pheasants are excellent indicator species to predict both quantity and quality of roadside wildlife habitat. Pheasants were introduced to Utah in the late 1800's. Populations climbed until pheasant habitat occupied 2-4 percent of the total land area in Utah. Populations began to decrease in the 1950's. Since 1962, pheasant populations in Cache County, Utah have dropped 2.71 percent annually. Experts believe the decline in pheasants is directly related to decreased habitat. They attribute the decrease to land use changes. Cache County roadsides currently support 3,643 acres of wildlife habitat and have the potential to support over 15,000 acres. To evaluate roadside habitat in Cache County, a roadside vegetation inventory was conducted. This was done by conducting a windshield survey of Cache County roadsides in agricultural areas. Next, vegetation density was measured along roadside transects using a Daubenmire frame and vertical profile board. The results showed Cache County roadsides did not support quality wildlife habitat. The exception was wetlands that contained significant stands of cattail. The evaluation found current maintenance practices of mowing and spraying roadside vegetation has degraded the plant communities and created dense monocultures of a few grass species. A questionnaire was completed by county weed supervisors throughout the state of Utah as well as Utah Department of Transportation personnel and other people associated with the managment of roadside vegetation. The questionnaire provided information about current roadside maintenance practices and attitudes. As a result of the roadside vegetation data and the questionnaire, the study determined that healthier roadside plant communities are possible if current maintenance practices and standards are modified. These modifications should include 1) spot spraying herbicide to eradicate weed species, 2) mowing only 10% of the right-of-way, which will provide more residual nesting cover in the unmowed areas, and 3) allowing woody vegetation along the backs! ope of ditches and other areas where motorist safety is not compromised. By modifying maintenance practices and implementing diverse seed mixes, roadside plant communities will support quality wildlife habitat.

Road fatalities related to marijuana intoxication have steadily increased over the last 10 years (Drummer, 1994; Drummer, 1998; Drummer & Gerostamoulos, 1999). This has led to the introduction of sobriety testing in Victoria, Australia to test for driving impairment caused by marijuana and other psychotropic drugs. Surveys have reported an increase in community concern in Australia over the use of marijuana and an increase in the prevalence and use of marijuana (National Campaign Against Drug Abuse Survey; 1985, 1988, 1991, 1993; National Drug Household Survey; 1995, 1998). Commensurate with the increase in the use of marijuana in society, road statistics indicated that the number of road accidents and deaths involving the presence of THC (the active ingredient in marijuana) in driver specimens has also increased (Drummer & Gerostamoulos, 1999). Consistent with these mortality statistics, past research examining the effects of THC on driving ability indicate that THC impairs both car control (Moskowitz, 1985), and the maintenance of the lateral position of a vehicle (Ramaekers et al., 2000). Intoxication by THC is more likely to result in the crashing into obstacles on a driving course than when not intoxicated (Hansteen et al., 1976). These findings indicate that marijuana impairs driving ability and since the prevalence of marijuana use is increasing this poses a significant risk on our roads. It is essential therefore, that a tool that detects levels of THC in drivers, similar to breath analysis instruments used for the detection of alcohol in drivers, is introduced. To date, there is no such reliable instrument, that could be used on the roadside, and that accurately measures the level of THC in humans. For this reason, some government departments have considered the use of sobriety tests to detect impaired driving. In particular, the Standardised Field Sobriety test (SFSTs) that comprises the Horizontal Gaze Nystagmus test (HGN), Walk and Turn test (WAT) and the One Leg Stand test (OLS) were implemented in Victoria, Australia from December 1st 2000. The validity of these tests have been previously examined by other researchers and their conclusions suggest that sobriety tests have a varied accuracy in detecting impairment caused by drugs, ranging from 44% to 94% (Heishman et al., 1996; Compton, 1986). The present study examines the efficiency of sobriety tests to detect impairment in driving caused by marijuana. The SFSTs were examined, as well as the Romberg Balance test (RB) and the Finger to Nose test (FTN) taken from the Drug Evaluation and Classification Program (DECP) (Los Angeles Police Department, USA). The present study was conducted by Swinburne University, Victoria, Australia. The National Institute on Drug Abuse in the USA (NIDA) provided the marijuana cigarettes. The major objectives of the study were to examine the influence of cannabis on driving performance and on performance on the sobriety tests. The relationship between simulated driving performance and sobriety test performance was then examined to establish the accuracy of sobriety tests to predict driving ability. The present study also examined whether any differences in performance either on the driving tests or on the sobriety tests exist between regular cannabis users and non-regular cannabis users. Driving stress was an additional variable assessed to establish whether individuals with low, normal or high driver stress perform differently on the driving task after the consumption of a low and high dose of cannabis. We tested 40 participants comprising 14 females and 26 males. All participants completed a medical examination questionnaire, demographics questionnaire, Frequency of Cannabis Use Questionnaire and Intoxication Rating Questionnaire. All participants completed 3 marijuana sessions involving the administration of a placebo cigarette (0% THC, weight 702mg, .000gm ∆-9-THC; 0.0mg/kg THC), the administration of a low THC cigarette (1.74% THC, weight 779mg, .813gm ∆-9-THC; 0.2mg/kg THC) and the administration of a high THC marijuana cigarette (2.93% THC, weight 790mg, 1.776gm ∆-9-THC; 0.73mg/kg THC). All sessions were randomised (using Latin-square design), counter-balanced and double-blind. In each session, participants completed 3 sobriety tests and 2 driving simulator tests. Sobriety tests were scored by allocating a score of 1 for each sign (error, e.g., hopping during test performance to maintain balance) observed by the administrator. Generally, a score of 2 or more constituted impairment to a degree equivalent to a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) above 0.10%. The driving simulator test comprised 36 variables. Each time the participant performed an error, a loading factor was added to the corresponding variable (e.g., collision (variable) loading factor is 10, if a collision occurred twice a score of 20 was allocated to this variable). The sum of all 36 variables constituted the level of overall driving impairment. Blood samples were taken throughout each session approximately 20 minutes apart. Intoxication Rating Questionnaires revealed that participants reported that the subjective effect of placebo cigarettes was much weaker than the cigarettes that they usually smoke and that no psychological (such as time distortion) and physiological (such as increased heart rate) changes were experienced. For the low THC cigarettes most participants described the strength, and the effects, as similar to cannabis that they usually smoke. The high THC cigarette was described by most participants as being much stronger, and having some different symptoms, when compared to cannabis that they usually smoked. There were however, some differences in the description of the low THC and the high THC cannabis cigarettes between regular and non-regular cannabis users. Regular users reported that the high THC cigarette was more similar to the cannabis that they usually smoke, whereas non-regular users stated that this was more likely to be the case for the low THC cigarette. Results from the driving simulator task revealed that THC impaired the driving variables: �straddling the solid line� and �straddling the barrier line�. The results indicated that increasing levels of THC increasingly impaired the ability to maintain the steady position of a vehicle within the correct traffic lane. The consumption of low and high doses of THC resulted in two or more wheels of the vehicle moving over a solid line marked out for traffic moving in the opposite direction. Low and high doses of THC also resulted in two or more wheels of the vehicle moving over a broken/barrier line marked out for traffic moving in the same direction. Increasing levels of THC appear to impair both balance and attention required to control the position of a vehicle in traffic. These results are consistent with past research that indicates that THC impairs car control (Moskowitz, 1985) and increases the standard deviation of the lateral position of a vehicle (Smiley et al., 1981; Ramaekers et al., 2000). Research into the effects of THC on brain cannabinoid receptors indicate that THC interferes with normal functioning of the cerebellum, the brain region responsible for balance, posture, and the coordination of movement (Childers & Breivogel, 1998). When driving ability was impaired the level of THC in the blood was between 3 and 5 ng/ml. These findings are consistent with previous research that has reported that driving is maximally impaired by THC plasma levels of 13 ng/ml (approximately 8ng/ml in blood, using a multiplication factor of 1.6 (Giroud, et al., 2001) (Berghaus et al., 1995). The results of the present study also indicated that THC impairs performance on sobriety tests with more individuals impaired with increasing levels of THC (e.g., at Time 1; placebo: 2.5%, low THC: 23.1%, and high THC: 46.2%). Performances on the sobriety tests RB and FTN were unrelated to the level of THC. The test most related to the level of THC was the OLS test, where almost all signs of this test were observed, after the consumption of both low and high THC cigarettes. The accuracy of a �new� sign in the scoring procedure of the HGN test: head moves/jerks (HMJ) was also identified. Including HMJ increased the percentage of individuals scored as impaired after the consumption of low and high THC cigarettes (e.g., at Time 1; placebo: 2.5%, low THC: 38.5% and high THC: 56.4%). Including HMJ as a sign significantly improved the accuracy of the SFSTs to detect impairment associated with the level of THC. The mean level of THC in the blood, when the highest number of participants were classified as impaired, was 70 ng/ml. Differences in performance were observed between regular cannabis users and nonregular cannabis users. Non-regular cannabis users were more impaired on the driving simulator task after the consumption of low and high levels of THC when compared to regular users. Non-regular users recorded significantly longer RTs to emergency situations, more collisions, and shorter distances between the vehicle and an object (after an emergency stop) when compared to regular cannabis users. Signs exhibited during sobriety test performance were related to the level of THC more often for nonregular users compared to regular users. The level of THC in the blood was higher in regular users, compared to non-regular users, at all times in both THC conditions. When driving ability was impaired and significantly related to the level of THC, the SFSTs were also related to level of THC. Sobriety test performance was related to driving impairment, because, as driving impairment increased with the level of THC, so did the number of signs present during the performance of the sobriety tests. Since nonregular users performed more poorly on the driving task compared to regular users, it is no surprise that they exhibited a larger number of signs during the sobriety testing. Although there was a positive linear relationship between driving ability and sobriety tests, such as the relationship between straddling barrier lines and the OLS test, the validity of sobriety tests to predict driving impairment in part depends upon the size of this relationship. Using performance on the SFSTs to assess �impairment�, 46.7% of individuals in the high THC condition were impaired. A discriminant analysis was performed to determine whether the remaining 53.3% of participants were also impaired but not classified as impaired, or whether the SFSTs correctly classified them as not impaired. The results indicated that the sobriety tests (SFSTs; HGN, WAT and OLS) correctly assessed 76.3% of participants in the high THC condition as either impaired on driving or not impaired on driving. Specifically, this percentage included the correct identification of 84% of impaired drivers as impaired, but only 61.5% of unimpaired drivers as unimpaired. The best predictor of driving impairment was the OLS test. In the low THC condition the sobriety tests correctly classified 100% of impaired drivers as impaired, but this occurred at the expense of falsely classifying most unimpaired drivers as also impaired. This finding suggests that sobriety tests detect the presence of THC even when driving is not impaired. Examining the utility of including the �new� sign HMJ in the SFSTs indicated that when identifying impairment on the driving task performed at Time 2, in both the low and high THC condition, the SFSTs were a better predictor of driving impairment when HMJ was included than when the sign was not included. This finding suggests that the inclusion of HMJ in SFSTs scoring procedure increases the likelihood of detecting drivers who are impaired by THC. In conclusion, the results suggest that THC impairs driving ability by reducing one�s ability to maintain a safe position in traffic. At this time THC blood levels are between 3 and 5 ng/ml. THC also impairs driving ability differently for non-regular and regular users of cannabis, where non-regular users are more impaired by THC than regular users. When this occurs, THC blood levels in non-regular users are between 2 and 12 ng/ml, and in regular users between 5 and 16 ng/ml. Performance on the sobriety tests is also impaired by increasing levels of THC. The OLS test is the most sensitive test in detecting the presence of THC. In the present study the SFST battery and each individual test that it comprises are moderate predictors of driving impairment but do misclassify 16% of impaired individuals and 38.5% of not impaired individuals. In addition, the results suggest that sobriety tests are more sensitive to the presence of THC than actual driving impairment. This was revealed by the large number of individuals judged as impaired on driving in the low and high THC conditions even when driving was unaffected. It is important to note that when this occurred, the sobriety tests were accurate in detecting 100% of impaired individuals. Finally, the introduction of the �new� sign HMJ is likely to increase the accuracy of the SFSTs to detect individuals impaired by THC and this sign should be considered for inclusion by policing agencies.

The Senior Farmers' Market Nutrition Program (SFMNP), piloted in Oregon in 2001, provided $100 worth of vouchers (aka coupons) to low-income seniors to buy fresh local produce from farmers at farmers' markets and roadside stands. Presented in a political ecology framework, this research integrated the perspectives of beneficiaries and their communities into a program evaluation. Convenience interviews of participants at farmers' markets around Oregon revealed significant economic, social and nutritional benefits resulting from the program. Findings also revealed areas of contention for some seniors: produce prices, transportation barriers, and lack of awareness of local agriculture. Reimbursement delays, policing of coupon-users and lack of information caused frustrations for farmers. Generally, farmers were appreciative of seniors as customers, and of the program for enabling farmers and their market to perform a social good; strengthening the community-building role of the farmers' market, providing a social activity for seniors and their support network, creating new relationships between the community and farmers, and enabling seniors to participate in the market experience and farmers to provide fresh produce that enhanced seniors' nutritional intake. Overall, SFMNP achieved its objectives in supporting low-income seniors, farmers and farm-direct marketing, and was an appealing program for seniors and farmers. / Graduation date: 2004

Roadsides in Sweden offer suitable habitats for species that naturally occur in the old agricultural landscape, a habitat that is less common today. These species are favored by small-scale disturbance such as of mowing which is to some extent applied in roadsides for management of the road surface. The Swedish Transport Administration has worked according to the environmental directives for sustainable populations of threatened species that occur along roadsides. Roadsides with threatened species and species that represent the old agriculture landscape have been located and described. Such roadsides have been named species rich roadsides (artrik vägkant) and can be found in different environments spread across the country. The Swedish Transport Administration has developed recommendations for special management to support species of old agricultural landscape in roadsides. Previous studies have shown a negative development of the species rich roadsides, with reduced numbers of species rich roadsides.  This project has analyzed whether there is a relationship between the management of species rich roadsides and the negative development of species rich roadsides, and also make recommendations for improving management methods needed for improving the development of species rich roadsides. Data have been used from previous inventories of species rich roadsides, the study area restricted to Region Mitt.  The present management of species rich roadsides has a significant negative effect of the development of species rich roadsides. To improve the development of species rich roadsides, management must be adapted to the environment the roadside is located to.

Millions of square feet of mechanically stabilized earth retaining wall are constructed annually in the United States. When used in highway fill applications in conjunction with bridges, these MSE walls are typically constructed with a roadside barrier system supported on the edge of the wall. This barrier system generally consists of a traffic barrier or bridge rail placed on a continuous footing or structural slab. The footing is intended to reduce the influence of barrier impact loads on the retaining wall system by distributing the load over a wide area and to provide stability for the barrier against sliding or overturning. The proper design of the roadside barrier, the structural slab, and the MSE wall system requires a good understanding of relevant failure modes, how barrier impact loads are transferred into the wall system, and the magnitude and distribution of these loads. In this study, a procedure is developed that provides guidance for designing: 1. the barrier-moment slab, 2. the wall reinforcement, and 3. the wall panels. These design guidelines are developed in terms of AASHTO LRFD procedures. The research approach consisted of engineering analyses, finite element analyses, static load tests, full-scale dynamic impact tests, and a full-scale vehicle crash test. It was concluded that a 44.5 kN (10 kips) equivalent static load is appropriate for the stability design of the barrier-moment slab system. This will result in much more economical design than systems developed using the 240 kN (54 kips) load that some user agencies are using. Design loads for the wall reinforcement and wall panels are also presented.

This thesis provides an assessment of the effectiveness of micro unmanned aerial vehicles (MUAVs) as a tool for collecting condition data for transportation infrastructure based on multiple field experiments. The primary experiment entails performing a level of service (LOS) condition assessment on multiple roadside sample units at various locations across the state of Texas. A secondary field experiment entails performing a pavement condition index (PCI) survey on airfield pavements. The condition of these sample units were assessed twice: onsite (i.e., ground truth) and by observing digital images (still and video) collected via a MUAV. The results of these surveys are then analyzed to determine if there are statistically significant differences in the standard deviation and mean values of the condition ratings. This study shows that in favorable site conditions, the MUAV demonstrates promise for improving current roadway inspection methods. However, limitations of the MUAVs field performance show that there is need for improvement in this technology before it can be implemented.

Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 1983.

published_or_final_version / Architecture / Master / Master of Landscape Architecture

published_or_final_version / Geography and Geology / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Within the next decade an inter provincial trail, called the Trans Canada Trail, will be developed to accommodate non-motorized traffic such as hikers, skiers, horsemen, and cyclists. Anticipating the need for rest stop facilities, this thesis seeks to explore the design potential of two isolated facilities. The focus of this exploration is the impact of landscape on the development of architectural form. While existing conditions found in each site were recorded and considered throughout the design process, a conscious effort was also made to build a site rather than site plan This position, first articulated by William Rees Morrish in his book Civilizing Terrain. acknowledges that not every piece of land can become an urban place. Instead, placemaking often requires willful acts of change in order to enhance or more effectively reveal its existing qualities. This position opposes the current attitude fostered by the environmental movement that all landscapes should remain untouched. The two sites selected were both located in western Canada: one on the eastern shore of Lake in southern British Columbia and the other in a farmer's field near Milk River in southern Alberta. This thesis traces the discoveries and attempts made to locate a center, develop an arrival sequence and insert an architectural form into the experience of the landscape. Both sites were explored simultaneously, reaching a similar level of resolution, at which point the British Columbia site was dropped and the prairie site was developed further. The Alberta site then became the developed body of the thesis.