This thesis deals with the negative interrelationship between climate fluctuation and cattle ranching during the 1880s. The focus is on three large ranches that were used as case studies on the Texas Panhandle. These ranches were selected because of their size, longevity, and the number of primary documents that were available at the Panhandle Plains Museum and Archive in Canyon, Texas. The temporal focus is from 1880 to 1890. The primary documents that have been examined are letters from ranchers to the Capitol Syndicates that owned the ranch and the financial documents of each ranch. Scientific journals that examined grassland ecology, animal ecology, and climate were used in conjunction with the primary documents. The combination of these sources led to a nuanced reinterpretation of a cattle disaster from the 1880s. The disaster was a massive loss of stock through a series of extremely cold winters and a drought that lasted several years. In the wake of this disaster, through the use of technology, these ranches were able to recover and increase their stock numbers beyond what they were prior to the years dominated by stock losses and low cattle prices.

Environmental and political concerns centered on energy use from gasoline have led to a great deal of research on ethanol production. The goal of this thesis is to determine if it is profitable to produce ethanol in Texas using sweet sorghum juice. Four different areas, Moore, Hill, Willacy, and Wharton Counties, using two feedstock alternatives, sweet sorghum only and sweet sorghum and corn, will be analyzed using Monte Carlo simulation to determine the probability of economic success. Economic returns to the farmers in the form of a contract price for the average sweet sorghum yield per acre in each study area and to the ethanol plant buying sweet sorghum at the contract price will be simulated and ranked. The calculated sweet sorghum contract prices offered to farmers are $9.94, $11.44, $29.98, and $36.21 per ton in Wharton, Willacy, Moore, and Hill Counties, respectively. The contract prices are equal to the next most profitable crop returns or ten percent more than the total cost to produce sweet sorghum in the study area. The wide variation in the price is due to competing crop returns and the sweet sorghum growing season. Ethanol production using sweet sorghum and corn is the most profitable alternative analyzed for an ethanol plant. A Moore County ethanol plant has the highest average net present value of $492.39 million and is most preferred overall when using sweet sorghum and corn to produce ethanol. Sweet sorghum ethanol production is most profitable in Willacy County but is not economically successful with an average net present value of $-11.06 million. Ethanol production in Hill County is least preferred with an average net present value of $-712.00 and $48.40 million when using sweet sorghum only and sweet sorghum and corn, respectively. Producing unsubsidized ethanol from sweet sorghum juice alone is not profitable in Texas. Sweet sorghum ethanol supplemented by grain is more economical but would not be as profitable as producing ethanol from only grain in the Texas Panhandle. Farmers profit on average from contract prices for sweet sorghum when prices cover total production costs for the crop.

The relationship between the satellite-based Vegetation Condition Index (VCI) and frequently used agricultural drought indices like Palmer Drought Severity Index, Palmer’s Z-index, Standard Precipitation Index, percent normal and deciles was evaluated using a comparative correlation analysis. These indices were compared at the county level for all 254 Texas counties for the growing-season months (March to August) using monthly data from 1982-1999. The evaluation revealed that the VCI was most strongly correlated with the 6-month SPI and the PDSI. This suggests that the VCI is most similar to drought indices that account for antecedent moisture conditions. There was also significant spatial variability in the magnitude of the correlations between the VCI and the drought indices. The reasons for this variability were explored by utilizing additional data such as irrigation, prevalent landuse/landcover, water table depth, soil moisture levels and soil hydrologic/hydraulic properties. The results demonstrated that mean annual precipitation, soil moisture, landuse/landcover, and depth of the water table accounted for a significant amount of the spatial variability (explaining more than 75% of the variance) in the relationship between the VCI and traditional drought indices.

This dissertation examines relationships between cities, and more specifically the largest Texas cities, and the global economy. Data on headquarters location and corporation sales over a 20-year period (1984-2004) supported the hypothesis that globalization is not homogeneous, regular or unidirectional, but actually showed contrasted phases. Texas cities have been raising in global rankings, due to corporate relocations and, to lesser extent, the growth of local activities. By year 2004, Dallas and Houston ranked among the top-20 headquarters cities measured by corporation sales The Texas Urban Triangle had one of the major global concentrations of oil- and computer-related corporation headquarters; conversely, key sectors like banking, insurance and automotive were not significant. Standardized employment data in major U.S. metropolitan areas was examined through principal components analyses. Overall, larger places showed higher degrees of diversity, and no trend toward economic convergence. The TUT also presented a degree of intra-regional diversity comparable to other urban regions. Findings confirmed the relevance of oil- and information-related activities, along with construction, and weakness of activities linked to finance and corporate management. Traffic and air linkages in Texas cities were contrasted to other American gateways. Dallas and Houston have been major nodes in global air transportation, with very important roles as transit hubs for domestic (the former) and short international (the latter) flights. For long-haul international traffic both cities were second-level American gateways, with Houston mobilizing better connected to Western Europe and Mesoamerica, and Dallas to South America and East Asia. Dallas central location strengthened its role in the domestic market, as the center of one of the five major subsystems in the country and a top gateway in enplanements, number of linkages and connectivity measures. The Texas air travel network hierarchical organization was relatively unbalanced, with two strong nodes at the top, three little-relevant middle nodes, and several very poorly interconnected gateways at the bottom. Finally, the high supply of regional flights between primary destinations, namely Dallas and Houston, resulted in significant effects of time-space convergence. Such effects were only found between highly-connected major gateways, and completely bypassed other places, independently of their size and relative location.

Lesser prairie-chickens (Tympanuchus pallidicinctus) have declined throughout their range because of overgrazing and loss or fragmentation of habitat from conversion of native prairie to agricultural cropland. Lesser prairie-chickens were radio-marked (n = 225) as part of 2 separate field studies in the Texas Panhandle (2001–2003, 2003– 2007). These data were used to evaluate whether differences in demographic parameters existed between populations occurring in 2 areas dominated by different vegetation types (sand sagebrush [Artemisia filifolia] versus shinnery oak [Quercus havardii]) in the Texas Panhandle from 2001–2007. A model-selection approach was used to test hypotheses explaining differences in survival and reproductive success of lesser prairiechickens. Additionally, a population viability analysis was constructed using the above demographic parameters to evaluate effects of harvest and no harvest scenarios on viability and population persistence of lesser prairie-chickens in Texas. Overall, survival, reproduction, and population viability were lower in the shinnery oak compared to the sand sagebrush vegetation type. Lesser prairie-chicken survival differed between breeding and non-breeding periods. I estimated annual survival of lesser prairiechickens at 31% in the shinnery oak and 52% in the sand sagebrush vegetation type. Nest success was (41%, 95% CI = 25–56%) in the shinnery oak population compared to the sand sagebrush population (75%, 95% CI = 54–94%). Population viability analysis predicted continued declines in lesser prairie-chicken populations in Texas. Estimates of local occupancy indicated lesser prairie-chicken populations would go extinct in the southwestern shinnery oak vegetation type more quickly compared to the northeastern sand sagebrush vegetation type (approximately 10 years compared to 30 years, respectively) without changes in population vital rates. Harvest at all levels increased risk of extinction. Results suggest that differences in survival and reproduction of lesser prairie-chickens within sand sagebrush and shinnery oak vegetation types throughout the Texas Panhandle should be evaluated, especially during the breeding season. Improvements to vegetation conducive for successful nesting are important to the viability of lesser prairie-chickens. Conservation and recovery strategies for lesser prairie-chicken populations should address variables that increase survival and nest success and consideration of no harvest.

Fecal contamination is the pollution caused by the microorganisms residing in the intestine of warm blooded animals and humans. Bacteria are the prime cause of contamination of surface waters in the US. The transport of microorganisms into waterways can have detrimental effects on water quality and human health especially if the pathogenic strains are ingested. E. coli is used as an indicator of fecal contamination. Detection of these bacteria in a water body above set limits poses a potential health hazard. Various sources contribute to the bacterial contamination of a water body. The sources need to be identified and quantified for their E. coli content to measure bacteria loads in the waterbody accurately. In many cases, in-situ re-growth is also believed to be a considerable source of E. coli. Also re-growth of E. coli in landscapes due to favorable environmental conditions (e.g., rainfall after dry weather conditions) is one of the major phenomena affecting E. coli concentration in streams. Thus the environmental factors like temperature and soil moisture that influence transport, persistence, re-growth, and survival of E. coli in landscapes were studied. The objective of this study was to identify, characterize and quantify E. coli loads from feces of four different animals and monitor survival, growth and re-growth at four different temperatures and moisture contents over a period of seven days. Findings of this research will aid in Watershed Protection Plan (WPP) development and Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) development to address impairment from point and non-point source pollution of E. coli. Wildlife and range cattle manure samples responsible for fecal contamination of Cedar Creek were identified and four fecal sources out of those were quantified for the E. coli concentrations. No significant difference was found upon comparing the E. coli concentration for each species between the genders. Sub-adult cattle demonstrated significantly higher E. coli concentrations than adult cattle. Growth and die-off rates were measured at different temperatures (0degreesC, 10degreesC, 25degreesC, and 50degreesC) and moisture conditions (1%, 25% 56.5% and 83%). E. coli concentrations in cattle and raccoons feces showed highest survivability and growth at 20degreesC out of all the temperatures studied. There was no survival of E. coli from either species at 50degreesC after 24 h. E. coli in cattle and raccoons samples exhibited greater growth at lower, nearly aerobic soil moisture content (25%) for all days compared to nearly anaerobic soil moisture content (83%).

Mason, Texas and the surrounding areas have been previously studied and mapped at small scales, showing the large normal faults that cut through the area. Many secondary faults exist close to the large faults, and are not mapped in previous studies because of the small scale of the maps. The large number of faults, when the smaller secondary faults are considered, makes Mason a good place for studying the nature of normal faults in this region and making generalizations about their nature. This thesis examines one of these faults, the McMillan Fault, and the secondary faults in its hanging wall at a large scale, in order to assess the nature of normal faults in the Mason area. The McMillan Ranch in Mason, Texas, was mapped at a scale of 1:7,000 using both traditional and digital mapping methods, to determine the lengths and displacements of each fault, and attempt to determine a length/displacement ratio which can be applied to all normal faults in this area. A single length/displacement ratio was not determined, just as in previous studies. This study determined that the normal faults in the area are planar, high angle normal faults with varying displacement amounts. As a result, observations determined that deformation in the hanging wall of normal faults exceeded the deformation in the footwalls of the same faults. The main fault on the McMillan Ranch is the McMillan Fault, and its shape is determined based upon the orientation of the subsidiary normal faults in its hanging wall. A detailed study of the geology of the McMillan Ranch and the surrounding area, including a geologic history of the area, geologic map and cross section, and stratigraphic descriptions including bed-by-bed descriptions, stratigraphic column, and thin sections of each unit was carried out as a preliminary step to perform analyses of the faults on the ranch. The presence of the McMillan Fault was already known, and the pasture that was chosen for this study was best represented at a scale of 1:7,000. At such a large scale, it was necessary to recognize precisely where in the stratigraphic section the mapper was located, as some subsidiary faults were recognized by beds missing, rather than entire units. The structural data gathered from the field convey the varying natures of faults, even within the same area, and support the conclusion that length alone is not sufficient to predict displacement value on a fault.

A survey conducted in February of 1998 located an anomaly originally believed to be the remains of L'Aimable. L'Aimable was one of four ships utilized by Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, for his voyage to colonize the Gulf Coast in 1684. The anomaly, a wrecked vessel with a heavy iron signature, was located outside the entrance to the historic pass into Matagorda Bay, Texas. Artifacts were extracted from the wreck site to aid in the identification of the vessel, which was subsequently determined to be more recent in origin. A preliminary examination of the artifacts indicates that the shipwreck dates to the first half of the 19th century. The survey recovered over two hundred artifacts. The assemblage of artifacts includes over 80 lead shot, over 40 examples of brass firearm furniture, over 15 firearm fragments, several pieces of copper sheathing, and iron bar stock. Almost two-thirds of the material is associated with small arms. The majority of the identifiable firearms are military arms of three patterns: the British Short Land Pattern, the British India Pattern, and the 1757 Spanish musket. Historical research has determined that these arms were circulating in Texas, New Orleans, and Mexico, as early as 1815. The British Pattern arms were both purchased for the Mexican army in the 1820s, and used by the British Infantry in the Battle of New Orleans in 1815. The 1757 Spanish musket was used chiefly by Spanish expeditionary forces in North America in the late 18th century. Evidence garnered from the artifacts suggest that the firearms were shipboard cargo onboard a small, wood-hulled sailing vessel that wrecked between the years 1815 and 1845. Archival and historical research isolated nine wreck candidates for this period. Historical research and artifact analysis suggest the Hannah Elizabeth as the primary candidate for this wreck site. The Hannah Elizabeth was a small merchant schooner from New Orleans laden with a munitions cargo for Texas troops stationed at Goliad. The vessel wrecked at the entrance of the historic Pass Cavallo while evading capture from a Mexican brig-of-war in November of 1835.

In the Gulf Coastal Prairie and Marsh region of Texas, historic archaeological sites are often obscured by dense vegetation resulting in extremely limited surface visibility. In an environment such as this, historic sites can only be detected by the presence of above-ground features such as architectural remains and landscaping. Although not standard among cultural resource management firms, the use of historical aerial photography and informant interviews can be effective and efficient pre-field strategies for locating sites in this region. Identification of such sites is further enhanced by an in-depth understanding of the characteristic remains of pier and beam construction, which was commonly utilized in 19th-century southeast Texas farmsteads. Four 160-acre grants located in the Addicks Reservoir, Harris County, Texas were used as a case study to test the effectiveness and efficiency of these pre-field research strategies. Each of these tracts was associated with the mid 19th-century establishment of the German immigrant community of Bear Creek, and each tract contained the remnants of farmsteads where structures had often been removed or relocated leaving little above-ground remains to be discovered using standard survey techniques. A 1915 topographical map and a 1930 aerial photograph of the area were employed together with accounts of former residents and descendants of former residents that indicated locations of former farmsteads on each of these tracts. Additional archival research, including U.S. Army Corps of Engineers acquisition files for Addicks Reservoir, was conducted prior to a field “ground-truthing” survey of the properties. As a result, all six of the historic sites that appear on a 1930 aerial photograph of the area were located and documented. One historic site that appeared on a 1915 topographical map of the area but did not appear on the 1930 aerial photograph was not located.

The purpose of this study was to identify school districts in the state of Texas that would be considered efficient based on the modified quadriform model, and to identify alterable school characteristics most associated with those efficient schools. The researcher used data from the 2003-2004 Texas Academic Excellence Indicator System in this analysis. Texas school districts that had low expenditures with high student output were classified as efficient. There were two stages to the modified quadriform analysis. In stage one the relationship between input and output was evaluated by two separate linear regressions. The input regression modeled total per pupil expenditure for the district regressed against unalterable school characteristics such as total district enrollment, percentage of economically disadvantaged students, percentage of special education students, percentage of minority students, and local tax base value per pupil. In the output regression six different measures of student outcomes were regressed against the same unalterable characteristics. The measures of student achievement used were the percentage of all students passing the math and reading Texas Assessments of Knowledge and Skills, graduation completion rate, percentage of students taking the Scholastic Aptitude Test and the ACT Test, and the mean scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test and/or ACT Test. Once the efficient school districts were identified using the positive and negative residuals from the regressions, a discriminant analysis was conducted to determine what alterable characteristics had the most significant relationship with the different student outcome measures. Just over 32% of Texas School Districts would be considered efficient in this model, and the number of students per teacher has a significant relationship with the output measures of mean SAT and ACT scores, district completion rate, and Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills scores in both math and reading. The data also showed that the percentage of expenditures at central administration was least associated with mean Scholastic Aptitude Test and ACT scores along with district completion rate. This study was intended to be a descriptive “bird’s eye” view of efficiency in the Texas system, the researcher believes that this initial study will be a catalyst for more focused research using this production function method of measuring efficiency, and that one day it may lead to an operational definition of efficiency in the Texas system.