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An Assessment of Riparian Buffer Effectiveness in the Upper Hickory Creek Watershed: A GIS Approach Using the Riparian Buffer Delineation Equation (RBDE) and the Buffer Improvement Potential Percentage (BP) (open access)

An Assessment of Riparian Buffer Effectiveness in the Upper Hickory Creek Watershed: A GIS Approach Using the Riparian Buffer Delineation Equation (RBDE) and the Buffer Improvement Potential Percentage (BP)

As population increases and urbanization occurs, watershed management will be critical in the protection of water resources in North Central Texas. By 2040, Denton County will nearly double its 2010 population. The Upper Hickory Creek Watershed lies west of Denton and empties into Lake Lewisville. Lake Lewisville provides drinking water for Denton, Dallas, and other neighboring cities. Mitigation of non-point source pollutants as a result of urban and agricultural practices is essential to protecting Lake Lewisville water resources. A common best management practice used to mitigate pollutants is the protection of riparian ecotones that occupy river corridors; however, recent agricultural and urban practices are diminishing these ecosystems and their services. In this paper, the riparian buffer delineation equation (RBDE) is used to assess the current state of Upper Hickory Creek Watershed to aid in the monitoring of the riparian buffers along stream corridors. While the RBDE was used as pre-assessment tool for the riparian buffer effectiveness in the watershed, a new form of the equation was used to evaluate riparian buffer improvement potential (BP) in conjunction with Denton County parcel data to provide insights into buffer effectiveness and identify areas for improvement on a landowner scale.
Date: May 2019
Creator: Yesildirek, Monica Veale
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
The Geography of Partial-Market Exits: Applying Geospatial and Econometric Methods to Analyze 2017 Department Store Closures in the United States (open access)

The Geography of Partial-Market Exits: Applying Geospatial and Econometric Methods to Analyze 2017 Department Store Closures in the United States

Many factors have prompted the adoption of partial-market exit strategies in retail as a means of reducing cost and minimizing risk. These mass closures have become more frequent in recent years. Marketers and economists have offered explanations for these closures linked to the rise of e-commerce, the real estate cycle and general changes in consumer taste. The research here marks an attempt to apply geospatial and econometric methods to better understand what factors explain the spatial variation of these closures across the United States. Specifically, the analysis examines the store networks of Sears, J.C. Penney and Macy's- large, established department stores that, collectively, announced over 100 closures at the beginning of 2017. By treating each store as a unit of observation, and a closure as a limited dependent variable, this analysis will attempt to quantify the relationship between place-specific factors and retail closures using Probit modeling. This application of modeling marks a deviation from traditional analyses in retail geography which, up until the early 2000s, have focused almost entirely on store development and growth. The results reveal patterns of spatial clustering of closures in and around the Rust Belt and demonstrate the strong negative effect of competitive agglomeration on the …
Date: May 2019
Creator: Reed, Connor
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library

Green Entrepreneurialism and the Making of the Trinity River Corridor: The Intersection of Nature and Capital in Dallas, Texas

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Since the adoption of neoliberalism, many cities have taken to integrating nature with capital accumulation to create a sense of place. This has been closely tied to urban greening, or green "revitalization." As part of curating this desired character, city governments are working to roll out plans to restore and renew neighborhoods using their natural landscapes through methods such as reforestation, the creation of parks, and commercial development. These cities, deemed Entrepreneurial cities, are increasingly incorporating natural or green spaces into their development of character as part of their branding schemes. This research focuses on the role of nature as the site of economic development and community revitalization within Dallas, Texas. This research examines how the City of Dallas uses nature to attract capital, and how the narratives of development relate to residents' visions for development in the historically neglected Joppa neighborhood in the Trinity River Corridor. Development near Joppa could be an example of how the natural landscape is being used to not only attract developers but also to bring a different ‘class' of resident into the area. By exploring this intersection of nature and capital in Dallas, we can better understand the nuanced ways through which the neoliberalization …
Date: May 2019
Creator: Krupala, Katie Ilene
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Potential effects of heat waves on the population dynamics of the dengue mosquito Aedes albopictus (open access)

Potential effects of heat waves on the population dynamics of the dengue mosquito Aedes albopictus

Article describes study aiming to investigate the potential effects of heat waves on the population dynamics of Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), which is a major vector of dengue and Zika viruses.
Date: July 5, 2019
Creator: Jia, Pengfei; Liang, Lu; Tan, Xiaoyue; Chen, Jin & Chen, Xiang
Object Type: Article
System: The UNT Digital Library

The Geography of Retail Clinics Post Implementation of the Affordable Care Act

Access: Use of this item is restricted to the UNT Community
Retail clinics are walk-in clinics designed for convenience and for servicing minor health issues and certain acute conditions. The model began as a way of bringing both convenience and care to areas that have lower levels of access to primary care resources. With the implementation of Affordable Care Act (ACA) in March 2010, populations that were previously uninsured were now required to have access to some level of health insurance. These populations presented a potential new market for retail clinics. This research shows that post implementation of the ACA, retail clinics tend to locate in areas with higher incomes and, generally, greater access to primary care.
Date: August 2019
Creator: Portillo, Ethan
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Location Analysis of Lifestyle Centers: Uncovering Patterns and Potential Driving Factors behind Site Selection (open access)

Location Analysis of Lifestyle Centers: Uncovering Patterns and Potential Driving Factors behind Site Selection

The shopping center has held an important place in the American economy for decades. However, the concept has seen multiple revolution in terms of format. The most recent shopping center concept to gain rapid popularity is the lifestyle center – an outdoor shopping mall made to resemble a pleasant main street setting, with a tenant mix emphasizing dining and entertainment. In other words, the lifestyle center concept is geared toward selling consumers things to do, versus things to buy. This thesis studies the geography of lifestyle centers in the United States in both the large-scale and small-scale view. Results show that lifestyle centers are concentrated into larger urban areas, often with a population of over 1 million. An analysis of spatial agglomeration revealed that lifestyle centers are often several miles away from the nearest traditional mall, indicating that developers do not feel the need to build near established shopping districts where traditional malls lie. Finally, results concerning trade area characteristics show the characteristics of consumers in areas where lifestyle centers have been built. Findings in this study indicate that developers are utilizing a unique approach when selecting sites for lifestyle centers compared to traditional indoor malls.
Date: August 2019
Creator: Sorenson, Matthew R
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library
Lithic Production at the Mesilla Phase Placitas Arroyo Site Complex Doña Ana County, New Mexico (open access)

Lithic Production at the Mesilla Phase Placitas Arroyo Site Complex Doña Ana County, New Mexico

This study of lithic analysis shifts attention from typological studies to explicitly behavioral analyses, complimenting studies of both intrasite and intersite patterns of variability and change. Analysis of several assemblages from the Placitas Arroyo site complex reveals changing patterns of raw material procurement and selection, core reduction strategies, as well as tool production and discard. The most striking result thus far is the quite uniform emphasis on flake production from well-prepared cores, and the near absence of manufacture or maintenance of bifacial tools, especially projectile points. Associated with common ground stone artifacts, the flaked stone materials may well represent intensive food processing. Regardless, the technological patterns being revealed by this approach illustrate a productive new means to gain insights into changing behaviors in the Jornada Mogollon cultural tradition.
Date: August 2019
Creator: Younger, Alexandra Carla
Object Type: Thesis or Dissertation
System: The UNT Digital Library