bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Seasonal Migration of the Elderly: Minnesota Snowbirds
Authors: Craig William J.
Published: July 2013

Winter migration of the elderly from the North to warmer places is a significant and growing phenomenon. Minnesota is a leading generator of such "snowbird" activity. Statewide cross-section surveys of 3,036 elderly households revealed an increase from 9.2% rate of snowbird activity in 1988 to 10.5% in 1989. Most travelers choose the three coldest months to be gone, but those snowbirds who will be gone four months or more begin leaving in the fall. Arizona is the most popular destination for Minnesotans, followed by Florida, California, and Texas. Over one third of snowbirds go the South. Snowbirds and others who travel outside the state are younger than their sedentary counterparts, and are better off financially, in better health, more often retired from a white-collar job, in more regular contact with family and friends, and more involved in volunteer work. What distinguishes snowbirds from other travelers is that a higher percentage are married, more engage in regular physical activity, and more live in rural areas and small towns. Their leaving has a small impact on the state as a whole, but a much larger impact on rural communities.
Geographies of the Past: Rice, Slaves and Technological Transfer in South Carolina
Authors: Carney Judith , Porcher Richard
Published: July 2013

This paper examines the plausibility for an African transfer of technology to the South Carolina ante-bellum rice economy. Emphasis is on the colonial period when three distinct rice production systems emerged. A cross-cultural and geographical analysis is employed to examine the spatial patterns of rice growing between South Carolina and West Africa. The analysis demonstrates a remarkable correspondence between micro-environments planted to rice as well as the field and irrigation techniques utilized for production.
Streamflow Regimes in Urban and Rural Basins of the Middle-Upper Chattahoochee River Basin, North Georgia
Authors: Yin Zhi-Yong
Published: July 2013

Three streams in the middle-upper Chattahoochee River basin in north Georgia were selected to examine urban effects on streamflow regimes during the period 1960-1989. Under similar precipitation regimes, the urban stream, Peachtree Creek, has lower frequencies of moderate-magnitude flows than the rural stream, Snake Creek. High- and very low-magnitude flows are more frequent in the urban Peachtree Creek basin. The flow frequency distribution of Big Creek, partially urbanized, lies between those of the urban and rural basins. Such a spatial comparison indicates a change from a rural to an urban streamflow regime. In all three basins, there are no statistically significant increasing or decreasing trends in streamflow frequencies during the study period. Results from regression analysis indicate that less-heavy rainfalls are now more effective in causing high-magnitude flows than 15 years earlier in the Big Creek basin which has undergone rapid urban development.
Assessing Changes in Air Service Connectivity in the U.S. Southeast, 1978-1992
Authors: Ivy Russell L.
Published: July 2013

Many changes have occurred in the air transportation industry in the United States during the past 15 years. Because of the deregulation of the industry, connectivity and flow patterns have changed significantly, particularly with the advent of the hub-and-spoke system. This paper looks at changes in air service connectivity for a group of cities in the Southeast and compares those changes with cities from other regions in the nation. It was found that average connectivity growth was greater for the Southeast. As the region has grown in population and in economic importance, the air transportation infrastructure has kept pace.
Effects of Climate on Growth of Shortleaf Pine ( Pinus echinata Mill.) in Northern Georgia: A Dendroclimatic Study
Authors: Grissino-Mayer Henri D. , Butler David R.
Published: July 2013

Recent applications of dendroecological techniques in the southeastern United States have focused upon the analysis of forest health to assess the rate, timing, and magnitude of changes in recent (<30 years) growth rates of southern pine species. However, knowledge of the pine growth/climate relationship is necessary before such assessments can be made. We developed a tree-ring index chronology from shortleaf pine growing in north-central Georgia and investigated the pine/growth relationship using correlation and response function analyses and multiple regression techniques. We found that shortleaf pine have a significant positive response to above-normal precipitation and a significant negative response to above-normal temperature during the current growing season, especially from May to July. We also found a strong time-dependent response by shortleaf pine to climate during the period studied (1910-1986). A regression model using certain monthly climatic variables as predictors explained 46% of the variability in the index chronology. However, climate variables do not adequately model growth beginning in 1963 as the residuals from the climate/growth model show increased variability over the previous periods. This change in pine growth rates since 1963 must therefore be due to nonclimatic factors.
Frequency of Heavy Rainfall Events in New Orleans, Louisiana, 1900 to 1991
Authors: Keim Barry D. , Muller Robert A.
Published: July 2013

The large number of recent heavy rainfall events in New Orleans, Louisiana, has raised concerns about change in the heavy rainfall climatology in the area. As a result, all rainfall events exceeding 125 mm were examined with respect to their generating mechanisms, seasonality, and changing frequencies through time. Two thirds of the storms were induced by frontal weather situations and tropical systems produced about a fourth. Storm seasonality was bimodal with peaks in late spring and early fall. With regard to changing frequencies through time, the entire New Orleans rainfall record suggests that storms may have a pattern of increasing occurrence. However, a temporally homogenous subset of these data were tested statistically and no significant change was found.
Racial and Ethnic Segregation Patterns in Metropolitan Miami, Florida, 1980-1990
Authors: Boswell Thomas D.
Published: July 2013

As metropolitan Miami has experienced dramatic change in its ethnic composition over the past three decades, its racial and nationality groups have sorted themselves in residential space to varying degrees. This study analyzes racial and ethnic segregation patterns in Dade County using 1980 and 1990 census data. First, residential distributions of non-Hispanic racial groups are compared. Second, Hispanic racial classes are compared to non-Hispanic racial groups. Third, segregation patterns among Hispanic racial classes are analyzed. Fourth, segregation between Hispanic nationalities and non-Hispanic racial classes are discussed. Fifth, segregation among the Hispanic nationalities is studied. The highest levels of segregation are between blacks and whites, both for Hispanics and non-Hispanics when they are disaggregated into their respective racial components. When Miami's Hispanics are separated into their four nationality classes, it was found that the Mexicans were most highly segregated from the other three national components due to their lower socioeconomic status. Unlike findings in most other U.S. cities, Puerto Ricans are not highly segregated from either Hispanic or non-Hispanic whites in Miami. Hispanic components and non-Hispanic components exhibited the same general segregation trends, except that the degree of segregation was less within the Hispanic groups because common cultural traits served to lessen residential differences. Furthermore, it was found that the segregation levels that exist in Miami are fairly typical for large American cities. Between 1980 and 1990 there has been a slight but consistent decrease in the levels of segregation among most of the ethnic and racial groups. However, this change is occurring slowly, so it appears that segregated housing will remain a fact of life in the foreseeable future of Miami.
Aspects of Tornado Climatology in Alabama and Florida's Panhandle, 1962-1986
Authors: Bounds John B. , Soulé Peter T.
Published: July 2013

This study examines spatial and seasonal aspects of the tornado climatology of Alabama and the Florida Panhandle. An emphasis is placed on latitudinal patterns of tornado frequency, intensity, and tornado-related casualties. Variables examined include geographic coordinates, Fujita intensity ratings, tornado path length and width, and tornado-related casualties for 866 tornadoes. Mapped patterns show that the area of highest tornado frequency is associated with low mean Fujita values and low frequencies of tornado-caused deaths and injuries. This area is centered on Pensacola Bay along the Gulf coast where air-mass thunderstorm-spawned tornadoes are common. A second node of maximum tornado frequency is located in north-central Alabama and has significantly larger mean Fujita values and higher casualty frequencies. Tornadoes in this area are more concentrated during spring when frontal activity is maximized.
The Last of the Hegemons: British Impasse, American Impasse, World Impasse
Authors: Taylor Peter J.
Published: July 2013

Treating the last two centuries as two hegemonic cycles centered on Britain and the USA, this paper considers the similarities and differences between these hegemonic experiences in terms of military, diplomatic, economic and cultural leadership. But hegemony implies more than the sum of these activities, the hegemon defines the future for most of the rest of the world. In the case of Britain an industrial world was ushered in; in the case of the USA mass consumption was added to increased production as Americanization of the world. But American dream as world dream promises consumption levels that the Earth cannot sustain. Hence Americanization is a promise of an affluent society for all that cannot be kept. The resulting world impasse generates quite unpalatable future global political geographies.
Industrial Restructuring and Women's Homework in Appalachia: Lessons from West Virginia
Authors: Oberhauser Ann M.
Published: July 2013

This paper analyzes the relationship between industrial restructuring and women's homework in Appalachia. Since the early 1970s, industrial restructuring in this region has led to substantial job loss in mining and manufacturing industries and increased employment in the service sector. These employment shifts, coupled with Appalachia's long tradition of informal sector activities, make homework a viable income-generating strategy for women. This paper first addresses some of the literature on the geography of gender and industrial restructuring. Second, women's homework is analyzed as an economic strategy in response to industrial restructuring. In the third section, the types and significance of women's homework in West Virginia is discussed in the context of this state's economic history. The final section outlines the implications of this study for regional development in Appalachia and West Virginia in particular.
The Effect of Occupational Structure on the Unemployment-Growth Relationship: A Study of Southeastern Metropolitan Areas
Authors: Shaw Wendy
Published: July 2013

Urban growth as policy has been almost universally pursued in the United States during the 1970s. A major rationale in support of growth is the assertion that growth reduces unemployment. However, this assertion has recently been questioned. In particular, the literature suggests that the occupational structure of an area may influence the success of growth policies. This study examines the effect of occupational structure on the unemployment-growth relationship in Southeastern metropolitan areas. Regression analysis using the Expansion Method supports the expectation that the effects of growth on unemployment are mediated by the occupational structure in place within a metropolitan area.
Edge Effects and Spatial Variability in Coastal Plain Ultisols
Authors: Phillips Jonathan D. , Gosweiler James , Tollinger Melissa A. , Gordon Richard , Mayeux Steven , Witmeyer Matthew , Altieri Thomas
Published: July 2013

Spatial variability of soil types and surface horizon thickness were investigated along a 0.2 km transect near an upland valley side slope in the North Carolina Coastal Plain. Previous studies have shown a variable but systematic pattern of soil properties and surface thickness near such "dry edges." The edge effect model successfully predicts the highly variable pattern of soil cover found at the study site, and explains the generally thick (mean ~1 m) surface horizon thickness on the upland portion of the site. It does not explain the 10-fold variation in A and E-horizon thickness (15 to 152 cm) over less than 200 m, the irregular spatial pattern, and the lack of any trend with respect to distance from the dry edge. The broad-scale patterns governed by drainage and topographic factors have superimposed short-range variability, probably associated with biological factors such as tree throw and faunalturbation.
Meteorological Conditions and Wedge Failures in the Hartford Area of Interstate 40, East Tennessee
Authors: Baird Douglas D. , Harden Carol P.
Published: July 2013

Frequent wedge failure rock slides along Interstate 40 between Hartford, Tennessee, and the Tennessee/North Carolina state line have led to traffic flow disruption, expensive clearing efforts, and extensive corrective measures. Because previous studies have not critically examined the influence of meteorological events on wedge failures, this study investigates the relationship between wedge failure events and precipitation and temperature conditions. Wedge failures near Hartford, Tennessee, conform to geometric dimensions determined to cause failure in other regions. After the plunge line is exposed by highway construction, precipitation is the primary active cause of failure for the Hartford area slides. The role of precipitation, however, is too complex, variable, and site-specific to be expressed in simple cause and effect terms, so we model it schematically. Continuing efforts to monitor, quantify, and record the conditions of failure will help predict the circumstances conducive to failures in this region.
Research Note: The Second Oldest River in the World?
Authors: Morgan John T. , Mayfield Michael W.
Published: July 2013

The New River is widely accepted as the oldest river in North America and the second oldest river in the world, although there is no conclusive evidence that it is even the oldest river in the Appalachian highlands through which it flows. Promotion of the stream as the "oldest river" dates to the 1970s when politicians and preservationists used the antiquity of the river as a battle cry to block proposed damming of the stream. Recreation and tourism agencies and both scholarly and popular books and magazines have served to reinforce acceptance of the superlative age of New River.
Paleogeographic Perspectives on the First Landfall of Columbus
Authors: Valdés José J.
Published: July 2013

Paleogeographic evaluation supports the Samana Cay Columbus landfall theory. Despite traditional efforts based on navigational criteria, the identity of the Bahamian island on which Columbus first made landfall in the New World, and of the others visited by him before reaching Cuba, remains enigmatic. Beyond commemorative considerations, the inability to determine wherein the ethnographic and environmental observations made by Columbus apply significantly hinder our ability to fully utilize this early American historical record. Paleogeographic reconstructions have not been adequately pursued in connection with the landfall debate. Comparisons between current physical and ecological features and those described by Columbus have been used to argue between the two leading landfall candidates: San Salvador (Watling Island), the most popular prospect, and Samana Cay. Such comparisons rest on the implicit assumption that the present characteristics of the islands have remained unchanged during the past 500 years. Evidence is presented in this paper, based on integration of paleoclimatic, geological, archeological, and historical data of hemispheric, regional, and local scale, which indicates that environmental conditions on the islands have changed substantially since 1492. Attempts to identify the first landfall of Columbus should consider the implications of these changes.
The Persistence of Social Isolation in Eastern Kentucky: An Examination of Marriage-Mate Selection Distances
Authors: White Stephen E. , Brunn Stanley D.
Published: July 2013

Marriage-mate selection distances are used to operationalize the concept of isolation for three eastern Kentucky counties. Isolation changes between 1900 and 1988 are compared for four periods of economic transformation. The assumption is that short marriage distances occur in isolated areas whereas longer marriage distances reflect a greater spatial range of physical and social contact. Isolation, as defined by marriage-mate selection distances, decreased substantially during the industrial transformation period of 1900-1930 but changed very little between 1930 and 1988. Our findings stand in stark contrast to those of Ford (1962) who argued that factors such as education, mass communication, and improved roads have helped to reduce isolation in the southern Appalachian region.
Grocery Retail Location and Function in Columbia, South Carolina
Authors: Posey Allaire S.
Published: July 2013

The retailing environment of the 1980s has been punctuated by change as retailers faced changing household structures, greater financial risks and penalties, and stronger inter- and intra-store competition for market shares in a moderately growing economy. This trend appears to be continuing into the 1990s. Concomitant with these changes has been the increase in the diversity of retailing formats as firms modify store merchandise mix, functions, and services in an attempt to create a distinction from competitors. This research investigates the spatial pattern and accessibility of grocery store formats with respect to socioeconomic population segments. Grocery stores are examined by format and chain affiliation for differences in the composition by race and income of their primary populations served. Large, multi-functional supermarkets are under-represented in low income, higher minority areas. Distances to these superstores significantly exceeds distances to mom and pop stores.
Public Policy and Industrial Location in the Lower Mississippi Delta in an Era of Restructuring
Authors: Johnson Merrill
Published: July 2013

The purpose of this study is to use a recently published statement by the Lower Mississippi Delta Economic Development Commission as a starting point for examining the extent to which public policy in the nonmetropolitan South acknowledges and accommodates the locational implications of restructuring processes. The analysis takes the form of a literature-based assessment of the locational implications of the Delta Commission's recommendations and concludes that their recommendations, while meritorious in intent, understated the significance of issues related to the role of industrial "flexibility," branch-plant economies, and labor.
Metropolitan Population Growth and Distribution in the American South, 1970-1990
Authors: Gilhula Terence J.
Published: July 2013

Southern Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSA) are rated among the nation's leaders in population growth in recent decades. Growth and rankings of MSAs are examined using Pannell's (1974) method. A linear rank-size pattern of cities is revealed, with centers of greatest population growing larger while smaller centers follow with proportionally smaller population changes. A regression model provided some support for the contention that city sizes affect city growth rates. Additional factors in southern metropolitan growth and decline were considered. Introduction of a labor cost factor into the regression model provided moderate support in accounting for variation in MSA growth rates. Several MSAs grew at rates predicted by the regression model while others performed differently than expected. Explanations for variations are presented for selected MSAs.
Pre-European Settlement Forest Communities of the Talladega Mountains, Alabama
Authors: Shankman David , Wills Kenneth Malcolm
Published: July 2013

The pre-European-settlement forests of the Talladega Mountains in eastern Alabama were analyzed using the 1832 U.S. General Land Office Survey records. The surveyors identified and marked the positions of trees at each township section and quarter-section corner. An examination of the relative densities of tree species was used to reconstruct the composition of forest communities on different topographic sites. The results indicate a pattern of gradation from species-rich hardwood forests found in shaded bottomland sites to species-poor pine forests occurring on ridgetops. The ridgetops have shallow, coarse soils with poor moisture-holding capacity. In contrast, the bottomland sites have much deeper soils that generally have a higher moisture-holding capacity. The differences between soil and litter moisture between these sites probably led to differences in the frequency of fire, which was a major factor controlling forest-stand development and community composition.
"Plowed, Paved, or in Succession": Land-Cover Change on the North Carolina Piedmont
Authors: Henderson Bonnie M. , Walsh Stephen J.
Published: July 2013

The landscape of the North Carolina piedmont is a patchy mosaic of forests, fields, farmland, and urban areas that reflects past and present land-use patterns. This study uses historical aerial photographs and spatial analysis to examine land-cover change in Orange County, North Carolina, between the years 1938, 1955, 1972, and 1982. Changes detected include a decrease in agricultural land and an increase in fragmentation; an increase in coniferous forest; an increase in deciduous forest and greater connectivity between patches; and an increase in urban area. The overall amount of edge declined, while the amount of farm-land/forest edge grew. Fractal dimension decreased for the agricultural land-cover class, increased for the forest classes, and remained low for the urban class. Indices of landscape pattern indicate that the study area became more diversified, less dominated by one or a few cover types, and less clustered—i.e., more fragmented—over the study period. Agricultural decline, secondary succession, and growing urbanization contributed to these changes, producing ecological consequences and policy implications.
When to Plan Outdoor Activities: The Daytime and Seasonal Patterns of Wetness in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Konrad Charles E.
Published: July 2013

Most areas of the southeastern United States enjoy a mild climate that supports numerous outdoor activities. Wet conditions associated with the occurrence of precipitation, however, can disrupt or force the cancellation of these activities. In this study, a wetness climatology is developed for the region that emphasizes the identification of relatively dry and wet periods for guidance in the planning of outdoor activities. Hourly wetness probabilities are calculated for each month of the year and used to identify daytime and seasonal periods in which the probabilities of wet conditions are maximized and minimized. On a seasonal time scale, the probabilities of wetness are found to be lowest in autumn and greatest in winter. Regional variations are observed in this pattern, however, especially in the southern portions of the region. During the daytime, a marked cycle of wetness is identified during the summer that consists of a wetness minimum in the morning and a maximum in the afternoon to early evening. The timing and magnitude of this wetness cycle shows considerable variation across the Southeast.
Long-Term Winter Temperature Trends in the Southeastern United States
Authors: Carbone Gregory J. , Burdett Michael W.
Published: July 2013

This study examines maximum and minimum temperatures in the southeastern United States during the winter months, 1910-1987. Our goal is to understand regional winter temperature trends in the context of global temperature and circulation patterns. To this end, we identify regional winter temperature patterns, relate them to continental-scale upper-air flow, and measure the relationship between mean temperature and interannual temperature variability at different spatial scales. At a regional level, we find a decrease in both maximum (1.06° C) and minimum (1.63° C) winter temperatures during the study period. All but 18 of the 156 stations investigated experienced a maximum winter temperature decrease, but these trends are significant (α = 0.01) at only 36 stations. Minimum winter temperature dropped at all except 14 stations, with decreases significant (α = 0.01) at 80 stations. While there is some correlation with anomalous upper-air circulation during individual months, no significant relationship was found between mean polar or hemispheric winter temperature and interannual variability in the region. This finding suggests that unusually cool southeastern winters frequently are caused by regional circulation anomalies that are not necessarily found at the hemispheric or global scale.
Spatial Coherence of Incoming Solar Radiation for the Southern Piedmont
Authors: Suckling Philip W.
Published: July 2013

The spatial coherence of incoming solar radiation is examined for a mesoscale network of locations across the Southern Piedmont region of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina. Data from the National Climatic Data Center's (NCDC) Solar and Meteorological Surface Observation Network (SAMSON) are used in the analysis for the period 1961-1990. The method involves calculation of the standard deviation of the daily differences in solar radiation receipt for each pair of stations and the determination of a coefficient of variability. These are plotted as a function of distance between station pairs to establish absolute and relative solar radiation spatial variation relationships. In addition to overall annual and decadal analyses, the spatial coherence for different seasons is assessed. Results are compared to similar previous studies in other mesoscale regions, all of which were based on much shorter periods of record.
Spersopolis
Authors: Hart John Fraser , Morgan John T.
Published: July 2013

A distinctive pattern of dispersed settlement along highways has evolved in parts of the Southeast since World War II. Everyone is familiar with this new pattern, but it has developed so gradually and incrementally that most people have simply taken it for granted. Few scholars have tried to describe and analyze it, even though it might well represent the ideal populist American city. We have neither the data nor the techniques to quantify and map its distribution, but we invoke Gödel's Theorem to justify our attempt to describe it. The new settlement system seems to be most highly developed on the Piedmont of the Carolinas and Georgia and in the Great Valley of eastern Tennessee and southwestern Virginia. We have dubbed this region Spersopolis for want of any better vernacular name. Although we cannot map the extent of the new pattern directly, it seems to be closely associated with such surrogate variables as dense rural nonfarm population, large numbers of inter-county commuters, large numbers of workers employed in manufacturing, and heavy reliance on mobile homes, all of which attain their apogee in Spersopolis.
Congressional Redistricting in the Southeastern U.S. in the 1990s
Authors: Webster Gerald R.
Published: July 2013

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the results of redistricting in nine southeastern states from the perspective of six criteria: equal population, minority representation, equal treatment of political parties, representation responsiveness, the division of local political entities, and compactness/contiguity. This paper finds that the equal population and minority representation criteria were substantially satisfied. The goals of the remaining four criteria were less satisfactorily met, particularly the division of local governments and compactness/contiguity criteria which were largely ignored.
The Volatile South: A Historical Geography of Presidential Elections in the South, 1872-1992
Authors: Shelley Fred M. , Archer J. Clark
Published: July 2013

This paper investigates the historical geography of presidential elections in the South between 1872 and 1992. T-mode factor analysis of presidential election returns from the approximately 1,300 counties and county equivalents of 13 southern states is undertaken in order to identify geographical normal votes, or time periods characterized by substantial similarities in levels of support for Democratic Party presidential candidates across the region. The results are compared with previously published analyses which examine changes over time across the entire United States. The results identify the period following World War II as that in which the South emerged from its traditional Democratic Party dominance and became the vital and volatile electoral region that it is today. A region once virtually ignored in national presidential politics has emerged at the center of America's political landscape, and in recent years no presidential candidate has moved into the White House without attaining significant Electoral College support in the South.
Heritage versus Hate: A Geographical Analysis of Georgia's Confederate Battle Flag Debate
Authors: Leib Jonathan I.
Published: July 2013

A debate has grown throughout the southeastern United States in the 1990s over the use of Confederate symbols. In Georgia, a vociferous fight took place in 1993 regarding a proposal to remove the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag. The flag issue is divisive because there is no one accepted meaning attached to the symbolism embodied in the Confederate battle emblem. This paper examines the flag debate in Georgia and concludes that (1) the Georgia state flag is an example of an icon that acts as a centrifugal force splitting apart the state's population rather than acting as a centripetal force, and (2) support for the current state flag is concentrated in white-majority legislative districts in the rural parts of the state and the suburbs surrounding Georgia's largest cities.
From Antebellum to Fordism: The Role of the South and Local Regimes in U.S. Capitalist Development
Authors: Wilson Bobby M.
Published: July 2013

This work examines the economic and social development of the South from the Antebellum period to the period of U.S. capitalist development that the regulationists called "Fordism." The regulationist approach provides a framework for capturing how the South produced a unique territorial capitalism. The South diverged somewhat from the classical route to industrialization, forming a distinctive territorial capitalism due to a unique set of regulations that guided the regime of accumulation. The postbellum regime of the South opted for the "Prussian route" to industrial capitalism, a less intensive regime. The restructuring of the southern economy due to the Great Depression provided a locational window of opportunity for the spread of "peripheral Fordism" in the region, restructuring further the southern political economy. The response of local regimes in the South to Fordism is also examined.
Carl Sauer, Field Exploration, and the Development of American Geographic Thought
Authors: Bowen Dawn S.
Published: July 2013

Carl Sauer has received a great deal of attention by those geographers who respect and admire him as one of the great contributors to modern American geography, and by a younger generation who believe that too much emphasis on Sauer and his form of cultural geography has restricted the growth and development of this particular subfield. Rather than focusing on this dichotomy, or debating the relative merits of each side, it is more important to explore the ways in which Sauer developed as a geographer. From such an analysis perhaps meaningful lessons can be derived about where we have been as a discipline and how we may proceed in the future.
Reconstruction of the Ocmulgee River, Georgia: 1807-1971
Authors: Garcia Joseph E. , Brook George A.
Published: July 2013

Following European settlement in the late 1700s and early 1800s, the watershed of the Ocmulgee River of Georgia underwent extensive changes in land use. Although the effects of 19th and 20th century changes in land use on stream discharge and the transport of sediments have been well researched, the effect of these variations on stream-channel patterns in the Southern Piedmont and Coastal Plain has not been fully examined. In order to assess historic channel-pattern changes of the Ocmulgee River system, maps of the river channel were prepared from the available data for three time periods—1807, 1903-1910, and 1971. This paper presents the approaches used to reconstruct the Ocmulgee River at these three time periods and to illustrate the application of historical maps in determining fluvial geomorphic change. The 1807 district plats represent some of the earliest documentations of drainage systems in the southeastern United States. Examples of map production quality and tributary mapping, as well as relict riverine features visible on 1941-1969 aerial photography, substantiate the spatial accuracy of the 1807 maps. The evidence indicates that the plat maps are a reliable source of channel-course information and can be used to determine large-scale variations in the position of the Ocmulgee River.
The New Geography of Cotton Production in North Carolina
Authors: Lord J. Dennis
Published: July 2013

The historic decline of cotton production on the Piedmont and coastal plains of the Carolinas and Georgia has been well documented. However, cotton recently has made a comeback in these states. North Carolina's turnaround has been one of the most dramatic, with production increasing from 42,000 acres in 1978 to 800,000 acres in 1995. Factors accounting for the resurgence of production include a strong demand and high prices for cotton, the eradication of the boll weevil, and a decline in the attractiveness of other crops. The "new" geography of cotton production differs from the "old" geography in that production has not returned in any significant degree to the Piedmont area of the state. In addition, production on the coastal plains has shifted northward and eastward from its previous center, with the northern coastal plains being the core area in the recent resurgence. The two principal crops that have been replaced by cotton are soybeans and corn. Many new gins have been constructed in order to serve this re-emerging cotton production region.
Cotton Returns to the South: Evidence from Georgia
Authors: Fournier Eric J. , Risse L. Mark
Published: July 2013

Cotton, the crop that for over 150 years defined both the culture and economy of the South, has once again returned to the region after decades of decline. In 1995, the state of Georgia recorded a monumental harvest of nearly 2 million bales, the largest output in the state since 1918. Predictions for 1996 call for an even greater cotton harvest. Cotton once again has become a prominent crop in Georgia and throughout the South. Increase in cotton production can be attributed to high prices, increased demand, worldwide shortages, and eradication of the boll weevil. Whether this growth is merely a cyclical response to changing global conditions or represents a significant structural change remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that cotton—once the region's dominant crop—has returned to prominence in Georgia and in the South.
Riparian Water Quality Buffers: Estimates of Effectiveness and Minimum Width in an Agricultural Landscape, Western Tennessee
Authors: Coleman David S. , Kupfer John A.
Published: July 2013

The adverse effects of agricultural non-point source pollution (e.g., sediment, nitrogen, phosphorous) on water quality are widely recognized and documented. Riparian vegetation, however, can help to filter out these pollutants by detaining or processing the pollutants. In this study, we estimate the effectiveness and adequacy of riparian buffers in an agricultural landscape in Fayette County, Tennessee, through the use of a mathematical model—the Riparian Buffer Delineation Equation (RBDE)—and a geographic information system (GIS). Based on edaphic characteristics, slope, and surface roughness, the minimum buffer width needed to filter 90% of nitrates from surface flow was estimated using the RBDE for 18 soil types along five reaches of the Wolf River and in a tributary basin, Hurricane Creek. The minimum buffer widths suggested by the model ranged from 2.3 m to 64.3 m. We then digitized existing land cover, soil type, and hydrography into a GIS and compared the minimum estimated buffer widths with the widths of existing buffers in the study area. Results from the GIS buffer analysis indicated areas where actual buffer widths were less than the proposed minimum buffer widths. Lower-order streams were generally less adequately buffered than higher-order streams, yet previous studies have suggested that more pollutants may enter streams through low-order intermittent and perennial streams. This finding suggests that the Wolf River may be more susceptible to agriculturally derived inputs of sediment and nutrients from tributary streams than from runoff directly into the main stem.
The Southern Violence Construct: Evidence from the Survey of Youths in Custody, 1987-1988
Authors: Harries Keith
Published: July 2013

The term "Southern Violence Construct" (SVC) reflects the persistent tendency for the American South to experience high rates of violent crime, particularly murder and its sibling, aggravated assault. This paper re-examines the issue of southern violence in light of evidence from the Survey of Youths in Custody . The Survey would be expected to reflect, in the behavior of young people, the general pattern of violence predicted by the SVC. Two measures of violence and two regional constructs were used to test for the predominance of southern violence. Results were ambiguous, offering little support for the SVC. However, it is recognized that sample survey data of a specific population cohort are not necessarily adequate as a vehicle for testing a hypothesis with broader relevance.
The Diner in the South
Authors: Manzo Joseph T.
Published: July 2013

The diner was the preeminent restaurant type in the northeastern United States for approximately 20 years following World War II. Diners enjoyed such a high success rate that "diner men" contemplated expanding their market across the country. However, the diner never came close to achieving success outside the industrial belt of the North. This study presents reasons for the traditionally low popularity of the diner in the South. The ownership records of three dining-car companies provided information on owner names and diner locations. Fieldwork, supported by the use of city directories, involved a participant/observer approach in diners in the Northeast and Southeast. A short story by Agrarian author Robert Penn Warren is used to summarize the attitudes of southern migrant workers and conservative intellectuals. In the case of the South, data indicate that the diner was a symbol of the New South, standing for cities, industry, ethnicity, and the North—all threats to the traditional southern way of life.
Spatial Variations in Cost Efficiency, Optimal Size, and Output Quality of School Districts: Evidence from Georgia
Authors: Zhou Bin , Shaw Wendy
Published: July 2013

The purpose of this paper is to expand traditional research concerning the educational cost function by (1) investigating how the size structure of school districts affects output quality and cost efficiency and (2) exploring spatial variations in cost efficiency and optimal size for school districts. Three socioeconomic regions are defined in Georgia: the Metropolitan region, which consists of all metropolitan counties; the Highland region north of a line from Talbot to Warren counties; and the Coastal Plain region, which consists of rural counties south of this line. The study found that economies of scale as a general phenomenon exist in all school district operations and in all three socioeconomic regions. School districts generally are larger than the optimal size. Optimal size varies by these socioeconomic regions. The Metropolitan region has a larger optimal size than do the Highland and Coastal Plain regions, and also has higher overall cost efficiency. However, the Coastal Plain region and, to a lesser extent, the Highland region have advantages in the realm of quality improvement. These findings provide a basis for cost savings, quality improvement, and reducing regional quality gaps through school district reorganization, functional reorganization, and fund reallocation.
Node-Hinterland Relations and Regional Economic Linkages in Florida: Some Planning Implications
Authors: Amey Robert G. , Fik Timothy J. , Mulligan Gordon F.
Published: July 2013

Population growth, combined with related environmental, social, demographic, and infrastructural concerns, resulted in Florida's 1985 legislation mandating city and county comprehensive management planning. The recent recession and resulting state budget shortfalls have forced the state government to recognize that comprehensive planning needs to address economic issues. State guidelines recommend that detailed analyses of regional and local economies be completed as an integral part of all planning initiatives. In response to recommendations advanced in the recent growth management legislation, this study focuses on the geography of economic change in metropolitan regions. This analysis suggests that recent geographic trends in Florida's economic growth are strongly constrained by nodehinterland spillovers and the placement of the state's transportation network. Comprehensive planning efforts must, therefore, consider existing and potential regional economic linkages imposed by directional biases in the transportation network.
Fred's Stores: An Analysis of Retail Diffusion
Authors: Stubbs F. Timm , Barber Melvin C.
Published: July 2013

This study reviews the growth strategy/diffusion of the Fred's discount stores from 1947 to 1993. The diffusion process and the subsequent spatial pattern are the result of several factors which are described analytically. Fred's development/diffusion is basically contagious expansion and is examined through the use of historical and anecdotal data. These data are analyzed using logistics curve and cartographic analysis. Fred's spatial pattern of growth is compared to the contagious expansion diffusion of the Wal-Mart discount store chain prior to the latter's widespread entry into metropolitan markets. Those factors affecting Fred's location strategy—such as demographic requirements, small-town markets, competition, and real estate opportunities—are described. Market factors, the effect of large discount stores, and financial factors are likewise examined.
Creating a New Geography of Memory in the South: (Re)naming of Streets in Honor of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Authors: Alderman Derek H.
Published: July 2013

The (re)naming of streets in honor of slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. is quickly becoming a common yet controversial feature on the southern urban landscape. This new trend in place-naming reflects efforts by African Americans to create a new geography of memory in a region where much of its landscape has long been used and reserved for remembering (and memorializing) primarily white-controlled and dominated conceptions of the past. This paper articulates a theoretical framework for understanding the struggles that local African-American communities face in the street-(re)naming process. The controversy surrounding MLK street (re)naming can be analyzed in relation to three interrelated struggles: (1) the politics of place-naming, the struggle of African Americans to inscribe their ideological values and aspirations about race relations into the symbolism of place-names; (2) the politics of memory, the struggle of African Americans to reconstruct the region's collective memory of the past through commemoration; and (3) the politics of space and scale, the struggle of African Americans to engage in commemoration of King as it is affected by the long-standing authority of whites to control the scale of black expression and mobilization, black attitudes toward space, and the politics of designing the city. This paper attempts to build a greater understanding of how geography constitutes and structures the production of memory within society.
The Intraurban Distribution of Corporate Activities: A Case Study of Atlanta
Authors: Graves William
Published: July 2013

The intent of this study is to assess the relative importance of suburban areas in terms of corporate activity. Data from Dun and Bradstreet's America's Corporate Families were utilized to test the ability of the Semple-Phipps hypothesis to predict the distribution of corporate activities in the Atlanta metropolitan area. It was found that the change in the locations of corporate activities in Atlanta since 1984 did not follow the patterns predicted by the Semple-Phipps hypothesis. Corporate activity was expanding most rapidly in the central business district, which contradicts previous studies that determined that suburban areas were growing at the expense of the central business district.
Southern Landscapes of the Financial Services Crisis
Authors: Warf Barney
Published: July 2013

The late 20th century has seen unprecedented numbers of commercial and savings bank (S&L) failures throughout the United States, which may severely disrupt local supplies of investment credit. This paper opens with a review of the causes of this financial crisis, including deregulation, the glutted commercial real estate market, and depressed local economies, as well as the state response to this crisis, including the formation of the Resolution Trust Corporation and the infamous S&L " bailout." It also comments briefly on the complex role of the South in national financial systems. Second, it examines the spatial distribution of failed commercial banks and S&Ls in the South and their assets and liabilities, including out-of-state purchases of failed S&L assets for the years 1980-1992. The contrasting geographies of these two types of financial institutions are made explicit. Finally, it returns to the ways in which the traditional growth trajectories of Southern states, particularly their relative integration in national financial circles, have become articulated with the spatial structure of the current crisis in finance.
Latino Labor and Poultry Production in Rural North Carolina
Authors: Cravey Altha J.
Published: July 2013

This paper explores the social consequences of Latino immigration to a small town in rural North Carolina. Hundreds of Mexicans and other Latinos have settled in Siler City in the last 10 years to work in one of two large poultry operations. Inter-ethnic competition for these factory jobs has reverberated in the local housing market, the education system, and elsewhere in the community. The poultry industry itself has expanded and concentrated its investments in anti-union southern states such as North Carolina in recent years. The intersection of these dual geographic shifts has reinforced a highly racialized division of labor in rural North Carolina. Because Latinos in Siler City have distinct vulnerabilities due to language and cultural differences, uncertain residency and citizenship status, and scarcity of employment options, they constitute a new layer in an already stratified and segmented labor market.