Christopher F. Meindl

Southerners and their Swamps: The View from Middle Georgia

Given that wetlands have become a major environmental issue in the United States, it is important for people to understand the functions and values provided by wetlands so they are in a position to make informed decisions regarding public policy. This study is an attempt to document peoples perceptions of wetlands and to determine if college students (who can be surveyed via the Internet at low cost) are representative of the general population. Although many people have at least a fair understanding of wetlands, it would appear that there is room for improvement because many of those surveyed are not aware of some important wetland benefits. Moreover, the results of this study suggest there are broad similarities of opinion between college students and residents of Baldwin County, Georgia. Finally, it would appear that the potential exists to develop a representative sample of the nations college students (via the Internet), and that such a sample might be used in conjunction with conventionally obtained survey data to determine relationships between demographic characteristics of respondents and their views of wetland functions, values, and public policy.

Wetland Research and Management Implications

Poor wetlands. Disparaged by many people over the past century or so, they seemed doomed to serve as a garbage can for industrial societies, as sources of lumber, potting soil or fuel, or as sites that could be converted to other land uses. Yet wetlands began to rise out of the muck and into environmental prominence during the middle to late 20th century when scientists began arguing that these places are not worthless after all. It turned out that these much-maligned environments perform ecological functions that are of value to people and other living things, and that the world has lost (and continues to lose) many of its wetlands. Accordingly, wetlands have become embroiled in intense political conflict pitting property-rights advocates against government officials who face increasing pressure from their constituents to protect wetlands from the ravages of development. In the meantime, in addition to the host of journals where wetland studies can occasionally be found, the scientific community has created a pair of journals (Wetlands and Wetlands Ecology and Management) that serve as primary outlets for research on these environments. Yet if one peruses these as well as issues of Physical Geography, Geografiska Annaler (Series A, Physical Geography), and Progress in Physical Geography over the past several years, one might be tempted to suggest that most physical geographers appear uninterested in swamps, marshes, and all the other descriptive names for environments we now call wetlands (see Holden et al., 2004, for a recent exception). It is true that geography is a relatively small academic discipline (especially in the United States) and that physical geographers are even fewer in number than their human-oriented colleagues. Wetlands are messy places. The water, the mud, the smell and the bugs all make wetlands less than pleasant environments in which to work. This messiness is also true in an intellectual sense. Scientists can describe wetlands conceptually, but these environments defy precise definition. Most of us are familiar with the notion that wetlands are places that have water at or near the surface long enough during the year to create distinctive soils and to cause an abundance of vegetation that is adapted to excessive moisture. Yet delineating the precise edge of a wetland is a far more challenging task, ultimately one that is as much a matter of public policy and politics as science. Still, this has not stopped a multitude of physical and life scientists from investigating wetlands. The word “wetland” (as opposed to wet land) was popularized a half century ago in order to describe a

Water, Water, Everywhere?: Toward a Critical Water Geography of the South

Geographers have long been interested in Southern studies and social justice is a common theme in this literature. Traditionally, social justice writing has focused on the plight of the poor and ethnic minorities. Yet human-environment interaction, sustainability, and Florida seldom appear in studies of the American South. This paper advocates the development of a critical water geography of the South that expands the concepts of social justice/social equity to include what I call “established residents” of a place. Much of the South (and especially Florida) has experienced significant population growth in recent years, and although such growth has benefited some people, it has brought negative consequences for many others—such as rising costs for water. State and local leaders in Florida and the rest of the South have long thought in terms of developing additional water supplies to meet the demands of growing populations. Such a stance now often requires investment in costly infrastructure and more expensive sources of water. Rather than assign these costs to their source (recent and future migrants to a place), such expenses are usually spread across entire regions in the form of higher rates for water. I suggest that geographers interested in Southern studies build a critical water geography based on an expansion of the concepts of social justice/social equity to include not just people of color and the economically disadvantaged—but the plight of many established residents in the middle class who are asked to pay more for water to accommodate continuing population growth.

Wetland Diversity: The Limits of Generalization

Abstract Generalizations are important tools in learning about complex phenomena such as wetlands. Geography teachers at all levels use generalizations in order to help students grasp the disciplines major themes. One of geographys major themes is that of place, and that includes uniqueness of place. Accordingly, it is important to recognize the diversity of wetland environments because different wetlands provide different sets of ecological functions and values to people. Successful attempts to merge the study of wetlands and geography must weave together discussion of generalizations about wetlands with attempts to foster some appreciation for wetland diversity.

Vulnerability of Caribbean Island Cemeteries to Sea Level Rise and Storm Surge

ABSTRACT The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change reports that rising seas by the end of this century will increase the severity of coastal flooding and erosion. The Caribbean region is home to many small islands that are vulnerable to sea level rise and storm surge. Much of the literature examining impacts of sea level rise in the Caribbean focuses on ecosystems, infrastructure, and recreation. Few studies have examined how sea level rise will impact historic and culturally important places. In an effort to address this research gap, geographic information systems and crowd-sourced, georeferenced photographs were used to build a first-of-its-kind database of 542 Caribbean small island cemeteries. Vulnerable cemeteries were then identified based upon elevation, proximity to the ocean, and the coastal profile. Over one-fifth of the cemeteries surveyed are within 100 m of the coast. The highest concentrations of vulnerable cemeteries are on flat islands such as the Cayman Islands. Yet, some mountainous islands such as Saint Martin also have potentially vulnerable cemeteries. These findings suggest that the bereaved, cemetery managers, and managers of coastal areas that have cemeteries may have additional considerations when making long-term decisions about where and how to bury the deceased.

Explaining the spatial variability of summer rainfall in Pinellas County, Florida using ArcGIS

Pinellas County is a peninsula on the west coast of Florida that receives sea breeze driven convective rainfall during the summer months. To improve forecasting of local mesoscale phenomena, the spatial variability of summer rainfall in Pinellas was examined in relation to dominant wind directions and speeds, atmospheric stability, and atmospheric moisture content for the months of June, July, and August from 2003 to 2007. Radiosonde data from the Ruskin, Florida National Weather Service (NWS) Station, Pinellas County rain gauge data, and radar-estimated rainfall totals from the NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service were used to examine different meteorological parameters and their relationships with the spatial variability of summer precipitation across the peninsula. Dominant daily wind direction categories were divided into six 60 degree increments: 1–60°, 61–120°, 121–160°, 161–240°, 241–300°, and 301–360°. Precipitable water had a significant positive correlation with precipitation in four of the six wind direction categories (61–120°, 121–180°, 181–240°, and 241–300°). Higher wind speeds associated with a southerly wind direction revealed significant positive relationships with precipitation. Composites of radar-derived rainfall estimates indicate that rain fell primarily in the center of the peninsula under a variety of wind directions, often with two daily maxima. Composites also show that the greatest potential for high precipitation amounts comes with westerly winds (241–300°).

In Memoriam: Always Moving, Always Working with Students: A Tribute to Dr. Mike

befitting his six foot four inch frame and deep baritone voice with just a touch of Texas twang. Moving around must have been in his DNA because as an adult, Mike never remained in one place for long. After high school, he left the southwest for upstate New York to study computer and systems engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). Although he considered himself a Texan, like many teenagers, he wanted to go to a school far from home. Mike paid for college by participating in RPI’s Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and then joined the Air Force as a commissioned officer. After six years in the service, stationed in Los Angeles where he was part of a team developing a global positioning system, Mike went to the University of Georgia to pursue a master’s degree in geography. Using his math and engineering background, he finished his master’s thesis in 1992 under C.P. Lo entitled The use of the Discrete Fourier Transform in the analysis of karst terrains. Mike then moved back out west to the University of California, Davis, to pursue a doctorate, but that did not work out, so he drove big trucks hauling California’s Experienced geographer with expertise in all facets of cutting-edge geospatial technology teaching and research, including GIS, remote sensing, and GPS. Proven ability to collaborate with graduate and undergraduate students as well as colleagues. Significant experience developing student-oriented geography and environmental studies programs. Proven ability to teach in a variety of classroom environments, including the use of online and hybrid technologies.**

Green Empire: The St. Joe Company and the Remaking of Florida's Panhandle

is the primary reason. Competition among builders in the United States and a chance to earn a buck from one’s endeavors characterize the American landscape. This view doesn’t fit Bloom’s agenda, so you won’t find it here. In Bloom’s world, America’s chambers of commerce are reactionary, historic preservation is favored by urban elites, and Rouse’s vision of inner-city housing appeals to the right wing. Rouse is the gold standard among the social engineers who place profits above ideals every time. In Bloom’s world, academics are not fooled by Rouse and his ilk. In Bloom’s world, the American public (read consumers) continually fall prey to private sector versions of affordable housing, shopping malls, festival marketplaces, and new communities. These are the fourmajor areas where Rouse blazed new trails throughout the United States. The book gives short shrift to Rouse’s Enterprise Foundation and its goal to provide low-cost housing.This is disappointing because the organization is working with hundreds of nonprofits in over 500 locations, facilitating the construction of over 100,000 affordable dwelling units. Media scrutiny fails Bloom’s test. He even writes about ‘‘highbrow’’ newspapers,whichmust be any newspaper other thanUSAToday. Journalists turned an uncritical eye on the development world. Bloom must be reading feature stories in the home and garden section. Would someone please askMichael Eisner about the positive press the Disney Corporation received about its Celebration community in Florida? In Bloom’s world, mall developers wield control akin to company towns. The author bemoans the lack of democracy in festival marketplaces and master-planned communities. However, he conveniently ignores that rapid decision making is a key ingredient in making successful developments work in the real world. The long list of bogeymen include excessive expenditures on highway programs, arenas, stadiums, prisons, congressional Republicans, southern Democrats, the right wing (is this redundant?), and fancy downtowns. Unfortunately, in the real world, cities are out there constantly fighting for highway funds, new arenas, modern stadiums, and entertainmentoriented downtowns. The public sector has at least three tools that hold out hope for reversing America’s urban policies. As stated in the book, the first is smart growth (or SmartGrowth in the text) legislation in states such as Maryland and New Jersey. Annexation and regional government are the other two. Cities that receive top marks for using annexation powers surprisingly include sprawling Houston. Portland, the poster child for controlled growth, is likewise lauded for its regional government efforts. The glossed-over question is whether these public powers can be combined with public sector leadership possessing the talent and vision admittedly found in the private arena. Would it be unfair to accuse Bloom of tilting at windmills? Where do we go from here? Let’s stay tuned for Bloom’s next predictable effort on how the War on Terror has thwarted the hopes and dreams of America’s underclass (and academics) once again. Remember the peace dividend? All the dollars flowing to the Office of Homeland Security are dollars diverted from urban social welfare programs. In Bloom Part III, the smart growth movement will be co-opted by the wily private sector, creating more illusions designed to foil governmental reviewing agencies and gullible buyers. Alas, social democracy will remain elusive in this country. In the end, if you’re looking for utopia, look in the dictionary after unreachable.Rouse, in his heart of hearts, surely knew he wasn’t building utopia. But he was building a sustainable product long before the word became fashionable.Rouse andhis colleagues knewbottom-line considerations were paramount for survival. They weren’t operating under any illusions and neither should we.