Applied Geography Directed Research
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10877/17202
Browse
Browsing Applied Geography Directed Research by Author "Blanchard, Denise"
Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
Results Per Page
Sort Options
Item An Examination of Price Variation in Relation to Median Household Income: Comparing A Regional and International Grocery Store Chains' Pricing of Household Staples in San Antonio, Texas(2016-11) Hedgepeth, Sarita; Blanchard, Denise; Devine, JenniferNo abstract prepared.Item Evacuation Compliance and Actual Wildfire Risk in Austin, Texas: Determining the Effects of Risk Education through Online Community Surveys(2016-05) Gimnich, David; Hiner, Colleen; Blanchard, Denise; Weaver, RussellNo abstract prepared.Item Examining Residents' Vulnerability from the Flood Hazard in the Onion Creek Neighborhood of Austin Texas: Who is At-Risk and Why?(2021-12) Ekeanyanwu, Chikodinaka; Lu, Yongmei; Blanchard, DeniseOnion Creek is a neighborhood south of downtown Austin that falls within the base floodplains where Base elevations are provided. As a result, it is a high-intensity flood zone. Demographically speaking, the region is occupied by residents of which the majority live above the poverty line and have an average Household Income of over $90,000. The aim of this study is to i) identify and map out relatively low to high flood risk areas of the neighborhood and, ii) understand the social, economic, political and/or cultural factors that influence the residents’ decisions to stay in the neighborhood. Flood vulnerability levels will be analyzed and mapped based on the analysis of a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) data and Stream data of the study area. A survey was distributed to residents, analysis were conducted to understand their general background, awareness levels, flood mitigation efforts in the area, and experiences/reflection about flooding. Results from the study show that the residents’ decision to continue residing within the area is based off the knowledge their homes are not located within the floodplain, and a sense of familiarity and community that they feel within the neighborhood.Item Facing Reality: Agriculture without the Ogallala Aquifer: A Comparative Study: The Texas Panhandle and Western Australian Wheatbelt(2018-12) Richter, Jacob; Blanchard, Denise; Sarmiento, EricAgriculture in the Texas Panhandle depends extensively on the Ogallala Aquifer for its water needs and is on path to be completely depleted. Once emptied, hydrogeologists estimate it could take over 6,000 years to fully recharge (Brambila 2014). Parts of the Texas Panhandle have already exhausted the aquifer for irrigation purposes. By 2050 the cost of extracting water from increasing depths could render the entire portion of the aquifer that lays beneath Texas economically exhausted. The high plains of Texas have no alternative aquifer, river, or lake that could provide similar volumes of water without being cost prohibitive. Despite this widely known forecast in and out of the region little research or planning exists for transitioning agriculture away from aquifer water. The only sustainable way forward is to return to “dryland” agriculture that relies natural rainfall swings. This research will contribute to this gap in policy and scholarly analysis through a comparative case study of the Western Australian Wheatbelt (WAW). It will illustrate what future agriculture yields and techniques could resemble in the Texas Panhandle and to suggest specific strategies for adaptation.Item Pet Shelters and Planning for Sheltering Pets during Hurricane Evacuations: A Case Study of Hurricane Harvey(2019-12) Ratchford, Melanie; Blanchard, Denise; Savelyev, AlexanderWhen a major hurricane strikes it is important that pets are included in evacuation plans and that they are safely sheltered. A lack of sufficient planning or communication of information during a hurricane may lead to increased confusion and result in devastating losses in the aftermath. Leaving pets behind in the event of an evacuation often causes significant problems that not only endanger the lives of the pets but also humans. The issues that have been present in previous storm events were also present during the catastrophic landfall of 2017 Hurricane Harvey. Animal shelters will sometimes be able to take in animals during major storms, however, many shelters may potentially experience issues during their response. This project attempts to examine the responses and problems experienced by animal sheltering facilities during Hurricane Harvey.