Outstanding Women in Geography

On Sunday, April 19th, three women geographers were presented awards at NIU's annual Outstanding Women Awards Ceremony. Jericho Winter and Monica Zappa, two of Geography's master's students received NIU's Outstanding Women Student Awards. Both Jericho and Monica have excelled in their coursework and strengthened the NIU geography department through their service (including regular Friday night community building efforts) all while managing to complete their master's theses in two years. The Department of Geography thanks them for their contributions and wishes them and all 2009 geography graduates the best as they continue their life adventures.

NIU Graduate students Jericho Winter (left) and Monica Zappa (right) receiving their awards from Provost Ray Alden

Geography professor Lesley Rigg experienced a windfall of awards this month. First Lesley was presented the prestigious Wilma D. Stricklin Award for Enhancement of the Climate for Women on Campus. The competitive award, presented by the President's Commission on the Status of Women, was presented to Lesley based on highly favorable nominations submitted this past January.

Professor Lesley Rigg receiving award from Provost Ray Alden

In addition, Professor Rigg received the Award for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching. Lesley was an ideal candidate for this award given her ability to instill and develop in students an intensity of interest and appreciation for the value of geography (biogeography, in particular). Lesley is well respected and esteemed by students for her extraordinary commitment to their education and welfare. Overall, Professor Rigg has been a strong force in promoting women in science and women's safety and self-defense on campus. She is an inspirational mentor whose contribution to the NIU community is truly outstanding.

Congratulations Lesley, Jericho and Monica for your outstanding research and service!

Post contributed by Dr. Sarah Blue

NIU Graduate Student Research: Systematic Evaluation of Prairie Planting Regimes

Conservation ecologists over the past several decades have sought to better understand the factors that promote biodiversity in and the resilience of ecological systems. In order to forward this effort, Brian Glaves, an NIU Geography graduate student, engaged in an experiment to identify the optimal amount or density of native seed required to produce a successful prairie planting.

Rough Blazing Star (Liatris aspera) blooming within Nachusa Grasslands

Brian's project was situated within the idyllic 3,000 acre Nachusa Grasslands, a conservation area in north central Illinois. The project was an extension of a previous experiment carried out in 2006 by Bill Kleiman who, along with numerous volunteers, manages the grasslands. For this earlier experiment, Kleiman applied a dry mesic mix of native Nachusa Grasslands seeds to a smaller region of the conservation area known as Clear Creek Knolls. This seed density experiment established a 3 x 5 systematic random quadrant design in which one of four categories of seed density treatments (10, 30, 50 and 70 pounds per acre) were applied or dispersed. The seeding was replicated three times with each treatment assigned randomly to a (9m x 9m) quadrant in order to control for local variation. The systematic random quadrant design provided a standard method for examining and recording the performance of each treatment relative to each other and a control group.

In the summer months of June, July and August 2008, Brian began a systematic recording of floristic data from the 2006 planting. Specifically, Brian measured species richness, species density, percent flora cover and species height. A variety of indices such as the Shannon-Weiner diversity index (i.e., frequency and evenness of each species within the community), Simpson's dominance index (i.e., a measure of the dominance of any one species) and a Floristic Quality Index were then used to characterize the data collected in the field and examine the relative performance of each seed density regime.

Brian's results showed no statistically significant difference between the various indices across the four categories of seed density treatments, although some general trends were apparent. For example, lower seed density treatments tended to exhibit higher Simpson's (dominance) values (Figure on left), while greater densities exhibited higher Shannon-Weiner (diversity) values (Figure on right). The Forensic Quality Indices also suggest that treatments were significantly different from the control (One-way ANOVA, p=0.05) but not to each other. Further, the total plant cover varied over the study periods such that plant cover as observed in June was statistically different from the plant cover observed in July and August. This was in part due to the greater abundance of exotic species earlier in the season. Lastly, the data suggest that individual species tended to be better represented after applying the 50 pounds per acre seed density treatment. In fact, the statistical analyses suggest that the 50 pounds per acre seed density treatment (rather than the more resource intensive 70 pound treatment) was the best option for Nachusa Grasslands prairie restoration while the 30 pounds per acre treatment was acceptable.

Summer Crew at Nachusa Grasslands, 2008
Brian Glaves (front, right), Bill Kleiman-Manager of Nachusa Grasslands (left of Brian Glaves)

So why is this research important? Most research to date on seed density applications for prairie restoration has been rather informal in its analysis of planting regimes. Brian's research puts forward a more scientifically rigorous strategy for evaluating successful prairie planting. In particular, what this experiment showed is that prairie restoration seeding practices can be defined within rather clear ranges, in this case 30 to 50 pounds of seed per acre.

Geographic Communication--Appreciating NIU's Cartography Lab

What distinguishes geography from other sciences is its attention to the production, interpretation and communication of geographic information. For geographers, maps are oftentimes the common semantic, the objects through which they communicate with each other and the broader community.

Mesoscale Convective Systems. Research by Bentley, et al. (Left)
Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Tornado Fatalities in the U.S. Research by Ashley (Right)

The NIU Department of Geography Cartography Lab is especially interested in high quality cartographic communication. Established in 1965, the Cartography Lab has an impressive history of producing elegant and functional maps for research, government and not-for-profit communities. The cartographic creativity of Leonard Walther and Jodi Heitkamp--the lab's full time personnel--is perhaps best exemplified in their large-scale maps depicting the research of NIU Geography faculty. These eye-catching posters adorn the walls of NIU Geography's Davis Hall, and encourage passersby to read the latest scientific findings.

Collaborations with off-campus entities have also provided opportunities for the Cartography Lab to distribute spatial knowledge and forward geographic literacy. One example is a map produced for the The Northern Illinois Food Bank which was used to inform the strategic placement of distribution centers and food pantries. More recently, the Cartography Lab allied with the Illinois Department of Transportation (IDOT) to develop a series of bicycle maps. Over 800,000 of these maps have been distributed by IDOT over the past decade, making it a hit among Illinois' outdoor enthusiasts. The Kane County Bicycle Map (Figure on right), for example, is free to the public and features existing and proposed bicycle and pedestrian trails, bicycle level of service ratings for selected roadways, points of interest and major destinations, mile markers, and information on trail etiquette, sharing the trail (and the road) and bicycle safety. This map has been especially popular with the public and has received numerous awards including the Soles and Spokes Award for Excellence from the Chicago Area Transportation Study and an Honorable Mention in the planning category from the Illinois Chapter of the American Planning Association. The League of Illinois Bicyclists has also commissioned the Cartography Lab to produce similar multi-modal maps for the City of Aurora.

The Cartography Lab also shares its cartographic knowledge via teaching and other pedagogical activities. One popular independent study course (GEOG 467) centers around the design and production of a cartographic product such as a large-scale printed map, folded brochure, or small booklet. Students are encouraged to work with an outside organization who may want a map to fulfill a particular objective. In this way, students learn to work with real-world clients by co-designing geographic products that meet their needs. This independent study is popular not only because of its practical application but also because of its personalized instruction. The maximum course load of four means students are able to work closely with Cartography Lab staff on a regular basis, thereby acquiring valuable experience in navigating the rather complicated design and translation tools available in today's advanced cartographic software.