Support Vector Machines (SVM) and Random Forests (RF) have
consistently outperformed other machine learning algorithms on a variety of
problems. SVM can be used for classification and regression on many types of
data (e.g. nonlinear, high dimensional), but cannot handle missing or mixed data.
This research implements a permutation-based variable...
Alteration of natural areas in attempts to support increasing human populations has been a crucial yet less publicized contributor to the fall of many of the world's greatest civilizations, since healthy ecosystems can help maintain stable societies and economies. Given this unhappy fact and the ancient relationship between people and...
This paper presents a framework for analyzing efficient spatial allocation of forest
management efforts - fuel treatment and harvest - under the risk of fire. The framework
integrates a fire behavior model and a spatially-explicit stochastic dynamic optimization
model. I investigate the effects of spatial interaction across plots during forest...
This study examined the decay resistance of the pine and maple components of wood plastic composites (WPC' s) of varying thicknesses exposed on several culture media to wood decay fungi under laboratory conditions. The ability of malt agar extract (MEA), potato dextrose agar (PDA), amended basal salts, sawdust (maple and...
