University of Florida Homepage

Spatial Patterns of Dengue Incidence in Nepal During Record Outbreaks

Dengue, which was first reported as a travel case in Nepal in 2004, was initially confined to the lower plains but has spread to higher elevations. Large outbreaks in 2022 and 2023, reached every district. We calculated the district-wise incidence for 2022 and 2023 by digitizing case data from Nepal’s Ministry of Health and Population […]

Experiences of Women AAG Presidents

  During its 119-year history, only eighteen AAG presidents were women. These women have served as role models and change agents who significantly influenced the AAG and the discipline of geography. This article adds to our understanding of the experiences and impacts of these diverse women by examining the challenges that they faced and strategies […]

Political violence and transport infrastructure in West Africa

This article analyses the patterns of violence produced by the competition for the control of transport infrastructure between state and non-state actors in West Africa from 2000 to 2024. Using disaggregated road and conflict data from the Global Roads Inventory Project (GRIP) and Armed Conflict Location & Event Data (ACLED) project, the paper first shows […]

The resilience of agricultural trade networks in West Africa

Trade networks for agricultural products play an important role in agricultural development and regional integration in West Africa. However, mapping these networks is challenging due to the lack of a comprehensive analytical framework that supports evidence-based policymaking. This policy note represents a first attempt to integrate the spatial, social and temporal aspects that influence trade […]

Modeling Changes in Flow Dynamics From the Restoration of a Distributary Slough Along a Large Floodplain River

Sloughs are slow-moving or still water systems that serve as an important ecosystem component connecting rivers and floodplains such as the Apalachicola River in northwest Florida. However, sloughs of the Apalachicola River have become hydrologically disconnected from the mainstem due to the impact of failed navigation projects such as channel incision, disposal of dredge spoils, […]

Mean daily temperatures predict the thermal limits of malaria transmission better than hourly rate summation

Temperature shapes the geographic distribution, seasonality, and magnitude of mosquito-borne disease outbreaks. Models predicting transmission often use mosquito and pathogen thermal responses measured at constant temperatures. However, mosquitoes live in fluctuating temperatures. Rate summation––non-linear averaging of trait values measured at constant temperatures—is commonly used to infer performance in fluctuating environments, but its accuracy is rarely […]

The overlapping global distribution of dengue, chikungunya, Zika and yellow fever

Arboviruses transmitted mainly by Aedes (Stegomyia) aegypti and Ae. albopictus, including dengue, chikungunya, and Zika viruses, and yellow fever virus in urban settings, pose an escalating global threat. Existing risk maps, often hampered by surveillance biases, may underestimate or misrepresent the true distribution of these diseases and do not incorporate epidemiological similarities despite shared vector species. We address this by […]

Spatiotemporal variation in frequency of persistent hot spell events over Africa

This study examines the long-term variation of the annual occurrence frequency for the Persistent Hot spell Events (PHEs) over the African continent and the underlying mechanisms using the Japanese 55-year Reanalysis (JRA-55) daily dataset for the period 1961–2021. We applied criterion for periods when the daily standardized anomaly index (SAI) value of mean daily temperature […]

Landslide at the River’s Edge: Alum Bluff, Apalachicola River, Florida

When rivers impinge on the steep bluffs of valley walls, dynamic changes stem from a combination of fluvial and mass wasting processes. This study identifies the geomorphic changes, drivers, and timing of a landslide adjacent to the Apalachicola River at Alum Bluff, the tallest natural geological exposure in Florida at ~40 m, comprising horizontal sediments […]

Street characteristics and recreational walking routes in older adults with cognitive concerns

The global increase in the number of older adults with cognitive impairments has prompted widespread adoption of lifestyle interventions, such as physical activity, to mitigate cognitive decline and enhance cognitive functioning. This study explores the impact of the built environment on recreational walking route choices among older adults experiencing subjective cognitive decline, a demographic that […]