A three-part geometric model to predict the radar backscatter from wheat, corn, and sorghum

A model to predict the radar backscattering coefficient from crops must include the geometry of the canopy. Radar and ground-truth data taken on wheat in 1979 indicate that the model must include contributions from the leaves, from the wheat head, and from the soil moisture. For sorghum and corn, radar and ground-truth data obtained in 1979 and 1980 support the necessity of a soil moisture term and a leaf water term. The Leaf Area Index (LAI) is an appropriate input for the leaf contribution to the radar response for wheat and sorghum, however the LAI generates less accurate values for the backscattering coefficient for corn. Also, the data for corn and sorghum illustrate the importance of the water contained in the stalks in estimating the radar response

Developing a Framework for Financial Achievability of Department of Transportation Research and Development Projects

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.3141/2480-02A financial analysis framework was developed to allow departments of transportation to assess research projects better. The framework recognizes that the research process contains multiple stages of decision making, and the framework details the information needed at each stage. The framework is described as it applies to each step in the research process: identifying potential research projects, evaluating research proposals, monitoring ongoing research projects, and evaluating final research reports. The framework also considers the decision to implement the research and its potential effects on employees. The application of the framework is illustrated with several Florida Department of Transportation research projects that involve the development of a multipurpose survey vehicle for evaluation of Florida roadways. This illustration allows for an explanation of each step in the framework with actual data from research reports and other internal or external sources. Although the framework is flexible and can be adapted for use in evaluating different types of projects, some judgment will be required when the specific inputs to the model are considered. Successful implementation of the framework will require focused data collection with emphasis on identifying the potential net benefits of research projects

The Timing of Managerial Responses to Fiscal Stress

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/puar.13359Using 34 years of data from Florida counties, we examine the effect of multiple fiscal stressors on expenditures over time to test theoretical propositions in Charles Levine's seminal study on cutback management. We demonstrate support for Levine's stages model and his claims on linkages between the causes of fiscal stress and managerial responses. Specifically, unemployment levels produce differential effects by service area (e.g., human services bear the most significant share of the reductions), especially in relation to the persistence of the stressor. We cannot support the stages model with other stressor measures. We expand the literature to include county governments, enhancing the contemporary literature on local government fiscal stress

The Timing of Managerial Responses to Fiscal Stress

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/puar.13359Using 34 years of data from Florida counties, we examine the effect of multiple fiscal stressors on expenditures over time to test theoretical propositions in Charles Levine's seminal study on cutback management. We demonstrate support for Levine's stages model and his claims on linkages between the causes of fiscal stress and managerial responses. Specifically, unemployment levels produce differential effects by service area (e.g., human services bear the most significant share of the reductions), especially in relation to the persistence of the stressor. We cannot support the stages model with other stressor measures. We expand the literature to include county governments, enhancing the contemporary literature on local government fiscal stress