William F. Welsh
Department of Geography, UNC-Chapel Hill
Doctoral Advisor: Professor Stephen J. Walsh

OBJECTIVE #1:
To understand and explain the present spatial configuration of the biophysical landscape of Nang Rong as a function of preceding ecological conditions and processes operative over approximately the past fifty years.

OBJECTIVE #2:
Based on information obtained for Objective #1, develop and implement an ecological land classification scheme (to include LULC state and summary of past changes) which specifically considers the needs of population-environment research.

• The above objectives are conceptualized as "Iterative Objectives" – that is, they are interrelated and mutually supporting from a scientific and geographic standpoint.
  

• Theoretical basis: (1) landscape ecology (structure, function, change); (2) systems theory (feedbacks, stability, resilience); (3) political ecology (margin & marginality land degradation hazards/resources).

• The hypothesized biophysical landscape trends (FIG 2) are assumed to represent key ecological conditions important to understanding human-environment interactions, and thus are to be tested,, refined and incorporated into the ecological classifications (as appropriate based on relationships established via empirical evidence and/or theoretical understanding).

• To be effective ecological land classification must integrate both spatial and temporal characteristics of the biophysical landscape for a given location.