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Step 3: Landscape Analysis,
Regional Level
Step 3 involves an overview
of the study region, locality, and specific site.
Human Sprawl: Land and the Implications for Global and Regional Scale Environmental Use
In recent decades suburban development has led to vast changes to the landscape in many areas. This change has incurred a great cost to the environment through loss of wetlands, habitat destruction, loss of prime farmlands and forest fragmentation. At the same time once vibrant cities are in a state of decay while sprawl presses further into the countryside. Protection of the remaining open spaces is an important challenge as we move into the 21st century. However, people need a place to live and work so the forces of development will likely continue to change the landscape for the foreseeable future. The challenge is to find an environmentally responsible way of shaping future growth.
Readings and References:
Notes by Marge Porter-07/06/99
Human Sprawl-Land Use and Implications for Environmental Change: Dr. Lathrop
What is the implication on Earth's environment and climate?
(1) related to population growth
(2) related to human population and land surface
cover
(3) related to James Lovelock's Daisyworld- check
Daisyworld on web
dark daisies have low albedo
(absorb light)
light daisies have high
albedo (reflect light)
Satellite Systems
Satellite Systems can detect six different wavelengths in the visible
and near visible spectrum. Computers can respond to and manipulate only
three at a time.
Satellites are being used to see how climate change may be altering vegetation by detecting thermal reflectance - heat in the infrared band. For example, needle leaved trees (eg pine) reflect less near-infrared than do broad leaved trees (eg maple). This is detected via satellites. Action of chloroplasts in photosynthesis causes differences in the absorption/reflectance of visible red wavelengths. This is used to identify density/spatial distribution and tells us how climate change is altering vegetation.
Modeling (Models)
Models are used to show what the landscape conditions should be. These
are then compared to real conditions and analyzed to see the difference
between the land before and after human land use changes.
Direct effects of human involvement:
(1) albedo
(2) surface roughness
(3) evaporation/transpiration
Indirect effects:
(1) release of CO2 and other
gases
(2) biodiversity changes
(3) habitat loss and fragmentation
(4) exotic species invasion
Examples of land use changes:
(1) deforestation - influences
evapo/transpiration
(2) biomass burning - forest
fires, slash and burn
(3) wetland drainage - less
CO2 and methane loss
(4) urban development -
sprawl, heat sinks, convective currents, greenhouse gasses
(5) irrigation
Impact of climate on the land (a closely interrelated system):
examples-
(1) ozone damage to trees
(2) species extinctions
(3) forest fragmentation
(4) area sensitive species
- niche/habitat change
GAP Analysis (web sites)
John Hasse - Mentor
Lab Description:
Planning Sustainable Communities: Using Geographic Information Systems for Siting Environmentally Responsible Development
This applied lab uses Geographic Information Systems (GIS) as a tool for siting a new development. Lab participants will use a vast bank of digital environmental data for locating sufficient housing, shopping, and office space to accommodate 300 new residences for the study area. Participants are expected to familiarize themselves before the lab commences with the basic of environmental planning, wetland protection, farmland preservation and habitat protection. Teams will be created to develop criteria, as they see fit, for siting the proposed development in a manner which will have the least impact on the environment.
This lab will provide instructional training in ArcView GIS, environmental problem solving, spatial data modeling and production of presentation graphics. The projected plan will be evaluated for effectiveness of design, GIS problem solving approach, thoroughness of solutions, and overall creativity.
Outline of lab meetings
Day 1:
Introduction
Lab orientation
Login, user accounts, workspaces
Training lecture lab#1
LAB #1- Intro to ArcView
Navigation basics
<LUNCH>
Lecture introducing problems set for final project
LAB#2- Basics Analysis with GIS
Querying information
Group meeting to plan final project
Day 2:
Overview lecture of lab #3
LAB#3- Geoprocessing data, buffer & overlay
Map creation
Getting the data you need
<LUNCH>
Overview of lab #4
LAB #4- Spatial analysis & suitability modeling
Group meeting to plan final project.
Day 3:
PROJECT
Recommended Additional Activity
Teams should physically survey the geographic area under study to familiarize
with the landscape, locate environmentally and culturally sensitive sites,
interview local citizens, and ground truth remote sensing data used in
GIS analysis.
Readings and References:
Notes taken by Marge Porter from discussions with John Hasse prior
to lab activities
GIS Overview
Description of New Jersey
setting for GIS techniques in land use planning/development
There are currently 2-4 million acres of urban development in U.S. per
year. This is equivalent to adding housing and support services for an
area roughly the size of Delaware.
This creates tremendous stress on environmental and social systems.
Examples:
(1) Pine Barrens in SE New Jersey - 1 million acres of pristine pine
forest (virgin) overlaying
huge underground aquifer (recharge zone).
(2) 566 towns in NJ and each have their own different zoning and development
plans
Landscape Ecology
- structure, function, and change of interacting ecosystems including
hydrologic, geologic, ecological, and human activities.
Enhanced Clustering
System - encourages better development practices through financial
incentives allowing more units (housing/offices/services) in a smaller
area.
Enhanced Clustering System in NJ
-Bonus 200 - required 60% open space
-Bonus 400 - required 75% open space
GIS (geographic
information system) - computer system which obtains and analyzes spatial
data from various sources (such as remote sensing) and organizes it for
interpretation and communication.
Four components to using GIS
(1) hardware - the computer system being used
(2) software - like ESRI's ArcView 3.1
(3) data - information that can be located and used by the software
(4) organization and people - data files and people to operate the four
components
GIS allows for attribute
descriptions (conditions that exist at certain geographic locations)
which are arranged in spreadsheet format and can be arranged, viewed and
used in various ways according to need. Examples: look for patterns,
changes to land features, reclassification of vegetation to a more generalized
view, what if scenarios, regions, mapable territory, zones, distances.
these are all ways to describe portions of the landscape.
Spatial Data (concepts)
- distances, area, themes (parameters - geology, vegetation, land use,
etc.), coordinates, spatial reference systems, absolute location, relative
location, grid, terrain, topology (geometric relationships between 2 objects),
elevation.
Four kinds of spatial elements:
(1) point - 0 dimensions
(2) line - 2 dimensions
(3) area - 2 dimensions
(4) volumes - 3 dimensions
Scale is very important
- relationship of size. Proximity relates distance between objects or spacing
which can be random, clustered, dispersed, or regular. Other types of spatial
data include orientation, association, coordination, and quantitative and
qualitative attributes.
Four categories of levels of measurement:
(1) nominal - naming category
(2) ordinal - ranking data in order
(3) interval - divisions between numbers are quantified
(4) ratio - value referenced (one against another)
Data structure and representation (format)...
raster - one whole cell (pixel) is used to represent dominant data
-data for all cells is necessary
-neighborhood capability
vector - integrated and object oriented
-connects dots across landscape
-has topologic capabilities
Sources of data:
(1) create your own data
(2) government sources
-census bureau (TIGER files)
-USGS: digital elevation models (DEM), DLG, aerial photographs, remote
sensing digital orthographic
photography (ortho-aerial photos which have been corrected for errors caused
by elevation or obliques
-DOT
-DEP
(3) private firm - ESRI
Vector analysis in GIS (operations):
(1) inventory operations - display, database, id., mapping, query
(2) recoding operations - showing regional divisions vs county or state
divisions
(3) multilayer operations- intersect, completely within, allows cells and
layers to be multiplied
(4) data (attribute) table - can be linked
(5) digital elevation modeling - each unit has an elevation associated
with it, shading is possible
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| The
Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation
CN 5281, Princeton NJ 08543-5281 - Tel:(609)452-7007 - Fax:(609)452-0066 Technical contact: lpt@woodrow.org |
