2014 GIST Master Projects
Projects | Date and time | |
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Using Classification and Regression Tree and Valley Bottom Modeling Techniques to Identify Riparian Vegetation in Pinal County, ArizonaAuthor: Ben Hickson, benjamin.hickson@gmail.com Pinal County; riparian; vegetation; classification and regression tree (CART); valley bottom model (VBM) The ecological value and functionality of riparian systems along ephemeral, intermittent, and perennial streams in the southwest has been well established. In Pinal County, Arizona the existing dataset available to environmental managers and governing bodies drastically underestimates the extent and presence of riparian zones. This study addresses this issue through the use of remote sensing land cover classification techniques. Using high resolution remotely sensed imagery available from the National Agriculture and Imaging Program (NAIP) and Landsat 8 satellite, several derived vegetation indices, and supplementary topographic information, a classification and regression tree (CART) model is constructed. Using training data, the CART model identifies and delineates basic land cover classes across the County. Woody annual and perennial species are identified and associated to riparian zones using a valley bottom model developed by the United States Department of Agriculture. The CART model (kappa value of 0.76) found that 929 square-miles of annual vegetation and 651 square-miles of perennial vegetation are present across Pinal County. In a post-classification accuracy assessment, a kappa value of 0.38 was derived from the image using thirty randomly stratified sampling points per class. Riparian zones were determined to exist where the valley bottom model indicated 55 percent probability. The results generated provide a sufficiently comprehensive dataset that gives County managers and environmental professionals improved insight as to the presence and distribution of important riparian habitats. |
12/11/2014 - 8:15pm to 8:35pm | |
Using LiDAR for Urban Change Analysis: The University of Arizona 2005 and 2008Author: David G. Perry, dgp@email.arizona.edu LiDAR; Urban change; Boolean algebra; City planning; Tax assessment This project uses Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data to assess and visualize change in an urban environment. This is important in the identification of areas of growth and areas of decline. Specifically, LiDAR data from the years 2005 and 2008 are utilized to quantify and visualize change in the buildings in and around The University of Arizona campus in Tucson, Arizona. After the study area is identified, the LiDAR data are filtered based on return type and then converted to rasters. The resultant rasters are manipulated to obtain a new raster displaying the buildings present in 2005, and a similar raster illustrating the buildings present in 2008. Using these rasters and Boolean algebra principles, the rasters are subtracted from one another. The resultant change raster highlights the buildings that demonstrate positive or negative change over the three-year period. Using this method several areas of change were identified and confirmed using orthophotographs. For an area as small as The University of Arizona campus it is relatively easy to see the developmental change over time. However, the real power of this method is realized when applied to large metropolitan areas. New buildings and demolished buildings can be identified with a minimum amount of effort. Patterns of development can be easily seen. City planners and tax authorities will find this method and the information obtained invaluable in developing strategies for growth and revenue generation. |
12/11/2014 - 7:55pm to 8:15pm |
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Using Phenometrics to Locate Hot Spots of the Yellow-Billed Cuckoo Over a Decade in the State of ArizonaAuthor: Daniel P. Guaderrama, dguaderrama@email.arizona.edu remote sensing; phenometrics; yellow-billed cuckoo; NDVI; suitability The yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccycus americanus occidentalis) has suffered breeding range and habitat losses primarily due to human activities and associated water demands. These activities result in the loss of hundreds of thousands of hectares of riparian habitat and drastic decline in population throughout the western United States. As of October 3, 2014, the cuckoo is now a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act of 1973. The objective of this project is to locate hot spots of the yellow-billed cuckoo through phenometrics over a decade using a model and developing an open-source web map application for disseminating results. Phenometrics are derived from Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data using eight-day Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) imagery from 2002 through 2013. Additionally, this model uses Fourier harmonics to analyze the waveform of the annual NDVI profile at each pixel. Results of the model using eight-day MODIS-NDVI imagery support the model and display hot spots in three stratified categories: always, sometime, and never. These findings may assist in protecting the endangered cuckoo in the State of Arizona. Results are disseminated through a publicly accessible open-source web map. |
12/17/2014 - 6:20pm to 6:40pm | |
Utilizing ArcGIS Desktop and Online Tools to Dynamically Evaluate and Share Conservation ProjectsAuthor: Jessica Fraver, fraverj@gmail.com conservation; land trust; overlay analysis; project evaluation; Python scripting As the need for land and water conservation dollars will always outweigh available funds, land trusts must be able to quickly and creatively respond to new information to be successful. Land trusts play an important role in conservation as land and water transaction specialists and success depends on the ability to build strategic partnerships between funders, supporters and clients. Land trusts commonly use GIS to identify high priority regions within larger focus areas – an exercise that requires costly review and processing of existing data into ranked conservation criteria based on specified priorities of the trust. Results of these mapping efforts are often static, only marginally used to evaluate potential projects and do not allow for options to match potential projects with diverse requirements of different funders. This study develops a Project Evaluation System (PES) that addresses the need for flexibility in project identification and prioritization based on the diverse and changing priorities of funding opportunities for conservation in southeast Arizona. The PES Python script enables easy updates to potential projects and conservation variable inputs without the need to modify the script itself. The script provides options to compare overall conservation scores between projects and highlight specific values that contribute to the overall conservation score of an individual project. The script generates intermediate data and an option to create a new overlay of particular conservation values for further investigation or cartographic display. The resulting ArcGIS Online feature service also addresses the need for an interactive mapping platform to enhance planning efforts. |
12/17/2014 - 6:40pm to 7:00pm | |
Vegetation Cover Change Detection in Saguaro National Park, 1987 and 2010Author: Shane T. Clark, hopper@email.arizona.edu Vegetation; Imagery analysis; Land cover changes; NDVI; Saguaro National Park Saguaro National Park is located in the Sonoran Desert. Key factors influencing vegetative cover change on a landscape include precipitation, temperature, and land use change. In the desert, vegetation growth is primarily limited by water availability. Vegetative cover change across the landscape is a troublesome and costly management problem due to the logistical, temporal and manual control efforts involved. Efficient land and water management makes use of spatial data to assess and develop best management practices to mitigate vegetative cover changes. Comparative GIS mapping of the changing landscape is a powerful tool that managers can utilize for decision-making. This project analyzes changes in vegetative cover within the Tucson Mountain and Rincon Mountain districts of Saguaro National Park in 1987 and 2010. Landsat 5 TM images were processed using the Layer Stack, and Image Differencing tools of ERDAS Imagine. The Image Analysis and NDVI creation tools were employed using ArcMap 10.2. Results indicate that in 2010 there was an overall decrease of vegetative cover on the landscape than was present in 1987 within both districts of Saguaro National Park. This study identifies specific areas of vegetative change for Saguaro National Park. Land managers can use this information to make informed future landscape management decisions. |
12/17/2014 - 7:55pm to 8:15pm |
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Web-Mapping Urban Transit in Valdivia, ChileAuthor: Michael J. Levengood, mjlevengood@gmail.com public transportation; Chile; online mapping; ArcGIS API for JavaScript Urban public transportation systems are often difficult to represent on traditional static maps due to a large number of routes, many of which may overlap. This is particularly true for micro buses, the principal form of public/private transport in Chilean cities. The existing static map of micro bus lines in Valdivia, the capital of the Los Rios Region of Chile, is inadequate. This project creates an interactive online map of Valdivia’s micro bus routes to help users better visualize routes and plan transit trips. To determine the location of routes, the existing static map of micro bus routes in Valdivia, Chile, was consulted. To confirm routes, a separate website that describes routes by street was also consulted. Routes were digitized in ArcMap as a line feature class on top of ESRI’s street base map. Route number was assigned to the lines and direction was described for one-way sections. Digitized routes were then published via ArcGIS Server. ArcGIS API for JavaScript was used to upload the routes to a website and to incorporate other tools. A website was created that allows users to choose which routes they want to visualize, view information about these routes, and measure distances. The resulting interactive website allows users to better visualize routes, which will help residents and visitors more efficiently and accurately plan transit trips in Valdivia, Chile. This type of map could be created for other Chilean cities that lack high-quality interactive transit maps. |
12/15/2014 - 7:55pm to 8:15pm |