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 | |
Redefining and Analyzing Active versus Passive Recreational Opportunities for Children Ages Zero to Four in Eastern Pima County, ArizonaAuthor: Jessica Styron Abrahams, jabraha1@email.arizona.edu suitability analysis; LUCIS; playgrounds; recreation; Pima County In addressing overweight and obesity in children, many studies of accessibility to recreational opportunities use a half-mile standard as a basis of how accessible a park is, regardless of user age. Others solely differentiate between active and passive recreation. When analyzing recreational opportunities for very young children ages zero to four, a quarter-mile standard should be used to assess walkability, and the presence or absence of a playground should also be considered. To better analyze access to playgrounds for children ages zero to four in eastern Pima County, Arizona and determine where to place new playgrounds, this study produces a suitability analysis based on a seven-point model. This model considers: 1) population of children ages zero to four by 2010 Census Blockgroup, 2) median household income by 2010 Census Tract, 3) distance to playgrounds, 4) distance to major roads, 5) existing soil types and whether they can support a playground, 6) slope, and 7) existing zoning and land use codes. All factors were weighted equally in this suitability analysis, and used to produce a GIS map of high to low suitability of areas for new playground development within eastern Pima County. This suitability map was then paired with the 98 existing vacant parcels in eastern Pima County, Arizona to determine which would be best suited for conversion to new playgrounds. The seven-point model thus determines where new playgrounds should be placed and assesses accessibility to recreational opportunities for children ages zero to four. |
12/11/2014 - 7:35pm to 7:55pm | |
Southwest Wyoming Nineteenth Century Emigrant Trail AnalysisAuthor: Robert E. Davis, recdavis@gmail.com Nineteenth century emigration; Emigration; National Historic Trails; Wyoming; Oregon-California Trails; Sublette Cutoff This project examines and analyzes the mid-nineteenth century emigrant trails in southwest Wyoming; a wild area bounded by the Continental Divide to the east, the Bear River to the west, the Wind River Range to the north, and the Uinta Mountains to the south. Here, emigrants created almost one thousand miles of trails in an uncoordinated, collective effort to find the flattest and shortest trail that also provided the raw materials required by wagon travel, grass and water. Often, these requirements for wagon travel were at odds with the facts of geography: time, distance, and elevation. Given this competition, what are the trails and routes requiring the least effort to traverse while maximizing the availability of resources? To answer this, the project includes elevation profiles, network analysis of existing emigrant trails, least-cost path, and least-cost corridor analysis. Terrain is analyzed based on distance from major sources of water and animal feed; roughness; slope; and in some cases, the existence of established trails. These analyses show that, by and large with one significant exception, the emigrants did follow the least-cost paths, corridors, and networks. The exception is the Sublette Cutoff. While emigrants used the Sublette Cutoff extensively after 1849, this analysis identifies Hams Fork Cutoff (also used by emigrants), farther south, as the route requiring the least effort to traverse the study area. Along with some relevant photographs and other material, the results of the analysis are integrated into a website that can be used by the general public and historians. |
12/11/2014 - 7:00pm to 7:20pm | |
A Comparison of Remote Sensing Indices and Temporal Study of Cienegas at Cienega Creek from 1984 to 2011 Using Multispectral Satellite ImageryAuthor: Natalie R. Wilson, nrwilson@usgs.gov cienegas; arid region wetlands; Cienega Creek; Landsat Thematic Mapper; remote sensing indices Desert wetlands, in particular those slow moving bodies of water known as cienegas, are important sites for biodiversity in arid landscapes and serve as indicators of hydrological functioning on the landscape-level. One of the most extensive systems of cienegas, historical or extant, in southeastern Arizona lies along Cienega Creek, located southeast of Tucson, Arizona. Satellite imagery analysis is heavily utilized to determine landscape-level trends, but cienegas present a challenge to traditional analysis methods. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the classic measure of vegetation greenness, reacts counterintuitively to open water and is affected by open ground, both common occurrences in cienega habitats. Additional remote sensing indices have been developed that balance sensitivity to these environmental elements. This research explores these remote sensing indices at Cienega Creek applying one topographic index to current elevation data and five spectral indices to Thematic Mapper imagery from 1984 to 2011. Temporal trends were identified for all spectral indices and all indices were compared for suitability in cienega habitats. Temporal trends were analyzed for spatial clustering and spatial trends identified. The Normalized Difference Infrared Index utilizing Landsat Thematic Mapper band 5 outperformed other indices at differentiating between cienega, riparian, and upland habitats and is more suitable than NDVI for analyzing cienega habitats in such circumstances. |
12/11/2014 - 6:40pm to 7:00pm | |
Alternative Build-Out Analysis and Land Use Designation for Hillside Preservation in Santa Cruz County, ArizonaAuthor: Deni Huffman, denihuffman@email.arizona.edu Hillside preservation; build-out analysis; suitability analysis; development; Santa Cruz County; Arizona This project develops an alternative build-out analysis and proposes a new Land Use (LU) designation for preservation of hillside open space that is within active private land parcels for Santa Cruz County, Arizona. This study analyzes Santa Cruz County’s current land use plan and discusses an alternative method of build-out analysis, following existing plans and regulations. Santa Cruz County currently does not have a hillside ordinance to restrict building on lots with steep slopes. A comparison to the standard that is currently used and the alternative method highlights the differences in future land use patterns and capacity of County build-out. A suitability analysis used the analytic hierarchy process (AHP), thus arriving at criteria that would be most useful. The criteria I used is the distance to a Conservation Area, Lot size, and Steepness of Slope to establish the suitability of parcels that should be placed in the new Hillside Preservation Area LU Code. The resulting analysis identifies areas that meet my criteria. Utilizing GIS as an alternative method to assessing the build-out demonstrates the need for adoption of a new hillside preservation ordinance and land use designation in Santa Cruz County, Arizona. |
12/11/2014 - 6:20pm to 6:40pm |