Watershed/Landscape Analysis
Our study focuses on developing ecological indictors for streams within
two large, highly agricultural areas in lower Michigan and in southeastern
Minnesota. Links to maps showing specific sub basins we are studying
are below.
To develop these indicators we are using existing map data (USGS, Census
etc.) as well as data collected at regional scales via satellite imagery,
local scales via low altitude imagery and site scales via field sampling.
Some of the spatial data we are using to characterize the study region
include:
1. Land cover data
Minnesota
Land Use - Agricultural and Transition Areas
MN
Metropolitan Land cover- Metropolitan Council
Land cover classified
using Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Interagency
Consortium MRLC
satellite imagery
2. Streams and roads
U.S.
Census Bureau's TIGER data
3. Soils Data
USDA-NRCS
National STATSGO Database
4. Wetland maps
National
Wetland Inventory
5. Elevation Data
USGS
7.5-Minute Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
6. Quaternary Geology
The
Quaternary Geologic Atlas Of The Conterminous United States
These spatial data will be used to compare landscapes surrounding each
of the 36 Minnesota and 36 Michigan study areas. Additional
landscape metrics including fragmentation, patch density, connectivity
and nearest neighbor distances will also be calculated. This will
be done using the public domain version of FRAGSTATS, a spatial pattern
analysis program for quantifying landscape structure, developed at the
Department of Forest Science Oregon State University. This landscape
information combined with information gathered in the field and in the
lab will be analyzed to determine the extent to which regional and local
scale indices reflect fundamental ecosystem processes and structural properties
of stream habitats and biota.
Public
Domain Fragstats from Oregon State
University
FRAGSTATS*ARC
from Innovative GIS solutions inc. |
