Land Use/ Land Cover Change Analysis
The underlying theme of the Heartland Network is the question of whether the species, communities and ecological processes of small remnant and restored prairies and woodlands are sustainable in the face of adjacent habitat loss and fragmentation. Potential impacts from adjacent land-use change on park natural resources include reduced water and air quality, increased invasive plant occurrence, altered animal populations associated with neighboring habitat loss, and diminished quality of viewshed. The relatively small HTLN parks are bordered by adjacent land uses ranging from cattle grazing of native rangeland, to cultivated agricultural fields, to rapid urban development. A key aspect of measuring the effects of isolation and fragmentation is documenting past and current land uses and analyzing rates of land-use change.
Monitoring Questions and Approach
- Determine long-term trends in land use/land cover change inside and adjacent to HTLN parks.
- Determine the rate and distribution of urban expansion within the study area of HTLN parks.
Protocol for Land Use Change
Currently, HTLN Program cooperator, Dr. Robert Weih of the University of Arkansas, Monticello, is working to interpret and land use/land cover change around Hot Springs National Park. The approach is to use orthophotography and satellite imagery as tools to analyze land cover classification and patterns of land use change. Ultimately, the investigator will develop a standardized monitoring protocol for land use change analysis that will be most effective for small to medium size parks (< 100,000 acres).
Reports
Go to the Reports page.
Links
Contact Information
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Jennifer Haack
GIS Specialist (417-836-5313)