A geoprocessing model to conduct a suitability analyis which identifies potentially suitable locations for a new minning operation in an environmentally sensitive area near Big Bear, California. The images below show ArcGIS ModelBuilder model and the maps generated from the model. Click on each map to view a larger image.
+An analysis to identify suitable potetial locations for a new mining operation within an environmetally sensitive area of the San Bernadino National Forest near Big Bear, California. The area has high-grade calcium carbonate depoits. However, it also provides habitat for endangered plants that only grow on soils containing calcium carbonate. Four rare plants live only in this carbonate habitat: the Cushenbury buckwheat (Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum), the Cushenbury milk-vetch (Astragalus albens), the Cushenbury oxytheca (Acanthoscyphus (Oxytheca) parishii var. goodmaniana), Parish’s daisy (Erigeron parishii). An ArcGIS ModelBuilder model was created to incorporate various factors into the suitability analysis. Factors sutudied include accessibility, plant habitat sensitivity, and watershed sensitivity. The images below show parts of the ArcGIS ModelBuilder model and some of the maps generated from this model. Click on each map to view a larger image.
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ModelBuilder model
+ModelBuilder model classifies accessibility based on by how difficult it is to traverse the landscape taking into account roads, highways, streams, vegetation types, land ownership, and slope.
Map
+Map identifies how difficult it is to traverse the landscape taking into account roads, highways, streams, vegetation types, land ownership, and slope. Easily traveresed areas are labeled in green, while those that are lease accessible are labeled in red.
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ModelBuilder model
+ModelBuilder model classifies the sensitivity of plant communities to disturbance taking into account endemic carbonate species, vegetation types (conifer forest, pinyon juniper woodland, riperian forest, chaparral, and creosote bush), threatened and endangered species habitat, special interest areas, and research natural areas.
Map
+Map identifies sensitivity of plant communities to disturbance taking into account endemic carbonate species, vegetation types (conifer forest, pinyon juniper woodland, riperian forest, chaparral, and creosote bush), threatened and endangered species habitat, special interest areas, and research natural areas. Least sensitive areas are labeled in green, while highly sensitive areas are labeled in red.
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ModelBuilder model
+ModelBuilder model classifies areas subject to excessive distriubance, taking into account roads, highways, trails, OHV areas, quarries, mills, timber zones, shooting zones, and recreation areas.
Map
+Map identifies areas subject to excessive distriubance, taking into account roads, highways, trails, OHV areas, quarries, mills, timber zones, shooting zones, and recreation areas. Least sensitive basins are labeled in green, while the most sensitive basins subject to excessive disturbance are lableled in red.
A study was conducted using remote sensing imagery to quantify the change in area of the Lyell glacier in Yosemite National Park, California. This analysis was performed using Landsat 7 imagery captured in late summer when it is easiest to distinguish permanent snow fields from other snow deposits. Mount Lyell is well known as the location of one of the few remaining glaciers in Yosemite. These glacier has been shrinking due to the impacts of global climate change. Today, the Lyell Glacier is considered a permanent snow field rather than a living glacier because it has ceased to flow. The extent and change in the area of permanent snow was assessed using both supervised and unspervised land cover classification techniques. The analysis was performed using QGIS software. Click on the buttons below to access the full report and a presentation of the analysis results.
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