Land-cover Change and Environmental Impact Analysis in the Greater Mankato Area of Minnesota Using Remote Sensing and GIS modelingProblemMethodsResultsFiguresConclusionsLand-cover Change and Environmental Impact Analysis in the Greater Mankato Area of Minnesota Using Remote Sensing and GIS modelingPaper by: F. Yuan. 2008. International Journal of Remote Sensing, Volume 29: p1169 – 1184.Presented by Ryan Miller Spanish, Geog 37024/02/2008ProblemProblem: Land-use and land-cover changes have great effects on the environmental and socio-economic sustainability of communities. When one type of use replaces another, the effects tend to be superimposed and cumulative. Hypothesis: Changes in percent impervious surface, cropland and grassland affect the local environment with regards to air and water quality.MethodsSite: Mankato, MNArcGIS-CITYgreen™QuickBirdDetermined the land cover type based on aerial photography from 1971 and from 2003Impervious Surface, Forest, Cropland/Grass, Water-textural and spectral variation issues addressedDetermined air quality, carbon storage and sequestration, storm water runoff, and water-quality changes Ozone, Sulfur Dioxide, Nitrogen Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, particulate matter <10 µmResultsExtent of urban development nearly doubled from 1971-200318.3% 32.6%Urban sprawl has increased average surface runoff volume by 5.14mmUrban development has not impacted the overall air quality of the area **Author attributes the unchanged levels in annual air-pollution removal rate and carbon storage/sequestration to the increase of urban forest in this site over the 32-year span.FiguresConclusionsAccurate land use information can be obtained from high resolute remote-sensing data and interpreted with GIS tools in order to estimate present changes in environmental effects from land use and land cover changes.Urban sprawl increases total runoff volumes.Criticisms: Scale of the assessmentFocus on municipal boundaries rather than Watershed boundaries OpportunitiesLack of explored opportunities for land use
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