Building a functional, integrated GIS/remote sensing resource analysis and planning system

To be an effective tool for resource analysis and planning, a geographic information system (GIS) needs to be integrated with a digital remote sensing capability. To be truly functional, the paired system must be driven by grass roots local needs. A case study couched in a Soil Conservation District in northern Utah is presented. Agency representatives determined that the most fundamental data sets to be entered into the GIS system analysis system in the first round were: land use/land cover; geomorphic/soil unit data; hydrologic unit data; and digital terrain. The least expensive and best ways to obtain these data were determined. Data were acquired and formatted to enter the state's PRIME/ARC-INFO GIS, and are being interrogated for resource management decisions related to such issues as agricultural preservation, urban expansion, soil erosion control, and dam siting

Riparian habitat on the Humboldt River, Deeth to Elko, Nevada

A map inventory of the major habitat types existing along the Humbolt River riparian zone in Nevada is described. Through aerialphotography, 16 riparian habitats are mapped that describe the ecological relationships between soil and vegetation types, flooding and soil erosion, and the various management practices employed to date. The specific land and water management techniques and their impact on the environment are considered

Enviropod handbook: A guide to preparation and use of the Environmental Protection Agency's light-weight aerial camera system

The use of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Enviropod camera system is detailed in this handbook which contains a step-by-step guide for mission planning, flights, film processing, indexing, and documentation. Information regarding Enviropod equipment and specifications is included

Assessment of LANDSAT for rangeland mapping, Rush Valley, Utah

The feasibility of using LANDSAT MSS (multispectral scanner) data to identify and map cover types for rangeland, and to determine comparative condition of the ecotypes was assessed. A supporting objective is to assess the utility of various forms of aerial photography in the process. If rangelands can be efficiently mapped with Landsat data, as supported by appropriate aerial photography and field data, then uniform standards of cover classification and condition may be applied across the rangelands of the state. Further, a foundation may be established for long-term monitoring of range trend, using the same satellite system over time

Detecting agricultural to urban land use change from multi-temporal MSS digital data

Conversion of agricultural land to a variety of urban uses is a major problem along the Wasatch Front, Utah. Although LANDSAT MSS data is a relatively coarse tool for discriminating categories of change in urban-size plots, its availability prompts a thorough test of its power to detect change. The procedures being applied to a test area in Salt Lake County, Utah, where the land conversion problem is acute are presented. The identity of land uses before and after conversion was determined and digital procedures for doing so were compared. Several algorithms were compared, utilizing both raw data and preprocessed data. Verification of results involved high quality color infrared photography and field observation. Two data sets were digitally registered, specific change categories internally identified in the software, results tabulated by computer, and change maps printed at 1:24,000 scale

An integrated LANDSAT/ancillary data classification of desert rangeland

Range inventorying methods using LANDSAT MSS data, coupled with ancillary data were examined. The study area encompassed nearly 20,000 acres in Rush Valley, Utah. The vegetation is predominately desert shrub and annual grasses, with some annual forbs. Three LANDSAT scenes were evaluated using a Kauth-Thomas brightness/greenness data transformation (May, June, and August dates). The data was classified using a four-band maximum-likelihood classifier. A print map was taken into the field to determine the relationship between print symbols and vegetation. It was determined that classification confusion could be greatly reduced by incorporating geomorphic units and soil texture (coarse vs fine) into the classification. Spectral data, geomorphic units, and soil texture were combined in a GIS format to produce a final vegetation map identifying 12 vegetation types

Follow-on proposal identifying environmental features for land management decisions

Urban morphology (an examination of spatial fabric and structure), natural ecosystem (investigations emphasizing biophysical processes and patterns), and human ecosystem (emphasizing socio-economic and engineering parameters) were studied. The most critical variable, transpiration, in the ASPCON model, created by Jaynes (1978), describing the hydrology of aspen to conifer succession was studied to improve the accuracy. Transpiration is determined by a canopy transpiration model which estimates consumptive water use (CWU) for specific species and a plant activity index. Also studied was Pinyon-Juniper woodland erosion

The Patient-Oriented Eczema Measure in young children:Responsiveness and minimal clinically important difference

BACKGROUND: The Patient‐Oriented Eczema Measure (POEM) has been recommended as the core patient‐reported outcome measure for trials of eczema treatments. Using data from the Choice of Moisturiser for Eczema Treatment randomized feasibility study, we assess the responsiveness to change and determine the minimal clinically important difference (MCID) of the POEM in young children with eczema. METHODS: Responsiveness to change by repeated administrations of the POEM was investigated in relation to change recalled using the Parent Global Assessment (PGA) measure. Five methods of determining the MCID of the POEM were employed; three anchor‐based methods using PGA as the anchor: the within‐patient score change, between‐patient score change and sensitivity and specificity method, and two distribution‐based methods: effect size estimate and the one half standard deviation of the baseline distribution of POEM scores. RESULTS: Successive POEM scores were found to be responsive to change in eczema severity. The MCID of the POEM change score, in relation to a slight improvement in eczema severity as recalled by parents on the PGA, estimated by the within‐patient score change (4.27), the between‐patient score change (2.89) and the sensitivity and specificity method (3.00) was similar to the one half standard deviation of the POEM baseline scores (2.94) and the effect size estimate (2.50). CONCLUSIONS: The Patient‐Oriented Eczema Measure as applied to young children is responsive to change, and the MCID is around 3. This study will encourage the use of POEM and aid in determining sample size for future randomized controlled trials of treatments for eczema in young children

Irrigated acreage in the Bear River Basin as of the 1975 growing season

The irrigated cropland in the Bear River Basin as of the 1975 growing season was inventoried from satellite imagery. LANDSAT color infrared images (scale 1:125,000) were examined for early, mid, and late summer dates, and acreage was estimated by use of township/section overlays. The total basin acreage was estimated to be 573,435 acres, with individual state totals as follows: Idaho 234,370 acres; Utah 265,505 acres; and Wyoming 73,560 acres. As anticipated, wetland areas intermingled among cropland appears to have produced an over-estimation of irrigated acreage. According to a 2% random sample of test sites evaluated by personnel from the Soil Conservation Service such basin-wide over-estimation is 7.5%; individual counties deviate significantly from the basin-wide figure, depending on the relative amount of wetland areas intermingled with cropland