Forest Sciences Commons^™

A Geographic Information System Assessment Method For Fire Management: Identifying Fire Danger Areas, Richard D. Stratton

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

In partnership with the USDA Forest Service and the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire, and State Lands, a geographic information system (GIS) was used to create a wildland fire assessment methodology. GIS layers (or themes) include topography, infrastructure, vegetation, climate, "sensitive" natural values, and fire history. Two phases of assessment are presented: a preliminary analysis designed for planning use at the landscape level, and a detailed analysis for site-specific use.

Results of the phase 1 assessment are density grids delineating areas of high fire occurrence and suggesting to managers where a phase 2 assessment is needed. By using the environmental, …

Comparison Of Presettlement And Present Vegetation Cover Of Marion County, Illinois Using A Geographic Information System, Daniel Unger

Faculty Presentations

The vegetation types of Marion County, Illinois prior to European settlement, which were derived from soil association surveys, were compared to a satellite map of current vegetation types to quantify their change over time. GIS analysis indicates that 10% of presettlement prairie is currently grassland, 2% of presettlement prairie has been converted to forest, 32% of original prairie has been converted to agriculture and urban use, 17% of presettlement forest remains intact, grassland comprises 18% of presettlement forest while 21% of presettlement forest has been converted to agricultural and urban use.