321_Mastery_Exercise_4
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Rutgers University *
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3238
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Geography
Date
Feb 20, 2024
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Mastery Exercise 4: Distance and Context Operators Distance and Context Operators Mastery Exercise Introduction This is the fourth mastery exercise and it focuses on the tools for raster analysis covered in class. This mastery exercise is in the form of a single problem that can be solved in two stages. To solve the problem you will have to use distance and context operators as well as tools for database query to complete this exercise. You are encouraged to keep a lab journal where you can record each step you take toward the solution. Also, make use of cartographic models (either by hand or using the ArcGIS Modeler) at all stages of your problem solving. Submit your answers to the numbered questions, along with your final maps and cartographic model, via Sakai as attachments
.
The problem to solve in this exercise is to find areas that are suitable for maple syrup harvesting in the area of Paxton, Massachusetts. Stage 1 Maple syrup is produced from liquids that are "tapped" or drained from maple trees in early spring. The liquid that is harvested flows best while temperatures are above freezing. For this reason, trees on south facing slopes will yield more liquid earlier in the season than trees on north facing slopes. In this problem, south facing slopes are those between 90 and 270 degrees from North. However, transporting the heavy buckets of liquid through forests that are likely to still be covered in snow is difficult. Stands of maple trees that are close to roads are, therefore, more suitable than those far from roads. In this problem, trees within 650m of a road will be considered suitable. The first part of the problem, then, is to find all locations that are suitable for maple syrup harvesting. These are locations that
contain maple trees and
are within 650m of a road and
are on south facing slopes (90-270 degrees from North). The data for this stage of the exercise includes the following:
PAXLU, a raster image of landuse/landcover in Paxton, MA.
PAXDEM, a raster image of elevation in meters for Paxton, MA.
ROADS, a raster image of roads in Paxton, MA.
Question 1: Using the information above, the data provided, and the tools for raster analysis covered in class, produce an image showing all locations suitable for maple syrup harvesting. Briefly describe (no more than 2 paragraphs) the content of your map and the forms of analysis used to produce it. Question 2: Cartographic Model: Complete a cartographic model for the analysis done above. You may draw your cartographic model either by hand on paper or by using the ArcGIS Modeler. On your cartographic model (drawn either by hand or from the Modeler) indicate clearly all data elements (i.e. data layers or ASCII files) and command elements (i.e. ArcGIS operations) used. Also, annotate your cartographic model (after drawing or printing) with the actual values used in any procedure such as a reclassification. Include any sub-operations or parameters chosen for each operation. Stage 2 Your result in stage 1 included many locations that are suitable. However, small stands of maple trees (where "stands" are contiguous groups of cells, diagonally connected) do not yield enough liquid to make them economically practical for harvesting. Only relatively large stands of maple trees are suitable. Therefore, we will add a new criterion: only stands (in the result from stage 1) greater than 5 hectares are suitable. Question 3: What is the total number of suitable maple stands (of any size) in your image? How many of them are greater than 5 hectares in area? Question 4: Create an image of just the stands that are greater than 5 hectares. Question 5: Show clearly how you produced the image from Question 4 by drawing or printing another cartographic model (please annotate appropriately). Question 6: What is the average elevation of the stands which are larger than 5 hectares? Explain clearly how you figured out the average elevation. Extra Credit: Produce a simulated 3D map of Paxton with roads and stands greater than 5 hectares using one of visualization methods demonstrated in lab (Hillshading, Orthographic perspective using ArcScene). Feel free to use the landuse data to make a good looking and easy to interpret map. Briefly explain how you made your map.
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