Irrigation is essential for profitable agriculture in the western
United States. It is the largest consumer of water and power in
Oregon. Conflicting uses of water and power and their scarcity demands
judicious planning for allocation of these resources. Creditable
baseline data are not only needed for irrigated crop acreages,...
The development of a geographic information system
(GIS) requires the development of large databases of
spatially related information. Scale, resolution and the
classification of thematic data can vary considerably in
terms of the level of detail at which the data are compiled
and converted to machine readable form. The level...
In this paper "map complexity" refers to the inherent
intricacy of a mapped geographic pattern. Map complexity and sample
size are two variables shown to influence the accuracy of
interpolated dasymetric maps.
An automated experiment was designed to investigate the
precise relationship among map complexity, sample size, and the
accuracy...
A psychophysical bisectioning experiment was performed
to evaluate equal steps within tint progressions on a high
resolution graphics terminal. In the bisectioning
experiment each respondent partitioned a tint progression
by interactively defining colors that were perceptually
equidistant between two previously defined colors. Twenty
test subjects performed the test on the...
Historically the U.S. Forest Service has used uncorrected
aerial photographs to delineate proposed and past management
activities on the land base it manages. Transferring a boundary
from an image not planimetrically correct to a planimetrically
corrected image introduces errors. Positional accuracy of
boundaries affects the number of acres the Forest...
Training high school students to conduct field mapping and data
collection of wildlife habitat on public lands produces important data for
local government geographic information systems and introduces students
to the field of geography. However, the positional accuracy of the spatial
data is important for use in a GIS, as...
Progress in the development of color CRT's and color
graphic hard-copy devices offers a new tool for the thematic mapper.
From a cartographic perspective, the technology for displaying and
producing color maps has advanced without concern for cartographic
principles and conventions in the employment of color. Since it is
necessary...
The purpose of this paper is to describe the
application of expert system concepts to cartographic
problems. Expert systems, a subfield of artificial
intelligence, are computer programs based on knowledge and
symbolic reasoning. The basic principles of expert systems
will be explained. Areas of cartography that are most
suitable for...
The purpose of this project, therefore, is to develop a GIS for a small
geographical area that is currently of high priority to the GLT. The development of this GIS will be documented in a sequential fashion, so that it may serve as a
framework for future endeavors. This paper...
Slope-aspect is the compass direction of a slope at a particular location on a given
surface, and can provide a graphic tool for people who require an understanding of
the pattern of slope-aspect variation across a landscape. Slope-aspect maps can be
helpful for terrain analysis, watershed management, building site analysis,...
With increased attention being focused on the remaining old-growth
forest resource in the Pacific Northwest a way to ecologically rate forest stands is
needed to assist the U.S. Forest Service in its management decisions. A Geographic
Information System (GIS) model was developed to rate old-growth stands in a 49,500
acre...
Animated cartography is still a new field. It has been experimented with for years, but it
has not gained general usage except partially in use by the news media. Nevertheless, certain
subjects cry out for displaying the patterns of movement over time, such as historical patterns of
migration and settlement,...
The visualization of climate patterns is a major theme in cartography. Short-term
dramatic weather events such as hurricanes and tornado outbreaks are mapped and
displayed immediately in order to capitalize on the sensational nature of the events, and
to quickly and accurately convey the information to emergency workers and the...
Equal value gray scales are frequently employed by cartographers to choose gray tone area
symbols. Several researchers have tried to quantify perceived gray tone as a function of percent area inked or
reflectance but results have varied. The influence of pattern and texture on gray tone perception is considered
a...
An inventory of existing land use maps developed by Oregon county planning departments has been made through use of questionnaires and interviews. The degree of consistency has been examined with regard to the types of base maps, scales, projections, base information, and classification schemes employed. Recommendations have been made for...
Efficient management of natural resources requires the ability to utilize and integrate information. The challenge is to fully utilize this information base with its various degrees of accessibility, ever increasing volume and dispersed nature. The manager must be familiar with media types used to store, manage and communicate this information....
The application of the collinearity solution by resection of the interior and exterior
orientation parameters of historical photographs is investigated. The spatial coordinates of seven
or more identifiable control points in the field of view of an historical photograph, combined
with image coordinates of the control point images, allow solution...
For many years, psychologists have studied
the principles of psychophysics. Recently, cartographers
have been considering psychophysical theory in
color attribute analysis to aid in the design of maps.
An experiment was conducted using the partitioning
method by which the Munsell value scale was determined
to find (R,G,B) coordinates giving equally...
Because of declines in salmon populations in recent years, the health of salmon habitat, in particular, is the focus of many resource agencies. The objective of this study is to use GIS to predict the location of suitable habitat. With data from an extensive set of stream surveys, GIS was...
Many studies have looked at human settlements around individual volcanoes for
volcanic risk analyses, but few have done a comparative study to identify possible global
patterns. With the use of Landsat ETM+ data, this study identifies and compares urban
proximity to the Decade Volcanoes to identify volcanic settlement patterns. These...
The prevailing image of the Northwest at the
beginning of the nineteenth century, as portrayed on maps
published at the time, was based more on myth and wishful
thinking than on geographic fact. During the next fifty years
these myths were exploded as exploration of this previously
unknown territory progressed,...
This paper discusses the methods used to create a maintainable
tracking system for used by the City of Corvallis' Plaiming Division for the
purpose of historic preservation. The system includes a Microsoft Access2000
database and an ArcView GIS component. In addition to this, there is a web site
component of...
National and international organizations are developing spatial databases to assess the
distribution of Biodiversity using geographic information systems (GIS). Currently, there
are no guidelines or standards for building GIS databases for biodiversity assessment
because database design is discipline-dependent and most biodiversity disciplines lack
spatial traditions. The present research analyzes the...
The World Wide Web is a promising new media for cartography. It allows the creation of interactive maps that can be accessed by the general public. There is a wide variety both in methods used and in the overall quality of current Web sites. This report reviews the state of...
Nearest-neighbor resampling is a common procedure used by cartographers to
reproject raster data sets. This type of resampling is useful because it retains the data
from the original raster data set. However, during nearest-neighbor resampling some of
the original data will be lost as it is reprojected, while other data...
Vegetation along the banks of mountain streams in the western Oregon
Cascades comprises an integral part of the transition zone between land and
water based ecosystems, and as such, is a vitally important and unique natural
resource. Forestry is a major land use in this region, and harvesting riparian
vegetation...
The density at which urban areas are developed has become a contentious issue, with
advocates for compact cities in conflict with advocates for larger lots and suburban
development. This research paper examines the associated impact of population density
(grouped by residential zones) as measured by vegetation (Normalized Difference Vegetation
Index)...
This paper explores the confusion that exists between general definitions of what constitutes a GIS or CAD system. Then a comparison and contrast is made of microcomputer versions of GIS and CAD programs using as examples two of the most popular, pcARC/INFO and Aut0CAD. The differences and similarities are discussed...
A program, Color Choropleth Mapping System (CCMS), has
been developed to provide high quality color choropleth maps at
the Geography Department at Oregon State University. The program
operates interactively and is menu-driven. When developing the
software for mapping programs, programmers need to be aware of
cartographic theory, as well as...
A site suitability analysis for reforestation of the endemic Hawaiian forest tree koa (Acacia koa var. hawaiiensis) was performed. The study will assist the Hawai'i Resource Conservation and Development's (RCD) Forestry Committee in their effort to develop a master land use plan for koa regeneration on the Island of Hawai'i....
The purpose of this study was to develop, implement, and test methods for
quantifying the relative proportion of hardwood and conifer cover from Thematic Mapper
(TM) imagery. The research was focused on closed canopy forests in the Oregon Coast
Range, where hardwood, conifer, and mixed stand conditions are prevalent. Based...
This paper explores the use of hypermedia m geographical and environmental analysis, focusing on the use of sound. After providing essential definitions the paper presents a brief history of multimedia and hypertext (the combination of which lead to the term hypermedia) and object oriented programming. The concept of the hypermap...
High resolution land use/land cover information from
stream riparian areas is useful in understanding instream
biotic assemblages, and is often not available for
geographical research. A classification system was developed
which provides the types of information about the riparian
buffer thought to be important in providing good habitat for,
or...
Moire patterns have been identified by printers as
undesirable screen patterns caused by incorrect angling of
overprinted halftones. These patterns are being examined by
cartographers as a possible alternative to traditional methods
of producing patterned areas on maps. Map design guidelines
are needed before the use of moires can become...
Satellite imagery has become an efficient and time effective tool that
may aid in the development of regional terrestrial and aquatic resource management
schemes. A methodology utilizing National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR)
imagery, 1.1 kilometer spatial resolution at nadir, was developed for delineating...
GIS technology has reached a point where it can be utilized by nonprofessionals in a desktop environment. This paper reviews the implementation of a pilot project for developing a localized-natural resource GIS. The resulting GIS was custom designed to answer questions posed by fish and wildlife biologists who need to...
This paper examines the influence of species, method, and area on automated
species-area curve created from a systematically sampled data set. Because this is a new
approach to species-area curves, three tests were run to evaluate the performance of the
data sets and accumulation technique. The tests involved 1) range...
In 1979, the Geographic Applications Laboratory
of the Department of Geography, Oregon State University,
was retained by the Portland General Electric Company to
form and supervise a program to monitor the bioenvironment
in the vicinity of the Boardman Coal-Fired Power plant. This
partially fulfills requirements of the Department of Energy...
Attempts to map the distribution of acidic
deposition have been inadequate, particularly in areas of
seasonal or limited rainfall. Ambient air concentrations
of acid precursors may be used to monitor and map the
distribution of potential acidic deposition. A network of
stations in California currently monitor these ambient air
concentrations....
A Digital Earth is a visualization tool that uses the latest technologies to embed vast
quantities of geographic data into easily understood information. By creating three-dimensional
landscape visualizations that look as photorealistic as current technology
allows, it becomes possible to see, explore, and spatially understand parts of the Earth as...
In this work software is developed to take an ecosystem management tool used by the US Forest Service, the Ecosystem Management Decision Support (EMDS) system, and enhance its utility by capturing the results of an ecosystem assessment and saving them in a format that facilitates importation into other management tools,...
Mitchell Marsh, a tidal salt marsh in the Salmon River Estuary, was diked in the
early 1960s. Restoration of the marsh, which began in late 1978, consisted of partial dike
removal. Several studies have been conducted in the marsh, addressing the status of the
developing salt marsh plant communities. Species...
This study provides some guidelines using and comparing the
RGB (red, green, blue), HSV (hue, saturation, value), and HLS (hue,
lightness, saturation) color specification systems to help designers
of computer produced layer tinted maps to select appropriate and
effective colors from the immense palette provided by modern color
monitors. Map...
ArcView 3D Analyst is a powerful geospatial tool, and has proven very useful in
3D visualization and analysis. In most cases, 3D data models are temporally static,
representing only one instance in time. For many applications, the 'missing' time
dimension is of great significance, and there is a need to...
When the Spatial Data Transfer Standard is adopted as a Federal
Information Processing Standard, a Quality Report containing sections on lineage,
accuracy, logical consistency, and completeness will be required of agencies
producing digital cartographic data. This Quality Report diverges significantly from
the "U.S. National Map Accuracy Standards", in place for...
Details the development of the OSU 360 virtual tour system (www.oregonstate.edu/osu360) from May 2008 to May 2009. OSU 360 is a collaboration between the Department of Geosciences, University Housing and Dining Services, Central Web Services, Web Communications, and Admissions/Enrollment. This article details the project development from determining goals, distinguishing locations,...
Aerial photographs and field sampling were used to compare aspen (Populus tremuloides) age structure and stand conditions on elk winter range in the northern Yellowstone ecosystem. The elk winter ranges studied were the northern range in Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and the Gallatin National Forest and the Sunlight/Crandall elk winter...
Many diverse applications have begun to study processes and patterns at a global
scale. To aid in this research, discrete global grid systems (DGGSs) are data models
which enable environmental modeling, monitoring and sampling across the earth at a
variety of spatial scales. A DGGS can be evaluated on a...
Modern environmental monitoring and modeling requires a good global
grid system for survey sampling and accurate, spatially complete data
collection of relevant environmental phenomena. A prime requirement for the
global grid system is that the global sampling grids be regular and equal in area
and have minimal shape distortion. None...
Remote sensing is an attractive method for the
detection and monitoring of crop stress. The feasibility of
using remote sensing for the detection and monitoring of
fungal diseases, insects, weeds, and non-infectious
diseases affecting the cultivated cranberry (Vaccinium
macrocarpon Ait.) is evaluated. A study on the fungal
disease twig blight...
This thesis considered current approaches to describing landscape pattern,
identified scale issues associated with defining objects, and explored techniques to
reliably group elements based on land cover as represented by satellite imagery. It
was recognized that there is an important need to develop tools that can be applied
using remotely...
The H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest in the Cascades of
central Oregon provides a unique opportunity to study spatial
climate patterns on a relatively small scale. Historical
records at the 64 square-kilometer site provide a spatiallydense
30-year dataset. Thermal regimes at the H. J. Andrews
are generally known but the...
Cartographic generalization results In locational Inaccuracies of the
generalized feature. The cartographer expresses the amount of generalization
and the locational inaccuracy of the feature through map design and choice of
map scale. This information is often lost when the map is digitized. In the environment
of geographic Information systems, the...
The major considerations for acquiring and using a
geographic information system (G..I.S.) for regional or national
geographical research and analysis are examined in this paper.
After defining what a G.I.S. is, some of the more practical and
useful functions of a G.I.S. in day-to--day geographical work are
outlined. Finally, the...
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a burgeoning
field with its roots in geography. It is increasingly
being used by a large variety of disciplines, including
land use planning, as a decision support tool to help solve
complex spatial problems. At Oregon State University,
researchers have developed an analog model which...
The American Proposed Standard for Digital
Cartographic Data presents the new national exchange format
which allows the transfer of spatial data among parties
that may use different computer hardware and different
operating system software.
A translator program for the conversion of the AutoCAD
DXf data structure to the Standard's output...
The Corvallis area study is made to help evaluate the local need
for additional system capacity ten years in the future. The product of
the study is an areally detailed projection of electrical demand.
The demand is derived in two steps: the location, nature, and
intensity of specific land uses...
Models that assess the risk to biodiversity from landscape change can help
communities prioritize planning decisions. Accurate representation of the ecology and
life history traits of species is necessary. This study introduces the use of habitat
quality in a biodiversity risk model to determine the significance of habitat quality when...
A method for delineating watersheds by computer using digital
elevation model (OEM) data is presented. The five steps in this
process are detailed and examples are shown. The algorithm was tested
using a manually created OEM for a small area in Northern
California. Three basins were delineated using the delineation...
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife's (ODFW) Ecological Analysis
Center (EAC) is in the process of creating, from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM)
imagery, a vegetation map of Oregon that will meet the latest standards set by the
National Gap Analysis Program. Since field verification is often expensive and by...
The relationships between spectral reflectance in the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) bands and grass canopy variables were evaluated using in situ remote sensing techniques. Reflectance data were collected from experimental plots of annual ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea) using a Barnes Modular Multiband Radiometer (MMR). The canopy...
The effect of scale is an important concern in mapping of biodiversity. Scale issues include the grid cell size used for analysis and the effect of the extent and internal boundaries. Because biodiversity analysis involves combinatorial processes, determining the proper scale is data dependent and cannot be predicted from the...
The main theme of this research is the application of geographic techniques in a study involving environmental monitoring and analysis of the associations between landscape and in-stream characteristics in the Pacific Northwest. The geographic techniques used in this study include (1) geographic information systems (GIS) coupled with statistical analysis and...
The Willamette River and its floodplain in northwest Oregon have changed dramatically since European settlement. At one time, the river was a vast complex system of braided channels with a broad floodplain forest; it has now been simplified by channelization and dams, and the forest has been removed to support...
A per-segment classification system was developed to map aspen (Populus tremuloides) stands on Winter Ridge in central Oregon from remote sensing imagery. A 1-meter color infrared (CIR) image was segmented based on its hue and saturation values to generate aspen "candidates", which were then classified to show aspen coverage according...
The study examines the effect of forest clearance on fire occurrences in major islands of Indonesia, namely: Borneo, Sumatra, Sulawesi and Irian Jaya. The working hypothesis of the study is that forest clearing is a necessary predecessor for extensive fires to occur. The study is designed to test the idea...
This dissertation primarily uses observations made during the 2005 Kashmir earthquake relief effort and available disaster literature to address problems that impede effective and efficient disaster preparedness and response. Three manuscripts form the body of the dissertation. The manuscripts are thematically linked through the Emergency Management Cycle. Each manuscript examines...
Ecoregions are regions of relative homogeneity with respect to specific
ecosystem variables (Bailey 1976; Omernik 1995). There has been an increasing
awareness that effective management of environmental resources must be undertaken
with an ecosystem perspective (Omernik, 1995). Ecoregions serve as a spatial
framework for assessing, managing, and monitoring ecosystems that...
This dissertation uses a new methodological approach for an in-depth analysis of three cartographic works. Studies within the discipline of the history of cartography have followed various methodologies throughout the past century. This dissertation argues that in order to come to a more complete understanding of how maps were produced...