Land Use/Land Cover Assessment of Dane County,

Wisconsin: Contemporary Trend and Future Projections

By Eric Fabian

Introduction

• Research Question: What will the future land use and land cover be by 2030 in Dane County, Wisconsin? • Objective: To assess current land changes and predict future trends• Human-Environmental and Spatial Tradition• Remote Sensing Concept

Concepts and Traditions

• Human-Environmental and Spatial Tradition• Human impact combined with remote sensing for assessment• Remote sensing and GIS algorithms used to predict change

Data

• Landsat Imagery• Classified LULC Images• Lidar Data• Census Block Group Data• Income Data

Classified Imagery

Object-Based Classified Images showing urban land, forested land, agricultural land, and water bodies

Lidar Data

Lidar Imagery: Darker areas are of low elevations, lighter shades are of high elevation (Courtesy of Robinson Map Library, University of Wisconsin-Madison

Types of Census Data

• Population Data used as “driver” to predict future trend• From 2000 and 2010• At block group level for accuracy

• Income Data• From 2000 and 2010

Methodology

• Creation of two classified images using eCognition object based classification• Creation of multiple secondary classes through a combination of

ArcMap and Erdas Imagine Software• Implementation of TerraSync Prediction Software using drivers like

center of Madison, Wisconsin, distances to major roads, population change, income change

Preliminary Discussion

• Increase of urban land from 2000-2010 signifies continued increase for future• Decrease of forested land from 2000-2010 signals possible continued

loss to 2030.• Continued population growth• Policies in place steering trends

References

• http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/standards/national-geography-standards/?ar_a=1 (last accessed 13 February 2015)• USGS Global Visualization Viewer http://glovis.usgs.gov/ (last

accessed 27 February 2015• United States Census Bureau www.census.gov (last accessed 27

February 2015)