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Douglas Hagedorn and Nicole Timoshenko
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3 - Research Approach |
| This research seeks to a)
identify locations on Manitoulin Island that are suitable for
Alvar Conservation Initiatives, and b) target and prioritize these tracts of
land to determine the best potential locations for conservation
initiatives. This process was carried out in two functional
stages using ArcGIS 9.1. The first stage incorporated the use of
a weighted overlay model to calculate the degree of disturbance upon
the landscape caused by anthropogenic activities (E.G: agricultural
activities, the development of transportation infrastructure, urban
settlement and growth, et cetera). The output product of this stage is
a map depicting anthropogenic disturbances on Manitoulin Island that
can be used to determine where conservation efforts are viable. (See Figure 4-1) The second stage of this research incorporated the
use of a Multiple Criteria Evaluation (MCE) framework with six
weighted criteria to assign priority values to parcels of land that are
considered suitable for conservation and that have a contiguous area
larger than 300 hectares . The output product of this stage will be a
thematic map that depicts parcels of land larger than 300 hectares
that are ranked from lowest priority for conservation to highest (See Figure 4-2 & Figure 4-3).
Steps that were used to carry out this research are outlined
within each objective discussion linked below and are graphically
modeled in Figures 3-1, 3-2, and 3-3. Objective One: Identify factors related to anthropogenic threats that define where land suitable for conservation initiatives exists. Objective Two: Identify spatial criteria related to the targeting and prioritization of potential Alvar conservation locations. Objective Three: Develop a GIS-based model that incorporates a Weighted Overlay process to assess land suitability and MCE process to target and prioritize locations suitable for Alvar conservation initiatives. Objective Four: Apply the GIS research model to the Manitoulin Island study area. |
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