Landscape Inventory and Analysis

LA 361

Project links
Loess Hills project editorial in the Des Moines Register
Recent projects
Course description and objectives
Course policies
Schedule
Bibliography

Project Links

Read the Des Moines Register editorial about our Loess Hills national park site selection project.

ArcView GIS land cover map of the Des Moines River valley between Fort Dodge and Brushy Creek, Webster County, Iowa
Project 3 -- Photo interpretation and land cover map
Project 9 -- Data digitizing and debugging
Spring 2001

ArcView GIS land cover map of the Chariton River valley area, Lucas County, Iowa
Project 3 -- Photo interpretation and land cover map
Project 9 -- Data digitizing and debugging
Spring 2000

ArcView GIS land cover map of the Des Moines River valley area, Boone County, Iowa
Project 3 -- Photo interpretation and land cover map
Project 9 -- Data digitizing and debugging
Spring 1999

ArcView GIS land cover map of the Renton area, Seattle, Washington
Project 3 -- Photo interpretation and land cover map
Project 9 -- Data digitizing and debugging
Spring 1999

Recreation Trail Study, City of Fort Dodge, Webster County, Iowa
Project 2 -- Landscape inventory and interpretation
Spring 2001

Riparian Buffers Study, Trees Forever, Southern Iowa
Project 2 -- Landscape inventory and interpretation
Spring 2000

Critical Areas Study, Prairie Rivers RC&D, Central Iowa
Project 2 -- Landscape inventory and interpretation
Spring 1999

Final projects: environmental impact assessment
Project 12 -- Landscape impacts
Spring 2001

Final projects: environmental impact assessment
Project 11 -- Landscape impacts
Spring 2000

Final projects: environmental impact assessment
Project 11 -- Landscape impacts
Spring 1999

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

Landscape Inventory and Analysis is an intermediate level course in landscape planning emphasizing landscape patterns, landscape data sources, landscape analysis techniques, and geographic information systems (GIS). Landscape planning involves landscape architects and other professionals concerned about the location, kind, and quality of land use. Landscape planning emphasizes the following:

Biological, physical, and social considerations (especially natural and cultural resources)
Principles of landscape ecology (such as biodiversity, ecological integrity, and sustainability)
Predominantly rural study areas (such as watersheds, state forests, and countryside)
Regional-level studies (relatively large study areas)
Two-dimensional planning (rather than three-dimensional design)

Part of the landscape planning process involves landscape analysis. Landscape analysis provides a systematic approach to developing comprehensive, accurate, and efficient information about land and its resources. The purpose of landscape analysis is to develop useful information prior to land use decision-making and site development planning. This is accomplished primarily by identifying opportunities and limitations for landscape development, restoration, conservation, or preservation. Applications of landscape analysis include the following:

Landscape description (inventory, regional delineation)
Location analysis (site selection, route selection)
Use analysis (suitability, capability, feasibility studies)
Impact analysis (urban development, resource use)

In preparing you to work on landscape planning projects, we will answer the following questions:

What information do I need?
What data sources are available?
Where do I get the pertinent data?
How do I analyze the data to create useful information?

During the course you will work on developing the following skills:

Analysis (problem identification, key factors, inventory, synthesis)
Evaluation (selection of criteria, impact assessment, precognition)
Communication (oral, written, graphic)
Technical (cartography, data interpretation, computer applications, GIS)

At the conclusion of the course you should have the ability to apply the following landscape analysis process:

Define and organize a landscape planning project
Identify key factors or issues in the project
Inventory relevant landscape data sources
Define appropriate project goals and objectives
Develop alternate sets of analysis criteria
Select appropriate spatial analysis techniques
Apply criteria to data using a geographic information system (GIS)
Evaluate analysis results in terms of your stated goals/objectives
Communicate your analysis results in graphic, written, and oral forms

COURSE POLICIES

Attendance

All scheduled class periods will be used. Lectures will be used to present case studies, discuss data sources and methods, and introduce projects. Studios will be used to practice methods, data interpretations, and applications. Many studio projects must be completed in class because of special methods, equipment, or group projects. Be there. No one who misses class regularly should expect to receive a passing grade.

Students on the class list who do not attend one of the first two class sessions will be dropped from the course. Students not on the class list who want to add the course should talk to us. Admission will be based on (1) prerequisites, (2) space available, and (3) first come--first served.

Grading

We use a plus-minus grading system. Your graded work includes in-studio exercises, projects outside of class, presentations, and exams. In addition to this graded work, your final grade will include your attitude, attendance, and improvement. Each assignment will have an established due date. Late work involving presentations will not be accepted. Late work involving writing will be accepted; however, the maximum possible points will be lowered according to the following schedule:

same day     -10% (of maximum possible points)
1 day        -20%
2-3 days     -30%
4-7 days     -40%
8-14 days    -50%
15-45 days   -60%
46-70 days   -70%
71-120 days  -80%

Late work that involves presentations will not be accepted. Makeup exams will be available only to those who make arrangements before the scheduled exam. We also use a point system for graded work. During the semester there will be a total of approximately 500 maximum possible points. The number of points assigned to each problem indicates its relative importance in determining your final grade. See the course outline for the relative importance of each project.

Course Text

You are required to purchase a course packet. The course packet contains course information, lecture outlines, project statements, project worksheets, and handouts.

Course Fee

The course fee includes $15.00 for the computer handouts, diskette, field trip, base sheets, aerial photographs, coding materials that you use and keep. You will be billed for the course fee by the University Business Office. Fees must be paid to receive a grade for the course.

Course Materials

Materials and equipment which you will need early in the semester include the following:

Engineer's scale        Drafting tape
T-square, triangles     Prismacolor pencils or studio markers
Lettering guide         Matte knife
White tracing paper     Illustration board

Later in the semester you will need the following materials/equipment:

Illustration board
Transparency material (flimsy, acetate, mylar, or vellum)
Transparency drawing media (markers, pencils, or ink)

We will supply some materials and equipment. Other materials or drawing equipment not listed above may be needed. We will inform you of these in advance.

SCHEDULE

Landscape description

Jan 9 Applications and issues
Jan 11 Landscape planning
Project 1. Landscape patterns (10%)

Jan 16 Landscape data
Jan 18 Landscape data

Site selection

Jan 23 Landscape data
Jan 25 Landscape data
Project 2. Inventory and interpretation (20%)

Jan 30 Landscape data
Feb 1 Landscape data

Feb 6 Landscape data
Feb 8 Presentation

Site suitability

Feb 13 Remote sensing
Feb 15 Synthesis
Project 3. Photo interpretation and land cover map (4%)

Feb 20 Geographic information systems
Feb 22 Hand-drawn datafiles
Project 4. GIS overlay suitability map (4%)

Feb 27 Transparent overlays
Mar 1 Hand-drawn datafiles
Project 5. GIS advanced suitability maps (4%)

Mar 6 Analysis principles
Project 6. GIS urban park suitability (4%)
Mar 8 Exam
Project 7. Exam (10%)

Mar 13 Spring break
Mar 15 Spring break

Mar 20 Geographic information systems
Project 8. GIS topographic modeling (5%)
Mar 22 Geographic information systems

Mar 27 Computer techniques
Project 9. GIS land cover digitizing (3%)
Mar 29 Computer techniques
Project 10. GIS land cover inventory (2%)

Impact assessment

Apr 3 Impact assessment
Project 11. EIS evaluation (5%)
Apr 5 Impact statements
Project 12. Impact assessment (20%)

Apr 10 Assessment techniques
Apr 12 Impact mitigation

Apr 17 Selecting analysis techniques
Apr 19 Exam
Project 13. Exam (10%)

Apr 24 Jury week
Apr 26 Final presentation

BIBLIOGRAPHY

On Reserve

McHarg, Ian. 1971 (1995). Design with Nature. Doubleday (Wiley), New York.

References

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Paul Anderson's home page

Last revision: 11 May 2001