Track: Ecology, Conservation, and Archaeology
Spatial Analysis in Nicaraguan Rain Forests: Assessing the Relationship Between Colonization and Deforestation
Luis E. FernandezVegetation data were derived from classification of a 1989 Landsat TM image of the Pearl Lagoon basin in the Atlantic Coast region of Nicaragua. This classification resulted in an eight-category land cover coverage of the study area. Boundaries were delineated for watersheds in the region and served as the analysis unit in this study. Topographic, road, river, and population coverages were digitized and rasterized. Buffer analysis using ArcView Spatial Analyst was performed to determine the conversion of rain forest to agricultural lands within each watershed in relation to elevation and proximity to rivers, roads, and existing population areas.
Luis E. Fernandez
GIS Research Laboratory
430 E. University
Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1115
USA
Telephone: 313-769-6084
Fax: 313-936-2195
E-mail: luisf@umich.edu