Lab 8

The 2009 Station Fires was a series of sever wildfires in the Angeles National Forest. The fires burned 160,577 acres of land causing danger and panic for those surrounding the area. However it is easy to overlook the fact that the Angeles Forest is simply a portion of the preexisting wild area that stood before intense urbanization and settlement of the region. According to the United States Forest Service’s the area is “dense chaparral which changes to pine and fir-covered slopes” although beautiful to look at this type of vegetation often has a history and necessity for burning in order to renew itself. The “devastation” caused by the fires is nothing more than nature running its natural course. The urban areas and highways that surround the space are obvious interruption to the once continuous land that once existed in the space. This fragmentation is detrimental and I believed increased the intensity of the already inevitable fire.

The Chaparral is unique because it is a biome, or a natural plant and animal community existing only on the West coast of the United States and South America, in South Africa, and Australia. This biome is known for being hot and dry, a condition that the flora and fauna of the area have evolved to withstand. For example the plants have leaves that can hold moisture and usually have shallow roots that cover a larger area, this is an attempt to catch the little water that falls. The chaparral is also accustomed to fires that work as natural renewals for the plants and soil. This chaparral’s natural cycle has been thwarted by the development of homes around and in the area. The fire was not allowed to run its natural course and was extinguished before it got to the homes that bordered the forest.

The homes and highways around the forest have reduced the forest to its fragmented and greatly reduced state. The urban populated areas become the southern border of the Angeles forest and Interstate 14 becomes the northern boundary. This limits the range of the fire and creates one of greater intensity in the already shrunken forest. This intensity is high because of the many years of suppressions; this causes more harm to the already unique plants in the biome. This can lead to a lack if diversity in the area and even cause some species to go extinct or endangered.

Fragmentation is the breaking up of a continuous natural bodies; it is “ issue of primary concern in conservation biology” (Franklin). The Angeles Forest is obviously a fragment of the former chaparral. In between small segments there lies houses, schools, and roads. Plants are unable to flourish and many animals are confused because they cannot move as freely as before. Again the fire also could not take its course because of these obstructions.

The Station fires were viewed as negative because they put people and their homes in danger. However we should remember these fires are supposed to be a since of renewal and rebirth. This is very important in an area that has been so reduced from its previous size. For this reason the fire was restricted to the boundaries of the forest. However although the intensity of the fire was great we can already see that the fire has done some good for the plant community. I believe this fire was a warning that we step back and allow nature to run its course.

Works Cited

• M., Lucy. "Chaparral Biome." 2000. Blue Planet. 23 November 2010 <http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/chaparral.htm >.
• United States Department of Agriculture. About the Forest. 2010 йил 24-November <http://www.fs.usda.gov>.
• Blue Planet. Chaparral. 2000. 2010 23-November <http://www.blueplanetbiomes.org/chaparral.htm>
• Thinkquest. Biomes: Chaparral Plants. 2008. 2010 24-November <http://library.thinkquest.org/C0113340/main.php?section=biomes&topic=chaparral&subtopic=plants>
• Franklin, Alan B., Barry R. Noon, and T. L. George. "What Is Habitat Fragmentation?" Studies in Avion Biology 29th ser. 25.20 (2002): 20-29. Print.
• Peterson, Molly. "A Year after Station Fire, Botanist, Volunteers Protect Changing Forest Ecology." KPCC. Southern California Public Radio, 28 Aug. 2010. Web. 25 Nov. 2010.

Lab 6

I chose Catalina Island off the California coast to study this week. I am interested in the island because I took annual trips there with my cross country team to run during the summer.  Since we ran the Catalina hills I thought it would be interesting to take a look at the elevation of the island. It is a small area and can be explore in a day. From Northwest to Southeast corner, Catalina extends .0347968 decimal degrees. My digital elevation model used the 1983 North American Datum; because the the island is part of the Los Angeles county it resides in zone 11. The island has a relatively mild slope but my map shows the definition of the hills. The coast line is particularly steep most likely due to erosion of the island.

Lab 5



 

 My experience with ARC GIS was again a source of frustration and fascination. The program has so many possibilities it is difficult to explore them all. Without the tutorial to guide me through this lab I found myself struggling to remember all the techniques of map making. However guiding myself through the process has help me understand the software even more. This week we studied map projections and how choosing the correct one can strengthen both data and its analysis. What I think is most important to remember about projections is the fact that they all cause some amount of distortion. However depending on what we want to observe we must accept this distortion in order to analyze the data.

            A projection, or the display of the three-dimensional world on a two-dimensional plane, offers many benefits for analysis. For example equal area maps allows its users to measure land areas fairly accurately because it preserves land area. While a conformal map preserves angles, allowing its users to use it for directional purposes. The ability to see the world on a small scale allows geographers to see phenomena and other effects surrounding them. This technology strengthens man’s historical dominance over nature, because we are able to become voyeurs of it. We have the ability to look at it as a whole and makes changes to it as a whole, rather than just focusing on areas local to ourselves.

The ability to see the world in a two-dimensional way is much more convenient than relying on a globe. We are able to put these projections in textbooks, atlases, and even party invitations, thus helping the general public navigate the world. Google maps exemplifies just how helpful two-dimensional projections can be, easily allowing users to get directions or view places spatially. It is easier to disburse information to people, as seen in many political campaigns that use maps to inform, or manipulate, the public. This possible misuse of the information leads to some potential pitfalls of the program.

ARC GIS does not come without some difficulties especially when dealing with projections. Projections always distort the world in one way or another. For this reason it is important to choose the correct projection depending on the variables you would like to analyze. However, if the wrong projection is chosen the data collected from it can be grossly incorrect. This can easily be done unintentionally, however it also can be used to mislead those who view the map. Using the wrong projection can be devastating when measuring, charting, or calculating.

Lab 4

            My experience with ArcMap showed me how useful yet frustrating the software can be. Because the program uses numerous files, I constantly had to connect, via remote access, to computers in the lab. This was difficult because of the obvious technical problems one has when trying to access a computer far away. However it was also often difficult trying to find or save files in the numerous folders. It was difficult to remember which files I had access to and where I could save changes. Also the program is frustrating because it is so meticulous' there are several small steps that must be taken in a single mapping process.

            However the mapping process was not entirely unpleasant; for example it is extremely satisfying to see the data become visibly spatial. Also the maps are very personal and customizable, I realized I could map any place in any style or projection I prefered. ArcMap also offers the opportunity to add maps, graphs and  intersections as well. These additions also help for greater analysis of the data. Being able to work on all these processes at once helped me remember how the numbers and map related.

            ArcMap’s function as a platform to view data spatially has many potentials to allow for analysis. The ability to see the data helps the mind spatially understand where a phenomenon occurs, what influences it, and what it may be influencing. ArcMap allows for a much faster and aestitcally pleasing way of processing data. The use of intersections further provides for analysis; again we can see how phenomenons influence each other. Through analysis it is possible to make changes to rectify a problem.

            Although there are many benefits to ArcMap the program also contains some pitfalls. The data can be manipulated in order to create a misleading idea about a certain set of data. The mapping software is not open to everyone and is therefore only controlled, or can only be manipulated, by a certain group. With this power comes the possibility of deception in order to capture the attention of an audience. Furthermore if information is solely obtained from these maps it is much more difficult to identify smaller or varying pieces of data. For example in mapping the noise contour I identified regions that are affected by noise pollution. However within the vast area I mapped I am sure there are pockets of places that are actually unaffected, using an aerial map we are unable to look for these specific places. This lack of specifics may be a problem as mapping is used more.