Patterns of land use change in upland and riparian areas in the Etowah river basin
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Author(s)
Roy, Allison H.
Freeman, Mary C.
Meyer, Judy L.
Leigh, David S.
Advisor(s)
Editor(s)
Hatcher, Kathryn J.
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Abstract
Streams are influenced by the upstream
landscape, but may be differentially affected by
conversion of forests in the entire catchment vs riparian
areas adjacent to streams. We used geographic
information system (GIS) analyses of the stream
network and land cover in the Piedmont of the Etowah
River basin to assess development patterns in upland
catchment and riparian areas of streams. Landsat
images (1973, 1987, 1997) were used to determine land
cover and land cover change in a 100 m buffer on each
side of the stream and the catchment as a whole.
Agricultural and urban uses covered a larger percentage
of the catchment area compared to the riparian area.
Streams exhibited an average 13% decrease in forest
cover and 11% increase in urban land cover in the
catchments over the 24 year period, with riparian areas
changing at a slower rate. Small (~15 km2) and large
(~100 km2) catchments had similar proportions of
buffer vs catchment forest land cover. Although rates
of development were less in riparian areas, the
continued trends of increased urban and decreased
forest cover suggest that current policies may not be
adequate at protecting stream ecosystems.
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Date
2003-04
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Text
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Proceedings