GIS technologies for aquatic macrophyte studies: Modeling applications
Remillard MM and Welch RA. 1993. GIS technologies for aquatic macrophyte studies: Modeling applications. Landscape Ecology. 8(3):163-175
A GIS database developed for Lake Marion, South Carolina was utilized to assess existing relationships between aquatic macrophyte distributions and environmental parameters affecting plant growth. The significance of water depth, sedimentation, nitrogen, phosphorus, top dissolved oxygen, bottom dissolved oxygen, percent light and absolute light was tested using GIS overlay techniques and the Chi Square test of independence. Specific levels of the eight parameters found to be spatially related to aquatic vegetation were then utilized to develop a provisional cartographic model describing optimum growth conditions for aquatic macrophytes. Model validation by comparing predicted vegetation with actual vegetation distributions indicated only water depth and sedimentation data layers are necessary for predicting more than 90 percent of emergent and sumergent distributions. Resource managers can use this model to identify lake areas that are susceptible to excessive macropyte growth and require special attention. Abstract provided by author.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Remillard, Marguerite; Welch, Roy
- Units
- SFCN
- Keywords
- Absolute light, Aquatic environments, aquatic macrophytes, aquatic vegetation, Cartographic model, Chi Square test, Ecological models, Ecology, Environmental Systems Research Institue, Geographic Information System, GIS overlay techniques, Lake Marion, Landscape modeling, Nitrogen (N), Oxygen (O), Percent light, Phosphorus (P), Plant distribution, Plant Growth, Remote Sensing, Sedimentation, South Carolina, Water Depth, Water Quality