Invasive Plants on the Richard Stockton College Campus
Invasive Plants 2011 (Link to Project Presentation)
The Invasive Plants on the Richard Stockton College Campus report was a group project conducted in my Ecological Principles course in 2011. We identified invasive plants as a problem on campus, and targeted species of interest. We used previous studies and researched problematic invasive species on campus. We went out in the field, identified the species and tracked them using GPS signaling. From our GPS data, we created a map of the locations of the invasive plants. We also noted growing habits and any patterns we observed. Basic measurements of height and spread were also taken. We created a database of all of the information we collected so that it can be used in further studies. Our pictures were also used to create a visual presentation that has been included on this page. We were able to discuss which plants were the biggest threat to the native ecosystem on campus, and gave recommendations for how to manage these plants in the future.
I learned many important concepts from this project, including what invasive species are, and why they are important to study and manage. This project taught me a variety of useful skills, including how to work together with a group to achieve a common goal. I learned how to use the Trimble Juno GPS unit and create a map from the data. I also learned how to identify numerous species in the field by focusing on certain plant characteristics and patterns of occurrence. I enjoyed this project because it taught me how to conduct a formal study through identifying a problem, creating a hypothesis, developing the experimental design and methods, analyzing results, and making recommendations for solving the problem. It was a great experience working outside in the field with a group and learning how to identify species and use GPS equipment.
ArcMap 10.1 GIS Projects
During coursework in Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS), I completed numerous projects. These are two examples of the more detailed projects I have done.
The objective for this GIS project was to find the best location for a public school in Atlantic County. The criteria was: The school has to be in a public land, it has to be in upland, it has to be at least two miles away from any hazardous waste site, and the municipality with the highest population density should have the highest priority once the other three criteria are met. I downloaded data from NJDEP and ESRI, and began adding data. I defined coordinate systems, clipped data, and queried for public land use and I also queried for uplands. Then, I created a 2 mile buffer around the hazardous waste sites in Atlantic County. Next, I used symbology to show where the highest population densities were found.
For this project, I was given an objective to find the best location for a solid waste dumping site in Hamilton Township. I was also given three criteria: The dumping site has to be at least 1 mile away from any residential area, the dumping site must be within 500 ft of a road, and the dumping site should be at the lowest possible elevation. I downloaded necessary data from NJDEP and ESRI among other sites, examined the corresponding metadata, defined the coordinate system, and began adding data layers. I clipped layers to Hamilton Township and analyzed land use within the township to find residential areas. I created a raster calculation to show acceptable areas for the dumping site.
These projects taught me how to utilize all of the skills I acquired in this GIS course. I downloaded data, defined coordinate systems, added data, clipped, extracted, overlaid, used queries, showed symbology, computed raster calculations, and completed many other intermediate steps necessary to solve the problem. I now understand concepts about the different kinds of data used in GIS software such as vector data and raster data. I know how download GIS data and analyze metadata, and I recognize the importance of understanding where data came from and how it was collected. Other projects in this course also taught me how to create geodatabases and maps from GPS data. This project showed me how to use resources available to me and complete a project without being given directions. Being able to solve problems and complete projects without directions is an important skill to possess, as many problems in the real world do not have obvious solutions or "directions" to solve them. I enjoyed doing these GIS projects because I am excellent with computers and I'm a fast learner. I could also see the real world applications, which is exciting when you are learning a new skill.
Climate Journal Project
I created this climate journal by researching 10 climate stations around the world. We were provided with the spreadsheets with information from these climate stations for yearly precipitation, maximum temperatures, and minimum temperatures. I took the information in the spreadsheet and digested it into a format that could be understood. I created tables for each climate station, giving the averages for interval years, and highlighting values that stood outside of the standard deviation. I also created graphs to illustrate the differences in temperature and precipitation for each of the interval years used. This allowed me to understand the concept of what was reasonably normal for that area and what was not. These differences could be attributed to major storms events or droughts. These events could be speculated as being caused by climate change. After creating tables from the climate station spreadsheets and researching about each station, I created a write-up about the characteristics of the climate in each station. I also described the anthrome and Koppen Climate Classification of each climate station site. I included pictures of the area of each site to give an idea of where each site is located. I also wrote about what I learned from the project, including how our lifestyles are directly influenced by the type of climate we live in. I also learned that climate can change within short distances, and distribution is determined by the land masses' position on the Earth and the amount of sunlight and water it receives. It is also influenced by latitude and altitude. This project also had a GIS component that taught me how to use GIS on a global scale.
