Katarzyna Grala

Landscape Architecture

[Thesis summary]
The thesis entails analysis of vegetation change over time and development of vegetation predictive models using GIS. The case study area is the Platt District of the Chickasaw National Recreation Area (CNRA), Oklahoma. It is a 900-acre historic designed landscape that contains cultural resources reflecting the NPS “rustic” philosophy. The Platt District vegetation is severely overgrown with eastern red cedar and requires immediate management action. It is hoped that the thesis will support future management decisions.
Preliminary analysis will document and quantify red cedar invasion into the grassland areas of the Platt District. In the process of vegetation change study historical aerial photographs will be examined using Image Analyst and Spatial Analyst extensions of ArcView. The results of the analysis will provide supplementary information for further modeling of management actions.
Vegetation predictive models will be created for no-action alternative, ecological restoration alternative as well as for three major cultural landscape treatment philosophies: restoration, preservation and rehabilitation. Simulations of the predictive vegetation changes in 50 years for each treatment model will be created. ArcGIS software will be used to perform analysis and generate these models. Final modeling outcomes can eventually be used in a vegetation management plan for the Platt District of CNRA.