Lab 5: Vector Geoprocessing

Goals and Background:

The purpose of this lab was to give me practice selecting and applying appropriate vector geo-processing tools as well as to allow me to try my hand at python scripting in the second section. It also was a chance to see how I could use arcmap tools in order to achieve project goals, so that I could start thinking about my final project and how I would utilize the arcmap toolset in order to answer a spatial question.

Methods:

Part 1:
The first part of the lab had me using a series of criteria to narrow down land that would be acceptable bear habitat for the DNR. I converted a GPS file into a point feature class. Then used that feature class to determine the habitat that bears were most likely to inhabit. Finding those habitats across the study area, I used the intersect, Buffer, Dissolve and Erase tools from the tool bar's geo-processing overlay and extract subsets in order to create new feature classes which showed me the areas that met the new criteria. I created layers to meet the following criteria using the above tools: land with proper cover (select by attribute and intersect), within 500 m of a stream (Buffer, Dissolve, Intersect), on DNR managed lands (Dissolve, Intersect), and 5 Km away from built up and developed land (Buffer, Erase). After I completed this, I was left with a map of land that met the criteria and was therefore a candidate for becoming bear habitat. This map can be found in Fig 1 in the results section.

Part 2:
The second part of the lab served as an introduction to python scripting. I was tasked with using Python scripting to complete two tasks. First to create a map of lakes with a potential to house a resort. Secondly to map out air pollution potential based on a map of interstates in Wisconsin. For the first project I used the Buffer_analysis, Clip_analysis, SelectLayerByAttribute_management and CopyFeatures_management commands in the arcmap python command line to buffer lakes an appropriate distance from cities,  and find lakes of an appropriate size then create a new feature class for them. Finally, I clipped the two features to create a map of the Lakes that could be used as a resort lake. That map can be found in the results section below, in fig 2.
Additionally, I utilized a simple python command for MultipleRingBuffer in order to create 6 different 1 mile wide rings around the Wisconsin interstate map I was given in order to display the potential for air pollution based on distance from the highway. That map can be seen in fig 3 of the results section.

Results:

Part 1:

Fig 1: Results of Suitable bear habitat search

Part 2:

Fig 2: Results of Search for Resort Lakes

Fig 3: Air Pollution Risk indication of Wisconsin Land

Citations:
Data: Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Accessed by Dr. Wilson

Environmental Systems Research Institute (Esri), Accessed by Dr. Wilson

Thanks to Dr. Wilson for providing data for the lab.