Characterization of Changes to Bottomland Hardwood Forests and Forested Wetlandsin the Cache River, Arkansas, Watershed

摘要

Spatial data analysis and image processing techniques were used to documentchanges to forest cover and forested wetlands in the Cache River, AR, watershed. Historical topographic maps, recent topographic maps, and digital satellite imagery were used to determine the magnitude of forest removal. Changes in forest fragmentation were quantified based on the distribution and geometry of forest stands. Comparisons of forest cover with hydric soils data indicate that, in the lower watershed area, up to 80 percent of the forest removed may have been forested wetlands.