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Iowa State
University Affiliations
Department of Landscape
Architecture
Community and Regional Planning GIS Certificate Program
Education
- B.A., Anthropology, 2002, University of Iowa, cum laude.
- Certificate, Geographic Information Systems
(GIS), 2005, Iowa State University.
- M.L.A., Landscape Architecture, 2006, Iowa State University.
Research
Kane County
is located on the western fringe of the greater Chicago metropolitan area. Development
pressures there have caused rapid increases in land consumption and property
values. The county’s Forest Preserve District is
actively purchasing land for conservation, but it is important to understand
fully the long-term costs associated with specific conservation goals. We
created 18 future scenarios to identify costs associated with acquisition,
restoration, and long-term maintenance of conservation lands in Kane County.
We evaluated these scenarios through a framework for alternative futures
modeling in ArcGIS 9.0 that accounted for urban
growth as well as conservation suitability based on predetermined acquisition
goals. Long-term costs were found to be less in areas of the county with more
available land compared to scenarios which included areas where initial
acquisition costs were higher. Additionally, by focusing on these areas it is
possible to build larger core reserves. The results of our project will
foster explicit consideration of the long-term costs associated with
conservation strategies in Kane County, Illinois, as well as similarly urbanizing areas in the United States.
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