[135 Taylor Road • Niagara-on-the- [705-790-lucmorin-portfolio.weebly.com/uploads/2/5/8/0/25804427/finlaysfern... · [705-790-4939 • [email protected]] 3 [135 Taylor Road •

[135 Taylor Road • Niagara-on-the-Lake • Ontario • L0S 1J0]

[705-790-4939 • [email protected]]

February 21st, 2014 GISC9308 - Spatial Statistics

Ian D. Smith, B.Sc., R.P.Bio. Professional Biologist

Save the Fictitious Ferns (StFF)

235 Veggie Way

Fonthill, ON

L0S 1R0

Dear Mr. Smith

Re: Finlay’s Fabulous Fictitious Fern, (Osmunda Finlayensis) Geospatial

Suitability Analysis

Please accept this technical memorandum as GeoMotion`s formal submission for deliverable

2, Intoduction to ArcGIS Spatial Analyst Extension.

In this document you will find conclusive results on the most suitable planting sites. The

first of these sites is located at UTM coordinates X : 649,433.1, Y : 4,778,895.2. It has a

total area of 12,400m2 and 775 possible planting locations. The second site of importance

was found to be located at X : 649778.4, Y : 4779232.8. This second site has an area of

3,200m2 and 200 possible planting locations. Both of these are located on the escapement’s

edge facing the college.

Thank you for your time, I look forward to reading your commentary notes and grading

about the second deliverable. Feel free to email me if you have any questions, concerns or

suggestions.

Sincerely,

Luc Morin

GeoMotion – Project Manager

Niagara College - Campus Geospatial Environmental Expert

L.M.

Enclosures: 1.) Finlay’s Fabulous Fictitious Fern, (Osmunda Finlayensis) Geospatial

Suitability Analysis (Deliverable 2)



1 [135 Taylor Road • Niagara-on-the-Lake • Ontario • L0S 1J0] [705-790-4939 • [email protected]]

Finlay`s Fabulous Fictitious Fern Geospatial Suitability Analysis

Technical Memorandum

Project: Feature Sources / Map Output

Client: Ian D. Smith, B.Sc., R.P.Bio

Prepared By:

Luc Morin – Niagara College campus geospatial environmental expert

Subject: Finlay’s Fabulous Fictitious

Fern, (Osmunda Finlayensis) geospatial suitability analysis

Date: 21st February 2014 GeoMotion project #3928

1.0 Introduction

Finlay`s Fabulous Fictitious fern is a small plant that was once found abundant in the region. The purpose of

this analysis is to determine areas that are the most suitable for the re-introduction of the shy and retiring

fern. (Botany, 2011) This fern has many requirements such as slope angle, slope direction (aspect), soil types,

and shading. (Smith, 2014) Using geographic information systems (GIS) software, its 3D Analyst and Spatial

Analyst tools, GeoMotion has undertaken the task to determine the best suited planting sites.





2.0 Study Area

A study area of approximately 2 000 000 square meters has been chosen by Ian D. Smith, the field biologist

for Save the Fictitious Ferns (StFF). In the Figure 1 below you will see that the location is near Saint

Catharines and Thorold Ontario. This study area is on Niagara College`s Glendale campus and its surrounding

features such as the Niagara Escarpment, Warden Road and the CN Railway. The Niagara Escapement and its

Woodend Conservation Area to the south is mainly a hardwood composed forest that includes small

scattered populations of black cherry, black oak and custard apple trees. (Authority, 2014)

Figure 1 - Geographic and Topology Map of the Study Area





2.1 Data Review

GeoMotion has conducted a data review before proceeding to the analysis. Such review has revealed errors

in the soil data provided. To ensure a quality repair of this data, we have given the opportunity to Curtis

Bernstein and Melody Biggs, two environmental studies students from Niagara College to sample soils within

the study area. This led to adjustments to the soils datum layer of 130 meters at the azimuth of 280°. (See

Figure 2 below)

Figure 2 - Changes Made to the Soils Datum





3.0 Methodology

3.1 Weighted Overlay Analysis Finlay`s fern has specific needs as mentioned by the client, therefor the method of approach is to create a

suitability analysis. To do this GeoMotion has broken down the specie`s needs into multiple geographic

information systems (GIS) image files called rasters. Each of these rasters represents the 5 requirements. A

weight has been given to each of these raster based on values and their importance for the plant`s healthy

growth. (Smith, 2014) These are done threw a re-classification, and allows further analysis procedures to

predict more accurately. The weighting for these requirements are as follow in Table 1 for the Weighted

Overlay Analysis.

Table 1 - Weighted Overlay Analysis Requirement Rankings

Slope Angle Effect Ranking

0° - 20° No Growth 0

20° - 65° Will Grow 1

65° - 90° No Growth 0

Azimuth of Slope (Aspect) Effect Ranking

0° - 247° No Growth 0

247° - 360° Will Grow 2

Soil Type Effect Ranking

Escarpment Best Growth 2

Toledo Ok Growth 1

Cashel Ok Growth 1

Beverly No Growth 0

Peel No Growth 0

Haldimanad No Growth 0

Lincoln No Growth 0

Not Mapped No Growth 0

Angle of Shade (Hillshade) Effect Ranking

0° - 195° No Growth 0

195° - 235° Will Grow 2

235° - 255° No Growth 0

The weighting in importance for all these requirements are as calculated in the Equation 1 bellow.

Equation 1 - Order of Importance





The results of the individual criterion mapping in rasters are as follow in Figure 3 below.

Figure 3 - Analysis Requirements





The results of this weighted overlay suitability analysis are as follow in Figure 4 below. This map depicts the

most suitable planting locations within the study area. As you can see they are scattered around the

escarpment, with some outliers to the south at the CN railway tracks that are less suitable. These areas are

the ones that ranked highest in the needs criteria provided for the healthy growth of the fern.

Figure 4 - Multi Criteria Analysis





3.2 Fuzzy Analysis

GeoMotion decided to undertake a second analysis method to ensure that the results were similar

to the previous analysis method and conclusive. This second analysis called the fuzzy analysis has

more precise weightings for the raster reclassification and allows to better separate the very suitable

from the less suitable sites. These more precise weightings are as follow in Table 2 below.

Table 2 - Requirements Ranking for Fuzzy Analysis

Slope Angle Effect Ranking

0° - 20° No Growth 0

20° - 35° Sparce Growth 1

35° - 45° Moderate

Growth 2

45° - 55° Heavy Growth 3

55° - 65° Sparce Growth 1

65° - 90° No Growth 0

Azimuth of Slope (Aspect) Effect Ranking

0° - 247° No Growth 0

247° - 292.5° Sparse Growth 1

292.5° - 337.5° Heavy Growth 3

337.5° - 360° Sparse Growth 1

Soil Type Effect Ranking

Escarpment Best suited 3

Teledo Well Suited 2

Cashel Well Suited 2

Beverly Poorly Suited 1

Peel Poorly Suited 1

Haldimanad Not Suitable 0

Lincoln Not Suitable 0

Not Mapped Not Suitable 0

Angle of Shade (Hillshade) Effect Ranking

0° - 180° No Growth 0

180° - 195° Wont Thrive 1

195° - 220° Will Thrive 3

220° - 235° Wont Thrive 1

235° - 260° No Growth 0





The results of the fuzzy analysis are as follow in Figure 5 below. This type of analysis resulted in finding more

sites that have high suitability ratings within the study area because of different classification methods. As

you can see in the map, it resulted in more areas need the CN railway to the south and the field off of

Warden road.

Figure 5 - Fuzzy Overlay Analysis





3.2 Modeling schema

The Figure 6 below is the model schema for both analyses. At the start at the top is the original data shown

as green. From this a Triangular Irregular Network file (TIN) GeoMotion is able to take the initial data

requirements as seen in Table 1, Table 2, and Equation 1 and create specific rasters that can be calculated for

specific fern needs such as hillshade (Botany, 2011). Furthermore these files have undergone a

reclassification, depending on which of the 2 analyses. This is shown by the blue reclassify tab. Finally the

results of both analyses are shown as green tabs on either side.

Figure 6 - Model Schema for Both Analyses





4.0 Findings The suitability analysis revealed many isolated suitable regions within the study area. The two different

analysis types revealed similar blocks of potential interest for planting populations of ferns. The biggest of

which ranked highest in potential growth has an area of 12400 square meters. This is located on the

escarpment at the following UTM coordinates X : 649433.1, Y : 4778895.2. These regions have the possibility

to grow 775 ferns in 16 square meter blocks.

The second largest best suited planting area is located just east from the first at X : 649778.4, Y : 4779232.8.

This region has an area of 3200 square meters and the possibility to plant 200 ferns.

See Figure 7 below for specific location information.

Figure 7 - Best Suited Sites Found





Bibliography Authority, N. P. (2014). Our Conservation Areas. Retrieved 2 21, 2014, from Your Natural Playground:

http://www.npca.ca/conservation-areas/

Botany, R. J. (2011). The Life Cycle of Osmunda Finlayensis and associated fern assemblages.

Bubbl. (n.d.). Brainstorming Made Simple. Retrieved 2 19, 2014, from https://bubbl.us/

Forests, L. E. (2011 - 2012 ). LEAF. Retrieved 2 21, 2014, from Native Tree Species - Carolinian Region:

http://www.yourleaf.org/native_tree_species_carolinian_region

Smith, I. D. (2014). Terms of Reference - Deliverable D2 -ArcGIS Spatial Analys. Niagara-On-The-Lake: Ian

Smith.

Documents

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