Clemson University TigerPrints All Dissertations Dissertations 12-2008 Topographic Analysis and Predictive Modeling using Geographic Information Systems Steven Hall Clemson University,
[email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations Part of the Agriculture Commons Recommended Citation Hall, Steven, "Topographic Analysis and Predictive Modeling using Geographic Information Systems" (2008). All Dissertations. 322. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/322 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Dissertations at TigerPrints. It has been accepted for inclusion in All Dissertations by an authorized administrator of TigerPrints. For more information, please contact
[email protected]. TOPOGRAPHIC ANALYSIS AND PREDICTIVE MODELING USING GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION SYSTEMS A Dissertation Presented to the Graduate School of Clemson University In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy Forest Resources by Steven Thomas Hall December 2008 Accepted by: Dr. Chris J. Post, Committee Chair Dr. Elena A. Mikhailova Dr. Thomas A. Waldrop Dr. Patrick D. Gerard i ABSTRACT This dissertation describes three GIS models developed to better model topographic features and the occurrence of mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) in the southern Appalachian Mountains. The first study presented “A LiDAR based GIS model to calculate Terrain Shape Index on a landscape scale”, attempts to develop a GIS based model to calculate the Terrain Shape Index (TSI). TSI is typically collected in the field using a series of elevation measurements to determine the average elevation change within the study plot. In this study, a GIS model is developed and TSI values compared to those collected using conventional methods.