GIS Seminar: Using ArcMap to Separate and Quantify Cover Classes for Corn Growth with Perennial Groundcovers
| Date/Time: | Monday, 28 Feb 2011 from 12:10 pm to 1:00 pm |
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| Location: | GIS Lab, 526 College of Design |
| Cost: | free |
| Contact: | Monica Haddad |
| Phone: | 515-294-8979 |
| Channel: | College of Design |
| Categories: | Lectures |
| Actions: | Download iCal/vCal | Email Reminder |
Corn stover removal for cellulosic ethanol production will likely increase soil erosion due to the lack of residue cover after harvest. Using perennial grasses and legumes as ground covers may be the most logical solution to provide adequate soil protection and allow for the removal of stover.
The objective of the main study was to evaluate 35 different grasses and legumes on three landscape positions (summit, slope, and toeslope) in a strip-tilled corn production system to determine their suitability as ground covers. To quantify the persistence of ground cover species and to determine the reestablishment of species back into the strip-tillage zone, Model Builder in ArcMap was used to create a method of photo processing in which pixels were classified into cover classes and then separated into strip-tilled and inter-row zones.
The simplicity of the model and the ability to batch-process photos will allow researchers to obtain more detailed information when evaluating ground covers in row crops. While only two zones were needed to achieve the objective of the current study, multiple zones are easily achievable. The limiting factors to this method are the limited number of classification methods in ArcMap and the need for diffuse radiation conditions during photo collection.
The GIS Seminar Series is sponsored by the Community and Regional Planning Program. It is free and open to the public.