Analyzing Tree Cover in South Carolina's Rapidly Urbanizing I-85 Corridor

"The Interstate 85 corridor in South Carolina has experienced explosive growth over the past 20 years. During that period, the urban population has increased approximately 40% while the rate of land conversion to urban uses has been greater than 200 percent. The most rapidly urbanizing area, Greenville County, has the same population that Atlanta had in 1950. An analysis of tree cover for 1981, 1989, and 1999 using aerial photography, Landsat imagery, and permanent field inventory plots has been conducted for 750 square miles of the area to estimate the impact of urbanization on natural resources. Aerial photographs were ortho-rectified and used to classify Landsat imagery for percent tree canopy cover. One hundred randomly selected permanent, tenth-acre plots were established to collect data on urban forest structure and to provide inputs for the dry deposition pollution module of the Urban Forest Effects (UFORE) model. Plots were identified by GPS coordinates and two photographs were taken of each plot. Results show a 4.1 % loss in tree canopy cover between 1989 and 1999 for the study area, with a loss of 10.1 % within a one mile corridor of Interstate 85. Impacts of urban forest on air pollution will be discussed." [Abstract from Conference Program and Book of Abstracts]

[Concurrent Session I-E: Urbanization and Forest Structure]

[Presented at "Emerging Issues Along Urban/Rural Interfaces: Linking Science and Society", a conference held March 13-16, 2005 in Atlanta, GA (US)]

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