29
Mapping Patterns of Human Use
and Potential Resource Conflicts
on Public Lands
James V. Schumacher, Roland L. Redmond, Melissa M. Hart, and Mark E. Jensen
29.1 Introduction
Large areas in western North America are publicly
owned and managed by governmental agencies for
a variety of uses. As the human population continues to grow, competing interests will place mounting pressures on how resources from these lands
should be managed and used by people. To make
sound decisions about the allocation of these resources, decision makers must consider all aspects
of the ecosystems in which they are found. The human role in ecosystem function is one such topic
deserving of more attention (Sheifer, 1996). Much
as humans need to be included in ecological studies, current maps of human settlement and related
patterns are not accurate enough for many assessments. One way to create more accurate maps is to
integrate data from the u.s. Census Bureau with
other information sources, often remotely sensed
imagery (Lo and Faber, 1997; Yuan et al., 1997;
Mesev, 1998; Ryavec and Veregin, 1998).
In this chapter (which was published previously
by Schumacher et aI., 2000), we present a mapping
approach incorporating census data, land cover as
mapped from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery, land ownership, and a transportation network. In essence, we map areas that are inhabited
or used by people. These maps can be used to point
us toward areas where there are likely to be risks
of conflict-whether risks for humans, resources,
or both. To illustrate the approach, we present an
example for the Lolo National Forest, focusing on
methods rather than actual results.
436
29.2 Study Area
The administrative boundaries of Lolo National
Forest cover 11,000 km 2 in western Montana,
U.S.A. (Figure 29.1). To avoid edge effects along
these boundaries, our analyses included a lO-km
buffer around the entire forest, which increased the
total study area to 22,000 km 2 • This area is reasonably large and complex, and nearly all requisite
input data were readily available, making the area
a convenient choice for developing and illustrating
our GIS mapping protocol.
29.3 Methods
29.3.1 Data Inputs
Human Population
The U.S. Constitution specifies that the nation's
population be counted every 10 years. Since the
first census in 1790, the uses of this information,
as well as the methods by which it is collected, have
changed dramatically. Since 1970, every household
has been sampled by a mail-in questionnaire and
tallied within a nested set of units ranging from the
block (containing approximately 100 people) to the
block group, tract, county, and state. For this study,
we obtained block-level population counts and
block boundaries from the 1990 Census (http://
www.esri.comldataionline!tiger!).
Census data are commonly displayed as either
dot density or choropleth maps (e.g., Figure 29.2a).
Mapping Patterns of Human Use
and Potential Resource Conflicts
on Public Lands
James V. Schumacher, Roland L. Redmond, Melissa M. Hart, and Mark E. Jensen
29.1 Introduction
Large areas in western North America are publicly
owned and managed by governmental agencies for
a variety of uses. As the human population continues to grow, competing interests will place mounting pressures on how resources from these lands
should be managed and used by people. To make
sound decisions about the allocation of these resources, decision makers must consider all aspects
of the ecosystems in which they are found. The human role in ecosystem function is one such topic
deserving of more attention (Sheifer, 1996). Much
as humans need to be included in ecological studies, current maps of human settlement and related
patterns are not accurate enough for many assessments. One way to create more accurate maps is to
integrate data from the u.s. Census Bureau with
other information sources, often remotely sensed
imagery (Lo and Faber, 1997; Yuan et al., 1997;
Mesev, 1998; Ryavec and Veregin, 1998).
In this chapter (which was published previously
by Schumacher et aI., 2000), we present a mapping
approach incorporating census data, land cover as
mapped from Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery, land ownership, and a transportation network. In essence, we map areas that are inhabited
or used by people. These maps can be used to point
us toward areas where there are likely to be risks
of conflict-whether risks for humans, resources,
or both. To illustrate the approach, we present an
example for the Lolo National Forest, focusing on
methods rather than actual results.
436
29.2 Study Area
The administrative boundaries of Lolo National
Forest cover 11,000 km 2 in western Montana,
U.S.A. (Figure 29.1). To avoid edge effects along
these boundaries, our analyses included a lO-km
buffer around the entire forest, which increased the
total study area to 22,000 km 2 • This area is reasonably large and complex, and nearly all requisite
input data were readily available, making the area
a convenient choice for developing and illustrating
our GIS mapping protocol.
29.3 Methods
29.3.1 Data Inputs
Human Population
The U.S. Constitution specifies that the nation's
population be counted every 10 years. Since the
first census in 1790, the uses of this information,
as well as the methods by which it is collected, have
changed dramatically. Since 1970, every household
has been sampled by a mail-in questionnaire and
tallied within a nested set of units ranging from the
block (containing approximately 100 people) to the
block group, tract, county, and state. For this study,
we obtained block-level population counts and
block boundaries from the 1990 Census (http://
www.esri.comldataionline!tiger!).
Census data are commonly displayed as either
dot density or choropleth maps (e.g., Figure 29.2a).