The Use Of General Land Office Records And Geographical Information Systems For Restoration Of Native Prairie Patches In The Jackson Prairie Region In Mississippi

Author

Michael Tobit Gray

Issuing Body

Mississippi State University

Advisor

Schauwecker, Timothy J.

Committee Member

Brzuszek, Robert F.

Committee Member

Cooke, William

Date of Degree

12-10-2010

Document Type

Graduate Thesis - Open Access

Major

Landscape Architecture

Degree Name

Master of Landscape Architecture

College

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

Department

Department of Landscape Architecture

Abstract

The Jackson Prairie Region represents a rare, poorly understood and threatened ecosystem. A review of the literature concerning the ecology, physiography and geology of the Region was undertaken, along with a search of General Land Office (GLO) records for locations of historic prairie patches. The prairie patch location data was transcribed, digitized and inserted as a base map in a Geographical Information System (GIS). A set of current, local conditions indicating suitability for conservation or restoration, along with importance weights for each condition, was derived from stakeholder input. A simple additive weighting technique was used to rank the locations in terms of suitability for conservation or restoration. Historic patch locations were visited and the presence of prairie indicator species noted. The use of GLO records and GIS in this way improves the ability of landscape architects to enhance and preserve an imperiled habitat as they design across multiple scales.

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11668/17036

Recommended Citation

Gray, Michael Tobit, "The Use Of General Land Office Records And Geographical Information Systems For Restoration Of Native Prairie Patches In The Jackson Prairie Region In Mississippi" (2010). Theses and Dissertations. 4685.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/4685