Handout for "Understanding Land Use Practices" activity.

Worksheet 1: GIS and Mapping Skills

NOTICE CONSIDER RESEARCH
How the different patterns or colors represent different types of land. How did we "look at" and evaluate land use patterns before computers allowed us to manipulate these kinds of data? Look up Geographic Information Systems and their role in urban planning.
How different types of land are located in relation to other land types (e.g., urban and agricultural) Is there a pattern associated with the way one land type is placed next to another? The role GIS plays in future planning of cities and the protection of and maximization of wildlife areas.
How certain types of land are located directly adjacent to rivers, lakes and streams. Is there a reason for this? Does the placement of urban areas next to wetlands affect the wetlands? Does the placement of created wetlands next to urban areas affect the urban areas? Positively? or Negatively? The degradation of natural areas by urban runoff and the filtering of such runoff by created wetlands.
How the urban areas encroach over the years upon the wetland areas. Does this encroachment affect the wetlands and its plants and animals? Why wetland plants and animals live precisely where they do and nowhere else... could wetland plants and animals live or move to another home?

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