The coastal zone is home to a variety of threatend and endangered species that are under increasing pressure from human interaction. In order to protect these sensitive species, it is important to first identify the location of their existing and potential habitats. This module focuses on the utility that GIS provides in the area of species habitat identification. In the first exercise, students learn how to create spatial data through heads-up digitizing. This data consists of the nesting locations of several threatened bird species on the South Carolina coast. Once students have completed digitizing, they will utilize several geoprocessing tools in ArcToolbox to determine the total spatial nesting area for each species. In the second exercise, students utilize LIDAR data to define a sensistive zone for nesting locations, then use digital nautical charts to visually locate potential visitor areas.
At the conclusion of this module, students will be able to: