Author Type

Graduate Student

Date of Award

2006

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Status

Version of Record

Submission Date

October 2026

Thesis/Dissertation Advisor [Chair]

Gallagher, Jacqueline

Abstract

The purpose of this thesis was to document human impacts to Grassy Waters Preserve and correlate that to environmental change. Aerial photographs and archives provided a history of human impacts. These impacts included roadways, canals/levees, development, and landfills. To determine if environmental change occurred vegetation maps were digitized and compared from three study areas using 1940 and 1999 aerial photography. These vegetation maps included open water, transitional marsh/prairie, cypress, upland forest and human feature categories. Within all study areas the vegetation maps indicated decreases in the open water community. Within two areas major increases in cypress and uplands occurred. Vegetative shifts varied based on the locations of features like canals and levees. Due to image quality differences statistical analysis of the maps was not possible. However, the magnitude of change suggests that Grassy Waters became more densely vegetated and forested over time.

Extent

117 p.

Comments

Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2006.|Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2006.

Identifier

FADT13355

Format

pdf

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