Treesearch

This paper describes a procedure for systematically inventorying the visual resources of wildland environments. Visual attributes are recorded photographically using two separate sampling methods: one based on professional judgment and the other on random selection. The location and description of each inventoried scene are recorded on U.S. Geological Survey topographic maps and in field notes. This procedure was applied to nearly 100 miles of the Appalachian Trail at an estimate cost of $24 per mile, placing it well within a budgetary range of most wildland units. The conclusion discusses...

Under the impetus of recent legislative and administrative mandates concerning analysis and management of the landscape, governmental agencies are being called upon to adopt or develop visual resource and impact assessment (VRIA) systems. A variety of techniques that combine methods of psychological assessment and landscape analysis to serve these purposes is being explored, especially in this country and Great Britain. A rapidly expanding body of research dealing more generally with conceptual and methodological issues in the use of observer-based descriptions and evaluations of landscape...

Due to legislation passed in 1977, the Coastal Commission tock part in a study analyzing potential offshore Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) sites and the types of terminals that might occupy those sites. The study had to evaluate the engineering feasibility of siting an LNG receiving terminal offshore in relation to the maximum protection of coastal resource provisions required by the California Coastal Act. The Coastal Act embodies a broad range of policies for the protection of coastal resources, which includes providing for the protection of scenic and visual resources within the coastal...

Computers can analyze and help to plan the visual aspects of large wildland landscapes. This paper categorizes and explains current computer methods available. It also contains a futuristic dialogue between a landscape architect and a computer.

This paper is an investigation of the Visual Management System (VMS) and the Visual Resource Inventory and Evaluation Process (VRIEP). Questionnaires were developed and sent to persons who were experienced with VMS and/or VRIEP. VMS has been found easier to under-stand and apply than VRIEP. The methodology of VRIEP has been found to he a more complete approach than that of VMS, Sensitivity levels in both manuals were found to he the sections most difficult to understand, apply, and in need of most improvement and research. Recommended are changes to methodology and criteria as well as the...

Descriptive landscape analyses include various procedures used to document visual/scenic resources. Historic and regional examples of landscape description represent desirable insight for contemporary professional inventory work. Routed and areal landscape inventories are discussed as basic tools. From them, qualitative and quantitative evaluations can be developed although certain landscape attributes are omitted. Aesthetic evaluations and visual impact predictions for environmental impact studies can originate from landscape analyses. Scope and implications of needed research in visual...

In order to obtain local and state government approvals, an environmental impact analysis of the mining and reclamation of a proposed hard rock quarry was required. High visibility of the proposed mining area from the adjacent community required a visual impact analysis in the planning and design of the project. The Visual Analysis defined design criteria for the mining and reclamation plans to minimize adverse environ-mental impacts and encourage long-term beneficial land use. Visual analysis provided an additional tool for the citizens, local government, and state government officials to...

Photosynthetic response5 of black and red spruce were used to define parameters of their fundamental niches. Grown at warm temperature, black spruce had highest rates of CO2 uptake at high light intensities, fitting it for a pioneering role, while red spruce had the lowest light compensation point, fitting it for a late successional role. Black and red spruce responded in different ways to low temperature acclimation. Low temperature, low light (12°C, 100 ft-c (1 ft-c = 10.7641x)) acclimation stimulated C02 uptake in black spruce under all conditions while it depressed CO2 uptake in red...

The off-road recreation vehicle (ORV) has become a major influence on the character of wild landscapes. Visual impacts resulting from ORV use are shaped not only by site-environmental variables, but also by the nature of the recreation experience users seek, The problem is further compounded by conflicts between ORV?s and other recreational uses. Solutions to ORV-induced visual impact problems will require further understanding of the specific behaviors of ORV users.

For years, the principal objective of evapotranspiration research has been to calculate the loss of water under varying conditions of climate, soil, and vegetation. The early simple empirical methods have generally been replaced by more detailed models which more closely represent the physical and biological processes involved. Monteith's modification of the original Penman evapotranspiration equation to include a term for canopy resistance signaled a shift in emphasis in evapotranspiration research from a physically controlled process to one which can be physiologically controlled. This...