I. Introduction
II. Problems in Creating a GIS
2.1 Purpose of the Study
2.2 Problem 1: Data Acquisition and Conversion
2.3 Problem 2: A Model for Habitat Acquisition
2.4 Summary of Problems
III. Review of Relevant Literature
3.1 Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
3.2 Data Quality and GPS
3.3 Aerial Photography and Remote Sensing
3.4 Data Acquisition and Conversion
3.5 Identifying Landscape Patterns
3.6 Ecological Greenways
3.7 Land Acquisition
3.8 Literature Review Summary
IV. Study Site Description
V. Methodology
5.1 Data Layers Description
5.2 GPS Ground Control Coordinates
5.3 Digitizing and Registration of Data
5.4 Acquisition and Conversion of Portage and Stark County Data
5.5 Digital Elevation Model (DEM)
5.6.1 Aerial Photography - First Attempt
5.6.2 Aerial Photography from ODNR - Second Attempt
5.7.1 Wetland Habitats from ODNR Division of Wildlife
5.7.2 Natural Heritage Data fro Endangered Plant Species
5.8 DLGs from the USGS
5.9 Methodology Summary
VI. Representation of Data and Analytic
Results
6.1 Maps for Quail Hollow State Park
6.2 Maps of the Buffer Study Area (BSA)
VII. The Habitat Acquisition Model (HAM)
7.1 GIS as a Tool for Habitat Acquisition
7.2 Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)
7.3 Spiral pondweed (Potamogeton spirillus)
VIII. Concluding Remarks
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX A - Glossary of GIS Terminology
APPENDIX B - Glossary of Ecology Terms
APPENDIX C - Software Used in the Thesis
APPENDIX D - Hardware Used in the Thesis
APPENDIX E - Land Use and Land Cover Classification
System