Other Questions Other Affiliation Developing Sustainable Forestry Model Based on GIS Data Considering the Effect of Development on the Size of the Local Floodplain

MACED was created as a provider of technical assistance to community-based groups in the Appalachian region. In the past, they have conducted various research projects on environmental issues, and have recently completed a sustainable forestry project in Central Appalachia of which our collaboration was only a part. MACED was a great help to both of our research teams by providing great questions, gathering data, locating existing mathematical models, as well as providing expertise on GIS, community growth patterns, and forestry.

Drs. Pearce, Blackburn-Lynch and three Berea College students have used Geographic Information System (GIS) data collected by the Mountain Association for Community Economic Development (MACED) and forest growth data collected by the US Forest Service and the Kentucky Division of Forestry to create an estimate of the total forestry resources available in a selected study area in Eastern Kentucky. Another research team has worked on another question involving GIS posed by MACED. Namely, how is the development of Berea effecting the size and shape of the local floodplain.