Document Type

Honors Thesis

Major

Environmental Science, Economics

Advisor(s)

Daniel Hayes, Parinaz Rahimzadeh-Bajgiran, Dominic Winski

Graduation Year

May 2025

Publication Date

2025

Abstract

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) are used by U.S. and Canadian National Parks for various projects including land use planning, ecosystem monitoring, and climate change monitoring. How can a park like Roosevelt Campobello International Park (RCIP), which is jointly managed between the U.S. and Canada, use GIS to help with climate change mitigation and adaptation? Trail data and inventorying of the park’s bog walk infrastructure were collected over the summer of 2024. Land cover data was used from Natural Resource Canada for three time periods: 2010, 2015, and 2020. Carbon data was found using the International Panel for Climate Change 2006 and 2019 referendum, then combined with the land cover data to estimate carbon storage and change for two different time intervals (2010–2015) and (2015–2020). A weighted analysis was conducted, and a network analysis was run. A combined trail network map and bog walk inventory map was created, highlighting the changes to the park’s trail system, carbon storage for 2010 and 2015, the importance of wetlands as a sink, and change in carbon storage for each year from 2015–2020, showing the changes in land cover and its effect on carbon storage for RCIP. A flood extent map was created, highlighting the areas of the park most at risk for flooding during a high precipitation event, and a proposed bus route was created to convince the park to adopt a zero-emission shuttle service. Using Geographic Information Systems allows RCIP to make data-driven decisions to help with conservation, enhance park infrastructure, and build climate resilience for the park.

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