| Abstract: |
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail (A.T.) is 2,174 miles (3499 km) long and extends across 14 eastern states from Maine to Georgia. In the Appalachian region, elevation, topography and soils create habitat diversity and influence distribution of community types and species. Three-dimensional (3-D) visualization and modeling are important tools for understanding the conditions of the natural resources and the environment along the A.T. When we consider the preservation of the A.T. environment and the hiking experience, it is important to consider the viewshed from the perspective of the A.T. hikers as they traverse the landscape. In this presentation we propose to introduce 3-D viewshed visualization and modeling from the perspective of hikers in two phases. First, we will test using high resolution terrain models to monitor the viewshed from each vertex at locations along selected segments of the A.T. Second, we will create a moderate resolution viewshed from each vertex for the entire A.T. land base using SRTM and/or NED data. By imbedding aerial and satellite remote sensing images, the results of this modeling effort can help land managers, decision makers and the general public view the entire A.T. corridor in different spatial scales and from different elevations and view angles. Users will be able to overlay additional geospatial data in a 3-D simulation in order to enhance their ability to graphically interpret and analyze ground-based data for informed decision making. |