Oral Abstract Details

Author(s):
Jun Tu

Affiliation:
Kennesaw State University

Presentation Type:
Oral

Topic Area:
Human influences on ecosystems (direct and indirect stressors)

Abstract Text:
Northern Georgia, especially the Atlanta Metropolitan area, has being experienced rapid urban sprawl over decades. A study of water quality, land use changes, and population growth trends in several watersheds of northern Georgia since the 1970s has been conducted to examine the impact of urbanization on water quality through GIS and statistical analyses. GIS analyses are used to delineate sub-watersheds using Digital Elevation Models for water sampling sites and to derive urbanization indicators such as urban lands and population density for each sub-watershed. Statistical analyses are used to examine, quantify, and compare the relationships between water quality parameters and urbanization indicators and to find good predicators of water quality changes in response to the spatial and temporal variations of land use patterns. Results from this study will contribute to a better understanding of the impact of long-term land use changes caused by urban sprawl on water quality.