Joshua Covas

First Name: 
Joshua
Last Name: 
Covas
Mentor: 
Dr. Lisa Nagaoka
Abstract: 
Flower Mound, TX, located in the Cross Timbers Ecoregion, has experienced rapid urban development for decades. At such great rates, the native tree species are dwindling quickly. By utilizing GIS and Remote Sensing techniques, performing an assessment of landcover changes is made possible. In this study, a Supervised Classification was created for 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2016 using Object-based Image Analysis (OBIA). Once classified, the area of each landcover type was measured in acres based on the number of each class’s pixel count. Developed areas in Flower Mound include residential, commercial, transportation, and mixed-use developments. There are increases in each of them between 2008 and 2016. Clear-cutting, a common development practice, continues to greatly diminish the native tree species of the Cross Timbers. Developers will continue to have a tremendous effect on the biodiversity if the rate at which their clear-cutting persists. This study is a comparative analysis of landcover change between 8 years of rapid urbanization and how native vegetation is being affected.
Poster: 
Urban Development and Tree Loss in the Cross Timbers Ecoregion, Flower Mound, TX