This website describes a spatial analysis approach using GIS to determine the areas of Burns Bog, British Columbia which are most vulnerable to a variety of criteria and therefore need prioritizing for restoration efforts. The analysis takes the form of a multi-criteria evaluation (MCE) which determines which spatial areas best meet the input criteria. For this project our input criteria consisted of: (1) water table elevation, (2) seasonal variation in water table, (3) distance to roads and (4) runoff contamination potential. The output of our analysis indicated that the southwestern portion of the bog has the highest vulnerability, along with isolated runoff streams which are most dense in the northeastern portion of the bog. There are some fundamental assumptions and limitations of this method however sensitivity analyses supported the identification of the most vulnerable areas which are of greatest interest for this project.

Team Members

Rachael Bashford and Robert Jacobson, 4th Environmental Science Undergraduates at the University of British Columbia.