The document discusses land cover changes and wetland loss in the New Orleans region between 1990 and 2010. It notes that Louisiana accounts for 40% of US wetlands, which help reduce storm surge but have been declining at a rate of 55-100 square km per year due to factors like levee construction, canal development, and sea level rise. Satellite images and analyses of land cover classifications over time demonstrate the loss of land in the New Orleans area and surrounding wetlands.

1. Paul Morris
GEO 305
12/10/13

2.  Louisiana has a population of approximately
4.6 million (350,000 in New Orleans).
 Billion+ dollar fishing industry.
 Louisiana’s wetlands account for 40% of the
United States’ wetlands.
 The wetlands protect coastal cities from
storms.

3.  Tide
 Waves
 Salinity
 Storm Surge

4.  Levees have blocked season flooding.
 Canals allow saltwater into the wetlands.
 Urban and agricultural developments.

5.  Eastern Louisiana
 New Orleans region
 Path 022, Row 039
 816,722 square hectares (8167.2 square
kilometers or 3152.4 square miles)

6. 1990 New Orleans Land Cover and Use

7. 1990 New Orleans Land Cover and Use

8. 2000 New Orleans Land Cover and Use

9. 2000 New Orleans Land Cover and Use

10. Digital Elevation Models

11. http://www.uwec.edu/jolhm/eh3/group7/WhyNOVulnerable.htm

12. 11/1/1990 New Orleans True Color Composite

13. 11/5/1995 New Orleans TCC

14. 9/17/2000 New Orleans TCC

15. 10/9/2005 New Orleans TCC

16. 11/8/2010 New Orleans TCC

17. 11/1/1990 New Orleans False Color Composite

18. 11/5/1995 New Orleans FCC

19. 9/17/2000 New Orleans FCC

20. 10/9/2005 New Orleans FCC

21. 11/8/2010 New Orleans FCC

22. 11/1/1990 Normalized Difference Vegetation Index

23. 11/5/1995 New Orleans NDVI

24. 9/17/2000 New Orleans NDVI

25. 10/9/2005 New Orleans NDVI

26. 11/8/2010 New Orleans NDVI

27. 11/1/1990 Normalized Difference Water Index

28. 11/5/1995 New Orleans NDWI

29. 9/17/2000 New Orleans NDWI

30. 10/9/2005 New Orleans NDWI

31. 11/8/2010 New Orleans NDWI

32. 11/1/1990 New Orleans Land/Water Classification

33. 1990

34. 11/5/1995 New Orleans Land/Water Classification

35. 1995

36. 9/17/2000 New Orleans Land/Water Classification

37. 2000

38. 10/9/2005 New Orleans Land/Water Classification

39. 2005

40. 11/8/2010 New Orleans Land/Water Classification

41. 2010

42. Land and Water Separation Classification

43. Range
(Hectares) Median (Hectares) Mean (Hectares)
Standard Deviation
(Hectares)
Land 45,469.93 444,890.05 442,423.09 18,281.01
Water 46,784.33 371,832.70 373,698.77 18,867.53
Total Land
Loss
Average Land Loss per 5 Years
as a Function of Total Land
Average Land Loss per Year
as a Function of Total Land
Value 10,839.76 2,709.94 541.99
Percent 2.3785% 0.5946% 0.1189%

44. 400,000.00
410,000.00
420,000.00
430,000.00
440,000.00
450,000.00
460,000.00
1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015
H
e
c
t
a
r
e
s
Year
Actual and Linear Land Loss
Actual
Linear Fit

45. 350,000.00
370,000.00
390,000.00
410,000.00
430,000.00
450,000.00
470,000.00
1970 1990 2010 2030 2050 2070 2090 2110
H
e
c
t
a
r
e
s
Year
ContinualTrend

46. 390,000.00
400,000.00
410,000.00
420,000.00
430,000.00
440,000.00
450,000.00
460,000.00
1980 2010 2040 2070 2100
H
e
c
t
a
r
e
s
Year
Linear Projection Model
Linear Fit

47.  .37% error in total area in 1990 despite using
the same subset as other years.
 Possible Classification errors.
 Hurricane Katrina.
 Barrier Islands.

48. Barrier Islands
Barrier islands protect the coast
from storms.
One mile of wetlands can reduce
storm surge by three to eight
inches.
The USGS predicts that most of
Louisiana’s barrier islands are
projected to be gone by 2100.
Hurricane Katrina:
Before and After
http://www.uwec.edu/jolhm/eh3/group7/WhyNOVulnerable.htm

49.  Lacoast.gov: Over 55 square kilometers of
wetland lost every year across Louisiana.
 USGS: 75 square kilometers of wetlands are
lost every year in Louisiana.
 Louisiana State University: Over 100 square
kilometers of wetlands are lost every year.

50. Below, Chris, Chris Dierich, Keith Erickson, and Rachel Kjos. "Environmental Hazards Storm Surge Induced
Flooding in New Orleans." Why New Orleans IsVulnerable. University ofWisconsin-Eau Claire, n.d.
Web. 06 Dec. 2013. <http://www.uwec.edu/jolhm/eh3/group7/WhyNOVulnerable.htm>.
Coleman, James M., Harry H. Roberts, and Robert S.Tye. "Wetland Loss in Louisiana."Geografiska Annaler.
Series A, Physical Geography. By Jesse H. Walker.Vol. 69. N.p.:Wiley, 1987. 189. A. JSTOR. Web. 8
Dec. 2013. <http://www.jstor.org/stable/521377>.
"LANDSAT_5 - Path: 022 Row: 039." EarthExplorer. U.S. Geological Survey Earth Resources Observation and
Science Center, n.d.Web. 29 Nov. 2013. <http://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/>.
“New Orleans.” Google Earth. Accessed November 28, 2013.
"New Orleans, LA/MS 1/3 Arc-second MLLW DEM." NOAA National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC). National
Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration, n.d.Web. 07 Dec. 2013.
<http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/dem/squareCellGrid/download/680>.
"Path 022 Row: 039." Global Land Cover Facility. Global Land Cover Facility, n.d.Web. 29 Nov. 2013.
<http://glcf.umd.edu/data/>.
Smithson, Peter, Ken Addison, and Ken Atkinson. Fundamentals of the Physical Environment. 4th ed. London:
Routledge, 2008. Print.
"Wetland Loss In Louisiana." Wetland Loss In Louisiana. US Government, n.d.Web. 07 Dec. 2013.
<http://lacoast.gov/reports/rtc/1997/5.htm>.
Williams. "Louisiana CoastalWetlands: A Resource At Risk." - USGS Fact Sheet. United States Geological Survey,
n.d.Web. 04 Dec. 2013. <http://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/la-wetlands/>.