A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN LANDSCAPE STRUCTURE FOR THE UPPER 
MISSISSIPPI RIVER FROM 1989 TO 2000

Meghan M. Porzky1 Nelson, J.C.2 Tyser, R.W. 1 Hupy, C.M. 3

1River Studies Center, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 1725 State St.,  La 
Crosse, WI 54601

2Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center, 2630 Fanta Reed Rd., La Crosse, WI 
54603

3Department of Geography, University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, 1725 State St., La 
Crosse, WI 54601

      Detailed land cover data, now available for all pools in the Upper 
Mississippi River (UMR), allow temporal changes in landscape structure to be 
systematically evaluated.  For this study, landscape patterns in 1989 and 2000 
were compared for Pools 4 through 26 in the UMR.  Land cover data were prepared 
by staff of the Upper Midwest Environmental Sciences Center from high-resolution 
aerial photography taken in 1989 (1:15,840) and 2000 (1:24,000).  Land cover 
data from each pool were classified at a 15 class sub-grouping level, and 
divided into three analysis regions (backwater, main channel, and impounded).  
Class and landscape metrics were calculated using FRAGSTATS with a 10 meter cell 
size.  The resulting metrics and statistical analyses are used to evaluate basic 
changes in the landscape that have occurred in the UMR pools from 1989 to 2000.  


Keywords:  Upper Mississippi River, landscape, land cover, spatial analysis












Presenting Author:
Meghan M. Porzky
2630 Fanta Reed Rd.
La Crosse, WI 54603
(608) 781-6371
porzky.megh@students.uwlax.edu

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