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ABSTRACT Many natural resources graduate students across the nation are being required to learn proper use of geographic information systems (GIS) to include not only in their graduate research, but to also prepare for a career as a professional in natural resources. This demand creates a need for graduate students to be properly instructed in GIS. Advanced GIS exercises can be useful in teaching common techniques and methodologies in GIS. We have developed an advanced GIS exercise that uses the spatial analyst extension in GIS and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) data. The goal of this laboratory exercise was to determine the amount of erosion that has occurred over a 4-year period on the coast of South Carolina. All students, individually, had the opportunity to use the Cut/Fill tool and create their own digital elevation model (DEM). Students stated that this exercise helped them to understand how to work with LIDAR data and also how to estimate erosion. Independently, students estimated that there has been a loss of more than 50,000 m^sup 3^ of material from Folly Beach during the 4-year period included in this study.
Abbreviations: DEM, digital elevation model; GIS, geographic information system; LIDAR, light detection and ranging; NAD, North American Datum; UTM, universal transverse mercator.
Geographic information systems (GIS) are becoming a daily tool for professionals in natural resources as interest in spatial relationships rise (Gumbricht, 1996). Geographic information systems analyze spatial information by incorporating the location, properties, and any significant attributes of the object being studied (Bolstad, 2003). With the popularity of GIS growing, it is becoming increasingly important for students in the natural resources field to understand the structure and possible application of new spatial data types. This article details an advanced student exercise that uses Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) data to estimate the change of earthen material on Folly Beach, SC, between 1996 and 2000. Other studies have used LIDAR to estimate sea cliff change (Rosser et al., 2005; Young and Ashford, 2006), riverbank erosion (Thoma et al., 2005), and the impact of hurricanes on beach erosion (Zhang et al., 2005).
Light detection and ranging is one method of collecting high resolution elevation data and is collected by aircraft. As the plane flies over a...