Sourced from the Ecological Restoration journal, authors Rosaleen G. March and Elizabeth H. Smith demonstrate a data analysis technique utilizing spatial data to locate target areas for restoration in their article “Combining Available Spatial Data to De ne Restoration Goals.” The technique utilizes public soil data from Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) website to identify the natural vegetation characteristic with each specific soil type. This creates a base map of “grouped ecological sites” that then is overlaid with current land use and zoning patterns. The authors tested their method on 2 barrier strandplain peninsulas in the Texas Coastal Bend—Lamar and Live Oak peninsulas to find target areas with ease. Results show two target areas including a highway median that would be ideal for restoration. March and Smith use reports of acts, behaviors or events from the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) to answer their research question. They gathered this data from public records and imagery from the software ArcGIS. This is the same software utilized in spatial studies courses at the University of Redlands and is available on all the PC computers connected to the school’s server for students to use. By adding the current land use patterns over the blocks of potential vegetation based off soil data, target areas are easily identifiable with by just observing the map. This method of data analysis, I believe, is the way of the future. Patterns in data can be easily identified when displayed spatially.

March, R. G., & Smith, E. H. (2011). Combining Available Spatial Data to Define Restoration Goals. Ecological Restoration, 29(3), 252-260.