Technical Memorandum

Project:

Finlays Fabulous Fictitious Fern Spatial Analysis

Client:

Ian Smith, M.Sc.

Subject:

Spatial Analysis

Date:

February 27, 2015

Prepared By: Matt Reaume, BES

1. Introduction
The purpose of the Finlays Fabulous Fictitious Fern Spatial Analysis Project is to determine the most
suitable location (in the vicinity of Niagara Colleges Glendale Campus) for the reintroduction of
Osmunda Finlayensis (Finlays Fabulous Fictitious Fern). In order to determine the most desirable
location for this rare species of fern. A weighted Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) and a Fuzzy Overlay
Analysis will be used to evaluate the Niagara College Glendale Campus area.
The Finlays Fabulous Fictitious Fern has suffered greatly due to the recent development of the
Niagara College. Due to this development, the fern species is no longer found in the surrounding
areas, as it was once known to be abundant. Data has been collected that ensures the College campus
is considered biologically and ecologically suitable. In order to properly evaluate the surrounding area,
the areas suitable for planting must be determined. The most suitable areas has certain criterion that
must be applied to each type of analysis that relates to hillshade, slope, aspect, and soil type.
The following report provides an overview of the following criteria needed for the reintroduction of
Osmunda Finlayensis (Finlays Fabulous Fictitious Fern). Formal cartographic map layouts of the study
location the weighted MCE, and the Fuzzy Overlay Analysis, along with numerical data that portrays
the most suitable and non-suitable locations for the re-introduction of this rare species of fern.

2. Study Area
Figure 1 below illustrates the study area in which Finlays Fabulous Fictitious Fern will be
reintroduced. This area highlights Niagara College Glendale Campus and its surrounding area,
including the Woodend Conservation Area along the Niagara Escarpment.

Figure 1: Re-introduction Study Area

Figure 2 on the following page displays the Weighted Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE), which
highlights the most desirable area for the re-introduction of the fern species. After the MCE was
conducted the areas that are symbolized as desirable were the only areas in the study area that met the
criteria of the hillshade, aspect, slope, and soil type, which will be described in detail in Section 2. The
areas are situated along the Niagara Escarpment, and perhaps the most noticeable is the large patch
closest to the road. This area has been symbolized as the area to re-introduced Finlays Ferns due to
its location. The re-introduction of Finlays Ferns was chosen because it is closest to the road, which
will eliminate travelling cost, hiking through the escarpment to plant the fern species, and reduce the
total amount of time allocated to reintroducing the fern species. Along with the aforementioned
benefits of planting close to the road, monitoring the plants will also be easier and will ultimately
provide accessibility to Finlays Ferns.

Figure 2: Weighted Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE)

Figure 3 below displays the Fuzzy Overlay Analysis that takes hillshade, aspect, slope, and soil type
into account, as well as the MCE, but provides a greater area of potential suitable locations.

Figure 3: Fuzzy Overlay Analysis

Along with the weighted MCE, a Fuzzy Overlay Analysis was conducted in order provide an
approximation of the desirable area rather than an exact and fixed value. Although the Fuzzy Overlay
is a great tool that narrows down the desirable area, it should be noted that an MCE provides a more
accurate location. However, this greater area does not provide an accurate and precise location for the
re-introduction of 110 Fern plants, thus the MCE map layout is a superior analysis.

3. Summary of Data
The data displayed in Table 1 and Table 2 were given as criterion for hillshade, slope, aspect, and soil
type for the Multi-Criteria Evaluation. This data includes the type of analysis and whether there is
growth or not for the given degrees.
Table 1: MCE Data for Hillshade, Slope, and Aspect

Analysis Type

Will Grow

No Growth

Hillshade

195 - 235

0 195
235 - 255

Slope

247 - 360

0 - 246

Aspect

20 - 65

0 - 20
65 - 90

Table 2: MCE Data for Soil Type

Soil Type
Escarpment Soils
Toledo Soil
Cashel Soil
Beverley Clay
Peel Clay
Haldimand Clay
Lincoln Clay

Best Suited

Reasonably Suited

Not Suitable

Given the data above, Finlays Ferns will thrive in specific areas and will not grow in others. These
data will be key to evaluating the Niagara College Glendale Campus for the potential relocation of the
fern species.
The data displayed in Table 3 and Table 4 were also given as criterion for hillshade, slope, aspect, and
soil type for the Fuzzy Overlay Analysis. This data includes the type of analysis and whether there is
heavy, moderate, sparse, or no growth.
Table 3: Fuzzy Overlay Data for Hillshade, Slope, and Aspect

Analysis Type
Hillshade

Heavy Growth
195 - 220

Slope

45- 55

Aspect

292.5 - 337.5

Moderate Growth
180 195
220 - 235
35 - 45

Sparse Growth

20 35
55 - 65
247 - 292.5
337.5 - 360

No Growth
0 180
235 - 255
0 20
65 - 90

Table 4: Fuzzy Overlay Data for Soil Type

Soil Type
Escarpment
Soils
Toledo Soil
Cashel Soil
Beverley Clay
Peel Clay
Haldimand Clay
Lincoln Clay

Best Suited

Reasonably Suited

Poorly Suited

Not Suitable

Given the data above, Finlays Ferns will thrive in specific areas and will not grow in others. These
data will be key to evaluating the Niagara College Glendale Campus for the potential relocation of the
fern species.
Histograms for the data are shown below in Figure 4 and Figure 5. As seen in Figure 4, there is a
distinct difference in the number of pixels in the suitable and non-suitable area for the re-introduction
of Finlays Ferns. The MCE shows that there are 363 pixelated areas in which the fern plant can
occupy, and 111,981 in which the fern plant will not grow. The Fuzzy Overlay Analysis shows three
classes that describe whether the ferns are desirable in the specific location.

4. Spatial Analysis Methodology

In order to perform a spatial analyst weighted Multi-Criteria Evaluation (MCE) and a Fuzzy Overlay
Analysis data are made available in shapefile formatted files that includes the Glendale Campus north
and south mass points, and north and south break lines within the study area. Along with the
aforementioned data, soil area is also included needed to perform a spatial analysis. Provided below
in Figure 4 and Figure 5 are the flow charts of the modeled analysis for the MCE and Fuzzy Overlay.
The MCE flow chart and the Fuzzy Overlay flow chart shows how the blue circles that represent
input are converted into the green circles that represent the newly created raster dataset outputs and
the polygon outputs (soils). The yellow boxes represent the tools used in ArcGISs model builder.
These tools are the basis for creating the MCE and the Fuzzy Overlay needed to undertake a spatial
analysis of the reintroduction of Finlays Ferns. The Fuzzy Overlay tool allowed the weighted
percentages to be based off the fuzzy membership outputs; however, the MCE needed the criteria
ranked as percentages. It should be noted that the percentages were as followed in Table 5.
Table 5: Weighted Percentages for MCE

Analysis Type
Slope criterion
Aspect criterion
Soil type criterion
Hillshade criterion

Percentage
55%
27%
9%
9%

GC_Campus_
north_Mass_
Points

GC_Campus_
north_Mass_
Points

GC_Area_Soil
_project

GC_Campus_
South_Breakli
nes

GC_Campus_
North_Breakli
nes

Create TIN

TIN_Outp
ut

TIN to Raster

Tin_Raster

Polygon to Raster

Aspect

Hillshade

Soil_Out
put

Aspect_O
utput

Hillshade
_Output

Slope_Ou
tput

Reclassify

Reclassify

Reclassify

Reclassify

Reclass_
Soil

Reclass_
Aspect

Reclass_
Hillshade

Reclass_Sl
ope

Weighted Overlay

Weighted

Figure 4: Flow Chart for the Multi-Criteria Evaluation

Slope

GC_Campus_
north_Mass_
Points

GC_Campus_
South_Breakli
nes

Reclassify

Reclassify

Reclassify

Reclassify

Reclass_S
oil

Reclass_As
pect

Reclass_Slo
pe

Reclass_Hi
llshade

GC_Area_Soil
_project

Fuzzy
Membership

Soil_Output

Fuzzy
Membership

Slope_Out
put

GC_Campus_
North_Breakli
nes

Fuzzy
Membership

Fuzzy
Membership

Hillshade_
Output

Aspect_Ou
tput

Fuzzy Overlay

FuzzyOverlay
_Output

Figure 5: Flow Chart for the Fuzzy Overlay

5. Data Examination
The data displayed in Table 1 and Table 2 were given as criterion for hillshade, slope, aspect, and soil
type for the Multi-Criteria Evaluation

111,981

Not
Suitable

363

Poorly
Suited

Best Suited

The pixelated numbers coincide with how many ferns can be planted in the Niagara College Glendale
Campus area. Referring to the MCE Histogram in Figure 4, there are 363 fern plants that have
desirable suitability, the data has been clipped to 110 fern plants, as shown in Section 2, Figure 2.
Also, by referring to the Fuzzy Overlay Analysis Histogram in Figure 5, the non-suitable class and
poorly suitable class have similar values, but the areas that are best suited have a lower number of
pixelated areas, as shown in Section 2, Figure 3.

6. Conclusion
The Niagara College Glendale Campus was used as the study area for the re-introduction for the
Finlays Fabulous Fictitious Fern Spatial Analyst Project. Within the Niagara College area, the reintroduction of 110 Finlays Ferns resided on the Woodend Conservation Area, along the Niagara
Escarpment. From the criterion used for the hillshade, slope, aspect, and soil type, it was evident that
the re-introduction of the rare fern species will be placed alongside the road just below the Niagara
Escarpment within the Niagara College Glendale Campus, shown in the MCE Analysis. Although the
Fuzzy Overlay provided a suitable location for the re-introduction of 110 Finlays Ferns, the data was
approximated rather than providing a specific location for the fern species when compared to the
weighted Multi-Criteria Evaluation.