The goal of this study was to determine the impact of HFO deposits on macroinvertebrate communities and organic decomposition within the Swatara Watershed. To accomplish this, we collected benthic macroinvertebrates, through kick samples and leaf pack analysis, from 6 sites separated into 3 treatment groups: unaffected by AMD, affected by AMD, and remediated with HFO deposits present. All collected macroinvertebrates were identified to family. Overall community health was determined via the calculation of an Index of Biotic Integrity (IBI), which quantifies pollution tolerance and species diversity by averaging 6 separate indexes. No statistical difference in IBI was found between streams unaffected by AMD and those with HFO solids present. Streams affected by AMD had a significantly lower IBI. However, remediated streams with HFO deposits had lower overall community diversity. These results suggest that the HFO deposits post AMD remediation do not preclude the reestablishment of pollution intolerant macroinvertebrates but lowers overall community diversity.

The environmental-based research involved in this type of project will be useful for students in the future as they gain experience in many different aspects of data collection and analysis. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of this project and others that the University engages in, students have the ability to use their ecological knowledge and skills, in conjunction with their ability to conduct geospatial analyses, to better display findings in an easy to understand visual method.

The first step to move this project forward was a series of meetings with the City of Harrisburg Police Department and ArGIS, a company that is partnered with ESRI to produce augmented reality products. Once an understanding of what data the application needed to run and the needs of the police department was outlined, data was collected from Dauphin County and the City of Harrisburg’s crime records. The data tables were joined based on addresses and were then added to the application. At this point in time, all the software from ArGIS was being tested so constant feedback of software glitches and errors were recorded and given to the company. A need arose for accuracy in locations where poor reception caused the GPS locations to be inaccurate. Therefore, the use of Bad Elf GPS receivers was implemented to increase the accuracy and complete the POC. The project was then presented to the chief of police and other city officials where it was positively received.  

This project was an eye-opener for students in the world of software development and the need for accurate data. It helped the researchers develop a greater understanding of GPS functions in different environments, of working in a professional environment and gain experience working with a cutting-edge technology of augmented reality. Any projects that give students experience working with a diverse set of software and/or hardware, are something that the Center is very interested in exploring, as we seek to get students as much exposure as possible to what they will eventually encounter.  

They developed a 10-year comprehensive management plan that outlines everything from surveying, monitoring, translocation, and the required year by year habitat management. Harrisburg University’s Center for Applied Environmental and Geospatial Technology has been assisting the PGC via habitat surveys, digitizing habitat improvements, updating the National Bobwhite Conservation Initiative geodatabase to account for habitat improvements within the recovery zone, and updating the statewide available habitat model by classifying high-resolution landcover maps.  

This type of habitat and environmental surveying, and the processing of the data afterwards, enhances many of our student’s skillset. As they enter their respective careers, this interdisciplinary skillset of environmental and geospatial analysis provides an excellent base to start their careers. Projects such as this give students valuable experience working on long term restoration projects with ever growing datasets – from the field data collection to the processing of the data and subsequently, the development of the maps.

In areas of Grand Cayman, where the terrain is particularly rugged and the vegetation is dense, drone imagery of the visible spectrum is collected in order to stitch together a complete map of the habitat. Additionally, thermal imagery is collected at various heights in hopes of being able to identify blue iguanas on the ground. Instead of simply relying on thermal and visible spectrum imagery, that is collected via a UAS, the installation of motion-sensor camera traps was used throughout the Salinas Reserve study area with hopes to identify iguanas within the area. This was done primarily to determine the distance that adult blue iguanas travel, in order to track their population. After installation by Harrisburg University, these traps will be monitored weekly by the Cayman Islands Department of Environment. 

Drone-based reptile population studies such as this and our study of the Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, can be refined and adapted to meet certain research goals for a variety of reptiles and potentially other animals. They provide valuable experiences for our students who get to participate in field work, as well as working on a very collaborative effort that typically involves different areas of expertise – both within the University and partnering organizations.

The Creston projects involve locating particular pad sites around the country and gathering landowner data for the parcels that are in the same vicinity of those planned sites. After gathering the data, printable field maps of the immediate area surrounding the pad site are constructed. Extensive cartographic principles are used to ensure that the maps are both legible and informative since there are often times many parcels within close proximity of each other. Additionally, individual maps of each parcel area created to mail to the landowners to inform the landowners of their work. Lastly, after the various maps have been constructed, the Center is responsible for creating Trimble files showing various spatial data that can be used for Creston when they are conducting their field visits to collect soil and water samples.  

As a company that specializes in soil and water sampling around oil and gas well pad sites, this partnership provides the Center with a connection to a major employer of geospatial graduates. Any connections the students can make to major geospatial industries is beneficial to both our students and our clients.  

Taking data from a variety of datasets, including roads and building footprints, as well as creating festival spatial datasets from the ground up, students and staff are tasked with creating print maps, such as this one for the Death Cab for Cutie Concert at Riverfront Park. These maps are often published on websites for viewing prior to the event, in addition to being distributed during the event.  

When creating event maps such as the Death Cab for Cutie one, students are able to apply their extensive knowledge of cartography to make sure they construct the map with the same branding as the overall event. Knowledge of which fonts and color palettes to use, within both the ArcGIS & Adobe Suite products, is critical and positions our students to be able to create aesthetically pleasing maps for any organization.

The beginning of the project focused on the improvement of the geocoding rate and the accuracy of the building footprint layer. The work done on Digital Harrisburg improved Census data, allowing a more accurate spatial analysis of the City of Harrisburg. As a result of the spatial analysis performed, trends of ethnicities and race movements across the city became apparent. Because of this, additional spatial analysis was conducted to try to decipher why these trends and movements occurred. Specifically, the project compared the density analysis of the 8th Ward versus the surrounding areas. The project investigated the history of the city focusing more on individual families and following their migration within the city. These improved layers and spatial analysis are now published on a WebMap application that is available to the public.  

The partnership between Harrisburg University and Messiah College provides the students with important collaboration and networking opportunities needed for the future after graduating from Harrisburg University. This type of geospatial, historic analysis work is extremely useful for historians, as well as the general public looking at the history of their area and home. 

Faculty and staff from the Center visited the site in both August and October of 2018 to conduct flights over three distinct areas of the property. Ground control points were used so that any visual anomalies from traditional photogrammetry and thermal imaging could be located on the ground for future investigation. These flights were repeated in October in order to capture leaf off conditions. 

Harrisburg University’s Center for Applied Environmental and Geospatial Technology delivered high resolution visual imagery mosaics and georeferenced thermal images of the property.  Several thermal images were used to identify anomalies in the primary archaeological site.  Video panning shots of the property were also delivered for documentation purposes. 

The partnership between Harrisburg University and Messiah College provides the students with important collaboration and networking opportunities needed for the future after graduating from Harrisburg University. This type of geospatial, historic analysis work is extremely useful for historians, as well as the general public looking at the history of their area and home. 

Our research team worked to analyze plot treatment information, woody stem count data, snake location, and rattlesnake census data collected by land managers from 2012 to 2018 at Jennings to figure out if current methods are successful, as well as determine which disturbance method is most effective for increasing Eastern Massasauge Rattlesnake populations and decreasing woody vegetation growth. We hypothesiz4ed that the best treatment method would be the use of prescribed fire. To analyze the data, prairie plots were digitized in ArcMap. Woody stem count sampling locations and snake capture locations were added to determine what plots were located in. In Each quadrant, we found an overall decrease in woody vegetation and an increase in Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes. However, due to use of all treatments in different rotations, we were unable to determine if fire was, in fact, the most effective method of disturbance. Along with this analysis, the research team has been working to find a more efficient way to monitor this species of rattlesnake rather than the current capture, mark, release methods. The methods we have tested thus far include the use of trail cameras to capture images of the snakes and analyzing spot patterns to differentiate individuals as well as the use of a thermal drone to locate rattlesnakes. It was determined that the trail camera method was not as effective as we had hoped. Use of the thermal drone has proven some success so far. Our team is continuing to explore the use and effectiveness of this new method.  

The Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake project combines many of the interdisciplinary skills that our students learn in a classroom setting and allows them to practice them in the real-world. This project provided understanding of land management and how it is important skill for any student who wants to explore ecosystem restoration, architecture, engineering, or related disciplines.

Students in the Center completed a phone survey of each county in Pennsylvania to assess the current situation regarding the recycling of electronics. Additionally, certain municipalities where recycling occurs were surveyed. These results were then converted into spatial data to create maps of existing sites and the drive times to these sites, with the goal of seeing what areas of the state had a recycling site in close proximity. Furthermore, a population density dataset was used to analyze, in total number of people and population density, how much of the state has access to a recycling facility. The results showed that the majority of the southeast and southwest portions of the state, where the bulk of the population is concentrated, had adequate access to a facility, while other parts of the State were missing the facilities necessary. 

The ability to conduct survey research, as well as examine multiple variables at one time, is a skillset that our students gain by working on many of the projects that involve spatial analysis such as this work completed for the Consumer Technology Association. This type of multi-variable analysis will be crucial to student’s success in virtually every industry.

After the scanning of these aerial images was complete, the Center georeferenced all of the images using first order polynomial techniques, and adding 4 tie-in points to each image. The aerial images were georeferenced using features such as road intersections and bridges that have not changed over the approximately 20 years in between when the images were taken and today. Once all of the images were georeferenced, they were placed into a newly created mosaic dataset – creating one seamless image of Dauphin County in its entirety from 1992. 

While a fairly simple task to complete, this type of work is valuable for the clients as there are not many organizations that have the desire to complete simple scanning work, but also the geospatial ability to georeference those images. One of the most valuable things that the Center got out of this project was the potential to collaborate with Dauphin County again in the future on other sets of imagery. These types of continuing relationships are exactly what the Center hopes to achieve.  

Research that involved completing roadkill surveys along a 19 km stretch of HWY 64 running through the northern portion of Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in Dare County, North Carolina was conducted by a member of the Center. Road killed animals were collected and identified by walking along both sides of the highway every 7 – 10 days during summer months (April – August) and every 14 days in all other months (September – March) from March 2009 to March 2011. Every vertebrate animal mortality was identified to a precise taxonomic level. UTM coordinates, date, sex, age, and location on roadway (e.g. road or shoulder) were also recorded. All road kills were either removed from the search area or marked with paint to avoid double counts in subsequent surveys. Additionally, data on medium and large-sized mammal road kills were opportunistically collected. Using the data collected along HWY 64, hotspot analysis was used to determine areas of interest for the mitigating structures. The hotspot analysis executed for Birds, Amphibians, Reptiles, and Mammals determined the lack of cold spots — meaning that there is not a single area that would assist the roadkill issue with one mitigation structure. The most successful mitigation method is to raise the 19 km of HWY 64 to be a bridge over the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge. 

Humans are part of the environment and they greatly affect any ecosystem, which needs to be considered while executing research and determining solutions. This project allowed analysis on a large dataset, background research on infrastructure, and research on mitigation techniques which covers many possible career paths for HU graduates.

The Center captured a variety of geospatial and environmental research to examine the area. Using a Phantom 3 Advanced drone, an RGB image was captured with a 20mm Pilot and a NIR image was captured with 4.14mm and 12mp. With this current imagery, the Center was able to evaluate the floodplain of Paxton Creek. Habitat Assessment and Rosgen Stream Classification results demonstrated that Paxton Creek had been greatly altered and channelized. After evaluating the data, we located a historic Paxton Creek map that informed our team that Paxton Creek was redirected into a channel while the surrounding area was being developed. The channel does not have proper floodplains and cannot handle high volumes of water. The best way to address the flooding issue is by installing a form of stormwater retention. 

The Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex approached the Center with this flooding issue, which allowed our employees and students to develop this research and execute it from start to finish. The ability to problem solve is an important skill for our students to have as they enter their careers after graduation.