Remote Sensing Analysis of Land Cover Change in Clark County, Washington: 2000 to 2025 Dylan Zintz Project Mentor(s): Jennifer Lipton, PhD Urban growth can significantly alter surrounding landscapes, affecting natural habitats, agricultural land, and community demographics. This study examines how land cover has changed between 2000 and 2025 in north Clark County, Washington, with a focus on the rapidly growing city of Ridgefield. Land cover from the two time periods was compared through an analysis of Landsat satellite imagery using computer-based classification techniques. Ridgefield’s population grew from just over 2,100 people in 2000 to more than 15,000 in 2024. This rapid growth has driven the expansion of suburban housing and commercial centers. As a result, a significant amount of agricultural land has been replaced by sprawling development. Although the region has seen slight increases in grassland and tree cover, these natural areas have become more fragmented. This fragmentation reduces the mobility of wildlife and removes habitats, causing harm to the local ecosystem. Other changes associated with or caused by this rapid growth include a rising median income, increasing cost of living, displacement of rural families, and the erosion of local food systems. The patterns observed in Clark County reflect trends seen in many fast- growing suburban regions. Overall, this study shows how satellite imagery can be a powerful tool for tracking long-term changes in the landscape. By monitoring these changes over time, planners and researchers can better understand how population growth impacts land use and make more informed decisions to support sustainable development in growing communities. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation (May 21, 9:30am–3:00pm) Keywords: Development, Land Use, Remote Sensing, Urbanization SOURCE Form ID: 242 Geological Sciences The Mystery of a Moses Lake Ground Sloth: The Analysis of a Megalonyx jeffersonii Femur Found in Moses Lake, Washington Austin J. Baird Project Mentor(s): Breanyn MacInnes, PhD; Meaghan Wetherell, PhD This project aimed to determine the taxonomic identity and stratigraphic origin of a robust xenarthran femur recovered from a mudflat in the Parker Horn of Moses Lake, Washington. To establish the taxonomic identity, morphometric analysis of diagnostic femoral characteristics was performed with key characteristics looked at included an anteroposteriorly flattened diaphysis, prominent greater trochanter, and the presence of a third trochanter. These morphological features identify the specimen as a giant ground sloth within the family Megalonychidae and genus Megalonyx . The presence of a small fovea capitis femoris on the femoral head gives evidence of a species identification of M. jeffersonii , with osteophyte formation around the fovea capitis indicating osteoarthritis. Due to the specimen's recovery from a modern mudflat with no nearby sedimentary outcrops, the secondary goal of this study is to resolve the taphonomic discrepancy regarding its geologic origins. Crab Creek, which enters the Parker Horn, has a flow-rate that is insufficient to transport material of the mass of the specimen, leading to the hypothesis that modern dredging of lakebed sediments has exhumed the femur to the surface from submerged Late Pleistocene lakebed sediment. To test this, sedimentary composition of the matrix adhering to the element is being compared to the lakebed sediment, and local sedimentary units of Late
Pleistocene Missoula Flood deposits and Miocene Ringold Formation. Presentation Type: Poster Presentation (May 21, 9:30am–3:00pm) Keywords : Paleontology, Sedimentology, Fossil, Femur, Ground Sloth SOURCE Form ID: 133
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