ACCURACY OF ROAD DENSITY ESTIMATES DERIVED FROM USGS DLG DATA FOR USE IN ENVIRONMENTAL APPLICATIONS

Collection and analysis of information on accuracy of spatial data is a growing and active field of research, but has tended to emphasize land cover. Roads are another spatial data set that is widely used in environmental studies, but information on its accuracy is somewhat lacking. There are several sources of road data, but all are based on U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Digital Line Graph (DLG) data. A 3-part weight-of-evidence approach is used to evaluate accuracy of road density estimates based on 1:100,000-scale USGS DLG data at different spatial scales. The first 2 components use population to estimate accuracy of road density, because roads are built to improve human access. The 3rd part compares USGS DLG roads with roads derived from digital orthophotoquads. Results suggest that estimates of road density using USGS DLG road data are of adequate accuracy for use in habitat fragmentation or other studies requiring road density data. Commercially available road data would not likely provide significantly improved estimates of density.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/00991112
• Corporate Authors:

  American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing

  5410 Grosvenor Lane, Suite 210
  Bethesda, MD  United States  20814-2160
• Authors:
  • Wade, T G
  • Wickham, J D
  • Bradford, D F
• Publication Date: 1999-12

Language

• English

Media Info

• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: p. 1419-25
• Serial:
  • Photogrammetric Engineering and Remote Sensing
  • Volume: 65
  • Issue Number: 12
  • Publisher: American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing
  • ISSN: 0099-1112

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Data collection; Environmental impact analysis; Environmental impact statements; Photogrammetry; Roads; Spatial analysis
• Identifier Terms: United States Geological Survey
• Uncontrolled Terms: Land cover; Road density
• Subject Areas: Design; Environment; Highways; Planning and Forecasting; I21: Planning of Transport Infrastructure;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00792545
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: May 6 2000 12:00AM