MADISON SLOPES
This map shows the forest cover and steep slopes in Madison, New Jersey. A steep slope is defined as one that is more than a 15 degree incline. Slopes are important to keep in mind when dealing with topics like soil erosion because a slope can influence the rate at which runoff flows, as well as the direction of the runoff. A factor such as soil erosion could lead to differences in the type of plants that grow, such as trees. There may be a correlation between steep slopes and forest coverage in Madison.
The largest area of forest is 64.26 acres, and it is not near any long stretches of steep slopes. Steep slopes of Madison are recorded in degrees of <15, 15-30, and 30-45. There are steep slopes throughout Madison, but the longer, linear steep slopes ranging from the center of town to the southeast portion are not near heavily forested areas. The aforementioned 64.26 acre forest is located in the western part of Madison, and has only a small area of steep slope inside it. This forest is the Zuck Arboretum, and is located on the Drew University campus.
The Borough of Madison has established development restrictions due to the degree of slope present on available land. Terrain with 25% of critical slope is restricted from development, unless approved for certain conditions. Slopes of Madison are considered to be moderate slopes, with a degree between 15 and 30, allowing free land development throughout. Also, while no concrete conclusions can be drawn about forests and steep slope correlation, it is interesting to note that the larger forested areas are not near the large sloped areas, meaning it may make it harder for forests to grow on steep slopes.
The Madison Slopes layer was shared by Professor Jordan on the Assignment #4 and #5 Google Doc. To show forest area, land mapping was conducted by NJDEP Bureau of GIS to create the Land Use/Land Cover of New Jersey 2015 layer.
Link to online presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vF9AjuJu6tkEELBiLaLic9OrnOlA08sLzs595MqxISE/edit?usp=sharing
