Scaling the Canopy – Forest Height in South Heart Creek Watershed 2020 and Its Place in Alberta’s Watershed Hierarchy
Cartographers: Sonia Salyzyn and Amanda Sarjeant
Date: April 3, 2025
Projection: NAD 1983 10TM AEP Forest
Description: This poster explores forest canopy height in the South Heart Creek watershed using 2020 Landsat derived data. The map synthesizes multiple spatial scales, from local riparian zones to major and minor watershed hierarchies across the province.
Key visualizations include:
Canopy Height by Riparian Area: Illustrates spatial variation and standard deviation in forest height near water bodies.
Maximum Canopy Height Density: Aggregates 30 m grid heights within township sections to highlight areas of tallest forest growth.
Provincial Context: Compares mean canopy heights across Alberta’s major and minor watersheds, emphasizing South Heart Creek’s rank within the broader hydrological framework.
This map offers valuable insights into riparian forest structure and its ecological importance for reforestation and watershed management initiatives. It was produced using simplified hydrology and vegetation data sourced from the Canadian Forest Service and Alberta Environment.
About the Students Amanda Sarjeant and Sonia Salyzyn are students in the Bachelor of Applied Technology – Geographic Information Systems program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). Amanda, a certified teacher in Alberta, holds a BA in Geography and a BEd. Sonia has a BSc in Environmental and Conservation Sciences and brings experience as a former District Soil Conservationist with Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.
They chose to focus on the South Heart Creek sub-watershed for a SAIT cartography and geo-visualization assignment due to its ecological importance, the role of the Lesser Slave Watershed Council, and its relevance to ongoing reforestation research. This includes Sonia’s capstone project, Emerging Frontier of Reforestation Monitoring: Digital Twin, Deep Learning, and Real-Time Survey, conducted with the Centre for Innovation and Research in Unmanned Systems (CIRUS). This is part of a multi-year project tracking seedling survivability in the Peavine Métis Settlement, located within the Lesser Slave Watershed. CIRUS, in partnership with the settlement and the NAIT Boreal Research Institute, is conducting a drone survey to evaluate boreal reforestation. This map provides supporting forest context and reference data.
Their shared backgrounds in environmental science, education, and geospatial analysis reflect a strong commitment to using GIS in support of watershed management and sustainable land use.”
We want to thank Sonia and Amanda for taking the time to put this project together and sharing it with us for public viewing and studying.