XXX Nasrullah – 2046821

PROJECT REPORT
PROJECT 3 SC SHERMAN PATH

THEORETICAL CONTEXT

Through this project, I have acquired the ability to perform basic statistical analysis, export selected
data to create a new shapefile, and make selections based on attributes and geographic conditions
using buffering along the path of General Sherman.
QGIS offers four distinct methods for making selections, including by pointing, selecting an
attribute, selecting a location, or using an expression. These methods allow us to select multiple
features from a geographical database and flag them for further processing or storage. Later
processing is a powerful technique with a wide variety of applications. For example, I can use it to
create a culture path or extract specific map elements and save them in their own layer, creating a
new file on my computers with just the features I have chosen to export. Additionally, QGIS offers
various methods for conducting statistics, some of which are relatively simple. The resulting
database can be exported in Excel or other readable formats.

GEOGRAPHICAL CONTEXT

The state of South Carolina boasts three major ecological zones, each of which can be further
subdivided into five distinct cultural regions. The natural division of the landscape runs east to west
and is formed by the Atlantic Coastal Plain, the Piedmont, and the Blue Ridge Mountains. The
Lowcountry and the Pee Dee can be distinguished within the Atlantic Coastal Plain, while the
Midlands and the Piedmont are the names given to the lower and upper Piedmont regions
respectively. The Upstate is the region of South Carolina located north of the city of Greenville and
west of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The Atlantic Coastal Plain encompasses two-thirds of the state
and is bordered by tidal and barrier islands known as the Sea Islands. The fall line of the Atlantic
coast acts as a marker for the upper and lower regions of the state, indicating the upper limit of river
navigation.
During the Civil War, General Sherman led his troops across Georgia, taking Atlanta in 1864 and
continuing on to Savannah. The Union forces then entered South Carolina, with fighting occurring
in early February of that year. On February 16th and 17th, they reached Columbia and began setting
fire to the cities there. By the start of March, the Union had entered North Carolina and the Civil
War had come to a close by April of that year.
GIS METHODS USED

 The NAD83/UTM Zone 17N, EPSG:26917 Coordinate Reference System (CRS) was
applied to the project by navigating to Project > Properties > Coordinate Reference System
> Filter > 26917 > Named Project > Save.

 Vector data models were used in the project, and the following layers were employed: SC
Cities.shp, Cultural Resources Facilities within 5 Km of SC Cities.ship, Sherman.shp,
XXX Nasrullah – 2046821
Statistics by category, SC Recreational Area 5km.shp, SC cultural resources districts
5km.shp, SC cultural resources sites 5km.shp, and SC cultural resources structures 5km.shp.
Additionally, various .shp files pertaining to wetlands in South Carolina, such as SC
Wetlands 5km.shp, shermam 5km corridor.shp, SC wetlands nad83 50km.shp, and SC
counties.shp, were utilized. The data used in the project was sourced from the ZIP folder
mapping veneto, which is stored on the CORSO DI LAUREA MAGISTRALE IN LOCAL
DEVELOPMENT - Home page on the Moodle platform for the course "GIS: MAPPING
AND ANALYSIS (MOD. B) - PROF. SILVIA PIOVAN" (2021–2022).

 The attribute table for countries was examined and notes were taken on the various fields
available. Statistics were run using attributes from the wetlands, with the results showing
that Freshwater Forested/Shrub wetland covers 174194.70615537214 acres, while
Freshwater Pond covers 7363.252948899892 acres; these are the most extensive of the
colored wetlands.

 A file named "SC sherman path.qgz" was created, utilizing GIS techniques, and the correct
CRS was configured. Nine layers were added by dragging them from a designated
GeoPackage, and the layer attribute table was examined to learn how to pick and choose
which layers to display and in what order.

 Attribute selection was used to find parks around the United States, and the recreational
areas' attribute table was accessed to find several codes in the STCTYIPS field. The first
two digits of these codes indicate the state, while the final three indicate the country. The
number 45 was used to narrow the search for South Carolina's recreational areas down to
1764 spots out of a possible 126343. These regions were then renamed as SC recreational
area 01 in the shapefiles and the previous layer was removed.

 A buffer and selection by location were used to produce a new shapefile called SC cultural
resources buildings that only includes structures within 5 kilometers of the Sharman trail. To
create a cultural corridor along the route, a permanent layer called the Sharman 5km

 Corridor was built. Location-based criteria were used to select all cultural structures within
the buffer zone, and the final set was exported and renamed as SC cultural resources
buildings 5km. Further location-based selection was done for SC cultural resources districts
5km.shp, SC cultural resources sites 5km.shp, and SC cultural resources structures 5km.shp.

 An analysis was conducted, which included a breakdown of wetland statistics by type.

Analyzed field: ACRES

Count: 26231
Unique values: 26231
NULL (missing) values: 0
Minimum value: 0.00016725098
Maximum value: 663588.249222
Range: 663588.249054749
Sum: 1157208.4527212721
Mean value: 44.116063158906336
XXX Nasrullah – 2046821
Median value: 2.19396392318
Standard deviation: 4147.919308103856
Coefficient of Variation: 94.0228799012057
Minority (rarest occurring value): 0.00016725098
Majority (most frequently occurring value): 0.00016725098
First quartile: 0.777342721145
Third quartile: 6.606313541415
Interquartile Range (IQR): 5.82897082027

RESULTS

The final layout presents a clear and comprehensive representation of South Carolina. The first map
illustrates the state in its entirety, providing a broad overview of the area. The second map, on the
other hand, delves deeper into the specific region of Beaufort. This map has been drawn to a larger
scale to provide a more detailed view of the area. To further highlight Beaufort's location within the
state, a rectangle has been placed on the first map, corresponding to the location of Beaufort. This
feature serves as a visual aid to assist in comprehending the relationship between the two maps.

REFLECTION

The Geographic Information System (GIS) is a vast and versatile platform that offers a wide range
of tools and plugins to aid in the completion of various tasks. With so many options available, there
are multiple ways to accomplish a given task, each with its own unique approach. It is always a
good idea to explore and experiment within the GIS software to discover new and useful tools, as
well as innovative methods of utilizing them. Whenever I embark on a new project, I am constantly
on the lookout for new tools that pique my interest and inspire me to learn more about how they
work. Even when revisiting similar tasks, I always find new ways to utilize the tools and continue to
improve my skills.
XXX Nasrullah – 2046821

GIS CARTOGRAPHICAL ELABORATION