About the Project:

High Level Requirements:

1. User Friendly Interface: An intuitive interface accessible by non-technical users, particularly forest service managers and researchers.
2. Data Visualization: Display complex bird and wildfire data in an easy to understand format.
3. Prediction Model: This tool should assist predicting bird community recovery based on wildfire data and management strategies.
4. Scalability: The system should be able to handle large datasets at different scales of analysis such as local, regional, and national.
5. Real-Time Analysis: Should allow managers to input new data and immediately visualize impacts.
6. Exportable Results: Managers should be able to export results as CSV or other geospatial files for further analysis and research.

Solution:

FireFlight is a web-based application designed to assist forest service managers and researchers visualize bird community response to wildfires and forest service management strategies. Using data collected over the past ten years, this tool will assist in decision making by visualizing historical trends, assess current conditions, and predict future ecosystem recovery.

Key features will include an interactive map showing bird community and wildfire data and the ability to visualize trends across local, regional, and national scales. Real-time data analysis will provide insight into how forest service management strategies impact bird communities and overall ecosystem health. The tool will need to generate CSV or other geospatial files that will provide users with flexibility in further analysis and research. Regular communication with stakeholders will ensure the application's design aligns with user's needs.

Technologies:

• Front-End: HTML/CSS/JavaScript - We chose to use the core web-based technologies HTML, CSS (Bootstrap), and Javascript for the front-end of our application. HTML provides the foundational structure for content and navigation, while CSS ensures a clean and user-friendly design. We opted to use the Bootstrap CSS library to streamline the styling process. JavaScript is responsible for making the interface responsive and interactive. These are well-established web development tools that ensure compatibility across various web browsers. They also allow for simple integration with back-end and visualization frameworks.
• Back-End & Database: Django - Because of its robust features and rapid development capabilities, we chose Django for our back-end. Django is a high-level, Python web framework that encourages rapid development and comes with an ORM (Object-Relational Mapping) database. Django's built-in security features, scalability, and compatibility with other Python libraries make it an ideal choice for our project.
• Mapping & Data Visualization: Folium - For mapping and data visualization, we chose Folium. It is a Python library that allows for the creation of interactive maps using Leaflet.js. Folium is a powerful tool that allows for the integration of geospatial data from various sources, making it easy to visualize complex data in a user-friendly format. We chose Folium because it simplifies the process of embedding maps in a web-based application, that also works well with other Python libraries.
• Hosting: NAU ITS - Our project is hosted through Northern Arizona University's Information Technology Services. This allows us to easily deploy our application and ensure it is accessible to all users. We chose this hosting service because it is reliable, secure, and aligns with university resources.
• Version Control: GitHub - Version control is managed via GitHub, which enables our team to collaborate efficiently by tracking changes. GitHub's branching and pull request features help us manage our codebase with minimal conflicts. GitHub is a powerful collaboration tool that empowers our team to work together effectively and efficiently.