Using Spatial Analysis to Track Effects of an Exotic Insect on Northwest Forests

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The USGS and the University of Washington have been using remote sensing, trend-detection software, and field surveys to investigate the distribution and effects of the exotic insect, balsam woolly adelgid (BWA), on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. Preliminary results show that BWA infestation may increase the vulnerability of true firs to native insects and pathogens and substantially alter the future composition and function of forests on the Olympic Peninsula.  Results of using LandTrendr (Landsat Detection of Trends in Disturbance and Recovery) and TimeSync to identify vegetation decline in subalpine forests defoliated by BWA were presented at the 2012 ForestSAT Conference, the 5th in a series of international conferences focusing on how spatial analysis and remote sensing techniques can be used to understand forest systems.

http://fresc.usgs.gov/news/Highlight.aspx?HighlightID=2330

Author Name
Christian Torgersen
Author Email
ctorgersen@usgs.gov