U.S. Department of the Interior
Twenty years ago, ecological studies were often limited by the number of times biologists could find (relocate) their study animals. With the advent and now widespread use of Global Positioning System (GPS)collars, tracking the animals is no longer a primary concern.
The snow season has become shorter and the growing season longer over the past 20 years in Alaska's Arctic National Parks. The NPS Arctic Inventory and Monitoring Network (ARCN) uses MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) satellite images and remote automated cameras to monitor the timing of the growing season and the snow cover in five large national parks in northern Alaska.
This project uses aerial imagery collected with Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS, or “drones”) to assess and monitor vegetation at contaminated wetlands and neighboring lands being remediated and restored under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
Scientists have effectively monitored vegetation dynamics using remotely sensed time-series vegetation index (VI) data for several decades.
Drought-related tree mortality events, in which large numbers of trees die suddenly and often unexpectedly, appear to be occurring more frequently worldwide. Such events can have substantial impacts on forests and increase the risk of catastrophic fires.
Although extensive work has been devoted to understanding the role of fire in maintaining ecosystem functions in upland systems, little research has focused on understanding the impact of fire on coastal wetlands or the response of birds to fire in high marsh wetlands.
Climate-related impacts on food security and water availability continue to affect many parts of the globe. Several regions, including sub-Saharan Africa, are not only susceptible to these impacts, but also lack the ability to monitor climate-related risk. Earth observation (EO) satellites have been instrumental in offering large-scale monitoring capabilities for analysis of rainfall, evapotranspiration, vegetation
Satellite monitoring of evergreen pinyon-juniper ecosystems in Arizona revealed an unexpected winter-peaking signal in a time series of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values. The interpretation of the unusual timing is that the imaged vegetation experienced maximum greenness during the coldest season of the year.
The San Carlos Apache Tribe in Arizona wants to learn more about the historical characteristics of their woodlands, savannas, and grasslands so they have a target for restoration efforts. Restoring juniper woodland to savanna is a focus of the Tribe’s intensive management activities, and spatial information that would help determine where best to attempt restoration is needed.