Remotely-sensed data forms the backbone of the large-scale maps, models and assessments created at EROS to advance the understanding of Ecosystem Performance, Productivity and Sustainability.
Detailed data from cooperators with site-specific flux towers are integrated to create models of a land cover type - grassland, for example – which can be simulated across a region. Tasks describe exchanges of Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) in the Northern Great Plains and other regions.
Cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), universities, and others provides the ground data to develop and validate pixel-specific models of ecosystem performance based on the remote sensing archive, climate, and site potential.
This modeling, EROS’ rich archival resources and the research team’s special ability to combine near real-time, remotely-sensed data with other large spatial data sets, also allows for the evaluation, mapping, and dynamic monitoring of ecosystem performance.
The work is funded through the USGS Land Change Science (LCS) Program, which strives to understand the nation's most pressing environmental, natural resource, and economic challenges by providing the information and tools necessary and identifying possible solutions.
Additional funding comes from USGS National Land Imaging program, BLM, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
EROS’ remote sensing ecology projects include permafrost and biomass mapping in Alaska, the study of invasive grass in the Great Basin, and the identification of lands with the potential for biofuels feedstock. Follow these links for more detailed information on those projects:
- Monitoring Arctic and boreal ecosystems through the assimilation of field-based studies, remote sensing, and modelling
- Cheatgrass Dieoff Time-series Dynamics, 2000-2010
- Identifying Lands Suitable for Biofuel Feedstock Crops by Dynamic Modeling of Ecosystem Performance
- Carbon Flux Quantification in the Great Plains
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Near-Real-Time Cheatgrass Monitoring
Monitoring Arctic and boreal ecosystems through the assimilation of field-based studies, remote sensing, and modelling
Identifying Lands Suitable for Biofuel Feedstock Crops by Dynamic Modeling of Ecosystem Performance
Cheatgrass Dieoff Time-series Dynamics (2000 – 2010)
Carbon Flux Quantification in the Great Plains
Inland Lakes, Rivers and Streams
Evapotranspiration and Water Use Mapping
- Overview
Remotely-sensed data forms the backbone of the large-scale maps, models and assessments created at EROS to advance the understanding of Ecosystem Performance, Productivity and Sustainability.
Sources/Usage: Some content may have restrictions. Visit Media to see details.Current probability of near-surface permafrost in Alaska. Future scenarios. Detailed data from cooperators with site-specific flux towers are integrated to create models of a land cover type - grassland, for example – which can be simulated across a region. Tasks describe exchanges of Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) and Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE) in the Northern Great Plains and other regions.
Cooperation with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), universities, and others provides the ground data to develop and validate pixel-specific models of ecosystem performance based on the remote sensing archive, climate, and site potential.
This modeling, EROS’ rich archival resources and the research team’s special ability to combine near real-time, remotely-sensed data with other large spatial data sets, also allows for the evaluation, mapping, and dynamic monitoring of ecosystem performance.
The work is funded through the USGS Land Change Science (LCS) Program, which strives to understand the nation's most pressing environmental, natural resource, and economic challenges by providing the information and tools necessary and identifying possible solutions.
Additional funding comes from USGS National Land Imaging program, BLM, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS).
EROS’ remote sensing ecology projects include permafrost and biomass mapping in Alaska, the study of invasive grass in the Great Basin, and the identification of lands with the potential for biofuels feedstock. Follow these links for more detailed information on those projects:
- Monitoring Arctic and boreal ecosystems through the assimilation of field-based studies, remote sensing, and modelling
- Cheatgrass Dieoff Time-series Dynamics, 2000-2010
- Identifying Lands Suitable for Biofuel Feedstock Crops by Dynamic Modeling of Ecosystem Performance
- Carbon Flux Quantification in the Great Plains
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Near-Real-Time Cheatgrass Monitoring
The USGS Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center produces near-real-time estimates of annual herbaceous land cover for the Great Basin, Snake River Plain, Wyoming, and contiguous areas in the United States. Estimates are based on enhanced Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (eMODIS) Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data at 250-meter resolution.Monitoring Arctic and boreal ecosystems through the assimilation of field-based studies, remote sensing, and modelling
Northern high-latitude regions are experiencing climate warming at rates nearly double that of lower latitudes, leading to warming and thawing of permafrost-affected soils, decomposition of previously frozen organic matter and increases in the number of large fire years, which can substantially impact social and environmental systems. Monitoring Arctic and boreal ecosystems of northern latitudes...Identifying Lands Suitable for Biofuel Feedstock Crops by Dynamic Modeling of Ecosystem Performance
Demand for biofuel products is expected to increase as the world seeks alternatives to fossil fuels. Currently, ethanol produced from Midwest corn is the most common biofuel product in the United States. The negative environmental effects caused by corn-based biofuel development include soil erosion, water quality impairment from pesticides and fertilizer, and demand for water for irrigation. The...Cheatgrass Dieoff Time-series Dynamics (2000 – 2010)
Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum L.) is a winter annual grass that has invaded and altered the shrub steppe ecosystem in the Great Basin for about 100 years. This highly competitive grass invades recently disturbed areas and then outcompetes most native vegetation by using requisite resources like soil water and nutrients in early spring before other native plants. It also can alter its phenotype and...Carbon Flux Quantification in the Great Plains
Gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (Re) are the fundamental environmental characteristics which drive carbon exchanges between terrestrial ecosystems and the atmosphere (Chapin and others, 2009), although other exchanges of carbon, for example, export or direct oxidation (Lovett and others, 2006) can modify net ecosystem production (NEP).Inland Lakes, Rivers and Streams
Water bodies surrounded by land serve as sources of fresh drinking water, play host to millions of species of fish, underwater vegetation and wildlife and maintain the vibrancy of surrounding ecosystems. These water bodies can also be hubs for recreational activities such as boating, fishing, waterskiing, swimming that boost local economies.Evapotranspiration and Water Use Mapping
A planet with limited water resources needs accurate, reliable and frequently-updated tools to measure water use and plan for future needs. Scientists at EROS harness the remote sensing capabilities of satellite data to offer powerful tools that resource managers across the United States can use to gain insight into the water use needs of agricultural land, forests, and public green spaces. - Publications