Using Long-Term Remote Sensing and an Automated Reference Toolset To Estimate and Predict Post-Development Recovery Potential Active

Predicting recovery rates of vegetation following disturbance could help inform future placement of energy development to minimize environmental impacts. In this study, USGS scientists are using a time-varying approach to monitor and predict recovery of sagebrush ecosystems following disturbance. Within areas where the DART is currently developed in the WLCI study area, scientists will identify suitable reference sites near well pads and then characterize vegetation and bare ground cover at reference and disturbed sites at 2- to 5-year intervals from 1985 to 2015. These data will enable modeling to determine how recovery potential changes over time according to differences in soils, weather, and well pad characteristics. This information and resulting spatial data can help inform future development and planning processes.