We focus on landscape studies of natural and working lands, in particular coastal and inland wetlands and rangelands. We quantify ecosystem benefits, find areas vulnerable to future change, and identify potential for climate mitigation and resilience. We conduct research by scaling field measurements to the regional, state and national scale with remote sensing, geospatial analysis, and modeling. We emphasize the use of open data and open source software to aid tool development for decision makers. All projects include outreach to land managers to support conservation and restoration planning and land management.
Detailed webpages for research listed below are under the Related Science tab or click the underlined links.
Coastal Wetland Blue Carbon - National remote sensing of carbon stocks for greenhouse gas inventories and local management
Ecological Forecasting - Remote sensing and modeling of dynamic habitats to support short and long-term conservation planning
Rangeland Ecosystem Services - Landscape-scale assessments of opportunities for and risks to ecological benefits of rangelands
Below are research projects conducted by the USGS Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing project.
Rangeland Ecosystem Services
Integrating Remote-Sensing and Ecological Forecasting into Decision-Support for Wetland Wildlife Management in the Central Valley of California
Coastal Wetland Blue Carbon
Below are data released for research conducted by the USGS Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing project.
Tidal marsh biomass field plot and remote sensing datasets for six regions in the conterminous United States
Forecasting tidal marsh elevation and habitat change through fusion of Earth observations and a process model
Below are publications of research coinducted by the USGS Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing project.
A remote sensing-based model of tidal marsh aboveground carbon stocks for the conterminous United States
Status of tidal marsh mapping for blue carbon inventories
A remote sensing-based model of tidal marsh aboveground carbon stocks for the conterminous United States
Remote sensing for wetland mapping and historical change detection at the Nisqually River Delta
Coping with historic drought in California rangelands: Developing a more effective institutional response
Adapting California’s ecosystems to a changing climate
Forecasting tidal marsh elevation and habitat change through fusion of Earth observations and a process model
A hybrid model for mapping relative differences in belowground biomass and root: Shoot ratios using spectral reflectance, foliar N and plant biophysical data within coastal marsh
Prospective HyspIRI global observations of tidal wetlands
Integrated climate and land use change scenarios for California rangeland ecosystem services: wildlife habitat, soil carbon, and water supply
Evaluation of sensor types and environmental controls on mapping biomass of coastal marsh emergent vegetation
Remotely-sensed indicators of N-related biomass allocation in Schoenoplectus acutus
Below are news stories highlighting research conducted for the USGS Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing project.
Home on the California Range, Year 2100: Land Use and Climate Change Could Impact Wildlife, Water Supplies
Grassland habitats on rangelands in California’s Central Valley and surrounding foothills could decline by as much as 37 percent by 2100 due to changes in land use and climate, according to new scientific projections by the U.S. Geological Survey.
Below are partners associated with this project.
- Overview
We focus on landscape studies of natural and working lands, in particular coastal and inland wetlands and rangelands. We quantify ecosystem benefits, find areas vulnerable to future change, and identify potential for climate mitigation and resilience. We conduct research by scaling field measurements to the regional, state and national scale with remote sensing, geospatial analysis, and modeling. We emphasize the use of open data and open source software to aid tool development for decision makers. All projects include outreach to land managers to support conservation and restoration planning and land management.
AVIRIS image of Rush Ranch, Suisun Marsh, CA (Credit: Kristin Byrd, USGS. Public domain.) Detailed webpages for research listed below are under the Related Science tab or click the underlined links.
Coastal Wetland Blue Carbon - National remote sensing of carbon stocks for greenhouse gas inventories and local management
Ecological Forecasting - Remote sensing and modeling of dynamic habitats to support short and long-term conservation planning
Rangeland Ecosystem Services - Landscape-scale assessments of opportunities for and risks to ecological benefits of rangelands
- Science
Below are research projects conducted by the USGS Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing project.
Rangeland Ecosystem Services
The Rangeland Ecosystem Services research described below is conducted and managed under the USGS Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing project and partners.Integrating Remote-Sensing and Ecological Forecasting into Decision-Support for Wetland Wildlife Management in the Central Valley of California
In the Central Valley of California, the few remaining wetlands plus cropland that is flooded after harvest provide critical habitat for wetland-dependent species. However future climate conditions and a growing human population will challenge how they are managed. To support coordinated conservation, wetland restoration, and climate adaptation planning, we partnered with Point Blue Conservation...Coastal Wetland Blue Carbon
The Coastal Wetland Blue Carbon research described below is conducted and managed under the USGS Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing project and partners. - Data
Below are data released for research conducted by the USGS Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing project.
Tidal marsh biomass field plot and remote sensing datasets for six regions in the conterminous United States
Remote sensing based maps of tidal marshes, both of their extents and carbon stocks, have the potential to play a key role in conducting greenhouse gas inventories and implementing climate mitigation policies. Our objective was to generate a single remote sensing model of tidal marsh aboveground biomass and carbon that represents nationally diverse tidal marshes within the conterminous United StatForecasting tidal marsh elevation and habitat change through fusion of Earth observations and a process model
Regional models of tidal marsh elevation response to sea-level rise are needed to support coastal climate change adaptation decisions, including those related to land use planning, habitat management and infrastructure design. The Marsh Equilibrium Model (MEM) is a one-dimensional mechanistic elevation model that incorporates feedbacks of organic and inorganic inputs within the tidal frame to proj - Publications
Below are publications of research coinducted by the USGS Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing project.
A remote sensing-based model of tidal marsh aboveground carbon stocks for the conterminous United States
Remote sensing based maps of tidal marshes, both of their extents and carbon stocks, have the potential to play a key role in conducting greenhouse gas inventories and implementing climate mitigation policies. Our objective was to generate a single remote sensing model of tidal marsh aboveground biomass and carbon that represents nationally diverse tidal marshes within the conterminous United StatAuthorsKristin B. Byrd, Laurel Ballanti, Nathan Thomas, Dung Nguyen, James R. Holmquist, Marc Simard, Lisamarie Windham-MyersStatus of tidal marsh mapping for blue carbon inventories
Remote-sensing-based maps of tidal marshes, both of their extents and carbon stocks, will play a key role in conducting greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories.The U.N. Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre has produced a new Global Distribution of Salt Marsh dataset that estimates global salt marsh area at 5.5 Mha.A Tier 1–2 GHG Inventory of U.S. Coastal Wetlands has been developedAuthorsKristin B. Byrd, Chris Mcowen, Lauren Weatherdon, James Holmquist, Stephen CrooksA remote sensing-based model of tidal marsh aboveground carbon stocks for the conterminous United States
Remote sensing based maps of tidal marshes, both of their extents and carbon stocks, have the potential to play a key role in conducting greenhouse gas inventories and implementing climate mitigation policies. Our objective was to generate a single remote sensing model of tidal marsh aboveground biomass and carbon that represents nationally diverse tidal marshes within the conterminous United StatAuthorsKristin B. Byrd, Laurel Ballanti, Nathan Thomas, Dung Nguyen, James R. Holmquist, Marc Simard, Lisamarie Windham-MyersRemote sensing for wetland mapping and historical change detection at the Nisqually River Delta
Coastal wetlands are important ecosystems for carbon storage and coastal resilience to climate change and sea-level rise. As such, changes in wetland habitat types can also impact ecosystem functions. Our goal was to quantify historical vegetation change within the Nisqually River watershed relevant to carbon storage, wildlife habitat, and wetland sustainability, and identify watershed-scale anthrAuthorsLaurel Ballanti, Kristin B. Byrd, Isa Woo, Christopher EllingsCoping with historic drought in California rangelands: Developing a more effective institutional response
Drought response is widely varied depending on both the characteristics of the drought and the ability of individual ranchers to respond.Assistance from institutions during drought has not typically considered preemptive, during, and post-drought response as a strategic approach, which recognizes biophysical, sociological, and economic complexities of drought.A USDA Southwest Climate Hub-sponsoredAuthorsJoel R. Brown, Pelayo Alvarez, Kristin B. Byrd, Helena Deswood, Emile Elias, Sheri SpiegalAdapting California’s ecosystems to a changing climate
Significant efforts are underway to translate improved understanding of how climate change is altering ecosystems into practical actions for sustaining ecosystem functions and benefits. We explore this transition in California, where adaptation and mitigation are advancing relatively rapidly, through four case studies that span large spatial domains and encompass diverse ecological systems, institAuthorsElizabeth Chornesky, David Ackerly, Paul Beier, Frank W. Davis, Lorraine E. Flint, Joshua J. Lawler, Peter B. Moyle, Max A. Moritz, Mary Scoonover, Kristin B. Byrd, Pelayo Alvarez, Nicole E. Heller, Elisabeth Micheli, Stuart WeissForecasting tidal marsh elevation and habitat change through fusion of Earth observations and a process model
Reducing uncertainty in data inputs at relevant spatial scales can improve tidal marsh forecasting models, and their usefulness in coastal climate change adaptation decisions. The Marsh Equilibrium Model (MEM), a one-dimensional mechanistic elevation model, incorporates feedbacks of organic and inorganic inputs to project elevations under sea-level rise scenarios. We tested the feasibility of deriAuthorsKristin B. Byrd, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Thomas Leeuw, Bryan D. Downing, James T. Morris, Matthew C. FernerA hybrid model for mapping relative differences in belowground biomass and root: Shoot ratios using spectral reflectance, foliar N and plant biophysical data within coastal marsh
Broad-scale estimates of belowground biomass are needed to understand wetland resiliency and C and N cycling, but these estimates are difficult to obtain because root:shoot ratios vary considerably both within and between species. We used remotely-sensed estimates of two aboveground plant characteristics, aboveground biomass and % foliar N to explore biomass allocation in low diversity freshwaterAuthorsJessica L. O'Connell, Kristin B. Byrd, Maggi KellyProspective HyspIRI global observations of tidal wetlands
Tidal wetlands are highly productive and act as critical habitat for a wide variety of plants, fish, shellfish, and other wildlife. These ecotones between aquatic and terrestrial environments also provide protection from storm damage, run-off filtering, and recharge of aquifers. Many wetlands along coasts have been exposed to stress-inducing alterations globally, including dredge and fill operatioAuthorsKevin Turpie, Victor Klemas, Kristin B. Byrd, Maggi Kelly, Young-Heon JoIntegrated climate and land use change scenarios for California rangeland ecosystem services: wildlife habitat, soil carbon, and water supply
Context In addition to biodiversity conservation, California rangelands generate multiple ecosystem services including livestock production, drinking and irrigation water, and carbon sequestration. California rangeland ecosystems have experienced substantial conversion to residential land use and more intensive agriculture. Objectives To understand the potential impacts to rangeland ecosystem servAuthorsKristin B. Byrd, Lorraine E. Flint, Pelayo Alvarez, Frank Casey, Benjamin M. Sleeter, Christopher E. Soulard, Alan L. Flint, Terry L. SohlEvaluation of sensor types and environmental controls on mapping biomass of coastal marsh emergent vegetation
There is a need to quantify large-scale plant productivity in coastal marshes to understand marsh resilience to sea level rise, to help define eligibility for carbon offset credits, and to monitor impacts from land use, eutrophication and contamination. Remote monitoring of aboveground biomass of emergent wetland vegetation will help address this need. Differences in sensor spatial resolution, banAuthorsKristin B. Byrd, Jessica L. O'Connell, Stefania Di Tommaso, Maggi KellyRemotely-sensed indicators of N-related biomass allocation in Schoenoplectus acutus
Coastal marshes depend on belowground biomass of roots and rhizomes to contribute to peat and soil organic carbon, accrete soil and alleviate flooding as sea level rises. For nutrient-limited plants, eutrophication has either reduced or stimulated belowground biomass depending on plant biomass allocation response to fertilization. Within a freshwater wetland impoundment receiving minimal sedimentsAuthorsJessica L. O’Connell, Kristin B. Byrd, Maggi Kelly - News
Below are news stories highlighting research conducted for the USGS Applied Landscape Ecology and Remote Sensing project.
Home on the California Range, Year 2100: Land Use and Climate Change Could Impact Wildlife, Water Supplies
Grassland habitats on rangelands in California’s Central Valley and surrounding foothills could decline by as much as 37 percent by 2100 due to changes in land use and climate, according to new scientific projections by the U.S. Geological Survey.
- Partners
Below are partners associated with this project.