Matthew Rigge

Matthew Rigge is an ecologist working for the U.S Geological Survey at the USGS Earth Resources Observations and Science Center in Sioux Falls, SD. His focus is quantifying the current and historical condition of rangelands across the western United States. This is accomplished by producing and analyzing fractional vegetation cover maps using remote sensing and machine learning as part of the RCMAP (Rangeland Condition Monitoring Assessment and Projection) effort. Ongoing work will continue to enhance the accuracy and applicability of the fractional cover maps and project to future conditions using statistical approaches. These data fuel investigations into the drivers of change in rangeland systems, including long term change, interannual weather variation, and land management practices. Additional efforts are underway to inform users of RCMAP data on successfully applying these data to decision making. Other projects while at the USGS have included high-resolution analyses of riparian vegetation response to Best Management Practice (BMP) implementation in rangelands, mapping disturbance influences on rangeland carbon flux and productivity gradients across the Great Plains, USA, and phenological analyses of rangelands.