Melanie Vanderhoof
Melanie Vanderhoof is a Research Geographer with the USGS, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center in Denver, CO.
Melanie's research focuses on using satellite imagery to track terrestrial and water ecosystem condition. She is particularly interested in enhancing methods to map wildfire, monitor post-fire recovery, as well as model the impact of drought to flood conditions on wetlands, lakes, and downstream river discharge.
Professional Experience
U.S. Geological Survey, Research Geographer (2015-Present)
ORISE Post-Doctoral Fellowship at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development (2014-2015)
Education and Certifications
PhD in Geography from Clark University in 2014
M.S. degree in Geography from San Francisco State University in 2007
B.S. degree in Biology and Society from Cornell University in 2004
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 24
Data release for the potential role of very high-resolution imagery to characterise lake, wetland and stream systems across the Prairie Pothole Region, United States Data release for the potential role of very high-resolution imagery to characterise lake, wetland and stream systems across the Prairie Pothole Region, United States
Aquatic features critical to watershed hydrology range widely in size from narrow, shallow streams to large, deep lakes. In this study we evaluated wetland, lake, and river systems across the Prairie Pothole Region to explore where pan-sharpened high-resolution (PSHR) imagery, relative to Landsat imagery, could provide additional data on surface water distribution and movement, missed by...
Data release for estimating soil respiration in a subalpine landscape using point, terrain, climate and greenness data Data release for estimating soil respiration in a subalpine landscape using point, terrain, climate and greenness data
Landscape carbon (C) flux estimates are necessary for assessing the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to buffer further increases in anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Advances in remote sensing have allowed for coarse-scale estimates of gross primary productivity (GPP) (e.g., MODIS 17), yet efforts to assess spatial patterns in respiration lag behind those of GPP. Here, we...
Data release for Time series of high-resolution images enhances efforts to monitor post-fire condition and recovery, Waldo Canyon fire, Colorado, USA Data release for Time series of high-resolution images enhances efforts to monitor post-fire condition and recovery, Waldo Canyon fire, Colorado, USA
Interpretations of post-fire condition and rates of vegetation recovery can influence management priorities, actions, and perception of latent risks from landslides and floods. In this study, we used the Waldo Canyon fire (2012, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA) as a case study to explore how a time series (2011-2016) of high-resolution images can be used to delineate burn extent and...
Data release for Applying high-resolution imagery to evaluate restoration-induced changes in stream condition, Missouri River Headwaters Basin, Montana Data release for Applying high-resolution imagery to evaluate restoration-induced changes in stream condition, Missouri River Headwaters Basin, Montana
Degradation of streams and associated riparian habitat across the Missouri River Headwaters Basin has motivated several stream restoration projects across the watershed. Many of these projects install a series of beaver dam analogues (BDAs) to aggrade incised streams, elevate local water tables, and create natural surface water storage by reconnecting streams with their floodplains...
Landsat Burned Area Essential Climate Variable products for the conterminous United States (1984 -2015) Landsat Burned Area Essential Climate Variable products for the conterminous United States (1984 -2015)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed and implemented an automated algorithm that identifies burned areas in temporally-dense time series of Landsat image stacks to produce the Landsat Burned Area Essential Climate Variable (BAECV) products. The algorithm makes use of predictors derived from individual Landsat scenes, lagged reference conditions, and change metrics between the...
Data Release for the influence of data characteristics on detecting wetland/stream surface-water connections in the Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland and Delaware Data Release for the influence of data characteristics on detecting wetland/stream surface-water connections in the Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland and Delaware
The datasets were generated for the Upper Choptank River Watershed in Maryland and Delaware. Depressions and the total stream network were derived from a lidar DEM collected during AprilJune 2003 (vertical accuracy root mean square error (RMSE) = 14.3 cm) and MarchApril 2006 (vertical accuracy RMSE = 18.5 cm) for Maryland (1 m resolution) and April 2007 (vertical accuracy RMSE = 18.5 cm)...
Filter Total Items: 43
Isolating anthropogenic wetland loss by concurrently tracking inundation and land cover disturbance across the Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S. Isolating anthropogenic wetland loss by concurrently tracking inundation and land cover disturbance across the Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S.
Global trends in wetland degradation and loss have created an urgency to monitor wetland extent, as well as track the distribution and causes of wetland loss. Satellite imagery can be used to monitor wetlands over time, but few efforts have attempted to distinguish anthropogenic wetland loss from climate-driven variability in wetland extent. We present an approach to concurrently track...
Authors
Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Jay R. Christensen, Yen-Ju G. Beal, Ben DeVries, Megan W. Lang, Nora Hwang, Christine Mazzarella, John Jones
The Landsat Burned Area algorithm and products for the conterminous United States The Landsat Burned Area algorithm and products for the conterminous United States
Complete and accurate burned area map data are needed to document spatial and temporal patterns of fires, to quantify their drivers, and to assess the impacts on human and natural systems. In this study, we developed the Landsat Burned Area (BA) algorithm, an update from the Landsat Burned Area Essential Climate Variable (BAECV) algorithm. Here, we present the BA algorithm and products...
Authors
Todd Hawbaker, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Gail L. Schmidt, Yen-Ju G. Beal, Joshua J. Picotte, Joshua Takacs, Jeff T. Falgout, John L. Dwyer
Mapping forested wetland inundation in the Delmarva Peninsula, USA: Use of deep learning model Mapping forested wetland inundation in the Delmarva Peninsula, USA: Use of deep learning model
The Delmarva Peninsula in the eastern United States is dominated by thousands of small, forested depressional wetlands that are highly sensitive to climate change and climate variability but provide critical ecosystem services. Due to the relatively small size of these depressional wetlands and occurrence under forest canopy cover, it is very challenging to map their inundation status...
Authors
Ling Du, Greg W. McCarty, Xinhow Zhang, Megan W. Lang, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Xian-Dan Lin, Chengquan Huang, Sangchul Lee, Zhenhua Zou
Spatiotemporal variability of modeled watershed scale surface-depression storage and runoff for the conterminous United States Spatiotemporal variability of modeled watershed scale surface-depression storage and runoff for the conterminous United States
This study uses the explores the viability of a proxy model calibration strategy through assessment of the spatiotemporal variability of surface-depression storage and runoff generated with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Hydrologic Model (NHM) infrastructure for hydrologic response units (HRUs; n=109,951) across the conterminous United States (CONUS). Simulated values for each HRU...
Authors
Jessica M. Driscoll, Lauren Hay, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Roland J. Viger
Influence of multi-decadal land use, irrigation practices and climate on riparian corridors across the Upper Missouri River Headwaters Basin, Montana Influence of multi-decadal land use, irrigation practices and climate on riparian corridors across the Upper Missouri River Headwaters Basin, Montana
The Upper Missouri River Headwaters Basin (36,400 km2) depends on its river corridors to support irrigated agriculture and world-class trout fisheries. We evaluated trends (1984-2016) in riparian wetness, an indicator of riparian condition, in peak irrigation months (June, July, August) for 158 km2 of riparian area across the basin using the Landsat Normalized Difference Wetness Index...
Authors
Melanie K. Vanderhoof, J.R. Christensen, Laurie C. Alexander
The potential role of very high-resolution imagery to characterise lake, wetland and stream systems across the Prairie Pothole Region, United States The potential role of very high-resolution imagery to characterise lake, wetland and stream systems across the Prairie Pothole Region, United States
Aquatic features critical to watershed hydrology range widely in size from narrow, shallow streams to large, deep lakes. In this study we evaluated wetland, lake, and river systems across the Prairie Pothole Region to explore where pan-sharpened high-resolution (PSHR) imagery, relative to Landsat imagery, could provide additional data on surface water distribution and movement, missed by...
Authors
Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Charles R. Lane
Non-USGS Publications**
Vanderhoof, M.K., Alexander, L.C. (2016) The role of lake expansion in altering the wetland landscape of the Prairie Pothole Region. Wetlands, 36(2):309-321, DOI:10.1007/s13157-015-0728-1.
U.S. EPA (2015) Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence (Final Report). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-14/475F. (co-author on report)
Vanderhoof, M., Williams, C. (2015) Persistence of evapotranspiration impacts from mountain pine beetle outbreaks in lodgepole pine forests, south-central Rocky Mountains. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 200:78-91.
Ghimire, B., Williams, C.A., Collatz, G.J., Vanderhoof, M., Rogan, J., Kulaowski, D., Masek, J.G. (2015) Large carbon release legacy from bark beetle outbreaks across the Western United States. Global Change Biology, 21(8):3087-3101.
Vanderhoof, M., Williams, C.A., Shuai, Y., Jarvis, D., Kulakowski, D., Masek, J. (2014) Albedo-induced radiative forcing from mountain pine beetle outbreaks in forests, south-central Rocky Mountains: magnitude, persistence, and relation to outbreak severity. Biogeosciences, 11:563-575.
Williams, C., Vanderhoof, M., Khomik, M., Ghimire, B. (2014). Post-clearcut dynamics of carbon, water and energy changes in a mid-latitude temperate, deciduous broadleaf forest environment. Global Change Biology, 20(3):992-1007.
Khomik, M., Williams, C.A., Vanderhoof, M.K., MacLean, R., Dillen, S.Y. (2014). On the causes of rising gross ecosystem productivity in a regenerating clearcut environment: leaf area, species composition, or environmental conditions. Tree Physiology, 34:686-700.
Vanderhoof, M., Williams, C.A., Ghimire, B., & Rogan, J. (2013) Impact of mountain pine beetle outbreaks on forest albedo and TOA radiative forcing , as derived from MODIS, Rocky Mountains, USA. Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, 118:1461-1471.
Vanderhoof, M., Williams, C.A., Pasay, M., & Ghimire, B. (2013) Controls on the rate of CO2 emission from woody debris in clearcut and coniferous forest environments of central Massachusetts. Biogeochemistry, 114:299-311.
Ghimire, B., Williams, C.A, Collatz, G.J., & Vanderhoof, M. (2012) Fire induced regional carbon emissions and fluxes derived by parameterizing post-fire carbon flux trajectories for western United States forests: Accounting for variation across forest types, fire severity, and carbon pools. Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, 117:1-29.
Vanderhoof, M. , B. Holzman & C. Rogers. (2009) Predicting the distribution of perennial pepperweed, Lepidium latifolium, San Francisco Bay Area, California. Invasive Plant Science and Management, 2(3):260-269.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 24
Data release for the potential role of very high-resolution imagery to characterise lake, wetland and stream systems across the Prairie Pothole Region, United States Data release for the potential role of very high-resolution imagery to characterise lake, wetland and stream systems across the Prairie Pothole Region, United States
Aquatic features critical to watershed hydrology range widely in size from narrow, shallow streams to large, deep lakes. In this study we evaluated wetland, lake, and river systems across the Prairie Pothole Region to explore where pan-sharpened high-resolution (PSHR) imagery, relative to Landsat imagery, could provide additional data on surface water distribution and movement, missed by...
Data release for estimating soil respiration in a subalpine landscape using point, terrain, climate and greenness data Data release for estimating soil respiration in a subalpine landscape using point, terrain, climate and greenness data
Landscape carbon (C) flux estimates are necessary for assessing the ability of terrestrial ecosystems to buffer further increases in anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Advances in remote sensing have allowed for coarse-scale estimates of gross primary productivity (GPP) (e.g., MODIS 17), yet efforts to assess spatial patterns in respiration lag behind those of GPP. Here, we...
Data release for Time series of high-resolution images enhances efforts to monitor post-fire condition and recovery, Waldo Canyon fire, Colorado, USA Data release for Time series of high-resolution images enhances efforts to monitor post-fire condition and recovery, Waldo Canyon fire, Colorado, USA
Interpretations of post-fire condition and rates of vegetation recovery can influence management priorities, actions, and perception of latent risks from landslides and floods. In this study, we used the Waldo Canyon fire (2012, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA) as a case study to explore how a time series (2011-2016) of high-resolution images can be used to delineate burn extent and...
Data release for Applying high-resolution imagery to evaluate restoration-induced changes in stream condition, Missouri River Headwaters Basin, Montana Data release for Applying high-resolution imagery to evaluate restoration-induced changes in stream condition, Missouri River Headwaters Basin, Montana
Degradation of streams and associated riparian habitat across the Missouri River Headwaters Basin has motivated several stream restoration projects across the watershed. Many of these projects install a series of beaver dam analogues (BDAs) to aggrade incised streams, elevate local water tables, and create natural surface water storage by reconnecting streams with their floodplains...
Landsat Burned Area Essential Climate Variable products for the conterminous United States (1984 -2015) Landsat Burned Area Essential Climate Variable products for the conterminous United States (1984 -2015)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has developed and implemented an automated algorithm that identifies burned areas in temporally-dense time series of Landsat image stacks to produce the Landsat Burned Area Essential Climate Variable (BAECV) products. The algorithm makes use of predictors derived from individual Landsat scenes, lagged reference conditions, and change metrics between the...
Data Release for the influence of data characteristics on detecting wetland/stream surface-water connections in the Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland and Delaware Data Release for the influence of data characteristics on detecting wetland/stream surface-water connections in the Delmarva Peninsula, Maryland and Delaware
The datasets were generated for the Upper Choptank River Watershed in Maryland and Delaware. Depressions and the total stream network were derived from a lidar DEM collected during AprilJune 2003 (vertical accuracy root mean square error (RMSE) = 14.3 cm) and MarchApril 2006 (vertical accuracy RMSE = 18.5 cm) for Maryland (1 m resolution) and April 2007 (vertical accuracy RMSE = 18.5 cm)...
Filter Total Items: 43
Isolating anthropogenic wetland loss by concurrently tracking inundation and land cover disturbance across the Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S. Isolating anthropogenic wetland loss by concurrently tracking inundation and land cover disturbance across the Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S.
Global trends in wetland degradation and loss have created an urgency to monitor wetland extent, as well as track the distribution and causes of wetland loss. Satellite imagery can be used to monitor wetlands over time, but few efforts have attempted to distinguish anthropogenic wetland loss from climate-driven variability in wetland extent. We present an approach to concurrently track...
Authors
Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Jay R. Christensen, Yen-Ju G. Beal, Ben DeVries, Megan W. Lang, Nora Hwang, Christine Mazzarella, John Jones
The Landsat Burned Area algorithm and products for the conterminous United States The Landsat Burned Area algorithm and products for the conterminous United States
Complete and accurate burned area map data are needed to document spatial and temporal patterns of fires, to quantify their drivers, and to assess the impacts on human and natural systems. In this study, we developed the Landsat Burned Area (BA) algorithm, an update from the Landsat Burned Area Essential Climate Variable (BAECV) algorithm. Here, we present the BA algorithm and products...
Authors
Todd Hawbaker, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Gail L. Schmidt, Yen-Ju G. Beal, Joshua J. Picotte, Joshua Takacs, Jeff T. Falgout, John L. Dwyer
Mapping forested wetland inundation in the Delmarva Peninsula, USA: Use of deep learning model Mapping forested wetland inundation in the Delmarva Peninsula, USA: Use of deep learning model
The Delmarva Peninsula in the eastern United States is dominated by thousands of small, forested depressional wetlands that are highly sensitive to climate change and climate variability but provide critical ecosystem services. Due to the relatively small size of these depressional wetlands and occurrence under forest canopy cover, it is very challenging to map their inundation status...
Authors
Ling Du, Greg W. McCarty, Xinhow Zhang, Megan W. Lang, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Xian-Dan Lin, Chengquan Huang, Sangchul Lee, Zhenhua Zou
Spatiotemporal variability of modeled watershed scale surface-depression storage and runoff for the conterminous United States Spatiotemporal variability of modeled watershed scale surface-depression storage and runoff for the conterminous United States
This study uses the explores the viability of a proxy model calibration strategy through assessment of the spatiotemporal variability of surface-depression storage and runoff generated with the U.S. Geological Survey’s National Hydrologic Model (NHM) infrastructure for hydrologic response units (HRUs; n=109,951) across the conterminous United States (CONUS). Simulated values for each HRU...
Authors
Jessica M. Driscoll, Lauren Hay, Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Roland J. Viger
Influence of multi-decadal land use, irrigation practices and climate on riparian corridors across the Upper Missouri River Headwaters Basin, Montana Influence of multi-decadal land use, irrigation practices and climate on riparian corridors across the Upper Missouri River Headwaters Basin, Montana
The Upper Missouri River Headwaters Basin (36,400 km2) depends on its river corridors to support irrigated agriculture and world-class trout fisheries. We evaluated trends (1984-2016) in riparian wetness, an indicator of riparian condition, in peak irrigation months (June, July, August) for 158 km2 of riparian area across the basin using the Landsat Normalized Difference Wetness Index...
Authors
Melanie K. Vanderhoof, J.R. Christensen, Laurie C. Alexander
The potential role of very high-resolution imagery to characterise lake, wetland and stream systems across the Prairie Pothole Region, United States The potential role of very high-resolution imagery to characterise lake, wetland and stream systems across the Prairie Pothole Region, United States
Aquatic features critical to watershed hydrology range widely in size from narrow, shallow streams to large, deep lakes. In this study we evaluated wetland, lake, and river systems across the Prairie Pothole Region to explore where pan-sharpened high-resolution (PSHR) imagery, relative to Landsat imagery, could provide additional data on surface water distribution and movement, missed by...
Authors
Melanie K. Vanderhoof, Charles R. Lane
Non-USGS Publications**
Vanderhoof, M.K., Alexander, L.C. (2016) The role of lake expansion in altering the wetland landscape of the Prairie Pothole Region. Wetlands, 36(2):309-321, DOI:10.1007/s13157-015-0728-1.
U.S. EPA (2015) Connectivity of Streams and Wetlands to Downstream Waters: A Review and Synthesis of the Scientific Evidence (Final Report). U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC, EPA/600/R-14/475F. (co-author on report)
Vanderhoof, M., Williams, C. (2015) Persistence of evapotranspiration impacts from mountain pine beetle outbreaks in lodgepole pine forests, south-central Rocky Mountains. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 200:78-91.
Ghimire, B., Williams, C.A., Collatz, G.J., Vanderhoof, M., Rogan, J., Kulaowski, D., Masek, J.G. (2015) Large carbon release legacy from bark beetle outbreaks across the Western United States. Global Change Biology, 21(8):3087-3101.
Vanderhoof, M., Williams, C.A., Shuai, Y., Jarvis, D., Kulakowski, D., Masek, J. (2014) Albedo-induced radiative forcing from mountain pine beetle outbreaks in forests, south-central Rocky Mountains: magnitude, persistence, and relation to outbreak severity. Biogeosciences, 11:563-575.
Williams, C., Vanderhoof, M., Khomik, M., Ghimire, B. (2014). Post-clearcut dynamics of carbon, water and energy changes in a mid-latitude temperate, deciduous broadleaf forest environment. Global Change Biology, 20(3):992-1007.
Khomik, M., Williams, C.A., Vanderhoof, M.K., MacLean, R., Dillen, S.Y. (2014). On the causes of rising gross ecosystem productivity in a regenerating clearcut environment: leaf area, species composition, or environmental conditions. Tree Physiology, 34:686-700.
Vanderhoof, M., Williams, C.A., Ghimire, B., & Rogan, J. (2013) Impact of mountain pine beetle outbreaks on forest albedo and TOA radiative forcing , as derived from MODIS, Rocky Mountains, USA. Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, 118:1461-1471.
Vanderhoof, M., Williams, C.A., Pasay, M., & Ghimire, B. (2013) Controls on the rate of CO2 emission from woody debris in clearcut and coniferous forest environments of central Massachusetts. Biogeochemistry, 114:299-311.
Ghimire, B., Williams, C.A, Collatz, G.J., & Vanderhoof, M. (2012) Fire induced regional carbon emissions and fluxes derived by parameterizing post-fire carbon flux trajectories for western United States forests: Accounting for variation across forest types, fire severity, and carbon pools. Journal of Geophysical Research-Biogeosciences, 117:1-29.
Vanderhoof, M. , B. Holzman & C. Rogers. (2009) Predicting the distribution of perennial pepperweed, Lepidium latifolium, San Francisco Bay Area, California. Invasive Plant Science and Management, 2(3):260-269.
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.