Neal J Pastick, PhD (Former Employee)
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 24
Modelled long-term wildfire occurrence probabilities in sagebrush-dominated ecosystems in the western US (1985 to 2019) Modelled long-term wildfire occurrence probabilities in sagebrush-dominated ecosystems in the western US (1985 to 2019)
Exotic annual grasses are one of the most damaging biological stressors in western North America and increase the susceptibility of landscapes to wildfire occurrence. Here we couple estimates of long-term rangeland component fractions (e.g. exotic annual grasses) with remote sensing, climate data, and machine learning techniques to estimate the long-term (1985 to 2019) probability of...
Historic and future trends in exotic annual grass (%) cover in the western US (1985 to 2019 and 2025 to 2040) Historic and future trends in exotic annual grass (%) cover in the western US (1985 to 2019 and 2025 to 2040)
Exotic annual grasses [EAG] are one of the most damaging biological stressors in western North America. Despite numerous environmental and societal impacts associated with EAG there remains a need to enhance regional monitoring capabilities to better guide management and conservation efforts. Here we provide estimates of historic and potential future trends in EAG abundance that were...
Probabilistic estimates of landscape change in Alaska (1984 to 2015) Probabilistic estimates of landscape change in Alaska (1984 to 2015)
Contemporary climate change in Alaska has resulted in amplified rates of press and pulse disturbances that drive ecosystem change with significant consequences for socio-environmental systems. Despite the vulnerability of Arctic and boreal landscapes to change, little has been done to characterize landscape change and associated drivers across northern high-latitude ecosystems. Here we
Early Estimates of Exotic Annual Grass (EAG) in the Sagebrush Biome, USA, 2025 Early Estimates of Exotic Annual Grass (EAG) in the Sagebrush Biome, USA, 2025
We provide fractional cover estimates for exotic annual grass (EAG) species and one native perennial grass species on a weekly basis from mid-April to late June 2025. The cover estimates reflect actual conditions of the previous week and are released in an expedited manner, within 7-13 days of the latest satellite observation used for that weekly prediction. Each weekly release contains...
Weekly Changes of Exotic Annual Grasses (EAG) abundance in the Sagebrush Biome, USA, 2024 Weekly Changes of Exotic Annual Grasses (EAG) abundance in the Sagebrush Biome, USA, 2024
These datasets provide weekly differences of early estimates of 2024 fractional cover for exotic annual grass (EAG) that were released from April to late June. The EAG estimates were publicly released within 7-13 days of the latest satellite observation used for that version. Each weekly release contained five fractional cover maps along with their corresponding confidence maps for: 1) a...
Early Estimates of Exotic Annual Grass (EAG) in the Sagebrush Biome, USA, 2024 Early Estimates of Exotic Annual Grass (EAG) in the Sagebrush Biome, USA, 2024
These datasets provide early estimates of 2024 fractional cover for exotic annual grass (EAG) species and one native perennial grass species on a weekly basis from April to late June. Typically, the EAG estimates are publicly released within 7-13 days of the latest satellite observation used for that version. Each weekly release contains five fractional cover maps along with their...
Eyes on Earth Episode 105 – Imagery Challenges of Alaska
In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we focus on Alaska. Rich in wildlife and natural resources, not to mention its sheer size, Alaska has long been a source of fascination for remote sensing scientists. But it is also a source of frustration, with frequent cloud and snow cover and months of darkness each year. Three EROS researchers well versed in interpreting Landsat imagery from Alaska shared...
Filter Total Items: 27
Upland Yedoma taliks are an unpredicted source of atmospheric methane Upland Yedoma taliks are an unpredicted source of atmospheric methane
Landscape drying associated with permafrost thaw is expected to enhance microbial methane oxidation in arctic soils. Here we show that ice-rich, Yedoma permafrost deposits, comprising a disproportionately large fraction of pan-arctic soil carbon, present an alternate trajectory. Field and laboratory observations indicate that talik (perennially thawed soils in permafrost) development in
Authors
Katey M. Walter Anthony, Nicholas Hasson, Colin W. Edgar, Orit Sivan, Effrat Eliani-Russak, Oded Bergman, Burke J. Minsley, Stephanie R. James, Neal J. Pastick, Alexander Kholodov, Sergey Zimov, Eugenie Euskirchen, Marion S. Bret-Harte, Guido Grosse, Moritz Langer, Jan Nitzbon
Adaptive fine-tuning for transferring a U-net hydrography extraction model using K-means Adaptive fine-tuning for transferring a U-net hydrography extraction model using K-means
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) coordinates the collection of hydrographic features derived from remotely sensed interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IfSAR) elevation and intensity data in Alaska. Hydrographic features are cartographic representations of surface water features such as stream, rivers, lakes, ponds, canals, etc. Collection and validation procedures involve...
Authors
Larry Stanislawski, Ethan J. Shavers, Neal J. Pastick, Philip T. Thiem, Shaowen Wang, Nattapon Jaroenchai, Zhe Jiang, Barry J. Kronenfeld, Barbara P. Buttenfield, Adam Camerer
Investigating permafrost carbon dynamics in Alaska with artificial intelligence Investigating permafrost carbon dynamics in Alaska with artificial intelligence
Positive feedbacks between permafrost degradation and the release of soil carbon into the atmosphere impact land–atmosphere interactions, disrupt the global carbon cycle, and accelerate climate change. The widespread distribution of thawing permafrost is causing a cascade of geophysical and biochemical disturbances with global impacts. Currently, few earth system models account for...
Authors
Bradley Gay, Neal Pastick, Andreas Zufle, Amanda Armstrong, Kimberly Miner, J.J. Qu
Rapid and gradual permafrost thaw: A tale of two sites Rapid and gradual permafrost thaw: A tale of two sites
Warming temperatures and increasing disturbance by wildfire and extreme weather events is driving permafrost change across northern latitudes. The state of permafrost varies widely in space and time, depending on landscape, climate, hydrologic, and ecological factors. Despite its importance, few approaches commonly measure and monitor the changes in deep (>1 m) permafrost conditions with...
Authors
Burke J. Minsley, Neal Pastick, Stephanie R. James, Dana R.N. Brown, Bruce K. Wylie, Mason A. Kass, Vladimir E. Romanovsky
Heterogeneous patterns of aged organic carbon export driven by hydrologic flow paths, soil texture, fire, and thaw in discontinuous permafrost headwaters Heterogeneous patterns of aged organic carbon export driven by hydrologic flow paths, soil texture, fire, and thaw in discontinuous permafrost headwaters
Climate change is thawing and potentially mobilizing vast quantities of organic carbon (OC) previously stored for millennia in permafrost soils of northern circumpolar landscapes. Climate-driven increases in fire and thermokarst may play a key role in OC mobilization by thawing permafrost and promoting transport of OC. Yet, the extent of OC mobilization and mechanisms controlling...
Authors
Joshua C. Koch, Matthew Bogard, David Butman, Kerri Finlay, Brian A. Ebel, Jason James, Sarah Ellen Johnston, M. Torre Jorgenson, Neal Pastick, Rob Spencer, Rob Striegl, Michelle A. Walvoord, Kimberly Wickland
Multi-species inference of exotic annual and native perennial grasses in rangelands of the western United States using Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 data Multi-species inference of exotic annual and native perennial grasses in rangelands of the western United States using Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 data
The invasion of exotic annual grass (EAG), e.g., cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), into rangeland ecosystems of the western United States is a broad-scale problem that affects wildlife habitats, increases wildfire frequency, and adds to land management costs. However, identifying individual species of EAG abundance from remote sensing, particularly...
Authors
Devendra Dahal, Neal J. Pastick, Stephen P. Boyte, Sujan Parajuli, Michael J. Oimoen, Logan J. Megard
Non-USGS Publications**
**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
Modelled long-term wildfire occurrence probabilities in sagebrush-dominated ecosystems in the western US (1985 to 2019) Modelled long-term wildfire occurrence probabilities in sagebrush-dominated ecosystems in the western US (1985 to 2019)
Exotic annual grasses are one of the most damaging biological stressors in western North America and increase the susceptibility of landscapes to wildfire occurrence. Here we couple estimates of long-term rangeland component fractions (e.g. exotic annual grasses) with remote sensing, climate data, and machine learning techniques to estimate the long-term (1985 to 2019) probability of...
Historic and future trends in exotic annual grass (%) cover in the western US (1985 to 2019 and 2025 to 2040) Historic and future trends in exotic annual grass (%) cover in the western US (1985 to 2019 and 2025 to 2040)
Exotic annual grasses [EAG] are one of the most damaging biological stressors in western North America. Despite numerous environmental and societal impacts associated with EAG there remains a need to enhance regional monitoring capabilities to better guide management and conservation efforts. Here we provide estimates of historic and potential future trends in EAG abundance that were...
Probabilistic estimates of landscape change in Alaska (1984 to 2015) Probabilistic estimates of landscape change in Alaska (1984 to 2015)
Contemporary climate change in Alaska has resulted in amplified rates of press and pulse disturbances that drive ecosystem change with significant consequences for socio-environmental systems. Despite the vulnerability of Arctic and boreal landscapes to change, little has been done to characterize landscape change and associated drivers across northern high-latitude ecosystems. Here we
Early Estimates of Exotic Annual Grass (EAG) in the Sagebrush Biome, USA, 2025 Early Estimates of Exotic Annual Grass (EAG) in the Sagebrush Biome, USA, 2025
We provide fractional cover estimates for exotic annual grass (EAG) species and one native perennial grass species on a weekly basis from mid-April to late June 2025. The cover estimates reflect actual conditions of the previous week and are released in an expedited manner, within 7-13 days of the latest satellite observation used for that weekly prediction. Each weekly release contains...
Weekly Changes of Exotic Annual Grasses (EAG) abundance in the Sagebrush Biome, USA, 2024 Weekly Changes of Exotic Annual Grasses (EAG) abundance in the Sagebrush Biome, USA, 2024
These datasets provide weekly differences of early estimates of 2024 fractional cover for exotic annual grass (EAG) that were released from April to late June. The EAG estimates were publicly released within 7-13 days of the latest satellite observation used for that version. Each weekly release contained five fractional cover maps along with their corresponding confidence maps for: 1) a...
Early Estimates of Exotic Annual Grass (EAG) in the Sagebrush Biome, USA, 2024 Early Estimates of Exotic Annual Grass (EAG) in the Sagebrush Biome, USA, 2024
These datasets provide early estimates of 2024 fractional cover for exotic annual grass (EAG) species and one native perennial grass species on a weekly basis from April to late June. Typically, the EAG estimates are publicly released within 7-13 days of the latest satellite observation used for that version. Each weekly release contains five fractional cover maps along with their...
Eyes on Earth Episode 105 – Imagery Challenges of Alaska
In this episode of Eyes on Earth, we focus on Alaska. Rich in wildlife and natural resources, not to mention its sheer size, Alaska has long been a source of fascination for remote sensing scientists. But it is also a source of frustration, with frequent cloud and snow cover and months of darkness each year. Three EROS researchers well versed in interpreting Landsat imagery from Alaska shared...
Filter Total Items: 27
Upland Yedoma taliks are an unpredicted source of atmospheric methane Upland Yedoma taliks are an unpredicted source of atmospheric methane
Landscape drying associated with permafrost thaw is expected to enhance microbial methane oxidation in arctic soils. Here we show that ice-rich, Yedoma permafrost deposits, comprising a disproportionately large fraction of pan-arctic soil carbon, present an alternate trajectory. Field and laboratory observations indicate that talik (perennially thawed soils in permafrost) development in
Authors
Katey M. Walter Anthony, Nicholas Hasson, Colin W. Edgar, Orit Sivan, Effrat Eliani-Russak, Oded Bergman, Burke J. Minsley, Stephanie R. James, Neal J. Pastick, Alexander Kholodov, Sergey Zimov, Eugenie Euskirchen, Marion S. Bret-Harte, Guido Grosse, Moritz Langer, Jan Nitzbon
Adaptive fine-tuning for transferring a U-net hydrography extraction model using K-means Adaptive fine-tuning for transferring a U-net hydrography extraction model using K-means
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) coordinates the collection of hydrographic features derived from remotely sensed interferometric synthetic aperture radar (IfSAR) elevation and intensity data in Alaska. Hydrographic features are cartographic representations of surface water features such as stream, rivers, lakes, ponds, canals, etc. Collection and validation procedures involve...
Authors
Larry Stanislawski, Ethan J. Shavers, Neal J. Pastick, Philip T. Thiem, Shaowen Wang, Nattapon Jaroenchai, Zhe Jiang, Barry J. Kronenfeld, Barbara P. Buttenfield, Adam Camerer
Investigating permafrost carbon dynamics in Alaska with artificial intelligence Investigating permafrost carbon dynamics in Alaska with artificial intelligence
Positive feedbacks between permafrost degradation and the release of soil carbon into the atmosphere impact land–atmosphere interactions, disrupt the global carbon cycle, and accelerate climate change. The widespread distribution of thawing permafrost is causing a cascade of geophysical and biochemical disturbances with global impacts. Currently, few earth system models account for...
Authors
Bradley Gay, Neal Pastick, Andreas Zufle, Amanda Armstrong, Kimberly Miner, J.J. Qu
Rapid and gradual permafrost thaw: A tale of two sites Rapid and gradual permafrost thaw: A tale of two sites
Warming temperatures and increasing disturbance by wildfire and extreme weather events is driving permafrost change across northern latitudes. The state of permafrost varies widely in space and time, depending on landscape, climate, hydrologic, and ecological factors. Despite its importance, few approaches commonly measure and monitor the changes in deep (>1 m) permafrost conditions with...
Authors
Burke J. Minsley, Neal Pastick, Stephanie R. James, Dana R.N. Brown, Bruce K. Wylie, Mason A. Kass, Vladimir E. Romanovsky
Heterogeneous patterns of aged organic carbon export driven by hydrologic flow paths, soil texture, fire, and thaw in discontinuous permafrost headwaters Heterogeneous patterns of aged organic carbon export driven by hydrologic flow paths, soil texture, fire, and thaw in discontinuous permafrost headwaters
Climate change is thawing and potentially mobilizing vast quantities of organic carbon (OC) previously stored for millennia in permafrost soils of northern circumpolar landscapes. Climate-driven increases in fire and thermokarst may play a key role in OC mobilization by thawing permafrost and promoting transport of OC. Yet, the extent of OC mobilization and mechanisms controlling...
Authors
Joshua C. Koch, Matthew Bogard, David Butman, Kerri Finlay, Brian A. Ebel, Jason James, Sarah Ellen Johnston, M. Torre Jorgenson, Neal Pastick, Rob Spencer, Rob Striegl, Michelle A. Walvoord, Kimberly Wickland
Multi-species inference of exotic annual and native perennial grasses in rangelands of the western United States using Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 data Multi-species inference of exotic annual and native perennial grasses in rangelands of the western United States using Harmonized Landsat and Sentinel-2 data
The invasion of exotic annual grass (EAG), e.g., cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) and medusahead (Taeniatherum caput-medusae), into rangeland ecosystems of the western United States is a broad-scale problem that affects wildlife habitats, increases wildfire frequency, and adds to land management costs. However, identifying individual species of EAG abundance from remote sensing, particularly...
Authors
Devendra Dahal, Neal J. Pastick, Stephen P. Boyte, Sujan Parajuli, Michael J. Oimoen, Logan J. Megard
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.