Combining Landsat and LiDAR Remote Sensing Data to Refine Fire Management Objectives for Forest Structural Heterogeneity in Yosemite National Park
Project ID: J8W07100018
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Partner Institution: University of Washington
Fiscal Year: 2010
Initial Funding: $68,150
Total Funding: $68,150
Project Type: Technical Assistance
Project Disciplines: Biological
National Park: Yosemite National Park
Principal Investigator: Lutz, Jim
Agreement Technical Representative: Smith, Gus
Abstract: This is a collaborative project to use two types of remotely sensed data and field data to determine whether fire management projects and managed wildfires meet the Fire Management Plan objectives for forest “canopy gaps” in Yosemite National Park (YOSE). LiDAR data will be acquired for a 92 km2 study in YOSE to determine the structural heterogeneity of different forest types in the study area. Forest heterogeneity is the vertical and horizontal distribution of plant biomass that is shaped by fire regime, change in fire regimes, time since fire, and other factors such as land use, disease, and drought. The LiDAR data will present a three dimensional “picture” of the forest as seen from above. Once the LiDAR data are acquired and analyzed, this information will be combined with other remote sensing data (e.g., Landsat) and geospatial data of previous fires to determine how fires impact forest heterogeneity by forest type. Other factors, including time since fire and fire severity, will be analyzed to determine the impact of fire severity on forest structure and how time influences forest succession in terms of structure. Lastly, animal movement patterns derived from other studies conducted on sensitive species such as California spotted owls, northern flying squirrels, and fishers will be analyzed to determine how forest structural heterogeneity influences spatial use by vertebrates.
Deliverables:
- Forest Ecology and Management (Journal Article)