Identifying the Causes of Landscape Change in the North Coast and Cascades Network Parks
Project ID: J8W07110003
Federal Agency: National Park Service
Partner Institution: Western Washington University
Fiscal Year: 2011
Initial Funding: $5,520
Total Funding: $5,520
Project Type: Technical Assistance
Project Disciplines: Biological
National Park: North Coast and Cascades Network Inventory & Monitoring
Principal Investigator: Wallin, David
Agreement Technical Representative: Copass, Catharine
Abstract: This project provides internship opportunities for students from Western Washington University (WWU) on a project to validate methods for monitoring landscape change in the parks of the North Coast and Cascades Network (NCCN). NCCN is using remote sensing methods to develop maps of areas which have undergone landscape change. This collaboration between the National Park Service (NPS) and WWU entails conducting lab and field based work to obtain an accuracy assessment of these landscape change maps. The objectives are twofold: to provide students with an opportunity to gain educational experience with both computer-based remote sensing methods and field work, and to provide NPS with an assessment of the monitoring methods and the viability of using students in any future field-based map assessments. This is a cost-effective approach to generate field-based accuracy assessment data of landscape change maps that are increasingly being used by federal agencies for monitoring purposes. Other public benefits include providing students with educational opportunities to learn first-hand about modeling landscape dynamics in natural areas, to apply GIS, GPS and remotely sensed data in scientific research, to use GPS equipment for navigation and data collection, and to conduct research in a wilderness setting
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