Roberts, Dar: UC Santa Barbara (Project Lead)
Dennison, Philip (Phil): University of Utah (Co-Investigator)
Dubayah, Ralph: University of Maryland (Co-Investigator)
Project Funding:
2008 - 2011
NRA: 2007 NASA: Terrestrial Ecology
Funded by NASA
Abstract:
Hyperspectral
data have considerable potential for mapping plant functional types
(PFTs), species and for providing improved estimates of canopy
biophysics and biochemistry. We propose using high-spatial resolution
Airborne Visible Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) and
multitemporal AVIRIS and SPOT-5 to evaluate spatial, spectral and
temporal requirements for a spaceborne hyperspectral mission. We will
use a common set of analysis tools, primarily centered around Multiple
Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis and hyperspectral indices applied
to AVIRIS data acquired over a diversity of North American ecosystems
with a variety of PFTs. AVIRIS data will be spatially and spectrally
degraded to synthesize several broadband sensors and more spectrally
limited hyperspectral sensors at spatial scales ranging from 4 to 60 m.
Ecosystems include temperate rainforest, semi-arid shrublands, interior
mixed conifer forest, oak savanna, broadleaf deciduous and evergreen
forest and forested wetlands. All study sites include high quality
field data, existing high-resolution AVIRIS, and existing or planned
lidar.
Key questions
addressed include: 1) What are the optimal sensor (spatial and
spectral) requirements needed to map plant species and PFTs across
sites representative of several major ecosystems within North America?
; What are the optimal sensor requirements for accurate estimates of
canopy biophysical, chemical and physiological properties, including
photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic cover, canopy moisture, above
ground biomass and light use efficiency?; 3) What is the impact of
temporal sampling on the ability to discriminate PFTs and estimate
cover fractions?; and 4) What are the synergies between
hyperspectral-physiology/biochemistry and lidar vertical structure
including how height and height change improve PFT mapping and quantify
the value of a hyperspectral measure?
This proposal
addresses Sub Element 2.1.1 of the Terrestrial Ecology RFP, but also
addresses key components of 2.1.2 and 2.2 by investigating synergies
between lidar and hyperspectral data and building off of findings from
our current Carbon Cycle Science research.
2011 NASA Carbon Cycle & Ecosystems Joint Science Workshop Poster(s)
- Carbon budgets for intact and recently logged forests on the Maryland Coastal Plain
-- (Geoffrey Parker, Joshua Brinks, Nancy Kahn, Jeffrey Lombardo, Dawn Miller, Dale Morrow, Francisca Saavedra, Dan Bebber)
[abstract]
2010 NASA Terrestrial Ecology Science Team Meeting Poster(s)
- Spectral Discrimination of Plant Functional Types and Species across diverse North American Ecosystems
-- (Dar A Roberts, Keely Roth, Philip E Dennison, Abigail Guess)
[abstract]
[poster]
More details may be found in the following project profile(s):