Radeloff, Volker: University of Wisconsin-Madison (Project Lead)
Project Funding:
2006 - 2011
NRA: 2005 NASA: Terrestrial Ecology and Biodiversity
Funded by NASA
Abstract:
The goal of our project is to model avian biodiversity patterns in the United States with
remotely sensed measures of habitat structure, climatic stability, and productivity. The
importance of these three environmental variables in predicting biodiversity was first
postulated by R. MacArthur. Numerous studies have confirmed the importance of these
factors, but the specific nature of these relationships is still debated, in part because few
studies account for all three factors. We propose to utilize the richness of remotely
sensed data to integrate these variables.
Humans threaten biodiversity by changing habitat structure. Remote sensing is key in
measuring threats to biodiversity. The problem is that human threats are commonly
studied by themselves. We propose to model biodiversity using remotely sensed
measures of human threats jointly with environmental parameters.
Species richness is a key component of biodiversity, but it does not reflect endemism or
threat. We propose to use Breeding Bird Survey data to examine overall species richness,
endemism, and number of species listed as threatened or endangered. Furthermore,
different ecological processes affect different species. We propose to investigate
different bird functional groupings defined by diet, migration, foraging and nesting habit,
especially guilds performing important ecosystem functions (e.g., insectivores for pest
control).
We propose examining structure using Landsat TM/ETM+ image texture, SRTM
topographic variability, SRTM minus NED derived vegetation height, and NLCD 2001
land cover. Climatic stability will be quantified using min., max. and range of MODIS
NDVI, EVI and DAYMET climate data. Indices of productivity will include MODIS
EVI, NDVI and NPP, and SRTM mean elevation. Human threats will be measured from
NLCD 1992-2001 land cover change, NLCD 2001 fragmentation, and U.S. Census 1990-
2000 housing growth. One challenge will be to identify key measures that capture
underlying processes among our long list of variables. We propose testing a limited set
of hypotheses using a several model selection procedures.
The majority of the proposed variables are readily available, and we have summarized
some the biodiversity and predictor variables in current DoD and USFS funded projects.
However, additional measures are needed to capture structure. Remote sensing of
structure has largely relied on land cover classifications and ignored structural variability
within a land cover class. We propose using image texture and tree height to capture
variability in structure within land cover classes.
Finally, we propose to develop medium-scale avian biodiversity maps across the
conterminous U.S. and to make these widely available via Internet mapping technology
and partnerships with management agencies.
In summary, the overarching question of our project is: What determines avian
biodiversity in the U.S.? Our study will pertain foremost to the NRA topic "ecological
structure and biodiversity" and test new remote sensing measures of structure. We will
also examine different avian guilds, addressing the second NRA topic: "functional types
and biodiversity". Specifically, we will examine the following questions:
- How - and to what extent - do remotely sensed measures of structure,
climatic stability, and productivity predict avian biodiversity patterns?
- How - and to what extent - do remotely sensed measures of human threats
to habitat structure predict biodiversity patterns?
- What are the key remote sensing measures that capture structure, climatic
stability, and productivity as well as human threats to biodiversity?
- How do relationships differ for species richness, endemism and threat, as
well as for different functional guilds?
- How do relationships differ among scales, and ecoregions?
- And finally, can these models be used to derive maps of avian biodiversity
for land management?
Publications:
Culbert, P. D., Pidgeon, A. M., St.-Louis, V., Bash, D., Radeloff, V. C. 2009. The Impact of Phenological Variation on Texture Measures of Remotely Sensed Imagery. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Applied Earth Observations and Remote Sensing. 2(4), 299-309. DOI: 10.1109/jstars.2009.2021959
2011 NASA Carbon Cycle & Ecosystems Joint Science Workshop Poster(s)
- A Nationwide Map of Predicted Avian Biodiversity
-- (Patrick Culbert, Volker Radeloff, Nicholas Coops, Josef Kellndorfer, Tom Loveland, Anna Pidgeon)
[abstract]
More details may be found in the following project profile(s):
