Using GLAS as a tool to detect relative changes in forest structure caused by the 2005 hurricane season.
Katelyn
Anne
Dolan, University of New Hampshire, kdolan@unh.edu
(Presenting)
George
Hurtt, University of New Hampshire, george.hurtt@unh.edu
Jeff
Chambers, Tulane University, chambers@tulane.edu
Ralph
Dubayah, University of Maryland, dubayah@umd.edu
Jeff
Masek, NASA Goddard Flight Center, jeffrey.g.masek@nasa.gov
Scientists are actively trying to understand the role of forest disturbance and recovery in the global carbon cycle and budget using a variety of methods. Recent estimates of the carbon footprint of hurricane Katrina have relied primarily on optical remote sensing and field data. New active remote sensing technology may provide more direct measurements of changes in structure. Aircraft lidar data have been used to improve model estimates of forest disturbance and recovery at a set of key field sites across North America. GLAS lidar aboard the NASA satellite ICESat have been used to measure forest structure in diverse landscapes over large areas and to assess forest regrowth after large magnitude disturbances. This study aims to use GLAS, in combination with other data, to improve the detection and modeling of both the impacts and recovery of ecosystems from hurricanes. Results will also inform the needed characteristics (e.g. accuracy, sampling) for future data on vegetation structure from space.
NASA Carbon Cycle & Ecosystems Active Awards Represented by this Poster: