Mapping saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima) and other riparian and agricultural vegetation in the Lower Colorado River region using multi-spectral Landsat TM imagery |
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| Authors: | Balaji B Maruthi Sridhar Robert K Vincent Wentworth B Clapham Subramania I Sritharan John Osterberg Christopher MU Neale |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Geology , Bowling Green State University , Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA balajim@bgsu.edu;3. Department of Geology , Bowling Green State University , Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA;4. Department of Biological, Geological and Environmental Sciences , Cleveland State University , Cleveland, OH, 44115, USA;5. International Center for Water Resources Management (ICWRM) , Central State University , Wilberforce, OH, 45384, USA;6. U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, Denver Federal Center , Denver, CO, 80225, USA;7. Department of Biological &8. Irrigation Engineering , Utah State University , UT, 84322, USA |
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| Abstract: | Saltcedar (Tamarix ramosissima), an invasive shrub species, has successfully invaded large extents of several riparian zones in the western United States and northern Mexico. Mapping the distribution and abundance of saltcedar over these large areas through a multi-seasonal, cost-effective monitoring approach using satellite remote sensing is very essential. Ground truth surveys were conducted at 79 locations where the spectral reflectance measurements of vegetation, type of plant species, plant heights, soil samples and GPS co-ordinates were recorded. All the sampling was designed to coincide with the satellite overpass period. The Landsat TM colour-composite spectral ratio image (normalized difference vegetative index (NDVI), R 1,5 and R 1,7 as green, blue and red) can clearly identify and map the areas infested with saltcedar. The Landsat image analysis shows that these spectral ratios can be applied to multiple satellite overpasses for monitoring the seasonal progression of the saltcedar growth over time. |
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| Keywords: | Colorado river invasive plant Landsat riparian spectral reflectance saltcedar |
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