Engineering topics

Byron Schuldt

Publications and source records attributed to Byron Schuldt.

4 records

NASA NTRS2020

DEVELOP Poster: Medicine Bow Disasters

The Medicine Bow National Forest (MBNF) consists of approximately 1,383,790 acres of forested land, grassland, and sagebrush steppe in southeastern Wyoming. Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), an invasive plant species in the Western US, occurs in the grasslands throughout MBNF. Cheatgrass is known to rapidly colonize disturbed sites and dramatically alter historic fire regimes and nutrient/water dynamics as well as outcompete native plant species that are important forage for mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus canadensis). In 2012, the Squirrel Creek Fire burned approximately 10,587 acres of land within MBNF, exacerbating the spread of cheatgrass. In 2015, the Wyoming Ecological Forecasting DEVELOP team identified areas of high cheatgrass abundance within the fire boundary in order to guide US Forest Service (USFS) herbicide spraying efforts to reduce cheatgrass in 2016. This research used Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) and Sentinel-2 MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI) data to create a 2019 probabilistic cheatgrass occurrence map. This map allowed an analysis of the effectiveness of aerial spraying to inform future land management techniques for the USFS. Based on the results of the Generalized Linear Model, we found that treated areas decreased in cheatgrass cover by 36% while untreated areas increased in cheatgrass cover by 6%, suggesting that herbicide treatment has been effective.

Disasters↗

NASA NTRS2020

Colorado & New Mexico Water Resources: Mapping Wetland and Riparian Areas to Support Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout Habitat Restoration

Over the last century, the Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis; RGCT) population has declined significantly due to habitat loss, competition, and hybridization with non-native trout species; the species currently occupies roughly 11% of its historic habitat. Conservation efforts led by governmental and private actors have succeeded in increasing RGCT populations since the early 2000s. Vermejo Park Ranch, a privately owned 560,000-acre property, partnered with US Fish and Wildlife Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to begin the largest native trout restoration initiative in North America. Since 2002, these efforts have included wetland and riparian area restoration and RGCT reintroduction. Current restoration efforts focus on restoring the Costilla Creek Watershed to provide cool water temperatures, improve water quality, and create the necessary habitat requirements for the trout species. To guide these restoration efforts, the Colorado – Fort Collins NASA DEVELOP team produced maps to locate and characterize wetland and riparian areas in the Costilla Creek watershed. The team utilized NASA data from Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), as well as Sentinel-2 MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI), Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), and additional ancillary data for May 2016 to October 2019. In order to produce probability maps of wetland presence, the team used the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM) incorporating predictor variables generated from topographic indices, spectral indices, and radar. The resulting maps allowed Vermejo Ranch and CPW to determine the extent of possible RGCT habitat and identify where habitat restoration efforts may be needed.

Water Resources↗

NASA NTRS2020

Colorado & New Mexico Water Resources: Mapping Wetland and Riparian Areas to Support Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout Habitat Restoration

Over the last century, the Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis; RGCT) population has declined significantly due to habitat loss, competition, and hybridization with non-native trout species; the species currently occupies roughly 11% of its historic habitat. Conservation efforts led by governmental and private actors have succeeded in increasing RGCT populations since the early 2000s. Vermejo Park Ranch, a privately owned 560,000-acre property, partnered with US Fish and Wildlife Service and Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) to begin the largest native trout restoration initiative in North America. Since 2002, these efforts have included wetland and riparian area restoration and RGCT reintroduction. Current restoration efforts focus on restoring the Costilla Creek Watershed to provide cool water temperatures, improve water quality, and create the necessary habitat requirements for the trout species. To guide these restoration efforts, the Colorado –Fort Collins NASA DEVELOP team produced maps to locate and characterize wetland and riparian areas in the Costilla Creek watershed. The team utilized NASA data from Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager, and Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper in conjunction with Sentinel-2 MultiSpectral Instrument, Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar, and additional ancillary data for May 2016 to October 2019. In order to produce probability maps of wetland presence, the team used the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM) incorporating predictor variables generated from topographic indices, spectral indices, and radar. The resulting maps allowed Vermejo Ranch and CPW to determine the extent of possible RGCT habitat and identify where habitat restoration efforts are needed.

Health & Air Quality↗

NASA NTRSDate not supplied

Mapping Wetland and Riparian Areas to Support Rio Grande Cutthroat Trout Habitat Restoration

The Rio Grande cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarki virginalis; RGCT) population has declined significantly over the last century due to habitat loss, competition, and hybridization with non-native trout species. The species currently occupies roughly 11% of its historic habitat. Conservation efforts led by government and private actors have succeeded in increasing RGCT populations since the early 2000s. State, federal, and private partners began the largest native trout restoration initiative in North America. Since 2002, these efforts have included wetland and riparian area restoration and RGCT reintroduction. Current restoration efforts focus on restoring the Costilla Creek Watershed located in Colorado and New Mexico to provide cool water temperatures, improve water quality, and maintain suitable habitat for the trout species. To guide these restoration efforts, the team conducted a rapid assessment to locate and characterize wetland and riparian areas in the Costilla Creek watershed. The team utilized NASA data from the Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), as well as the Sentinel-2 MultiSpectral Instrument (MSI), and the Sentinel-1 Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) for May 2016 to October 2019. To produce probability maps of wetland presence, the team used the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM) incorporating predictor variables generated from topographic indices, spectral indices, and radar. The top three models (General Wetland model, Stream and Wetland Connectivity model, and Inclusive Wetland model) showed a strong ability to detect wetlands. They all had AUC values greater than 0.9 and had high overlap with wetland areas during visual assessment over high-resolution imagery. The General Wetland model output was converted into a wetland polygon dataset and polygons were classified by wetland type. The resulting maps and datasets will support partners in determining the extent of possible RGCT habitat and identifying where habitat restoration efforts may be needed.

NASA DEVELOP↗