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NASA NTRS2008

Modeling Bird Migration in Changing Habitats: Space-based Ornithology using Satellites and GIS

Understanding bird migration and avian biodiversity is one of the most compelling and challenging problems of modern biology with major implications for human health and conservation biology. Migration and conservation efforts cross national boundaries and are subject to numerous international agreements and treaties presenting challenges in both geographic space and time. Space based technology, coupled with geographic information systems, yields new opportunities to shed light on the distribution and movement of organisms on the planet and their sensitivity to human disturbances and environmental changes. At NASA, we are creating ecological forecasting tools for science and application users to address the consequences of loss of wetlands, flooding, drought or other natural disasters such as hurricanes on avian biodiversity and bird migration. In our work, we use individual organism biophysical models and drive these models with satellite observations and numerical weather predictions of the spatio-temporal gradients in climate and habitat. Geographic information system technology comprises one component of our overall simulation framework, especially for characterizing the changing habitats and conditions encountered by en-route migratory birds. Simulation provides a tool for studying bird migration across multiple scales and can be linked to mechanistic processes describing the time and energy budget states of migrating birds. Such models yield an understanding of how a migratory flyway and its component habitats function as a whole and link stop-over ecology with biological conservation and management. We present examples of our simulation of shorebirds, principally, pectoral sandpipers, along the central flyways of the United States and Canada from the Gulf of Mexico to Alaska.

Smith, James A.↗

NASA NTRS1970

Explanation of some aspects of the origin of life based on experimental data

Biophysical model of life origin on earth using primordial gas-small organic molecule- macromolecule-protocell transformations

Fox, S. W.↗

NASA NTRS1999

Remote Sensing in Geography in the New Millennium: Prospects, Challenges, and Opportunities

Remote sensing science contributes greatly to our understanding of the Earth's ecosystems and cultural landscapes. Almost all the natural and social sciences, including geography, rely heavily on remote sensing to provide quantitative, and indispensable spatial information. Many geographers have made significant contributions to remote sensing science since the 1970s, including the specification of advanced remote sensing systems, improvements in analog and digital image analysis, biophysical modeling, and terrain analysis. In fact, the Remote Sensing Specialty Group (RSSG) is one of the largest specialty groups within the AAG with over 500 members. Remote sensing in concert with a geographic information systems, offers much value to geography as both an incisive spatial-analytical tool and as a scholarly pursuit that adds to the body of geographic knowledge on the whole. The "power" of remote sensing as a research endeavor in geography lies in its capabilities for obtaining synoptic, near-real time data at many spatial and temporal scales, and in many regions of the electromagnetic spectrum - from microwave, to RADAR, to visible, and reflective and thermal infrared. In turn, these data present a vast compendium of information for assessing Earth attributes and characte6stics that are at the very core of geography. Here we revisit how remote sensing has become a fundamental and important tool for geographical research, and how with the advent of new and improved sensing systems to be launched in the near future, remote sensing will further advance geographical analysis in the approaching New Millennium.

Quattrochi, Dale A.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Estimating Net Primary Productivity Using Satellite and Ancillary Data

The net primary productivity (C) or annual rate of carbon accumulation per unit ground area by terrestrial plant communities is the difference of the rate of gross photosynthesis (A(sub g)) and autotrophic respiration (R) per unit ground area. Although available observations show that R is a large and variable fraction of A(sub g), viz., 0.3 to 0.7, it is generally recognized that much uncertainties exist in this fraction due to difficulties associated with the needed measurements. Additional uncertainties arise when these measurements are extrapolated to regional or global land surface using empirical equations, for example, using regression equations relating C to mean annual precipitation and air temperature. Here, a process-based approach has been taken to calculate A(sub g) and R using satellite and ancillary data. A(sub g) has been expressed as a product of radiation use efficiency, magnitude of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), and normalized by stresses due to soil water shortage and air temperature away from the optimum range. A biophysical model has been used to determine the radiation use efficiency from the maximum rate of carbon assimilation by a leaf, foliage temperature, and the fraction of diffuse PAR incident on a canopy. All meteorological data (PAR, air temperature, precipitation, etc.) needed for the calculation are derived from satellite observations, while a land use, land cover data (based on satellite and ground measurements) have been used to assess the maximum rate of carbon assimilation by a leaf of varied cover type based on field measurements. R has been calculated as the sum of maintenance and growth components. The maintenance respiration of foliage and live fine roots at a standard temperature of different land cover has been determined from their nitrogen content using field and satellite measurements, while that of living fraction of woody stem (viz., sapwood) from the seasonal maximum leaf area index as determined from satellite observations. These maintenance respiration values were then adjusted to that corresponding to air temperature according to a prescribed non-linear variation of respiration with temperature. The growth respiration has been calculated from the difference of Ag and maintenance respiration, according to the two-compartment model. The results of calculations will be reported for 36 consecutive months (1987-1989) over large contiguous areas (ca. 10(exp 5) sq km) Of agricultural land and tropical humid evergreen forests, and compared with available field data.

Choudhury, B. J.↗

NASA NTRS2001

Monte Carlo track structure for radiation biology and space applications

Over the past two decades event by event Monte Carlo track structure codes have increasingly been used for biophysical modelling and radiotherapy. Advent of these codes has helped to shed light on many aspects of microdosimetry and mechanism of damage by ionising radiation in the cell. These codes have continuously been modified to include new improved cross sections and computational techniques. This paper provides a summary of input data for ionizations, excitations and elastic scattering cross sections for event by event Monte Carlo track structure simulations for electrons and ions in the form of parametric equations, which makes it easy to reproduce the data. Stopping power and radial distribution of dose are presented for ions and compared with experimental data. A model is described for simulation of full slowing down of proton tracks in water in the range 1 keV to 1 MeV. Modelling and calculations are presented for the response of a TEPC proportional counter irradiated with 5 MeV alpha-particles. Distributions are presented for the wall and wall-less counters. Data shows contribution of indirect effects to the lineal energy distribution for the wall counters responses even at such a low ion energy.

NASA Center JSC↗

NASA NTRS2001

Probabilities of radiation-induced inter- and intrachromosomal exchanges and their dependence on the DNA content of the chromosome

A biophysical model has been developed that is based on the assumptions that an interphase chromosome occupies a spherical territory and that chromosome exchanges are formed by the misrejoining of two DNA double-strand breaks induced within a defined interaction distance. The model is used to explain the relative frequencies of inter- and intrachromosomal exchanges and the relationship between radiation-induced aberrations in individual chromosomes and the DNA content of the chromosome. Although this simple model predicts a higher ratio of inter- to intrachromosomal exchanges for low-LET radiation than for high-LET radiation, as has been suggested by others, we argue that the comparison of the prediction of the model with experimental results is not straightforward. With the model, we also show that the probability of the formation of interchromosomal exchanges is proportional to the "surface area" of the chromosome domain plus a correction term. The correction term is small if the interaction distance is less than 1 microm for both low- and high-LET radiations.

NASA Center JSC↗

NASA NTRS1990

Circumnutations of sunflower hypocotyls in satellite orbit

The principal objective of the research reported here was to determine whether a plant's periodic growth oscillations, called circumnutations, would persist in the absence of a significant gravitational or inertial force. The definitive experiment was made possible by access to the condition of protracted near weightlessness in an earth satellite. The experiment, performed during the first flight of Spacelab on the National Aeronautics and Space Administration shuttle, Columbia, in November and December, 1983, tested a biophysical model, proposed in 1967, that might account for circumnutation as a gravity-dependent growth response. However, circumnutations were observed in microgravity. They continued for many hours without stimulation by a significant g-force. Therefore, neither a gravitational nor an inertial g-force was an absolute requirement for initiation [correction of initation] or continuation of circumnutation. On average, circumnutation was significantly more vigorous in satellite orbit than on earth-based clinostats. Therefore, at least for sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) circumnutation, clinostatting is not the functional equivalent of weightlessness.

NASA Discipline Plant Biology↗

NASA NTRS2001

Comparison of F ratios generated from interphase and metaphase chromosome damage induced by high doses of low- and high-LET radiation

Although biophysical models predict a difference in the ratio of interchromosomal to intrachromosomal interarm exchanges (F ratio) for low- and high-LET radiations, few experimental data support this prediction. However, the F ratios in experiments to date have been generated using data on chromosome aberrations in samples collected at the first postirradiation mitosis, which may not be indicative of the aberrations formed in interphase after exposure to high-LET radiations. In the present study, we exposed human lymphocytes in vitro to 2 and 5 Gy of gamma rays and 3 Gy of 1 GeV/nucleon iron ions (LET = 140 keV/micrometer), stimulated the cells to grow with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), and collected the condensed chromosomes after 48 h of incubation using both chemically induced premature chromosome condensation (PCC) and the conventional metaphase techniques. The PCC technique used here condenses chromosomes mostly in the G(2) phase of the cell cycle. The F ratio was calculated using data on asymmetrical chromosome aberrations in both the PCC and metaphase samples. It was found that the F ratios were similar for the samples irradiated with low- and high-LET radiation and collected at metaphase. However, for irradiated samples assayed by PCC, the F ratio was found to be 8.2 +/- 2.0 for 5 Gy gamma rays and 5.2 +/- 0.9 for 3 Gy iron ions. The distribution of the aberrations indicated that, in the PCC samples irradiated with iron ions, most of the centric rings occurred in spreads containing five or more asymmetrical aberrations. These heavily damaged cells, which were either less likely to reach mitosis or may reach mitosis at a later time, were responsible for the difference in the F ratios generated from interphase and metaphase analysis after exposure to iron ions.

NASA Discipline Radiation Health↗

NASA NTRS2004

Simulation of Avifauna Distributions Using Remote Sensing

Remote sensing has proved a fruitful tool for understanding the distribution and functioning of plant communities at multiple scales and to understand their coupling to bioclimatic and anthropogenic factors. But a similar approach to understanding the distribution and abundance of bird species as well as many other animal organisms is lacking. The increasing need for such understanding is evident with the recent examples of threats to human health via avian vector transmission and the increasing emphasis on global conservation biology. From experimental observations we know that species richness tends to track biological or environmental gradients. In this paper, we explore the fundamental idea that thermal and water-relation environments of birds, as estimated from satellite data and biophysical models, can define the constraints on their Occurrences and richness. We develop individual bird energy budget models and use these models to define the climate space niche of birds. Using satellite data assimilation products to drive our models, we disperse a distribution of virtual or actual bird species across the landscape in accordance to the limits expressed by their climate space niche. Here, we focus on the North American summer breeding season and give two examples to illustrate our approach. The first is a tundra loving bird, e.g. corresponding to the Culidris genus, and a second genus example, Myiurchus, that corresponds to arid or semi-arid regions. We define these birds in terms of their basic physiology and morphological characteristics, construct avian energetic simulations to predict their allowable metabolic ranges and climate space limits.

Smith, James A.↗

NASA NTRS1992

Experiments with suspended cells on the Space Shuttle

Spaceflight experiments since 1981 have demonstrated that certain cell functions are altered by micro-g. Biophysical models suggest that cell membranes and organelles should not be affected directly by gravity, however, the chemical microenvironment surrounding the cell and molecular transport could be altered by reduced gravity. Most experiments have used suspended live cells in small chambers without stirring or medium exchange. Flight results include increased attachment of anchorage-dependent human cells to collagen coated microcarriers, reduced secretion of growth hormone from pituitary cells, decreased mitogenic response of lymphocytes, increased Interferon-alpha by lymphocytes, increased Interleukin-1 and Tumor Necrosis Factor secretion by macrophages. Related experiments on cells immediately postflight and on procaryotic cells have shown significant changes in secretory capacity, cell proliferation, differentiation and development. Postulated mechanism include altered cell-cell interactions, altered calcium ion transport, effects on cell cytoskeleton, transport of transmitters and interactions with receptors. The discussion includes use of new molecular methods, considerations for cell environmental control and a preview of several experiments planned for the Shuttle and Spacelab flights to study the basic effects of microgravity on cellular physiology and potential interactions of spaceflight with radiation damage and cellular repair mechanisms.

Review↗

NASA NTRS2005

Space Based Ornithology: On the Wings of Migration and Biophysics

The study of bird migration on a global scale is one of the compelling and challenging problems of modern biology with major implications for human health and conservation biology. Migration and conservation efforts cross national boundaries and are subject to numerous international agreements and treaties. Space based technology offers new opportunities to shed understanding on the distribution and migration of organisms on the planet and their sensitivity to human disturbances and environmental changes. Migration is an incredibly diverse and complex behavior. A broad outline of space based research must address three fundamental questions: (1) where could birds be, i.e. what is their fundamental niche constrained by their biophysical limits? (2) where do we actually find birds, i.e. what is their realizable niche as modified by local or regional abiotic and biotic factors, and (3) how do they get there (and how do we know?), that is what are their migration patterns and associated mechanisms? Our working hypothesis is that individual organism biophysical models of energy and water balance, driven by satellite measurements of spatio-temporal gradients in climate and habitat, will help us to explain the variability in avian species richness and distribution. Dynamic state variable modeling provides one tool for studying bird migration across multiple scales and can be linked to mechanistic models describing the time and energy budget states of migrating birds. Such models yield an understanding of how a migratory flyway and its component habitats function as a whole and link stop-over ecology with biological conservation and management. Further these models provide an ecological forecasting tool for science and application users to address what are the possible consequences of loss of wetlands, flooding, drought or other natural disasters such as hurricanes on avian biodiversity and bird migration.

Smith, James A.↗

NASA NTRS2005

Space-based Remote Sensing: A Tool for Studying Bird Migration Across Multiple Scales

Smith, James A.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Space-Based Ornithology: On the Wings of Migration and Biophysics

Understanding bird migration and avian biodiversity is one of the most compelling and challenging problems of modern biology with major implications for human health and conservation biology. Migration and conservation efforts cross national boundaries and are subject to numerous international agreements and treaties. Public interest is high with concerns about avian flu, Katrina and its impacts, and the recent sightings of the ivory-billed woodpecker. Space based technology gives us new opportunities to shed light on the distribution and movement of organisms on the planet and their sensitivity to human disturbances and environmental changes. Together with the USGS and other agencies, we are creating ecological forecasting tools for science and application users to address the consequences of loss of wetlands, flooding, drought or other natural disasters such as hurricanes on avian biodiversity and bird migration. In our work, we use individual organism biophysical models of energy and water balance and drive these models with satellite measurements of spatio-temporal gradients in climate and habitat. Dynamic state variable modeling provides an additional tool for studying bird migration across multiple scales and can be linked to our mechanistic models describing the time and energy budget states of migrating birds. Such models yield an understanding of how a migratory flyway and its component habitats function as a whole and link stop-over ecology with biological conservation and management. We also build upon the canopy done by the Environmental Laboratory over the past few years.

Smith, James A.↗

NASA NTRS2006

Human Appropriation of Net Primary Production - Can Earth Keep Up?

The amount of Earth's vegetation or net primary production required to support human activities is powerful measure of aggregate human impacts on the biosphere. Biophysical models applied to consumption statistics were used to estimate the annual amount of net primary production in the form of elemental carbon required for food, fibre, and fuel-wood by the global population. The calculations were then compared to satellite-based estimates of Earth's average net primary production to produce a geographically explicit balance sheet of net primary production "supply" and "demand". Humans consume 20% of Earth's net primary production (11.5 petagrams carbon) annually and this percentage varies regionally from 6% (South America) to over 70% (Europe and Asia), and locally from near 0% (central Australia) to over 30,000% (New York City, USA). The uneven footprint of human consumption and related environmental impacts, indicate the degree to which human populations are vulnerable to climate change and suggest policy options for slowing future growth of NPP demand.

Imhoff, Marc L.↗

NASA NTRS2007

Chromosome Aberrations in Astronauts

A review of currently available data on in vivo induced chromosome damage in the blood lymphocytes of astronauts proves that, after protracted exposure of a few months or more to space radiation, cytogenetic biodosimetry analyses of blood collected within a week or two of return from space provides a reliable estimate of equivalent radiation dose and risk. Recent studies indicate that biodosimetry estimates from single spaceflights lie within the range expected from physical dosimetry and biophysical models, but very large uncertainties are associated with single individual measurements and the total sample population remains low. Retrospective doses may be more difficult to estimate because of the fairly rapid time-dependent loss of "stable" aberrations in blood lymphocytes. Also, biodosimetry estimates from individuals who participate in multiple missions, or very long (interplanetary) missions, may be complicated by an adaptive response to space radiation and/or changes in lymphocyte survival and repopulation. A discussion of published data is presented and specific issues related to space radiation biodosimetry protocols are discussed.

George, Kerry A.↗

NASA NTRS2009

Distribution of Chromosome Breakpoints in Human Epithelial Cells Exposed to Low- and High-LET Radiations

The advantage of the multicolor banding in situ hybridization (mBAND) technique is not only its ability to identify simultaneously both inter- and intrachromosome exchanges, but also the ability to measure the breakpoint location along the length of the chromosome in a precision that is unmatched with other traditional banding techniques. Breakpoints on specific regions of a chromosome have been known to associate with specific cancers. The breakpoint distribution in cells after low- and high-LET radiation exposures will also provide the data for biophysical modeling of the chromatin structure, as well as the data for the modeling the formation of radiation-induced chromosome aberrations. In a series of experiments, we studied low- and high-LET radiation-induced chromosome aberrations using the mBAND technique with chromosome 3 painted in 23 different colored bands. Human epithelial cells (CH1 84B5F5/M10) were exposed in vitro to Cs- 137 rays at both low and high dose rates, secondary neutrons with a broad energy spectrum at a low dose rate and 600 MeV/u Fe ions at a high dose rate. The data of both inter- and intrachromosome aberrations involving the painted chromosome have been reported previously. Here we present data of the location of the chromosome breaks along the length of chromosome 3 in the cells after exposures to each of the four radiation scenarios. In comparison to the expected breakpoint distribution based on the length of the bands, the observed distribution appeared to be non-random for both the low- and high-LET radiations. In particular, hot spots towards both ends of the chromosome were found after low-LET irradiations of either low or high dose rates. For both high-LET radiation types (Fe ions and neutrons), the breakpoint distributions were similar, and were much smoother than that for low-LET radiation. The dependence of the breakpoint distribution on the radiation quality requires further investigations.

Hada, Megumi↗

NASA NTRS2022

Using Desis and EO-1 Hyperion Reflectance Time Series for the Assessment of Vegetation Traits and Gross Primary Production (GPP)

This study evaluates the potential of the DLR Earth Sensing Imaging Spectrometer (DESIS) visible through near-infrared (VNIR) surface reflectance to augment the EO-1 Hyperion full spectrum (400-2400 nm) reflectance collection over vegetated flux sites to extend the reflectance time series up to the present. We compared DESIS and Hyperion surface reflectance magnitude and variability at a pseudo-invariant site (PICS) and a vegetated flux site (VFS). VNIR reflectance magnitudes between the two sensors did not significantly differ at the PICS. However, DESIS variability was higher, likely due to differences in the data acquisition time and observation geometry. Using empirical and biophysical models, both DESIS and Hyperion datasets captured the seasonal variations in gross primary production (GPP) and canopy bio-physical parameters such as chlorophyll content, leaf area index (LAI), and senescent material at the VFS. Differences in the magnitudes of the bio-physical parameters were observed, likely due to the differences in the sensors spectral range and resolution. Using VNIR reflectance from EO-1 Hyperion with DESIS convolved to Hyperion spectral resolution to estimate canopy chlorophyll and GPP, we demonstrate that combining historic and current space-based reflectance data in a common multi-sensor approach is feasible. This is of importance for extending the reflectance record established with EO-1 Hyperion to provide continuity with the current orbital instruments (e.g., DESIS/ISS, PRISMA/ASI) and the forthcoming NASA Surface Biology and Geology (SBG), ESA CHIME and DLR EnMAP satellite missions, which is of key importance for comparisons of current and past trends in the seasonal dynamics of vegetation traits and photosynthetic function.

DESIS↗

NASA NTRS2022

Design of synthetic collagens that assemble into supramolecular banded fibers as a functional biomaterial testbed

Collagens are the most abundant proteins of the extracellular matrix, and the hierarchical folding and supramolecular assembly of collagens into banded fibers is essential for mediating cell-matrix interactions and tissue mechanics. Collagen extracted from animal tissues is a valuable commodity, but suffers from safety and purity issues, limiting its biomaterials applications. Synthetic collagen biomaterials could address these issues, but their construction requires molecular-level control of folding and supramolecular assembly into ordered banded fibers, comparable to those of natural collagens. Here, we show an innovative class of banded fiber-forming synthetic collagens that recapitulate the morphology and some biological properties of natural collagens. The synthetic collagens comprise a functional-driver module that is flanked by adhesive modules that effectively promote their supramolecular assembly. Multiscale simulations support a plausible molecular-level mechanism of supramolecular assembly, allowing precise design of banded fiber morphology. We also experimentally demonstrate that synthetic fibers stimulate osteoblast differentiation at levels comparable to natural collagen. This work thus deepens understanding of collagen biology and disease by providing a ready source of safe, functional biomaterials that bridge the current gap between the simplicity of peptide biophysical models and the complexity of in vivo animal systems.

Jinyuan Hu↗