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All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Estimation of forest canopy characteristics and nitrogen cycling using imaging spectrometry

Canopy lignin concentration is strongly related to annual rates of nitrogen mineralization in a series of Wisconsin forest ecosystems. High spectral resolution Airborne Imaging Spectrometer (AIS) data were acquired over these forests to investigate the potential of remotely estimating canopy lignin content. Analysis of the data using a derivative transformation and correlative techniques suggests that lignin or a closely associated cellular constituent is influential in canopy reflectance. Spatial distributions of percent canopy lignin and annual rates of nitrogen mineralization for Blackhawk Island, WI, have been estimated from a mosaic of AIS imagery.

Wessman, Carol A.↗
NASA NTRS1987

Evaluating Landsat classification accuracy from forest cover-type maps

The use of complete enumeration in the form of photointerpreted forest cover-type maps to evaluate the accuracy of Landsat classifications was compared with assessments made directly from the aerial photography. A computerized, geographic information system was utilized to compare the Landsat classifications with the cover-type maps on a pixel-by-pixel basis. Error maps of pixels which were similarly misclassified by a variety of algorithms contained a larger number of errors than were verified from the aerial photography. For the two test sites studied, only 67 and 52 percent of the pixels which were originally considered to be in error were substantiated as being in error. Discrepancies between the two results were primarily caused by definitional differences between the cover-type maps and the Landsat classifications, especially with regard to minimum-type size and crown closure estimates of forest land.

Hudson, W. D.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Dependence of snow melting and surface-atmosphere interactions on the forest structure

The surface albedo and the surface roughness for forested areas with snow on the ground are expressed in terms of the tree silhouette parameter, s, the projection on the vertical plane of trees per unit area. The absorption of insolation (direct solar beam) is quantitatively described for a horizontal snow surface with vertical tree trunks, stressing the role of the bark at snow level as triggering the snow melt. Measurement of s by field sampling in two forested sites in central Switzerland yielded values ranging from 1.8 to 2.1.

Otterman, J.↗
NASA NTRS1989

Measurements of short-term thermal responses of coniferous forest canopies using thermal scanner data

Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS) data were collected over a coniferous forest in western Oregon. Concurrent radiosonde measurements of atmospheric profiles of air temperature and moisture provided inputs to LOWTRAN6 for atmospheric radiance corrections of the TIMS data. Surface temperature differences measured by the TIMS over time between flight lines were combined with surface radiative energy balance estimates to develop thermal response numbers (TRN). These numbers characterized the thermal response of the diffent surface types. Barren surfaces had the lowest TRN, whereas the forested surfaces had the highest.

Luvall, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1990

US Forest Service and National Park Service Wilderness Aircraft Overflight Study: Sociological background and study plans

The background and sociological aspects of the combined U.S. Forest Service and National Park Service Wilderness Aircraft Overflight Study (WACOS) are presented. The WACOS broaches a new area of research by combining aspects of outdoor recreation sociology and aircraft noise response studies. The tasks faced create new challenges and require innovative solutions. Background information on the WACOS is presented with special emphasis on sociological considerations. At the time of this writing, no data have yet been collected, so this paper will present background information, related issues, and plans for data collection. Some recent studies indicate that managers of Forest Service wildernesses and National Park Service areas consider aircraft overflights to be a problem to their users in some areas. Additional relevant background research from outdoor recreation sociology is discussed, followed by presentation of the authors' opinions of the most salient sociological issues faced by this study. The goals and desired end products are identified next, followed by a review of the methods anticipated to be used to obtain these results. Finally, a discussion and conclusion section is provided.

Harrison, Robin T.↗
NASA NTRS1989

C-13/C-12 of atmospheric CO2 in the Amazon basin - Forest and river sources

Results are presented of measurements of the CO2 concentrations and C-13/C-12 ratios in CO2 in air samples collected from within the Amazonian rain forest and over the Amazon river between 1982 and 1987. Results indicate the presence of a diurnal cycle in the CO2 concentration and the C-13/C-12 ratio. It was found that the CO2 input to air in the forest was derived from the soil respiration, and the CO2 input to air over the Amazon river was derived from the degassing of CO2 from the river. It was also found that plants growing at heights lower than 7 m assimilate soil-derived CO2 with a low C-13/C-12 ratio.

Quay, Paul↗
NASA NTRS1990

Remote sensing of temperate coniferous forest lead area index - The influence of canopy closure, understory vegetation and background reflectance

Consideration is given to the effects of canopy closure, understory vegetation, and background reflectance on the relationship between Landsat TM data and the leaf area index (LAI) of temperate coniferous forests in the western U.S. A methodology for correcting TM data for atmospheric conditions and sun-surface-sensor geometry is discussed. Strong inverse curvilinear relationships were found between coniferous forest LAI and TM bands 3 and 5. It is suggested that these inverse relationships are due to increased reflectance of understory vegetation and background in open stands of lower LAI and decreased reflectance of the overstory in closed canopy stands with higher LAI.

Spanner, Michael A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Utilization of Landsat multispectral data in geobotanical investigations - The location of ironstone gravel in the Sam Houston National Forest, Texas

The location of ironstone gravel deposits by remote sensing (using Landsat MSS frames) over a heavily vegetated terrain is demonstrated. It is suggested that the spectral class exhibited on an analyzed Landsat frame (acquired during a protracted drought period) relates to water stressed regions within the upland pine forest type as a result of the near-surface geology of the areas where ironstone gravel is present. It is also suggested that the presence of both the ironstone aggregate and the associated plinthite hardpan layer may be responsible for the absence of longleaf pine on these sites of the Sam Houston National Forest, as compared to similar sites a few km away.

Cibula, William G.↗
NASA NTRS1990

The unpolarized component in polarimetric radar observations of forested areas

A polarimetric radar measures the complete scattering matrix of a target. For the forest and other natural targets, the average return is, in general, partially polarized. Conditions on the second-order statistics of the scattering matrix under which the return is fully polarized are derived, and it is shown that these conditions are connected with the eigenvalues of the covariance matrix. The result of this analysis is a set of three quantities which indicate the ability of a scatterer to generate an unpolarized component. These quantities for forested areas are shown.

Durden, Stephen L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Satellite measurements of large-scale air pollution - Measurements of forest fire smoke

The transport, optical properties, total mass, and removal of smoke produced by forest fires in western Canada during late July and early August 1982 are studied using NOAA 7 AVHRR data. Color composite imagery is produced to track the movement of the smoke over Canada and the U.S. as the smoke traveled thousands of km from the source region. Smoke optical thickness, particle size, and single scattering albedo are computed using radiances measured by AVHRR bands 1 and 2. Results show that smoke optical thickness ranged from less that 0.1 to greater than 3.7 and the geometric mean mass radii ranged from 300 to 900 nm. The smoke single scattering albedo ranged from 0.9 to nearly 1.0. The total smoke mass over the eastern U.S. ranged from 0.1 to 0.5 Tg, which is close to the 0.5 Tg estimated from the forest fuel content. The smoke lifetime is estimated to be between 15 and 20 days.

Ferrare, Richard A.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Assessment of tropical forest stand characteristics with multipolarization SAR data acquired over a mountainous region in Costa Rica

A digital terrain elevation data set was coregistered with radar data for assessing tropical forest stand characteristics. Both raw and topographically corrected L-band polarimetric radar data acquired over the tropical forests of Costa Rica were analyzed and correlated with field-collected tree parameter data to study the stand characteristics. The results of analyses using 18 out of 81 plots for sites A and B indicated that per-plot bole volume and tree volume are related to SAR data, particularly at site A. The topographically corrected SAR data appear to produce the same findings as those of uncorrected data.

Wu, Shih-Tseng↗
NASA NTRS1990

The effect of changing environmental conditions on microwave signatures of forest ecosystems - Preliminary results of the March 1988 Alaskan aircraft SAR experiment

In preparation for the ESA ERS-1 mission, a series of multitemporal, multifrequency, multipolarization aircraft SAR data sets were acquired near Fairbanks in March 1988. P-, L-, and C-band data were acquired with the NASA/JPL Airborne SAR on five different days over a period of two weeks. The airborne data were augmented with intensive ground calibration data as well as detailed simultaneous in situ measurements of the geometric, dielectric, and moisture properties of the snow and forest canopy. During the time period over which the SAR data were collected, the environmental conditions changed significantly; temperatures ranged from unseasonably warm (1 to 9 C) to well below freezing (-8 to -15 C), and the moisture content of the snow and trees changed from a liquid to a frozen state. The SAR data clearly indicate the radar return is sensitive to these changing environmental factors, and preliminary analysis of the L-band SAR data shows a 0.4 to 5.8 dB increase (depending on polarization and canopy type) in the radar cross section of the forest stands under the warm conditions relative to the cold. These SAR observations are consistent with predictions from a theoretical scattering model.

Way, Jobea↗
NASA NTRS1990

Measurements of reactive nitrogen oxides (NO/y/) within and above a tropical forest canopy in the wet season

Measurements of ambient concentrations of reactive nitrogen oxides were made in the Amazon rain forest, near Manaus, Brazil, continuously at 39 m (above the canopy), and on several days and nights at 19 m (within the canopy). Concentrations were very low, typically 100-700 pptv, except for brief periods when up to 5000 pptv of NO(y) was observed, indicating polluted air from the urban area of Manaus. The forest was a net sink for NO(y) with the NO(y) flux = -7.6 + or - 5.0) x 10 to the 9th molecules/sq cm per sec in unpolluted periods, even though soils emitted NO at a significant rate (8.9 + or - 1.5 x 10 to the 9th molecules/sq cm per sec). The deposition rate for NO(y) appeared to be much larger during the daytime than at night, suggesting that uptake was controlled either by plant processes (stomatal opening) or by supply of reactive components of NO(y) (e.g., HNO3) during the daytime. Implications for regional and global atmospheric chemistry are discussed.

Bakwin, Peter S.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Measurements of soil and canopy exchange rates in the Amazon rain forest using Rn-222

Measurements were taken of the emission of Rn-222 from Amazon forest rocks and soils and used as a tracer of ventilation of the forest canopy layer at night. It was determined that the greatest resistance to transfer of trace gases from the soil to the atmosphere lies in the soil air space. Profiles of Rn-222 and CO2 showed steepest concentration gradients in the layer between 0 and 3 m above soil surface. Aerodynamic resistances calculated for this layer from Rn-222 and CO2 varied from 1.6 to 18 s/cm, with greater resistance during the afternoon than at night. The resistance to exchange with air from the entire 41 m layer below the canopy averaged 4.8 s/cm during 13 nights of CO2 profiles. The calculated average time to flush the layer below 41 m is 5.5 hr, and it is concluded that this indicates that significant exchange occurs despite nocturnal stratification.

Trumbore, S. E.↗
NASA NTRS1991

Remote sensing of the seasonal variation of coniferous forest structure and function

One of the objectives of the Oregon Transect Ecosystem Research (OTTER) project is the remotely sensed determination of the seasonal variation of leaf area index (LAI) and absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (APAR). These measurements are required for input into a forest ecosystem model which predicts net primary production evapotranspiration, and photosynthesis of coniferous forests. Details of the study are given.

Spanner, Michael↗
NASA NTRS1990

The seasonality of AVHRR data of temperate coniferous forests - Relationship with leaf area index

The relationship between the advanced very high resolution radiometer (AVHRR) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) and coniferous forest leaf area index (LAI) over the western United States is examined. AVHRR data from the NOAA-9 satellite were acquired of the western U.S. from March 1986 to November 1987 and monthly maximum value composites of AVHRR NDVI were calculated for 19 coniferous forest stands in Oregon, Washington, Montana, and California. It is concluded that the relationships under investigation vary according to seasonal changes in surface reflectance based on key biotic and abiotic controls including phenological changes in LAI caused by seasonal temperature and precipitation variations, the proportions of surface cover types contributing to the overall reflectance, and effects resulting from large variations in the solar zenith angle.

Spanner, Michael A.↗
NASA NTRS1988

Atmospheric effects of a Canadian forest fire smoke plume

In 1982, a northern British Columbia forest fire created a massive smoke plume that could be detected for several days in satellite imagery. The radiative and dynamical impacts of this large forest fire smoke plume are investigated using interactive prognostic models of atmospheric circulation, aerosol microphysics and transport, and radiative heat transfer.

Westphal, Douglas L.↗
NASA NTRS1990

Aerosol spectral optical depths - Jet fuel and forest fire smokes

The Ames autotracking airborne sun photometer was used to investigate the spectral depth between 380 and 1020 nm of smokes from a jet fuel pool fire and a forest fire in May and August 1988, respectively. Results show that the forest fire smoke exhibited a stronger wavelength dependence of optical depths than did the jet fuel fire smoke at optical depths less than unity. At optical depths greater than or equal to 1, both smokes showed neutral wavelength dependence, similar to that of an optically thin stratus deck. These results verify findings of earlier investigations and have implications both on the climatic impact of large-scale smokes and on the wavelength-dependent transmission of electromagnetic signals.

Pueschel, R. F.↗