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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1988

Farmland Survey

A 1981 U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) study estimated that the nation is converting farmland to non-agricultural uses at the rate of 3 million acres a year. Seeking information on farmland loss in Florida, the state legislature, in 1984, directed establishment of a program for development of accurate data to enable intelligent legislation of state growth management. Thus was born Florida's massive Mapping and Monitoring of Agricultural Lands Project (MMALP). It employs data from the NASA-developed Landsat Earth resources survey satellite system as a quicker, less expensive alternative to ground surveying. The 3 year project involved inventory of Florida's 36 million acres classifying such as cropland, pastureland, citrus, woodlands, wetland, water and populated areas. Direction was assigned to Florida Department of Community Affairs (DCA) with assistance from the DOT. With the cooperation of the USDA, Soil Conservation Service, DCA decided that combining soil data with the Landsat land cover data would make available to land use planners a more comprehensive view of a county's land potential.

Source record↗
NASA NTRS1978

Use of satellite images in the evaluation of farmlands

Remote sensing techniques in the evaluation of farmland in Mexico are discussed. Electronic analysis techniques and photointerpretation techniques are analyzed. Characteristics of the basic crops in Mexico as related to remote sensing are described.

Lozano H., A. E.↗
NASA NTRS1992

Computer Aids Delineation Of Boundaries In Farmlands

Computer-aided stratification (CAS) procedure developmental procedure of image-processing computer equipment and programs partly automating delineation of boundaries between areas. These areas, "primary sampling units", are images of primarily agricultural lands composed by melding digital Landsat Thematic Mapper data and Digital Line Graph data from United States Geological Survey. CAS output data used as inputs for subsequent sampling procedures from which statistics on uses of agricultural lands developed.

Slyle, R.↗
NASA NTRS2023

New York Ecological Conservation: Evaluating Agricultural Conservation Easement Impact Using Earth Observations to Examine Avoided Soil Carbon Loss to Development

Farmland provides ecosystems and communities with services ranging from habitat conservation to food security. As total U.S. farmland continues to decline, agricultural lands near urban areas are especially vulnerable. Our project partners—Finger Lakes Land Trust, Genesee Land Trust, and Saratoga Preserving Land and Nature (PLAN)—can use study results to better profile farmland vulnerability, issuing conservation easements to protect maximum acreage in Saratoga County and the Finger Lakes Region of New York. Multiple existing studies effectively use remote sensing imagery to analyze historical land cover and forecast future change. This study examined soil carbon stocks and land cover change to estimate avoided soil carbon loss. We also predicted farmland vulnerability. We completed these analyses using European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA Earth observations that include Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI), Landsat 9 OLI-2, Sentinel-2 Multispectral Instrument (MSI), and Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership (NPP) Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) for nighttime lights data that aided in the land change model analysis. We determined that the conversion of agriculture to development from 1990 to 2022 occurred at rates of 0.91% (Finger Lakes) and 7% (Saratoga). Urban development is predicted to increase surrounding urban centers through 2030 and 2050. We also estimate that between 26.5 and 348,101 kilotons (Finger Lakes) and 3.7 and 58,006 kilotons (Saratoga) of soil carbon losses have been avoided through agricultural easements. Findings from this study will support our partners in determining agricultural conservation easement benefits and prioritizing the acquisition of future easement sites.

Agriculture↗
NASA NTRS1980

Surface reflectance measurements in the UV from an airborne platform. I

The reflectance of naturally occurring surfaces is measured from a twin engine Cessna 402B aircraft both spectrally (0.29-0.40 micron) with a compact double monochromator and broadband (0.29-1.2 micron) with a UV enhanced photodiode. The measurement system, which is computer controlled and electrically isolated from the aircraft, consists of upward and downward looking hemispheric diffusers, filters, a rotating 90 deg mirror, a focusing lens, and a double monochromator/PMT or the UV photodiode. Measurements are taken at several altitudes enabling the empirical determination of backscatter and attenuation effects on the reflectance. The results are presented for pine forest canopy, green farmland, open ocean, and brown farmland as a function of wavelength and altitude.

Doda, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Surface reflectance measurements in the ultraviolet from an airborne platform. II

The spectral and broadband reflectance of naturally occurring desert sand, black lava, gypsum sand, and snow cover is measured from a twin engine Cessna 402-series aircraft. The measurement system is computer controlled and electrically isolated from the aircraft. It consists of upward and downward looking hemispheric diffusers, filters, a rotating 90 degree mirror, a focusing lens, and a double monochromator/PMT or a UV enhanced photodiode. Measurements are made at several altitudes enabling the empirical determination of the backscatter and attenuation effects on the reflectance. These reflectance results along with those reported earlier for a pine forest, green farmland, the open ocean, and brown farmland are represented analytically.

Doda, D. D.↗
NASA NTRS1981

State resource management and role of remote sensing

Remote sensing by satellite can provide valuable information to state officials when making decisions regarding resources management. Portions of California's investment for Prosperity program which seem likely candidates for remote sensing include: (1) surveying vegetation type, age, and density in forests and wildlife habitats; (2) controlling fires through chaparal management; (3) monitoring wetlands and measuring ocean biomass; (4) eliminating ground water overdraught; (5) locating crops in overdraught areas, assessing soil erosion and the areas of poorly drained soils and those affected by salt; (6) monitoring coastal lands and resources; (7) changes in landscapes for recreational purposes; (8) inventorying irrigated lands; (9) classifying ground cover; (10) monitoring farmland conversion; and (11) supplying data for a statewide computerized farmlands data base.

Johnson, H. D.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Monitoring flood damage with satellite imagery

During analysis of ERTS-1 imagery for land use patterns a large impoundment of water was observed in a location that was normally farmland. Subsequent investigation revealed that the satellite had recorded the remaining floodwaters from a severe local rainstorm that had occurred four days prior to the overpass. The inundated area was measured using the automatic planimeter associated with the signal analysis and dissemination equipment located at the Remote Sensing Institute. The area measurement coupled with estimates of the land use and productivity of the region permitted an estimate of the crop damage loss for the inundated area.

Benson, L. A.↗
NASA NTRS1973

Management of natural resources through automatic cartographic inventory

The author has identified the following significant results. Over those parts of the ARNICA test site where ERTS-1 data were available, the search for correspondences between images and ground truth acquired by the vegetation and geology maps was quite positive. The probability of recognition of soil use types can be estimated at: (1) 100% for water plans, rivers, canals, swamplands, and wetlands; (2) 80%-100% for the major types of forestry, farmland zones, moorlands and pasturelands, and urbanization; (3) 20%-50% for communication lines; (4) 60%-80% for forestry species and organization of agricultural areas; (5) 40%-60% for finer discrimination between forest types and more accurate identification of cultivations; (6) 60%-90% for major geological features. These percentages will be improved upon as soon as it is possible to use the repetitive imagery. An early use of automatic cartography using ERTS-1 imagery was made possible for pine forests in the Central Pyrenees, the densitometric signature of which were particularly significant. Important observations were made in related fields of water resources, snow survey, estuary dynamics, and meteorology.

Rey, P.↗
NASA NTRS1974

Land use mapping in Erie County, Pennsylvania: A pilot study

The author has identified the following significant results. A pilot study was conducted to determine the feasibility of mapping land use in the Great Lakes Basin area utilizing ERTS-1 data. Small streams were clearly defined by the presence of trees along their length in predominantly agricultural country. Field patterns were easily differentiated from forested areas; dairy and beef farms were differentiated from other farmlands, but no attempt was made to identify crops. Large railroad lines and major highway systems were identified. The city of Erie and several smaller towns were identified, as well as residential areas between these towns, and docks along the shoreline in Erie. Marshes, forests, and beaches within Presque Isle State Park were correctly identified, using the DCLUS program. Bay water was differentiated from lake water, with a small amount of misclassification.

Mcmurtry, G. J.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Satellite-sensed winter nocturnal temperature patterns of the Everglades Agricultural Area

Surface temperature patterns of drained organic soil farmland in the Everglades Agricultural Area south of Lake Okeechobee, Florida, were studied using GOES-1 satellite infrared digital data for the winters of 1976-77 and 1977-78. Local thermal features were explained in terms of soil types, soil depths and climate modification caused by organic soil drainage. A cold-prone area was delineated in the Everglades Agricultural Area with satellite data. The winter nighttime surface temperatures of this area were more characteristic of north central Florida, approximately 370 km further north, than of surrounding areas of mineral soil or undrained organic soil.

Chen, E.↗
NASA NTRS1979

Remote estimation of surface moisture over a watershed

The author has identified the following significant results. Contoured analyses of moisture availability, moisture flux, sensible heat flux, thermal inertia, and day and nighttime temperatures over a Missouri watershed for a date in June and in September show that forests and creeks exhibit the highest values of moisture availability, whereas farmlands and villages are relatively dry. The distribution of moisture availability over agricultural districts differs significantly between the two cases. This difference is attributed to a change in the surface's vegetative canopy between June and September, with higher moisture availabilities found in the latter case. Horizontal variations of moisture, however, do indicate some relationship between moisture availability and both local rainfall accumulations and the nature of the terrain.

Kocin, P. J.↗
NASA NTRS1981

Thermal mapping, geothermal source location, natural effluents and plant stress in the Mediterranean coast of Spain

Data obtained by HCMM satellite over a complex area in eastern Spain were evaluated and found to be most useful in studying macrostructures in geology and in analyzing marine currents, layers, and areas (although other satellites provide more data). The upper scale to work with HCMM data appears to be 1:2.000.000. Techniques used in preprocessing, processing, and analyzing imagery are discussed as well as methods for pattern recognition. Surface temperatures obtained for soils, farmlands, forests, geological structures, and coastal waters are discussed. Suggestions are included for improvements needed to achieve better results in geographic areas similar to the study area.

Delascuevas, R. N.↗
NASA NTRS1982

LANDSAT Applications for the State of Delaware

The first phase of a cooperative demonstration project between the Eastern Regional Remote Sensing Applications Center and the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control is summarized. Separate land cover classifications were performed for three counties in Delaware using multiseasonal LANDSAT data from April 3 and July 20, 1974. The objective of the New Castle County and Kent County classifications was to provide general land cover information with special emphasis on existing farmland and deciduous and coniferous forest, respectively. A detailed study of existing inland and coastal wetland vegetation communities was attempted for Sussex County. Detailed accuracy assessments were conducted for general land cover in New Castle and Kent Counties and for wetland communities in Sussex County. The classifications were combined to provide a statewide Level I land cover map and acreage statistics. Based on these results, the participating state agencies determined that LANDSAT is a viable tool for mapping and monitoring land cover within the state.

Gervin, J. C.↗
NASA NTRS1982

Use of remote sensing for land use policy formulation

Research projects described include: (1) identifying coniferous forest types in Michigan using LANDSAT imagery; (2) investigating synoptic temperature patterns in Michigan as determined via GOES and HCMM thermal imagery; (3) land surface change detection using satellite data and a geographic data base; (4) determining soil map unit composition by electronic scanning densitometry; and (5) delimiting areas of virus infection in vineyards and blueberry fields in southwestern and western Michigan. Contractual activities involve important farmlands inventory, changes in aquatic vegetation in Saginaw Bay, digitized soil association map of Michigan, and aerial photography for hybrid-poplar research. On-going projects are also being conducted in Jamaica, Honduras, the Dominican Republic and Kenya.

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