The National Ecological Observatory Network Terrestrial Observation System (NEON TOS) produces open‐access data products that allow data users to investigate the impact of change drivers on key ...“sentinel” taxa and soils. The spatial and temporal sampling strategy that coordinates implementation of these protocols enables integration across TOS products and with products generated by NEON aquatic, remote sensing, and terrestrial instrument subsystems. Here, we illustrate the plots and sampling units that make up the physical foundation of a NEON TOS site, and we describe the scales (subplot, plot, airshed, and site) at which sampling is spatially colocated across protocols and subsystems. We also describe how moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer‐enhanced vegetation index (MODIS‐EVI) phenology data are used to temporally coordinate TOS sampling within and across years at the continental scale of the observatory. Individually, TOS protocols produce data products that provide insight into populations, communities, and ecosystem processes. Within the spatial and temporal framework that guides cross‐protocol implementation, the ability to draw inference across data products is enhanced. To illustrate this point, we develop an example using R software that links two TOS data products collected with different temporal frequencies at both plot and site spatial scales. A thorough understanding of how TOS protocols are integrated with each other in space and time, and with other NEON subsystems, is necessary to leverage NEON data products to maximum effect. For example, a researcher must understand the spatial and temporal scales at which soil biogeochemistry data, soil microbe biomass data, and plant litter production and chemistry data may be combined to quantify soil nutrient stocks and fluxes across NEON sites. We present clear links among TOS protocols and across NEON subsystems that will enhance the utility of NEON TOS data products for the data user community.
We present an approach for monitoring and forecasting landscape level indicators of the condition of protected area (PA) ecosystems including changes in snowcover, vegetation phenology and ...productivity using the Terrestrial Observation and Prediction System (TOPS). TOPS is a modeling framework that integrates operational satellite data, microclimate mapping, and ecosystem simulation models to characterize ecosystem status and trends. We have applied TOPS to investigate trends and patterns in landscape indicators using test cases at both national and park-level scales to demonstrate the potential utility of TOPS for supporting efforts by the National Park Service to develop standardized indicators for protected area monitoring. Our analysis of coarse resolution satellite-derived normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) measurements for North America from 1982–2006 indicates that all but a few PAs are located in areas that exhibited a sustained decline in vegetation condition. We used Yosemite National Park as our park-level test case, and while no significant trends in NDVI were detected during the same period, evidence of drought-induced vegetation mortality and recovery patterns dominated the 25-year record. In our Yosemite analysis, we show that analyzing MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-radiometer) products (vegetation indices, absorbed radiation, land surface temperature and gross primary production) in conjunction with ground-based measurements, such as runoff, lends additional utility to satellite-based monitoring of ecosystems indicators, as together they provide a comprehensive view of ecosystem condition. Analyses of MODIS products from 2001–2006 show that year-to-year changes in the onset of spring at Yosemite were as large as 45 days, and this signal in the satellite data record is corroborated by observed changes in spring runoff patterns. Finally, we applied TOPS to assess long-term climate impacts on ecosystem condition at the scale of an individual park. When driven by projected climatic changes at Yosemite of 4–6 °C warming by 2100 with no changes in precipitation patterns, TOPS predicts significantly reduced winter snowpack and an earlier onset of the growing season, resulting in prolonged summer drought and reduced vegetation productivity.
The invasion of ecosystems by non-native species is a major driver of biodiversity loss worldwide. A critical component of effective land management to control invasion is the identification and ...active protection of areas at high risk of future invasion. The Appalachian Trail Decision Support System (A.T.-DSS) was developed to inform regional natural resource management by integrating remote sensing data, ground-based measurements and predictive modelling products. By incorporating NASA's remote sensing data and modelling capacities from the Terrestrial Observation and Prediction System (TOPS), this study examined the current habitat suitability and projected suitable habitat for the invasive species tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) as a prototype application of the A.T.-DSS. Species observations from forest surveys, geospatial data, climatic projections and maximum entropy modelling were used to identify regions potentially susceptible to tree-of-heaven invasion. The modelling result predicted a 48% increase in suitable area over the study area, with significant expansion along the northern extremes of the Appalachian Trail.
Forecasts of the states and fluxes of terrestrial ecosystems are an increasingly important tool for a large fire, famine, irrigation, energy, recreation, and agriculture community. A detailed ...understanding of the relative importance of vegetation phenology and meteorology, two of the main forcings of ecosystem forecasts, and the likely impact of errors in phenological and (or) meteorological forecasts are required prior to management implementation. Using the terrestrial observation and prediction system (TOPS) and 1982-1997 leaf area index (LAI) and meteorology for the conterminous United States, we tested the relative importance of interannual variability in meteorology and LAI for soil water simulations. In nearly all cases, meteorological variability influenced simulations far more than did LAI; the effects of ignoring realistic variability in either variable were most pronounced in arid, low-LAI regions. We then identified the critical meteorological forecast errors in temperature and precipitation that were required to generate statistically significant differences in 1-week soil water forecasts. Temperature critical errors approached 10 °C in winter but were only about 2-3 °C in summer. Precipitation critical errors were much more constant throughout the year and were usually less than 1 cm (error in weekly total precipitation).
In order to set up a ''hydrologically accurate'' digital model of landscape, which allows identifying borders of flooded territories in the period of changes in the water level, it is important to ...have data in the hydrography stratum on the direction of river streams. The given issue can be solved by creating a geometrical network of sustainable water streams. The geometrical network of sustainable streams represents a mathematic model of different network structures object classes.
Rakstā aprakstīta ”hidroloģiski korekta” virsmas modeļa iegūšanas metodika ArcGIS programmatūras vidē, applūšanas zonas robežu identificēšanai ūdens līmeņa izmaiņu laikā. Šī mērķa sasniegšanai tika izveidots upes plūsmas ģeometriskais tīkls, kura hidrogrāfijas slānis satur datus par upju tecējuma virzienu. Par pētījuma platformu tika izvēlēts interpolācijas metodes Topo to Raster modulis Topogrid, kuru izstrādāja uz ANUDEM programmatūras pamatnes Michaels Hutchinsons 1988. – 1989. gados. Interpolācijas modulis ļauj aprēķināt virsmas modeli, kura kvalitāte daudzkārt pārsniedz parastām interpolācijas metodēm iegūto modeļu rezultātus, jo dotajā metodē jāņem vērā ne tikai zemes virsmas augstumu atzīmes punkti, bet arī upes plūsma ģeometrisko tīklu. Rezultātā tika iegūts korekts virmas modelis, kurš paredzēts hidrodinamisko aprēķinu ģeotelpiskajai projicēšanai.
Scientifically the following categories are excluded: biodiversity, geoheritage, geodiversity, geo tops, nature objects and others. They are important from the scientific, aesthetic, tourism, ...cultural points of view. The aim of environment sciences has to be to analyse the categories exhaustively and to determine the conditions of protection.
A terrestrial laser scanner provides detailed and highly accurate 3D data rapidly and is widely applied in various situations. In this study, we surveyed the Seifuso Garden designated as a place of ...scenic beauty by the national government. We acquired point-data having information of 3D coordinates and colors by a terrestrial laser scanner and simulated the scenic views from the garden for restoring the borrowed scenery. As a result, we confirmed the positional relationship of the garden, the buildings around the garden and the Higashiyama Mountains at the selected view points. The simulated results were useful for the garden management, especially for trimming the trees within the garden in consideration of hiding the near-by tall buildings. We also found the influence on the scenic views from the garden if the buildings in this area were built at the maximum height allowed by the zoning regulation of the Kyoto City. A terrestrial laser scanner was considered to be a novel and effective tool for landscape simulation.
UAVs Unmanned Aerial Vehicles are commonly used in photogrammetric observations in research fields like agriculture, archaeology, industry and construction of base maps. They present several ...advantages like low-cost platforms, rapid results, high positioning accuracy and less labor effort in the field. In this study, we evaluate the positioning accuracy of UAV based photogrammetry with conventional observation techniques in a sample area. Our main motivation is to examine if the final model of a low altitude UAV can reach the positioning accuracy of conventional observation techniques, especially in residential regions. For this purpose, we evaluate the results of 3 separate photogrammetric flights in a pre-observed field. Results indicate that low-altitude UAV flights can provide high accuracy both in 2D and 3D positioning in residential and densely constructed areas.
Under the auspices of the Environmental Agency of the Republic of Slovenia a new state-of-the-art tide gauge station was set up in Koper. The paper presents the geodetic works that were performed in ...order to determine the position of the tide gauge station in theterrestrial reference system. All measurements were carried out during the testing period of the tide gauge, that is, from the end of 2005 until the begining of 2006.
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