Using Remote Sensing to Measure Impact of Bison on Restored Prairies
Advisor(s)
Dr. Holly Jones, Northern Illinois University
Location
Room A117
Start Date
26-4-2019 10:05 AM
End Date
26-4-2019 10:20 AM
Abstract
Bison are a keystone species of native grasslands, and their effects on them are well documented. However, native prairies in the United States are shrinking. and remnant prairies are spreading. Due to differences in soil composition, plant and animal diversity, and other factors, how exactly bison impact remnant prairies are unclear. Recently, advancements in drone technology may have opened up new ways to collect data on the impact of bison, also called remote-sensing. Remote sensing may allow for more complete yet precise analyses than conventional ground-truthing would allow. Our project seeks to answer how bison grazing, restoration age, and fire interact and affect different indices of the prairie, including NDVI, biomass, and diversity. We used different wavelength cameras, which are then analyzed to obtain such indices. Little is known on how human-managed phenomenon such as bison reintroduction and controlled fire impact plant communities on a landscape scale. In addition, our project attempts to verify whether remote sensing can obtain accurate information. We have finished data collection, yet further analyses remain to be done on the indices themselves. This includes working with Erdas Imagine and R software.
Using Remote Sensing to Measure Impact of Bison on Restored Prairies
Room A117
Bison are a keystone species of native grasslands, and their effects on them are well documented. However, native prairies in the United States are shrinking. and remnant prairies are spreading. Due to differences in soil composition, plant and animal diversity, and other factors, how exactly bison impact remnant prairies are unclear. Recently, advancements in drone technology may have opened up new ways to collect data on the impact of bison, also called remote-sensing. Remote sensing may allow for more complete yet precise analyses than conventional ground-truthing would allow. Our project seeks to answer how bison grazing, restoration age, and fire interact and affect different indices of the prairie, including NDVI, biomass, and diversity. We used different wavelength cameras, which are then analyzed to obtain such indices. Little is known on how human-managed phenomenon such as bison reintroduction and controlled fire impact plant communities on a landscape scale. In addition, our project attempts to verify whether remote sensing can obtain accurate information. We have finished data collection, yet further analyses remain to be done on the indices themselves. This includes working with Erdas Imagine and R software.