Category: Responding to Human Health Risks Project Team: Southeast Idaho Disasters II Team Location: BLM at Idaho State University GIS TReC – Pocatello, Idaho Authors: Jenna Williams Kshitiz Shrestha Cody O’Dale Ryan Howerton Mentors/Advisors: Keith Weber (GIS Training and Research Center at Idaho State University) John Schnase (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) Mark Carroll (NASA Goddard Space Flight Center) Past/Other … Read More
Dengue Bites II: Predicting Dengue Risk in Puerto Rico
Vector-borne diseases such as dengue fever, chikungunya, and Zika pose a major threat to the health of Caribbean communities. Aedes aegypti (Ae. aegypti), the primary vector of these viruses, is dependent on humans for reproduction, and has been detected in populated areas within Puerto Rico.
Oh Deer! Where are the Mule Deer Going?
Mule deer are economically and ecologically important to the Southern Rockies; however, their populations are currently on the decline. Mule deer are migratory animals that are capable of traveling a few hundred miles from their summer to winter habitats and therefore require safe, uninterrupted passageways that will allow them to continue migrating without navigating over anthropogenic obstructions such as roads, oil well pads, and fences.
El Salvador’s Changing Landscape: Getting to the Ground Truth
Tropical forests are vital ecosystems because of their rich biodiversity and carbon sequestration abilities. Unfortunately, due to a number of factors, these forests are threatened by deforestation and forest degradation and are in need of comprehensive management strategies.
Where’s a Bird to Go? Mapping Wetland Restoration on the Pacific Flyway
The Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve in Huntington Beach, California, consists of 1,550 acres of undeveloped coastal wetland and is home to several endangered species, including Rallus longirostris levipes and Sterna antillarum browni, which fly along the Pacific flyway. Since the 1800s, farming, land subsidence, resource extraction, and land development have impacted these wetlands, affecting the habitat’s biodiversity.
Calamity in Kalimantan: Palm Oil Growth at the Expense of Diversity
Indonesia is the world’s leading producer of palm oil. To keep pace with the continued worldwide expansion of palm oil demand, the government of Indonesia formulated an agricultural policy with the express purpose of doubling palm oil production by 2020. Unfortunately, palm oil plantation expansion comes at the cost of natural rainforest and biodiversity loss in the Central Kalimantan region.
Bogged Down in Phragmites: Assessing Risk in the Great Lakes Basin
Phragmites australis is an invasive species that threatens wetland habitats in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River basin. Governments in both Canada and the United States recognize that Phragmites detection is a first line of defense in limiting the spread of this species.
Playing with Fire: Delineating Fire History with Earth Observations
The Laramie Mountain Range, located in southeastern Wyoming, supports a multitude of plant and animal communities as well as human activities. Recreational opportunities, ample views, and critical mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus canadensis) habitat are facets that depend heavily upon the presence of aspen (Populous tremuloides) communities.
The Smoke-Screen: An Open-Source Visualizer of CALIPSO Data
Atmospheric scientists analyze satellite data as part of their assessments of atmospheric health. One such satellite, the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO), outputs images of longitudinal cross-sections of the Earth’s atmosphere. Depending on the wavelength of light used in the observation, it is possible to detect the presence of various aerosols. Some are natural sources, like dust storms, and sulfur dioxide from volcanos.
Hot Potato: Preserving Traditional Farming in the Peruvian Andes
Agricultural systems in tropical montane regions are particularly vulnerable in the face of global climate change. Anecdotal evidence from Parque de la Papa, located in the Peruvian Andes, indicates that farmers following traditional practices have moved potato crops to higher elevations seeking suitable growing conditions for the potato varieties they have cultivated for centuries.