Where Have all the Junipers Come From?

EarthzineDEVELOP 2016 Spring VPS, Original, Responding to Human Health Risks

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

Oh Deer! Where are the Mule Deer Going?

EarthzineDEVELOP 2016 Spring VPS, Mapping Landscape Changes and Species Distribution, Original

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.

Where’s a Bird to Go? Mapping Wetland Restoration on the Pacific Flyway

EarthzineDEVELOP 2016 Spring VPS, Mapping Landscape Changes and Species Distribution, Original

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

EarthzineDEVELOP 2016 Spring VPS, Mapping Landscape Changes and Species Distribution, Original

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.

Playing with Fire: Delineating Fire History with Earth Observations

EarthzineDEVELOP 2016 Spring VPS, Mapping Landscape Changes and Species Distribution

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

EarthzineDEVELOP 2016 Spring VPS, Monitoring Environmental Health and Disturbances, Original

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

EarthzineDEVELOP 2016 Spring VPS, Monitoring Environmental Health and Disturbances, Original

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.