2011 Landsat 5 image highlighting vegetation in the PÌÁjaro Campana
Biological Corridor. Image Credit: Costa Rica Ecological Forecasting Team, NASA DEVELOP National Program.
Team Location: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
Authors:
Caren Remillard, Project Lead (University of Georgia)
Kirstin Valdes (University of Georgia)
Becky Lynn (University of Georgia)
Ning Chen (University of Georgia)
Mentors/Advisers:
Nathan P. Nibbelink, Ph.D. (University of Georgia, School of Forestry and Natural Resources)
Marguerite Madden, Ph.D. (University of Georgia, Center for Geospatial Research)
Past/Other Contributors:
Megan Kise (Georgia Southern University)
Abstract:
The PÌÁjaro Campana Biological Corridor (PCBC) stretches from the cloud forests of Monteverde to the mangroves off the Gulf of Nicoya within Costa Rica. It provides habitat for 83 mammalian species and nearly 500 bird species, many of which are endemic or classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List. Additionally, the tropical rainforests of Costa Rica serve as critical habitat for seasonal and neotropical migrant birds. Since the majority of the 664 square kilometers of land within the PCBC is privately owned, it is crucial that private landowners are included in conservation efforts. University of Georgia Costa Rica, a PCBC Council member, contributes to reforestation efforts by housing and operating a tree nursery and providing saplings for private landowners with the hope of increasing forest connectivity. Partnering with the university, this study utilized NASA Earth observations along with RapidEye satellite imagery to assess current land cover for prioritization of reforestation efforts within the PCBC. Separate land cover classification images and baseline maps were constructed from Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper and 5-m RapidEye imagery, acquired for 2011 and 2009-2010, respectively, using a parallel methodology approach. They were then compared to improve understanding of the advantages and disadvantages of each data source with regard to forest connectivity and land-cover characterization. Juxtaposing results from continuous and free medium-resolution Landsat imagery, to privately managed high-resolution RapidEye imagery reveals each sensor’s strengths, limitations and contributions to management and reforestation efforts in this area. Ultimately, the project’s products aimed to quantitatively support future priorities for planting and monitoring of forest connectivity within the PCBC, as well as provide a visual understanding of the impacts of reforestation to landowners and other decision-makers in the Costa Rican community.