This is a part of the 2015 Fall VPS. For more VPS articles, click here
Land cover classification for January 2015 Landsat OLI data showing woody and non-woody wetlands along the Natchez Trace Parkway. Image Credit: Natchez Trace Eco Forecasting Team
Category:åÊForecasting Wetland Cover and Species Habitat
Project Team: Natchez Trace Ecological Forecasting and Water Resources
Team Location: Mobile County Health Department ÛÒ Mobile, Alabama
Authors:
Jennifer Rackley
Ashley Gideon
Tyler Lynn
Mentors/Advisors:
Joe Spruce (NASA Stennis Space Center)
Bernard Eichold, M.D., Dr. PH (Mobile County Health Department)
Abstract:
This project partnered with the National Park Service (NPS) to produce needed land cover mapping products for the Natchez Trace Parkway and to address community concerns involving the past, current, and future wetland conditions of this area. The parkway occurs in Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee. Beavers have altered current and historic wetland conditions in the study area by changing streamflow along adjacent rivers and tributaries. While the ecological services provided by these beavers can benefit wetland ecosystems, indiscriminate and excessive dam building has caused issues with flooding, property damage, and road maintenance within the parkway. NASA Earth observations ÛÒ Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM), Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+), and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) ÛÒ were used to generate a time series of land use/land cover (LULC) classification maps from December 1992 to January 2015 showing wetland status occurring along the parkway. A projected LULC classification map also was produced using TerrSet Land Change Modeler (LCM) software. This LULC time series and modeled projection will aid the NPS in wetland conservation and beaver management plans throughout the Natchez Trace Parkway.