Abstract Objectives

S

Study Area

Conclusions

Team Members

Acknowledgements

Methods

Results

Project Partners NASA EOS

Links

Project Video About DEVELOP

Louisiana Ecological Forecasting

Land cover classification created from low altitude AVIRIS

imagery showing location of forested and relatively open land.

The area shown is the intersection of MRGO and Bayou la

Loutre. Future work could include creating higher specificity

land cover products from AVIRIS data.

Utilizing NASA EOS to Assist in Determining Ideal Planting Locations for Bottomland Hardwood Trees in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana

Ross Reahard (University of New Orleans), Maria Arguelles (University of Miami), Michael Ewing (University of Southern Mississippi (USM)),

Chelsey Kelly (USM), Emma Strong (USM)

NASA DEVELOP Program, John C. Stennis Space Center

St. Bernard Parish in southeast Louisiana is rapidly losing coastal forests and wetlands due to a variety of natural and anthropogenic

disturbances. After Hurricane Katrina, multiple non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have focused on rebuilding the ecosystems that once

protected the citizens of St. Bernard Parish. The “Multiple Lines of Defense Strategy,” which has been incorporated into the Louisiana Coastal

Protection and Restoration Plan led by the US Army Corps of Engineers, relies on using the natural environment and man-made features to

protect against storm surge inundation. Coastal forests, which play a key role in this strategy, have diminished in St. Bernard Parish in recent

decades due primarily to human activity. Volunteer groups, NGOs, and government entities often work independently of each other and use

different sets of information to choose the best planting sites for restoring coastal forests. This project created a comprehensive Geographic

Information System (GIS) database to help identify suitable planting sites in St. Bernard Parish. The methodology for this project included

supplementing existing elevation data using Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) derived from LIDAR data and determining existing land cover in

the study area. Using NASA EOS and ancillary road and canal data in conjunction with field surveys, the team generated maps of optimal

planting sites to aid project partners with decision-making processes. The final products demonstrate the application of NASA EOS in the

rebuilding and monitoring of coastal ecosystems in Louisiana. This methodology will also serve as a useful template for other ecological

forecasting and coastal restoration applications.

• Enhance current elevation data and land cover information through the use of DEMs and field surveys

• Supply comprehensive maps to end-users depicting suitable replanting sites

• Enhance methodology for creating a comprehensive GIS database that can be used for continuous monitoring of ecosystem restoration efforts

• Provide products and methodologies that will guide immediate and future restoration efforts

• NASA EOS provides valuable geospatial data for aiding the monitoring and rebuilding of coastal ecosystems in Louisiana

• Most suitable planting sites are in close proximity to fresh water, and at elevations between 0.5 - 2 meters above mean sea level

• Methodology provided to end-users can assist with future decision-making processes in future restoration efforts

Landsat 5

EO-1

Terra AVIRIS

L to R: Emma Strong,

Maria Arguelles, Ross Reahard, Chelsey Kelly, Michael Ewing

Joe Spruce Science Advisor, CSC, Stennis Space Center

Dr. Russell Lambert Science Advisor, CSC, Stennis Space Center

Cheri Miller Mentor, Southeast Region Manager, Stennis Space Center

DEVELOP National Program Office

St. Bernard Wetlands

Foundation

Wetlands Tree

Foundation

St. Bernard Parish

Planning Commission

Louisiana State University

Agricultural Center

• ASTER

• Landsat 5 TM

Hyperspectral Imagery

GIS Data

• Water bodies

• Roads

• Soil Survey

• Elevation

Multispectral Imagery

• AVIRIS

• Hyperion

Example of Vegetation Health Product

produced from AVIRIS data

Data subset to

St. Bernard Parish

Individual bands

layer stacked and

subset to study area

Classifications and

indices applied

Example land / water classification

produced from ASTER data

Radiance converted to

reflectance with

atmospheric corrections

Classifications and

indices applied

Data quality

verified and updated

St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana

The 3-meter DEM above shows non-optimal baldcypress

elevations in grey tones (white for highest and black for lowest

elevations). Colored areas are best suited for baldcypress,

occurring at elevations of 0.5 to 2 meters above mean sea

level. The area shown is over the southern portion of the

Central Wetlands Unit and includes the city of Chalmette.