South Florida Landscape Dynamics

As a general strategy, collaborative efforts with specialists in various aspects of the Everglades are combined with our knowledge of remote sensing, our development of statistical and geographic analysis techniques, and data from numerous airborne and satellite imaging systems to yield new data and knowledge of Everglades characteristics and processes. We then evaluate the utility of these techniques and data for CERP science and monitoring activities. Fieldwork for this effort has included the collection of high-resolution reflectance spectra for a great number of vegetation and land surfaces. Also, vegetation biomass and other structural characteristics have been non-destructively sampled at intensive field study sites. These data have been analyzed to determine their shortcomings and strengths for remote sensing and other spatially distributed analyses. Based on the results of these analyses, new methods of ground data collection appropriate for the necessary spatial and temporal extrapolations have been devised. This year, the newly developed data collection protocols and extrapolation methods will be used to test the efficacy of data fields and vegetation maps derived from remotely sensed data for CERP modeling and monitoring requirements. They will be used to generate baseline information and suggest longer-term strategies and monitoring techniques for CERP impact evaluation. Over the next two years, we will rely on greater interaction with those involved in RECOVER planning to develop a framework and initial data sets for multi-scale land cover mapping at sample sites that can be used to understand regional land cover changes and also to evaluate regional-scale land cover products.

The primary goal of this project is to provide restoration-critical information regarding past and current characteristics of the Greater Everglades land surface. Information created through this project has been used for field instrument placement, to increase the accuracy of hydrologic and other surface process simulations, and to increase our understanding of the role that vegetation and other surface features play in removal of surface water, resistance to surface water flow, water quality, habitat condition, and habitat functioning in South Florida. The project has developed innovative methods for geospatial data production and analysis of land surface characteristics at various points in time. The generated data themselves will provide the baseline information necessary to begin monitoring the effects of restoration actions. Over the next two years, project resources will be focused on the completion and documentation of specific vegetation characterization tasks and the establishment of a foundation for Everglades land surface monitoring at several scales.