Field Validation for NPS Landscape Dynamics Protocol

Southern Californias Mediterranean Coast Network National Park lands are located in a biodiversity hotspot, which means that they contain a particularly high level of biodiversity in combination with a high amount of ongoing human impact. This makes it both a challenge and an absolute necessity to provide adequate monitoring in order to apply effective conservation methods to the area. The Mediterranean Coast Network and UCLA have collaboratively established a Landscape Dynamics Monitoring Protocol that aims to address this by assessing land use and vegetation changes using satellite imagery of the Mediterranean Coast Network Parks (Willis et al., 2013). In order to effectively assess the changes occurring, we must first ensure high accuracy of our current land use and land cover maps created from our satellite classifications. All past and future changes will be identified by analyzing deviations in land cover classifications compared to these baseline maps. In 2013 we will complete extensive field verification in both SAMO as well as the Channel Islands National Park to test the validity of our maps. This work will enable us to most effectively manage local conservation efforts in the natural environment of southern California.