1. 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.