Plans for the U.S. National
Ecological Observatory Network (NEON):
The Contribution of Remote Sensing
Susan L. Ustin
Center for Spatial Technologies and Remote Sensing
University of California Davis
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
NEON Goal: Transform Ecological Sciences
• From site-based focus to Continental/Global
Science
• 30 year plan to monitor environments to
address “8 Grand Research Challenges”
• NSF Major Research Equipment Facilities
Center (MREFC; Infrastructure Program);
expected start 2007
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
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Fundamental NEON Science Challenges
• How will ecosystems and their components
respond to changes in natural- and human-induced
forcings
such as climate, land use, and invasive
.
species?
-- Across a range of spatial and temporal scales?
-- What is the pace and pattern of the responses?
• How do internal responses and feedbacks to
biogeochemistry, biodiversity, hydroecology and
biotic structure and function interact with changes in
climate, land use, and invasive species?
-- How do feedbacks vary with ecological context
and spatial and temporal scales?
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
Site Selection: Evaluation of Environmental Variables
Climate and Soils
25 clusters
Bill Hargrove, Oak Ridge National Lab, DOE
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
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Continental Gradients: Climate Example
Temperature Gradients
Precipitation Gradients
cold
wet
dry
hot
Precipitation amount from dry to wet;
constant mean annual temperature
Mean annual temperature cold to hot;
constant precipitation amount/yr
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
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National Network: 20 NEON Domains:
Nested Network of Sites
Northeast
2
Mid Atlantic
3
Southeast
12
4
Atlantic Neotropical
5
Great Lakes
6
Prairie Peninsula
7
Ozarks Complex
9
Northern Plains
10
Central Plains
11
Southern Plains
12
Northern Rockies
13
Southern Rockies /
Colorado Plateau
14
Desert Southwest
15
Great Basin
16
Pacific Northwest
17
Pacific Southwest
18
19
20
55
9
15
Appalachians /
Cumberland Plateau
8
1
16
6
7
10
17
2
13
19
16
14
8
18
11
33
4
20
10 additional sites for national gradient
Tundra
Taiga
Pacific
3
Concept of Fundamental Instrument Unit within a NEON Domain
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
Nationally Distributed Observatory Network
Deployed across wildlands and urban gradients
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Environmental Monitoring From Airborne Data Systems
Albedo, Energy
Exchange
Species
Composition,
Community
Structure
Spread of
invasive
species
Leaf nitrogen
concentration,
Nutrient
composition
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
Photosynthetic
capacity and plant
health
NEON Airborne Observatory
Partnerships for Satellite Data Access
• Landsat (now operational), NPOESS, etc.
• possible hyperspectral and/or Lidar satellite imagers
NEON Airborne Plan: Flexible Responses
• 2 Continental “Large” packages (reconfigurable
components)
Hyperspectral Imager and Full Waveform Lidar
–
–
–
–
Annual/biannual mapping
Supports continental scaling
Satellite calibration
Deployable to extreme events like hurricanes,
wildfires, pest outbreaks
Prototype
Continental
Package
• 5 Regional “Smaller” packages
– supports gradients & multi-domain efforts
– providesS.dedicated
multitemporal data
Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
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Airborne Observation Platform
Airborne Hyperspectral
Data
•Coupling Observations
from Site Studies to
Satellites
•Monitoring Climate
Change Impacts
High Fidelity Imaging Spectrometers with 100s
of Narrow Spectral Bands
UV to Thermal Wavebands
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
Standard NEON
Products:
High-Fidelity Imaging Spectroscopy
• Vegetation indexes
• Leaf Area Index
• Canopy moisture
• Canopy chemistry
(terrestrial and aquatic)
• Canopy pigments
(terrestrial and aquatic)
• Spectral unmixing of
landscape components
• % cover, NPV, etc.
• Ecological/ Biological
diversity maps
•
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
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Airborne Observation Platform
Full Wave-form LiDAR
• Vegetation height &
distribution of structural
elements
• Canopy top topography
• Biomass
• Life form diversity
Tree crowns
•Ground Topography & Bathymetry
Understory
Ground
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
Imaging LiDAR
Differential Absorption LiDAR (multiple wavelengths)
Imaging Full Waveform
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
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Imaging LiDAR:
Improved land cover mapping
Tidal Salt Marsh
Elevation
Biomass,
C- budget,
Fire risk,
Biodiversity
100 m
% Time Flooded
Sea level rise,
Bathymetry,
Hydrology,
Transport
1.2 kg/m3
Biomass
LiDAR + hyperspectral
imagery
Species Mapping
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
■ Salicornia virginica
■ Spartina foliosa
■ Distichilis spicata
■ Water
Regional Packages:
Real-Time Environmental Monitoring and Disaster Response
PROCESSING
Forestry
C-sequestration
Disasters
Environmental
Assessment &
Monitoring:
Land use,
Vegetation mapping,
C /ET Fluxes,
Air/water Pollution,
Invasive species,
Primary production,
Soil Erosion, etc.
Ecosystems,
Agriculture, Urban
Data Analysis Facility
Scientists
Education
Policy Makers
Wildfires, Floods, Levee
failures,
Earthquakes, Mudflows,
Air Quality, Pollution,
Disease transport
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
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NEON Prototype: CAO Aircraft Instrument System
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
Imaging Spectrometer:
400-1050 nm
2.3 nm FWHM
1500 pixel cross-track
< 2.0 m GIFOV
LIDAR:
100 khtz
Full waveform digitization
< 0.5 m spot spacing
Integration:
Real-time ortho-georectification
In-flight atmospheric correction
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
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Canopy Carotenoid Expression
CAO Spectrometer: 1/3 of swath, 1.0 m spatial resolution
High
Low
CAO Test Flight – Nov 12, 2006
Laupahoehoe Rainforest Reserve, Hawai’i
Low
High
Carotene/Chlorophyll Ratio
Top-of-canopy carotenoid expression Æ Light-use efficiency
Analysis
crown-by-crown
vs. shaded sides of crowns)
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS
’07 Cutting (sunlit
Edge Research
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CAO Rapid Data Products
CAO Analysis Products
•Calibrated reflectance spectra
• Canopy pigments
• Canopy water
• Dead/senescent vegetation
• Canopy height and architecture
• Surface topography
reflectance
pigments
Canopy
• Aboveground carbon storage
• Net primary production
• Evapotranspiration
• Species dominance
• Species richness
• Invasive species
dead/senescent
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting
Edge Research
water
canopy height &
architecture
3-D Forest & Topographic Imaging –Rainforest & Pasture
Laupahoehoe Forest Reserve, Hawaii
1.0 m spatial resolution, 100,000 htz
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
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CAO LiDAR waveforms for profiling forest canopy
and detecting forest floor
Subset image of waveform height (m)
Sample
waveforms
S. Ustin,tree
ISPMSRS
Cutting Edge
Research
Single
crown’07(30-60
waveforms)
Ground Measurements & Validation Data
NEON Design:
Hierarchical Sampling
Plans are not finalized,
Options for Site Studies:
• endmember (spectral library)
measurements
• continuous or periodic
sampling from towers or
cables (e.g., SpecNet)
• local airborne sampling
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
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Site Measurements: Small Payload UAVs
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
Ground Track
CSTARS Unpiloted Airborne Vehicle
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
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~8 kg Payload, electric motor, pointing
& GPS
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
UC Davis Arboretum
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07Sensors:
Cutting Edge Research
Computer
IRGA
C-NIR Imagers
14
Miniaturized Imaging Spectrometers
Silicon 128, 256, 512 elements
InGaAs 256 elements
Extended InGaAs 256 elements
Imaging Spectrometers
350-2500 nm range
Dimensions with standard
detector
Length 55 mm
Width
24 mm
Height
48 mm
Weight
~1 lb.
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
Thank You!
UC Davis Arboretum
S. Ustin, ISPMSRS ’07 Cutting Edge Research
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