CURRICULUM SUPPORT DOCUMENT
Title of LU: Burn Severity and Post-fire Chaparral Recovery 06-14-2008
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Name of Creator: Vicki Drake
Institution: Santa Monica College
Email contact for more information: drake_vicki@smc.edu
Entrance skills and competencies for LU
o MS Office and PC skills (intermediate to advanced competency)
o Intermediate GIS skills, specifically using ESRI products
o Basic to Intermediate ENVI or Image Analysis skills
Skill Level of LU
o Intermediate to Advanced
Title: MAPPING BURN SEVERITY AND POST-FIRE RECOVERY OF
CHAPARRAL VEGETATION
Focus Topic:
o Environmental Management
Brief Overview of LU:
– The project study area, located in the mountainous regions of San Diego County,
California, is prone to recurrent wildfires. After a wildfire, forestry managers prepare
maps of burn severity through computing a Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) and an
approximated delta Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR), and monitor the post-fire recovery
of vegetation through performing a Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI).
Data from the Paradise fire in San Diego County, in October 2003 will be used in this
assessment. Additional data for fires which occurred in November 2007 could be
incorporated for additional analysis. The objective of this Learning Unit is to use
remote sensing - specifically, Landsat imagery - to determine levels of vegetation loss
due to wildfire by identifying and mapping Burn Severity and post-fire vegetation
regeneration. Additionally, derived datasets will be imported into a GIS for further
analysis.
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This Learning Unit uses real-world data and methods to (1) determine vegetation loss
and burn severity due to wildfire in a region through generating pre- and post-fire
NBRs and an approximated dNBR for study area; (2) monitor post-fire vegetation
regeneration through landscape-scale remotely sensed imagery performing a multitemporal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) analysis; and (3) import the
derived datasets into a GIS to produce a digitization of the burn area and, using a DEM
for the study area, derive slope and aspect.
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In Part 1, the raw data for pre- and post-fire images in DN format will be converted
to reflectance using a simple ENVI task and a Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) for preand post-fire images will be computed. An approximated delta Normalized Burn Ratio
(dNBR) will be generated to determine burn severity within the study area. In Part 2, a
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Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) will be created for the two datasets
taken before and after the Paradise Fire to determine if vegetation regeneration has
begun within the study area. In Part 3, the derived datasets from Part 1 and Part 2 will
be imported into ArcGIS, where a burn perimeter shapefile of the study area location
will be used to in analyzing burn conditions. Additionally, a DEM will be used to
derive slope and aspect datasets as chaparral is most commonly seen on steeper slopes.
The slope and aspect datasets can be used in an extension examining landslide
susceptibility for the burn area.
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Learning Objectives:
– Students will identify the geographic region for the post fire evaluation on maps.
– Students will learn how to download Remote Sensing data for the geographic region by
accessing appropriate websites
– Students will learn how to manipulate the downloaded spatial data in image processing
software (ENVI, Image Analyst)
– Students will employ ArcGIS Spatial and Remote Sensing software and data in the
evaluation process
– Optional: Field trip to site for ground-truthing satellite data using GPS
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Student Outcomes
Upon completion of this Learning Unit, students will:
– Develop map-reading skills, including recognizing latitude, longitude and other
coordinate systems currently employed in mapping
– Develop critical thinking skills by determining, accessing and downloading required
data and other background information
– Execute spatial analysis on acquired data
– Demonstrate skills in manipulating GIS software (specifically ArcGIS Spatial Analyst)
– Demonstrate skills in manipulating spatial data using image processing software
– Prepare and present a report on analysis findings
– Optional: GPS data acquisition, processing, and inclusion in final map analysis as part
of ground-truthing
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Scientific and/or geographic concepts
– Recognizing and identifying spectral signatures of healthy and unhealthy vegetation
– Understanding the post-fire development of hydrophobic soils in chaparral communities
– Basic map-reading and interpretation
– Interpretation of spatial data and geo-referenced data
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Preliminary list of software and data sets
– ArcGIS (ArcView, ArcINFO) with Image Analysis and Spatial Analyst extensions
– ENVI (image processing software)
– MS Office suite: Excel, Word, PowerPoint
– Access to internet
– Computers with fast CPUs, sufficient RAM and storage space for data on computers
– Landsat data or MODIS datasets
– USGS Landuse Landcover (LULC) datasets
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Entrance skills and competencies for LU
– MS Office and PC skills (intermediate to advanced competency)
– Intermediate GIS skills
– Basic ENVI or Image Analysis skills
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Skill Level of LU
– Intermediate to Advanced
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Brief description of the methods of Instruction
– Lecture to introduce Learning Unit concepts, including discussion on chaparral vegetation,
fire mapping, and map interpretation
– Hands-on demonstration for accessing and downloading image/spatial data required
– Interpret chaparral re-growth using GIS
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Brief description of evaluation or assessment
– Intermediate evaluation can be done throughout the project – monitoring students
accessing and downloading of data
– Intermediate quizzes on GIS, Remote Sensing and Image Processing concepts
 Questions are included in the Learning Unit for students to answer for grading
– Final evaluation will be a written report and presentation including a PowerPoint of the
final analysis
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Timeline
– This Learning Unit will cover approximately 3-4 weeks of a semester owing to the
complexity of fire behavior, hydrophobic soil discussion and analysis techniques required
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Key words
– ArcGIS, spatial data, spatial analysis, Landsat, MODIS, ENVI, chaparral vegetation,
hydrophobic soils
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List of possible resources
– www.esri.com
– http://seamless.usgs.gov/
– www.landsat.org
– http://iitvis.com/tutorials/index.asp (ENVI tutorials)
– http://ledaps.nascom.nasa.gov/ledaps/ledaps_NorthAmerica.html
– http://glcf.umiacs.umd.edu (Global Land Cover Facility)
– http://glovis.usgs.gov (Glovis)
– http://lpdaac.usgs.gov/datapool/datapool.asp (Data Pool)
– http://edcimswww.cr.usgs.gov/pub/imswelcome/ (EOS Data Gateway)
– http://map.sdsu.edu/fireweb
– http://map.sdsu.edu
– http://www.geog.umd.edu
– www.iste.org
– http://www.californiachaparral.com/chaparralfacts.html
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1STEM:
Suggested STEM1 Standards met by LU (specifically in the area of Technology)
– Creativity and Innovation
 Students completing this LU will demonstrate creative thinking, construct
knowledge and develop innovative products and processes using technology
through:
• Applying existing knowledge to generate new ideas, products or processes
• Creating original works to explore complex systems and issues
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Research and Information Fluency
 Students completing this LU will apply digital tools to gather, evaluate and use
information through:
• locating, organizing, analyzing, evaluating, synthesizing, and ethically
using information from a variety of sources and media
• evaluating and selecting information and digital tools based on
appropriateness to specific tasks
• processing data and reporting results
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Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making
 Students completing this LU will applying critical thinking skills to plan and
conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions
using appropriate digital tools and resources through:
• planning and managing activities to develop a solution or complete a
project
• collecting and analyzing data to identify solutions and make informed
decisions
• using multiple processes to explore alternative solutions
–
Technology Operations and Concepts
 Students completing this LU will demonstrate a sound understanding of technology
concepts, systems, and operations through:
• Understanding and using technology systems
• Effectively and productively selecting and using applications
Science, Technology, Engineering and Math
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