A Bird's Eye View Can Measure Woody Plant Encroachment to Assess Carbon Consequences
Tuesday, June 26, 2012 - 12:01
in Biology & Nature
While invasions of unwanted plant species are easy to see in a single location, gauging the impact on a regional or continental level is difficult. As woody plants encroach onto grasslands, they could potentially impact the continental carbon budget. Measuring large-scale encroachment of species such as juniper is vital to understanding its influence on carbon budgets of ecosystems. Aerial photography and satellite imagery offer opportunities for measurement at these larger scales.