Document: MIC-3-99-154

The University of Montana EOS Natural Resource Project: Regional applications in land resources of NASA's EOS data.

THORNTON, M.* and S.W.RUNNING

University of Montana, Missoula, MT 59812 USA ¹

Abstract:
With the successful launch of NASA's Terra Satellite in December 1999, a number of remotely sensed biophysical variables are being regularly produced. Specifically, the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) instrument will provide standard data products that are most relevant to land and water resource managers and policy makers. MODIS sensor specifics and algorithms were designed by an international field of terrestrial and remote sensing specialists and provide well-quantified and calibrated data sets of the Earth's surface. We are developing regional land management applications from MODIS-derived weekly and annual estimates of vegetation productivity. We will show preliminary results of weekly composite vegetation productivity derived from the MODIS sensor over the interior northwest United States and demonstrate applications to range and forest management. In addition, using an ancillary database of daily meteorology (a necessary input for estimates of terrestrial vegetation productivity) and AVHRR NDVI, we have derived five years of prototype MODIS vegetation productivity. This study includes monitoring vegetation phenology for range readiness, and summaries of above ground herbage production over grazing allotments. In addition, weekly, full spatial coverage over large management areas such as the USFS Region One will be demonstrated. Inter and intra-annual comparisons are made of the productivity and climatic data demonstrating the utility of MODIS productivity estimates and gridded daily meteorologic data in natural resource management.

Keywords: MODIS

This abstract is being presented at: 10:30 AM in session:
REMOTE SENSING