PARENT SESSION
Oral Session # 85: GIS and Remote Sensing II; Ecological Modeling III.
Presiding: Y Lin
Thursday, August 7. 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM, SITCC Meeting Room 203.

Investigation of population dynamics of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) using remote sensing.

Lamar, William ^*,1, McGraw, James¹, ¹ West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV

ABSTRACT- Our goal was to investigate the population dynamics of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) using remote sensing. We emphasize the advantages of using remotely sensed data to collect large, spatially explicit databases. Large-scale, low elevation aerial photographs of a naturally occurring population of Eastern Hemlock was collected in early spring 1997, 1998, and 1999. Using automated spectral and spatial segmentation procedures, the population was divided into individual units. To ensure compatibility of multi year imagery, an automated reconciliation procedure was applied to the data sets following segmentation. Estimates of matrix population model parameters were obtained from the size structured, multi year imagery. Fertility estimates were calculated as a function of the distance and size of adult trees (at time a) from canopy "births"(at time a+1). Survival, growth, reproduction, population growth rates, and size specific sensitivity values were compared for the 1997-98 and 1998-99 aerial image pairs. The matrix population models using aerially obtained parameter estimates were compared to models using estimates from traditional ground collected measurements.

Key words: matrix population models, remote sensing, Tsuga canadensis