Importance
Information on landscape-scale plant vigor and productivity
(land condition) is key to understanding natural and human-caused ecosystem changes. On the Colorado
Plateau,
land condition was historically influenced by climate, grazing, and fire. Current activities, such as
livestock grazing
and trailing, exotic plant invasions, fire-regime changes, and the creation of trails and
backcountry campsites, have the potential to further alter the condition of park lands. Adjacent
land-use activities, such as housing development, livestock grazing, and agricultural production,
can impact park systems indirectly by increasing the contrasts along the park-non-park interface,
and directly by increasing wind and water erosion of soil along park boundaries. Climate change is
another likely influence. Understanding broad-scale changes in land condition will help park managers
to make better-informed management and mitigation decisions
in a context of complex change.
Left: MODIS true-color image for the state of Utah, May 15, 2007.
Right: MODIS true-color image for the state of Utah, August 14, 2007. Comparison
of these images illustrates seasonal differences in vegetative conditions
(green-dominated areas).
Long-term Monitoring
Land condition monitoring involves the use of the MODIS (MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectoradiometer) satellite platform, which records surface reflectance at a spatial resolution of 250×250 meters. MODIS provides an eight-day average measure of vegetative productivity throughout the year. A measure of vegetation productivity, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), is calculated over time to estimate the start and end of the growing season, the time of peak production, and seasonal productivity. Comparison of these attributes among years can indicate substantive changes in the extent of vegetative conditions, changes in the duration of the growing season, impacts due to drought or large-scale natural or human-caused disturbances, and exotic invasions.
For more detailed information, see the In-depth Information box below.
Network park units where land condition will be monitored
Arches NP
Dinosaur NM
Black Canyon of the Gunnison NP
Fossil Butte NM
Bryce Canyon NP
Golden Spike NHS
Canyonlands NP
Hovenweep NM
Capitol Reef NP
Natural Bridges NM
Cedar Breaks NM
Pipe Spring NM
Colorado NM
Timpanogos Cave NM
Curecanti NRA
Zion NP
NP = National Park; NM = National Monument; NRA = National Recreation Area; NHS = National Historic Site
»
