A tamarisk habitat suitability map for the continental United States

Abstract

This paper presents a national‐scale map of habitat suitability for tamarisk (Tamarix spp, salt cedar), a high‐priority invasive species. We successfully integrate satellite data and tens of thousands of field sampling points through logistic regression modeling to create a habitat suitability map that is 90% accurate. This interagency effort uses field data collected and coordinated through the US Geological Survey and nationwide environmental data layers derived from NASA's MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). We demonstrate the use of the map by ranking the 48 continental US states (and the District of Columbia) based on their absolute, as well as proportional, areas of “highly likely” and “moderately likely” habitat for Tamarix. The interagency effort and modeling approach presented here could be used to map other harmful species, in the US and globally.

Modeling Species Distribution Using Niche-Based Proxies Derived from Composite Bioclimatic Variables and MODIS NDVI

“…More recently, there is an increasing trend in using remote sensing information based, e.g., on various spectral indices recorded from airborne or space-borne sensors as predictor variables in species distribution modeling [22][23][24][25][26]. A few studies have shown that niche models developed by incorporating remotely-sensed predictors are more robust; in particular, these data can improve the prediction accuracy and tend to refine mapped distribution of species and habitats, compared with climatic/topographical variables-only models [27][28][29].…”

Mapping Invasive Tamarisk (Tamarix): A Comparison of Single-Scene and Time-Series Analyses of Remotely Sensed Data

“…These studies demonstrate an evolution of remote sensing and image processing for detecting tamarisk and other invasive species. The development of new airborne and satellite sensors and platforms, coupled with advanced statistical software, geographic information systems (GIS), and predictive models, give researchers a variety of tools to detect and predict the distribution of invasive species [34,35]. In this study, we explored the application of maximum entropy modeling with remotely sensed data to map the distribution of tamarisk while incorporating strategies that have been previously proven to be effective in vegetation mapping.…”

Remote Sensing and Mapping of Tamarisk along the Colorado River, USA: A Comparative Use of Summer-Acquired Hyperion, Thematic Mapper and QuickBird Data

“…At a continental scale, relatively coarse spatial resolution (250 m Ground Spatial Distance or GSD) MODIS data have been used in mapping potential tamarisk habitat for the conterminous USA [11]. Although this approach would not have been suitable for the direct detection of tamarisk populations because of the coarse spatial resolution, the resulting map of current and potential tamarisk habitat is highly useful in predicting the spread of tamarisk.…”