Detecting Channel Riparian Vegetation Response to Best-Management-Practices Implementation in Ephemeral Streams With the Use of Spot High-Resolution Visible Imagery

Abstract

B. (2013). Detecting channel riparian vegetation response to best-management-practices implementation in ephemeral streams with the use of spot high-resolution visible imagery.

Detecting the Influence of Best Management Practices on Vegetation Near Ephemeral Streams With Landsat Data

“…The NDVI represents photosynthetic potential, and has been strongly correlated with aboveground live standing crop, biomass (Wylie et al 2002;Kawamura et al 2005), and cover (Bradley and O'Sullivan 2011) in grasslands. Late-summer imagery was used because of its ability to resolve differences between in-channel/riparian and upland vegetation (Vande Kamp et al 2013). This pattern results from the senescence of upland vegetation, mostly comprised of C 3 species, and the maintained vigor of the in-channel vegetation, mostly comprised of C 4 species.…”

“…Of the factors influencing riparian health and fluvial process, riparian vegetation is most easily influenced by land management and therefore serves as an important indicator of BMP success (Sandercock et al 2007;Vande Kamp et al 2013). The results of this study can be used to fill a gap in knowledge; providing empirical data on the influence of BMPs on inchannel and riparian vegetation cover in the northern mixed grass prairie, and provide the research framework for similar analyses of riparian conservation practices in rangelands.…”

Optimal Placement of Off-Stream Water Sources for Ephemeral Stream Recovery

“…The NDVI values were extracted from pre-OSWP (3 August and 24 August 1989) and post-OSWP (16 July and 18 August 2010) images (CNES, Distribution Spot Image, Paris, France). Late-summer images were used because the difference in live standing crop between in-channel and upland areas was greatest in this typically dry period of the growing season; most upland species are cool season (C 3 ) and are senesced during this period, whereas most in-channel species are warm season (C 4 ) and are actively growing (Vande Kamp et al 2013). This has the effect of amplifying the in-channel vegetation signal relative to uplands, and maintaining similar phenological conditions between years.…”

“…Normalized NDVI values , 1 indicate a below-average NDVI; alternatively, values . 1 indicate an NDVI above the mean (Vande Kamp et al 2013). Hereafter, normalized NDVI values will be referred to as nNDVI.…”

“…Because all stream channels were less than 20 m in width, the 20-m SPOT imagery includes riparian vegetation in addition to inchannel vegetation. Despite this limitation, Vande Kamp et al (2013) reported that 20 m SPOT imagery was proficient at detecting in-channel vegetation establishment in western South Dakota ephemeral streams. Moreover, the condition of riparian vegetation and adjacent upland vegetation is tightly linked with the in-channel vegetation and functionality.…”