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Title: USING ARID ECOSYSTEMS TO COMPARE ASTER, MASTER, AND GROUND REFLECTANCE MEASUREMENTS

Author
item Ritchie, Jerry
item SCHMUGGE, THOMAS - NEW MEXICO STATE UNIV.
item Hsu, Ann

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 8/20/2006
Publication Date: 8/28/2006
Citation: Ritchie, J.C., Schmugge, T.J.,Hsu, A.Y. 2006. Using arid ecosystems to compare ASTER, MASTER, and ground reflectance measurements [abstract]. Abstracts of the 2006 Annual Meeting of the Ecological Society of America. 23:3.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Studies of arid ecosystems at the USDA ARS Jornada Experimental Range LTER site in southern New Mexico using ASTER (Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection radiometer), MASTER (MODIS/ASTER airborne simulator), and ASD (Analytical Spectral Devices Spectroradiometer-ground based) reflectance measurements provide unique opportunities to compare remote sensing data for plant communities from different platforms and at different scales. The ASD visible and near infrared reflectance data (0.4 to 2.5 microns) were analyzed and integrated to match the 21 MASTER and 9 ASTER visible and near infrared bandwidths for three dominate vegetation communities (grass, transition (grass to shrub), and shrub-mesquite) for May 12, 2001, October 6, 2002, and May 2, 2003. A strong positive correlation with a slope near one between the measurements indicated that the three sensors were measuring similar absolute values from the three vegetation communities. Reflectance was highest from the shrub community with large areas of exposed soil and lowest from the grass community with the shrub-grass transition being intermediate. This has implications for the energy and water budgets of the Jornada where shrub communities are invading and replacing grass communities.