JORNEX: AN AIRBORNE CAMPAIGN TO QUANTIFY RANGELAND VEGETATION CHANGE AND PLANT COMMUNITY-ATMOSPHERIC INTERACTIONS

Authors: Ritchie, Jerry; Rango, Albert; Kustas, William - Bill; Schmugge, Thomas; BRUBAKER, KAYE - EPRI; Zhan, Xiwu; Havstad, Kris

Submitted to: Acarology International Congress Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/15/1996
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The USDA-ARS Jornada Experimental Range in southern New Mexico provides a unique opportunity to integrate hydrologic-atmospheric fluxes and surface states, vegetation types, cover, and distribution, and vegetation response to changes in hydrologic states and atmospheric driving forces. In concert with ongoing ground measurements, remotely sensed data are being collected from ground, airborne, and satellite platforms to provide spatial and temporal distribution of vegetation conditions and surface energy balance estimates from a combination of parameters and state variables derived from remotely sensed data. These measurements will be used as inputs to models to quantify the hydrologic budget and the plant response to changes in components in the water and energy balance. Intensive three day study periods have been made in May 1995 (dry season), September 1995 (wet season), and February 1996 (Winter) and are planned for wet and dry seasons of 1996. Ground and aircraft measurements are acquired during Landsat overpasses so the effect of scale on measurements can be studied. This paper discusses preliminary results from the 1995 airborne campaign.