Skip to main content
ARS Home » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #91705
Title: JORNEX: A REMOTE SENSING CAMPAIGN TO STUDY PLANT COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO HYDROLOGIC FLUXES IN DESERT GRASSLANDS

Author
item Ritchie, Jerry
item Rango, Albert
item Kustas, William - Bill
item Schmugge, Thomas
item Havstad, Kris
item Everitt, James
item RAMALINGHAM, KALIA - UTAH SATE UNIVERSITY
item HIPPS, LAWRENCE - UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Water Resources Research
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/1998
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary: Remote sensing techniques are being use to integrate information about hydrologic fluxes, surface changes in vegetation types, cover, and distribution, and vegetation response to changes in hydrologic states and atmospheric driving forces at the ARS Jornada Experimental Range in New Mexico. Ground measurements and remotely sensed data from ground, airborne, and satellite platforms are being used to provide spatial and temporal distribution of vegetation and landscape that is necessary for understanding the changes that are occurring. Estimates of surface energy balance are made from a combination of information derived from ground and remotely sensed data. These measurements are being used as inputs to models to quantify the hydrologic and energy budget and plant responses to changes in components in the water and energy balance. These measurements will provide improved data for understanding the changing patterns of vegetation that are occurring on the Jornada. Such information will allow the development of improved management strategies for maintaining the Jornada Range and surrounding rangelands.

Technical Abstract: The Jornada Experimental Range in southern New Mexico provides a unique opportunity to use remote sensing techniques to study the responses of vegetation to changing hydrologic fluxes and atmospheric driving forces. Long-term investigations at Jornada have yielded a wealth of ground data about the basin vegetation characteristics, ecosystem dynamics, and vegetation response to changing hydrologic and atmospheric inputs. To compliment these programs of ground measurements, a campaign called JORNEX began in 1995 to collect remotely sensed data from aircraft and satellite platforms to provide spatial and temporal data the Jornada rangeland. Surface energy balance estimates are made from a combination of parameters and state variables estimated from aircraft and ground data. Surface roughness was evaluated with the laser altimetry data and used to estimate aerodynamic roughness. Fractal analyses of the laser data found differences between vegetation types. These different platforms allow the evaluation of the landscape at different scales. These measurements are being used to quantify the hydrologic budgets and plant response to change in components in the water and energy balance at the Jornada.