HR: 1340h
AN: B13D-1519    [Abstracts]
TI: Analyzing Whitebark Pine Distribution in the Northern Rocky Mountains in Support of Grizzly Bear Recovery
AU: * Lawrence, R
EM: rickl@montana.edu
AF: Montana State University, PO Box 173120, Bozeman, MT 59717, United States
AU: Landenburger, L
EM: lisa_landenburger@usgs.gov
AF: Montana State University, PO Box 173120, Bozeman, MT 59717, United States
AU: Jewett, J
EM: jeffrey.jewett1@myportal.montana.edu
AF: Montana State University, PO Box 173120, Bozeman, MT 59717, United States
AB: Whitebark pine seeds have long been identified as the most significant vegetative food source for grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and, hence, a crucial element of suitable grizzly bear habitat. The overall health and status of whitebark pine in the GYE is currently threatened by mountain pine beetle infestations and the spread of whitepine blister rust. Whitebark pine distribution (presence/absence) was mapped for the GYE using Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) imagery and topographic data as part of a long-term inter-agency monitoring program. Logistic regression was compared with classification tree analysis (CTA) with and without boosting. Overall comparative classification accuracies for the central portion of the GYE covering three ETM+ images along a single path ranged from 91.6% using logistic regression to 95.8% with See5's CTA algorithm with the maximum 99 boosts. The analysis is being extended to the entire northern Rocky Mountain Ecosystem and extended over decadal time scales. The analysis is being extended to the entire northern Rocky Mountain Ecosystem and extended over decadal time scales.
DE: 0439 Ecosystems, structure and dynamics (4815)
DE: 0452 Instruments and techniques
DE: 0480 Remote sensing
SC: Biogeosciences [B]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting