HR: 08:40h
AN: H31J-03    [Abstracts]
TI: Remote Sensing of Fire Effects on Tamarisk Water Use and River Restoration
AU: * Alkov, N
EM: nicole@nmt.edu
AF: New Mexico Tech, Earth & Environmental Sciences Department, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801, United States
AU: Hendrickx, J M
EM: hendrick@nmt.edu
AF: New Mexico Tech, Earth & Environmental Sciences Department, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801, United States
AU: Hong, S
EM: hong@nmt.edu
AF: New Mexico Tech, Earth & Environmental Sciences Department, 801 Leroy Place, Socorro, NM 87801, United States
AB: Millions of dollars have been spent in New Mexico to remove tamarisk from riparian lands along the Rio Grande River, and restore previously monotypic tamarisk areas with native species such as cottonwood and willow. Elevated evapotranspiration (ET) rates of tamarisk are a main factor in motivating the invasive species' control. One of the tamarisk removal techniques is through the use of controlled burning. In this study, LANDSAT and MODIS satellite imagery was used in conjunction with the Surface Energy Balance Algorithm for Land (SEBAL) computer model to compare ET and NDVI of tamarisk covered riparian areas before and after three recent fires: 1. Mitchell Fire of April 9-16, 2005, which burned 450 hectares, 2. Marcial Fire of May 3-10, 2006, which burned 2,250 hectares, and 3. Bosquecito Fire of June 6-9, 2006, which burned 260 hectares. By comparing the remote sensing results to field point measurements, we evaluate the spatial and temporal ET and vegetation recovery after fires. Our results demonstrate: 1. SEBAL can be used as a low cost effective tool to quantify changes in riparian water use caused by river restoration projects, 2. Tamarisk ET rebounds much faster after fire than previously thought; one year after fire the tamarisk density and ET returns to pre-fire conditions. This study will ultimately advise hydrological and ecological managers around the globe on tamarisk regeneration rates and changes in ET post fire, and will evaluate the efficacy of fire as a restoration method in river restoration science.
DE: 1813 Eco-hydrology
DE: 1818 Evapotranspiration
DE: 1851 Plant ecology (0476)
DE: 1855 Remote sensing (1640)
SC: Hydrology [H]
MN: 2007 Fall Meeting