P1246990940khjgQ

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Biogeography of Invasive Plants in Mid-Atlantic
Region Integration of Hyperspectral Imagery
with Physiological Plant Ecology Kristy
Garnet School of Computational Sciences George
Mason University Fairfax, VA
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Overview A. Introduction 1. Vegetation
mapping 2. Physiological ecology B.
Objectives C. Invasive species 1.
Microstegium vimineum (Trinius) 2. Phragmites
australis (Cav.)
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Biogeographical Vegetation Mapping
A True Color Composite
Study Site Springfield, VA
LandSat 7
38.7222 Lat, -77.3071 Long38.7226 Lat,
-77.0323 Long38.5461 Lat, -77.0323
Long38.5457 Lat, -77.3063 Long
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Biogeographical Vegetation Mapping (cont.)
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Physiological Plant Ecology

• Potential physiological signature co-variates
• net CO2 assimilation
• transpiration
• growth rates
• stomatal physiology
• leaf transmission
• absorbance
• phenology

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Physiological Plant Ecology (cont.)
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Objectives
1. Develop standardized protocol for in situ
signature collections for ecologically dominant
species 2. Develop signature library 3.
Investigate phenological patterns of signature
variance for a subset of species 4.
Investigate effects of major ecological
stressors on signatures (e.g., nitrogen, drought,
ozone, temperature)
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Signature Library Development

• Forest canopy dominants

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Signature Library Development (cont.)

• Forest sub-canopy dominants

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Signature Library Development (cont.)

• Invasives

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Target Invasive Species

• Microstegium vimineum
• sprawling annual grass
• flowers August October
• seeds September December
• alluvial floodplain flood tolerant
• shade light tolerant
• introduced in 1919 TN
• established in 16 states NY to TX
• monoculture

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Microstegium vimineum
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Target Invasive Species (cont.)

• 2. Phragmites australis
• clonal grass
• woody hollow culms 6 m
• perennial monocot
• flowers mid-summer
• seeds fall winter germination spring
• Atlantic coast freshwater brackish tidal
  wetlands
• aggressive genotype introduced in 1800s
• established throughout U.S.

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Phragmites australis
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Objectives
1. Develop standardized protocol for in situ
signature collections for ecologically dominant
species 2. Develop signature library 3.
Investigate phenological patterns of signature
variance for a subset of species 4.
Investigate effects of major ecological
stressors on signatures (e.g., nitrogen, drought,
ozone, temperature)