Advanced Search Results Detail

Project ID: 01-1-4-02

Year: 2002

Date Started: 05/30/2002

Date Completed: 08/07/2006

Title: Fuel Classification for the Southern Appalachian Mountains using Hyperspectral Image Analysis and Landscape Ecosystem Classification

Project Proposal Abstract: Excessive fuel loading and rapid urbanization are of concern throughout the southern Appalachian Mountains. Prescribed burning has been attempted only recently in these mountains and fbel models are not available. This project will use a two-phase approach to model fuel loading in the region. The first phase will be to develop a classification of fuels using ground measurements and an existing Landscape Ecosystem Classification system to define fuel categories. We expect fuel classes to be correlated with the same variables used to define landscape units (geography and topography). Once this classification is developed, the second phase of this project will be to determine if fuels in each class can be detected from aerial images using hyperspectral image analysis. Signatures of reflectance values will be developed for each fuel category with ground measurements. Analysis of hyperspectral images will identify areas on the ground containing each category of fuel loading. Ground crews will verify the accuracy of these signatures and improvements will be made as needed. Validation of the signatures will be done by image analysis and ground truthing for an area away from those used to develop the signatures. Resulting signatures will greatly reduce the cost of mapping fuels throughout the southern Appalachians because analysis of hyperspectral images will be less complex.

Principal Investigator: Thomas A. Waldrop

Agency/Organization: Forest Service

Branch or Dept: SRS-Department of Forest Resources

Other Project Collaborators

Type	Name	Agency/Organization	Branch or Dept
Co-Principal Investigator	Jeffrey S. Allen	Clemson University	Strom Thurmond Institute
Co-Principal Investigator	Sheng-Huei Chang	SpectroTech, Inc.	Strom Thurmond Institute
Co-Principal Investigator	Victor B. Shelburne	Clemson University	Department of Forestry & Natural Resources
Co-Principal Investigator	B. S. Terry	SpectroTech, Inc.	Strom Thurmond Institute
Co-Principal Investigator	Donald E. Van Baricom	Clemson University	Strom Thurmond Institute
Collaborator/Contributor	Erin Bronk	Forest Service	Nantahala NF-Nantahala Ranger District
Collaborator/Contributor	Michael Crane	Forest Service	Francis Marion & Sumter NFs-Tyger Office
Collaborator/Contributor	Robert Dellinger	NPS-National Park Service	Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Collaborator/Contributor	David W. Jensen	Forest Service	Chattahoochee National Forest
Collaborator/Contributor	Leon Konz	NPS-National Park Service	Great Smoky Mountains National Park
Federal Cooperator	Thomas A. Waldrop	Forest Service	SRS-Department of Forest Resources

Project Locations

Consortium

Appalachian

Oak Woodlands

South

There are no project locations identified for this project.

Project Deliverables

Final Report ("Results presented in JFSP Final Reports may not have been peer-reviewed and should be interpreted as tentative until published in a peer-reviewed source.")

	ID	Type	Title
	5591	NonRefereed Publication	Preliminary Fuel Characterization of the Chauga Ridges Region of the Southern Appalachian Mountains
	5592	NonRefereed Publication	A Comparison of Three Methods for Classifying Fuel Loads in the Southern Appalachian Mountains
	5590	NonRefereed Publication	Development of a Photo Guide for Fuels in the Southern Appalachian Mountains of Northeast Georgia and Western South Carolina

Supporting Documents

The following supporting documents are available for this project.

Brief

Convert PDF documents to an html document using Adobe's online conversion tool.