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Land Surface Characterization: Land Cover Change and Drought Effects on Tribal Lands in Northern Arizona
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| Satellite image of tribal study area |
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The evaluation of changes in land cover resources on Tribal Lands in Northern Arizona over an extended study period is imperative for developing ecosystem-management plans that use historical and current data to support wise utilization of the resources. The effects of human impacts, grazing density, drought conditions, and range recoverability are critical to the analysis of these data. Landsat thematic mapper data from 1984 (earliest valid data), 1993 (wet year), and 2002 (drought year) were used to produce various digital products that give visual indication of land cover changes during the last 18 years. Pre-1977 multispectral scanner data will be acquired and analyzed in conjunction with the other digital products, which will provide a benchmark of part of the landscape where grazing once, but no longer, occurs. A complete analysis of all products will document changes to the Native lands due to human impact, prolonged grazing, fluctuating precipitation levels, and their effect on range recoverability. The work is done in collaboration with the Geology Discipline and the Navajo and Hopi Tribes.
Point of Contact: Edwin Pfeifer
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