Remote Sensing and GIS

Working Group

Mission/Vision

To share information about, develop resources for, and support networked research related to remote sensing and GIS in the LTAR network.

Objectives

  • To identify remote sensing and GIS technical expertise within the LTAR network, and to serve as a conduit for collaborative partnerships.
  • To assist research working groups with identification of available remote sensing and geospatial data products.
  • To identify a geospatial data sharing platform for networked research; establish spatial specifications (e.g. projection parameters and accuracy levels).
  • To work with other groups to develop best practices for working with and curating network-wide geospatial data, especially for new or emerging technologies (e.g. UAV data).

Activities

  • Hold regular meetings to share updates.
  • Update the survey on remote sensing and GIS expertise to make it relevant to the project plans resulting from the 2018 Annual Meeting.
  • A ONE-STOP SHOP for LTAR:
  • Make expertise lists available to the wider LTAR community via the LTAR website.
  • Create a listing of recommended geospatial datasets including:
    • geospatial data collections available across the network and publicly, and
    • contact point information
    • access tools for remote sensing data (e.g. Github code, etc.)
  • Develop a geospatial data sharing platform strategy for LTAR geospatial data, including an image service.
  • Work with the IMTF to create a data management plan for UAV data.
  • Write a one-page fact sheet for the RS+GIS working group, following the ARS template.
  • Lead the development of a collection of 4-6 manuscripts on remote sensing frontiers in LTAR research, for submission to a journal such as Remote Sensing of the Environment.

Accomplishments

  • Prioritization of LTAR research questions related to RS/GIS.
  • Identification of RS/GIS expertise currently present within the LTAR network, as well as sites lacking such expertise.

Datasets Produced

For the LTAR 2016 Annual Meeting in Archbold, we compiled a list of datasets recommended for inclusion in standard geospatial data holdings of LTAR. These datasets already exist from various public sources. However, they do not all exist in a centralized data archive for LTAR. Work is underway with the Information Management Task Force to specify and develop a centralized working geospatial web service for LTAR, including an image server. Once developed, we may decide to compile base layers for all sites and make them available through a LTAR-focused web service.

 

Data typeTitle, source and date

Scale or resolution

ElevationNED 10m, NRCS 2014 (based on USGS 2011)10m
SoilsSSURGO (and gSSURGO), NRCS, (current version)1:24000 (and 10m)
Hydrology

NHDPlusV2

NHD/WBD, USGS

1:24000
Land cover

NLCD, USGS, 2011

NASS CDL (current version)

30m

30m

GeologyUSGS and State Geologic Surveys1:500,000
Multi-spectral imagery

Landsat ETM+

MODIS

30m

250m

1000m

Aerial photographyNAIP imagery mosaics (current version)1m
PrecipitationPRISM 
Socio-economic

Agriculture Census, USDA

FIA, US-FS

Economic Census, USDoC

Demographic information

County scale

 

County/State scale

Census tract

List of available remote sensing and geospatial data products

Manuscripts Published

List of manuscripts published or under development with LTAR RS and GIS Working Group datasets.

Working Group Name

Remote Sensing and GIS Working Group

Leader(s)

Alisa Coffin (GACP), Chandra Holifield Collins (WGEW), Jennifer Carter (NPER)

Members

List will appear here

ABOUT LTAR

 

The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Long-Term Agroecosystem Research network consists of 18 Federal and university agricultural research sites with an average of over 50 years of history. The goal of this research network is to ensure sustained crop and livestock production and ecosystem services from agroecosystems, and to forecast and verify the effects of environmental trends, public policies, and emerging technologies.