U.S. flagAn official website of the United States government
                    Here's how you know **Official websites use .gov**
                            
                            A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
 **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                            
                            A **lock** (                            
                              A locked padlock                                                      
                            
                            ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.


Menu Agricultural Research Service
						
                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 close



Research
                Research Home
                            National Programs
                            Research Projects
                            Scientific Manuscripts
                            International Engagement
                            Scientific Software/Models
                            Databases and Datasets
                            Office of Scientific Quality Review
            Media
                News & Features
                            Multimedia
                            Briefing Room
                            Down on the Farm
                            Press Room
                            Science in Your Shopping Cart
                            Scientific Discoveries
                            Tellus
                            Under the Microscope
            About ARS
                About ARS Home
                            Staff Directory
                            Labs and Research Centers (Map)
                            Headquarter Offices
                            Organizational Chart
                            Employee Services (REE Employees Only)
                            Office of Outreach, Diversity, and Equal Opportunity
            Work With Us
                Work With Us Home
                            ARS Vacancies at USAJOBS
                            Careers at ARS Information
                            Scientific Collaborations
                            Extramural Agreements
                            1890 Faculty Research Sabbatical ProgramSearch small
                    Search
            
            ARS Home
                                About ARS
                                Contact Us




ARS Home Research Publications at this Location





- ARS National Programs
- Search for a scientific manuscript
- Search for a research project
- ARS Software
- Programs and Projects
- Collaborations
- Subjects of Investigation
- Publications

Title:   Author  item
                                            NORTON, JILL - IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITYitem
                                            GLENN, NANCY - IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITYitem
                                            WEBER, KEITH - IDAHO STATE UNIVERSITYitem
                                            Seefeldt, Stevenitem
                                            Taylor, Joshua

                                                         - *Bret*
  Submitted to: Society of Range Management
                                    Publication Type: Abstract Only
                                    Publication Acceptance Date: 7/31/2005
                                    Publication  Date: 2/13/2006
                                    Citation: Norton, J., Glenn, N., Weber, K., Seefeldt, S.S., Taylor, J.B. 2006. The use of remote sensing imagery to determine wildland burn severity in semiarid sagebrush-steppe rangelands. Society of Range Management.Interpretive Summary: In order to facilitate the management of recently burned rangelands, knowledge of how much land burned and how severe the fire was is critical.  It is quite possible that this information can be obtained using satellite imagery.  Satellite imagery has been successfully used for this purpose in forests, but not for rangelands.  Using a prescribed fire at the USDA-ARS U.S. Sheep Experiment Station near Dubois, Idaho, fire size and severity were measured on the ground and compared to satellite imagery analyses.  The modifications of the methods used for forest fires improved the estimates of fire size and intensity.  Use of satellite imagery shows promise as a tool to assist land managers, especially federal and state, in designing targeted management plans to improve vegetation recovery on burned rangelands.
                                Technical Abstract: The Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR) is a remote sensing-based index used to calculate the extent and severity of a fire. NBR functions well in forested ecosystems due to a high contrast of vegetation change before and after fire. Preliminary results indicate that an alternate burn severity algorithm is needed for semiarid rangelands to account for high soil reflectance and sparse vegetation cover. This study applies a burn severity assessment using Landsat and SPOT imagery following a fall 2005 prescribed fire at the USDA-ARS U.S. Sheep Experiment Station near Dubois, Idaho. Our burn severity assessment, applicable to semiarid environments, was developed using field and remote sensing data. This study applies an initial assessment NBR and a modified NBR algorithm to Landsat and SPOT imagery. The final model and technique will provide land managers with a tool to assist in accurately describing the characteristics (size, distribution, and severity) of burned rangeland areas. Thus, this remote sensing application will enhance fire management and recovery efforts across semiarid rangelands worldwide.


Return to top


Connect with ARS Sign up


ARS Home
                            USDA.gov
                            Plain Writing
                            Policies & Links
                            Civil Rights Statements
                            FOIA
                            Accessibility Statement
                            Privacy Policy
                            Non-Discrimination Statement
                            Quality of Information
                            USA.gov
                            WhiteHouse.gov