MIAL: Current Research Activities

RESEARCH ACTIVITIES AT THE IMAGE ANALYSIS LAB

CONSERVATION EASEMENT MONITORING

The Maine Image Analysis Laboratory (MIAL) and New England Forestry Foundation (NEFF) has developed a multi-scale monitoring approach for the Pingree Conservation Easement, the largest conservation easement in the U.S. at over 750,000 acres. Through a series of meetings on developing a monitoring approach for the easement, a hierarchical system of monitoring using remote sensing and ground visits emerged as the most cost-effective system. Three levels of monitoring are used: 1) medium spatial resolution satellite (e.g. Landsat) change detection, 2) high resolution satellite or aerial photography sampling, and 3) field visits or ground measurements for highest priority monitoring sites.

For further details on the Pingree monitoring effort, see a recent (spring 2006) article written by Jim Levitt, Director of The Program on Conservation Innovation at the Harvard Forest:

Conservation via Satellite: Leveraging Remote Sensing to Monitor the Pingree Easement

MAPPING THE MESOAMERICAN BIOLOGICAL CORRIDOR

NASA and the Central American Commission on Environment and Development (CCAD) recently teamed up to cooperate in the development of the Mesoamerican Biological Corridor (MBC). Home to rare and endangered species as well as human inhabitants, the goal of the MBC is to integrate conservation, protection, and ecological balance within the framework of sustainable economic development. Under the direction of Dr. Steven A. Sader (Project Principal Investigator), the Maine Image Analysis Laboratory of the University of Maine will play a leading role in image processing and data development, scientific research, and technology transfer and training. A three-year project is underway to conduct cooperative scientific research, data exchange, and training between NASA and Central America. To accomplish this goal the project is divided into two parts: Land cover/Land use mapping and development of a Central American data and information system.

MONITORING AND MULTISENSOR RESEARCH IN MAINE'S INDUSTRIAL FOREST

An award from NASA involves research in the use of new generation sensors (hyperspectral, high resolution multispectral and SAR) to improve forest inventory and monitoring of Maine’s forests. The research also addresses the issues of acceptance of new generation remote sensor technology by forest industry and remote sensing/engineering firms by demonstrating cost-effective applications and market potential for remotely sensed products. This project relies on the advice of its Forestry Advisory Board, which is made up of forest landowners.

LAND COVER / LAND USE CHANGE RESEARCH IN THE PETÉN DISTRICT, GUATEMALA

NASA awarded a grant for an investigation to study landcover/landuse conversion and its socio-economic driving forces in the northern Petén District in Guatemala. Over a period of three years, the investigation has involved the analyses of time series Landsat imagery (>20 years) for a 25,000 sq.km study area. Other participating institutions are NASA-Marshall Space Flight Center, University of Delaware, and Conservation International in Flores, Guatemala. The project is part of the Land-Cover and Land-Use Change (LCLUC) Program, an interdisciplinary scientific theme within NASA's Earth Science Enterprise (ESE). ESE is NASA's enterprise to study the Earth as an integrated system, emphasizing observations made from the unique perspective of space together with underlying laboratory, field, theoretical, and modeling research.