Detecting Vegetation Change along Everglades National Park boundary areas

The seasonal timing and total volume of water that enters Everglades National Park through water management infrastructure is being systematically altered as a result of regional water management infrastructure modifications and changes to operational strategies of the regional water management system. Plant communities shift species composition and biomass in response to altered water patterns, and these same communities respond sensitively to changes in the total mass and concentration of nutrients – particularly phosphorus – that are delivered in the water. objective is to effectively map species composition patterns using remote sensing at a 16-100 m2 per pixel spatial scale. A second purpose of this project is to authoritatively define the total biomass of vegetation, and changes over time among vegetated classes in areas along the boundary of the park. Fulfilling these objectives will help park managers understand, manage and mitigate for landscape changes and impacts due to MWD/CERP implementation.