The use of an advanced thermal imaging camera could potentially provide clues to understanding habitats used by wild birds in North America.
Test images taken with the camera by the Center for Advanced Land Management Information Technologies (CALMIT), are now being evaluated to allow precise calibration of the camera, said Sunil Narumalani, a remote sensing and geographic information specialist. "This is an essential step to make comparisons in the features shown by an image, and we are real close to getting technical problems resolved."
The unique environment of the Sand Hills is one particular area of interest.
"The region has a geology and geomorphological history different from any other environment in North America," Narumalani explained.
CALMIT has a long history of remote sensing studies of wetlands in the Sandhills region, and has been deeply involved in the current Biocomplexity Study - notably at the Barta Brothers Ranch near Rose - being conducted by a number of researchers from the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Groundwater flow-through and plant canopies of wetlands in the Crescent Lake NWR area of Garden county, alkali lakes in Sheridan County and wet meadows at the Gudmundsen Sandhills Laboratory near Whitman are among the variety of land features which have been initially captured in camera imagery. Features of the western Platte River have also been taken for preliminary analysis.
Actual research projects are pending, Narumalani said. "Specific projects depend on available funding, and having adequate staff to analyze imagery in order to convert data to something useful. One particular focus is on using remote sensing for habitat analysis and species conservation," he said, referring to the previously done GAP program completed by CALMIT.
Bird-related projects already done using remote sensing techniques have been in cooperation with the Nebraska Game and Parks Commission and the National Park Service.
"Images provided by remote sensing cameras are extremely useful to understand land cover," Narumalani said. Detailed analysis of still images can readily reveal the extent of lakes, marshes and wet meadows, the degree of canopy cover by tree types, and the actual extent of particular plants. The fine image resolution provided by the thermal camera can be useful to analyzing invasive species such as salt cedar or Russian olive along the Republican and Platte rivers, he said.
"We can make repeat visits to the same area to create an archive of images for comparison of features at different times," Narumalani said. "Image analysis can indicate changes over time, and may be useful in helping to understand shifting conditions due changes in the climate."
Images are best captured at pre-dawn when there is the greatest contrast between ground features, Narumalani said. "One project we may undertake is a study of waterfalls and spring seeps along the Niobrara River. These features may be captured best during winter, when there is a reduced tree canopy. Boiling springs along the Dismal River are also of interest."
CALMIT has carried out remote sensing projects in 30 states, including South Carolina, Colorado and Texas. Fewer studies have been done outside the U.S.A.
The ThermaCAM-SC640 is similar to a digital video camera, providing a streaming video of a particular locale or landscape. CALMIT plans to extract individual images from the video recorded, for independent analysis. The camera is sensitive to 10ths of a degree Fahrenheit, and has a spatial resolution of one meter.
Images are typically taken from a height of 2-5,000 feet above ground from a Piper Saratoga aircraft operated by CALMIT. A lower flight level provides greater detail.
"During the coming weeks, examples of imagery from the camera video will be converted into still images," Narumalani said. "An analysis of these images can provide further understanding of land features essential to the conservation of landscape features and inhabitants."
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