A5079168198- Remote Sensing in Agriculture
- Remote Sensing and LiDAR Applications
- Land Use and Ecosystem Services
- Conservation, Biodiversity, and Resource Management
- Flood Risk Assessment and Management
- Coastal and Marine Management
- Hydrology and Watershed Management Studies
- Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Applications and Techniques
- Geophysics and Gravity Measurements
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Oil Palm Production and Sustainability
- Forest Management and Policy
- Environmental and Cultural Studies in Latin America and Beyond
- Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping
- Forest ecology and management
- Digital Storytelling and Education
- Water Quality Monitoring Technologies
- Latin American rural development
- Soil and Land Suitability Analysis
- African Botany and Ecology Studies
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Cryospheric studies and observations
- Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Groundwater and Watershed Analysis
University of Alabama in Huntsville
2017-2024
Marshall Space Flight Center
2020-2024
University of Alabama
2024
UMR Botanique et Modélisation de l’Architecture des Plantes et des végétations
2015-2020
Alabama Agricultural and Mechanical University
2017
AgroParisTech
2016
Institut de Recherche pour le Développement
2016
TU Dresden
2015-2016
City of Knowledge
2008
Water is a scarce, but essential resource in the Sahel. Rainfed ephemeral ponds and lakes that dot landscape are necessary to livelihoods of smallholder farmers pastoralists who rely on these resources irrigate crops hydrate cattle. The remote location dispersed nature water bodies limits typical methods monitoring, such as with gauges; fortunately, sensing offers quick cost-effective means regularly measuring surface extent isolated regions. Dozens operational exist use identify...
In this study we evaluated the applicability of a space-borne hyperspectral sensor, Hyperion, to resolve for chlorophyll (Chl a) concentration in Lake Atitlan, tropical mountain lake Guatemala. situ water quality samples Chl were collected and correlated with surface reflectance derived from Hyperion images, develop semi-empirical algorithm. Existing operational algorithms tested continuous bands an iterative manner. A third order polynomial regression provided good fit model a. The final...
Operational applications for Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) are under development around the world, driven by free-and-open access of SAR C-band observations that Sentinel-1 Copernicus has provided since 2014. Radiometric Terrain Correction (RTC) data key entry-level products multiple ranging from ecosystem to hazard monitoring. Various open-source software packages exist create RTC Single Look Complex (SLC) or Ground Range Detected (GRD) level data, including Interferometric Computing...
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) no. 15 addresses the protection of terrestrial ecosystems and sustainable forest management, Target 15.2 encourages countries to sustainably manage forests, halt deforestation by 2020. SDG indicator 15.1.1 proposes tracking area as an for achieving that SDG. Though mangrove forests represent only about 5% Belize's overall cover, critical ecosystem services they provide are recognized in country's Forests Act, which regulates modification ecosystems....
Pastoralism is a major occupation in Africa's Sahel region, which spans from Senegal the west to Ethiopia east and has semi-arid climate. Pastoralists region are usually nomadic, moving regularly search of water pasture, often for hundreds kilometers. Traditionally, pastoralists have relied on historical knowledge transhumance pathways reach bodies (WB). Due climatic conditions, vast majority WBs this small, sporadic, ephemeral, therefore there need map frequently monitor availability....
A wealth of remotely sensed data has accumulated over the past several decades and now constitutes an analytical resource primed for archaeological applications. To date, big (RSBD) analytics in archaeology have focused on filling spatial gaps distribution sites features, characterizing environmental landscapes, monitoring cultural heritage sites. The scientific promise these to expand our understanding human-environment interactions not been fully realized. Limitations access, sufficient...
Universities, often situated at the heart of metropolitan areas, have unique opportunity to leverage effective urban forestry methods promote ecological and economic conservation. Simply identifying what trees plant where can major effects such as reducing temperature, flood impacts, habitat fragmentation, carbon emissions in areas. Detailed mapping tree biomass allows researchers spatially identify sinks analyze associated benefits an or intra-urban level. This study utilizes...
Tree crops like oil palm present a unique challenge in land cover mapping, as they are often misclassified natural forest. The area cultivated with Ghana has rapidly expanded since 2000, and production is expected to continue increase. Sentinel-1 Sentinel-2 satellite data was used inputs random forest classifier Google Earth Engine map mature, closed-canopy extent 2019 of study that includes both industrial plantations smallholders. combination bands derived indices outperformed either alone...
State-of-the-art methodologies to monitor deforestation rely mostly on optical satellite observations. High-density time series can enable the detection of almost as soon it occurs. However, monitoring in tropics be hindered by high cloud coverage, and thus responsiveness managers, enforcement agencies, scientists. To understand implications contamination freely available data we analyzed combined from Landsat 7, 8, Sentinel-2 over 2017-2021. Datasets derived for each 30 m × 59.4 M km2...
Abstract Earth observation (EO) is undergoing a paradigm shift with the development of cloud‐based analytical platforms supporting EO data collection and access, parallel processing, easier communication results, expanded accessibility. As global community users diversity applications grow, there clear need for educational capacity to leverage these developments increase impact research teaching. Drawing upon extensive conversations between educators, practitioners, researchers, we propose...
The Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic halted human activities globally in multiple sectors including tourism. As a result, nations with heavy tourism, such as Belize, experienced improvements water quality. Remote sensing technologies can detect impacts of “anthropauses” on coastal In this study, moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellite data were employed along the Belizean coast to investigate COVID-19 shutdown attenuation coefficient at 490 nm, K d (490),...
Abstract Given the rapidity and intensity of anthropogenic impacts on natural systems, assessing effectiveness current protected areas in preserving biodiversity is especially important Mesoamerica Caribbean, which contain a wide array species ecosystems. In light growing need to consider climate change policymaking, combining projections with maps allows scientists decision-makers understand possible biodiversity. this study, we use GIS identify spatial relationships between regional models...
Land use and land cover (LULC) change can have detrimental effects on water quality. In Belize, agricultural expansion creates the risk of increased sediment load excess nutrients in runoff water, while deforestation removes potential infiltration sites for this outflow. Climate evolving precipitation rates intensify quantity runoff, further enabling flow sediments out to lagoon surrounding Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (BBRRS). This study sought estimate impacts future quality by first...
Recent studies have estimated annual flood loss at over two billion USD dollars in damage per year globally. This figure is likely to increase as populations grow, people move prone areas, and flooding dynamics change. Digital Elevation Models are a primary input into many models; therefore, the accuracy resolution of these data sets implications for model that not completely understood. An increasing number DEMs becoming open freely available, which presents analysts with challenge...
The 2019–2020 Desert Locust (DL) upsurge in East Africa threatened food security for millions the region. This highlighted need to track and quantify damaging impacts of swarming insects on cropland rangelands. Satellite Earth observations (EO) data have potential contribute DL damage assessments that can inform control measures, aid distribution recovery efforts. EO complement traditional ground based surveys (which are currently further limited due COVID-19), by rapidly cost effectively...
Increased tourism in Belize over the last decade and growth of local population have led to coastal development infrastructure expansion. Land use alteration anthropogenic activity may change sediment nutrient loads systems, which can negatively affect ecosystems via mechanisms such as reducing photosynthetically active radiation fields, smothering sessile habitats, stimulating eutrophication events. Accurate monitoring prediction water quality parameters Total Suspended Sediments (TSS), are...
Coral reefs are highly diverse ecosystems that provide many goods and ecosystem services globally. reef also threatened by environmental stressors from anthropogenic sources shifting climates. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 14 (“Life Below Water”) addresses the need to conserve sustainably use ocean, seas, marine ecosystems, including systems. Belize’s coral system is second largest in world, providing of income Belizeans through tourism fisheries as well coastline...
Abstract. Understanding global forest carbon stocks is necessary to assess the world’s budget, with land cover change being estimated contribute roughly 20 % of emissions greenhouse gases atmosphere. In last decade or so, remote sensing has contributed estimates above ground biomass – a key part over twenty maps available at pan-tropical and scales. To further understanding stocks, this research seeks synthesize findings disparate data sources on: (i) cover, (ii) change, (iii) (AGB) / (AGC)...
Deep Learning-Based Monitoring of Artisanal Mining to Tackle Environmental Degradation: A SERVIR West Africa Case Study in Ghana Kidia Gelaye1, Emmanuel Asare2, Mary Amponsah2,  Paul Bartel1,  Pierre CS Traore3, Jacob Abramowitz4,5, Emil Cherrington4,5,  Foster Mensah2  1 International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid Tropics (ICRISAT), Accra, Ghana, 2 University Center Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Services (CERSGIS), 3 Dakar,...
The availability of current land cover and use (LCLU) information for monitoring the status resources has considerable value in ensuring sustainable planning. Similarly, need to provide updated on extent LCLU change West Africa become apparent, given increasing demand driven by rapid population growth sub-region. SERVIR Africa, a regional consortium jointly supported USAID NASA foster geospatial earth observation data science decision-making critical environmental food security challenges,...