Health assessments of riparian forests using the Landsat archive

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dc.contributor.authorZimmerman, Oscar Robert
dc.contributor.authorUniversity of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
dc.contributor.supervisorFlanagan, Larry B.
dc.date.accessioned2022-01-18T21:17:41Z
dc.date.available2022-01-18T21:17:41Z
dc.date.issued2021
dc.degree.levelMastersen_US
dc.description.abstractThe archive of satellite imagery from the Landsat Program between 1984 and 2020 was leveraged to assess the health status of riparian cottonwood forests along the regulated Oldman River in semi-arid southern Alberta, Canada. An extension of the near-infrared reflectance of vegetation, NIRvP, was adopted as a health indicator and validated to be a practical yet meaningful proxy of primary production. NIRvP was correlated with streamflow and a climatic soil moisture index from year-to-year. Forests responded to reduced streamflow with curtailed productivity, but were vigorous with return of adequate moisture. Forests did not respond to low flow characteristics, including reoccurring dewatering during the mid--late summer in years prior to the Oldman River Dam. These results supported that cottonwoods avoided, resisted, and were resilient to relatively short drought-like conditions imposed by streamflow reductions. Under current conditions, the outlook on the health of the riparian corridor is positive.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10133/6138
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.proquest.subject0329en_US
dc.proquest.subject0595en_US
dc.proquest.subject0768en_US
dc.proquestyesYesen_US
dc.publisherLethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Biological Sciencesen_US
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Biological Sciencesen_US
dc.publisher.facultyArts and Scienceen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseriesThesis (University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science)en_US
dc.subjectdam operationsen_US
dc.subjectcottonwoodsen_US
dc.subjectenvironmental flow regimeen_US
dc.subjectLandsaten_US
dc.subjectriparian forestsen_US
dc.subjectriparian healthen_US
dc.subjectriver regulationen_US
dc.subjectriver managementen_US
dc.subjectremote sensingen_US
dc.subjectproductivityen_US
dc.subjectRiparian ecology--Alberta--Oldman Riveren_US
dc.subjectRiparian forests--Alberta--Oldman Riveren_US
dc.subjectCottonwood--Health--Alberta--Oldman Riveren_US
dc.subjectCottonwood--Drought tolerance--Alberta--Oldman Riveren_US
dc.subjectCottonwood--Hardiness--Alberta--Oldman Riveren_US
dc.subjectOldman River (Alta.)--Regulationen_US
dc.subjectOldman River Dam (Alta.)--Environmental aspectsen_US
dc.subjectRivers--Regulationen_US
dc.subjectRemote sensingen_US
dc.subjectLandsat satellitesen_US
dc.subjectForest health--Alberta, Southernen_US
dc.subjectNear infrared reflectance spectroscopyen_US
dc.subjectArid regions--Alberta, Southernen_US
dc.subjectDissertations, Academicen_US
dc.titleHealth assessments of riparian forests using the Landsat archiveen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
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