remote sensing and individual-based ecology

Remote Sensing Remote Sensing vs.vs.

Individual-Based Ecology Individual-Based Ecology

Goals of the Talk (Paper)Goals of the Talk (Paper)

• Order my thoughts.Order my thoughts.

• Assemble/summarize/link Assemble/summarize/link some relevant 1° and 2° some relevant 1° and 2° sources.sources.

Goals of the Talk (Paper)Goals of the Talk (Paper)

EcologyEcology

Remote Remote SensingSensing

ComplexityComplexity

Remote SensingRemote SensingRemote Sensing:

“The collection and interpretation of information about an object without physical contact with the object; eg, satellite imaging, aerial photography, and open path measurements.”

-- www.waterquality.de/hydrobio.hw/RTERMS.HTM

Ecology and DataEcology and Data

Experimental Design Challenges in Ecology:Experimental Design Challenges in Ecology:

• Experimentation and ObservationExperimentation and Observation

• ‘‘Controlling variables’Controlling variables’

• Ecosystem dimensionality and variability.Ecosystem dimensionality and variability.

Ecology and DataEcology and Data

Groundies’ and Remote Sensors’ View:Groundies’ and Remote Sensors’ View:

Ground Sampled Remotely SensedReal World

Remote Sensing and DataRemote Sensing and Data

• Limited in its ability to sample:Limited in its ability to sample:radar, photographic, spectral, laser, etc.radar, photographic, spectral, laser, etc.

• But broad in it’s scope:But broad in it’s scope:– measurements from daily to every monthmeasurements from daily to every month– covering areas from square meters to continents, covering areas from square meters to continents,

inclusively.inclusively.


• Traditionally used for mapping and monitoring.Traditionally used for mapping and monitoring.


• Traditionally used for mapping and monitoring.Traditionally used for mapping and monitoring.

• As resolution(s) increase, increasingly no reason As resolution(s) increase, increasingly no reason not to use it in theory development.not to use it in theory development.

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/jordan.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/yukon.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/vonkar.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/aleutian.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/malaspina.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/whirlpool.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/greenlandcoast.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/yellowknife.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/akpatok.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/garden.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/cancun.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/coahuila.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/campeche.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/colima.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/cabo.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/jau.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/bolivian.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/parana.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/vortices.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/sahara.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/niger.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/terkezi.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/atlas.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/vatna.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/shetland.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/fjords.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/cloud.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/netherland.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/volga.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/iran.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/lena.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/kamchatka.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/himalayas.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/alluvial.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/mayn.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/bogda.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/nuruu.html

http://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/earthasart/ganges.html

Remote Sensing and EcologyRemote Sensing and Ecology

• Pattern and Process in the Plant CommunityAS Watt, The Journal of Ecology, 1947

- according to GoogleScholar, cited by 534 (as of today)- according to GoogleScholar, cited by 534 (as of today)

• The Problem of Pattern and Scale in EcologyThe Problem of Pattern and Scale in EcologySA Levin, Ecology, 1992SA Levin, Ecology, 1992- according to GoogleScholar, cited by 1377 (as of today)- according to GoogleScholar, cited by 1377 (as of today)


• Regional and landscape scale is the new Regional and landscape scale is the new blackblack..

• Unprecedented change may be the Unprecedented change may be the next blacknext black..

• So we need So we need • good spatial ecologygood spatial ecology• good large-scale ecologygood large-scale ecology• mechanistically robust ecologymechanistically robust ecology


• Regional and landscape scale is the new Regional and landscape scale is the new blackblack..

• Unprecedented change may be the Unprecedented change may be the next blacknext black..

• So we need So we need • good spatial ecologygood spatial ecology• good large-scale ecologygood large-scale ecology• mechanistically robust ecologymechanistically robust ecology

EcologyEcology

Remote Remote SensingSensing

ComplexityComplexity


• Individual-Based Ecology

“The study of ecological systems from the perspective that systems arise from unique independent, individuals and the interactions of the individuals with each other and with their environment.”

» Grimm and Railsback 2005, Individual-based Modeling and Ecology.


• Ecology + remote sensing is good.



• Individual-Based Ecology is good.



• Individual-Based Ecology is good.

• Remote sensing + Individual-Based Ecology good?

Remote Sensing and IBEcologyRemote Sensing and IBEcology

• Unit has to be the ‘Individual’

from fix buffalo today blog, http://fixbuffalo.blogspot.com/2005/10/demolitions-and-urban-prairie.html


• Unit has to be the ‘Individual’

from fix buffalo today blog, http://fixbuffalo.blogspot.com/2005/10/demolitions-and-urban-prairie.html

No good: the decision maker is the lot owners or the government members, not the lots.

Remote Sensing and IBEcologyRemote Sensing and IBEcology• Unit has to be the ‘Individual’

• How to get at Individuals with RS?

• Matching of sensor scale with inidivdual scalespatial scaletemporal scalecharacteristic ‘scale’


• Spatial Resolution

• >1m 1 km


• Spatial Resolution• Spatial Scope


• Spatial Resolution• Spatial Scope• Time Resolution

– MODIS: 1-2 times a day– Landsat ~ every 16 days


• Spatial Resolution• Spatial Scope• Time Resolution• ‘Characteristic’ Resolution

– spectral resolution (hyper v. multispectral)– elevational accuracy


• Spatial Resolution• Spatial Scope• Time Resolution• ‘Characteristic’ Resolution


Insert Model Here Insert Data Here


from High-resolution remote sensing of intertidal ecosystems: A low-cost technique to link scale-dependent patterns and processes. Guichard and Bourget (2000) Limnol. Oceanogr.


Insert Model Here

Insert Data Here


Insert Model Here

Insert Data Here

Pattern Statistics


Insert Model Here

Insert Data Here

Pattern Statistics

Revision of Model


Insert Model Here

Insert Data Here

Pattern Statistics

Revision of Model

a la Grimm&Railsback


==• good spatial ecologygood spatial ecology

• good large-scale ecologygood large-scale ecology• mechanistically robust ecologymechanistically robust ecology


==• good spatial ecologygood spatial ecology

• good large-scale ecologygood large-scale ecology• mechanistically robust ecologymechanistically robust ecology

viaempirical data study

remote sensing and individual-based ecology

Education