Project Number: 1245-13610-028-32
Project Type: Reimbursable

Start Date: May 21, 2012
End Date: Mar 31, 2015

Objective:
The overall objectives of this study are to (1) develop improved wetland mapping and change detection using remote-sensing data from multiple, complementary sensors at various temporal and spatial scales; (2) study the socioeconomic and physical drivers of wetland change affecting wetland extent and function at regional scales; (3) assess the impacts of multiple environmental stressors, particularly the anthropogenic ones; and (4) quantify vulnerability of wetlands and wetland ecosystem services under multiple climate and land use change scenarios.

Approach:
Multiple types of remote sensing data will be used with existing biophysical and socio-economic data, new field data, and outputs of land simulation and water quality models. New mapping approaches based on the fusion of passive and active remotely sensed data and weather records will be developed. Socio-economic, policy, regulatory, and economic variables, in addition to biophysical will be considered. The extensive existing pollutant loading data for the Chesapeake Bay Watershed provide an unusual opportunity for model closure. The derived relationships and quantitative assessment will be spatially explicit, thus allowing for “what if” conceptual experiments to investigate alternative land uses and their effects on wetlands.