Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Pest Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #131676

Title: CHANGE DETECTION OF LEAFY SPURGE (EUPHORBIS ESULA) INFESTATIONS USING AERIAL PRHOTGRAPHY AND GIS

Author
item Anderson, Gerald
item Prosser, Chadley
item HAGAR, S - NPS MEDORA ND
item FOSTER, B - NPS MEDORA ND

Submitted to: Bio Control of Leafy Spurge
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/1/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: Anderson, G.L., C. W. Prosser, S. Hager and B. Foster. 1999. Change Detection of Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula) Infestations Using Aerial Photography and GIS. Proceedings of the 17th Biennial Workshop on Color Photography & Videography in Resource Assessment pp. 223-230.

Interpretive Summary: Aerial color photography was used in 1993 to map Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula) infestations occurring within Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora, ND. Results indicated that 1:10,000 scale photography was effective in identifying and mapping spurge clumps occupying an area greater than 1 square meter. Other findings included the predictable nature of new spurge stand establishment and development, as well as the total estimated acreage of leafy spurge for the park. New photography was acquired in 1998 and is currently being analyzed. This paper will compare and contrast the findings of the 1993 and 1998 efforts for the area of the park west of the Little Missouri River. Specific findings, concerning the changes in leafy spurge distribution, extent, and the ability of aerial photography to quantify the dynamics of the leafy spurge community, will be presented.

Technical Abstract: Aerial color photography was used in 1993 to map Leafy Spurge (Euphorbia esula) infestations occurring within Theodore Roosevelt National Park, Medora, ND. Results indicated that 1:10,000 scale photography was effective in identifying and mapping spurge clumps occupying an area greater than 1 square meter. Other findings included the predictable nature of new spurge stand establishment and development, as well as the total estimated acreage of leafy spurge for the park. New photography was acquired in 1998 and is currently being analyzed. This paper will compare and contrast the findings of the 1993 and 1998 efforts for the area of the park west of the Little Missouri River. Specific findings, concerning the changes in leafy spurge distribution, extent, and the ability of aerial photography to quantify the dynamics of the leafy spurge community, will be presented.