Dissertation Research: Fire Frequency and Topoedaphic Controls of NPP in Tallgrass Prairie: Development and Tests of Remote Sensing Indices

康扎草原研究自然区成立于1970年，利用重复的流域单元来研究火灾频率对高草草原的影响。Seastedt和Benning建议利用这项长期的火灾频率实验，利用遥感和地理信息系统程序对净初级生产(NPP)指数进行回顾分析。他们将检验以下假设：1)火灾频率对叶NPP遥感指数有可测量的影响，2)地形效应影响流域格局，3)生长季节降水中介火灾频率影响。这项工作的结果将与小地块研究相结合，以修改CENTERY模型，以便它准确地预测火灾对NPP和土壤动力学的影响。这项研究涉及植被-大气相互作用的一个重要部分，并涉及检测全球变化对生物过程的影响的问题。这项研究的制度支持是突出的。

The Konza Prairie Research Natural Area was established in 1970 using replicated watershed units to study the effects of fire frequency on tallgrass prairie. Seastedt and Benning propose to take advantage of this long-term fire frequency experiment with a retrospective analysis of indices of net primary production (NPP) using remote sensing and Geographic Information System procedures. They will test the hypotheses that 1) fire frequency has measurable effects on remotely sensed indices of foliage NPP, 2) that topoedaphic effects influence watershed patterns, and 3) that growing season precipitation mediates fire frequency effects. The results from this effort will be combined with small plot studies to modify the CENTURY model so that it accurately predicts fire effects on NPP and soil dynamics. This research addresses an important part of vegetation - atmosphere interactions and is related to the problem of detecting effects of global change on biotic processes. The institutional support for this research is outstanding.