Doctoral Dissertation Research: Burned Area Mapping in Tallgrass Prairie Using In Situ Spectrometry and TM and MODIS Imagery

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While remote sensing has been used extensively and effectively to map burned areas in a wide variety of landscapes, research in this area would benefit from additional work in less frequently investigated cover types such as tallgrass prairie. This is important because various cover types respond differently to fire, and techniques developed for other cover types (e.g., forest, savannah) cannot necessarily be applied to tallgrass prairie. Doctoral student Rhett Mohler, under the supervision of Professor Doug Goodin in the Department of Geography at Kansas State University, will undertake a research project that will determine the most effective remote sensing tools to use for differentiating burned and unburned prairie grasslands. These tools will also differentiate between burned grasslands other vegetation types. The student will also monitor burned grasslands over one growing season, and finally reconstruct the spatio-temporal fire history of the Flint Hills of Kansas and Oklahoma.Results of this study will contribute to the broader understanding of burned area mapping by exploring less-studied cover type (tallgrass prairie). Furthermore, this work will address management and societal concerns associated with burning because it will generate information useful for education and training by extension staff and stakeholders. This will ensure that partnerships are built between researchers, extension personnel, and local ranchers - a relationship that is vital if tallgrass prairies are to be managed based on sound scientific knowledge for the benefit of all involved. Finally, this Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement award will provide support to enable a promising student to establish a strong, independent research career.