Projects

Disturbance Mapping

Forest Carbon Management Framework
The Forest Carbon Management Framework (ForCaMF) identifies the location, timing, and cause of disturbances affecting National Forests. It also models the amount of carbon stored in forests and tracks how this changes in response to disturbances.
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Impervious Surface Mapping Using Object-based Image Analysis and High-resolution Aerial Imagery
The objectives of this project are to develop a high-resolution, spatially accurate impervious surface layer; to provide watershed-scale quantifications of impervious surface area; and to support Utah’s Wetland Program Plan (WPP).
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Habitat Modeling and Wildlife

Distribution of greater sage-grouse nests, broods, and lek persistence relative to electric power lines
We conducted a viewshed and other spatial analyses to determine if sage-grouse distributions recorded in Utah from 1998-2013 were influenced by distance to electric power transmission and distribution lines, ancillary roads, or other factors.
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The Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project
The Southwest Regional Gap Analysis Project (SWReGAP) was initiated in 1999 as a multi-institutional cooperative effort to map and assess biodiversity for a five-state region (AZ, CO, NV, NM, UT) comprising approximately 560,0002 miles in the southwestern U.S.
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Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway Natural Resource Condition Assessment
In 2007, researchers at Utah State University were funded by the National Park Service to conduct a Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.
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Population Genetic Patterns in the Island Night Lizard, Xantusia riversiana
We measured the distribution of genetic diversity in Island Night Lizards across San Nicolas Island to assess the impacts of historical habitat change on effective population size, gene flow, and population
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Mule Deer Mapping Project
The project involved using a Delphi (expert opinion) approach to map all mule and black-tailed deer habitat in North America and Mexico.
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Using Remotely Piloted Aircraft to Detect and Monitor Greater Sage-Grouse
This study examines whether a Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) can be an effective tool in detecting, and therefore counting, greater sage grouse during lek season. More specifically, this research examines the use of a Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera to detect sage-grouse in and around known leks.
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Setting the Stage for a Livestock Grazing Policy in Utah: Rangeland Resources of Utah
Creation of a document containing up-to-date information, data, and trends pertaining to rangeland issues in the State of Utah.
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Restoration and Monitoring

Decadal Analysis of Aspen Succession Using GIS
The overall goal for this project is to determine whether there has been a measurable decline, growth, or shift in Aspen stands over our 5 sample sites using remote sensing and geographical information systems.
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CHaMP transformation tool
An ArcGIS Add-in for the transformation and projection of CHaMP field survey data into real world coordinates given hand-held GPS coordinates from just three benchmarks.
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Setting the Stage for a Livestock Grazing Policy in Utah: Rangeland Resources of Utah
Creation of a document containing up-to-date information, data, and trends pertaining to rangeland issues in the State of Utah.
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Predictive Modeling of Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) in the West Desert Region of Utah – Mapping for Dugway Proving Ground, Utah
The primary objective of the study was to develop spatial models that depicted low, medium, and high presence of cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) cover across 4.3 million hectares of western Utah.
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Grand Teton National Park and John D. Rockeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway Natural Resource Condition Assessment
In 2007, researchers at Utah State University were funded by the National Park Service to conduct a Natural Resource Condition Assessment for Grand Teton National Park and the John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Memorial Parkway.
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Monitoring Post-fire Rehabilitation & Vegetation Trends: Milford Flat Fire, Utah
In July 2007, Utah experienced the state’s largest wildland fire, Milford Flat Fire (MFF), consuming more than 360,000 acres in Beaver and Milford counties. Substantial investments were directed toward fire rehabilitation, including revegetation and post-fire monitoring. Using a suite of geo-spatial applications, post-fire rehabilitation efforts were monitored.
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Web Applications

Harvested Wood Products
This web-based carbon accounting tool calculates carbon stocks and emissions through time for harvested wood products (HWP) that were cut in the past according to the carbon accounting guidelines developed by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
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Misc.

Using GPS-based Tracking Data to Build an Agent-based Model of Visitors’ Off-Trail Behavior in Nature-Based Tourism Settings
We developed an agent-based model of dispersed recreation at El Capitan Meadow, a popular point of interest in Yosemite National Park.
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Global Evaluation of Biofuel Potential from Microalgae
This study integrates a large-scale, outdoor growth model with historical meteorological data from 4,388 global locations to estimate the current near-term lipid and biomass productivity potential from microalgae cultivated in a photobioreactor architecture.
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Wasatch Front Urban Tree Canopy Mapping and Development of an Urban Tree Canopy Report for Use by Utah Municipalities
The RS/GIS Laboratory and the Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands (UDFFSL) collaborated to map urban tree canopy for the Wasatch Front urban corridor and select areas of Iron and Washington counties in southwestern Utah.
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WaterMAPS
WaterMAPS™ was developed as an analytic and public information tool to help municipalities, water districts, and managers of pressurized secondary irrigation systems better understand patterns of landscape water use.
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