Final Presentation Outline

Disclaimer: This is only an outline or still a work in progress.  If you have any suggestions or comments please let me know!

Outline for Final Presentation:

Title Page: The use of Remote Sensing in Akagera National Park in order to analyze the impact of wildfires on savanna growth patterns by Anna Weldy

Background:

• Akagera National Park background/history
• Wildfires rage through the savanna ecosystem
• Burns reduce plant fuel making fire in the next year less likely/drastic
• Importance of fire in maintaining biodiversity
  • Burns reduce plant fuel making fire in the next year less likely/drastic
  • Ash from wildfire is rich in minerals, which attracts animals.

Objective:

• To analyze, through remote sensing, how wildfires effect vegetation growth patterns over a span of four decades.
  • What can analysis of vegetation growth tell scientists about environment, climate..

Methods:

• Landsat Data
  • TM was used (1984-present) because it has more bands and was therefore more practical for this analysis.
• ENVI
• Indices:
  • NDVI, SAVI/MSAVI, NBR, dNBR
    • Math/equations

Data/Images:

• Four images from four decades before fires
  • SAVI/MSAVI computed for all four and compared
  • NDVI??
• Use images after fires to explain changes over time
  • dNBR shows that a fire occurred and the severity of the burn.

Results/Conclusion:

• What changes occurred over time, to what extent, how do we know...

Applications:

• Fire management
• Understanding change due to climate change/management

Thank you/Acknowledgments: