Project Number: 6602-13000-022-02
Project Type: Trust

Start Date: Jun 27, 2005
End Date: Apr 30, 2009

Objective:
To develop rapid assessment tools for the characterization of land use practices within a watershed via aircraft based visible and near-infrared imagery. We will accomplish this by: 1) evaluating methods of land use classification using a nested spatial scale (high spatial resolution airborne vs. satellite, 2) extending land use classification to include estimates of conservation tillage practices within the Little River Watershed, and 3) based on assessments of residue cover defined in objective 1.2, quantify the relationship between residue management and carbon accretion in an intensively row-cropped, humid production region.

Approach:
To evaluate the impact of conservation practices within the southern Coastal Plain, a collaborative relationship between the USDA-ARS Southeast Watershed Research Lab (SEWRL) and the Flint River Planning and Policy Center at Albany State University has been established. This is a multi-year study beginning January of 2005 and is taking place in the Little River Experimental Watershed (LREW) in south-central Georgia (http://www.tifton.uga.edu/sewrl/). Satellite and aircraft remotely sensed data will be collected throughout the year and used to develop land use maps. Ground truthing will consist of land use surveys conducted in two parts. First, monthly land use surveys in three sub-watersheds will be used to monitor changes in general land use throughout the year. Second, six individual fields sites will be chosen, 2) two conventional, and 4 conservational tillage) to evaluate watershed scale assessments of residue coverage. Upon completion, land use data will be used to parameterize hydrologic models and generate uncertainty estimates on the impact of conservation practices in a southern Coastal Plain watershed.