Carol Mladinich

Research Physical Scientist

Short Biography

A Research Physical Scientist with the USGS-Rocky Mountain Geographic Science Center, Carol has worked for the USGS since 1983. Carol has 30 years of professional experience in geography, remote sensing, cartography and geographic information systems (GIS). She began her career as an applications scientist at NASA's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, CA. Later she was employed as a cartographer for the USGS Rocky Mountain Mapping Center in Lakewood, CO. For the past 15 years she has worked exclusively with remote sensing and GIS to analyze complex geographic problems or model spatial relationships. Carol's research interests include anthropogenic influences and activities on the landscape, land characterization and the measurement of biophysical properties using remote sensing data, and the geography of the Colorado Front Range.

Areas of Technical Expertise:
Remote Sensing: Thirty (30) years experience analyzing satellite and aerial imagery of land cover applications. Interests and activities have focused on the application of satellite and aerial digital imagery in anthropogenic disturbance, land cover analysis, and image processing technique development.
Geographic Information Systems: Experience in developing and implementing GIS (primarily Arc/Info) databases and applications for national, state and local government urban/environmental planning, demographic and economic research.

Education:
M.A. Geography, 1980, San Jose State University
B.A. Geography and Urban Planning, 1977, California State University, Fresno

Professional Affiliations: ASPRS, AAG, USIALE, AGU

Publications

Becker, C., Steiner, J.L., Garbrecht, J.D., Moriasi, D.N., Starks, P.J., Daniel, J.A., Clark, R.N., Wise, R.A., Fairchild, J.F., Allert, A.L., Mladnich, C.S., Rao, M., Siewe, S., Allert, A.L., Andrews, W.J., and Smith, S.J., 2011, Assessment of conservation practices in the Fort Cobb Reservoir watershed, southwestern Oklahoma: U.S. Geological Survey: Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5257.

Mladinich, C.S., 2010. An evaluation of object-oriented techniques to map and monitor motorized vehicle use in semi-arid to arid ecosystems of the American West, GIScience and Remote Sensing, Vol. 47, No. 1, p. 53-77.

Arnold, L.R., Mladinich, C.S., Langer, W.H., and Daniels, J.S., 2010, Land-Use Analysis and Simulated Effects of Land-Use Change and Aggregate Mining on Groundwater Flow in the South Platte River Valley, Brighton to Fort Lupton, Colorado, U.S. Geological Survey: Scientific Investigations Report 2010-5019, p. viii, 117 p.

Dalton, J.B., Bove, D.J., Mladinich, C.S., and Rockwell, B.W., 2007, Imaging Spectroscopy Applied to the Animas River Watershed and Silverton Caldera, in Church, S.E., Von Guerard, P., and Finger, S.E., eds., Integrated Investigations of Environmental Effects of Historical Mining in the Animas River Watershed, San Juan County, Colorado: Reston, VA, U.S. Geological Survey, Professional Paper 1651, Vol 1, ch E2, p 141-160.

Mladinich, Carol S. and others, 2006, The Use of Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus for Mapping Leafy Spurge, Rangeland Ecology, and Management Journal, Society of Rangeland Management, Vol. 59, Issue 5, p 500-506.

Stitt, Susan, and others, 2006, The use of Earth Observing-1 Advanced Land Imager (ALI) data for Mapping Leafy Spurge. Rangeland Ecology, and Management Journal, Society of Rangeland Management, Vol. 59, Issue 5, p 507-511.

Mladinich, Carol S., 2006, Regional Landscape Change in Northern Colorado Front Range, chapter in "Rates, Trends, and Consequences of Urban Land Use Change in the United States."" Eds. William Acevedo, Janis Taylor, Dave Hester, Carol Mladinich, and Sonya Glava, U.S. Geological Survey: Professional Paper 1726, p 139-152.

Acevedo, W., Taylor, J.L., Hester, D.J., Mladinich, C.S., and Glavac, S., eds., 2006, Rates, Trends, Causes, and Consequences of Urban Land-Use Change in the United States: Reston, VA, U.S. Geological Survey: Professional Paper 1726, 200 p.

Dalton, J.B., Bove, D.J, Mladinich, C.S., 2005, Remote sensing characterization of the Animas River watershed, southwestern Colorado, by AVIRIS imaging spectroscopy, U.S. Geological Survey: Scientific Investigations Report 2004-5203.

Dalton, J.B., Bove, D.J., Mladinich, C.S., and Rockwell, B.W., 2004, Identification of spectrally similar materials using the USGS Tetracorder algorithm: the calcite-epidote-chlorite problem: Remote Sensing of Environment, v. 89, no. 4, p. 455-466.

Masoner, J.R., and others, 2003. Comparison of irrigation water use estimates calculated from remotely sensed irrigated acres and state reported irrigated acres in the Lake Altus Drainage Basin, Oklahoma and Texas, 2000 growing season. U.S. Geological Survey: Water Resources Investigations Report 2003-4155.

Mladinich, C.S. 2002, Orthorectification of pre-1998 Airborne Visible/Infrared Spectrometer Data, Pecora 5/Land Satellite Information IV/ISPRS Commission I Conference, Denver, CO, November 10-15, 2002.

Knepper, Daniel H., Jr.; editor; contributions by Arbogast, Belinda F.; Arnold, L. Rick; Fishman, Neil S.; Langer, William H.; Mladinich, Carol S.; Roelle, James E.; Wilburn, David R.. 2002. Planning for the Conservation and Development of Infrastructure Resources in Urban Areas – Colorado Front Range Urban Corridor. U.S. Geological Survey: Circular 1219.

Mladinich, C.S., 1998. Front Range Infrastructure Resources Project, U.S. Geological Survey: Fact Sheet 126-98

Mladinich, C.S. and R. Zirbes, 1998. Front Range Infrastructure Resources Project, Land Characterization, U.S. Geological Survey: Fact Sheet 127-98.

Technical Presentations

Mladinich, Carol S., 2008. Detection of disturbed surfaces: measuring human interaction on the landscape, Definiens eCognition 2008 Americas Summit, Denver, CO, November 21, 2008. (INVITED Presentation)

Mladinich, Carol S., 2008. Detection of disturbed surfaces: measuring human interaction on the landscape, ASPRS 2008 Annual Meeting, Portland, OR, April 28-May 2, 2008. (Presented)

Mladinich, Carol S., Tracing the loss of ruralness: an examination of two metrics. Association of American Geographers, 2008 Annual Meeting, Boston, MA, April 15-19, 2008. (Presented)

Mladinich, Carol S. and Stitt, Susan C. 2008. ARCHER HSI: from search and rescue to emergency response – experiences and challenges, 4th Annual Land Remote Sensing Science Fair, Flagstaff, AZ, March 11-12, 2008. (Presented)

Mladinich, Carol S. 2007. ARCHER Imagery: from search and rescue to emergency response – experiences and lessons learned, Association of American Geographers Great Plains/Rocky Mountain Division Regional Meeting, Denver, CO. (Presented)

Mladinich, Carol S., Dupree, Jean A., Stitt, Susan C. 2007. Mapping Disturbed Ground Using Satellite Imagery, Piñon Canyon Maneuver Site, Fort Carson, Colorado, 3rd Annual Land Remote Sensing Fair Poster Session. (Presented)

Mladinich, Carol S., Ruiz Bustos, Monica, Stitt, Susan, Root, Ralph, Brown, Karl, Anderson, Gerald L., Hager, Steve, 2006, The Use of Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus for Mapping Leafy Spurge, Rangeland Ecology, and Management Journal, Society of Rangeland Management, Vol. 59, September 2006. (Presented)

Mladinich, Carol, 2005. eCognition – A Beginners View, eCognition 2005 User Meeting, Baltimore, MD, March 5-6, 2005. (Presented)

Mladinich, Carol S., 2005. Northern Colorado Front Range Regional Landscape Change, The Association of American Geographers 2005 Annual Meeting, Denver, CO, April 5-9, 2005. (Presented)

Mladinich, Carol S. And others, 2004. A Review of Advanced Remote Sensing and Modeling Techniques for the Detection and Management of Leafy Spurge: Challenges and Opportunities, Monitoring Science and Technology Symposium, Denver, CO, September 20-24, 2004. (Presented)

Mladinich, Carol S., 2004. Development of a Standardized Set of Metrics to Analyze Landscape Change, The Association of American Geographers Centennial Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, March 14-19, 2004. (Presented)

Mladinich, Carol, and others, 2004. The use of Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus data for mapping leafy spurge. Society of Range Management 2004 Annual meeting in Salt Lake City, UT, January 24-30, 2004. (Presented)

Mladinich, Carol, and others, 2004. Issues of orthorectification of multisource imagery in mapping leafy spurge. Society of Range Management 2004 Annual meeting in Salt Lake City, UT, January 24-30, 2004. (Presented)

Ruiz Bustos, Monica, and others, Application of eCognition to enhance the classification process for mapping leafy spurge. Society of Range Management 2004 Annual meeting in Salt Lake City, UT, January 24-30, 2004. (Co-author/Presented)

Dudek, Kathleen, and others, 2004. Multi-temporal AVIRIS Imagery used for Change Detection of Leafy Spurge in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. Society of Range Management 2004 Annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah January 24-30, 2004. (Co-Author)

Kokaly, Raymond, and others, 2004. The use of vegetation field spectra and Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager (CASI) Data for Mapping Leafy Spurge. Society of Range Management 2004 Annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah January 24-30, 2004. (Co-Author)

Root, Ralph, and others, 2004. Application of advanced remote sensing and modeling techniques for the detection and management of leafy spurge: challenges and opportunities. Society of Range Management 2004 Annual meeting in Salt Lake City, Utah January 24-30, 2004. (Co-Author)

Mladinich, C.S. and others, 2003, Systems-approach to Landscape Analysis and Modeling: the Northern Colorado Front Range Example, The Association of American Geographers Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA, March 5-8, 2003. (Presented)

Mladinich, C.S. and Wright, S.M. 2002, Landscape Change Along the Northern Colorado Front Range, Exhibit at USGS Central Region and Fort Collins Science Center Open House and Dedication on the Colorado State University Campus, 08/23/02. (Presented)

Mladinich, C.S., Wright, S.M., and Poss, R.V. 2002, Historical Perspectives of Landscape Change: Superior, Colorado and the Former Lowry Air Force Base. Exhibit at the USGS 2002 GIS Workshop. (Presented)

Mladinich, C.S., Wright, S.M., and Poss, R.V. 2002, Historical Perspectives of the Denver Federal Center, Lakewood, Colorado. Exhibit at the USGS 2002 GIS Workshop. (Presented)

Mladinich, Carol S. and Konduris, Alexandria M., 2001. Hyperspectral Signature Development for Urban Land Use and Land Cover Along the Colorado Front Range, The Association of American Geographers 97th Annual Meeting, New York, NY, February 27-March 3, 2001 (Presented)

Mladinich, Carol S., 2000. The Clash of the Titans – Balancing the Physical and Human-Induced Environment for Urban Growth, The Eleventh International Conference of the Society for Human Ecology, Jackson, WY, October 18-22, 2000 (Session Chair/Presented)

Mladinich, C.S. and others, 1999. Conflicting Claims Characterizing the Denver Region Urban Landscape, ASPRS '99, Portland, OR. (Presented)

Mladinich, C.S. and others 1997. Infrastructure Resources for Expanding Metropolitan Areas - An Overview" GIS in the Rockies, Denver, CO. (Presented)

Benjamin, S. et al. Overview of the Urban Component of the Land Cover Characterization Program. GIS/LIS, Cincinnati, OH (Co-author)

Mladinich, C.S. 1992. Using GIS Technology to Develop a Digital Product Generation System. ASPRS/ACSM Convention, Albuquerque, NM. (Presented)

Mladinich, C.S. 1988. Generation of a Project Base Map Using US GeoData for the National Water Quality Assessment Program" ASPRS/ACSM Convention, Denver, CO. (Presented)

Mladinich, C.S. 1987. Development of a Project Base Map Using US GeoData The San Juan Example" ESRI Users Conference, Palm Springs, CA. (Presented)

Gaydos, L., et al. 1984. Analysis and Reduction of Landsat Data for Use in a High Plains Groundwater Flow Model" ASP/ACSM Fall Convention, San Antonio, TX. (Co-author)

Gaydos, L., et al. 1982. One Billion Pixels Analysis and reduction of Landsat Data for the High Plains Hydrologic Model" ASP/ACSM Convention, Denver, CO. (Co-author)

My Science Topics

My USGS Science Strategy Areas

The cycling of major biogeochemical elements and water availability in terrestrial ecosystems are affected by anthropogenic influences that are taking place at unprecedented rates and scales globally as typified by the conversion of natural (or agricultural) to urban ecosystems. Urban ecosystems are the ultimate representation of ecosystem transformations. Studying source and adjacent ecosystems provides an opportunity to understand ecosystem change in terms of biophysical parameters. The Colorado Front Range provides a unique opportunity to study ecosystem change in 4 adjacent ecosystems. We examined carbon cycling and water availability in four biomes (alpine and montane forest, grass, and urban) along the Colorado Front Range that are being influence either directly or indirectly by the growing Denver metropolitan area.

The region is a water-limited environment (arid), and the proposed research area covers elevation gradients that have different levels of precipitation, contributing to a range of ecosystems and soil types. In addition to being unmanaged, all of the proposed research sites have a rich availability of carbon flux and metrological data, yet none have a solid process-based understating of soil respiration (Rs) and its controls, especially available soil water. Focusing on the temporal and spatial variation in soil water content and carbon pools across this gradient will allow us to elucidate carbon loss mechanisms. Urban ecosystems are the most dramatic form of landscape change yet how these ecosystems contribute or respond to the effects of climate are understudied.

While there are many models that denote carbon cycle and ecosystem processes, there is a gap between these large-scale model outputs and small-scale measurements. Remote sensing data provide a key role by extending in situ information from field sites to the larger region. This project will investigate and apply advanced remote sensing technologies to carbon cycle studies and land cover disturbances to support terrestrial Essential Climate Variable (ECV) calibration/validation.  Specifically, by investigating the linkages between in situ measurements of biogeochemical properties derived from ground-based and tower measurements using chambers and eddy covariance instruments and remotely sensed data, for example, passive (optical) and passive (LiDAR/Radar) sensors. An emphasis will be placed on the calibration/validation of the closely related ECVs; LAI, FPAR, and biomass. This knowledge will then be applied to a larger landscape scale utilizing remote sensing relations and both statistical and biophysical models. Biophysical models linking water, carbon and nitrogen cycles (BIOME-Biogeochemical Cycles (BGC) (White and others, 2000) and Advanced Canopy Atmosphere Simulation Algorithm-ACASA) (Pyles and others, 2000) will be used to run climate change scenarios to determine the impact of potential climate change on water availability and carbon sequestration in the key ecosystems in the Colorado Front Range.  http://rmgsc.cr.usgs.gov/RMGSC/co_carboncycle/

The research is a collaborative effort with Dean Anderson (USGS National Research Program) who is operating 5 eddy covariance flux towers and associated field sampling in the project study areas. Major deliverables include presentation of preliminary finding at annual meetings of American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Association of American Geographers, American Geophysical Union and submittal of manuscript to either Sensors or Remote Sensing of Environment journals.