Mapping Regional Distribution of a Single Tree Species - Whitebark Pine in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

Aug 29, 2026

Uploaded by Theodore

Moderate resolution satellite imagery has been viewed as insufficient for mapping vegetation at the species level, limiting comprehensive regional assessments of sensitive taxa like whitebark pine. This study tested whether combining Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus imagery, extensive stand data from land-management agencies, and modern boosted classification trees could successfully map whitebark pine. Results showed overall classification accuracies above 90%, with localized performance varying by elevation and differences across administrative units.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages12

Reading Time30 min

AccessFree to download

Introduction

Methods

Sensors 2008, 8, 4983-4994; DOI: 10.3390/s8084983 OPEN ACCESS sensors ISSN 1424-8220 [www.mdpi.org/sensors](www.mdpi.org/sensors) Article Mapping Regional Distribution of a Single Tree Species: Whitebark Pine in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem Lisa Landenburger 1, Rick L. Lawrence 1,*, Shannon Podruzny 2 and Charles C. Schwartz 2 1 Land Resources and Environmental Sciences Department, P.O. Box 173490, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717-3490, U.S.A.; E-mail: [lisa_landenburger@usgs.gov](lisa_landenburger@usgs.gov) (L.L.) 2 USGS Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, MT 59717, U. S.A. ; E-mails: [shannon_podruzny@usgs.gov](shannon_podruzny@usgs.gov) (S.P.); [chuck_schwartz@usgs.gov](chuck_schwartz@usgs.gov) (C.C.S.) * Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-mail: [rickl@montana.edu](rickl@montana.edu) ; Tel.: +1-406- 994-5409; Fax: +1-406-994-5122 Received: 25 July 2008; in revised form: 15 Aug 2008 / Accepted: 21 Aug 2008 / Published: 25 August 2008 Abstract: Moderate resolution satellite imagery traditionally has been thought to be inadequate for mapping vegetation at the species level. This has made comprehensive mapping of regional distributions of sensitive species, such as whitebark pine, either impractical or extremely time consuming. We sought to determine whether using a combination of moderate resolution satellite imagery (Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus), extensive stand data collected by land management agencies for other purposes, and modern statistical classification techniques (boosted classification trees) could result in successful mapping of whitebark pine. Overall classification accuracies exceeded 90%, with similar individual class accuracies. Accuracies on a localized basis varied based on elevation. Accuracies also varied among administrative units, although we were not able to determine whether these differences related to inherent spatial variations or differences in the quality of available reference data. Keywords: Remote sensing; Landsat; Yellowstone; See5; classification trees; boosting 1. Introduction Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm., WBP) seeds have long been identified as an important food source for grizzly bears ( Ursus arctos) in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) and are, therefore, an important element of suitable grizzly bear habitat [1] . WBP also serves as a keystone Sensors 2008, 8 4984 species because its presence increases the biodiversity of both plant and animal communities throughout the ecosystem [2] . The overall health and status of WBP is currently threatened by infestation by mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) and the spread of whitepine blister rust ( Cronartium ribicola) . Mapping WBP distribution is integral to the success of long-term monitoring since, before we can study, understand and mitigate the mechanisms driving destructive agents ofWBP, we must first know its distribution across the landscape. Several factors, however, make mapping WBP within the GYE difficult. This area encompasses approximately 57,000 km2, making consistent ground mapping within a reasonable time infeasible. Ground mapping efforts have been conducted over several decades by the national forests and national parks administering the area, but methods and efforts have not been consistent, and the time required has made this approach impractical for monitoring current threats. Satellite remote sensing has the potential to provide synoptic coverage of the area. Even for moderate resolution imagery, such as Landsat, several images are required to cover this area. Such imagery, however, historically has been deemed inappropriate for conducting species-level mapping [3] . Previous efforts to map WBP in the northern Rockies met with low accuracies [4, 5] . We believed that these low accuracies might be a result of several factors, including (1) lack of adequate training data to represent the wide variabilit

FAQs

Why is mapping whitebark pine distribution in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem challenging?

The region covers about 57,000 km², making consistent ground mapping in a feasible timeframe impractical, and historical methods and imagery suitability have limited species-level mapping accuracy.

What data and methods were used to map whitebark pine?

The study used Landsat 7 ETM+ imagery, reference data compiled from Forest Service and National Park Service field efforts, and boosted classification trees for species-level classification.

How accurate were the mapping results?

Overall classification accuracies exceeded 90%, with individual class accuracies showing similar levels of performance. Local accuracy varied with elevation.

Aug 29, 2026

Uploaded by Theodore