Earth and Environmental Science

9 April 2021

GEOL 5903 Seminar: Brian Laureijs
Title: "Distribution mapping and health assessment of Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga Canadensis) in Kejimkujik National Park using very-high resolution satellite imagery”
Time: 2:30 p.m. via Teams
All Acadia University Earth & Environmental Science members will receive the Teams link prior to the event.
Abstract:
Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis) populations in Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site are presently threatened by infestations of an invasive aphid, Hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA – Adelges tsugae). HWA has caused widespread Hemlock mortality in eastern North America, due to the lack of native predators in this region. HWA causes changes in chlorophyll content, crown thinning, tree death, and other impacts which may be detectable with remote sensing platforms. Conservation of Eastern Hemlock is important for Kejimkujik and the Acadian forest region, which is facing climate-related pressures that disadvantage other conifer species. Eastern Hemlock supports a distinct forest ecosystem, and plays a key role in providing habitat diversity and unique biological, chemical, and physical properties for aquatic and riparian systems that cannot be easily replicated with another species. The goals of this project involve the use of WorldView-3 and other remotely sensed data to model the population distribution of Eastern Hemlock in Kejimkujik, and explore the use of WorldView-3 data for the detection of HWA infestations