Remote Sens. 2016, 8(11), 944; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs8110944
Grassland and Cropland Net Ecosystem Production of the U.S. Great Plains: Regression Tree Model Development and Comparative Analysis
Bruce Wylie 1,†,*
, Daniel Howard 2,†, Devendra Dahal 2,†, Tagir Gilmanov 3, Lei Ji 4, Li Zhang 5 and Kelcy Smith 2
, Daniel Howard 2,†, Devendra Dahal 2,†, Tagir Gilmanov 3, Lei Ji 4, Li Zhang 5 and Kelcy Smith 21
Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center, U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), Sioux Falls, SD 57198, USA
2
Stinger Ghaffarian Technologies (SGT), Contractor to USGS EROS Center, Sioux Falls, SD 57198, USA
3
Gilmanov Research & Consulting, LLP, Brookings, SD 57006, USA
4
ASRC InuTeq, Contractor to USGS EROS Center, Sioux Falls, SD 57198, USA
5
Key Laboratory of Digital Earth Science, Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100094, China
†
These authors contributed equally to this work.
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Academic Editors: Clement Atzberger and Prasad S. Thenkabail
Received: 24 August 2016 / Revised: 31 October 2016 / Accepted: 8 November 2016 / Published: 11 November 2016
Abstract
This paper presents the methodology and results of two ecological-based net ecosystem production (NEP) regression tree models capable of up scaling measurements made at various flux tower sites throughout the U.S. Great Plains. Separate grassland and cropland NEP regression tree models were trained using various remote sensing data and other biogeophysical data, along with 15 flux towers contributing to the grassland model and 15 flux towers for the cropland model. The models yielded weekly mean daily grassland and cropland NEP maps of the U.S. Great Plains at 250 m resolution for 2000–2008. The grassland and cropland NEP maps were spatially summarized and statistically compared. The results of this study indicate that grassland and cropland ecosystems generally performed as weak net carbon (C) sinks, absorbing more C from the atmosphere than they released from 2000 to 2008. Grasslands demonstrated higher carbon sink potential (139 g C·m−2·year−1) than non-irrigated croplands. A closer look into the weekly time series reveals the C fluctuation through time and space for each land cover type. View Full-TextKeywords:
grassland; crop; carbon flux; net ecosystem production; regression tree; U.S. Great Plains
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Wylie, B.; Howard, D.; Dahal, D.; Gilmanov, T.; Ji, L.; Zhang, L.; Smith, K. Grassland and Cropland Net Ecosystem Production of the U.S. Great Plains: Regression Tree Model Development and Comparative Analysis. Remote Sens. 2016, 8, 944.
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