Secret weapon to stop invasive honeysuckle: Satellites
Bane of gardeners and foresters alike, Amur honeysuckle can be identified
from space

Date:
August 31, 2020
Source:
University of Cincinnati
Summary:
Researchers found that satellite imagery can identify non-native
and invasive Amur honeysuckle, an ornamental shrub introduced from
Asia that has spread in forests across much of the United States.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
One common invasive species is so widespread that you can see it from
space.


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The University of Cincinnati found that satellite imagery can identify nonnative and invasive Amur honeysuckle, an ornamental shrub introduced
from Asia that has spread in forests across much of the United States.

UC graduate Bridget Taylor, UC biology professor Denis Conover and UC
geography professor Richard Beck used satellite imagery to find nonnative invasive Amur honeysuckle in several urban parks and cemeteries from
space.

Using one of the satellites in a series of Earth-observing missions
jointly managed by NASA and the U.S. Geological Survey, the Landsat-8
satellite can measure the reflection of wavelength energy in the red
and near-infrared bands.

The ratio of the two wavelengths helps scientists identify foliage of
different plants from orbit.

UC found that the method was effective in detecting Amur honeysuckle,
according to a study published in the journal Ecological Restoration.

Amur honeysuckle bushes grow in thick patches, often crowding out and outcompeting other plants in a forest's understory. It has an extended
growing season, leafing out earlier and staying green far later in the
year than many native trees and shrubs.

UC used Landsat-8 images to examine five urban forests in Greater
Cincinnati.

The goal: to develop an inexpensive and efficient remote mapping approach
for ecological restoration in urban forests. They used global-positioning satellites to corroborate their mapping observations on the ground. They
found that their maps were 82% accurate.

"The fact that it was possible to use the satellite imagery in an urban
setting was pretty unique," said Taylor, the study's lead author.

"Urban areas have a lot of noise in satellite imagery. So it's harder
to identify specific details," she said.

Taylor has participated in efforts to eradicate the nonnative Amur
honeysuckle in places like Burnet Woods, the park adjacent to UC's
Uptown campus.

"It's very bushy. Birds like to eat the berries and spread the seeds,"
she said. "It has a chance to green up and leaf out sooner than native
plants, so native wildflowers often get killed off when they're growing
under honeysuckle." The study shows that satellite images can provide an effective, inexpensive alternative to using drones or ground surveys to identify larger patches of the invasive bushes for ecological restoration, Taylor said.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Cincinnati. Original
written by Michael Miller. Note: Content may be edited for style and
length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Bridget Taylor, Denis Conover, Richard Beck. Detecting Invasive Amur
Honeysuckle in Urban Green Spaces of Cincinnati, Ohio Using Landsat-
8 NDVI Difference Images. Ecological Restoration, 2020; 38 (3):
139 DOI: 10.3368/er.38.3.139 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/08/200831154405.htm

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