Mapping Piñon-Juniper Woodlands at a Sub-10 Meter Spatial Resolution in the Intermountain West

Abstract:

The range of piñon-juniper woodlands, which are comprised of mainly piñon (Pinus monophylla) and juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) vegetation, has expanded greatly in the last 150 years throughout the Intermountain West. By some estimates, these woodlands now occupy up to ten times the area of their original distribution in 1860. Piñon-juniper woodlands are often found within or replacing sagebrush ecosystems, and their encroaching on these habitats puts many species that depend on them at risk. In addition, the canopies are denser and taller than their sagebrush counterparts, increasing the threat of larger and more intense wildfires. If and when fires do occur in these areas, the introduction and expansion of other invasive species such as cheatgrass can follow. Land managers can use methods such as prescribed fire and mastication to control pinon-juniper woodlands, but a comprehensive presence dataset does not yet exist. To assist fire and land managers in identifying these areas of potential fire risk, we are using the multispectral and panchromatic bands of WorldView-2 data to create a high resolution map of pinon-juniper woodlands in the Western United States.