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Description

Invasive species costs the U.S. economy billions of dollars a year and can cause declines in ecosystem health. NASA data can be used to identify the impacts of invasive species including the extent, potential distribution, and impacts to affected ecosystems. With improvements to the temporal, spatial, and spectral resolution of data alongside cloud-based computing there are new opportunities to apply NASA data, products, and tools to landscape management.

This course will provide participants with an overview of typical NASA satellites and sensors used to map invasive plants such as Landsat, the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS), as well as innovative or upcoming data and missions such as the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI), the Hydrological Modeling and Analysis Platform (HyMap), the Surface Biology and Geology (SBG) mission, and the Geosynchronous Littoral Imaging and Monitoring Radiometer (GLIMR). This training will highlight project-based applications of remote sensing for plant species of interest especially those affecting grasslands and aquatic inland lakes and waterbodies, and more with a lens towards innovative uses of hyperspectral data for additional invasive species detection.

Prerequisites

Objectives

By the end of this training attendees will be able to:

  • Recognize the extent and impacts of invasive species on biodiversity and a changing climate.
  • Identify the types of remote sensing data and products that can be used for invasive species mapping and monitoring.
  • Explore key considerations, benefits and limitations of remote sensing data sets for  invasive species.
  • Identify where to access remote sensing data for monitoring invasive species and mapping relevant habitat and climate variables.
  • Evaluate remote sensing methods used to monitor aquatic and grassland invasive plant species.

Audience

Primary target audience: Natural resource managers (local, state, regional, international)

Secondary target audience: technicians

Other potential participants: academics

Course Format

Three, 90 minute sessions

Sessions

Part 1: An Introduction to the Monitoring of Invasive Species with Remote Sensing Tools

Wednesday, Aug. 14, 2024
Remote video URL
  • Recognize the extent and impacts of invasive species on biodiversity and a changing climate.
  • Identify commonly used types of remote sensing data and products that can be used for invasive species mapping and monitoring.
  • Identify upcoming satellite missions with application for invasive species research.
  • Identify where to access commonly used remote sensing data for monitoring invasive species and mapping relevant habitat and climate variables.
  • Identify key considerations, benefits and limitations of remote sensing data sets for invasive species.
  • Differentiate the properties of multispectral and hyperspectral datasets for monitoring of invasive species.
  • Cite remote sensing methods used in invasive species monitoring from past NASA projects and recent literature.

ARSET Instructors

Sativa Cruz, Juan L. Torres-Pérez, Justin Fain

Materials

Part 2: Monitoring of Aquatic Invasive Species with Remote Sensing

Wednesday, Aug. 21, 2024
Remote video URL
  • Describe the extent and impacts of aquatic invasive species on biodiversity, ecosystem functions, and nature’s contributions to people.
  • Describe key considerations, benefits and limitations of remote sensing of invasive species.
  • Identify applications of airborne data for monitoring aquatic invasive species.
  • Identify relevant NASA multispectral and hyperspectral data for mapping and monitoring or invasive species.
  • Compare remote sensing methods used to monitor aquatic invasive species.

ARSET Instructors

Sativa Cruz, Juan L. Torres-Pérez, Justin Fain

Guest Instructor

Erin Hestir (UC Merced)

Materials

Part 3: Mapping Invasive Grassland Plant Species with Hyperspectral Remote Sensing

Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024
Remote video URL
  • Identify the key challenges of monitoring invasive plants in grassland ecosystems using field-based techniques
  • Compare the key benefits of remote sensing techniques for mapping invasive plants compared to field-based techniques
  • Identify applications of airborne hyperspectral data for mapping invasive plants in grasslands
  • Identify limitations of remote sensing for mapping invasive plants

ARSET Instructors

Sativa Cruz, Juan L. Torres-Pérez, Justin Fain

Guest Instructor

Hamed Gholizadeh (Oklahoma State University)

Materials

Homework

Citation

(2024). ARSET - Invasive Species Monitoring with Remote Sensing. NASA Applied Remote Sensing Training Program (ARSET). https://www.earthdata.nasa.gov/learn/trainings/invasive-species-monitoring-remote-sensing

Details

Last Updated

June 17, 2025

Published

June 17, 2025

Data Center/Project

Applied Remote Sensing Training Program (ARSET)
Biodiversity Survey of the Cape (BioSCape)