Research Article

Seasonality and Characterization Mapping of Restored Tidal Marsh by NDVI Imageries Coupling UAVs and Multispectral Camera

Published: N/A

Journal: Remote Sensing

DOI: 10.3390/rs13214207

Abstract

Salt marsh evolution is strongly affected by tidal processes and ecology, which regulate sediment accretion and erosional rates. A balance between marsh erosion and deposition in a restored tidal wetland is crucial for analyzing restoration strategies to adopt in a natural context. Here, we present an integrated approach monitoring salt marsh seasonal changes over several months in a microtidal restored salt marsh of the Paul S. Sarbanes Ecosystem Restoration Project at Poplar Island (MD, USA). The project is undertaken at a restoration site where sediment dredged from the shipping channels in the upper Chesapeake Bay is being used to restore a tidal marsh habitat in mid-Chesapeake Bay. We flew an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with an RGB and a multispectral camera to obtain a high-resolution map of the planimetric position of vegetation and to monitor the health of the marsh vegetation in diverse seasons. Due to its extension of 400 m by 400 m, a total of four flight plans were necessary to cover the entire marsh flying at a 40 m altitude obtaining a 2 cm Ground Sample Distance (GSD). This technique provides reliable results at a very low cost, enabling an accurate assessment of the marsh platforms to be conducted over time, due to both the very high spatial resolution and the precise georeferencing of the images for the comparisons. Our results show seasonal variability in the two dominant species colonizing the low marsh, Spartina alterniflora, and high marsh, Sporobolus pumilus. While the lower marshes showed a higher variability along seasons, the up-land vegetation showed persistent green foliage during cold seasons. Detecting salt marsh evolution and seasonality coupled with field measurements can help to improve the accuracy of hydrodynamic and sediment transport models. Understanding the drivers of salt marsh evolution is vital for informing restoration practices and designs, in order to improve coastal resilience, and develop and coastal management strategies.

Faculty Members

  • Michela Quitadamo - Horn Point Laboratory, Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland, Cambridge, MD 21613, USAEngineering Department, University of Ferrara, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
  • William Nardin - Horn Point Laboratory, Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland, Cambridge, MD 21613, USA
  • Iacopo Vona - Horn Point Laboratory, Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland, Cambridge, MD 21613, USA
  • Corinne Corbau - Horn Point Laboratory, Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland, Cambridge, MD 21613, USADepartment of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Ferrara, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
  • Alberto Pellegrinelli - Engineering Department, University of Ferrara, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
  • Lorie W. Staver - Horn Point Laboratory, Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland, Cambridge, MD 21613, USA
  • Yuri Taddia - Horn Point Laboratory, Center for Environmental Science, University of Maryland, Cambridge, MD 21613, USAEngineering Department, University of Ferrara, 44122 Ferrara, Italy
  • Giulia Franchi - Department of Computer Science, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MD 2180, USA

Themes

  • Sediment dynamics
  • Restoration strategies
  • Salt marsh evolution
  • Coastal resilience
  • Monitoring and assessment techniques
  • Seasonal variability in vegetation

Categories

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