Characterizing stand-replacing harvest and fire disturbance patches in a forested landscape: A case study from Cooney Ridge, Montana

Abstract

In this chapter, we present a case study intended to help crystallize for many readers, through use of an illustrative example, some of the important concepts developed in the preceding chapters. From an understanding of forest successional and disturbance processes, both natural and anthropogenic (Linke et al., Chapter 1, this volume), research questions were developed to compare and contrast the landscape patterns generated from fire and harvest disturbance. Remotely sense data are demonstrated as an appropriate source of relevant information (Coops et al., Chapter 2, this volume), enabling the applications presented for the utilization of change detection approaches for mapping of forest harvest (Healey et al., Chap 3, this volume) and fire (Clark and Bobbe, Chapter 5, this volume). As present in Chapter 6 (Rogan and Miller, this volume), the use of supportive spatial data sets to aid in the analysis and interpretation of the maps and patterns exhibited is demonstrated. The forest harvest and fire maps are subjected to pattern analysis as outlined by Gergel (Chapter 7, this volume), providing insights into the research questions identified.

Citation

Hudak, Andrew T.; Morgan, Penelope; Bobbitt, Mike; Lentile, Leigh. 2007. Characterizing stand-replacing harvest and fire disturbance patches in a forested landscape: A case study from Cooney Ridge, Montana. In: Wulder, Michael; Franklin, Steven E., eds. Understanding forest disturbance and spatial pattern. Remote Sensing and GIS Approaches: 209-231.