Harnessing Remote Sensing and Wireless Sensor Network Technology to Document Environmental Change

From pole to pole, human societies are increasingly having a notable and negative impact on their surrounding environment through land-use practices, degrading ecological communities with social and economic consequences that in turn harm communal well-being, but the answer to these challenges lies in a deep understanding of environmental processes and the careful observation of environmental patterns and dynamics in an effort to diagnose which management strategies will lead to better outcomes. In recent years, scientists have begun to rely on novel technologies to provide the types of observations necessary to construct better land-use practices.

In this talk, David Lutz, research assistant professor at Dartmouth College, will discuss a few of these technologies, such as Google Earth Engine, hyperspectral remote sensing using unmanned aerial vehicles, and Arduino-based sensor networks, and provide case studies for how we use them in the context of environmental change.

Sponsored by the Environmental Studies Program.