Using floristic gradient mapping to assess seasonal thaw depth in interior Alaska

Döpper V, Panda S, Waigl C, Braun M, Feilhauer H (2021)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2021

Journal

Applied Vegetation Science Wiley-Blackwell

Book Volume: 24

Article Number: e12561

Journal Issue: 1

DOI: 10.1111/avsc.12561

Abstract

Questions: Is it possible to map floristic gradients in heterogeneous boreal vegetation by using remote-sensing data? Does a continuous vegetation map enable the creation of a spatially continuous map of seasonal permafrost soil thaw depth?. Location: Bonanza Creek LTER, Fairbanks, Alaska, USA. Methods: Vegetation records are subjected to an ordination to extract the predominant floristic gradient. The ordination scores are then extrapolated using Sentinel 2 imagery and a digital elevation model (DEM). As the relation between vegetation pattern and seasonal thaw depth was confirmed in this study, the spatial distribution of ordination scores is then used to predict seasonal thaw depth over the same area. Results: The first dimension of the ordination space separates species corresponding to moist and cold soil conditions from species associated with well-drained soils. This floristic gradient was successfully mapped within the sampled plant communities. The extrapolated thaw depths follow the typical distribution along a topographical and geomorphological gradient for this region. Besides vegetation information also DEM derivatives show high contributions to the thaw depth modeling. Conclusion: We demonstrate that floristic gradient mapping in boreal vegetation is possible. The accuracy of the thaw depth prediction model is comparable to that in previous analyses but uses a more parsimonious set of predictors, underlining the efficacy of this approach.

Authors with CRIS profile

Veronika Döpper Institut für Geographie Matthias Braun Professur für Geographie (Fernerkundung und GIS) Hannes Feilhauer Institut für Geographie

Involved external institutions

University of Alaska Fairbanks US United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

Döpper, V., Panda, S., Waigl, C., Braun, M., & Feilhauer, H. (2021). Using floristic gradient mapping to assess seasonal thaw depth in interior Alaska. Applied Vegetation Science, 24(1). https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/avsc.12561

MLA:

Döpper, Veronika, et al. "Using floristic gradient mapping to assess seasonal thaw depth in interior Alaska." Applied Vegetation Science 24.1 (2021).

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