Eastern India Ecological Forecasting
A Multi-sensor Approach to Enhance the Prediction of Mangrove Biophysical Characteristics in Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary and Chilika Lagoon, Odisha, India
Mangroves, one of the most productive ecosystems on Earth, play a major role in coastal ecosystem processes from mitigating erosion to acting as a barrier against tidal and storm surges associated with tropical cyclones. India has about 5% of the world's mangrove vegetation, and over half of it is found along the east coast of the country. Chilika Lagoon and Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary are Ramsar sites of international wetland importance that are both situated in the state of Odisha along the east coast of India. Chilika Lagoon holds three small, but distinct mangrove patches, while Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary has several large, dense patches of mangroves. There is growing concern for the effective management and conservation of these mangrove forests. This study demonstrated the ability to identify early-stage mangrove degradation using data collected from Terra and the Landsat series. Biophysical characteristics of mangroves were determined through the evaluation of chlorophyll content, leaf area index, and gross primary productivity. Sentinel-2 and ASTER data were used to enhance the spatial resolution. Various vegetation indices were implemented to examine band sensitivity in relation to mangrove leaves. The time series developed in this study revealed a phenological pattern for mangrove biophysical characteristics corresponding to different seasons such as higher concentrations during the wet season and lower during the dry season due to fluctuations in salinity and soil moisture content. The results of this study will be used as an efficient and non-destructive biophysical mapping and monitoring protocol for mangrove forests in restoration decision-making.
Project Video:
Mangrove Mania: DEVELOPing a Multi-sensor Monitoring Tool
- Location
- University of Georgia
- Term
- Fall 2016
- Partner(s)
- Government of Odisha, Department of Forest and Environment, Chilika Development Authority (CDA)
- NASA Earth Observations
- Terra, MODIS/ ASTER
Landsat 8, OLI
Sentinel-2, MSI - Team
- Abhishek Kumar (Project Lead)
Roger Bledsoe
Caren Remillard
María José Rivera
Jessica Staley
Patricia Stupp - Advisor(s)
- Dr. Deepak Mishra (Department of Geography, University of Georgia)