Assessing Sensitivity of Alpine Treeline: Integration of Process Modeling with IKONOS, in Situ Modern and Paleoclimate Data

This project describes work to assess the sensitivity of alpine treeline. Due to the extreme stresses imposed on treeline communities it is thought that they are potential indicators of global change. A problem in examining treelines of the intermountain west and beyond has been the paucity of landscape scale data. Remotely sensed imagery has the potential to fill this gap but has not been widely used. The P.I. will use a variety of remotely sensed imagery, chiefly from the IKONOS sensor, with population and paleoecological in an integrative forest simulation model to develop predictions about treeline position and structure. The P.I. will ask how to use remote sensing products to quantify the rates and spatial patterns of upper treeline movement in semi-arid mountains of western North America and other similar mountain systems. By the completion of the project, there will be improved state-of-science for the implications of monitoring treeline as a critical indicator of global change at sites around the globe. This documents proposed seed funding to develop the capabilities at MSU of linking a well-established ecological research program with initiatives associated with NASA Earth System Enterprise.

Contact Information

Mail:	Dr. Lisa J. Graumlich
	Mountain Research Center
	Montana State University
	Bozeman, MT 59717