09-11, 15:30–16:00 (America/Chicago), Grand A
Ground sampling on beaches is time-consuming and custom remote sensing flights are expensive. I’ll explore ways to leverage open elevation data (lidar & DEMs) and open source software (R & QGIS) to better understand how plants build dunes.
Beaches the world over are under threat from sea level rise. The concept of living shorelines as a way to restore the protective power of beaches and dunes is gaining traction in many coastal areas, but managers need to know more about how plant species work with sand to create dunes. Ground sampling is time-consuming and custom remote sensing flights are expensive. Using a site in California as an example, I’ll explore ways to leverage open elevation data (lidar & DEMs) and open source software (R & QGIS) to better understand how plants build dunes. This workflow is applicable to ecosystems where topography plays an important role in understanding ecological interactions, such as riparian or lakeshore plant communities.
