121
© The Author(s) 2020
J. Cavender-Bares et al. (eds.), Remote Sensing of Plant Biodiversity,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33157-3_6
Chapter 6
Remote Sensing for Early, Detailed,
and Accurate Detection of Forest
Disturbance and Decline for Protection
of Biodiversity
Jennifer Pontius, Paul Schaberg, and Ryan Hanavan
6.1 Introduction
In many ways, biodiversity is a foundational component of healthy, productive forests
and maintenance of the many ecosystem services that they provide (e.g., carbon
sequestration, nutrient cycling, water filtration and provisioning, wildlife habitat).
Forested landscapes are often characterized by a mosaic of species, age classes, and
structural characteristics that results from natural patterns of disturbance. This diversity within stands and across forested landscapes increases resilience of larger forested ecosystems, enabling them to recover and maintain ecological function
following disturbance (Thompson et al. 2009). But many pests and pathogens, particularly exotic invasive insects, as well as various abiotic stresses (e.g., pollution
impacts or increases in climate extremes), have the potential to alter native populations, reduce biodiversity, and impact ecosystem function and service provisioning.
This is particularly true for ecosystems dominated by keystone or foundational species, which exert a relatively large impact on community stability and ecosystem
function (Ellison et al. 2010).
There are many examples of the impacts of pests and pathogens on biodiversity
and ecological function in forested ecosystems. Dutch elm disease was introduced
in the United States in the 1930s and the United Kingdom in the 1970s, with
J. Pontius (*)
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont,
Burlington, VT, USA
USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Burlington, VT, USA
e-mail: Jennifer.pontius@uvm.edu
P. Schaberg
USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Burlington, VT, USA
R. Hanavan
USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, Northeastern Area, Durham, NH, USA
© The Author(s) 2020
J. Cavender-Bares et al. (eds.), Remote Sensing of Plant Biodiversity,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-33157-3_6
Chapter 6
Remote Sensing for Early, Detailed,
and Accurate Detection of Forest
Disturbance and Decline for Protection
of Biodiversity
Jennifer Pontius, Paul Schaberg, and Ryan Hanavan
6.1 Introduction
In many ways, biodiversity is a foundational component of healthy, productive forests
and maintenance of the many ecosystem services that they provide (e.g., carbon
sequestration, nutrient cycling, water filtration and provisioning, wildlife habitat).
Forested landscapes are often characterized by a mosaic of species, age classes, and
structural characteristics that results from natural patterns of disturbance. This diversity within stands and across forested landscapes increases resilience of larger forested ecosystems, enabling them to recover and maintain ecological function
following disturbance (Thompson et al. 2009). But many pests and pathogens, particularly exotic invasive insects, as well as various abiotic stresses (e.g., pollution
impacts or increases in climate extremes), have the potential to alter native populations, reduce biodiversity, and impact ecosystem function and service provisioning.
This is particularly true for ecosystems dominated by keystone or foundational species, which exert a relatively large impact on community stability and ecosystem
function (Ellison et al. 2010).
There are many examples of the impacts of pests and pathogens on biodiversity
and ecological function in forested ecosystems. Dutch elm disease was introduced
in the United States in the 1930s and the United Kingdom in the 1970s, with
J. Pontius (*)
Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont,
Burlington, VT, USA
USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Burlington, VT, USA
e-mail: Jennifer.pontius@uvm.edu
P. Schaberg
USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Burlington, VT, USA
R. Hanavan
USDA Forest Service, Forest Health Protection, Northeastern Area, Durham, NH, USA