An initial two-year pilot phase (May 2005-2007) served as an iterative period of research devoted to algorithm development, testing, and subsequent refinement. Though this work, an in-depth understanding of the functional relationships between vegetation canopy height and estimates of aboveground biomass and carbon stocks was obtained. During the pilot phase, mapping was completed for five of the 66 mapping zones within the conterminous U.S. (See graphic.) These zones include, in order of completion, 16 (central Utah), 60 (Chesapeake Bay area), 55 (southern Georgia/northern Florida), 47 (western Kentucky), and 53 (central Appalachians). Mapping zone selection was based on (1) geographic distribution, (2) data availability, (3) data quality, (4) community interest, and (5) research potential.
Wayne Walker, a post-doctoral fellow at the Center who is also working on the project adds, "It has been very exciting for us to make use of synergies afforded by the fusion of optical and interferometric radar data. To address the considerable demands for data throughput, novel software was developed to utilize the newly acquired Woods Hole Research Center High Performance Computing Cluster. The new parallel computing algorithms have significantly increased our processing speed such that we are now able to complete one mapping zone every seven days."
May 1 marks the official beginning of the two-year (May 2007-2009) production phase and coincides with the formal receipt of additional funding from NASA's Terrestrial Ecology Program. All NBCD2000 data products will be made available for download on a zone-by-zone basis and free of charge from the Seamless Data Distribution System operated by the U.S. Geological Survey as well as from an NBCD2000 project website currently under development (check www.whrc.org for availability). The entire
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Contact: Elizabeth Braun
ebraun@whrc.org
508-540-9900
Woods Hole Research Center
30-Apr-2007