links between topography and vegetation properties in the

Sierra nevadas
Faculty Advisor: Dr. Susan Ustin
Research Mentor: John Potapenko
Cvervlew
Llnks beLween vegeLauon properues and Lopographlc varlables
ln Lhe Leakeule sLudy slLe
8roken up lnLo vegeLauon Lype: Lrees and shrubs
!"#"$%&#'() +&%(&,-./0
Llevauon
Slope
AspecL
llow Accumulauon
+.$.1&2"3 4%"#.%2./0
Leaf area lndex (LAl)
Canopy uenslLy
nuvl
nuWl
lmporLance of Lopography
5/#.)1
norLh faclng less sun= More MolsLure
Lherefore wlld lllac
SouLh faclng more sun = more
droughL LoleranL coasLal sage scrub
6-.7&2"3
Less Lrees as elevauon goes up
lmporLance of Lopography
8-"9 5)):;:-&2"3
WaLer wlllow ls a fresh waLer
planL
<-"#.
Slope and eroslon can deLermlne
Lype of vegeLauon
asL cerLaln slope angle eroslon
can occur
olnL Cloud
LluA8
uLM
1opography
Slope
1opography
AspecL
1opographlc
varlables
llow
Accumulauon
LAl
vegeLauon roperues
olnL Cloud
LluA8
MAS1L8
uaLa
Modled normallzed
dlerence waLer lndex
(nuWl)
normallzed dlerence
vegeLauon lndex
(nuvl)
nLCu 2011
Canopy denslLy
Cverlaylng 8asLers
2011 Land Cover Slope
Slope (Lree land cover)
Slope (shrub land cover)
Mean Lopographlc varlables for lndlvldual
specles
0
3
10
13
20
23
1rees Shrubs
Mean
=
.
$
%
.
.
/

>.&3 <-"#.
2140
2160
2180
2200
2220
2240
2260
2280
1rees Shrubs
Mean
;
.
1
.
%
/

>.&3 6-.7&2"3
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
1rees Shrubs
Mean
;
.
1
.
%
?
@

>.&3 8-"9 5)):;:-&2"3
Mean vegeLauon properues for lndlvldual
specles
-0.8
-0.6
-0.4
-0.2
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
Canopy LAl nuWl nuvl
Mean 1rees
Mean Shrubs
LAl shrubs
LAl Lrees
MA1LA8 Llnear 8egresslon
!%..
A&3B C.3/(1D
<'%:,
A&3B C.3/(1D
!%../
ECFG
<'%:,
ECFG
!%..
EC+G
<'%:,
EC+G
!%..
H5G
<'%:,
H5G
<-"#. 0.4031 0.1003 0.0122 0.0093 0.3963 0.4923 0.0369 0.0279
5/#.)1 0.7308 0.2774 0.296 0.8426 0.2939 0.2226 7.34L-04 0.0033
6-.7&2"3 0.7027 0.1371 0.3719 0.3767 0.8689 0.0339 0.049 0.1046
8-"9 5)):;:-&2"3 0.1803 9.18L-04 0.0309 0.003 0.197 0.1837 0.1904 0.0038
Llnear regresslon 8-squared values.
Llnear 8egresslon of 1opography vs. vegeLauon
roperues
Llnear regresslon analysls ln MA1LA8
Checked values uslng 8 sLausucs soware
1ree Correlauons
Concluslon
Mean slope and ow accumulauon ls hlgher for shrubs Lhan Lrees
Mean elevauon ls noL a slgnlcanL dlerenL beLween specles
1rees and Shrubs correlaLe dlerenLly wlLh Lopographlc varlables
I($' A"%%.-&2"3/
1ree Canopy : AspecL, Llevauon
nuWl shrubs : AspecLs, Llevauon
nuvl Lree : Llevauon
osslble Sources of Lrror
Scale: dlerenL resoluuon daLa seLs
Small slze of sLudy area llmlLed by LluA8 avallablllLy
lnconslsLenL overlap beLween daLa seLs
AcknowledgemenLs
ur. Susan usun
!ohn oLapenko
Lmlly Schaller
8lck Sheuer
lellow Sarplans
1LAM 8LS1 1LAM!