How To Count Cypress Trees On Guadalupe Island MX
Cupressus Guadalupenses - Guadalupe Island Cypress Tree
This is about counting trees. Not just any trees, but Critically Endangered Cupressus Guadalupenses trees, according to the IUCN, Conifers Division. And this is about counting trees using Digital Globe imagery found in Google Earth. And, finally, this is about counting trees and placing their location and characteristics into a database that feeds into a vector map of Guadalupe Island.
Counting Cypress Trees On Guadalupe Island
So let's get started.
Slide-1) The first image shows the entire island. The island is 34-kms by 11-kms and is a high island with elevations in excess of 1200-meters. The lower elevations are desert like, whereas the higher elevations receive abundant moisture from rain and frequent fog. It is in these higher elevations that we find the Cupressus Guadalupenses. This post will focus on two of the larger groves of Cypress trees located above and to the west of the island's center.
Slide-2) Here are the two groves. The southern grove, at 1,440,000 sq meters, is twice as large as the northern grove, at 650,000 sq meters.Slide-3) The area calculations are derived from my vector map of the island. Using DG imagery and Marplot mapping software, I digitized and mapped the shoreline and the stands of Cypress trees I could easily identify.
Slides-4,5 and 6) Let us look at the southern grove at a scale of 1:12,500. An accurate area boundary can be digitized at this level of resolution. Slide 6 is a ground-level view of the Cypress grove from a distance of perhaps 1-km.
Slides 7 and 8) These images display the benefit of hi-res DG imagery when it comes to flora identification and inventory. Single trees are easily discernable. To the trained eye, individual trees could be identified. Their color and foliage would permit health assessment. Dead trees, both standing and toppled. could be inventoried as well.
Slides 9 and 10) The northern grove has a greater density of trees. The same assessments could be conducted here as well as in the southern grove.
Currently, using Marplot, my name field for each tree would contain data unique to that specific tree. The database creation is a chore, but done once, anyone could maintain it. This sort of database, anchored to a vector map, would be invaluable to all of those with an interest in the preservation of these Critically Endangered trees.
view Guadalupe Island on Google Maps
Enjoy!
Labels: Cypress, Digital Globe, Google Earth, Guadalupe Island, island, Marplot
