![\"A](\"https:\/\/uwm.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/41\/2018\/06\/downerwoods300x200-20180510_IMC_EH_0007-300x200.jpg\")
That\u2019s where Downer Woods comes in to play. The wooded area on the northern edge of campus provides the perfect test bed to assess the accuracy of the satellite sensors in detecting green vegetation below.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to be in Downer Woods every second day during spring and autumn making direct visual observations of shrubs and trees in order to determine when the buds begin to open and leaves emerge as the woodland transitions from brown to green,\u201d Donnelly said. \u201cWe will compare these observations to the satellite data.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why we were selected,\u201d she added. \u201cOur proposal to the VEN\u00b5S team was to help validate their phenology product.\u201d<\/p>\n
Chosen from hundreds<\/h3>\n
Donnelly applied to take part in the project at the prompting of a former graduate student, Rong Yu. Together, the two submitted a proposal to the VEN\u00b5S team in 2015.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe didn\u2019t hear anything for nearly three years,\u201d Donnelly said. \u201cIt was just that it takes a long time to get a satellite into space. They let us know in May 2017 that our proposal was successful. Out of hundreds of proposals, ours was identified as useful for validating their phenology product.\u201d<\/p>\n
The next step was to procure funding so that Donnelly could perform the research the team required. She needs manpower to collect data and analyze, test and validate it, so she applied for a 51ÁÔÆæ Research Growth Initiative grant and received it in April. With that money, Donnelly will be able to hire Yu. Together with a graduate student Chloe Rehberg, they will process their findings and present them at both national and international conferences.<\/p>\n
Gathering data, looking at leaves<\/h3>\n
To ensure that the satellite is getting an accurate picture of the vegetation on the ground, Donnelly traverses Downer Woods on foot, noting when shrubs and trees sprout buds and leaves. She\u2019ll take the average of the data from the ground observations to calculate one \u201cgreening\u201d number \u2013 a percentage of foliage that she can compare to the satellite\u2019s averages.<\/p>\n
But Donnelly\u2019s work doesn\u2019t stop with tracking when leaves appear.<\/p>\n
For instance, she\u2019s observing native and invasive species of shrubs to compare how they differ in leafing out. She also wants to expand the project in the coming years, working in conjunction with UW-Madison\u2019s flux tower in Park Falls, Wisconsin, which measures changing carbon dioxide levels in the surrounding atmosphere.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe would then look at carbon flux in relation to the satellite data. Then we would have observations from the plants, we would have flux data, and we would also have satellite data,\u201d Donnelly said. \u201cThe idea is that once the leaves start to photosynthesize, they\u2019re taking carbon out of the atmosphere. As trees grow from zero leaf to full leaf, the rate of carbon dioxide they\u2019re absorbing increases, and decreases as the leaves start to color and fall off in autumn.\u201d<\/p>\n
Better understanding of ecosystems<\/h3>\n
The VEN\u00b5S project and 51ÁÔÆæ\u2019s involvement have the potential to help scientists get a better understanding of the various ecosystems around the world, which is why it\u2019s so important that the satellite\u2019s sensors are precise.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we can validate the model on a small area, then we know that the satellite data over larger areas is pretty accurate,\u201d Donnelly said. \u201cIt\u2019s important for us to understand how ecosystems work today. If we know what\u2019s happening today, then we can make reasonable projections of what will happen in the future.\u201d<\/p>\n
Using the sensor will also help build on phenology-tracking research performed by Mark Schwartz, 51ÁÔÆæ distinguished professor of geography. His tools used to predict the start of spring across the country are instrumental in assessing how climate change is already affecting our environment.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe satellite data will help us determine whether ecosystems are vulnerable or resilient to changes, whether it\u2019s climate-driven change or other changes,\u201d Donnelly said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A proposal from Alison Donnelly, associate professor of geography at 51ÁÔÆæ, was chosen from among hundreds submitted. Observations in Downer Woods will help calibrate observations by satellites, improving further research on the climate. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":785,"featured_media":60010,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":"","uwm_wg_additional_authors":[]},"categories":[174,175],"tags":[249],"section":[139,143],"display_categories":[115,116],"related-coverage":[],"uwmnews-feed":[167,158,153,161],"class_list":["post-60009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","category-research","tag-community-engagement","section-science-technology","section-water-environment","display_categories-top-story-secondary","display_categories-top-story-section","uwmnews-feed-alumni-association","uwmnews-feed-letters-science","uwmnews-feed-graduate","uwmnews-feed-hard-science"],"yoast_head":"\n