There are no author-identified significant results in this report

Bancroft, W. L.

Cordes, E. H.

Higer, A. L.

Swayge, L. J.

English

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Classification:
ABSTRACT 6
Title: Tie application of LANDSAT d-ta froin collection platforms and LAS:DSAT
IMAGERY for Fire i •lanagenent, Eivc-glades National Park, Florida.
Au'^.^. _ e	 L. J. Swoyze, W. L. Bancroft, A. L. Higer and E. H. Cordes
;h and y ear,, Oi. tober 1975
Pages: L 5
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Reference s: 4	 ro
Descri p tors: LANDSAT, IMAGERY, Data collection platforms, Fire management,
Drouj,hL index.
Indentifi ers: Soil moisture, water level, rainfall, air temperature.
Abstract: Using I)\ADSAT IMAGERY Lad the data from the data collection platforms
the important parameters of fire prescription (water level, rainfall, air tempera-
ture and soil moisture) shall be monitored for Everglades National Park at two
locations. The U.^%G.S., Water Resources Division, currently has seven Landsat
stations collecting stage and rainfall in the park. Two key stations, one on
the west boundary -_nd the other on the east boundary of the park, are elec-
tronically interfaced to measure air temperature and soil moisture in addition
to rainfall and water level. 'Using rainfall and maximum air temperature for the
Landsat stations, t'::e dr.Dught index will be calculated. By correlating drought
index and soil :io ., t_ure, the flammability of tie soil will. be
 kneuvn for the east
and west park boundaries.
;•Then soi::ace water control gates are closed at the S-12 structures, dis-
charge of surface-water to the western boundary of the park is halted. Ground-
water levels drop rapioiy and tire hazards are increase;:!.
02 /S 8C^
DECEIVE D
Prk 17 1.Cii u
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.:TIS
SiS 1902.6
l
(E76-101`9)
	 THE ArrLICATION CF LANDSAT DATr.
FFCM COILECTION PIATFCRMS AtiD LANDSAT
IMAGERY FOR FI P E MANAGEMENT, EVERGLAEES
NATICN5L ' AF F, FIC? Ir A ProgrEss F.epc rt
(GEOloaj^ 1 Survey)
	 16 p HC X3.50 CSCL 0"E G3/43
N76-18580
UnclaE
0U159
kLANDSAT TYPE I PROGRESS REPORT
By
L. J. Swayze, W. L. Bancroft, A. L. Niger and E. H. Cordes
a. TITLE: THE APPLICATION OF LANDSAT DATA FROM COLLECTION PLATFORMS
AND LANDSAT IMAGERY FOR FIRE MANAGEMENT, EVERGLADES NATIONAL
PARK, FLORIDA.
b, GSFC ID of P. I. 1414
c. In August.1975, Landsat imagery was received at the U.S. Geological
Survey, Miami, Fl-a subdistrict office. Not all the magnetic tapes
for the imagery had been received at the time this report was
prepared; however, the U.S. Geological, Survey and Bendix Aero
Space Division have developed the necessary algorithms to locate
ground stations within the picture elements that represent dif-
ferent water depths and vegetative cover types. The initial
computer runs have indicated that we can determine eight different
ranges of water depths within a 900-square-mile area of the
Everglades.
Soil moisture probles (boyucous blocks) were installed at two
stations, 205 and 206, during September 1975. The electronics for
interfacing the probe to the DCP (Data Collection Platforms) have
been designed. Assembly has taken longer than expected but should
be completed soon.
d. During the last reporting period new tipping bucket rain-gage
counters were installed at all stations. Developed by Ed Cordes,
U.S. Geological Survey, Miami, the counters have been very reliable
during the last 6 months.
Recorders and rain gageshave been running on solar panels on
stations.201 and 202'in Everglades National 'Park. Data recovery
from these stations has been complete since their installation
four months ago.
e.. In a climate in which there is a wet and dry season, soil moisture
becomes a critical factor influencing the effects of fire on.
vegetation and animal populations. Davis (1943) states that:
"... the types of vegetation in southern Florida are probably as
much influenced by the amount of soil water as any other condition
of the physical environment."
The amount of water in organic soils is an indicator of
pote,itial fire damage to flora and fauna. Fires that occtirs during
the wet season have little serious effect on flora and fauna
because most of the area is flooded. During the dry season tiie
surface water levels decline and the organic soils become dry and
combustiblQ. During severe droughts, hammock, bayhe.ad and saw-
grass peat soils may ignite and burn slowly destroying plant root
systems and all animal life living in the soils. This is apt to
occur when soil moisture percentages are 30 percent or less.
(Craighead, 1971; 1974). The soil moisture is one of the para-
meters used in fire prescription.
Fire prescription is a set of parameters which describes the
actions to be taken against a fire. Fire prescription (Keet.ch and
Byram, 1968) uses several indicators to define potential fire damage.
These indicators dictate whether a fire will be allowed to burn or
whether it will be suppressed. For example,-if conditions are
favorable, some fires will be allowed to burn out. The two most
important parameters of the fire prescription are drought index and
soil moisture; other parameters include fire location and water level.
Brought index as defined by Keetch and Byram (1968) is:
"A number representing the net effect of evapotranspiration
and precipitation in producing accumulative moisture de-
ficiency in deep duff or upper soil .layers .., it is a
quantity that relates to the flammability of organic material
in the ground."
"Drought index" is a number on a scale of 0 to 800 which expresses
soil moisture deficiency in hundredths of an inch. The index scale is
based on 8 inches of water in storage available for transpiration where
zero is the point of no moisture deficiency and 800 represents the
maximum drought possible. At any point along the scale, the index number
indicates the amount of rainfall (in hundredths of an inch) that is
required to reduce to zero, or increase the soil moisture content to
saturation.
3
r
Using DCP's to monitor soil moisture, rainftall,and maximum air
temperature,a correlation between drought index and soil moisture
ean.be plotted to help predict wild fires in Everglades National Park
(fig. 1). Figure 2 shows the calculated drought index for June 1973
to July 197+ at Tamiami Ranger Station.
Using Landsat imagery and Data Collection Platforms (RCP's),
the important parameters of fire prescription are monitored for
Everglades National Park. The U.S. Geological Survey currently has
seven Landsat stations collecting stage and rainfall data in the
park (fig. 3). Two key stations, 205 and 206 have had soil
moisture probes installed in September 1975 and will have air
temperature probes installed. The soil moisture probes are boyucous
gypsum blocks which are interfaced electronically to the DCP. By
correlating drought index and soil moisture, the flammability of
the soil is known for the hammocks in the area of stations 205 and
206.
When surface-water control gates are closed at the structures
S-12-A and B on the northern boundary of the park (fig. 3), dis-
charge of surface water to the area west of Shark River Slough is
halted. Ground-water levels drop rapidiy . and fire hazards are in-
creased. The distribution of water within Everglades National Park
varies widely depending upon season and the control of surface--water
discharge through the S-12 structures (figs. k -- ' 6). Lasing the
DCP's to monitor soil moisture, fires, as described in the following
paragraphs, could have been averted.
4
BOa
700
600
500
2
400
a
a0 300
200
100
0
O	 10	 20	 30	 40	 50	 60	 70	 80	 90	 1.00
PERCENT OF MOISTURE IN SOIL
Figure 1.--The dashed line represents a theoretical curve for drought index
versus percent of moisture in the soil. Air temperature and rain-
fall data, monitored by DCP's, is used to calculate drought index.
By comparing the drought index to soil moisture values, monitored
by DCP's, a real relationship between drought index and soil
moisture will be obtained for soils in Everglades National Paris.
5
UNSATURATED 800
700s
G7
a
600
0
vn
w
500
r a
a z
w -
a
a 400
2 m0M
C_,
300
r
0
w 200
U
U,
w
100
SATURATED 0
JUNE JULY AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUNE JULY
1973	 IS74
Figure 2.--Drought Index for Tamiami Ranger Station June 1973 to
July 1974 (National Park Service data, Bancroft, 1975).
6
BIG CYPRESS SWAMP
29	 BROWARO CO
DADE CO	 LL
ai
7'4'alQVI C41VQ4	 CONSERVATION AREAS	 6
qo	
—	 3A	 -38
_COLLIER _CO
\	 ^' t MONROE Co
	
+	
A B C D
o
a 4	 STRUCTURES
205	 ] f
0 /.202-/
 ^}
	
f	 /7_03
®
f	
j1	
27
EVERGLAD?5
	
I 
	 206	 3	 _
	
NONAL / it
	 a
PA+R K /	 L
	
231	 -~< Q	 1	 0^ 	 Q
	
p	 ^^	 v W
	
d	 °
1
 Sao	 SHARK RIVER I	 V
0 -	 !	 SLOUGH
d	 ^	 kl	 L
	
1	
p^n D	 _
	
LOCATION MAP	 l	 4 P	 +^ a	 *207
	
\ O Q a mad
	 a^ OV
	 0 4 0°	 Q
O	 ^° n
EXPLANATION
	 o
0202
LANDSAT STATION	 \ °	 °
AY
	
AND NUMBER	 \	 RORIDA B
	
L
	 r
0	 10 MILES	 \	 '
0	 10 KILOMETRES	 \
u
Figure 3.--Landsat stations currently operating in Everglades National
Park.
7
^; ; ,Y. jT+1`iN 0P THE
REPRODUCIPP- 11T OF I'll'"
ORIO f.K-" n v 10 PIh^R
YY .L .	 ..^ L•,	 N 	 ,
4,	N.,
• -	 ty^.	 k .	 ••La . N.
BUTTONWOOD f-
.;•	 .EMBANKMENT x
DRY ,^	 •^	 •=
~	 .ri+^.	 n 	 ''SHARK RIVER
	
^^	 !	 SLOUGH
w
EVERGLADES
v	
rj. 4NATIONAL
PARK	 ^`•
0	 MILES	 20	 -
0	 KILOMETRES	 30	 1
Figure 4.--Landsat Imagery - 1458-15210-7, October 24, 1973. Dark areas
indicate water distribution. From January 1973 to June 1974
S-12-A (figure 3) was closed. [Dater levels had peaked although
no surface water is indicated between the west boundary of
Everglades National Park and the Buttonwood Embankment (figure 8).
N
I
8
.41
.	 .a4
^	 e
Tim
e.A•!
i	 r -
4	
a
Iii y i*
4
C
out
CLOUf COVER r-
'tr
CLOUD COVER
Figure 5.--Landsat Imagery - 1584-15184-7, February 27, 1974. Dark areas
indicate water distribution. S-12-A (figure 3) has not been open
for one year. The area west of Shark River Slough is dry and the
slough has diminished in width. Fires broke out along the west
Park boundary six weeks after this,image was taken (figure 7).
9
^^^.^-	 ^ ^ -rte	 _ `*,:^'^• ^ .
j.
,'@ a^	 st =	
,hip
Y y
f	 Y^	 ^`	 `ice	
ti #	
^	
4•. '	
K^ _
,i
l	
t.	 ks
+yt'-	 ...'fie 
t.	 .
f
SURFACE WATER
,kt, '
Figure 6.--Landsat Imagery - 1818-15120-7, October 19, 1974. Dark areas
indicate water distribution. This image was taken one year after
the image in figure 4. 5-12-A (figure 3) had been open for five
mc,nths. jdater has now been distributed west of the Park towards
tho Buttonwood embankment. No fires of any consequence occurred
on the western boundary of the Park during the dry season.
10
	 rl?11.,TTY C`I Hi?.
Except for November, 1973, all gates at S-12L-A were closed
from February 1973 until ,Tune 1974. The northwestern corner of
Everglades National Park was dry during this time. On April 7, 1974
wildfire #7 "Binky" started and burned until .Tune 11, 1974.. 	 "Binky"
altered 35,668 acres of park land and 28,59 acres of private
property. From May 4, 1974 to 3uly 3, 1574, wildfire #13 "Gator
Denn" damaged approximately 13,005 acres, 11,081 acres of whin were
in the park (fig. 7).
Within the Gator Denn fire area, many hardwoods were burned
below ground level. In some areas muck was burned as deep as 3.5
feet and numerous tree islands were burned down to rock. About
40 percent of the bay and willow heads and most of the pond apple
stands burned with a loss of about 1 to 2 feet of soil. Some
alligator caves burned out and a few alligators were badly burned
`	 or killed.
The "Binky" fire area was dry when the fire started; the alligator
holes had dried up about a week before the fire started. The fire
destroyed numerous hard shell turtles that had buried themselves
down IM the muck to stay moist. The muck fires continued to burr.,
even after heavy rains, and were not entirely quenched until the area
was entirely inundated.
The wild fires may have caused less damage if the control gates
at 5-1.2-A had been open. Landsat data may provide valuable information
that will assist in the management of the S-12 structures to take into
account the water requirements of the Park between the Buttonwood
Enbankment (fig. 8) and the Shark River Slough.
11	 .-
F 	 _
i EXPLANATION
k
Prescribed Burn 3/12 - 3/14, 1974
F`	 ipM9 Prescribed Burn 3/18 - 3/19, 1974
Wildfire #7 "Binky" 4/7 - 6/11, 1974
Wildfire #13 "Gator Denn" 5/4 - 7/3, 1974
s,
iL	
\
l
a
V
i 	
!
\: i
XX} ,^,{ <
B0°46'
TAMIAMI TRAIL ---2 5 046'
0	 5 MILES
0	 5 KILOMETRES
Figure 7.--Areas burned by major fires in Everglades National Park during
1973 and 1974. Adapted from Everglades National Park fire maps.
Bancroft, 1975.
12
Bi°23
 
NN
^^FLOW LINES
l
EVERGILADES
I
^ BROAD RIVER---7	 cc^
N TI C NAL
P A R
d	
LOCATION
f
	
0	 5	 10	 15	 20 MILES
	
0	 10	 .E5	 20 KILOMETRES
COLLIER COUNTY_	 rs'1" 
MONROE COUNTY	 A e c a. 	 L- 1	 :)
^0
O
.	
c	 L	 P-34SfJRFACE-WATC°
LOSTMAN\S
RIVER ~^
1
ROGERS RIVER
,r
M
Figure 7... Approximate locations of the Buttonwood Embankment, stage
recorder P-34 and S-12-A, B, C and D control gates.
13
6
1,TIY OF
More prescribed burning during safe conditions may be needed to keep	 i
fuels at low levels, to lessen'the fire damage during severe drought
years. Perhaps . the management of fire and water that generated this
unique environment could perpetuate Everglades National Park for
future generations.
Plans are underway. for two investiUation s` which gill try to
describe the water management of the S-12 structures. One investiga-
tion is to determine the relationships between water releases at
S-22A and S-12-B and water distributions in Everglades National Park,
specifically the area known as the Buttonwood Enbankment (fig. 8).
The second investigation is to determine the response time, if
any, between surface-water discharge through S-12A and/or S-12-B and
water-level changes at P-34 (fig. 8). If any correlation can be
determined, the project will then be expanded to correlate discharges
at S-12-A, B, C and b with water levels at other downstream stations.
Using Landsat imagery, and DCP data taken at times when the S-12
structures are regulated, could yield important 3uta on spatial
and temporal distributions of ' water in Everglades National Park
which are directly related to fire management procedures.
14
__lam'A=
REFERENCES
Davis, J.H., Jr., 1943, The Natural Features of Southern Florida:
Florida Geol. Survey Bull. 25, 311 p.
Craighead, F.C., Sr., 1934, Hammocks of South Florida, In Memoir:
Miami Geol. Soc., 7 p.	 .
Keetch, J.M. and Byram G.M., 1968, A Drought Index for Forest Fire
Control: Southeast Forest Exp. Station, U.S. - Department of
Agriculture Forest Service Res. SE-38, 32 p.
Bancroft, Larry, 1975, Fire Management in Everglades National Park:
Management Report, 29 p.
Is.


The Application of LANDSAT Data from Collection Platforms and LANDSAT Imagery for Fire Management, Everglades National Park, Florida

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