REMOTE MAPPING OF SALTCEDAR IN THE RIO GRANDE SYSTEM OF WE4ST TEXAS

摘要

The Rio Grande is a major source of water for agricultural and municipal uses in Texas and northern Mexico. Water shortages in the Rio Grande have been significantly impacted by the invasion and spread of the invasive shrub saltcedar (Tamarix chinensis Lour.). Conventional color aerial photography and videography were acquired simultaneously of the Rio Grande to distinguish saltcedar. The videography was integrated with global positioning system (GPS) and geographic information system (GIS) technologies for detecting and mapping the distribution of saltcedar. Integration of the GPS with the video imagery permitted latitude-longitude coordinates of saltcedar infestations to be recorded on each image. The GPS coordinates on the video scenes depicting saltcedar infestations were entered into a GIS. Distribution maps were developed denoting the locations of saltcedar infestations along the Rio Grande.