Integration of Satellite and Financial Data to Model Future Economic Impact of Citrus Crops (Final Project Report)

This study analyzed the health and overall landcover of citrus crops in Florida. The analysis was completed using Landsat satellite imagery available free of charge from the University of Maryland Global Landcover Change Facility. The project hypothesized that combining citrus production (economic) data with citrus area per county derived from spectral signatures would yield correlations between observable spectral reflectance throughout the year, and the fiscal impact of citrus on local economies. A positive correlation between these two data types would allow us to predict the economic impact of citrus using spectral data analysis to determine final crop harvests.

Effects of Multiple Ecological Drivers on Recruitment and Succession of Coral Reef Macroalgal Communities

The study evaluated the effects of herbivory pressure, nutrient availability and potential propagule supply on recruitment and succession of coral reef macroalgal communities. Recruitment and succession tiles were placed in a nutrient-herbivory factorial experiment and macroalgal abundances were evaluated through time. Proportional abundances of macroalgal form-functional groups on recruitment and succession tiles were similar to field established communities within treatments, evidencing possible effects of adult macroalgae as propagule supply. Macroalgal abundance of recruitment tiles increased with nutrient loading and herbivory reduction combined whereas on succession tiles nutrient loading increased abundance of articulated-calcareous only when herbivores were excluded. Macroalgal field established communities were only affected by herbivory reduction.