Integrating Remote Sensing with Species Distribution Models; Mapping Tamarisk Invasions Using the Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM)Amanda M. West 1, Paul H. Evangelista 1, Catherine S. Jarnevich 2, Nicholas E. Young 1, Thomas J. Stohlgren 1, Colin Talbert 2, Marian Talbert 3, Jeffrey Morisette 3, Ryan Anderson 1
1Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, 2U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, 3U.S. Geological Survey - U.S. Department of the Interior, North Central Climate Science Center
We demonstrate the utility of remotely sensed data and the newly developed Software for Assisted Habitat Modeling (SAHM) in predicting invasive species occurrence on the landscape. An ensemble of predictive models produced highly accurate maps of tamarisk (Tamarix spp.) invasion in Southeastern Colorado, USA when assessed with subsequent field validations.