Integrating Landsat-derived disturbance maps with FIA inventory data: Applications for state-Level forest resource assessments
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Landsat images have been widely used for assessing forest characteristics and dynamics. Recently, significant progress has been made towards indepth exploration of the rich Landsat archive kept by the U.S. Geological Survey to improve our under standing of forest disturbance and recovery processes. In this study, we used Landsat images to map forest disturbances at biennial intervals from 1984 to 2007 for the State of Mississippi. Forest Inventory and Analysis plot data were used to characterize and validate the mapped disturbances. These products were used to produce multi-county forest assessments, which were compared with those derived from inventory data. We conducted our study, in part, to support a larger conterminous U.S.-level LANDFIRE effort.