EM 1110-2-2907
1 October 2003
a. Introduction. Historically, the Kissimmee River meandered 103 miles (~166 km),
connecting Lake Kissimmee to Lake Okeechobee. The river and its floodplain supported
diverse wetland communities including aquatic and terrestrial plants and animals. The Kis-
simmee River was hydrologically unique owing to prolonged and extensive flood inunda-
tion. During the 1960s, the river and its 1- to 2-mile (1.6- to 3.2-km) wide floodplain was
channelized and drained in an effort to control flooding. Canal excavation eliminated one-
third of the channel, and drainage destroyed two-thirds the floodplain. This Corps of Engi-
neers project lead to a significant decrease in waterfowl, wading bird, and fish populations.
(1) An environmental restoration plan is underway in an attempt to restore the pre-
1960 ecosystem in the Kissimmee River floodplain. The USACE Jacksonville District and
the South Florida Water Management District are jointly responsible for this 3000- square
tablish a significant portion of the natural hydrologic connectivity between Lake Kissimmee
and Lake Okeechobee. With the natural hydrologic conditions in place, the objective of the
project is to rebuild the wetland plant communities and restore the local biological diversity
and functionality.
(2) The study reviewed here represents a pilot study conducted by SAIC (Science Ap-
plications International Corporation) to establish a baseline for environmental monitoring of
the Kissimmee Restoration Project. Their study explored the utility of hyperspectral image
data in aiding vegetative mapping and classification. The hyperspectral remote sensing data
demonstrated themselves to be highly useful in delineating complex plant communities.
Continued use of such a data set will easily aid in the management of the Kissimmee River
Restoration Project.
b. Description of Methods. The test area within the restoration site was chosen by
USACE. Preliminary field studies conducted in1996, established approximately 70 plant
communities, a handful of which were not present during the study of interest (conducted in
2002). It was determined that the rapid changes in hydrologic conditions had altered the
plant community structure during the interim between studies; in places, some plant species
and groups had entirely disappeared. Researchers monitoring the vegetation restoration at
the Kissimmee site were concerned with the establishment of native versus non-native inva-
sive and exotic plant species. The colonization by non-native plant species, such as Brazil-
ian Pepper and Old World Climbing Fern, are of interest because of their potential affect on
other revitalization efforts; those focusing on fauna restoration, for instance. The spectral
analysis of heterogeneous plant species communities is difficult owing to the commonality
of plant chemistry and morphology. The spectral difference between native and non-native
plants is therefore narrow, and difficulties in distinguishing them are compounded by their
mixing (or sharing of habitat). Additionally, the domination by one plant species in many
places added to the problem of accurately classifying the plant communities. See below for
vegetation classes established for this study.
(1) Examples of vegetation classes include:
Aquatic vegetation.
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