In recent years Landsat satellite data has been used to measure forest disturbance on a regional scale. We created disturbance maps of the Savage River State Forest (SRSF), Maryland, in order to assess how well satellite imagery can reveal the impact of disturbance history on forest canopy structure.  Our maps highlight the location and intensity of disturbances that occurred in the SRSF between 1984 and 2007.

Results/Conclusions

After comparing these disturbance maps to canopy structure data that we collected within the SRSF during 2009 and to disturbance records from state foresters we were able to assess the ability of remotely sensed imagery to reveal the impact of disturbance history on forest canopy structure.  Accordingly, our maps provide a new tool to map the impact of disturbances on canopy structure, and thereby understand the role of past disturbances on forest processes such as photosynthesis and carbon cycling, which can alleviate climate change through the absorption of atmospheric carbon dioxide.