Visual Learning Systems of Missoula is "Taming the Tamarisk" from space

A new GIS weapon helps a county fight a dangerous shrub.
A high-tech war is beginning to unfold across the American landscape — a quiet war far removed from terrorist threats and CNN news coverage.

On one side, high above the earth, is the QuickBird satellite, a commercial spacecraft able to offer submeter resolution imagery of Earth’s surface.

On the other side is a pretty, hardwood shrub — the tamarisk, also known as the salt cedar.

Growing from 5 to 20 feet tall, the tamarisk was originally introduced into the United States from Eurasia in the early 1800s as an ornamental plant. Because of its dense, deep root system, settlers in Southwestern states planted salt cedar along streambeds to prevent erosion from flooding. Over the years, tamarisk spread from the Colorado River basin to New Mexico, and as far east as Texas.

This proved disastrous for ecosystems in affected states, including Kansas. Kearny County, Kan., is fighting the spread of tamarisk along the Arkansas River with a combination of satellite imagery and GIS.

By Blake Harris

Full Story: http://www.govtech.net/magazine/story.php?id=93807

About VLS

Visual Learning Systems, Inc. http://www.featureanalyst.com is an international leader in automated mapping solutions. Feature Analyst and LIDAR Analyst, the VLS flagship software products, are used worldwide for GIS database management and mapping applications supporting Defense, Homeland Security, Education, Environmental projects and more. Feature Analyst exists as extensions to ERDAS IMAGINE®, SOCET SET®, the ArcGIS™ suite, and soon GeoMedia, and is used in every U.S. state, in over 50 countries and 100 universities. LIDAR Analyst is the revolutionary new VLS product that automates 3D capture of buildings, trees, and bare earth from LIDAR data. More information can be found at http://www.lidaranalyst.com.