History:

LARSE emerged from an array of related remote sensing research projects focused on terrestrial ecology problems. This activity began in 1989 with a concentration on using digital imagery to characterize forest structure in the Pacific Northwest Douglas-fir/western hemlock zone. Within a few short years, Landsat-based maps of forest structure were being directly incorporated into ecological analyses and models operating at landscape to regional scales. Modeling studies include carbon flux, biodiversity, and spatially-explicit scaling of ecological measurements and knowledge. The scope of activities and data types used continue to expand. LARSE now regularly employs between 10 and 20 scientists in a variety of positions, including permanent staff, postdocs, faculty research assistants, graduate students, and student workers. Also, there are a number of full-time scientists not directly supported by the Lab that actively collaborate on LARSE research projects.

Resources:

LARSE researchers have access to a broad array of resources. These include a largely PC-based computer network running a wide variety of statistics, GIS, image analysis, and homegrown software. The lab also contains facilities for aerial photo interpretation, manages a large collection of field equipment, and maintains an extensive data library. Researchers also benefit from the multi- disciplinary interactions afforded by a world class research facility.