A growing number of restoration projects are undertaken in the Delta, yet post-restoration monitoring efforts have been sparse. Successful monitoring can help project managers learn effective restoration strategies and better target future efforts for increased ecological gain. This study proposes a low cost, large scale, and high temporal frequency method to assess wetland recovery, which will assist project managers with limited access to monitoring resources.
This study will assess wetland recovery across two decades of restoration in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Using field observations and remote-sensing imagery, the project will examine spatio-temporal variation in phenology and greenness – a measure above-ground, photosynthetically active plant biomass – in wetland plant communities. These patterns will be used to characterize wetland restoration outcomes and potential constraints and opportunities.