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"Analysis of the Tree Coverage Change in Loma Verde, Buenos Aires, Argentina over the Last 13 Years"
Organization(s):St. Luke's College-Haras Santa María
Country:Argentina
Student(s):Andreola, A.; Aquilini, C.; Arenaza, S.; Cabona, S.; Festa Console, C.; Figueroa Jalil, L.; Fuente, L.; Gabio Romeiro, F.; García Camporro, M.; Gonzalez, T.; Herdegen, S.; Herdener, N.; Lacaruso, J.; Lacouzzi, V.; Lurbe, O.; Marello, V.; Marmolejo, F.; Mata Cobas, F.; Miravé, F.; Odriozola, L.; Pastorino Menoyo, S.; Perez Ramirez, P.; Riera García, M.; Rousseaux, J.; Santana, Z.; Sardinas, M.; Turale, M.; Vera Lorenzo, B.; Vergara, A.; Bartrons
Grade Level:Secondary School (grades 9-12, ages 14-18)
GLOBE Teacher:María Inés Amato
Contributors:
Report Type(s):International Virtual Science Symposium Report
Protocols:Precipitation, Surface Temperature, Wind, Biometry (including Tree Height), Green-Up / Green-Down, Land Cover Classification, Phenological Gardens
Presentation Poster:
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Optional Badges:I am a Problem Solver, I am a Collaborator, I am a Data Scientist
Language(s):English, Spanish
Date Submitted:02/23/2024
Summary
St. Luke's College was founded in 2010 in Escobar, Buenos Aires, Argentina. It is
characterized by its green areas. The area has experienced growth in recent years,
maintaining partial urbanization. Many green areas have been transformed into other
types of land cover. Our work is focused on characterizing the tree coverage present
in the vicinity of the school and the possible impacts of its changes over time. To
achieve this objective, the following research questions were formulated: a) How did
tree coverage change in the area of our school between 2010 and 2023? b) Was
deforestation observed in the study area? c) How did the recent droughts, smoke, and
fire outbreaks in the area influence tree coverage? d) How does NDVI (Normalized
Difference Vegetation Index) help detect changes in biomass production?
The methodology applied to answer the questions involved fieldwork to assess tree
biometrics using the GLOBE Observer App and desk work to obtain data on
environmental variables influencing tree growth: temperature and precipitation from
the METEOBLUE website.
Additionally, satellite information from Global Forest Watch was used to evaluate tree
coverage loss, NASA Firms and Worldview were used to analyze heat sources and
smoke from fires. The results revealed that no deforestation occurred in the area for
the construction of the school. The analysis of meteorological variables over time
showed an increase in temperature and a decrease in precipitation in recent years.
During the recent droughts, heat sources increased due to fires originating from the
Paraná Delta area, which reached the area due to wind action.
Keywords: Tree Height. Biometrics. Tree Circumference. GLOBE Observer App. Tree
Coverage. NDVI.