Progress 06/01/17 to 05/31/22
Outputs
Target Audience:Central State University (CSU), the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Ohio, is committed to providing the excellence in teaching and learning for African American ethnic group in Ohio and beyond. As African American ethnic group is traditionally considered as underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) areas, this grant targets the undergraduate STEM major students at CSU and offers experiential learning opportunities for advanced geospatial science and technology for solving agricultural and environmental issues. This grant upholds the institutional mission to recruit more African American students into STEM programs and prepare high-caliber students from historically underrepresented groups into Food and Agriculture Sciences (FAS) workforce. For the past years, this grant has conducted three summer workshops and provided multiple summer internships for up to twenty STEM students at CSU. Attendees from previous summer workshops have successfully graduated and been matriculated into master programs at Ohio State University, Cleveland State University, and Georgia Institute of Technology. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Geospatial Technology in Agriculture Summer Workshops were held for four weeks in 2018, 2019, and 2021 at International Center of Water Resources Management (ICWRM). They were taught by the faculty team of Drs. Cadance Lowell, Desheng Liu, Ning Zhang, and Xiaofang Wei. In the workshop, not only the students learned the fundamentals of water quality, biology, GIS, and remote sensing, but had hands-on experience on cutting edge technologies from the field and in the laboratory. Dr. Xiaofang Wei guided the students to use ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro for Amazonian Deforestation, Colorado Flood Prone Zone, hospital site suitability study, and water quality mapping. Dr. Ning Zhang trained the students on surface water sample collection, preservation and on site water quality parameters measurement, and how to analyze major water quality indicators for collected surface water samples, using HACH DR3900 spectrometer and YSI ProDSS multi-parameter Meter to perform nutrient quantitative analysis for water samples. She also taught them how to gather data on hydrography, water quality, and water discharge from internal resources. Dr. Cadance Lowell trained the students to cultivate algal samples in the laboratory and how to examine the algal types and characteristics under digital microscopes. Dr. Desheng Liu trained the students the advanced modules of ERDAS IMAGINE and ENVI to preprocess and utilize different satellite imagery to monitor algal blooms in streams and lakes. All students and faculty took a field trips to Lake Erie and Indian Mound Reserve to collect water samples and practice instruments. Students also visit labs at Ohio State University and University of Dayton to learn more about geospatial sciences applications and explore graduate study opportunites. In falls of 2019 and 2021, an Introduction to Precision Agriculture course was taught for majors in Agriculture Education and Sustainable Agriculture. Students learned to use GIS, GPS, and remote sensing to know how to conduct soil survey, soil sampling, create soil maps, One-to-one mentoring for CSU students during the academic year were developed during the performance period. Students worked with faculty research to better study harmful algal bloom, water chemistry, GIS, and remote sensing. Drs. Wei, Zhang, and Lowell worked with Water Resources Management and Sustainable major students, Marcus Jenkins, Denalo Windmon, Kayla Mitchell, Asiah Robinson, and Deraesha Jones, on issues including but not limited to, agriculture census, water quality, HAB cultivation, nutrients analyses, surface temperature, land use land cover, crop classification, water sampling. Students collected satellite imagery, agricultural census data, and historical water quality data of study area, to attain holistic understanding and analyze potential impacts of agricultural activities on the toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie. In fall 2021, A two-day professional UAV training by DARTDrones was arranged and delivered for students from the above three majors to learn about the basics of drone system and operation, mission planning and flight operation, aerial mapping and surveying, and 3D surveillance, inspection, and disaster response. Dr. Xiaofang Wei attended the Society for Conservation GIS (SCGIS) 2019 annual conference and one day pre-conference workshop on Drone Imagery Workflows in ArcGIS. Dr. Xiaofang Wei attended the two day training program by DARTJONES on 107 Certificate Program for flying the drones and usage of the equipment in 2019. In 2021, Dr. Xiaofang Wei and CSU student received DIRSIG training for hyperspectral senor simulation and machine learning target detection. She also attended Deflt3D for estuary 3D modeling and monitoring in 2021. Dr. Ning Zhang and Dr. Xiaofang Wei received the training on Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) from SWAT workshops, so as to develop a SWAT model for Maumee Watershed to assess the nutrient loads from Maumee River to Lake Erie. Dr. Ning Zhang attended 2019 APLU HBCU Engineering Faculty Workshop held in Nashville for adaptive learning modules to better engage students. Dr. Desheng Liu attended the Arctic Data Center Training at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis to learn the best data management practices, data science tools, and reproducible data analysis in R programming and Github. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research findings from this effort were presented at multiple conferences to a broader academic communities. Assessment of student recruiting and retention from first two summer workshops was accepted for presentation by Dr. Ning Zhang at 2020 American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition. Dr. Xiaofang Wei presented her work on SWAT modeling at SCGIS conference in July 2019 and her work on remote sensing evapotranspiration was accepted by ISPRS 2020 congress. Dr. Xiaofang Wei presented her land surface temperature retrieval results at American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) in April 2021. Dr. Yongquan Zhao presented his results of HAB monitoring at 2020 Byrd Center Symposium on Climate Change. The Ohio State University. A manuscript on remote sensing algal bloom monitoring was submitted and published in 2020, Yongquan Zhao, Desheng Liu, and Xiaofang Wei. Monitoring cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms at high spatiotemporal resolution by fusing Landsat and MODIS imagery. Environmental Advances 2 (2020) 100008. Three summer workshops were offered in 2019, 2019, ad 2021 for CSU undergraduate students to learn about the advanced science and technology for algal bloom monitoring using GIS, remote sensing, water chemistry, and biology. The grant enhanced students' understanding of algal bloom and geospatial sciences, and inspired them to pursue academic degrees and professional careers in natural sciences and agriculture. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
First, for the past four years, the project has strengthened the education program of geospatial sciences, and provided numerous research and learning opportunities for STEM students at Central State University. 1) The project has successfully offered three summer geospatial workshops for CSU students in summers of 2018, 2019, and 2020, aiming to enhance scientific knowledge and develop problem solving skills through experiential learning activities in GIS, remote sensing, water chemistry, and biology. With harmful algal bloom (HAB) in Lake Erie being the theme for workshop, students were immersed in learning the avant-garde knowledge and techniques in remote sensing monitoring, GIS modeling, water chemical testing, and biological analyses for HAB study. Students learned GIS software for SWAT watershed hydrological modeling, remote sensing software for image processing and HAB monitoring, laboratory cultivation of algae, and instrument analyses of water sampling. Besides, students participated in field trips to Lake Erie and Little Miami river, and they visited campuses of Ohio State University and University of Dayton for GIS and remote sensing Lab, Urban Study and 3D modeling lab, and polar/climate change study center, and Vision lab. 2) Faculty team developed the curriculum for Precision Agriculture course and taught the course to majors in Sustainable Agriculture, Water Resources Management, and Agricultural Education. "The Precision-Farming Guide for Agriculturalists: An Agricultural Premier" from Deere & Company was chosen as the textbook. Soil research scientist was invited as guest speaker for soil study in agriculture. 3) Undergraduate students were engaged in research with faculty members as research interns in summer and during the academic year. Faculty discussed the research plan with students to better understand the biology, water resources management, GIS and remote sensing for HAB study. Students participated in online learning course and completed the required learning modules; conducted the watershed water quality survey and analyses by using historical water quality data and satellite image, and GIS data for Grand Lake St. Mary's and Maumee River; met with faculty advisor(s) regularly. 4) We developed an online learning course on Schoology, with learning materials from previous workshops and new information, including literature review, satellite image download and collection, Google Earth, water data collection, and ArcGIS PVID modules. Second, the project team forged ahead the cross-disciplinary research collaboration on harmful algal bloom monitoring and modeling using GIS, remote sensing, agriculture, and watershed modeling. Dr. Wei moved forward her study on surface temperature retrieval from agricultural lands and SWAT watershed modeling to monitor nitrogen and phosphors for Maumee watershed, and improved the model with agricultural practice management data and historical water station data. She presented her research finding at ASPRS 2020 conference and SCGIS 2019 conference. Dr. Wei made use of Landsat 8 satellite image to estimate evapotranspiration for Palo Verde Irrigation District and created the learning model of using satellite image for water resources monitoring and management for PVID. Her paper entitled" Estimation of Evapotranspiration Using SEBAL Algorithm for Landsat 8 in Lower Colorado River Basin" was accepted at the XXIV ISPRS. Dr. Desheng Liu's research activities mainly focused on developing novel satellite-based approaches to monitor the spatiotemporal distribution of Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) in Lake Erie and Ohio inland lakes. Dr. Liu and his postdoctoral researcher Dr. Yongquan Zhao developed a new HAB spectral index based on Landsat (16 days revisiting cycle with 30-m spatial resolution) and MODIS (daily revisiting cycle but with 250-m/500-m spatial resolution) imagery, which is more indicative than the existing HAB indices based on the same satellites, such as the Floating Algae Index (FAI). On the basis of the new HAB index, they generated Landsat-like HAB index image series with both high spatial resolution of Landsat and high temporal resolution of MODIS by blend MODIS- and Landsat-derived HAB indices via a spatial-temporal image fusion algorithm, from which, "Monitoring cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms at high spatiotemporal resolution by fusing Landsat and MODIS imagery" was published on Environmental Advances in 2020. Dr. Zhang conducted the historical water quality study for lakes and streams in Ohio, and obtained the historical data of the Maumee River water quality for nutrients, solids, and river flows, which were collected at Bowling Green Water Treatment Plant and were downloaded from National Center for Water Quality Research website. Dr. Ning Zhang collected water quality data of the past decade for the Grand Lake Saint Mary (GLSM) from the US EPA STORET database. The major parameters directly indicated the algae bloom in the lake water and harmful algae impacts including cell pigment level (i.e., Chlorophyll a) and algae toxin level (Microcystin LR). The water quality data will be correlated to the local climate (Temperature and precipitation) and hydrograph (surface water flow rate) data to generate an integrated strategy to improve the HAB prediction. Together, Drs. Wei, Zhang, Zhao and Liu have submitted multiple proposals for monitoring HABs in Ohio lakes to multiple agencies including Ohio Water Resources Center Research Institute Program, Ohio Department of Higher Education Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative, Ohio Sea Grant College Program, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and NIFA. Third, for student service, this project provided summer workshops, interns, research, and training to attract more underrepresented minority students into geospatial agricultural programs and pursue professional careers in agriculture related areas. In summer 2021, Emmitt Higgins, Jasmine Newson, and Lavonia Murrell were involved in hydrological SWAT modeling and water quality analyses for Grand Lake Saint Mary's, Maumee River Watershed, and Lake Erie. Students from Sustainable Agriculture and Biology, Asiah Robinson and Deraesha Jones, worked with Dr. Cadance Lowell on algal cultivation and biological study. In summer 2020, three undergraduate students, Kayla Mitchell, Ryana Lowe, and Denalo Windmon were recruited to work with Dr. Xiaofang Wei and Dr. Ning Zhang. Each student needed to complete the online learning course and conduct individual research on using GIS and remote sensing for algal bloom study in lakes and streams in Ohio. In summer 2019, eight students participated and learned to use the advanced instrument and software. Dr. Ning Zhang conducted the assessment on retention and graduation for last two summer workshops. According to her findings, among the thirteen participants, one senior graduating student was awarded with B.S. degree prior to the workshop. The data on her retention and graduation in the subsequent academic year was not included in the assessment. For the students who participated in summer workshops, undergraduate research, and trainings, one graduated with B.S. degree in May 2019, seven participants graduated in May 2020. Collectively, eight out of 15 participants have received their bachelor's degree since they completed the workshop program and were employed by government agencies and municipal organizations. Three have been accepted into graduate schools of top U.S. universities. This project has managed to attract more underrepresented minority students into STEM and agricultural programs, inspiring them to pursue professional careers and higher academic degrees. Four were admitted into graduate program, including Teyana Adams at Ohio State University, Marcus Jenkins at Cleveland State University, Emily Archer at University of California at Berkeley, and Daniel Lee at Georgia Institute of Technology.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2022
Citation:
Ning Zhang, Xiaofang Wei, Ramanitharan Kandiah, Subramania I Sritharn, KrishnaKumar Nedunuri (2022) Impact of hydraulic fracturing induced landscaping change on regional surface water quality in eastern Ohio,
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Progress 06/01/20 to 05/31/21
Outputs
Target Audience:Central State University (CSU), the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Ohio, is committed to providing the excellence in teaching and learning for African American ethnic group in Ohio and beyond. As African American ethnic group is traditionally considered as underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) areas, this grant targets the undergraduate STEM major students at CSU and offers experiential learning opportunities for advanced geospatial science and technology for solving agricultural and environmental issues. This grant upholds the institutional mission to recruit more African American students into STEM programs and prepare high-caliber students from historically underrepresented groups into Food and Agriculture Sciences (FAS) workforce. For the past years, this grant has conducted three summer workshops and provided multiple summer internships for up to twenty STEM students at CSU. Attendees from previous summer workshops have successfully graduated and been matriculated into master programs at Ohio State University and Georgia Institute of Technology. First, this grant was able to offer one summer workshop and several summer interns in enhancing experiential learning opportunities for underrepresented minority (URM) students at CSU to learn about the cutting edge science and technologies in GIS, remote sensing, biology, and water chemistry. Through virtual classroom instruction, the workshop taught the theories and applications of GIS, Water Chemistry, Biology, and remote sensing in understanding the causes and impacts of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) in Lake Eire. For past two summers, a total of eight students from the Biology, Sustainable Agriculture, Environmental Engineering, and Water Resources Management participated in the workshop and its hands-on learning activities on using GIS, remote sensing, and statistics software to solve solving real world problems. Second, the accumulation of research experience and knowledge on Harmful Algal Bloom enables this grant to design new teaching materials for students to practice, which includes surface temperature retrieval, hydrological nutrients modeling, water quality statistical analyses, HAB remote sensing, and algal cultivation. Third, to combat the restriction imposed by COVID 19 pandemic, this grant explored virtual learning approaches via innovative efforts of faculty. Learning materials were posted in the course on Schoology Learning Platform, while lectures and discussion were conducted via Zoom Video Conferencing. Thus, the students attended lectureand discussion remotely, but learning and teaching was conducted in a collaborative and effective manner. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Summer 2020 Interships In summer 2020, three undergraduate students worked as summer interns with CSU faculty. They engaged in the online learning modules of harmful algal bloom for understanding the algae biology, water resources management, algae monitoring and management, and agricultural impacts in watershed. They collected Landsat 8 OLI & TIR satellite imagery for land surface temperature calculation and the historical water quality data of Grand Lake St. Mary's and Maumee River, then they analyzed the temporal variation of water nutrient loadings and examined the relationship with temperature, precipitation, and the toxic algae blooms. They met with faculty advisor(s) virtually each week for sharing information, checking progress, and solving issues and problems. Summer 2021 Workshop From May 17, 2021 to June 11, 2021, a four - week workshop on Harmful Algal Bloom Geospatial Technology was carried out virtually. Five students from majors of Sustainable Agriculture, Environmental Engineering, and Water Resources Management participated. Each day, faculty met with students virtually and delivered lectures and assigned daily activities. Students are instructed to learn about methodologies of SWAT hydrological modeling and implementation of ArcSWAT for the watersheds around Lake Erie. For remote sensing component, students were taught with the concepts and algorithm of HAB monitoring using satellite imagery. For water quality, students are to learn about the water quality time series analyses and validation with SWAT and remote sensing measurements. Students are required to summarize their work and present toward the end of the workshop. Professional Development Activities For the last reporting period, faculty member were able to attend the following academic symposium and conferences. 1) Xiaofang Wei. American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS). 2021 Annual Conference. April 2021. 2) Yongquan Zhao, Desheng Liu, and Xiaofang Wei. 2020 Byrd Center Symposium on Climate Change. The Ohio State University. 3) Ning Zhang, Xiaofang Wei, Cadance Lowell, and Desheng Liu. 2020 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition. June 2020. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research findings from this effort were presented at multiple conferences to a broader academic communities. Dr. Yongquan Zhao and Desheng Liu presented HAB remote sensing monitoring at 2020 Byrd Center Symposium on Climate Change at The Ohio State University. Dr. Ning Zhang presented her assessment of student recruiting and retention through project effort at 2020 American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition. Dr. Xiaofang Wei presented her work at 2021 American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) Annual Conference. A manuscript on remote sensing algal bloom monitoring was published on peer-reviewed journal and another manuscript is currently under review. A four-week summer workshop was offered for CSU undergraduate students in summer 2021 on advanced geospatial science and technology for algal bloom monitoring. In summer 2020, students were engaged in GIS, remote sensing, and water chemistry research on harmful algal bloom. The research team enhanced students' understanding of algal bloom and geospatial sciences, and inspired them to pursue academic degrees and professional careers in natural sciences and agriculture. In so doing, we have successfully fulfilled the project objectives to attract students to learn about the geospatial technology and their application in natural and agricultural sciences. Regarding the strategic partnership development, this project has reinforced the partnerships with Ohio State University and University of Dayton. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?In the next reporting period, each faculty researcher will summarize his/her research and disseminate the findings through academic conference presentation and peer-reviewed journals. In particular, Dr. Desheng Liu at OSU will finish the research results on satellite image fusion and HAB monitoring based on Planet Scope, Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3, Landsat, and MODIS. Dr. Ning Zhang will conduct workshop assessment survey and perform water quality data analysis using statistical software for harmful algal bloom prediction. Dr. Xiaofang Wei will continue her effort in refining the SWAT model for Maumee Watershed and compared with satellite imagery of harmful algal bloom index, like cyanobacterial. Besides, Dr. Wei will complete her work on surface temperature retrieval and submitted manuscript for journal publication. Dr. Wei will continue her work of using Landsat 8 for evapotranspiration estimation for PVID using the improved surface temperature measurement. Moreover, we plan to conduct a project evaluation in summer 2021 in order to ensure that the project has implementedas planned and fulfilled its proposed objectives and activities.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1. Strengthen agricultural geospatial education at Central State University Over the performance period of the project, we have accumulated good experience and knowledge on harmful algal bloom so as to design summer workshops with greater relevance and keener focus on Lake Erie HAB. On the other hand, this grant further advanced the teaching and learning on geospatial sciences at Central State University in virtual learning environment, an innovative effort to combat the confine of pandemic. Starting May 17, 2021, a four - week virtual workshop on Harmful Algal Bloom Geospatial Technology was carried out to engage five students from Sustainable Agriculture, Environmental Engineering, and Water Resources Management. The workshop covered the three subjects of GIS hydrology, remote sensing, and water quality analyses, teaching students about SWAT of nutrients runoff modeling, HAB detection from satellite imagery, and water quality monitoring from ground stations. The workshop was conducted remotely that faculty met with students on Zoom, delivering lectures and assigning daily activities. For GIS, students learned about SWAT hydrological modeling and ArcSWAT implementation procedures for the watersheds around Lake Erie. For remote sensing, students were taught with the concepts and algorithm of HAB monitoring using satellite imagery. For water quality, students are to learn about the water quality time series analyses and validation with SWAT and remote sensing measurements. Students are obliged to report their progress weekly and summarize their work at the end of the workshop. In summer 2020, this project recruited three students as summer interns who worked remotely and under the close guidance of faculty. Students participated in online meeting and learning activities. They learned about ArcGIS Model Builder, ArcGIS Pro, and ArcGIS online for surface temperature retrieval and forest fragmentation analyses. Each participant was guided to study the long term water quality trend for selected Ohio's major surface water bodies, such as Maumee River estuary and Grand Lake Saint Mary, using historical water quality data. Hydrograph datasets were downloaded from U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) TNM database and watershed maps for study areas were created using ArcMap. Water quality datasets were downloaded from EPA STRORET portal and Heidelberg University National Center for Water Quality Research for the past decade. New project activities were designed to demonstrate and train students how to perform data analysis and interpretation, hydrographical database for watershed mapping, and use statistical software to perform data correlation and modeling. In short, faculty designed online learning activities for students to learn the theories and conduct research on GIS SWAT modeling, surface water quality monitoring, and remote sensing detection for harmful algal blooms occurrence. Goal 2. Foster cross-disciplinary research on agriculture related scientific areas For research, the project team deepened the cross-disciplinary research collaboration on harmful algal bloom monitoring and modeling using GIS, remote sensing, agriculture, and watershed modeling. Dr. Ning Zhang collected water quality data of the past decade for the Grand Lake Saint Mary (GLSM) from the US EPA STORET database. The major parameters directly indicated the algae bloom in the lake water and harmful algae impacts including cell pigment level (i.e., Chlorophyll a) and algae toxin level (Microcystin LR). Both categories of data were extracted from the bulk water quality data. Additionally, regional climate data for study area was retrieved from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) database. The water quality data will be correlated to the local climate (Temperature and precipitation) and hydrograph (surface water flow rate) data to generate an integrated strategy to improve the HAB prediction. Dr. Xiaofang Wei focused on her study of land surface retrieval using Landsat 8 imagery, which is key to the estimation of evapotranspiration for Palo Verde Irrigation District. She presented her paper "Retrieval of Land Surface Temperature over Agricultural Fields Using Landsat 8 Imagery" at American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS) Annual Conference in April, 2021. Besides, she collected Landsat 8 imagery for Lake Erie and applied FLAASH atmospheric correction to retrieve surface reflectance for subsequence HAB analyses. Dr. Desheng Liu's research activities weremainly focused on developing novel satellite-based approaches to monitor the spatiotemporal distribution of HAB. Dr. Liu and his postdoctoral researcher Dr. Yongquan Zhao developed a new HAB spectral index based on Landsat and MODIS imagery to improve the existing HAB indices based on the same satellites. Based on the new HAB index, they generated Landsat-like HAB index image series at high temporal resolution and mapped the HAB chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin concentrations at high spatiotemporal resolution in western Lake Erie. Their results have been published in a peer-reviewed journal Environmental Advances. They developed a new spatial-spectral image fusion algorithm to blend the spatial information of very high resolution satellites and the rich spectral information of moderate resolution satellites that can be used to delineate the HABs in Ohio small lakes. An article from their results was published on a peer-reviewed journal on remote sensing. Team members actively sought other funding to sustain the research interest on HAB and other agriculture related application. The following proposals were submitted by the team. 1) Enhancing satellite-based monitoring of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms in Ohio's small lakes: a multi-sensor fusion approach. 2021-2022, Ohio Water Resources Center Research Institute Program. 2) Mapping cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms at very high spatial resolution by fusing PlanetScope and DESIS imagery, 2021-2022, NASA Commercial SmallSat Data Analysis program. 3) Remote Sensing Monitoring and Modeling of Harmful Algal Blooms in Chesapeake Bay, National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) 4) Disaster Area Damage Assessment System (DADAS) using Satellite Imagery, Ohio Federal Research Network (OFRN) 5) SitS NSF: Land Slope Dynamics Assessment by Multi-Modality Learning, National Science Foundation (NSF) Goal 3. Engage underrepresented minority (URM) students in advanced research For student service, this project provided summer workshop and summer internships to attract more underrepresented minority students into geospatial agricultural programs and pursue professional careers in agriculture related areas. Through summer 2020, three undergraduate students, Kayla Mitchell, Ryana Lowe, and Denalo Windmon were engaged in research with Dr. Xiaofang Wei and Dr. Ning Zhang on remote sensing, GIS, and water quality analyses. Students completed the online learning course and conducted individual research on using GIS and remote sensing for algal bloom and water chemistry study in lakes and streams in Ohio. In summer 2021, students, Emmitt Higgins, Jasmine Newson, and Lavonia Murrell participated in workshop and will continue working with faculty on hydrological SWAT modeling and water quality analyses for Grand Lake Saint Mary's,Maumee River Watershed, and Lake Erie. Students from Sustainable Agriculture and Biology, Asiah Robinson and Deraesha Jones, worked with Dr. Cadance Lowell on algal cultivation and biological study. This project has managed to attract more underrepresented minority students into STEM and agricultural programs, inspiring them to pursue professional careers and higher academic degrees. Attendees from previous workshops, Teyana Adams was admitted into the Master Program of Geography at Ohio State University and Daniel Lee into Master Program of Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Xiaofang Wei. Retrieval of Land Surface Temperature over Agricultural Fields Using Landsat 8 Imagery. American Society of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS). 2021 Annual Conference. April, 2021.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Ning Zhang, Xiaofang Wei, Cadance Lowell, and Desheng Liu. A Design of Research Based Summer Workshop for STEM Undergraduate Students Education and Engagement at Minority Institution. June 2020. ASEE 2020 Annual Conference & Exposition.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Yongquan Zhao, Desheng Liu, and Xiaofang Wei. Monitoring cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms at high spatiotemporal resolution by fusing Landsat and MODIS imagery. Environmental Advances 2 (2020) 100008.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2021
Citation:
Yongquan Zhao and Desheng Liu. A robust and adaptive spatial-spectral fusion model for PlanetScope and Sentinel-2 imagery, Information Fusion.
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Progress 06/01/19 to 05/31/20
Outputs
Target Audience:Central State University (CSU), the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Ohio, strives to provide excellence in teaching and learning for African American ethnic group. With the understanding that African American ethnic group is traditionally considered as underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) areas, this grant targets the audience of CSU undergraduate STEM major students, and it aims to provide experiential learning opportunity for students to grasp the advanced geospatial science to solve real world problems. This grant upholds the institutional mission to recruit more African American students into STEM programs and deliver well-qualified graduate into STEM workforce. For the past three years, the project has provided two summer workshops and multiple summer interns for up to sixteen STEM students from Central State University. From last year, this grant was able to offer one summer workshop and several summer interns in view of enhancing experiential and diverse learning opportunities for CSU STEM students to learn the cutting edge scientific theories and technologies in GIS, remote sensing, biology, and water chemistry. This grant promoted CSU faculty research capacity on harmful algal bloom in the Lake Erie and Ohio water and engaged underrepresented minority (URM) students in advanced research with faculty. First, this grant offered the four-week summer workshop in summer 2019. The workshop was themed on understanding the causes and impacts of Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) in Lake Eire. The workshop was team taught by four faculty from Biology, Environmental Engineering, and Geography. A total of eight students from the Computer Science, Sustainable Agriculture, Math, and Water Resources Management participated in the workshop and learned the cutting edge science, instrument, and software under the guidance of faculty. Not only did this grant enhance the geospatial education, but enhanced the laboratory instruction through the usage of a list of advance instruments and computer software, including digital microscope, spectrophotometer, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, Trimble GPS, ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro, ERDAS IMAGINE, and ENVI. Second, the research team promoted cross-disciplinary collaboration in understanding the status of water quality, algal bloom, and agricultural activities in Maumee River and Lake Erie. Dr. Xiaofang Wei explored the feasibility of nitrogen and phosphors modeling and implemented the baseline Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for Maumee watershed. Dr. Ning Zhang conducted a survey of Ohio water quality, primarily Maumee River and St Marys Grand Lake, based on the historical data of the water quality on nutrients, solids, and river flows from National Center for Water Quality Research website. Dr. Desheng Liu and a postdoctoral researcher (Dr. Yongyuan Zhao) furthered the research on developing novel satellite-based approaches to monitor Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) in western Lake Erie. An article on harmful algal bloom satellite monitoring was submitted for journal publication. Oral presentation on agricultural nutrient to Lake Erie was presented and poster presentations on STEM education were submitted to professional conferences. Further, this grant increased professional network including Ohio State University, University of Dayton, and Wright State University. Third, this grant sought opportunities to engage students in research. In May 2020, three CSU students were engaged in research as summer interns. They will work closely with faculty researchers and assist in data collection and analyses, with a primary focus on water quality in Maumee River, St. Mary's Grand Lake using historical water station data and satellite imagery. Toward the end, they will summarize their research funding in a report and present at academic conference. Changes/Problems:The third year summer workshop in 2020 was cancelled due to the outbreak of COVID 19. Instead, three students were engaged as summer interns who are working remotely with faculty. A summer workshop will be conducted in summer 2021 What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Ended in June 2019, the Geospatial Technology in Agriculture Summer Workshop was held for four weeks at International Center of Water Resources Management (ICWRM), through the faculty team of Drs. Cadance Lowell, Desheng Liu, Ning Zhang, and Xiaofang Wei. In the workshop, not only the students learned the fundamentals of water quality, biology, GIS, and remote sensing, but had hands-on experience on cutting edge technologies from the field and in the laboratory. Dr. Xiaofang Wei guided the students to use ArcMap and ArcGIS Pro for Amazonian Deforestation, Colorado Flood Prone Zone, hospital site suitability study, and water quality mapping. Dr. Ning Zhang trained the students on surface water sample collection, preservation and on site water quality parameters measurement, and how to analyze major water quality indicators for collected surface water samples, using HACH DR3900 spectrometer and YSI ProDSS multi-parameter Meter to perform nutrient quantitative analysis for water samples. She also taught them how to gather data on hydrography, water quality, and water discharge from internal resources. Dr. Cadance Lowell trained the students to cultivate algal samples in the laboratory and how to examine the algal types and characteristics under digital microscopes. Dr. Desheng Liu trained the students the advanced modules of ERDAS IMAGINE and ENVI to preprocess and utilize different satellite imagery to monitor algal blooms in streams and lakes. All students and faculty took a field trip to Indian Mound Reserve to collect water samples, practice instruments, and make a field survey of landscape, stream, and wetland system. A tour to multiple Labs at Ohio State University was conducted to learn more about the image processing in urban study, 3D modeling, and polar/climate change study. In fall 2019, an Introduction to Precision Agriculture course was taught for majors in Agriculture Education and Sustainable Agriculture. Students learned to use GIS, GPS, and remote sensing to know how to conduct soil survey, soil sampling, create soil maps, Starting in May 2020, three summer CSU students work remotely but closely under the guidance of research faculty members. Students are required to engage in the online learning modules of harmful algal bloom in biology, water chemistry, GIS and remote sensing. Students are to collect historical water quality data of Maumee River watershed and analyze the seasonal and annually change of water nutrient contents, and examine the relationship with the toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie. Students meet with faculty advisor(s) virtually twice a week for sharing information, solving issues and problems, and reporting progress. Toward the end of summer, student will summarize their findings to write a report and prepare a poster for future presentation at professional conferences. Dr. Xiaofang Wei attended the Society for Conservation GIS (SCGIS) annual conference in July 2019 and presented "Modeling of agricultural land use impacts on water quality in Maumee River Watershed" at the conference. Dr. Wei also attended the one day pre-conference workshop on Drone Imagery Workflows in ArcGIS, which introduced the ArcGIS Platform - Drone2Map for drone imagery processing techniques, 2D and 3D outputs, best practice, and sharing of imagery in ArcGIS Online. Dr. Xiaofang Wei participated in the Society for Conservation GIS (SCGIS) annual conference in July 2019 and presented "Modeling of agricultural land use impacts on water quality in Maumee River Watershed" at the conference. Dr. Wei also attended the one day pre-conference workshop on Drone Imagery Workflows in ArcGIS, which introduced the ArcGIS Platform - Drone2Map for drone imagery processing techniques, 2D and 3D outputs, best practice, and sharing of imagery in ArcGIS Online. Dr. Xiaofang Wei attended the two day training program by DARTJONES on 107 Certificate Program for flying the drones and usage of the equipment. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?Research findings from this effort were presented at multiple conferences to a broader academic communities. Assessment of student recruiting and retention from first two summer workshops was accepted for presentation by Dr. Ning Zhang at 2020 American Society of Engineering Education Annual Conference. Dr. Xiaofang Wei presented her work on SWAT modeling at SCGIS conference in July 2019 and her work on remote sensing evapotranspiration was accepted by ISPRS 2020 congress. A manuscript on remote sensing algal bloom monitoring was submitted to peer-reviewed journal and is currently under review. A four-week summer workshop in 2019 was offered for CSU undergraduate students to learn about the advanced science and technology for algal bloom monitoring using GIS and remote sensing. Summer interns in 2020 recruited students who were locked at home during COVID 19 outbreak in learning geoscience and water resources management. Thus, the grant enhanced students' understanding of algal bloom and geospatial sciences, and inspired them to pursue academic degrees and professional careers in natural sciences and agriculture. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?A third year summer workshop will be conducted in summer 2021 to fulfill our proposed goals of enhancing geospatial education at Central State University, with lessons and experience accumulated from previous years. Dr. Desheng Liu from OSU will supervise the postdoctoral researcher Dr. Yongquan Zhao to expand the research component of this project. They will continue their HAB research by analyzing satellite derived HAB indices and in situ HAB pigments (1) deriving HAB indices based on Sentinel-2 MSI and Sentinel-3 OLCI imagery and validating them based on in situ buoy measurements; (2) blending HAB indices derived from Sentinel-2, Sentinel-3, Landsat, and MODIS to achieve more comprehensive monitoring of HABs at higher spatial-temporal resolutions via machine learning based spatial temporal image fusion methods; (3) generating high spatiotemporal resolution HAB chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin maps with high quantitative accuracies by considering water environmental factors through machine learning models. In addition, they will collaborate with Dr. Wei to explore the feasibility of employing the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for Maumee watershed using Data collected from OhioView 2015 HAB Field Campaign. Dr. Ning Zhang will develop lessons to apply the hyperspectral imaging technology to cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom monitoring; develop lab experiments to analyze and quantify pigments that can specifically correlated to cyanobacterial genera populations in water; implement field operations around Maumee Bay and Sandusky Bay area to monitor concentrations of nutrients, algae, and cyanobacteria; and evaluate the accuracy of current available hyperspectral algorithms on identification and quantification of cyanoHAB occurrence and range in Maumee Bay area. Dr. Xiaofang Wei will continue her effort in refining the SWAT model for Maumee Watershed and compared with satellite imagery of harmful algal bloom index, like cyanobacterial. Dr. Wei will continue her work of using Landsat 8 for evapotranspiration estimation for PVID. And Dr. Wei will collaborate with Dr. Liu in mapping the harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie using hyperspectral and multispectral satellite imagery. Faculty and students will continue presenting their research finding at academic colloquium and national conferences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Goal 1. Strengthen agricultural geospatial education at Central State University In terms of education, the project team were able to diversity learning opportunities and strengthen curricular program at Central State University.First, we engaged three undergraduate students as research interns in summer 2020. Faculty provided the weekly guidance and learning activities for students to understand the algae biology, water resources management, GIS and remote sensing technologies. Students were required to 1) participate in online learning course and complete the learning modules included; 2) conduct the watershed water quality survey and analyses by using historical water quality data and satellite image, and GIS data for Grand Lake St. Mary's and Maumee River; 3) meet with faculty advisor(s) virtually each week for sharing information, checking progress, and solving issues and problems; 4) present their learning and finding in a report and present at professional conference.Second, we offered the second year Geospatial Technology Workshop in summer 2019. The workshop enhance the knowledge base of participants in understanding the causes and effects of harmful algal bloom (HAB) by using advanced GIS and remote sensing technology, water quality analyses, and precision agriculture. Eight students participated in the workshop and field trips around CSU campus. They partook a two-day campus tour to Ohio State University and visited laboratories of GIS and remote sensing, Urban Study and 3D modeling, and polar/climate change study.Third, we offered the Precision Agriculture course in fall 2019 to majors in Sustainable Agriculture and Agricultural Education. Dr. Xiaofang Wei used the text book "The Precision-Farming Guide for Agriculturalists: An Agricultural Premier" from Deere & Company, she revised the course syllabus and lesson plans, and emphasized the usage of GIS in soil mapping.Fourth, we developed an online learning course on Schoology with learning materials from previous workshops and new information, including literature review, satellite image download and collection, Google Earth, water data collection, and ArcGIS PVID modules. Goal 2. foster cross-disciplinary research on agriculture related scientific areas For research, the project team deepened the cross-disciplinary research collaboration on harmful algal bloom monitoring and modeling using GIS, remote sensing, agriculture, and watershed modeling.Dr. Xiaofang Wei moved forward her study on watershed modeling using Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to monitor nitrogen and phosphors for Maumee watershed, and improve the model with agricultural practice management data and historical water station data. She presented her finding at SCGIS conference in July 2019. Dr. Wei made use of Landsat 8 satellite image to estimate evapotranspiration for Palo Verde Irrigation District, as one of the proposed objective to create the learning model of using satellite image for water resources monitoring and management for PVID. Her paper entitled" Estimation of Evapotranspiration Using SEBAL Algorithm for Landsat 8 in Lower Colorado River Basin" was accepted at the XXIV ISPRS (International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing ) Congress. Dr. Desheng Liu's research activities mainly focused on developing novel satellite-based approaches to monitor the spatiotemporal distribution of Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) in Lake Erie and Ohio inland lakes. Dr. Liu and his postdoctoral researcher Dr. Yongquan Zhao developed a new HAB spectral index based on Landsat (16 days revisiting cycle with 30-m spatial resolution) and MODIS (daily revisiting cycle but with 250-m/500-m spatial resolution) imagery, which is more indicative than the existing HAB indices based on the same satellites, such as the Floating Algae Index (FAI). On the basis of the new HAB index, they generated Landsat-like HAB index image series with both high spatial resolution of Landsat and high temporal resolution of MODIS by blend MODIS- and Landsat-derived HAB indices via a spatial-temporal image fusion algorithm developed by them. Furthermore, they mapped the high spatiotemporal resolution HAB chlorophyll-a and phycocyanin concentrations in western Lake Erie, which are two typical pigments of cyanobacteria-rich HABs. Accordingly, Dr. Liu and Dr. Zhao have submitted a manuscript named "A spatial-temporal image fusion approach to monitoring harmful algal blooms in western Lake Erie" to the ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing for review. They submitted three proposals for monitoring HABs in Ohio lakes to multiple agencies including Ohio Water Resources Center Research Institute Program, Ohio Department of Higher Education Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative, and Ohio Sea Grant College Program. Dr. Ning Zhang conducted the historical water quality study for lakes and streams in Ohio, she obtained the historical data of the Maumee River water quality for nutrients, solids, and river flows, which were collected at Bowling Green Water Treatment Plant and were downloaded from National Center for Water Quality Research website. Water quality data over the past decade for the Maumee River were downloaded from the US EPA STORET database. Total phosphate (TP) data was extracted from the bulk data. The peak TP in Maumee River around the bay area occurred in August 2012, June 2014 and July 2015. TP data can be correlated to the Phycocyanin (signature pigment reported in cyanobacteria) concentrations and surface water reflectance spectral to assess the primary cause of HAB events. Goal 3. Engage underrepresented minority (URM) students in advanced research For student service, we implemented summer workshop and summer interns to attract more underrepresented minority students into geospatial/agricultural programs and pursue professional careers in agriculture related areas. In summer 2020, three undergraduate students, Kayla Mitchell, Ryana Lowe, and Denalo Windmon were recruited to work with Dr. Xiaofang Wei and Dr. Ning Zhang. Each student needed to complete the online learning course and conduct individual research on using GIS and remote sensing for algal bloom study in lakes and streams in Ohio. In summer 2019, eight students participated and learned to use the advanced instrument and software. During the trip to OSU campus, they explored the pathway to graduate school and professions in natural sciences and agriculture. Dr. Ning Zhang conducted the assessment on retention and graduation for last two summer workshops. According to her findings, among the thirteen participants, one senior graduating student was awarded with B.S. degree prior to the workshop. The data on her retention and graduation in the subsequent academic year was not included in the assessment. For other twelve students, one participant from 2018 workshop graduated with B.S. degree in May 2019, seven participants (two 2018 sophomore participants and five 2019 junior participants) graduated in May 2020. One 2019 sophomore participant is on the track toward graduation in 2021. Collectively, eight out of 12 participants have received their bachelor's degree since they completed the workshop program. Additionally, three participants (i.e., one sophomore and two juniors) were employed by government agencies and municipal organizations as summer interns after completing the workshop studies. Two of them were offered permanent employment potential from their intern employers. Two junior participants have been accepted into graduate schools of top U.S. universities. These experiences have produced positive impacts on participants' post-graduation career and education.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Under Review
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Yongquan Zhao, Desheng Liu, Xiaofang Wei, A spatial-temporal image fusion approach to monitoring harmful algal blooms in western Lake Erie, ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
A Design of Research Based Summer Workshop for STEM Undergraduate Students Education and Engagement at Minority Institution. June 2020. ASEE 2020 Annual Conference & Exposition.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Xiaofang Wei, Ning Zhang, Cadance Lowell, and Desheng Liu. Impacts of Enhanced Geospatial Curriculum Design on STEM Education at Central State University. May 2020. 2020 PKAL Ohio Regional Conference.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2020
Citation:
Xiaofang Wei. Estimation of Evapotranspiration Using SEBAL Algorithm for Landsat 8 and Sentinel Imagery in Lower Colorado River Basin, ISPRS 2020 Congress.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Xiaofang Wei. Modeling of agricultural land use impacts on water quality in Maumee River Watershed. July 2019. Society for Conservation GIS Annual Conference.
|
Progress 06/01/18 to 05/31/19
Outputs
Target Audience: Central State University (CSU), the only Historically Black College and University (HBCU) in Ohio, strives to provide excellence in teaching and learning for the African American ethnic group. With the understanding that African American groupis traditionally considered as underrepresented in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) areas, this grant targets the audience of CSU undergraduate STEM major students, and it aims to recruit more African American students into STEM programs and deliver well-qualified graduate into STEM workforce. This year, the grant offered a four-week summer workshop for the students from diverse disciples of Biology, Sustainable Agriculture, Environmental Engineering, Math, Computer Science, and Water Resources Management. The workshop was designed as an intensive multi-disciplinary educational program on the theme of Harmful Algal Bloom(HAB), so as to disseminate the scientific knowledge of the causes and impacts of HAB in the stream and lake system. It provided experiential learning opportunity for students to learn the cutting edge instrument and software under the guidance of faculty members. To further enrich the classroom teaching, faculty have been exploring innovative instrumentation and technologies, including but no exclusive, spectrophotometer, microscope, Trimble GPS, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro, ENVI, and ERDAS, to be used and taught in the summer workshop. This grant has been building up research collaboration across different disciplines on campus and professional networking across campuses with Ohio State University, University of Dayton, and Wright State University. Changes/Problems: Dr. Deshen Liu was successful in recruiting one post-doctoral researcher, Dr. Yongquan Zhao,to assist in satellite image processing and analyses. Dr. Zhao holds adoctoral degree in Geography from Chinese University of Hongkong, and he joined the research team in March 2019, and he has participated in 2019 summer workshop and obtained MODIS satellite imagery for algal bloom mapping. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? This grant offered the four-week summerworkshop to train eight students in biology, water chemistry, GIS, and remote sensing.Dr. Xiaofang Wei trained the workshop participants with the geospatial analyses tools for Amazonian Deforestation, New York City mapping, and land suitability study,using ESRI ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro, and ArcGIS Online. Dr. Ning Zhang trained the studentson surface water sample collection, preservation and on site water quality parameters measurement, and how to analyze major water quality indicators for collected surface water samples. Dr. Zhang also taughtthe students how to use HACH DR3900 spectrometer and YSI ProDSS multi-parameter Meter to perform nutrient quantitative analysis for water samples. She showedthem how to gather data on hydrography, water quality, and water discharge from internetresources. Dr. Cadance Lowell trained the students to how to cultivate and exam the algae using microscope, examine the farming types and natural areas in the area, and investigate the best practices to fix the pollution problems. Dr. Desheng Liu trained the students with the advanced modules of ERDAS IMAGINE and ENVI to preprocess and classify satellite image. One-on-one mentoring for students during the academic year, Dr. Wei worked with Water Resources Management major students, Marcus Jenkins and Kevin Daniel,on the impact study of agricultural activities in Maumee Watershed on harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie, using Agricultural Census data and ArcGIS software. In terms of professional development for faculty, Dr. Xiaofang Wei received the training on Soil & Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) from SWAT workshops, so as todevelop aSWAT model for Maumee Watershed to assess the nutrient loads from Maumee River to Lake Erie. Dr. Ning Zhang attended the APLU HBCU Engineering Faculty Workshop held in Nashville TN between May 22 and May 24 of 2019. Dr. Zhang were trained for developing adaptive learning modules to better engage students. Communications on how to mentor student researchers were also conducted among attendees.Dr. Desheng Liu attended the Arctic Data Center Training at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis to learn the best data management practices, data science tools, and reproducible data analysis in R programming and Github. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results from the project have been disseminated through the four week summer workshop to undergraduate students and mentoring to undergraduate students during the academic year. In so doing, we have successfully fulfilled the project objectives to attract students to learn about the advanced geospatial technologies and their application in natural and agricultural sciences. Part of the research findings were presented at academic conferences to a broader audience from around the world at the annual meetings of American Association of Geographer (AAG) and Society for Conservation GIS (SCGIS). The team is also in preparation of manuscript submission to peer-reviewed journals to highlight the important research results and findings. In terms of strategic partnership building, this project has reinforced the partnership with Ohio State University, University of Dayton, and Clark State Community College. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Leveraging on the experience gathered from the first two year, a third year summer workshop will be conducted in summer 2020 to fulfill our proposed goals of enhancing geospatial education at Central State University. A second time Precision Agriculture course will be offered to majors in Sustainable Agriculture in fall 2019. During the next academic year, each faculty researcher will work with one student in one-on-one mentorship, focusing on their specific research interest in the areas of Agriculture, GIS, and Water Chemistry. Dr. Liu from OSU will supervise one post-doctoral researcher on hyperspectral image analysis and watershed modeling. Dr. Zhang will develop lessons to apply the hyperspectral imaging technology to cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom monitoring; develop lab experiments to analyze and quantify pigments that can specifically correlated to cyanobacterial genera populations in water; implement field operations around Maumee Bay and Sandusky Bay area to monitor concentrations of nutrients, algae, and cyanobacteria; and evaluate the accuracy of current available hyperspectral algorithms on identification and quantification of cyanoHAB occurrence and range in Maumee Bay area. Dr. Liu from OSU will supervise the postdoctoral researcher Dr. Yongyuan Zhao to expand the research component of this project. They plan to work on the HAB modeling using satellite image analysis. They will continue their second and third objectives of HAB research by (1) linking high spatiotemporal HAB index derived from satellite imagery with in situ buoy measurements from 11 buoys distributed over western Lake Erie; (2) generating high spatiotemporal resolution HAB chlorophyll-a and blue-green algae maps using statistical regression and machine learning methods. In addition, they will collaborate with Dr. Wei to explore the feasibility of employing the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for Maumee watershed using Data collected from OhioView 2015 HAB Field Campaign. Dr. Xiaofang Wei will continue her effort in refining the SWAT model for Maumee Watershed and compared with satellite imagery of harmful algal bloom index, like cyanobacterial. Dr. Wei will collaborate with Dr. Liu in mapping the harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie using hyperspectral and multispectral satellite imagery. Faculty and students will present their research finding at academic colloquium and national conferences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
As planned, CSU moved forward three proposed goals and the research activities in the second year. In May 2019, we implemented the second summer workshop for eight students from the majors of Water Resources Management, Math, Computer Sciences, and Sustainable Agriculture. We also carried out the research plan on satellite Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) mapping, SWAT watershed modeling, and algal water chemistry testing, aiming to understand the impacts of agricultural and climatic factors on algal bloom in Lake Erie. We offered a new course in Precision Agriculture in fall 2018 as a required course to students in Sustainable Agriculture program.In so doing, we enhanced education opportunities for STEM students and promoted collaborative research to increase knowledge base of HAB in watersheds and lakes. 1. Strengthen agricultural geospatial education at Central State University Under this goal, we conducted the curriculum development and offered summer workshop in order to of augment CSU institutional teaching competency in agricultural geospatial sciences. In fall 2018,the first Precision Agriculture course was offered asa required course for Sustainable Agriculture program. Dr. Xiaofang Wei adopted the text book "The Precision-Farming Guide for Agriculturalists: An Agricultural Premier" from Deere & Company, and she designed the course content, course syllabus, and lesson plans. Same course is scheduled in fall 2019 with experience and lesson learned from the first year. An upper level course in using advanced GIS and Remote Sensing in the applications of water resources, agriculture, and natural environment was further discussed. From May 13, 2019 to June 7, 2019, the Geospatial Technology in Agriculture Summer Workshop was held for four weeks at International Center of Water Resources Management (ICWRM), through the joint effort of four faculty, Drs. Cadance Lowell, Desheng Liu, Ning Zhang, and Xiaofang Wei. The workshop was to enhance the education and knowledge base for understanding the causes and effects of harmful algal bloom (HAB) by using advanced technology of GIS, remote sensing , water quality analyses, and precision agriculture. This workshop offered theme lectures, hands-on experiment in labs, field data/sample collection, campus tour, and GIS/remote sensing software training. Eight students participated in the workshop, and they were Devonsholion Curtis, Kevin Daniel, Alisha Helm, Torry Johnson, Daniel Lee, Kayla Lucas, Jordyn Rosichan, and Breotha Worthy. All students and faculty took a field trip to Indian Mound Reserve to collect water samples, practice instruments, and make a survey of terrain, stream, and wetland system. A tour to multiple Labs at Ohio State University was conducted to learn more about satellite image processing in urban study, 3D LiDar modeling, and polar/climate change study. The students worked independently to study the lakes in Ohio and examined the HAB situation using what they learned from the workshop. In short,students were not only exposed to the cutting edge technology in geospatial sciences, water chemistry, and agriculture, but also learned to use the advanced software and equipment in tackling the real world problems, the HAB in Lake Erie. 2. Foster cross-disciplinary research on agriculture related scientific areas Under this goal, we steered our cross-disciplinary research on Maumee watershed modeling and nutrient simulation using the foremost technology of GIS, remote sensing, agriculture, and watershed modeling. Dr. Xiaofang Wei explored the feasibility of nitrogen and phosphors modeling and implemented the baseline Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for Maumee watershed. The model simulated the surface runoff, sediments, and nutrients in Maumee watershed using geospatial data, soil data, crop layer, land cover/land use data, farm management practice, and weather station data. Dr. Ning Zhang set up an indoor bioreactor for algae and cyanobacteria cultivation with Dr. Cadence Lowell. Dr. Zhang obtained the historical data of the Maumee River water quality for nutrients, solids, and river flows, which were collected at Bowling Green Water Treatment Plant and were downloaded from National Center for Water Quality Research website. Dr. Desheng Liu furthered his research on developing novel satellite-based approaches to monitor Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) in western Lake Erie.Dr. Liu and his newly recruited post-doctoral researcher, Dr. Yongquan Zhao have been using satellite imagery and in situ observations to map and model the spatiotemporal distribution of HAB forthree research goals: (1) generating spatiotemporal resolution HAB index (Floating Algae Index, FAI) images; (2) modelling between FAI images and buoy measurements, i.e., chlorophyll-a and blue-green algae concentration; (3) mapping high spatiotemporal resolution HAB chlorophyll-a and blue-green algae concentration. As of now, the first step has reached to the end. A Spatial-Temporal Image Fusion (STIF) technique was used to blend the high temporal resolution (daily revisiting cycle but with 250 m spatial resolution) of MODIS imagery and the high spatial resolution (16 days revisiting cycle with 30 m spatial resolution) of Landsat-8 imagery to produce high spatiotemporal resolution Landsat-like image series (daily revisiting cycle with 30 m spatial resolution). Dr. Liu and Dr. Zhao prepared a manuscript on the blended HAB, entitled "High Spatiotemporal Resolution Monitoring of Harmful Algae Bloom over Wester Lake Erie with Multiple Data Sources", to be submitted to the journal of "International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation" in June 2019. 3. Engage underrepresented minority (URM) students in advanced research Under this goal, we implemented the summer workshop and one-on-one mentorship to attract more underrepresented minority students into geospatial/agricultural programs and pursue professional careers in agriculture related areas. During the academic year, two undergraduate students, Marcus Jenkins and Kevin Daniel, were engaged in research with Dr. Xiaofang Wei and Dr. Ning Zhang in agricultural and water related research. In the four-week summer workshop of 2019, eight students were immersed in experimental learningofcutting edge science and technology,instrumentation, and GIS /RS software. From the field trip and campus tour, they experinced andexplored the career and professional pathways across multiple disciplines and beyond campus. They moved on with their academic path: Marcus Jenkins took summer interns in 2018 and 2019 at North East Ohio Sewage District, assist in collecting and testing water samples along streams and rivers; Akil Cornish graduated in May 2019 with a major in Biology and minor in Sustainable Agriculture; Teyana Adams graduated with a major in Water Resources Management; Alisha Helm obtained an intern opportunity to work with NRCS on agricultural farms in summer 2019.
Publications
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Su, W., J. Huang, D. Liu, and M. Zhang. 2019. Retrieving corn canopy leaf area index from multitemporal Landsat imagery and terrestrial LiDAR data. Remote Sensing, 11(5), 572.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Kim, R.S., M. Durand, and D. Liu. 2018. Spectral analysis of airborne passive microwave measurements of alpine snowpack: Colorado, USA. Remote Sensing of Environment, 205: 469-484.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Zhu, X., H. Eileen, J. Chen, and D. Liu. 2018. An automatic system for reconstructing high-quality seasonal Landsat time series. Remote Sensing: Time Series Image Processing. Qihao Weng (eds). CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group.
- Type:
Journal Articles
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Cai, S. and D. Liu. Mapping land cover change trajectories with monthly MODIS time series from 2001 to 2010. 2018. Remote Sensing: Time Series Image Processing. Qihao Weng (eds). CRC Press/Taylor & Francis Group.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Accepted
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Wei, X. Modeling of agricultural land use impacts on water quality in Maumee River Watershed, Society for Conservation GIS (SCGIS), Pacific Grove, CA. September, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Wang, Z. and D. Liu. A method to optimize temporal sequence and spatial context in multi-temporal land cover maps. Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG), Washington, DC. April, 2019.
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Liu, D. Spatiotemporal mining of earth observation data: challenges and opportunities. Opening Keynote Address given at the 36th National Congress of Chilean Geographical Society, Concepci�n, Chile, October 2018.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2019
Citation:
Mukherjee, R. and D. Liu. Comparison of statistical and deep learning methods for spatio-temporal fusion of satellite images. Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG), Washington, DC, April, 2019.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Liang, J. and D. Liu. Estimating daily surface water fraction by using regression tree and MODIS derived water indices. American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting, Washington, DC. December, 2018.
|
Progress 06/01/17 to 05/31/18
Outputs
Target Audience: This Capacity Building Grant targets the audience of CSU undergraduate STEM majors and faculty conducting research in agriculture related areas. For CSU undergraduate students, this grant provides experiential learning opportunities in learning cutting-edge instrument and software with faculty researchers in Greenhouse, Water Chemistry Laboratory, and Remote Sensing Laboratory. It also strengthens the academic and career pathways through workshop, internships, campus visit, and mentoring. For perspective CSU undergraduate students, this grant seeks to attract more students into Agriculture, Water Resources Management, and other natural sciences programs through an enhanced geospatial program being part of the 1890 Land Grant Institutional curriculum. For CSU faculty, this grant strivesto build up research collaboration across different disciplines on campus and across campuses with 1862 Land Grant Institute, Ohio State University. Changes/Problems:In the first year, Dr. Liu planned to recruit a graduate student at OSU to work as a research assistant (RA) on the project. But the search was not successful. OSU could keep searching for new graduate student in next calendar year. However, the earliest starting date would be in August 2019. Thus, graduate student could not work for the project in Year Two, which might delay the progress of the research. Under this circumstance, Dr. Liu proposes to change the Graduateposition to a Post-Doctorateposition. The Postdoc researcher could dive directly into research and contribute more with their expertise. Hiring a Postdoc researcher is more flexible and not constrained by the academic calendar. Finally, our budget allows us to make this conversion as the cost for hiring a postdoc is approximately equal to the fund we allocated for a graduate student. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?During the workshop, Dr. Xiaofang Wei trained the workshop participants the geospatial analyses tools for Amazonian Deforestation, Colorado Flood Prone Zone, hospital site suitability study, and routing and network study using ESR ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro, and ArcGIS Online. Dr. Ning Zhang trained the workshop participants on surface water sample collection, preservation and on site water quality parameters measurement, and how to analyze major water quality indicators for collected surface water samples. Dr. Cadance Lowell trained the students to examine the farming types and natural areas in the area, and investigate the best practices to fix the pollution problems. Dr. Desheng Liu trained the students the advanced modules of ERDAS IMAGINE and ENVI to preprocess and classify satellite image. One-to-one mentoring for students was fostered during the academic year, Dr. Cadance Lowell supervised and engaged a Sustainable Agriculture major student Mr. Akil Cornish to study the invasive species (Japanese Knotweed) in Little Miami River and near Beavercreek wetland using satellite imaging and UAV system. Dr. Xiaofang Wei engaged a Water Resources Management major student, Mr. Marcus Jenkins, working on the study of agricultural activities in Maumee Watershed using Agricultural Census and GIS software. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?The results from the project have been disseminated through the four week summer workshop to undergraduate students and the one-to-one mentoring to undergraduate students during the academic year. By so doing, we have successfully fulfilled theobjectives to teachstudents theadvanced geospatial technology and its applications in natural and agricultural sciences. CSU USDA liaison, Mrs. Isabel Brumley, patronized our trip to Vision Lab at University of Dayton. During the trip, the purpose of our project and USDA mission were disseminated to non-agriculture community. Part of the research findings were presented at American Association of Geographer (AAG) annual meeting held in New Orleans April, 2018, to a broader audience from around the world. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Leveraging on the experience and knowledge gathered from the first year, a second year summer workshop will be conducted in summer 2019 to fulfill our proposed goals of enhancing geospatial education at Central State University. A first time Precision Agriculture course will be offered to majors in Sustainable Agriculture in fall 2018. During the next academic year, each faculty researcher will work with one student in one-on-one mentorship, focusing on their specific research interest in the areas of Agriculture, GIS, and Water Chemistry. Dr. Liu from OSU will engage one graduate student to work on the hyperspectral image analysis and watershed modeling. Dr. Zhang will develop lessons to apply the hyperspectral imaging technology to cyanobacterial harmful algal bloom monitoring; develop lab experiments to analyze and quantify pigments that can specifically correlated to cyanobacterial genera populations in water; implement field operations around Maumee Bay and Sandusky Bay area to monitor concentrations of nutrients, algae, and cyanobacteria; and evaluate the accuracy of current available hyperspectral algorithms on identification and quantification of cyanoHAB occurrence and range in Maumee Bay area. Dr. Desheng Liu plans to collect in situ spectral measurements in Maumee River Watershed and Lake Erie, and develop machine learning algorithms for mapping and monitoring harmful algal bloom using multispectral and hyperspectral data. Dr. Xiaofang Wei will apply the absolute atmospheric correction methods 6SV code and ENVI FLAASH to hyperspectral imagery obtained during the 2015 Harmful Algal Bloom in Lake Erie. Dr. Wei will engage student in studying invasive species using multiple date satellite imagery. Dr. Wei will collaborate with Dr. Liu in mapping the harmful algal bloom in Lake Erie using hyperspectral and multispectral satellite imagery. Faculty and students plan topresent their research findings at academic colloquium and national conferences.
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
The first year marked CUS's effort in laying down a solid foundation to safeguard the successful accomplishment of our proposed goals and objectives. We strengthened the geospatial curriculum by offering a new course in Precision Agriculture and proposing a certificate program in Geographic Information Science and Technology. We fostered a cross-disciplinary research team from Geography, Biology, and Water Resources Management to understand the impacts of agricultural and climatic factors on algal bloom in Lake Erie. We provided mentorship and workshop to improve and diversify education opportunities for STEM and Agriculture undergraduate students on CSU campus. Five students from the majors of Water Resources Management and Sustainable Agriculture participated in the workshop, field trip, and campus tour. The redesigned geospatial curriculum can benefit the students on campus and working professions from nearby areas. The collaboration within and outside CSU can improve faculty research and knowledge base of understanding HAB in watersheds and lakes. Objective 1: Strengthen agricultural geospatial education at Central State University During the first year, we conducted the curriculum development and summer workshop to augment our institutional teaching competency in agricultural geospatial sciences. In lieu of curriculum development, first, we reviewed the current geospatial science curriculum and designed an advanced course. This new course is designed to be a capstone course that employs advanced GIS and Remote Sensing theory in the applications of water resources, agriculture, and natural environment. It will be team-taught by the faculty from different disciplines. Second, we put forward a certificate program- Geographic Information Science and Technology (GIST) to the Ohio Department of Higher Education (ODHE) in April 2018. ODHE will distribute funding to support need-based financial aid to students enrolled in the program. The certificate program is tailored to teach from the basic concepts to the most cutting-edge development in GIST for the major students in Water Resources Management, Agriculture, and other related disciplines, as well as the working professionals from southwestern Ohio. Third, a Precision Agriculture course will be offered in fall 2018. We investigated and decided the course content, course syllabus, textbook, and the UAV system (drone platform and sensors) to be used for agricultural sciences. From May 14, 2018 to June 8, 2018, the Geospatial Technology in Agriculture Summer Workshop was held for four weeks at International Center of Water Resources Management (ICWRM), through the joint effort of four faculty, Drs. Cadance Lowell, Desheng Liu, Ning Zhang, and Xiaofang Wei. The workshop strived to enhance the education and knowledge base for understanding the causes and effects of harmful algal bloom (HAB), using advanced GIS and remote sensing technology, water quality analyses, and precision agriculture. This workshop offered theme lectures, laboratory experiment, field data/sample collection, and GIS/remote sensing software training. Five students participated in the workshop, and they are Teyana Adams, Akil Cornish, Solomon Grace, Marcus Jenkins, and Brooke White. All students and faculty took a field trip to Maumee Bay by Lake Erie to collect water samples, practice instruments, and make a field survey of Maumee Watershed. A tour to Vision Lab at University of Dayton was conducted to learn more about the image processing and analyses, beyond the areas of natural resources management, in facial recognition, autonomous car artificial intelligence, oil/gas pipeline reconnaissance, brain pulse monitoring, and image neural network analyses. During the workshop, students were not only exposed to the leading technology in geospatial sciences, water chemistry, and agriculture, but they also learned to use the advanced software and equipment in tackling the real world problems. Using what they learned from the workshop, the students worked independently from the different aspects including agriculture and fertilizer factors, flood and precipitation factors, water quality and safety issues, and the geospatial tools, and brainstormed collectively to decode the 2015 Harmful Algal Bloom Outbreak in Lake Erie. Objective 2. Foster cross-disciplinary research on agriculture related scientific areas In the first year, we fostered the cross-disciplinary faculty research and collaboration in Geography, Sustainable Agriculture, and Water Resources Management. Dr. Ning Zhang conducted literature reviews on analytical methods for algal bloom related water quality parameter measurement. Nutrients (e.g., nitrate, dissolved reactive phosphorus and etc.) are analyzed by colorimetric method using spectrophotometer. Chlorophyll a. is extracted from algae and further analyzed using spectrophotometer as well. Additionally, multiple ocean-derived color algorithms were reviewed for their application on remotely based detection and quantification of various types of inland surface water algal blooms. She also investigated the historical data of the Maumee River water quality. Data on concentrations of nutrients, solids, and river flows, which were collected at Bowling Green Water Treatment Plant, were downloaded from National Center for Water Quality Research website. Dr. Xiaofang Wei investigated the absolute atmospheric correction methods for hyperspectral satellite image, 6SV code and ENVI FLAASH. Both methods require the sensor geometrical conditions, image spectral bands, atmospheric gaseous components, aerosol density, solar illuminating geometry, and other ancillary information. Dr. Wei collaborated with Dr. Lowell in investigating the invasive species in Little Miami River Watershed using satellite imagery.Dr. Liu compiled a list of available remote sensing data in our study area and conducted an extensive literature review to summarize previous studies on mapping and monitoring harmful algal bloom using both in situ data, multispectral and hyperspectral imagery from aircraft and satellite platforms. Dr. Liu and Dr. Wei explored the feasibility of employing the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) for Maumee watershed using Data collected from OhioView 2015 HAB Field Campaign. Objective 3. Engage underrepresented minority (URM) students in advanced research Two undergraduate students were engaged in research with Dr. Xiaofang Wei and Dr. Cadance Lowell during the academic year of 2017-2018. Undergraduate research with faculty will not only spark interest and motivate students to pursue degree in agriculture and related areas, but enhance their scientific research skills and inspire them to achieve higher personal/professional goal. A mentorship was developed between the faculty and the student. Both students participated in the summer workshop and demonstrated great enthusiasm using geospatial technology. One student accepted a summer intern to work on sewage and waste water management in Cleveland Ohio. The other studentscontinue working with Dr. Lowell and Dr. Zhang for agricultural related research in summer. Five students participated in all the activities in the summer workshop for four weeks. They learned from teaching faculty, demonstrated excellent working ethics during field trips and campus tour, worked collaboratively with peer students, and made oral presentation on HAB Outbreak in Lake Erie. Theycompleted the assigned tasks timelywith good quality and high independency. In short, the workshop and mentorship served as magnets to attract more underrepresented minority students into geospatial/agricultural programs and pursue professional careers in agriculture related areas.
Publications
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Shen, M. and D. Liu. Analysis of vegetation indices performance for estimating leaf area index, Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG), New Orleans, LA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Mukherjee, R. and D. Liu. Satellite data fusion between MODIS and Landsat 8 using a single image superresolution deep learning model, Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG), New Orleans, LA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2018
Citation:
Liang, J. and D. Liu. Flood delineation based on time series change detection and region growing of SAR images, Annual Meeting of the Association of American Geographers (AAG), New Orleans, LA.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2017
Citation:
Liu, D. Spatiotemporal mining of earth observation data: challenges and opportunities. The Third International Conference on Spatial Data Mining and Geographical Knowledge Services, Wuhan, China.
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