Mangrove Forest Cover Change in the Conterminous United States from 1980–2020
Author Information
Author(s): Giri Chandra, Long Jordan, Poudel Prapti
Primary Institution: United States Environmental Protection Agency
Hypothesis
How have mangrove forests in the conterminous United States changed from 1980 to 2020?
Conclusion
Mangrove forests in the conterminous United States increased by 13.5% from 1980 to 2020, with significant variations in coverage over the years.
Supporting Evidence
- The total mangrove area in the conterminous United States in 2020 was 266,179 hectares.
- 98.0% of the mangrove area is located in Florida.
- 85% of the CONUS mangrove area was found between 24.5° and 26.0° latitude.
- The validation of 2020 data confirmed a high accuracy of 95%.
- Mangrove forests in the CONUS increased by 13.5% from 1980 to 2020.
Takeaway
This study looked at how mangrove forests in the U.S. changed over 40 years, finding that they grew in size but faced ups and downs along the way.
Methodology
The study used time-series Landsat data and image-processing techniques to analyze mangrove forest dynamics every five years from 1980 to 2020.
Potential Biases
Potential biases may arise from the reliance on satellite data and the inherent errors in land-use/land-cover maps derived from remotely-sensed data.
Limitations
The study faced limitations due to the lack of high-quality Landsat data for earlier years and the inability to map smaller mangrove patches accurately.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.05
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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