Integrating GIS, Remote Sensing, and Citizen Science to Map Oak Decline Risk across the Daniel Boone National Forest

Oak decline is a general term used for the progressive dieback and eventual mortality of oak trees due to many compounding stressors, typically combination predisposing, inciting, contributing factors. While pinpointing individual causes in challenge, past studies have identified site stand characteristics associated with decline. In this study, we developed risk map Daniel Boone National Forest (DBNF), combining GIS, remote sensing (RS), public reporting (citizen science, CS). Starting ground reports (CS), site-scale model (GIS RS) based on four previously predisposing factors: elevation, slope, solar radiation, topographic wetness. We found that areas as having high also reflected observed (CS). then optimized expanded entire range DBNF, both (as piloted case study site) inventory data. The data (including species composition age) further improved model, resulting at landscape level. This can serve planning tool highlights potential usefulness integrating sensing, citizen science.