Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-ndw9j Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-07T06:14:19.175Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Detecting Huisache (Acacia farnesiana) and Mexican Palo-verde (Parkinsonia aculeata) by Aerial Photography

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  12 June 2017

James H. Everitt
Affiliation:
Agric. Res. Serv., U.S. Dep. Agric., P.O. Box 267, Weslaco, TX 78596
Ricardo Villarreal
Affiliation:
Agric. Res. Serv., U.S. Dep. Agric., P.O. Box 267, Weslaco, TX 78596

Abstract

Huisache [Acacia farnesiana (L.) Willd. # ACAFA] and Mexican palo-verde (Parkinsonia aculeata L. # PAKAC) are native woody legumes that often occur together on rangelands of southern Texas and northern Mexico. Huisache produces a profusion of orange-yellow flowers during February or March giving it a conspicuous golden appearance. Mexican palo-verde produces a heavy bloom of yellow flowers in mid-April or early May giving it a yellow-green coloration. Plant canopy light reflectance measurements of flowering huisache showed that its reflectance at the 0.55- and 0.65-μm visible wavelengths was significantly higher than that of Mexican palo-verde in the vegetative stage and four other associated plant species or mixture of species. Conversely, reflectance measurements of flowering Mexican palo-verde showed that its reflectance at the 0.55-μm visible wavelength was significantly higher than that of huisache in the vegetative stage and the same four associated plant species or mixtures of species. Flowering huisache had a golden color on conventional color (0.40-to 0.70-μm) aerial photos that made it distinguishable from other plant species, whereas flowering Mexican palo-verde had a pink image on color-infrared (0.50- to 0.90-μm) aerial photos. However, immature plants of both species cannot be detected using this technique. Computer-based image analyses of conventional color film positive transparencies showed that huisache infestations could be quantified from associated rangeland species. This technique can permit ‘percent land area infested’ estimates of mature huisache on rangelands. These results show that aerial photography may be a useful tool to detect and monitor the spread of huisache and Mexican palo-verde on rangelands, and to delineate areas needing control.

Type
Special Topics
Copyright
Copyright © 1987 by the Weed Science Society of America 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Literature Cited

1. Carneggie, D. M. 1970. Remote sensing: review of principles and research in range and wildlife management. Pages 165178 in Paulsen, H. A. Jr. and Reid, E. H., eds. Range and Wildlife Habitat Evaluation – A Research Symposium. USDA For. Serv. Misc. Publ. 1147. U.S. Gov. Printing Office, Washington, DC.Google Scholar
2. Drawe, D. L. 1968. Mid-summer diet of deer on the Welder Wildlife Refuge. J. Range Manage. 21:164166.Google Scholar
3. Driscoll, R. S. 1974. Use of remote sensing in range and forest management. Proc. Great Plains Agric. Council. Great Plains Agric. Council, Sioux Falls, SD. Pages 111133.Google Scholar
4. Driscoll, R. S. and Coleman, M. D. 1974. Color for shrubs. Photogram. Eng. 40:451459.Google Scholar
5. Elifrits, C. D., Borney, T. W., Barr, D. J., and Johannsen, C. J. 1977. Mapping land covers from satellite images: a basic low cost approach. Proc. Fall Meeting Am. Soc. Photogrammetry, Falls Church, VA. Pages 106122.Google Scholar
6. Everitt, J. H. 1985. Using aerial photography for detecting blackbrush (Acacia rigidula) on south Texas rangelands. J. Range Manage. 38:228231.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
7. Everitt, J. H., Ingle, S. J., Gausman, H. W., and Mayeux, H. S. Jr. 1984. Detection of false broomweed (Ericameria austrotexana) by aerial photography. Weed Sci. 32:621624.Google Scholar
8. Everitt, J. H., Pettit, R. D., and Alaniz, M. A. 1987. Remote sensing of broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae) and spiny aster (Aster spinosus). Weed Sci. 35: (In press).Google Scholar
9. Gausman, H. W., Menges, R. M., Escobar, D. E., Everitt, J. H., and Bowen, R. L. 1977. Pubescence affects spectra and imagery of silverleaf sunflower (Helianthus argophyllus). Weed Sci. 25:437440.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10. Leamer, R. W., Myers, V. I., and Silva, L. F. 1973. A spectroradiometer for field use. Rev. Sci. Instrum. 44:611614.Google Scholar
11. Menges, R. M., Nixon, P. R., and Richardson, A. J. 1985. Light reflectance and remote sensing of weeds in agronomic and horticultural crops. Weed Sci. 33:569581.Google Scholar
12. Myers, V. I. and Allen, W. A. 1968. Electrooptical remote sensing methods as nondestructive testing and measuring techniques in agriculture. Appl. Optics 7:18181838.Google Scholar
13. Myhre, R. J. 1987. Applications of aerial photography to several new and unusual vegetation pest problems. Proc. 10th Biennial Workshop on Color Aerial Photography in the Plant Sciences. Am. Soc. Photogrammetry, Falls Church, VA. (In press).Google Scholar
14. Richardson, A. J., Wiegand, C. L., Gausman, H. W., Cuellar, J. A., and Gerbermann, A. H. 1975. Plant, soil, and shadow reflectance components of row crops. Photogram. Eng. and Remote Sensing 41:14011407.Google Scholar
15. Scifres, C. J. 1980. Brush Management. Texas A&M Univ. Press, College Station, TX. 360 pp.Google Scholar
16. Tueller, P. T. and Swanson, J. D. 1973. Color and color-infrared photography for evaluating vegetation characteristics in the cold deserts of central Nevada. Proc. 4th Biennial Workshop on Color Aerial Photography in the plant sciences. Am. Soc. Photogrammetry, Falls Church, VA. Pages 128155.Google Scholar
17. Vines, R. A. 1960. Trees, shrubs, and woody vines of the southwest. Univ. of Texas Press, Austin. 1104 pp.Google Scholar
18. Wiegand, C. L., Gausman, H. W., Cuellar, J. A., Gerbermann, A. H., and Richardson, A. J. 1974. Vegetation density deduced from ERTS-1 MSS response. Proc. 3rd Earth Resources Technological Satellite-1 Symp. Vol. 1, Section A, NASA SP-351. U.S. Gov. Printing Office, Washington, DC. Pages 93116.Google Scholar