ABSTRACT
Ecosystems throughout the world are imperiled by myriad anthropogenic factors. It is critical to develop tools for evaluating and monitoring the health or integrity of various ecosystems. Because of the broad scale of the problem, the urgency to address informational needs, and the limited financial resources committed to the problem, relatively inexpensive tools that encompass large areas are especially desirable. Remote sensing offers possibilities for such large-scale evaluation and monitoring. With aerial or satellite imagery, vast quantities of information from very large areas can be collected periodically.
