THE USE OF ARCHIVAL LANDSAT MSS AND ANCILLARY DATA IN A GIS ENVIRONMENT TO MAP HISTORICAL CHANGE IN AN URBAN RIPARIAN HABITAT

Recent changes in the condition of the riparian habitat of the Tanque Verde Creek in Tucson, Arizona prompted an investigation of the dynami cs of the native plant communities, hydrology, and climate in the area . The project was an initial attempt to assess and monitor the changin g condition of native vegetation along the Tanque Verde Creek during t he period 1983 through 1989, and to discover if mapped changes in vege tation patterns could be correlated with available ground data. Analys is techniques involved the use and evaluation of archival Landsat Mult ispectral Scanner (MSS) multitemporal satellite data coupled with pert inent hydrologic and meteorologic measurements. The Mss data were used to develop indices of vegetation condition for the years 1983 through 1989. A wide array of multitemporal comparisons were constructed betw een the vegetation indices and well water levels, temperature, and pre cipitation. Varying levels of statistical correlation between changes in vegetation indices, water level, and climatic variables were discov ered. Multitemporal maps of changing vegetation condition and well wat er levels reveal a definite decline in both after 1985. In addition, t he multitemporal satellite data provide a viable and important histori cal view of changing vegetation condition within the Tanque Verde ripa rian area.