Grad Student Conference at MSU focuses on remote sensing applications

Graduate students from the Northern Plains and Rockies met at Montana State University-Bozeman Thursday and Friday to hold the first research conference of the Upper Midwest Aerospace Consortium.

University News for MSU

The consortium is funded by NASA and other granting agencies that have an interest in remote sensing and application of precision agriculture, weed ecology, cropping systems, soil fertility, forestry, education and agronomy. The group has members from eight institutions in North and South Dakota, Idaho, Wyoming and Montana.

The students presented summaries of their work for two days, interspersed with other activities, and followed the work with a visit to Yellowstone National Park over the weekend.

MSU Master’s degree candidate Ross Bricklemyer presented information on the variability of soil sampling data as it relates to perfecting models of the carbon-holding capacity of Montana farm land. Bricklemyer’s work fits into a multi-faceted research project at MSU that is investigating whether or not Montana farmers can make money for trapping greenhouse gases while they improve the organic matter, health and productivity of their soils.

Also on the agenda were MSU’s Catherine Maynard who is working on a model of rangeland productivity in Montana, Shannon Savage on remote sensing of non-forest vegetation in the northern range of Yellowstone National Park from images taken between 1985 and 2000 and Greg Mulholland on using satellite images to manage nitrogen on Montana wheat farms.

Christine Sommers-Austin (406) 994-6034, Ross Bricklemyer (406) 994-5119

http://www.montana.edu/commserv/csnews/nwview.php?article=555