- Metric Name:  Drought Sensitivity

- Data Vintage:  2018



- Unit Of Measure: Relative index, low to high

This layer represents an estimation of the probability that drought will substantially impact post-fire shrub recovery, potentially leading to vegetation type conversion to invasive grasses and forbs. This type conversion may increase the risk of fire igition and fire spread.

Creation Method: These data are based on estimates of change in canopy cover over the period 1984-2018 from satellite data, and includes some areas that have already degraded, but mostly areas predicted to change in future drought episodes.

Specifically, this data set portrays estimates of the probability that absolute shrub cover will decline substantially (up to 30 percent) as a result of failed vegetation recovery consequential of drought. This drought sensitivity index is based on estimates of change in shrub cover between the periods 1984-1989 and 2014-2018, which were derived from June-solstice Landsat Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) image time series (source: espa.cr.usgs.gov). These 30-m spatial resolution estimates of change in fractional cover were sampled randomly based on 491 points located within chaparral areas that burned only once during the period 1984-2018, and therefore were not subject to the potential impacts of repeated (short-interval) fires upon seed production or resprouting vigor.

Credits: Emanual Storey, Ph. D; San Diego State University’s Connecting Wildlands and Communities Project Team

- Credits:  San Diego State University CWC Project Team

San Diego State University’s Connecting Wildlands and Communities Project Team: 
Data disclaimer:  
The user accepts sole responsibility for the correct interpretation and use of the data provided.