Petrie, Gregg 
  
5 CONCLUSIONS 
Cost, data storage considerations, limited availability, and other practical considerations preclude the use of 
hyperspectral data to explicitly cover large land areas associated with rangeland characterization. However, both the 
examples given above, and ongoing work with the use of hyperspectral data sets, suggest that hyperspectral data sets 
can play an important role in solving complex environmental problem sets both directly and indirectly. Hyperspectral 
data sets can be used as a test platform to model new satellite systems (e.g., Orbview 4) and their use in rangeland 
characterization. In the best case, they can be used to help design new systems that are optimal for rangeland 
characterization. Hyperspectral data can be used to model tradeoffs between high and low-resolution systems to find 
the optimal mix of sensors in our hierarchical strategy. These analyses provide information needed to refine, test, and 
understand new methods for selecting cost-effective sensor arrays. These methods also help to direct the application of 
hyperspectral sensors to those critical areas identified with broad area coverage systems. Our experience to date 
indicates that there is an important role for hyperspectral data in characterizing large land areas such as those required 
for monitoring indicators of rangeland health. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
Funding for this work was provided by the Bureau of Land Management, U.S. Department of the Interior. 
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