Dustin Curley

Mr. Dustin Curley


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

4Years (2023-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
25 October 2023 in Remote Sensing
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
CCChandra Holifield Collins
Chandra Holifield Collins
SSSusan Skirvin
Susan Skirvin
MKMark A Kautz
Mark A Kautz
ZWZachary Winston
Zachary Winston
DCDustin Curley
Dustin Curley
Willem van LeeuwenWillem van Leeuwen
Willem van Leeuwen
Much of the western United States is covered by rangelands used for grazing and wildlife. Woody plant cover is increasing in areas historically covered by grasslands and can cause numerous problems, including losses in wildlife habitat, forage for grazing, and overall losses in soil health. Land managers and conservationists are working to control these increases in woody plants, but need tools to help determine target areas to focus efforts and resources where they are most needed. In this work, we present RaBET (Rangeland Brush Estimation Tool), which uses transparent, well-understood methodologies with remotely sensed data to map woody canopy cover across large areas of rangelands. We demonstrate that our process produced more accurate results than two currently available tools based on advanced machine learning techniques. We compare two methods of map validation: traditional field methods of plant canopy measurements; and aircraft-based photography, which decreases the amount of time and resources needed. RaBET is a remote sensing-based application for obtaining repeatable, accurate measures of woody cover to aid land managers and conservationists in the control of woody plants on rangelands.