Abstract

Invasive species can have detrimental impacts on biodiversity and local ecosystems and are frequently targeted by natural area management for treatment and removal. Two common species of invasive honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii and Lonicera japonica) decrease plant diversity and alter ecological systems such as food webs in Kentucky. Both species are found in abundance at Taylor Fork Ecological Area (TFEA) and difficult to effectively manage. Remote sensing tools like multispectral imagery can be used to efficiently locate and quantify the abundance of invasive honeysuckle at TFEA because of the unique spectral signatures of various landcovers. This study used a combination of field coordinates and aerial imagery from the National Agricultural Imagery Program (NAIP) to compare invasive honeysuckle distribution and landcover change between the years 2016 and 2022 using ENVI software. The produced results showed that forest and honeysuckle nearly doubled in acreage over the six-year time period and the software-produced visualizations classified the landcovers with 62% accuracy. The increase in invasive honeysuckle during this time could be attributed to the available resources in an early successional forest and lack of prior treatment. Ultimately, these findings may contribute to the promotion of detailed landscape documentation and improvement of remote sensing techniques used in land management for invasive species reduction.

Semester/Year of Award

Spring 2026

Mentor

Kelly Watson

Mentor Department Affiliation

Physics, Geosciences, and Astronomy

Access Options

Open Access Thesis

Degree Name

Honors Scholars

Degree Level

Bachelors

Department

Biological Sciences

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