Satellite View, After Tamarisk Defoliation (IMAGE)
Caption
This 2007 infrared image from the ASTER instrument on NASA's Terra satellite shows the effects of saltcedar leaf beetles that were released to defoliate tamarisk. An alfalfa field along the Colorado River remains vegetated and thus is bright red. But the wet "bottom" area along the Dolores River (lower right) appears much darker than in the 2006 image because the beetles have eaten tamarisk leaves. Remaining areas of bright red within the "bottom" area are due to willow and cottonwood trees. University of Utah researchers propose using satellites to monitor tamarisk defoliation by beetles in remote areas of the Southwest.
Credit
Phil Dennison, University of Utah, from NASA data.
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