At Texas A&M University, Graduate Assistant Lecturer Shanna Gleason combines conservation with cutting-edge technology to study one of the state’s most endangered ecosystems: the coastal prairie. As part of her PhD research with the Department of Rangeland, Wildlife & Fisheries Management, Shanna aims to better understand vegetation patterns and invasive species across Texas’s declining rangelands, in part thanks to high-accuracy mapping technology.
With the help of Eos GNSS receivers, Shanna accurately maps the distribution of native and invasive plant species on land owned by Coastal Prairie Conservancy (CPC). By capturing high-accuracy locations of these species, Shanna can train and validate drone imagery classification models, thereby ensuring that native and invasive species are correctly identified in future analyses. The high-accuracy location technology allows Shanna to support more effective restoration and management of coastal prairies.
Learn about Shanna’s work in her own words!
1. Why are you passionate about your job?
I am very passionate about studying and conserving natural resources and rangelands. Specifically, contributing to the understanding of resources on Texas’s declining coastal prairies is very important to me. I enjoy being able to integrate technology with conservation, as this combination is essential for the future of our native landscapes. Being able to precisely map vegetation, especially invasive species, allows for more effective conservation efforts.
2. How did you first find out about Eos Positioning Systems’ GNSS products?
I first heard about Eos GNSS products at the beginning of my PhD project from my advisor Dr. Humberto Perotto, who had success with Eos GNSS receivers in his own work.
3. What do you use Eos GNSS products for?
Using the Arrow 100® GNSS receiver and ArcGIS® Survey123, I map instances of plant species as points on a map. I use these highly accurate points to ground-truth drone image classifications. In effect, the points serve two main purposes: First, they ensure that I can correctly identify species from the drone imagery. Second, they allow me to check how accurately the image classification matches reality on the ground — specifically, whether the mapped boundaries of the invasive species line up with where the plants actually grow.
4. Do you have a favorite experience or memory from your projects with Eos hardware?
If it weren’t for the precision of the Eos GNSS receivers in identifying the exact locations of individual plants, there would have been plenty of species misidentifications in the image classification process!
The ground-truthed vegetation points have saved me multiple times. I look at that data when I otherwise can’t identify species from the drone imagery. If it weren’t for the precision of the Eos GNSS receivers in identifying the exact locations of individual plants, there would have been plenty of species misidentifications in the image classification process!
Left: Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) is a fast-growing invasive tree that can form in dense groupings, outcompeting native prairie vegetation and changing soil chemistry. Shanna mapped these trees to help train her machine learning model to accurately identify these invasive plants across Warren Ranch. Right: The fruit of the Chinese tallow tree forms as a three-lobed capsule that ripens in late summer to fall. When it splits open, bright white, wax-coated seeds are released and spread by birds and water, helping the species rapidly invade new areas.
Left: The Macartney rose (Rosa bracteata) bush flourishes at Warren Ranch. Macartney rose is a dense, fast-growing invasive plant that can dominate prairie landscapes, making it difficult for native species to thrive. Right: The bush bears white flowers with yellow centers and thick, prickly stems that form dense thickets.
5. Do you have a favorite feature of Eos GNSS receivers?
I also really appreciate the battery life; we typically run out of phone battery in the field before we run out of GNSS receiver battery.
My favorite features are threefold. First, the accuracy of the receiver, because I typically get around 15 centimeters! The high accuracy is very helpful when we’re working with high-resolution imagery to identify individual plants. Second, I like how fast the accuracy stabilizes. The minimal start-up time allows me to take more points in a day, which increases our efficiency. Finally, I also really appreciate the battery life; we typically run out of phone battery in the field before we run out of GNSS receiver battery.
Explore Related Content
Beyond the Tide: Tracking California’s Coastal Change with High-Accuracy Maps
To enable more accurate predictions about sea level rise, Dr. Kyle Emery is piloting a drone, GNSS, GIS, and satellite imagery workflow.
Customer Spotlight: Ella Voorhees Brings Great Accuracy to the Great Smoky Mountains with GNSS
Ella Voorhees supports critical conservation efforts in Great Smoky Mountains National Park thanks in part to Eos GNSS receivers, Galileo HAS, and ArcGIS Field Maps.
