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Presence of Vegetation in Relation to Slope in Yosemite Valley, California

Author(s): Colin Saltzgaber1, Julia Kelson2

1. The Nueva School 2. University of Michigan

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Summary:
Here we examine the relationship between the slope of a terrain and vegetation, measured by NDVI levels. I used satellite data from Yosemite Valley to analyze and test for statistical significance between NDVI levels amongst different slope…

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Here we examine the relationship between the slope of a terrain and vegetation, measured by NDVI levels. I used satellite data from Yosemite Valley to analyze and test for statistical significance between NDVI levels amongst different slope angles. I used confidence intervals and hypothesis tests to estimate the population mean NDVI levels. I found statistical significance between the 30-45 degree range and the 75-90 degree range, which supports my hypothesis that lower sloped terrain is more supportive of vegetation. However, my findings show that no slope (even as extreme as 85-90 degrees) prohibits the growth of vegetation completely, and that even the steepest slopes analyzed contained plant life.

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Version 1.0 - published on 10 Feb 2023 doi:10.25334/4H47-T864 - cite this