Applying Remote Sensing To Urban Ecosystem Dynamics: Opportunities For Understanding And Managing The Ballona Wetland System In Los Angeles

Anthropogenic impacts on ecosystems are prevalent and pose significant risks to vulnerable systems. In particular, wetland ecosystems are often found in urban centers with dense populations and rapid changes. Wetlands provide opportunities to study impacts of rapid urbanization and expansion, climate effects and pollution. The outcomes of human activities directly impact wetlands through coupled human-natural processes, including activities such as agriculture, oil extraction and resulting land cover changes, as well as indirect effects across the entire global biosphere. Here we examine human impacts of the last several years on the La Ballona Wetland Complex in Los Angeles, California, and discuss how remote sensing techniques and modeling can provide better understanding not only for this important wetland area in a megacity but for other wetland areas in other parts of the world.