Telling Your Tree Stories- Resource Packet

NASA has a satellite, called the  Global Precipitation Measurement  (GPM) mission, that is able to measure precipitation as it falls from the clouds to the ground. GPM is a joint mission with the Japanese Space Agency (JAXA) and is a follow up mission to the   Tropical Rainfall Measurement Mission   (TRMM). This has enabled us to have over twenty years of precipitation data, allowing us to look for patterns and trends which may be indicative of climate change. The video to the right explains what "IMERG" data is and how it is derived. This is the data that I will generate and share with you for your tree's location.

We will focus on how precipitation impacts trees and helps to determine the species of trees that can grow in different regions.

You can take a look at a few examples of trees with the twenty year record of precipitation data for each tree's location in the Telling Our Tree Story Project. The two examples include a few questions to help you connect the precipitation data with your chosen tree and surrounding land cover.

After we have collected tree stories from around the world, we can begin to look into how climate change may impact these trees in the future. The StoryMap below describes the ways in which trees may be impacted by climate change.

Stay tuned for updates as we look at climate projections for the data we have gathered.

Check out the website below for fantastic education and outreach resources related to the water cycle, weather and climate, and how and why we measure precipitation from space.

Remote sensing is the acquiring of information from a distance. NASA observes Earth and other planetary bodies using sensors aboard satellites and aircraft that detect and record reflected or emitted energy. Remote sensors, which provide a global perspective and a wealth of data about Earth systems, enable data-informed decision making based on the current and future state of our planet.

Of course, data collected from the ground is essential too! The  Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment  (GLOBE) Program has been providing students and the public worldwide with the opportunity to meaningfully contribute to our understanding of the Earth system and global environment. We will cover more information about this program and show you how you can easily collect and share your data- using only your smartphone or iPad!

Looking for a way to share how and why we use NASA's Earth observations to better understand climate change? Click below for a continuum of education and outreach resources!

GLOBE Observer is an international network of citizen scientists and scientists working together to learn more about our shared environment and changing climate. To participate, just  download the GLOBE Observer app .

When you  download the GLOBE Observer app , you join the community of  The GLOBE Program  - citizen scientists, students, and teachers in 120+ countries around the world contributing to Earth system science research.

Using this app and the four tools enables citizen scientists to collect data to track changes in the environment in support of Earth system science research, and interpret NASA and other satellite data- as well as to provide an  open data set  available to scientists, and supporting students of all ages in doing real scientific research through the  GLOBE Program. 

For this project, you will need to use this app and the Trees and Land Cover tools.

Trees cool and moisten our air and fill it with oxygen and can help balance our carbon budget. Forests are considered one of the world’s largest banks for all of the carbon emitted into the atmosphere through natural processes and human activities.

Tree height is the most widely used indicator of an ecosystem’s ability to grow trees. Observing tree height allows NASA scientists to understand the gain or loss of biomass which can inform calculations of the carbon that trees and forests either take in from or release into the atmosphere.

Tracking how trees are changing over time can help us estimate the number of trees that make up an area.  Learn more about the science of trees , and how NASA studies them, on the Trees Science page.

You will use the Trees tool to get tree height data for your selected tree. It takes no more than a few minutes to get this data and will require nothing other than your smartphone.

Once you have  downloaded the app  and created an account, the Trees tool will guide you through the observation process. The video to the right takes you through the easy steps to do your tree height observation.

The required steps include selecting a tree and using your device to measure the angle from the bottom to the top of the tree, walking to the tree and counting your steps (to determine the distance) and reporting on surface conditions. The app will use that information to calculate an estimate of the tree’s height.

When you collect your data, you will see that your location has been determined using satellite technology! I will be using this latitude and longitude data to get your twenty-year record of precipitation data from the GPM mission.

After you do your trees observation, you can see your observation by going to the icon at the bottom of your screen. It is to the right of the house icon, and represents a bar graph. When you click on that icon, it will open up a new screen which has a top option saying "See My Data". When you click on that bar, you will see the data you collected.

You can also see your data by logging into the  Globe Observer website  and logging in. You will see a place at the top right of your screen to "View My Observations".

To be included in the  Tree Stories project , you will need to take a screenshot of your data (see above).

If you would like to include a picture of you standing next to your tree, send that as a screenshot as well, and be sure to fill out and include  this signed form  for anyone who is included in the picture. (Location of event is "Tree Story"). Email everything to me at dorian.w.janney@nasa.gov!

Learn more about the reasons we are collecting Trees data, how these data are used by researchers, how NASA satellites collect this data from space, as well as find an incredible array of great resources at the link below.

Before you leave your tree, it is time to do a Land Cover observation from the base of your tree.

Land cover is the base dataset for many areas of critical science, including hazard analysis for floods, fires and landslides, mapping wildlife habitat, and tracking the impacts of climate change. Even though land cover is familiar to everyone on the planet, the most detailed satellite-based maps of global land cover are still on the order of hundreds of meters [about 330 feet] per pixel. That means that a park in a city may be too small to show up on the global map. GLOBE Observer:

Land Cover can fill in local gaps and contribute to consistent, detailed global maps. Find out more about the science of land cover and how it is studied on the  Land Cover Science  page.

While you are welcome to analyze the land cover, for this project we only need to see your pictures.

You will want to do the same thing with your land cover data for me to include it in the  Tree Stories project .

Learn more about the reasons we are collecting land cover data, how these data are used by researchers, how NASA satellites collect this data from space, as well as find an incredible array of great resources at the link below.

How might climate change impact the kinds of trees that are growing in your region? Learn more in the resource packet below.