Diane M. Styers
Associate Professor | Western Carolina University
Cullowhee, NC, UNITED STATES
Diane Styers's current research focuses on analyzing ecosystem structure and function and examining changes over space and time.
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Biography
Diane is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resources at WCU. She uses remote sensing and geospatial approaches to analyze patterns of social and ecological processes that drive landscape changes affecting earth's resources. Her current research focuses on analyzing ecosystem structure and function and examining changes over space and time, particularly in response to natural and human disturbances. This information will help support her ultimate goal of mapping, quantifying, and valuing ecosystem services. Diane's areas of expertise include: LiDAR data analysis, object-based image analysis (OBIA), MODIS and Landsat phenology and other time series analysis, multi-sensor integration, forest ecology (structure and function), human ecology mapping, air pollution effects on forest ecosystems, and dendroecology.
Industry Expertise (2)
Research
Education/Learning
Areas of Expertise (5)
Human Ecology Mapping
Multi-Sensor Integration
LiDAR Data Analysis
Object-Based Image Analysis (OBIA)
Forest Ecology
Accomplishments (3)
Keynote Speaker Research Award (professional)
22nd Annual Undergraduate Exposition
Faculty Institute on Community Engagement Project Award (professional)
Western Carolina University
Community Engagement STAR Project Award (professional)
Western Carolina University
Education (3)
Auburn University: Ph.D., Forestry and Ecology 2008
Georgia State University: M.A., Geography 2005
University of North Carolina, Greensboro: B.S., Human Development & Family Studies 1997
Affiliations (3)
- American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Association of American Geographers
- Ecological Research as Education Network
Links (4)
Languages (1)
- English
Event Appearances (3)
Using National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) open-access nested-plot vegetation datasets to teach biological diversity and spatial scale concepts
Ecological Society of America 105th Annual Meeting Salt Lake City, UT
2020-08-02
Macroscale Ecology in the Classroom: An EREN Partnership Using NEON Data
Northeast Natural History Conference Springfield, MA
2019-04-12
Utilizing a remote sensing derived NDVI normal dataset and vegetation field data to assess post-fire effects and ecosystem recovery in the southern Appalachians
Association of Southeastern Biologists 80th Annual Meeting Memphis, TN
2019-04-03
Research Grants (3)
Revitalization of Traditional Cherokee Artisan Resources Grant
Cherokee Preservation Foundation $39,998
Rivercane: New Geospatial Tools and Approaches
North Carolina Urban and Community Forestry Grant
Western Carolina University $29,376
WCU Campus Tree Inventory, Assessment, and Geodatabase Construction
Sustainable Energy Initiative Project Grant
Western Carolina University $20,927
WCU Campus Tree Inventory Expansion and Geodatabase Enhancement
Articles (5)
Diel discharge variations in dormant and growing seasons in a headwater catchment suggest potential sources of an evapotranspiration signal
Hydrological Processes2019 Diel fluctuations in discharge not associated with precipitation have been identified in streams around the world and attributed to evapotranspiration of both hillslope and near-stream vegetation. Several mechanisms have been hypothesized to explain the generation of these signals, but a consensus has not been reached.
Is recreation a landscape value?: Exploring underlying values in landscape values mapping
Landscape and Urban Planning2019 Landscape values mapping (LVM) is a participatory process used to gather public input for park and forest management. Respondents assign landscape values or ecosystem benefits to places on a map using a typology that usually includes the value “recreation.”
A Macroscopic Charcoal and Multiproxy Record from Peat Recovered from Depression Marshes in Longleaf Pine Sandhills, Florida, USA
Quaternary2018 Science-based information on historical fire frequency is lacking for longleaf pine sandhills. We undertook a high-resolution macroscopic charcoal and geochemical analysis of sediment cores recovered from three depression marshes located within a longleaf pine sandhill ecosystem in Florida, USA.
Short-Term, Large-Area Survey of Container Aedes spp. (Diptera: Culicidae): Presence and Abundance is Associated with Fine-scale Landscape Factors in North Carolina, USA
Environmental Health Insights2020 Container Aedes mosquitoes are responsible for the transmission of anthroponotic and zoonotic viruses to people. The surveillance and control of these mosquitoes is an important part of public health protection and prevention of mosquito-borne disease.
Geovisualization of Socio-Spatial Data on Outdoor Activities and Values in the Southern Appalachians
International Journal of Applied Geospatial Research2018 This article describes how GIS is increasingly being used to explore, analyze, and visualize qualitative social data across space. The authors applied a number of geovisualization and analysis approaches to spaces identified on maps by survey participants, in the context of a Human Ecology Mapping (HEM) project in western North Carolina.
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