Peter Wolter

Peter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management at Iowa State University. His broad interests include forest and landscape ecosystems ecology and monitoring using satellite sensor technologies (FAST Lab: Forests, Agriculture, & Satellite Tech). Currently, he is investigating the combined use of ground and satellite sensor data to calibrate models for estimating burnable forest canopy bulk density in the Arrowhead region of northern Minnesota. The aim is to be able to accurately and efficiently monitor, measure, and map forest biophysical parameters critical for modeling forest fire behavior in this region, which has long eluded traditional modeling strategies using conventional approaches. Successful calibration of these needed forest parameters, using readily available satellite sensor data, will provide a framework for semi-automated, periodic updates to track structural changes and transform the efficiency of forest fire risk assessment in this region.