Betty A. Walter-Shea
Hi, I’m Betty Walter-Shea, professor in the School of Natural Resources.
I’m associated with the natural resource sciences undergraduate major and the bio-atmospheric interactions graduate specialization. On the UNL faculty since 1989, my recent research includes the study of remote-sensing estimates of photosynthetically active radiation absorbed by vegetation canopies. I’m applying this to tallgrass prairie and wheat canopies. I have extended this work to a carbon-sequestration (storage) program. Another aspect of the research is the study of ultraviolet-light penetration into canopies.
I also have been involved in several experiments in which the common goal was to understand the interactions between the vegetative surface and the atmosphere and their role in global environmental change.
Remotely sensed data are widely used to monitor land surfaces and provide input data for climate models. Information on the relation between remote-sensing signals and the land surface is vital in interpreting images from satellite and aircraft. The interaction of sunlight with leaves, stems and soil can be quite complex, making interpretation challenging.
With accessibility of more refined remote-sensing equipment and computing technology, I foresee that field-based remote-sensing research will become more routine, so that research will target a variety of land-surface features under different illumination and growing conditions. That will allow us to test algorithms (mathematics that help us measure natural conditions) under a variety of conditions.
I have a bachelor’s degree in geography from the University of Central Arkansas in Conway, Ark., a master’s degree in geography from Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, and a Ph.D. in agronomy from UNL with emphasis in agricultural meteorology.
Personnel Information
| Name | Elizabeth A. Walter-Shea |
| University Title | Professor |
| SNR Title | Teaching Coordinator |
| Address | 803 Hardin Hall, Lincoln NE 68583-0968 |
| Phone | 402-472-1553 |
| Fax | 402-472-2946 |
| ewalter-shea1@unl.edu | |
| Related Websites | http://snr.unl.edu/acs/ http://csp.unl.edu/Public/index.html http://modarch.gsfc.nasa.gov/MODIS/LAND/VAL/prove/grass/prove.html |
Go to Betty's Full Profile
Key Publications
- Walter-Shea, E.A., J.L. Privette, D. Cornell, M.A. Mesarch and C.J. Hays, 1997. Relations between directional spectral vegetation indices and leaf area and absorbed radiation in alfalfa. Remote Sensing of Environment 61:162-177.
- Deering, D.W., E.M. Middleton, B.L. Blad, E.A. Walter-Shea, J. Irons, C.L. Walthall and C.J. Hays, 1992. Prairie grassland bidirectional reflectances measured by different instruments at the FIFE site. Journal of Geophysical Research 97:18,887-18,904.
- Walter-Shea, E.A., J.M. Norman and B.L. Blad, 1989. Leaf bidirectional reflectance and transmittance in corn and soybean. Remote Sensing of Environment. 29(2):161-174.
