Evaluation of multidate Landsat Multispectral Scanner data Laustrup, M. 1995. Geospatial application: Evaluation of multidate Landsat Multispectral Scanner data for determining changes between aquatic and terrestrial habitats on the Upper Mississippi River System. National Biological Service, Environmental Management Technical Center, Onalaska, Wisconsin, September 1995. LTRMP 95-P009. 19 pp. + Appendixes A and B. (NTIS #PB96-115803) ABSTRACT Landsat Multispectral Scanner data representing conditions in 1972, 1984, and 1992 were processed to identify open water conditions. The study area included the Upper Mississippi River floodplain between Genoa, Wisconsin, and south of Dubuque, Iowa. Data were analyzed to identify changes which occurred over the 20-yr period and these changes have been combined to represent gains and losses. Gains generally equate to a loss of aquatic plant beds and islands in the lower pools (erosion), while losses are generally restricted to off-channel habitats and represent the effects of sedimentation. Between 1972 and 1992, gains totaled 6,959 hectares; losses totaled 6,321 hectares. KEYWORDS Landsat Multispectral Scanner, remote sensing, GIS, Upper Mississippi River, change detection, aquatic habitat