Mapping Arctic tundra vegetation types using digital SPOT/HRV-XS data A preliminary assessment

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Multispectral (XS) image data recorded by the High Resolution Visible (HRV) sensor aboard the SPOT-1 satellite are being evaluated for the mapping of Arctic tundra vegetation in the Arctic Foothill Province of Alaska. This research is part of a current ecosystems study that requires an efficient means for mapping vegetation types over large areas. Conventional spectral-based image classification techniques were applied to SPOT/HRV-XS data from a single date. The unique characteristics of the vegetation cover (mainly tussock tundra) and illumination conditions of the location necessitated a detailed examination of classification approaches that have generally been applied in mid-latitude studies. Preliminary results suggest that areal estimates of Arctic tundra vegetation types can be made accurately (±2·5 per cent per category), but maps generated by classifying spectral features of SPOT/HRV-XS data alone arc unsuitably accurate (56 per cent). This is partly due to the high occurrence of relatively small vegetation parcels, determined by measuring the characteristic lengths of vegetation parcels from a ‘ground reference’ map covering the same area as the SPOT/HRV-XS subscene.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: