Aim Traditional methodologies of mapping vegetation, as carried out by ecologists, consist primarily of field surveying or mapping from aerial photography. Previous applications of satellite imagery for this task (e.g. Landsat TM and SPOT HRV) have been unsuccessful, as such imagery proved to have insufficient spatial resolution for mapping vegetation. This paper reports on a study to assess the capabilities of the recently launched remote sensing satellite sensor Ikonos, with improved capabilities, for mapping and monitoring upland vegetation using traditional image classification methods.Location The location is Northumberland National Park, UK.Methods Traditional remote sensing classification methodologies were applied to the Ikonos data and the outputs compared to ground data sets. This enabled an assessment of the value of the improved spatial resolution of satellite imagery for mapping upland vegetation. Post-classification methods were applied to remove noise and misclassified pixels and to create maps that were more in keeping with the information requirements of the NNPA for current management processes.
ResultsThe approach adopted herein for quick and inexpensive land cover mapping was found to be capable of higher accuracy than achieved with previous approaches, highlighting the benefits of remote sensing for providing land cover maps.
Main conclusionsIkonos imagery proved to be a useful tool for mapping upland vegetation across large areas and at fine spatial resolution, providing accuracies comparable to traditional mapping methods of ground surveys and aerial photography.
Spontaneous colour preferences of neonate herring gulls (Larus argentatus) were demonstrated by TINBER-iEN and PERDECK 1 in a classic study exemplifying an innate releasing mechanism. \\fhen begging for food gull chicks peck at the tip of their parent's beak, a behaviour to which the adults respond by regurgitation. In an experimental situation the chicks will, if hungry, peck at small sized, moving chromatic stimuli that simulate to some extent the parent's bill. The response frequency depends on, among parameters, the hue of the stimuli. One of us 2 recently reinvestigated these experience independent colour preferences of herring and lesser blackbacked gulls (Larus fttscus) using patches of narrow-band, nearly monochromatic spectral light as stimuli. Experiments were carried out within which the light intensity of the stimuli was adjusted either to equal physical energy or 9 c I '"-'" u
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