Evaluation and interpretation of landscapes from satellite imagery

Abstract

Satellite imagery allows us to view landscapes from a bird’s eye view, providing a new dimension in appreciating the environments we inhabit. This alternative perspective has the potential to shape individual perceptions of landscapes and play a pivotal role in land management decision-making and communication. However, the interpretation and appreciation of landscapes seen in satellite imagery may vary among observers. This study investigates the relationship between individuals’ ability to interpret images from eye-level and satellite perspectives, their familiarity with the landscape, and their appreciation of land cover from this viewpoint. To achieve this, a survey was conducted presenting respondents with images of land cover classes captured at eye level and from satellite imagery of the Yungay municipality in Chile. Participants were asked to interpret the primary land use land cover (LULC) depicted in the imagery and indicate their appreciation of that landscape. Variation in the interpretation of LULC was observed between the image source and land cover type. For instance, forest classes seen in eye-level imagery were more accurately interpreted compared to satellite imagery, while the reverse was true for agriculture. These differences in interpretation also impacted the appreciation scores assigned to the landscapes in the images. Specifically, if respondents perceived an image to be dominated by a traditionally appreciated land cover (e.g., Native Vegetation), they provided a higher score, even if the image depicted another class (e.g., Plantation Forestry). These findings highlight that considering the influence of satellite imagery in shaping perception is crucial in supporting land management activities.