Mapping Vegetation Communities Using Statistical Data Fusion in the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri, USA

Abstract

A vegetation community map was produced for the Ozark National Scenic Riverways consistent with the association level of the National Vegetation Classification System. Vegetation communities were differentiated using a large array of variables derived from remote sensing and topographic data, which were fused into independent mathematical functions using a discriminant analysis classification approach. Remote sensing data provided variables that discriminated vegetation communities based on differences in color, spectral reflectance, greenness, brightness, and texture. Topographic data facilitated differentiation of vegetation communities based on indirect gradients (e.g., landform position, slope, aspect), which relate to variations in resource and disturbance gradients. Variables derived from these data sources represent both actual and potential vegetation community patterns on the landscape. A hybrid combination of statistical and photointerpretation methods was used to obtain an overall accuracy of 63 percent for a map with 49 vegetation community and land-cover classes, and 78 percent for a 33-class map of the study area.

Functional Phenology of a Texas Post Oak Savanna from a CHRIS PROBA Time Series

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Multispectral remote sensing for mapping grassland degradation using the key indicators of grass species and edaphic factors

“…Rignot et al 1997;Harvey & Hill 2001;Chastain et al 2008;Martínez-López et al 2014). Although results in these studies have been promising, mapping vegetation in complex environments at species level using multispectral imageries (e.g.…”

Detection of foliage conditions and disturbance from multi-angular high spectral resolution remote sensing

“…Remote sensing offers unique opportunities to identify land cover change (Ghitter et al, 1995;Lambin and Strahler 1994) and forest disturbance in general (Collins and Woodcock 1996;Hall et al, 1991;Olsson 1994;Palmier and Ansseau 1992;Spanner et al, 1989;Wulder et al, 2004a), and various efforts have been made to map disturbance events at regional and national scales (Cayuela et al, 2006;Chastain et al, 2008;Masek et al, 2008;Sader and Legaard 2008;Wulder et al, 2004a). Most studies, however, have been focusing on stand-clearing events, such as clear-cuts or fires (Masek et al, 2008), while disturbances that leave intact substantial portions of the forest canopy, such as insect outbreaks, are much more difficult to quantify (Jin and Sader 2005;Lunetta et al, 2004;Masek and Collatz 2006;Masek et al, 2008;Wulder et al, 2005).…”