A Technique for Subpixel Analysis of Dynamic Mangrove Ecosystems With Time-Series Hyperspectral Image Data

Changes in mangrove forests are mostly caused by natural disasters, anthropogenic forces, and uncontrolled population growth. These phenomena often lead to a strong competition between existing mangrove species for their survival. Due to its enhanced spectral resolution, remotely sensed hyperspectral image data can play an important role in the task of mapping and monitoring changes in mangrove forests. In this paper, we use EO-1 Hyperion hyperspectral data to model the abundance of pure and mixed mangrove species at subpixel levels. This information is then used to analyze the interspecies competition in a study area over a period of time. Different characteristics, including the rate of growth, rate of reproduction, mortality rate, and other processes that control the coexistence of plant species are discussed. The obtained results, verified through field visits, illustrate that the proposed approach can interpret the dominance of certain mangrove species and provide insights about their state of equilibrium or disequilibrium over a fixed time frame.