Hurricane disturbance mapping using MODIS EVI data in the southeastern Yucatán, Mexico

This letter evaluated the use of Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) 250 m Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI) standard product data (MOD/MYD13Q1 C5) to map the damage caused by Hurricane Dean (August 2007) to the forests in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico using a two-step vetting procedure. Sequences of MODIS EVI 16-day composite products captured before and after the hurricane were compared against 93 field damage plots to select an appropriate set of pre- and post-damage data. Aqua pairwise combinations produced the highest damage detection overall accuracy compared with Terra (82.4% vs. 73.8%, respectively) because of advantageous timing of the Aqua EVI compositing, relative to the hurricane event. The most accurate EVI damage map (91.4% overall) revealed highest damage detection in Saffir–Simpson hurricane wind scale zone 5 (i.e. wind speed >248 km h−1, i.e. 95%), followed by 93% in zone 4 (210–249 km h−1) and 87% in zone 3 (178–209 km h−1). Results indicate that MODIS EVI products provide timely and accurate maps of hurricane damage in subtropical forests.

[1]  A. Huete,et al.  Overview of the radiometric and biophysical performance of the MODIS vegetation indices , 2002 .

[2]  Xianjun Hao,et al.  Post-hurricane forest damage assessment using satellite remote sensing , 2010 .

[3]  Fugui Wang,et al.  Potential of MODIS EVI in Identifying Hurricane Disturbance to Coastal Vegetation in the Northern Gulf of Mexico , 2009, Remote. Sens..

[4]  Elijah W. Ramsey,et al.  AVHRR imagery used to identify hurricane damage in a forested wetland of Louisiana , 1997 .

[5]  Rapid mapping of hurricane damage to forests , 2009 .

[6]  Edwin M. Everham,et al.  Forest damage and recovery from catastrophic wind , 1996, The Botanical Review.

[7]  F. Achard,et al.  A Synthesis of Information on Rapid Land-cover Change for the Period 1981–2000 , 2005 .

[8]  Zhong Lu,et al.  Satellite optical and radar data used to track wetland forest impact and short-term recovery from Hurricane Katrina , 2009, Wetlands.

[9]  Yaw A. Twumasi,et al.  Hurricane Georges and vegetation change in Puerto Rico using AVHRR satellite data , 2004 .

[10]  Robert B. Waide,et al.  Responses of Tree Species to Hurricane Winds in Subtropical Wet Forest in Puerto Rico: Implications for Tropical Tree Life Histories , 1994 .

[11]  T. J. Smith,et al.  Wind damage effects of Hurricane Andrew on mangrove communities along the southwest coast of Florida, USA , 1995 .

[12]  N. C. Strugnell,et al.  First operational BRDF, albedo nadir reflectance products from MODIS , 2002 .

[13]  D. Roy,et al.  An overview of MODIS Land data processing and product status , 2002 .

[14]  Emery R. Boose,et al.  Hurricane impacts to tropical and temperate forest landscapes , 1994 .

[15]  J. R. Eastman,et al.  Land change in the southern Yucatán and Calakmul biosphere reserve: effects on habitat and biodiversity. , 2007, Ecological applications : a publication of the Ecological Society of America.

[16]  Gene E. Likens,et al.  Hurricane Hugo: damage to a tropical rain forest in Puerto Rico , 1992, Journal of Tropical Ecology.

[17]  Christopher W. Landsea,et al.  Hurricane vulnerability in Latin America and the Caribbean: normalized damage and loss potentials , 2003 .