Application of detailed ground information to vegetation mapping with high spatial resolution digital imagery

Abstract High resolution digital data were collected over an ecologically varied area to determine the extent to which different field data can be used to enhance vegetation mapping through remote sensing. Field data, in the form of tree and shrub densities, and herb frequencies were recorded for 155 vegetation plots at Presqu'ile Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. These field-plot data were analyzed using two-way indicator species cluster analysis (TWINSPAN) to produce an hierarchical, ecological classification scheme. A parallel classification scheme was also developed independently using only qualitative field notes. The results of field-plot data classifications were used to produce supervised classifications of Multi-detector Electro-optical Imaging Sensor (MEIS II) airborne digital data recorded in five spectral bands with a 5 m × 5 m spatial resolution. Accuracy assessments show a considerable range in the classification accuracies for different plant communities. In general, the more ecologically / spectrally unique the class is and the lower the species/spectral variations that occur, the higher the classification accuracy. In addition, a qualitative approach to field-plot description produces a more statistically accurate digital classification of MEIS II data than does the detailed quantitative ground information.

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