Markov Chain Modeling of Multinomial Land-Cover Classes

Quantitatively modeling the spatial distribution and uncertainties of landcover classes is crucial in geographic information science. However, currently suitable methods for modeling multinomial categorical variables for geographical analyses are rare because of the complex spatial interdependence of multinomial classes. In this paper we use a recently presented two-dimensional Markov chain model to simulate multinomial land-cover classes and to estimate occurrence probability vectors for spatial uncertainty representation. Simulated results indicate that the model may provide a potential method for predictive mapping at higher resolutions possibly over large areas and for spatial uncertainty analyses of land-cover classes.

[1]  Geoff Bohling,et al.  GSLIB: Geostatistical software library and user's guide. by CLAYTON V. DEUTSCH and A. G. JOURNEL, Oxford Univ. Press, 1992 340 p. Two 3 1/2 in highdensity diskettes $49.95 , 1994 .

[2]  A. Journel.  Nonparametric estimation of spatial distributions , 1983 .

[3]  Lars Rosén,et al.  On Modelling Discrete Geological Structures as Markov Random Fields , 2002 .

[4]  Håkon Tjelmeland,et al.  Markov Random Fields with Higher‐order Interactions , 1998 .

[5]  Timothy C. Coburn,et al.  Geostatistics for Natural Resources Evaluation , 2000, Technometrics.

[6]  Carolyn T. Hunsaker,et al.  An Introduction to Uncertainty Issues for Spatial Data Used in Ecological Applications , 2001 .

[7]  D. Mark,et al.  The Nature Of Boundaries On ‘Area-Class’ Maps , 1989 .

[8]  J. Chilès,et al.  Geostatistics: Modeling Spatial Uncertainty , 1999 .

[9]  Diederik Jacques,et al.  Effect of spatial variation of textural layers on regional field water balance , 2001 .

[10]  A. Journel,et al.  Posterior identification of histograms conditional to local data , 1994 .

[11]  Antonio G. Chessa,et al.  A Markov Chain Model for Subsurface Characterization: Theory and Applications , 2006 .

[12]  Clayton V. Deutsch,et al.  GSLIB: Geostatistical Software Library and User's Guide , 1993 .

[13]  Sequential Indicator Simulation with Correction for Local Probabilities , 1998 .

[14]  Pierre Goovaerts,et al.  Stochastic simulation of categorical variables using a classification algorithm and simulated annealing , 1996 .

[15]  Gerard B. M. Heuvelink,et al.  Error Propagation in Environmental Modelling with GIS , 1998 .

[16]  Chuanrong Zhang,et al.  Two-dimensional Markov chain simulation of soil type spatial distribution , 2004 .

[17]  Phaedon C. Kyriakidis,et al.  A geostatistical approach for mapping thematic classification accuracy and evaluating the impact of inaccurate spatial data on ecological model predictions , 2001, Environmental and Ecological Statistics.

[18]  Kevin S. McKelvey,et al.  Incorporating Uncertainties in Animal Location and Map Classification into Habitat Relationships Modeling , 2001 .

[19]  C. Ehlschlaeger,et al.  Representing uncertainty of area class maps with a correlated inter-map cell swapping heuristic , 2000 .

[20]  P. Collier,et al.  Uncertainty in Remote Sensing and GIS , 2004 .

[21]  Giles M. Foody,et al.  Uncertainty in Remote Sensing and GIS: Fundamentals , 2006 .

[22]  Michael F. Goodchild,et al.  Development and test of an error model for categorical data , 1992, Int. J. Geogr. Inf. Sci..