Comparison of remote sensing techniques for alien vegetation mapping

Remote sensing is a cost- and time-effective technique for identifying alien vegetation in riparian zones. Remote sensing data can be incorporated into a geographic information system (GIS) which can be used as a tool for the management of riparian zones. In this paper, vegetation identification and classification techniques, such as aerial videography, aerial photography and satellite imagery, are identified and assessed in terms of accuracy for a small subcatchment in the KwaZulu-Natal midlands. This was achieved by incorporating the data obtained from different data sources into a GIS. Accuracies of the different techniques were then examined. The accuracy results obtained in this study indicate that using manual techniques to identify riparian vegetation from 1:10000 black-and-white aerial photographs yields the most accurate results.