scholarly journals Optimizing kNN for Mapping Vegetation Cover of Arid and Semi-Arid Areas Using Landsat images

2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1248 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hua Sun ◽  
Qing Wang ◽  
Guangxing Wang ◽  
Hui Lin ◽  
Peng Luo ◽  
...  

Land degradation and desertification in arid and semi-arid areas is of great concern. Accurately mapping percentage vegetation cover (PVC) of the areas is critical but challenging because the areas are often remote, sparsely vegetated, and rarely populated, and it is difficult to collect field observations of PVC. Traditional methods such as regression modeling cannot provide accurate predictions of PVC in the areas. Nonparametric constant k-nearest neighbors (Cons_kNN) has been widely used in estimation of forest parameters and is a good alternative because of its flexibility. However, using a globally constant k value in Cons_kNN limits its ability of increasing prediction accuracy because the spatial variability of PVC in the areas leads to spatially variable k values. In this study, a novel method that spatially optimizes determining the spatially variable k values of Cons_kNN, denoted with Opt_kNN, was proposed to map the PVC in both Duolun and Kangbao County located in Inner Mongolia and Hebei Province of China, respectively, using Landsat 8 images and sample plot data. The Opt_kNN was compared with Cons_kNN, a linear stepwise regression (LSR), a geographically weighted regression (GWR), and random forests (RF) to improve the mapping for the study areas. The results showed that (1) most of the red and near infrared band relevant vegetation indices derived from the Landsat 8 images had significant contributions to improving the mapping accuracy; (2) compared with LSR, GWR, RF and Cons-kNN, Opt_kNN resulted in consistently higher prediction accuracies of PVC and decreased relative root mean square errors by 5%, 11%, 5%, and 3%, respectively, for Duolun, and 12%, 1%, 23%, and 9%, respectively, for Kangbao. The Opt_kNN also led to spatially variable and locally optimal k values, which made it possible to automatically and locally optimize k values; and (3) the RF that has become very popular in recent years did not perform the predictions better than the Opt_kNN for the both areas. Thus, the proposed method is very promising to improve mapping the PVC in the arid and semi-arid areas.

2020 ◽  
Vol 42 (3) ◽  
pp. 161
Author(s):  
H. Sun ◽  
Q. Wang ◽  
G. X. Wang ◽  
P. Luo ◽  
F. G. Jiang

Accurately estimating and mapping vegetation cover for monitoring land degradation and desertification of arid and semiarid areas using remotely sensed images is promising but challenging in remote, sparsely vegetated and large areas. In this study, a novel method – geographically weighted logistic regression (GWLR – integrating geographically weighted regression (GWR) and a logistic model) was proposed to improve vegetation cover mapping of Kangbao County, Hebei of China using Landsat 8 image and field data. Additionally, a new method to determine the bandwidth of GWLR is presented. Using cross-validation, GWLR was compared with a globally linear stepwise regression (LSR), a local linear modelling method GWR and a nonparametric method, k-nearest neighbours (kNN) with varying numbers of nearest plots. Results demonstrated (1) the red and near infrared relevant band ratios and vegetation indices significantly improved mapping; (2) the GWLR, GWR and kNN methods led to more accurate predictions than LSR; (3) GWLR reduced overestimations and underestimations compared with LSR, kNN and GWR, and also eliminated negative and very large estimates caused by GWR and LSR; and (4) The maximum distance of spatial autocorrelation could be used to determine the bandwidth for GWLR. Overall, GWLR proved more promising for mapping vegetation cover of arid and semiarid areas.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (22) ◽  
pp. 3826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuhong He ◽  
Jian Yang ◽  
Xulin Guo

The ability to quantify green vegetation across space and over time is useful for studying grassland health and function and improving our understanding of the impact of land use and climate change on grasslands. Directly measuring the fraction of green vegetation cover is labor-intensive and thus only practical on relatively smaller experimental sites. Remote sensing vegetation indices, as a commonly-used method for large-area vegetation mapping, were found to produce inconsistent accuracies when mapping green vegetation in semi-arid grasslands, largely due to mixed pixels including both photosynthetic and non-photosynthetic material. The spectral mixture approach has the potential to map the fraction of green vegetation cover in a heterogeneous landscape, thanks to its ability to decompose a spectral signal from a mixed pixel into a set of fractional abundances. In this study, a time series of fractional green vegetation cover (FGVC) from 1999 to 2014 is estimated using the spectral mixture approach for a semi-arid mixed grassland, which represents a typical threatened, species-rich habitat in Central Canada. The shape of pixel clouds in each of the Landsat images is used to identify three major image endmembers (green vegetation, bare soil/litter, and water/shadow) for automated image spectral unmixing. The FGVC derived through the spectral mixture approach correlates highly with field observations (R2 = 0.86). Change in the FGVC over the study period was also mapped, and green vegetation in badlands and uplands is found to experience a slight increase, while vegetation in riparian zone shows a decrease. Only a small portion of the study area is undergoing significant changes, which is likely attributable to climate variability, bison reintroduction, and wildfire. The results of this study suggest that the automated spectral unmixing approach is promising, and the time series of medium-resolution images is capable of identifying changes in green vegetation cover in semi-arid grasslands. Further research should investigate driving forces for areas undergoing significant changes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 52 (11) ◽  
pp. 1072-1079 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elisiane Alba ◽  
Eliziane Pivotto Mello ◽  
Juliana Marchesan ◽  
Emanuel Araújo Silva ◽  
Juliana Tramontina ◽  
...  

Abstract: The objective of this work was to evaluate the use of Landsat 8/OLI images to differentiate the age and estimate the total volume of Pinus elliottii, in order to determine the applicability of these data in the planning and management of forest activity. Fifty-three sampling units were installed, and dendrometric variables of 9-and-10-year-old P. elliottii commercial stands were measured. The digital numbers of the image were converted into surface reflectance and, subsequently, vegetation indices were determined. Red and near-infrared reflectance values were used to differentiate the ages of the stands. Regression analysis of the spectral variables was used to estimate the total volume. Increase in age caused an addition in reflectance in the near-infrared band and a decrease in the red band. The general equation for estimating the total volume for P.elliottii had an R2adj of 0.67 with a Syx of 31.46 m3 ha-1. Therefore, the spectral data with medium spatial resolution from the Landsat 8/OLI satellite can be used to distinguish the growth stages of the stands and can, thus, be used in the planning and proper management of forest activity on a spatial and temporal scale.


2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 175-187
Author(s):  
Thanh Tien Nguyen

The objective of the study is to assess changes of fractional vegetation cover (FVC) in Hanoi megacity in period of 33 years from 1986 to 2016 based on a two endmember spectral mixture analysis (SMA) model using multi-spectral and multi-temporal Landsat-5 TM and -8 OLI images. Landsat TM/OLI images were first radiometrically corrected. FVC was then estimated by means of a combination of Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and classification method. The estimated FVC results were validated using the field survey data. The assessment of FVC changes was finally carried out using spatial analysis in GIS. A case study from Hanoi city shows that: (i) the proposed approach performed well in estimating the FVC retrieved from the Landsat-8 OLI data and had good consistency with in situ measurements with the statistically achieved root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.02 (R 2 =0.935); (ii) total FVC area of 321.6 km 2 (accounting for 9.61% of the total area) was slightly reduced in the center of the city, whereas, FVC increased markedly with an area of 1163.6 km 2 (accounting for 34.78% of the total area) in suburban and rural areas. The results from this study demonstrate the combination of NDVI and classification method using Landsat images are promising for assessing FVC change in megacities.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pawan Thapa

Abstract Background: Wildfires are on the rise for various reasons, including hunting, the growth of new plants, and the encroachment of forest regions, particularly in developing countries. As a result, it will lose its environment, property, wildlife, and human life. Methods: It generates a burn severity map that can estimate the extent of wildfire damage. The nine bands and vegetation indices are derived using Google Earth Engine (GEE) and the Quantum Geographic Information System (QGIS) platform from Landsat 8 satellite imagery. The Manang district employs wavelengths near-infrared (NIR) and shortwave-infrared (SWIR) to determine burnt patches and burn severity. Results: According to the evaluation, 26 percent of forest fires have moderate, low, high, and higher severity; however, 30 percent of unburned and low-severity fires receive a severity rating of 37 percent. Thus, it shows a considerable rise in wildfires in the Manang area. Conclusion: In general, it has been a novel technique for recognizing wildfire hotspots and mapping their intensity in higher elevations that takes fewer resources and time. Such necessary data assists vital stakeholders, communities, and decision-makers in making well-informed decisions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 62 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Hung Le Trinh ◽  
Ha Thu Thi Le ◽  
Loc Duc Le ◽  
Long Thanh Nguyen ◽  

Classification of built-up land and bare land on remote sensing images is a very difficult problem due to the complexity of the urban land cover. Several urban indices have been proposed to improve the accuracy in classifying urban land use/land cover from optical satellite imagery. This paper presents an development of the EBBI (Enhanced Built-up and Bareness Index) index based on the combination of Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 multi-resolution satellite imagery. Near infrared band (band 8a), short wave infrared band (band 11) of Sentinel 2 MSI image and thermal infrared band (band 10) Landsat 8 image were used to calculate EBBI index. The results obtained show that the combination of Landsat 8 and Sentinel 2 satellite images improves the spatial resolution of EBBI index image, thereby improving the accuracy of classification of bare land and built-up land by about 5% compared with the case using only Landsat 8 images.


2020 ◽  
Vol 956 (2) ◽  
pp. 40-49
Author(s):  
Le Hung Trinh ◽  
Dinh Sinh Mai ◽  
V.R. Zablotskii

In recent years, land cover changes very quickly in urban areas due to the impact of population growth and socio-economic development. The authors present the method of land cover/land use classification based on the combination of Sentinel 2 and Landsat 8 multi-resolution satellite images. A middle infrared band (band 11), a near infrared (band 8) of Sentinel 2 image and a thermal infrared one (band 10) of Landsat 8 image were used to calculate EBBI (Enhanced Built-up and Barreness Index). The EBBI index and Sentinel 2 spectral bands with spatial resolution 10 m (band 2, 3, 4, 8) were used to classify the land cover. The obtained results showed that, the method of land cover classification based on combination of Sentinel 2 and Landsat 8 satellite images improves the overall accuracy by about 5 % compared with the one using only Sentinel 2 data. The results obtained at the study can be used for the management, assessment and monitoring the status and dynamics of land cover in urban areas.


2021 ◽  
Vol 87 (10) ◽  
pp. 735-746
Author(s):  
Saket Gowravaram ◽  
Haiyang Chao ◽  
Andrew Molthan ◽  
Tiebiao Zhao ◽  
Pengzhi Tian ◽  
...  

This paper introduces a satellite-based cross-calibration (SCC) method for spectral reflectance estimation of unmanned aircraft system (UAS) multispectral imagery. The SCC method provides a low-cost and feasible solution to convert high-resolution UAS images in digital numbers (DN) to reflectance when satellite data is available. The proposed method is evaluated using a multispectral data set, including orthorectified KHawk UAS DN imagery and Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager Level-2 surface reflectance (SR) data over a forest/grassland area. The estimated UAS reflectance images are compared with the National Ecological Observatory Network's imaging spectrometer (NIS) SR data for validation. The UAS reflectance showed high similarities with the NIS data for the near-infrared and red bands with Pearson's r values being 97 and 95.74, and root-mean-square errors being 0.0239 and 0.0096 over a 32-subplot hayfield.


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