scholarly journals Using Sentinel-2 Multispectral Images to Map the Occurrence of the Cossid Moth (Coryphodema tristis) in Eucalyptus Nitens Plantations of Mpumalanga, South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel Kumbula ◽  
Paramu Mafongoya ◽  
Kabir Peerbhay ◽  
Romano Lottering ◽  
Riyad Ismail
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Mass Trapping ◽  
Eucalyptus Nitens ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Presence Data ◽  
Sentinel 2

Coryphodema tristis is a wood-boring insect, indigenous to South Africa, that has recently been identified as an emerging pest feeding on Eucalyptus nitens, resulting in extensive damage and economic loss. Eucalyptus plantations contributes over 9% to the total exported manufactured goods of South Africa which contributes significantly to the gross domestic product. Currently, the distribution extent of the Coryphodema tristis is unknown and estimated to infest Eucalyptus nitens compartments from less than 1% to nearly 80%, which is certainly a concern for the forestry sector related to the quantity and quality of yield produced. Therefore, the study sought to model the probability of occurrence of Coryphodema tristis on Eucalyptus nitens plantations in Mpumalanga, South Africa, using data from the Sentinel-2 multispectral instrument (MSI). Traditional field surveys were carried out through mass trapping in all compartments (n = 878) of Eucalyptus nitens plantations. Only 371 Eucalyptus nitens compartments were positively identified as infested and were used to generate the Coryphodema tristis presence data. Presence data and spectral features from the area were analysed using the Maxent algorithm. Model performance was evaluated using the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve showing the area under the curve (AUC) and True Skill Statistic (TSS) while the performance of predictors was analysed with the jack-knife. Validation of results were conducted using the test data. Using only the occurrence data and Sentinel-2 bands and derived vegetation indices, the Maxent model provided successful results, exhibiting an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.890. The Photosynthetic vigour ratio, Band 5 (Red edge 1), Band 4 (Red), Green NDVI hyper, Band 3 (Green) and Band 12 (SWIR 2) were identified as the most influential predictor variables. Results of this study suggest that remotely sensed derived vegetation indices from cost-effective platforms could play a crucial role in supporting forest pest management strategies and infestation control.

scholarly journals BEECH TREE DENSITY ESTIMATION USING SENTINEL-2 DATA (CASE STUDY: KHYROUD FOREST)

2019 ◽  
Vol XLII-4/W18 ◽  
pp. 891-895
Author(s):  
G. Ronoud ◽  
A. A. Darvish Sefat ◽  
P. Fatehi
Keyword(s):  
Density Estimation ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Field Measurements ◽  
Tree Density ◽  
Spectral Bands ◽  
Tasseled Cap Transformation ◽  
Beech Tree ◽  
Remote Sensing Techniques ◽  
Sentinel 2

Abstract. Obtaining information about forest attributes is essential for planning, monitoring, and management of forests. Due to the time and cost consuming of Tree Density (TD) using field measurements especially in the vast and remote areas, remote sensing techniques have gained more attention in scientific community. Khyroud forest, a part of Hyrcanian forest of Iran, with a high species biodiversity and growing volume stock plays an important role in carbon storage. The aim of this study was to assess the capability of Sentinel-2 data for estimating the tree density in the Khyroud forest. 65 square sample plots with an area of 2025 m2 were measured. In each sample plot, trees with diameter at the breast height (DBH) higher than 7.5-cm were recorded. The quality of Sentinel-2 data in terms of geometric correction and cloud effect were investigated. Different processing approaches such as vegetation indices and Tasseled Cap transformation on spectral bands in combination with an empirical approach were implemented. Also, some of biophysical variables were computed. To assess the model performance, the data were randomly divided into parts, 70% of sample plots were used for modelling and 30% for validation. The results showed that the SVR algorithm (linear kernel) with a relative RMSE of 23.09% and a R2 of 0.526 gained the highest performance for tree density estimation.

scholarly journals Multi-Temporal Evaluation of Quantitative and Phenological Vegetation Dynamics Using Sentinel-2 Images in North Horr (Kenya)

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (24) ◽  
pp. 13554
Author(s):  
Velia Bigi ◽  
Ingrid Vigna ◽  
Alessandro Pezzoli ◽  
Elena Comino
Keyword(s):  
Vegetation Dynamics ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Percentage Increase ◽  
Intergovernmental Panel ◽  
Spectral Angle Mapper ◽  
Vegetation Growth ◽  
Multi Temporal ◽  
Sentinel 2

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the Horn of Africa is getting drier. This research aims at assessing browning and/or greening dynamics and the suitability of Sentinel-2 satellite images to map changes in land cover in a semiarid area. Vegetation dynamics are assessed through a remote sensing approach based on densely vegetated areas in a pilot area of North Horr Sub-County, in northern Kenya, between 2016–2020. Four spectral vegetation indices are calculated from Sentinel-2 images to create annual multi-temporal images. Two different supervised classification methods—Minimum Distance and Spectral Angle Mapper—are then applied in order to identify dense vegetated areas. A general greening is found to have occurred in this period with the exception of the year 2020, with an average annual percentage increase of 19%. Results also highlight a latency between climatic conditions and vegetation growth. This approach is for the first time applied in North Horr Sub-County and supports local decision-making processes for sustainable land management strategies.

scholarly journals Monitoring 10-m LST from the Combination MODIS/Sentinel-2, Validation in a High Contrast Semi-Arid Agroecosystem

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1453
Author(s):  
Juan M. Sánchez ◽  
Joan M. Galve ◽  
José González-Piqueras ◽  
Ramón López-Urrea ◽  
Raquel Niclòs ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Resolution ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Near Infrared ◽  
Estimation Error ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Test Site ◽  
Spatio Temporal ◽  
Average Estimation Error ◽  
Sentinel 2

Downscaling techniques offer a solution to the lack of high-resolution satellite Thermal InfraRed (TIR) data and can bridge the gap until operational TIR missions accomplishing spatio-temporal requirements are available. These techniques are generally based on the Visible Near InfraRed (VNIR)-TIR variable relations at a coarse spatial resolution, and the assumption that the relationship between spectral bands is independent of the spatial resolution. In this work, we adopted a previous downscaling method and introduced some adjustments to the original formulation to improve the model performance. Maps of Land Surface Temperature (LST) with 10-m spatial resolution were obtained as output from the combination of MODIS/Sentinel-2 images. An experiment was conducted in an agricultural area located in the Barrax test site, Spain (39°03′35″ N, 2°06′ W), for the summer of 2018. Ground measurements of LST transects collocated with the MODIS overpasses were used for a robust local validation of the downscaling approach. Data from 6 different dates were available, covering a variety of croplands and surface conditions, with LST values ranging 300–325 K. Differences within ±4.0 K were observed between measured and modeled temperatures, with an average estimation error of ±2.2 K and a systematic deviation of 0.2 K for the full ground dataset. A further cross-validation of the disaggregated 10-m LST products was conducted using an additional set of Landsat-7/ETM+ images. A similar uncertainty of ±2.0 K was obtained as an average. These results are encouraging for the adaptation of this methodology to the tandem Sentinel-3/Sentinel-2, and are promising since the 10-m pixel size, together with the 3–5 days revisit frequency of Sentinel-2 satellites can fulfill the LST input requirements of the surface energy balance methods for a variety of hydrological, climatological or agricultural applications. However, certain limitations to capture the variability of extreme LST, or in recently sprinkler irrigated fields, claim the necessity to explore the implementation of soil moisture or vegetation indices sensitive to soil water content as inputs in the downscaling approach. The ground LST dataset introduced in this paper will be of great value for further refinements and assessments.

scholarly journals Predicting the Habitat Suitability of a Potential Invasive Fern, Cyclosorus afer in Lafia, Nigeria using Species Distribution Modelling

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
GBENGA FESTUS AKOMOLAFE ◽  
ZAKARIA BIN RAHMAD
Keyword(s):  
Test Data ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Predictor Variable ◽  
Species Distribution Modelling ◽  
Environmental Predictors ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Jackknife Test ◽  
Presence Data ◽  
Precipitation Seasonality

The vast colonisation of some wetlands by Cyclosorus afer in Lafia, Nigeria has been a serious concern to ecologists and indigenous dwellers. In this study, we used the Maximum Entropy (Maxent) modelling technique to predict the habitat suitability of this fern in Lafia, Nigeria. We obtained the presence data of this fern in three already invaded wetlands of size 500 x 500m2 each using multiple 200m transect. Bioclimatic and elevation variables which were obtained from different databases were imputed into the model as predictor variables of C. afer. After that, the Maxent model was run with 70% of the presence data as training and 30% as test data. Our model result revealed that the area under the curve for receiver operating characteristics of training is 0.847 while and test data is 0.970. The model’s sensitivity was observed to be 100%. The model was assessed based on a jackknife test of individual contributions of each predictor variable to the model. Therefore, the environmental predictors of the occurrence of C. afer in this study area include precipitation seasonality, Precipitation of driest quarter, precipitation of coldest quarter and elevation. This model could be described as accurate, and the occurrence of C. afer in Lafia, Nigeria, is influenced by limiting environmental factors

scholarly journals Multi-criteria suitability analysis for neglected and underutilised crop species in South Africa

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0244734
Author(s):  
Hillary Mugiyo ◽  
Vimbayi G. P. Chimonyo ◽  
Mbulisi Sibanda ◽  
Richard Kunz ◽  
Luxon Nhamo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Cropping Systems ◽  
Arable Land ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Land Suitability ◽  
Suitability Analysis ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Crop Suitability ◽  
Suitability Maps

Several neglected and underutilised species (NUS) provide solutions to climate change and creating a Zero Hunger world, the Sustainable Development Goal 2. Several NUS are drought and heat stress-tolerant, making them ideal for improving marginalised cropping systems in drought-prone areas. However, owing to their status as NUS, current crop suitability maps do not include them as part of the crop choices. This study aimed to develop land suitability maps for selected NUS [sorghum, (Sorghum bicolor), cowpea (Vigna unguiculata), amaranth and taro (Colocasia esculenta)] using Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) in ArcGIS. Multidisciplinary factors from climatic, soil and landscape, socio-economic and technical indicators overlaid using Weighted Overlay Analysis. Validation was done through field visits, and area under the curve (AUC) was used to measure AHP model performance. The results indicated that sorghum was highly suitable (S1) = 2%, moderately suitable (S2) = 61%, marginally suitable (S3) = 33%, and unsuitable (N1) = 4%, cowpea S1 = 3%, S2 = 56%, S3 = 39%, N1 = 2%, amaranth S1 = 8%, S2 = 81%, S3 = 11%, and taro S1 = 0.4%, S2 = 28%, S3 = 64%, N1 = 7%, of calculated arable land of SA (12 655 859 ha). Overall, the validation showed that the mapping exercises exhibited a high degree of accuracies (i.e. sorghum AUC = 0.87, cowpea AUC = 0.88, amaranth AUC = 0.95 and taro AUC = 0.82). Rainfall was the most critical variable and criteria with the highest impact on land suitability of the NUS. Results of this study suggest that South Africa has a huge potential for NUS production. The maps developed can contribute to evidence-based and site-specific recommendations for NUS and their mainstreaming. Also, the maps can be used to design appropriate production guidelines and to support existing policy frameworks which advocate for sustainable intensification of marginalised cropping systems through increased crop diversity and the use of stress-tolerant food crops.

scholarly journals Modeling the spatial distribution of anthrax in southern Kenya

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. e0009301
Author(s):  
Fredrick Tom Otieno ◽  
John Gachohi ◽  
Peter Gikuma-Njuru ◽  
Patrick Kariuki ◽  
Harry Oyas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Public Health ◽  
Vegetation Index ◽  
Lake Victoria ◽  
Public Health Intervention ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Coastal Region ◽  
Boosted Regression Trees ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Public Health Burden

Background Anthrax is an important zoonotic disease in Kenya associated with high animal and public health burden and widespread socio-economic impacts. The disease occurs in sporadic outbreaks that involve livestock, wildlife, and humans, but knowledge on factors that affect the geographic distribution of these outbreaks is limited, challenging public health intervention planning. Methods Anthrax surveillance data reported in southern Kenya from 2011 to 2017 were modeled using a boosted regression trees (BRT) framework. An ensemble of 100 BRT experiments was developed using a variable set of 18 environmental covariates and 69 unique anthrax locations. Model performance was evaluated using AUC (area under the curve) ROC (receiver operating characteristics) curves. Results Cattle density, rainfall of wettest month, soil clay content, soil pH, soil organic carbon, length of longest dry season, vegetation index, temperature seasonality, in order, were identified as key variables for predicting environmental suitability for anthrax in the region. BRTs performed well with a mean AUC of 0.8. Areas highly suitable for anthrax were predicted predominantly in the southwestern region around the shared Kenya-Tanzania border and a belt through the regions and highlands in central Kenya. These suitable regions extend westwards to cover large areas in western highlands and the western regions around Lake Victoria and bordering Uganda. The entire eastern and lower-eastern regions towards the coastal region were predicted to have lower suitability for anthrax. Conclusion These modeling efforts identified areas of anthrax suitability across southern Kenya, including high and medium agricultural potential regions and wildlife parks, important for tourism and foreign exchange. These predictions are useful for policy makers in designing targeted surveillance and/or control interventions in Kenya. We thank the staff of Directorate of Veterinary Services under the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Fisheries, for collecting and providing the anthrax historical occurrence data.

Predictors of Purchasing a Hearing Aid After an Evaluation Period: A Prospective Study in Dutch Older Hearing Aid Candidates

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (3S) ◽  
pp. 802-805 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marieke Pronk ◽  
Janine F. J. Meijerink ◽  
Sophia E. Kramer ◽  
Martijn W. Heymans ◽  
Jana Besser
Keyword(s):  
Help Seeking ◽  
Hearing Aid ◽  
Model Performance ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Secondary Data ◽  
Support Program ◽  
Evaluation Period ◽  
A Prospective Study ◽  
Study Participants ◽  
Baseline Covariates

Purpose The current study aimed to identify factors that distinguish between older (50+ years) hearing aid (HA) candidates who do and do not purchase HAs after having gone through an HA evaluation period (HAEP). Method Secondary data analysis of the SUpport PRogram trial was performed ( n = 267 older, 1st-time HA candidates). All SUpport PRogram participants started an HAEP shortly after study enrollment. Decision to purchase an HA by the end of the HAEP was the outcome of interest of the current study. Participants' baseline covariates (22 in total) were included as candidate predictors. Multivariable logistic regression modeling (backward selection and reclassification tables) was used. Results Of all candidate predictors, only pure-tone average (average of 1, 2, and 4 kHz) hearing loss emerged as a significant predictor (odds ratio = 1.03, 95% confidence interval [1.03, 1.17]). Model performance was weak (Nagelkerke R 2 = .04, area under the curve = 0.61). Conclusions These data suggest that, once HA candidates have decided to enter an HAEP, factors measured early in the help-seeking journey do not predict well who will and will not purchase an HA. Instead, factors that act during the HAEP may hold this predictive value. This should be examined.

scholarly journals Comparison of Capability of SAR and Optical Data in Mapping Forest above Ground Biomass Based on Machine Learning

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 13
Author(s):  
Negar Tavasoli ◽  
Hossein Arefi
Keyword(s):  
Machine Learning ◽  
Carbon Stock ◽  
Vegetation Indices ◽  
Forest Biomass ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Optical Data ◽  
Above Ground Biomass ◽  
Ground Biomass ◽  
Texture Characteristics ◽  
Sentinel 2

Assessment of forest above ground biomass (AGB) is critical for managing forest and understanding the role of forest as source of carbon fluxes. Recently, satellite remote sensing products offer the chance to map forest biomass and carbon stock. The present study focuses on comparing the potential use of combination of ALOSPALSAR and Sentinel-1 SAR data, with Sentinel-2 optical data to estimate above ground biomass and carbon stock using Genetic-Random forest machine learning (GA-RF) algorithm. Polarimetric decompositions, texture characteristics and backscatter coefficients of ALOSPALSAR and Sentinel-1, and vegetation indices, tasseled cap, texture parameters and principal component analysis (PCA) of Sentinel-2 based on measured AGB samples were used to estimate biomass. The overall coefficient (R2) of AGB modelling using combination of ALOSPALSAR and Sentinel-1 data, and Sentinel-2 data were respectively 0.70 and 0.62. The result showed that Combining ALOSPALSAR and Sentinel-1 data to predict AGB by using GA-RF model performed better than Sentinel-2 data.

scholarly journals End-to-end convolutional neural network enables COVID-19 detection from breath and cough audio: a pilot study

2021 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 356-362
Author(s):  
Harry Coppock ◽  
Alex Gaskell ◽  
Panagiotis Tzirakis ◽  
Alice Baird ◽  
Lyn Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neural Network ◽  
Convolutional Neural Network ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Area Under The Curve ◽  
Alternative Form ◽  
Economic Damage ◽  
Audio Signals ◽  
Operating Characteristics ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Empirical Performance

BackgroundSince the emergence of COVID-19 in December 2019, multidisciplinary research teams have wrestled with how best to control the pandemic in light of its considerable physical, psychological and economic damage. Mass testing has been advocated as a potential remedy; however, mass testing using physical tests is a costly and hard-to-scale solution.MethodsThis study demonstrates the feasibility of an alternative form of COVID-19 detection, harnessing digital technology through the use of audio biomarkers and deep learning. Specifically, we show that a deep neural network based model can be trained to detect symptomatic and asymptomatic COVID-19 cases using breath and cough audio recordings.ResultsOur model, a custom convolutional neural network, demonstrates strong empirical performance on a data set consisting of 355 crowdsourced participants, achieving an area under the curve of the receiver operating characteristics of 0.846 on the task of COVID-19 classification.ConclusionThis study offers a proof of concept for diagnosing COVID-19 using cough and breath audio signals and motivates a comprehensive follow-up research study on a wider data sample, given the evident advantages of a low-cost, highly scalable digital COVID-19 diagnostic tool.

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