Scaling Issues in Mapping Riparian Zones with Remote Sensing Data: Quantifying Errors and Sources of Uncertainty (original) (raw)

Integrated use of remote sensing and geographic information systems in riparian vegetation delineation and mapping

International Journal of Remote Sensing

This paper presents a pilot study on riparian vegetation delineation and mapping using remote sensing and geographic information systems (GIS) in the Hunter Region, Australia. The aim of the study was to develop appropriate and repeatable assessment and mapping techniques to quantify the extent of riparian vegetation within the region. Ortho‐rectified digital aerial photographs, SPOT‐4 multispectral (XS) and Landsat‐7 ETM+ images were tested to delineate the riparian vegetation and to develop a quantifiable and repeatable method of mapping the extent of that vegetation. Image processing techniques such as parallelepiped classification, tasselled cap transformation, and vegetation index clustering were used in an attempt to delineate riparian vegetation from remotely sensed images. Specific GIS analysis techniques were used for riparian zone buffering and segmentation, vegetation cover estimation, and mapping. Specific GIS scripts were developed for those processes so that they were ...

Assessment of high spatial resolution satellite imagery for monitoring riparian vegetation: riverine management in the smallholding

Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

Riverine habitats are essential ecotones that bridge aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, providing multiple ecosystem services. This study analyses the potential use of high-resolution satellite imagery, provided by the WorldView-2 satellite, in order to assess its viability for monitoring riparian ecosystems. It is performed by calculating the riparian strip quality index (RSQI) and calibrating it with the riparian quality index (QBR). The methodology was implemented in the Umia River, which is characterised by elevated anthropogenic pressures (located in the northwest of Spain). The results obtained by the method have a 92% of veracity and a kappa coefficient of 0.88. The average quality value obtained for the RSQI index was 71.57, while the average value for the QBR was 55.88. This difference could be attributed to the fact that the former does not differ between autochthonous and non-autochthonous vegetation. The areas with more accurate mapping corresponded to stretches of vege...

Satellite Remote Sensing Based Measures of Riparian Vegetation Status

Riparian vegetation represents significant areas of water use in landscapes. An understanding of hydrology and vegetation dynamics within riparian zones is important for the development of ecologically appropriate management plans for these complex systems. To achieve this, measures of vegetation extent, health and activity are required, as these provide important information about the status of riparian vegetation. This paper demonstrates the ability of remotely sensed data to provide information about vegetation extent, health, and water use. This study shows that remotely sensed data provide repeatable, objective measurements of riparian vegetation status. The ability of remotely sensed data to provide information as a time series creates the capacity to identify temporal changes and trends in vegetation status as well as provide information at a single point in time. Satellite imagery also provides information on the spatial distribution of these variables, which offers valuable...