Wavelet decomposition of hyperspectral data: a novel approach to quantifying pigment concentrations in vegetation

This paper reports a new approach for quantifying vegetation pigment concentrations through wavelet decomposition of hyperspectral remotely sensed data. Wavelets are a group of functions that vary in complexity and mathematical properties, that are used to dissect data into different frequency components and then characterize each component with a resolution appropriate to its scale. Wavelet analysis of a reflectance spectrum is performed by scaling and shifting the wavelet function to produce wavelet coefficients that are assigned to different frequency components. By selecting appropriate wavelet coefficients, a spectral model can be established between the coefficients and biochemical concentrations. Hence, wavelet analysis has the potential to capture much more of the information contained within high‐resolution spectra than previous approaches and offers the prospect of developing robust, generic methods for pigment determinations. The capabilities of the wavelet‐based technique were examined using reflectance spectra and pigment data collected for a range of plant species at leaf and canopy scales. For the combined data set and all of the individual vegetation types, methods based on wavelet decomposition appreciably outperformed narrowband spectral indices and stepwise selection of narrowband reflectance. However, there was variation between vegetation types in the relative performance of the three different feature extraction techniques employed for selecting the wavelet coefficients for use in predictive models. There was also considerable variability in the performance of predictive models according to the wavelet function used for spectral decomposition and the optimum wavelet functions differed between vegetation types and between individual pigments within the same vegetation type. The research indicates that wavelet analysis holds promise for the accurate determination of chlorophyll a and b and the carotenoids, but further work is needed to refine the approach.     

Intra- and inter-class spectral variability of tropical tree species at La Selva, Costa Rica: Implications for species identification using HYDICE imagery

Hyperspectral remote sensing provides great potential to monitor and study biodiversity of tropical forests through species identification and mapping. In this study, five species were selected to examine crown-level spectral variation within and between species using HYperspectral Digital Collection Experiment (HYDICE) data collected over La Selva, Costa Rica. Spectral angle was used to evaluate the spectral variation in reflectance, first derivative and wavelet-transformed spectral domains. Results indicated that intra-crown spectral variation does not always follow a normal distribution and can vary from crown to crown, therefore presenting challenges to statistically define the spectral variation within species using conventional classification approaches that assume normal distributions. Although derivative analysis has been used extensively in hyperspectral remote sensing of vegetation, our results suggest that it might not be optimal for species identification in tropical forestry using airborne hyperspectral data. The wavelet-transformed spectra, however, were useful for the identification of tree species. The wavelet coefficients at coarse spectral scales and the wavelet energy feature are more capable of reducing variation within crowns/species and capturing spectral differences between species. The implications of this examination of intra- and inter-specific variability at crown-level were: (1) the wavelet transform is a robust tool for the identification of tree species using hyperspectral data because it can provide a systematic view of the spectra at multiple scales; and (2) it may be impractical to identify every species using only hyperspectral data, given that spectral similarity may exist between species and that within-crown/species variability may be influenced by many factors.     

Retrieval of chlorophyll concentration from leaf reflectance spectra using wavelet analysis

The dynamics of foliar chlorophyll concentrations have considerable significance for plant-environment interactions, ecosystem functioning and crop growth. Hyperspectral remote sensing has a valuable role in the monitoring of such dynamics. This study focussed upon improving the accuracy of chlorophyll quantification by applying wavelet analysis to reflectance spectra. Leaf-scale radiative transfer models were used to generate very large spectral data sets with which to develop and rigorously test refinements to the approach and compare it with existing spectral indices. The results demonstrated that by decomposing leaf spectra, the resultant wavelet coefficients can be used to generate accurate predictions of chlorophyll concentration, despite wide variations in the range of other biochemical and biophysical factors that influence leaf reflectance. Wavelet analysis outperformed predictive models based on untransformed spectra and a range of spectral indices. The paper discusses the possibilities for further refining the wavelet approach and for extending the technique to the sensing of a variety of vegetation properties at a range of spatial scales.     

基于光谱曲线小波系数分维测度的高光谱影像高效分割方法

针对高光谱遥感影像处理效率的问题,提出了一种基于高光谱曲线小波分解低频系数分维特征影像和高频系数分维特征影像相结合的高光谱遥感影像分割方法。对高光谱响应曲线的分形测度进行了分析,提出基于光谱曲线小波分解高频系数的分维算法,得到多尺度高光谱分形特征影像。设计了低频系数分维特征影像和高频系数分维特征影像相结合的高光谱影像分割算法。高光谱曲线小波系数分维特征影像分割实验结果表明:该算法可取得与光谱曲线直接分形测度特征影像分割一致结果,但效率优于直接分维特征影像分割。     

一种多尺度高光谱影像小波分形维特征计算方法

提出了一种基于高光谱曲线小波分形测度的高光谱影像多尺度分形维特征分析方法。对高光谱影像的光谱响应曲线的小波域高频和低频系数统计特性、分形特征进行了分析,提出以小波低频分形维表征原始光谱曲线分形特征,以小波系数高频分形维表征高光谱细节特征方法,设计了基于高光谱曲线小波分形维的多尺度特征计算算法,实验结果表明,小波分形维值可有效表征丰富的光谱特征,可用于高光谱影像特征提取和分类。     

Estimating leaf nitrogen concentration in heterogeneous crop plants from hyperspectral reflectance

The estimation of leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC) in crop plants is an effective way to optimize nitrogen fertilizer management and to improve crop yield. The objectives of this study were to (1) analyse the spectral features, (2) explore the spectral indices, and (3) investigate a suitable modelling strategy for estimating the LNC of five species of crop plants (rice (Oryza sativa L.), corn (Zea mays L.), tea (Camellia sinensis), gingili (Sesamum indicum), and soybean (Glycine max)) with laboratory-based visible and near-infrared reflectance spectra (300–2500 nm). A total of 61 leaf samples were collected from five species of crop plant, and their LNC and reflectance spectra were measured in laboratories. The reflectance spectra of plants were reduced to 400–2400 and smoothed using the Savitzky–Golay (SG) smoothing method. The normalized band depth (NBD) values of all bands were calculated from SG-smoothed reflectance spectra, and a successive projections algorithm-based multiple linear regression (SPA-MLR) method was then employed to select the spectral features for five species. The SG-smoothed reflectance spectra were resampled using a spacing interval of 10 nm, and normalized difference spectral index (NDSI) and three-band spectral index (TBSI) were calculated for all wavelength combinations between 400 and 2400 nm. The NDSI and TBSI values were employed to calibrate univariate regression models for each crop species. The leave-one-out cross-validation procedure was used to validate the calibrated regression models. Study results showed that the spectral features for LNC estimation varied among different crop species. TBSI performed better than NDSI in estimating LNC in crop plants. The study results indicated that there was no common optimal TBSI and NDSI for different crop species. Therefore, we suggest that, when monitoring LNC in heterogeneous crop plants with hyperspectral reflectance, it might be appropriate to first classify the data set considering different crop species and then calibrate the model for each species. The method proposed in this study requires further testing with the canopy reflectance and hyperspectral images of heterogeneous crop plants.     

Study of vegetation spectral anomaly behaviour in a porphyry copper mine area based on hyperspectral indices

ABSTRACT

Hyperspectral remote sensing is economical and fast, and it can reveal detailed spectral information of plants. Hence, hyperspectral data are used in this study to analyse the spectral anomaly behaviours of vegetation in porphyry copper mine areas. This analytical method is used to compare the leaf spectra and relative differences among the vegetation indices; then, the correlation coefficients were computed between the soil copper content and vegetation index of Quercus spinosa leaves at both the leaf scale and the canopy scale in the Chundu mine area with different geological backgrounds. Lastly, this study adopts hyperspectral data for the level slicing of vegetation anomalies in the Chundu mine area. The results showed that leaf spectra in the orebody and background area differed greatly, especially in the infrared band (750 nm – 1300 nm); moreover, some indices like the normalized water index (NWI) and normalized difference water index (NDWI) of Quercus spinosa and Lamellosa leaves are sensitive to changes in the geological background. Compared with the canopy, the leaf hyperspectral indices of Quercus spinosa in Chundu can better reflect soil cuprum (Cu) anomaly. In addition, the NWI and NDWI of Quercus spinosa are significantly correlated with the soil Cu content at both the canopy scale and the leaf scale. Consequently, the results of the vegetation anomaly level slicing can adequately reflect the plant anomalies from ore bodies and nearby areas, thereby providing a new ore-finding method for areas with a high degree of vegetation coverage.     

A wavelet-based classification of hyperspectral images using Schroedinger eigenmaps

This article proposes a new algorithm for hyperspectral image classification. The proposed method is a spectral–spatial method based on wavelet transforms, kernel minimum noise fraction (KMNF) and spatial–spectral Schroedinger eigenmaps (SSSE). To overcome the computation complexity, one-dimensional discrete wavelet transform (1D-DWT) is applied in spectral domain. To reduce noise, KMNF coefficients are extracted in wavelet space. To solve time-consuming problem, 2D-DWT coefficients are employed in spatial space. Hence, the combination of 1D-DWT, KMNF, and 2D-DWT is suggested to create SSSE features. The classification is carried out by a Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifier. Experimental results show that classification accuracy and time consumption are effectively improved compared to the state-of-the art reported spectral–spatial SVM-based methods.     

Spectroscopic determination of leaf water content using continuous wavelet analysis

The gravimetric water content (GWC, %), a commonly used measure of leaf water content, describes the ratio of water to dry matter for each individual leaf. To date, the relationship between spectral reflectance and GWC in leaves is poorly understood due to the confounding effects of unpredictably varying water and dry matter ratios on spectral response. Few studies have attempted to estimate GWC from leaf reflectance spectra, particularly for a variety of species. This paper investigates the spectroscopic estimation of leaf GWC using continuous wavelet analysis applied to the reflectance spectra (350-2500 nm) of 265 leaf samples from 47 species observed in tropical forests of Panama. A continuous wavelet transform was performed on each of the reflectance spectra to generate a wavelet power scalogram compiled as a function of wavelength and scale. Linear relationships were built between wavelet power and GWC expressed as a function of dry mass (LWC_D) and fresh mass (LWC_F) in order to identify wavelet features (coefficients) that are most sensitive to changes in GWC. The derived wavelet features were then compared to three established spectral indices used to estimate GWC across a wide range of species.Eight wavelet features observed between 1300 and 2500 nm provided strong correlations with LWC_D, though correlations between spectral indices and leaf GWC were poor. In particular, two features captured amplitude variations in the broad shape of the reflectance spectra and three features captured variations in the shape and depth of dry matter (e.g., protein, lignin, cellulose) absorptions centered near 1730 and 2100 nm. The eight wavelet features used to predict LWC_D and LWC_F were not significantly different; however, predictive models used to determine LWC_D and LWC_F differed. The most accurate estimates of LWC_D and LWC_F obtained from a single wavelet feature showed root mean square errors (RMSEs) of 28.34% (R² = 0.62) and 4.86% (R² = 0.69), respectively. Models using a combination of features resulted in a noticeable improvement predicting LWC_D and LWC_F with RMSEs of 26.04% (R² = 0.71) and 4.34% (R² = 0.75), respectively. These results provide new insights into the role of dry matter absorption features in the shortwave infrared (SWIR) spectral region for the accurate spectral estimation of LWC_D and LWC_F. This emerging spectral analytical approach can be applied to other complex datasets including a broad range of species, and may be adapted to estimate basic leaf biochemical elements such as nitrogen, chlorophyll, cellulose, and lignin.     

Continuous wavelet analysis for the detection of green attack damage due to mountain pine beetle infestation

Mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) is the most destructive insect infesting mature pine forests in North America and has devastated millions of hectares of forest in western Canada. Past studies have demonstrated the use of multispectral imagery for remote identification and mapping of visible or red attack damage in forests. This study aims to detect pre-visual or green attack damage in lodgepole pine needles by means of hyperspectral measurements, particularly via continuous wavelet analysis. Field measurements of lodgepole pine stands were conducted at two sites located northwest of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. In June and August of 2007, reflectance spectra (350-2500 nm) were collected for 16 pairs of trees. Each of the 16 tree pairs included one control tree (healthy), and one stressed tree (girdled to simulate the effects of beetle infestation). In addition, during the period of June through October 2008, spectra were collected from 15 pairs of control- and beetle-infested trees. Spectra derived from these 31 tree pairs were subjected to a continuous wavelet transform, generating a scalogram that compiles the wavelet power as a function of wavelength location and scale of decomposition. Linear relationships were then explored between the wavelet scalograms and chemical properties or class labels (control and non-control) of the sample populations in order to isolate the most useful distinguishing spectral features that related to infested or girdled trees vs. control trees.A deficit in water content is observed in infested trees while an additional deficit in chlorophyll content is seen for girdled trees. The measurable water deficit of infested and girdled tree samples was detectable from the wavelet analysis of the reflectance spectra providing a novel method for the detection of green attack. The spectral features distinguishing control and infested trees are predominantly located between 950 and 1390 nm from scales 1 to 8. Of those, five features between 1318 to 1322 nm at scale 7 are consistently found in the July and August 2008 datasets. These features are located at longer wavelengths than those investigated in previous studies (below 1100 nm) and provide new insights into the potential remote detection of green attack. Spectral features that distinguish control and girdled trees were mostly observed between 1550 and 2370 nm from scales 1 to 5. The differing response of girdled and infested trees appears to indicate that the girdling process does not provide a perfect simulation of the effects caused by beetle infestation.It remains to be determined if the location of the 1318-1322 nm features, near the edge of a strong atmospheric water absorption band, will be sufficiently separable for use in airborne detection of green attack. A plot comparing needle water content and wavelet power at 1320 nm reveals considerable overlap between data derived from both infested and control samples, though the groups are statistically separable. This obstacle may preclude a high accuracy separation of healthy and infected single individuals, but establishing threshold identification levels may provide an economical, efficient and expeditious method for discriminating between healthy and infested tree populations.     

Denoising and dimensionality reduction of hyperspectral imagery using wavelet packets,neighbour shrinking and principal component analysis

After dimensionality reduction of a hyperspectral datacube using principal component analysis (PCA), the dimension-reduced channels often contain a significant amount of noise. To overcome this problem, this letter proposes a method that can fulfil both denoising and dimensionality reduction of hyperspectral data using wavelet packets, neighbour wavelet shrinking and PCA. A 2D forward wavelet packet transform is performed in the spatial domain on each of the band images of a hyperspectral datacube, the wavelet packet coefficients are then shrunk by employing a neighbourhood wavelet thresholding scheme, and an inverse 2D wavelet packet transform is performed on the thresholded coefficients to create the denoised datacube. PCA is applied on the denoised datacube in the spectral domain to obtain the dimension-reduced datacube. Experiments conducted in this letter confirm the feasibility of the proposed method for denoising and dimensionality reduction of hyperspectral data.     

An AOTF-based hyperspectral imaging system for field use in ecophysiological and agricultural applications

An AOTF (Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter)-based spectral imager was developed for hyperspectral measurement of plant reflectance in the field. A hyperspectral image cube for the spectral region between 450-900 nm could be acquired at 3 to 5 nm resolution intervals within a few seconds. The system was light and compact, and both the spectral wavelengths and intervals were programmable with PC control. Wavelengths could be tuned rapidly, either sequentially or randomly. The hyperspectral image cube for rice canopies obtained by the system showed its potential in the estimation of leaf nitrogen and chlorophyll concentrations. The AOTF-based hyperspectral system would have great potential for further investigations in remote sensing of biochemical and ecophysiological plant variables.     

Band depth analysis of CHRIS/PROBA data for the study of a Mediterranean natural ecosystem. Correlations with leaf optical properties and ecophysiological parameters

The absorption feature approach was used in CHRIS multiangular hyperspectral data in order to investigate its potential for ecosystem remote sensing. For that purpose, CHRIS images in mode 1 were acquired throughout a two-year period for a Mediterranean ecosystem dominated by the semi-deciduous shrub Phlomis fruticosa. During each acquisition, coincident in situ Leaf spectra and ecophysiological measurements (Leaf Area Index, leaf pigment content and leaf water potential) were conducted. After data preprocessing, absorption feature information was calculated for both CHRIS and Leaf spectra for the whole spectrum. Three common characteristic absorption features within the spectral areas 450-550 nm, 550-750 nm and 900-1000 nm were detected. Each spectral area was then examined separately and four characteristic parameters were calculated that described the pattern, magnitude and position of the maximum absorption. Correlations between CHRIS and Leaf spectra for each date and viewing angle (VA) were then conducted. All correlations, either on full continuum removed spectra or on spectral areas, showed high coefficients of determination, especially (i) in higher observation angles (VA + 55), (ii) during the wet season and (iii) in strong absorptions such as the “red absorption”. Subsequently, correlations between CHRIS and Leaf absorption parameters of selected spectral areas with field-measured ecophysiological parameters were examined. Ecophysiological parameters proved to be highly correlated to CHRIS and Leaf absorption parameters in magnitude and/or pattern of the absorption feature and less in wavelength of the maximum absorption. CHRIS VAs +/− 36 showed the highest correlations although the type of relation, linear or nonlinear, was not conclusive. Finally, a first comparison between narrowband spectral indices and absorption features in correlations with ecophysiological parameters showed that both methods provide significant and comparable results, with oblique angles showing best performance. However, ecophysiological parameters are generally better predicted linearly by narrowband spectral indices issued from CHRIS, with most significant differences appearing on pigments absorbing mainly within 450-550 nm.     

The role of atmospheric correction algorithms in the prediction of soil organic carbon from Hyperion data

In this study, the role of atmospheric correction algorithm in the prediction of soil organic carbon (SOC) from spaceborne hyperspectral sensor (Hyperion) visible near-infrared (vis-NIR, 400–2500 nm) data was analysed in fields located in two different geographical settings, viz. Karnataka in India and Narrabri in Australia. Atmospheric correction algorithms, (1) ATmospheric CORection (ATCOR), (2) Fast Line-of-sight Atmospheric Analysis of Spectral Hypercubes (FLAASH), (3) 6S, and (4) QUick Atmospheric Correction (QUAC), were employed for retrieving spectral reflectance from radiance image. The results showed that ATCOR corrected spectra coupled with partial least square regression prediction model, produced the best SOC prediction performances, irrespective of the study area. Comparing the results across study areas, Karnataka region gave lower prediction accuracy than Narrabri region. This may be explained due to difference in spatial arrangement of field conditions. A spectral similarity comparison of atmospherically corrected Hyperion spectra of soil samples with field-measured vis-NIR spectra was performed. Among the atmospheric correction algorithms, ATCOR corrected spectra found to capture the pattern in soil reflectance curve near 2200 nm. ATCOR’s finer spectral sampling distance in shortwave infrared wavelength region compared to other models may be the main reason for its better performance. This work would open up a great scope for accurate SOC mapping when future hyperspectral missions are realized.     

Using hyperspectral data to quantify water-quality parameters in the Wabash River and its tributaries,Indiana

A hand-held spectrometer was used to collect above-water spectral measurements for measuring optically active water-quality characteristics of the Wabash River and its tributaries in Indiana. Water sampling was undertaken concurrent with spectral measurements to estimate concentrations of chlorophyll (chl) and total suspended solids (TSS). A method for removing sky and Sun glint from field spectra for turbid inland waters was developed and tested. Empirical models were then developed using the corrected field spectra and in situ chl and TSS data. A subset of the field measurements was used for model development and the rest for model validation. Spectral characteristics indicative of waters dominated by different inherent optical properties (IOPs) were identified and used as the basis of selecting bands for empirical model development. It was found that the ratio of the reflectance peak at the red edge (704 nm) with the local minimum caused by chl absorption at 677 nm was a strong predictor of chl concentrations (coefficient of determination (R²) = 0.95). The reflectance peak at 704 nm was also a good predictor for TSS estimation (R² = 0.75). In addition, we also found that reflectance within the near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths (700–890 nm) all showed a strong correlation (0.85–0.91) with TSS concentrations and generated robust models. Results suggest that hyperspectral information provided by field spectrometer can be used to distinguish and quantify water-quality parameters under complex IOP conditions.     

利用高光谱数据估测植物叶片碳氮比的可行性研究

植物碳氮比作为一个在农业、生态、全球变化等领域广泛使用的因子,如果能够利用遥感获得的高光谱数据进行估测,可以突破传统测量方法的种种弊端,具有重要的实践意义,同时对于定量遥感反演领域的拓宽也具有启示作用。利用统计分析的方法,对碳氮比遥感定量估测的可行性进行深入探讨,认为利用高光谱数据估测植物叶片碳氮比是可行的。另外还通过与氮的遥感定量研究相比较,找到一个较好的研究碳氮比遥感定量反演的切入点,并将两者分别作为因变量进行逐步回归分析,得到比较理想的结果。
     

基于相位相关的小波域图像配准方法研究

小波变换是一种多尺度信号分析方法,近几年在图像处理领域受到广泛关注,它克服了傅立叶变换的固定分辨率的弱点,既可分析信号概貌,又可分析信号的细节。相位相关是一种频率域的图像配准参数估计方法,是利用傅立叶变换的平移、旋转等特性进行参数估计的。在研究多尺度小波分析和相位相关理论的基础上,提出基于小波系数的像素级相位相关图像配准方法：首先对待配准图像进行小波分解,获得低频小波系数后,再对小波系数应用相位相关进行配准参数估计。实验结果表明了该方法的可行性和有效性。     

高光谱技术提取不同作物叶片类胡萝卜素信息

以棉花、玉米、大豆、甘薯四种作物为材料，各采集叶片30张(处于不同部位、不同功能期)，分别测定其反射光谱和叶绿素、类胡萝卜素含量。目的在于探讨利用高光谱技术提取类胡萝卜素信息的可行性方法。结果表明，由于叶绿素与类胡萝卜素间存在显的相关性，在叶片水平，利用高光谱反射率估测叶片类胡萝卜素绝对量是可行的。与类胡萝卜素／叶绿素比值或类胡萝卜素含量相比，类胡萝卜素密度(单位叶片面积类胡萝卜素总量，Cardens)与光谱反射率间的相关性更为稳定。类胡萝卜素光谱吸收峰(470nm)附近的反射光谱与Cardens间的相关性较差，基于类胡萝卜素吸收峰附近反射光谱的光谱指数(如PSSRc、PSNDc)与Cardens间也表现出较弱的相关性。叶绿素光谱指数(如SR705、ND705)与Cardens间存在良好的相关性，红边光谱区的微分光谱、包络线归一化吸收深度等高光谱指数与Cardens间也表现出了良好的相关性。     

Multi-scale superpixel spectral–spatial classification of hyperspectral images

A novel multi-scale superpixel-based spectral–spatial classification (MS-SSC) approach is proposed for hyperspectral images in this study. Superpixels are considered as the basic processing units for spectral–spatial-based classification. The use of multiple scales allows the capturing of local spatial structures of various sizes. The proposed technique consists of three steps. In the first step, hierarchical superpixel segmentations are performed from fine to coarse scales for the original hyperspectral image and the spectral information of each superpixel is used for classification at each scale. In the second step, each single scale superpixel-based classification is improved by combining with the segmentations at a higher level. Finally, the multi-scale classification is achieved via decision fusion. Experimental results are presented for two hyperspectral images and compared with recently advanced pixel-wise and pixel-based spectral–spatial classification approaches. The experiments demonstrate that the proposed method works effectively on the homogeneous regions and is also able to preserve the small local spatial structures in the image.     

Pattern decomposition method for hyper-multi-spectral data analysis

The ‘pattern decomposition method’ (PDM) is a new analysis method originally developed for Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) satellite data. Applying the PDM to the radiospectrometer data of ground objects, 121 dimensional data in the wavelength region 350–2500?nm were successfully reduced into three-dimensional data. The nearly continuous spectral reflectance of land cover objects could be decomposed by three standard spectral patterns with an accuracy of 4.17% per freedom. We introduced a concept of supplementary spectral patterns for the study of specific ground objects. As an example, availability of a supplementary spectral pattern that can rectify standard spectral pattern of vivid vegetation for spectra of withered vegetation was studied. The new Revised Vegetation Index based on Pattern Decomposition (RVIPD) for hyper-multi-spectra is proposed as a simple function of the pattern decomposition coefficients including the supplementary vegetation pattern. It was confirmed that RVIPD is linear to the area cover ratio and also to the vegetation quantum efficiency.