斑块状植被遥感检测研究进展

斑块状植被是世界上干旱—半干旱区常见的景观类型,对于它们的形成、结构和演替研究能够提高人们对干旱—半干旱地区生态系统动态及其重要的生态水文过程的理解,具有重要的理论研究意义和应用价值.传统的基于地面调查和长期定位观测的方法观测范围有限,已无法满足目前区域斑块状植被分布及其空间格局特征研究的需要.利用遥感技术快速重复获取...     

RS、GIS、GPS在西北农业大开发中的应用前景

遥感(RS)、地理信息系统(GIS)和全球定位系统(GPS)作为三大高新技术(“3S”技术),可以 独立地,也可以相互补充地为农业生产和开发提供强大的技术支撑。它们能快速准确地获取农业生 产系统的多维信息,尤其是时间维的信息,能综合性地管理和处理属性数据和空间数据,并能为农 业生产的决策提供相应的技术服务,进而精确地指导农业生产,促进生态环境的良性发展。论述了 “3S”技术在西北地区农业开发中的应用前景,着重于土壤水分的遥感反演以及干旱和荒漠化的动 态监测。     

Crop yield prediction from remotely sensed vegetation indices and primary productivity in arid and semi-arid lands

Global demands for biomass and arable lands are expected to double in the next 35 years. Scarcity of water resources in arid and semi-arid areas poses a serious threat to their agricultural productivity and hence their food security. In this study, we examine whether crop yields can be predicted from remotely sensed vegetation indices and remotely sensed estimates of primary productivity. Spatial relationships between remotely sensed enhanced vegetation index (EVI), net photosynthesis (P_Net), and gross and net primary production (GPP and NPP, respectively) in irrigated semi-arid and arid agro-ecosystems since the beginning of the century are analysed. The conflict-affected country of Syria is selected as the case study. Relationships between EVI and crop yield are investigated in an effort to enhance food production estimates in affected areas outside governmental jurisdictions. Estimates of NPP derived from reported irrigated agriculture crop data in a semi-arid and an arid zone are compared to remotely sensed NPP in a geospatial environment. Results show that winter crop yields are correlated with spring GPP in semi-arid zones of the study area (R² = 0.85). Summer crop yield can be predicted from either cumulative summer EVI (R² = 0.77) or P_Net in most zones. Where fully irrigated fields are surrounded by hyper-arid landscape, summer P_Net was negative in all instances and EVI was inversely correlated with yield. NPP from crops was much higher (290 gC m^?2 year^?1) in those regions than MOD17 NPP (70 gC m^–2), where 1.0 g of carbon is equivalent to 2.2 g of oven-dry organic matter (= 45% carbon by weight). The gap was less in semi-arid zones (2–39% difference). Overall crop-derived NPP for the period 2000–2013 was 322 versus 300 gC m^–2 for that remotely sensed within the cropped zones of the political units. The results of this study are crucial to derive accurate estimates of irrigated agriculture productivity and to study the effect of the latter on net ecosystem carbon storage.     

用Landsat TM资料分析浑善达克沙地东部的植被覆盖变化及其可能原因探讨

中纬度干旱半干旱草原是我国的主要地表类型之一,正在面临着严重的荒漠化问题。选择浑善达克沙地东部为研究地区,利用Landsat TM和ETM+资料对该地区的植被覆盖情况进行分析。在所选的4个年度中,以1996年的NDVI值为最高(0.67),1998年略次之(0.65),1987年居中(0.47),而2001年为最低,仅0.33。水分是决定干旱半干旱地区植被生长状况的关键因子。无论是年降水还是7、8月降水,与9月的NDVI都基本上呈现了一种线性关系。气温对NDVI的影响不明显。反映地表与植物冠层表面温度的热红外亮温经常与区域内的NDVI分布基本呈反相关。少数地区,特别是一些本身植被状况较差、生态相对更为脆弱的地区,植被遭到破坏后,即使在保证降水增加的情况下也不能在短时间内恢复。比较1996和1998年,荒漠化面积增长呈现出明显的上升趋势。2001年是严重干旱年,区域平均NDVI极低,但却有7.5%的地区出现NDVI增加。这一逆向变化可能与中央和地方政府于2000年启动的一系列沙源治理项目和禁牧规定有直接关系。由此说明,除了降水这一关键自然因子之外,人类活动也对干旱半干旱草原生态的恶化或恢复起着非常重要的作用。     

Application of the MODIS global supervised classification model to vegetation and land cover mapping of Central America

While mapping vegetation and land cover using remotely sensed data has a rich history of application at local scales, it is only recently that the capability has evolved to allow the application of classification models at regional, continental and global scales. The development of a comprehensive training, testing and validation site network for the globe to support supervised and unsupervised classification models is fraught with problems imposed by scale, bioclimatic representativeness of the sites, availability of ancillary map and high spatial resolution remote sensing data, landscape heterogeneity, and vegetation variability. The System for Terrestrial Ecosystem Parameterization (STEP) - a model for characterizing site biophysical, vegetation and landscape parameters to be used for algorithm training and testing and validation - has been developed to support supervised land cover mapping. This system was applied in Central America using two classification systems based on 428 sites. The results indicate that: (1) it is possible to generate site data efficiently at the regional scale; (2) implementation of a supervised model using artificial neural network and decision tree classification algorithms is feasible at the regional level with classification accuracies of 75-88%; and (3) the STEP site parameter model is effective for generating multiple classification systems and thus supporting the development of global surface biophysical parameters.     

Sampling design and uncertainty based on spatial variability of spectral variables for mapping vegetation cover

Optimal sampling design for collecting ground data is critical in order to accurately map vegetation cover using remotely sensed data. Traditional simple random sampling often leads to a duplication of information and to a larger sample than is required. An optimal sampling grid spacing based on regionalized variable theory can greatly reduce the number of sample plots needed given a precision level for a study area. However, this method requires a set of ground data that exists or can be obtained via a pilot survey in order to derive a semivariogram for measuring the spatial variability of the variable of interest. In this study, we first developed a method to estimate the semivariogram of a ground or primary variable—vegetation cover from remotely sensed data instead of ground data—and then used it for determining optimal grid spacing for sampling the primary variable. The method developed can avoid the need for a pilot survey to obtain a ground dataset that has a good spatial distribution of plots and can be used to calculate the unbiased semivariogram of the ground variable when unbiased historical data are not available. This can reduce the total cost of collection of ground data. The accuracy of mapping vegetation cover based on this approach was compared to that generated with simple random sampling. A simple sensitivity analysis was conducted. The results show that this new method is very promising for determining optimal sampling grid spacing for estimating regional averages. When it is applied to determining sampling grid spacing for local estimation, a high correlation between vegetation cover and spectral variables is required.     

基于ENVISat ASAR影像的湿地植被冠层下淹水范围提取以扎龙保护区为例

以扎龙自然保护区湿地为例,结合ENVISat ASAR多极化(HH/HV)雷达影像与传统的光学影像Landsat TM (band1~5,7),分析雷达影像后向散射系数与Landsat TM影像不同波段反射率在淹水植被、非淹水植被、明水面和裸土不同地表覆被类型的差异。选择训练样本,采用分类回归树(Classification and Regression Tree,CART)模型,分别对两种影像进行分类,可视化表达湿地植被淹水范围空间分布情况。基于实测的植被冠层下淹水范围与非淹水范围样本点对两种数据源的分类结果进行精度验证。结果表明:HH/HV极化影像中,植被覆盖下水体的后向散射系数与其他地表覆被类型有明显区别,分类结果总精度为79.49%,Kappa系数为0.70,湿地植被淹水范围提取精度较高。而TM影像分类结果中,由于部分地区植被覆盖水体,淹水植被分类误差较高。将雷达影像引入沼泽湿地研究,提高了植被淹水范围提取效果,为有效分析湿地生态水文过程提供基础,对湿地水资源合理利用及生物多样性保护具有重要意义。     

The development of image processing techniques to assess changes in green vegetation cover along a climatic gradient through Northern Territory,Australia

The green vegetation cover gradient in three regions referred to as subtropical, semi-arid and arid in Northern Territory was assessed in terms of spectral reflectance characteristics. Incremental vegetation cover over different background components (combined spectra) resulted in three vegetation types being defined, Type 1, darkening Type 2 partial darkening and Type 3, highly near-infrared (NIR) reflective. Spectral plots on field sites showed the subtropical region as being typified by high NIR reflectance, the semi-arid curves showed extensive darkening, while the arid region curves show less darkening due to a lower vegetation cover and concomitant high soil reflectance. Results of analysis of variance of regression using different combinations of single bands, band transforms and principal component data resulted in the single band, MSS-5 providing the most useful predictive data in the subtropical and semi-arid areas. Normalized albedo on MSS-5 proved most useful in arid areas. Transforms involving relationships between near-infrared and visible wavebands were not ranked as suitable predictive tools for the semi-arid region. Prior to classification, single bands and band transforms were ranked. Only those showing high significance levels in relation to green vegetation cover were used as input data. Results showed that classification maps using maximum likelihood classifiers can be uniformly applied throughout all three regions resulting in high levels of accuracy in terms of map areas and community types. The classification technique separates out darkening (Type 1) and NIR reflective (Type 3) classes with the threshold of separation for the two types standing at 45-50 per cent green vegetation cover.     

Global monitoring of interannual changes in vegetation activities using NDVI and its relationships to temperature and precipitation

Interannual trends in annual and seasonal vegetation activities from 1982 to 1990 on a global scale were analysed using the Pathfinder AVHRR Land NDVI data set corrected by utilising desert and high NDVI areas. Climate effects on interannual variations in NDVI were also investigated using temperature and precipitation data compiled from stational observations. In the northern middlehigh latitudes, vegetation activities increased over broad regions because of a gradual rise in temperature. NDVI increases were also detected in the tropical regions, such as western Africa and south-eastern Asia. Plant photosynthetic activities on the other hand, decreased remarkably in some arid and semi-arid areas in the Southern Hemisphere, because annual rainfall decreased during this period.     

The influence of meteorological conditions and topographic parameters on the beech forest microclimate of Simbruini Mountains,central Italy

The relation between vegetation surface temperature and remotely sensed spectral vegetation indices has been examined by a number of authors. The observed linear decrease in surface temperature with the increase in vegetation cover density has generally been explained in terms of the increase in latent heat flux associated with greater amounts of transpirationally active vegetation. However, these investigations have initially concentrated in spatially uniform crop or pasture targets on level terrain, excluding more complex forested environments with variable Sun-sensor-surface geometry. In irregular terrains, the vegetation surface temperature may be strongly influenced by topographic parameters, such as altitude and insulation angle, so that the actual forest microclimate is often difficult to evaluate. Moreover, in the thermal regime, the emission of radiative flux within the canopy element is very tightly coupled to the environment through driving mechanisms such as meteorological conditions. In fact, the allocation of absorbed solar radiation into sensible heat flux and latent heat flux is dominated by the availability of water at the Earth's surface and thus by precipitations and air temperature conditions. In this paper, which uses remotely sensed inputs of surface temperature and vegetation fractional cover, the effects of topographic parameters and vegetation cover density on surface temperature of vegetation are investigated based on Landsat 5 satellite images obtained in the daytime of two clear summer days with different antecedent meteorological conditions. For both scenes analysed, results indicate that altitude as well as the orientation of the surface relative to the Sun were the most important factors controlling surface temperatures of beech forests of Simbruini Mountains, in central Italy.     

Detecting the effects of climate change on canopy phenology in coniferous forests in semi-arid mountain regions of China

An increased understanding of the responses of forest phenology to climate on regional scales is critical to the evaluation of biochemical cycles (i.e. carbon, water, heat, and nutrient) under environmental changes. In this study, we aimed to identify climatic constraints on phenological events in an evergreen coniferous forest in semi-arid mountain regions of northern China. We quantified the start of season (SOS), end of season (EOS), and growing season length (GSL) based on satellite-derived data sets (normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)) and investigated the relationships between these phenological events and climate factors. The results revealed discontinuous trends in phenological events throughout the study period, with neither an obvious extension nor decrement in GSL. We demonstrated that minimum temperatures controlled the dynamics of SOS and EOS, thus providing strong evidence for the need to include minimum temperature as a control on phenology in simulation models. Additionally, precipitation was coupled to the shift in maximum NDVI, as rainfall is a major climatic limitation to vegetation growth in semi-arid regions. It appears that selecting appropriate timescales to analyse the relationships between phenology and climate is critical. We illustrated that NDVI was an effective tool in an effort to gain greater understanding of the effects of environmental change on ecosystem functioning in this forest. Our results may be used as reference to track local changes in the evergreen coniferous forest dynamics under different climate change scenarios for semi-arid mountain regions.     

Seasonal vegetation cover changes as indicators of soil types along a climatological gradient: a mutual study of environmental patterns and controls using remote sensing

A remote sensing analysis of the temporal changes of vegetation cover in the arid and semi-arid regions of the Judean Desert and Judean Mountains was carried out in order to reveal the controlling factor of the environmental system. Assessment of ditTerent combinations of temperal changes in the region using GIS techniques indicated that it is possible to differentiate between two major patterns of vegetation cover change. The classification of the region according to these patterns has produced a map that is highly correlated to the soil map of the region, thus suggesting that the soil is an important environmental controlling factor in the region. From the remote sensing point of view, the patterns of vegetation cover change may serve as indicators of soil types in similar arid and semi-arid environments.     

Monitoring desertification and land degradation over sub-Saharan Africa

A desertification monitoring system is developed that uses four indicators derived using continental-scale remotely sensed data: vegetation cover, rain use efficiency (RUE), surface run-off and soil erosion. These indicators were calculated on a dekadal time step for 1996. Vegetation cover was estimated using the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The estimation of RUE also employed NDVI and, in addition, rainfall derived from Meteosat cold cloud duration data. Surface run-off was modelled using the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) model parametrized using the rainfall estimates, vegetation cover, land cover, and digital soil maps. Soil erosion, one of the most indicative parameters of the desertification process, was estimated using a model parametrized by overland flow, vegetation cover, the digital soil maps and a digital elevation model (DEM). The four indicators were then combined to highlight the areas with the greatest degradation susceptibility. The system has potential for near-real time monitoring and application of the methodology to the remote sensing data archives would allow both spatial and temporal trends in degradation to be determined.     

Vegetation,water and thermal stress index for study of drought in Nepal and central northeastern India

Drought is the degradation of land in arid, semi-arid and dry sub-humid regions caused primarily by human activity and climatic variations. The present study is the first attempt to identify and monitor drought using a vegetation index, a vegetation-water index and land surface temperature (LST) data for Nepal and central northeastern India. We propose a Vegetation Water Temperature Condition Index (VWTCI) for monitoring drought on a regional scale. The VWTCI includes the Normalized Difference Water Index (NDWI), which measures the water status in vegetation, the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and LST data. To validate the approach, the VWTCI was compared with the Vegetation Temperature Condition Index (VTCI) and Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) 3B31 Precipitation Radar (PR) data. The study revealed a gradual increase in the extent of drought in the central part of the study area from 2000 to 2004. Certain constant drought areas were also identified and the results indicate that these areas are spreading slowly towards the northeast into the central part of the study area. Comparison of the drought areas also shows a decrease in rainfall in June and July from 2000 to 2004.     

Identifying land cover variability distinct from land cover change: Cheatgrass in the Great Basin

An understanding of land use/land cover change at local, regional, and global scales is important in an increasingly human-dominated biosphere. Here, we report on an under-appreciated complexity in the analysis of land cover change important in arid and semi-arid environments. In these environments, some land cover types show a high degree of inter-annual variability in productivity. In this study, we show that ecosystems dominated by non-native cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum) show an inter-annual amplified response to rainfall distinct from native shrub/bunch grass in the Great Basin, US. This response is apparent in time series of Landsat and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) that encompass enough time to include years with high and low rainfall. Based on areas showing a similar amplified response elsewhere in the Great Basin, 20,000 km², or 7% of land cover, are currently dominated by cheatgrass. Inter-annual patterns, like the high variability seen in cheatgrass-dominated areas, should be considered for more accurate land cover classification. Land cover change science should be aware that high inter-annual variability is inherent in annual dominated ecosystems and does not necessarily correspond to active land cover change.     

Remote sensing used to detect moisture status of pecan orchards grown in a desert environment

Remote-sensing techniques can detect and up-scale leaf-level physiological responses to large areas, and provide significant and reliable information on water use and irrigation management. The objectives of this study were to screen leaf-level physiological changes that occur during the cyclic irrigation of pecan orchards to determine which responses best represent changes in moisture status of plants and link plant physiological changes to remotely sensed surface reflectance data derived from the Landsat Thematic Mapper and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+). The study was conducted simultaneously on two southern New Mexico mature pecan orchards. For both orchards, plant physiological responses and remotely sensed surface reflectance data were collected from trees that were either well watered or in water deficit. Remotely sensed variables included reflectance in band 1, the ratio between shortwave infrared (SWIR) bands (B5:B7), the normalized difference vegetation index, and SWIR moisture indices. Midday stem water potential (Ψ_smd) was the best performing leaf-level physiological response variable for detecting moisture status in pecans. The B5:B7 ratio positively and significantly correlated with Ψ_smd in five of six irrigation cycles while multiple linear regression weighted with six remotely sensed surface reflectance variables revealed a significant relationship with moisture status in all cycles in both orchards (R² > 0.73). Because changes in the B5:B7 band ratio and multiple regression of spectral variables correlate with the moisture status of pecan orchards, we conclude that remotely sensed data hold promise for detecting the moisture status of pecans.     

Quantifying livestock effects on bunchgrass vegetation with Landsat ETM+ data across a single growing season

Grassland systems provide important habitat for native biodiversity and forage for livestock, with livestock grazing playing an important role influencing sustainable ecosystem function. Traditional field techniques to monitor the effects of grazing on vegetation are costly and limited to small spatial scales. Remote sensing has the potential to provide quantitative and repeatable monitoring data across large spatial and temporal scales for more informed grazing management. To investigate the ability of vegetation metrics derived from remotely sensed imagery to detect the effect of cattle grazing on bunchgrass grassland vegetation across a growing season, we sampled 32 sites across four prescribed stocking rates on a section of Pacific Northwest bunchgrass prairie in northeastern Oregon. We collected vegetation data on vertical structure, biomass, and cover at three different time periods: June, August, and October 2012 to understand the potential to measure vegetation at different phenological stages across a growing season. We acquired remotely sensed Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) data closest in date to three field sampling bouts. We correlated the field vegetation metrics to Landsat spectral bands, 14 commonly used vegetation indices, and the tasselled cap wetness, brightness, and greenness transformations. To increase the explanatory value of the satellite-derived data, full, stepwise, and best-subset multiple regression models were fit to each of the vegetation metrics at the three different times of the year. Predicted vegetation metrics were then mapped across the study area. Field-based results indicated that as the stocking rate increased, the mean vegetation amounts of vertical structure, cover, and biomass decreased. The multiple regression models using common vegetation indices had the ability to discern different levels of grazing across the study area, but different spectral indices proved to be the best predictors of vegetation metrics for differing phenological windows. Field measures of vegetation cover yielded the highest correlations to remotely sensed data across all sampling periods. Our results from this analysis can be used to improve grassland monitoring by providing multiple measures of vegetation amounts across a growing season that better align with land management decision making.     

Vegetation cover seasonal changes assessment from TM imagery in a semi-arid landscape

This work evaluates the suitability of spectral mixture analysis (SMA) methods to assess vegetation cover seasonal changes in a desertification context. Our main interest is to produce remotely sensed derived maps, sensitive to vegetation activity and quite independent of the soil background. A further aim is to analyse the inter-annual variations of this magnitude for different natural vegetation species, in response to seasonal and climatic changes. Fractional vegetation cover (FVC) was obtained using a Variable Endmember Spectral Mixture Analysis (VESMA) technique. The aim is to identify the main vegetation cover and lithological units and decompose them in separate stages. The use of specific spectral signatures for each pixel allows for a better adaptation of the endmembers to local conditions, which is an important prerequisite to ensure the accuracy of fractions. The method has been tested on a well documented area, the Guadalentin river basin, located in south-eastern Spain. Unlike pine forest and stipa classes, rosmarinus, sparse shrubs and seasonal grasses classes displayed larger inter-annual variability, showing higher stress in response to water availability. A comparative analysis between FVC and the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) was also conducted. Average values were used as indicators of the dynamics of the vegetation cover, with the variance of each vegetation class giving similar results. The correlation between both magnitudes varied from 55% for the class with least coverage to 90% for the densest vegetation class. Regarding seasonal evolution, the average values and standard deviations of the changes in each vegetation class in specific periods were related to seasonal changes and the effects of the rainfall pattern. Significant differences were found between the two methods, with FVC showing a higher coherence.     

Land-use and land-cover change detection in a semi-arid area of Niger using multi-temporal analysis of Landsat images

Recent studies using low-resolution satellite time series show that the Sahelian belt of West Africa is witnessing an increase in vegetation cover/biomass, called re-greening. However, detailed information on local processing and changes is rare or lacking. A multi-temporal set of Landsat images was used to produce land-cover maps for the years 2000 and 2007 in a semi-arid region of Niger, where an anomalous vegetation trend was previously detected. Several supervised classification approaches were tested: spectral classification of single Landsat data, temporal classification of normalized difference vegetation index time series from Landsat images, and two-step classification integrating both these approaches. The accuracy of the land-cover maps obtained ranges between 80% and 90% overall for the two-step classification approach. Comparison of the maps between the two years indicates a stable semi-arid region, where some change in hot spots exists despite a generally constant level of rainfall in the area during this period. In particular, the Dallol Bosso fossil valley highlights an increase in cultivated land, while a decrease in herbaceous vegetation was observed outside the valley where rangeland is the predominant natural landscape.