A performance evaluation of a burned area object-based classification model when applied to topographically and non-topographically corrected TM imagery

Operational use of remote sensing as a tool for post-fire Mediterranean forest management has been limited by problems of classification accuracy arising from confusion between burned and non-burned land, especially within shaded areas. Object-oriented image analysis has been developed to overcome the limitations and weaknesses of traditional image processing methods for feature extraction from high spatial resolution images. The aim of this work was to evaluate the performance of an object-based classification model developed for burned area mapping, when applied to topographically and non-topographically corrected Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery for a site on the Greek island of Thasos. The image was atmospherically and geometrically corrected before object-based classification. The results were compared with the forest perimeter map generated by the Forest Service. The accuracy assessment using an error matrix indicated that the removal of topographic effects from the image before applying the object-based classification model resulted in only slightly more accurate mapping of the burned area (1.16% increase in accuracy). It was concluded that topographic correction is not essential prior to object-based classification of a burned Mediterranean landscape using TM data.