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MONITORING GLOBAL CHANGE: COMPARISON OF FOREST COVER ESTIMATES USING REMOTE SENSING AND INVENTORY APPROACHES
Citation:
Turner, D., G. Koerper, H. Gucinski, C. Peterson, AND R. Dixon. MONITORING GLOBAL CHANGE: COMPARISON OF FOREST COVER ESTIMATES USING REMOTE SENSING AND INVENTORY APPROACHES. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, D.C., EPA/600/J-93/474 (NTIS PB94117579), 1993.
Description:
Satellite-based remote sensing offers great potential for frequent assessment of forest cover over broad spatial scales, however, calibration and validation using ground-based surveys are needed. n this study, the authors compared forest cover estimates from a recently developed land surface cover map (generated from satellite remote sensing data) to state-level inventory data from the National Resource Planning Act Timber Database. he land cover map was produced at the US Geological Survey EROS Data Center and is based on imagery from the satellite-mounted AVHRR sensor (spatial resolution -1.1 km) . Vegetation type was classified using the temporal signal in the Normalized Difference Vegetation index (NDVI). he comparisons revealed close agreement in the estimates of forest cover for extensively forested states with large polygons of relatively similar vegetation such as Oregon. arge forest coverage differences were observed in other states with some regional patterns apparent. omparisons in inventory- and remote sensing-based estimates of current forested area with potential vegetation maps indicated the magnitude of past land use change and the potential for future changes. he remote sensing approach appears to hold considerable promise for conducting surveys of forest cover where inventory data are limited or rates of vegetation change are rapid.
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MONITORING GLOBAL CHANGE: COMPARISON OF FOREST COVER ESTIMATES USING REMOTE SENSING AND INVENTORY APPROACHES