Optical and radar remote sensing data for forest cover mapping in Peninsular Malaysia

This study aims to map forest cover in Peninsular Malaysia using satellite images as deforestation is of concern in the recent decades, and is an important environmental issue for the future too. The Carnegie Landsat Analysis System‐Lite (CLASlite) program was used in this study to detect forest cover in Peninsular Malaysia using Landsat satellite data. The results of the study show that CLASlite algorithm misclassified some oil palm, rubber and urban areas as forest vegetation. A reliable forest cover map was produced by first combining Landsat and ALOS PALSAR images to identify oil palm, rubber and urban areas, and then subsequently removing them. The HH and HV polarization data of ALOS PALSAR (threshold method) could detect oil palm plantations with 85.26 per cent of overall accuracy. For urban area detection, Enhance Build up Index (EBBI) using spectral bands from Landsat provided higher overall accuracy of 94 per cent. These methods produced a forest cover reading of 5 914 421 ha with an overall classification accuracy of 94.5 per cent. The forest cover (including rubber areas) detected in this study is 0.38 per cent higher than the percentage of 2010 forest cover detected by the Forestry Department of Peninsular Malaysia. The technique described in this paper presents an alternative and viable approach for updating forest cover maps in Malaysia.     

Remote sensing of the impact of reindeer grazing on vegetation in northern Fennoscandia using SPOT XS data

Digital image analysis and SPOT XS satellite data recorded on 1 August 1991 were used to monitor vegetation in the border region between Enontekio municipality, Finland, and Kautokeino municipality, Norway. A supervised classification on the red wave length channel was undertaken using training areas for maximum likelihood classifier to produce seven spectral land cover classes. The classification revealed great differences in vegetation between Finland and Norway. The largest difference was the lack of Cladinalichens on the Finnish side of the border. The area on the Finnish side is used for grazing all year round, while the area on the Norwegian side is a winter range only. According to official data for the local reindeer population, the average annual grazing pressure (head/area/time) is higher on the Norwegian side of the reindeer fence. The Finnish grazing practice is believed to have a detrimental impact on the vegetation, and has lead to pasture land degradation.     

Small-area estimation of land cover statistics by post-stratification of a national area frame survey

The objective of this paper is to examine a method for estimation of land cover statistics for local environments from available area frame surveys of larger, surrounding areas. The method is a simple version of the small-area estimation methodology. The starting point is a national area frame survey of land cover. This survey is post-stratified using a coarse land cover map based on topographic maps and segmentation of satellite images. The approach is to describe the land cover composition of each stratum and subsequently use the results to calculate land cover statistics for a smaller area where the relative distribution of the strata is known. The method was applied to a mountain environment in Gausdal in Eastern Norway and the result was compared to reference data from a complete in situ land cover map of the study area. The overall correlation (Pearson’s rho) between the observed and the estimated land cover figures was r = 0.95. The method does not produce a map of the target area and the estimation error was large for a few of the land cover classes. The overall conclusion is, however, that the method is applicable when the objective is to produce land cover statistics and the interest is the general composition of land cover classes - not the precise estimate of each class. The method will be applied in outfield pasture management in Norway, where it offers a cost-efficient way to screen the management units and identify local areas with a land cover composition suitable for grazing. The limited resources available for in situ land cover mapping can then be allocated efficiently to in-depth studies of the areas with the highest grazing potential. It is also expected that the method can be used to compile land cover statistics for other purposes as well, provided that the motivation is to describe the overall land cover composition and not to provide exact estimates for the individual land cover classes.     

新疆阜康绿洲荒漠过渡带植物群落物种多样性特征

分别采用重要值、盖度、多度计算多样性指数、均匀度指数、丰富度指数、优势度指数，对新疆阜康荒漠地区植物群落的物种多样性进行了研究。结果表明：1)各类型群落的物种多样性水平表现为红柳、红砂、梭梭这三个群落较高，肉叶雾冰藜群落、叉毛蓬群落、盐爪爪群落、囊果碱蓬群落和雾冰藜群落居中，无叶假木贼群落和碱蓬群落较低；2)研究区总体群落物种多样性水平较低，随着群落演替其物种多样性水平呈现低—高—较高的变化趋势；3)对荒漠植被，以重要值或盖度为指标计测多样性指数较为可行。     

Integrating models of soil dynamics,animal behaviour and vegetation response for the management of arid lands

As the low return from arid rangelands greatly limits the prospects for the treatment of eroded areas the regulation of grazing to maintain an adequate vegetation cover is essential. Techniques currently being developed to recognise the attributes of eroding systems and to model their behaviour over space and time are outlined here. Such models of the interaction of soils, plants and animals allow land managers to locate critical areas within a landscape.     

Is the analysis of plant community structure better than common species-diversity indices for assessing the effects of livestock grazing on a Mediterranean arid ecosystem?

Grazing in arid Mediterranean ecosystems brings about changes in species diversity, but the best way to measure such changes is unclear. In this study we compared various methods in order to identify indicators that might be useful for the management and conservation of grazed arid Mediterranean ecosystems.Changes in community structure and composition were compared along a previously studied grazing gradient in Cabo de Gata-Nijar Natural Park. Plant diversity was measured by calculating diversity (Shannon information index), evenness (Pielou index) and richness (species number). Rarefaction curves were used to measure plant species richness and the results were compared with traditional richness values. Community structure was measured as the percentage of bare ground and the coverage of overall perennial grasses, Stipa tenacissima L., perennial shrubs and annual plants. Our results showed that the proportion of bare ground, the cover of perennial shrubs and the relative abundance of S. tenacissima are good indicators of grazing effects on vegetation. Overall plant community structure was more sensitive to the grazing gradient than were the diversity indices. Finally, the adequacy of standardized methods for comparing species richness (i.e. rarefaction curves) along a grazing gradient are discussed.     

基于MOD13Q1数据的宁夏生长季植被动态监测

宁夏自2000年后实施退耕还林以来,局部地区的生态环境得到明显改善,为探求近15来年宁夏地区植被的动态变化及其影响因子,本文以MOD13Q1为数据源,结合DEM数据、土地利用分类图,采用Sen+Mann-Kendall非参数检验方法和Hurst模型,分析了宁夏不同行政区、不同海拔、不同坡度、不同坡向及不同植被类型生长季NDVI的空间变化特征及未来变化趋势;并利用重心迁移模型和转移矩阵分析宁夏2000-2014年间植被覆盖的时空演变特征。结果表明：①从空间分布看,宁夏南部六盘山、北部贺兰山及引黄灌溉区植被长势较好,中部干旱地区植被长势较差;且植被NDVI与海拔高程和坡度呈显著正相关。②从植被覆盖的转移矩阵看,较高植被覆盖的面积占比从2000年的17.29%增长到2014年的31.55%,主要是由较低植被覆盖转化而来的。③从重心迁移方向看,中度植被覆盖和较高植被覆盖的重心迁移最为明显,分别向东北方向偏移了129.49 km和向东南方向偏移了89.49 km。④从变化趋势看,生长季植被NDVI整体呈上升趋势,明显改善的面积占总面积的59.63%,轻微改善区域占31.72%;林地和水田显著改善的面积分别占总面积的71.50%和70.80%;显著改善的面积比例随海拔高程和坡度的增加均先增加后减少,且南部各行政区植被改善的面积均高于北部。⑤从可持续性看,植被恢复的持续性较强,89.24%的植被NDVI呈现持续改善的趋势;南部地区的持续改善的面积大于北部地区。     

准格尔丘陵沟壑区五分地沟流域土地覆盖分析(英文)

以准格尔丘陵沟壑区五分地沟流域为研究区,应用彩红外航片和IKONOS卫星影像,绘制了1987、2002年土地覆盖/植被类型图,并数字化基于地面土地利用调查绘制的1979年土地利用图.利用景观格局指数,评价了研究区土地覆盖/植被空间格局现状及土地覆盖类型动态变化;并以ETM 数据为信息源,绘制了2002年土地覆盖/植被类型图.研究表明:2002年研究区土地覆盖/植被呈现出一个耕地、草地、人工乔木林和人工灌木林以及种植稀疏灌木的草地高度镶嵌的景观格局特征;20年内土地覆盖类型发生了显著的变化,景观异质性增强.基于研究区景观的高度破碎化,绘制小流域精细尺度土地覆盖图,高空间分辨率遥感数据十分必要.     

准格尔丘陵沟壑区五分地沟流域土地覆盖分析

以准格尔丘陵沟壑区五分地沟流域为研究区,应用彩红外航片和IKONOS卫星影像,绘制了1987、2002年土地覆盖/植被类型图,并数字化基于地面土地利用调查绘制的1979年土地利用图.利用景观格局指数,评价了研究区土地覆盖/植被空间格局现状及土地覆盖类型动态变化;并以ETM 数据为信息源,绘制了2002年土地覆盖/植被类型图.研究表明:2002年研究区土地覆盖/植被呈现出一个耕地、草地、人工乔木林和人工灌木林以及种植稀疏灌木的草地高度镶嵌的景观格局特征;20年内土地覆盖类型发生了显著的变化,景观异质性增强.基于研究区景观的高度破碎化,绘制小流域精细尺度土地覆盖图,高空间分辨率遥感数据十分必要.     

基于MSAVI-WI特征空间的新疆渭干河-库车河流域绿洲土壤盐渍化研究

土壤盐渍化是造成干旱区土地荒漠化及生态恶化的重要原因,及时获取大尺度高精度土壤盐渍信息是防治工作的基础。选取新疆塔里木盆地北缘渭干河—库车河流域三角洲绿洲为研究区,利用Lansat-TM数据与野外实测数据分析盐渍化土壤与修改型土壤调整植被指数(MSAVI)、湿度指数(WI)之间的关系,在此基础上提出了MSAVI-WI特征空间概念,构建了土壤盐渍化遥感监测指数模型(MWI)。结果表明:MWI与土壤表层含盐量相关性较高,其相关性为0.844,精度高于土壤盐渍监测常用的盐分指数与实测数据的相关性。MWI能较好的反映盐渍化土壤地表植被及土壤水分的组合变化,具有明确的生物物理意义,并且特征参量简单,理论上易于理解,实践上易于实现,MWI模型的构建有利于干旱区大尺度土壤盐渍化定量监测与评价工作的开展。     

干旱生态系统净初级生产力估算及变化探测

1 Introduction Arid western China stretches from west of Helan Mountains to south of the piedmont of Kunlun Mountains, covering about 2.50×106 km2 or 26.08% of the total territorial area of China. Its unique geographic location in the hinterland of Euras…     

Carbon uptake and change in net primary productivity of oasis-desert ecosystem in arid western China with remote sensing technique

Arid and semi-arid ecosystems exhibit a spatially complex biogeophysical structure. According to arid western special climate-vegetation characters, the fractional cover of photosynthetic vegetation (PV), non-photosynthetic vegetation (NPV), bare soil and water are unmixed, using the remote sensing spectral mixture analysis. We try the method to unmix the canopy funation structure of arid land cover in order to avoid the differentiation of regional vegetation system and the disturbance of environmental background. We developed a modified production efficiency model NPP-PEM appropriate for the arid area at regional scale based on the concept of radiation use efficiency. This model refer to the GLO-PEM and CASA model was driven with remotely sensed observations, and calculates not just the conversion efficiency of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation but also the carbon fluxes that determine net primary productivity (NPP). We apply and validate the model in the Kaxger and Yarkant river basins in arid western China. The NPP of the study area in 1992 and 1998 was estimated based on the NPP-PEM model. The results show that the improved PEM model, considering the photosynthetical activation of heterogeneous functional vegetation, is in good agreement with field measurements and the existing literature. An accurate agreement (R2 = 0.85, P<0.001) between the estimates and the ground-based measurement was obtained. The spatial distribution of mountain-oasis-desert ecosystem shows an obvious heterogeneous carbon uptake. The results are applicable to arid ecosystem studies ranging from characterizing carbon cycle, carbon flux over arid areas to monitoring change in mountain-oasis-desert productivity, stress and management.     

基于SPOT-VGT NDVI的矿区植被遥感监测方法

以SPOT-VGT NDVI为遥感数据源,结合中国北方矿区环境特点,研究矿区植被和土地荒漠化的遥感监测方法,包括时间序列数据合成、植被变化趋势分析和土地荒漠化分级3方面.对每个像素的NDVI时间序列数据进行线性拟合,据直线斜率将NDVI变化程度分为7级;依据NDVI转换得到的植被覆盖度,将矿区土地荒漠化程度分为5级.以中国西北神东矿区为例,对该文提出的方法进行验证.     

Does land use matter in an arid Environment? A case study from the Hoanib River catchment, north-western Namibia

The effect of intensive grazing and browsing of domestic stock and wildlife on the number of species and abundance of vegetation was investigated in the Hoanib River catchment, north-western Namibia. The seasonal abundance of ground cover, bare earth, canopy cover, annual grass, perennial grass and annual forbs were measured in each of the focus-study areas. In three of the focus areas where the ranges of both domestic stock and wildlife were restricted either by fencing or water availability, impact on the vegetation was greatest. The final focus area was a more ‘open range’ system that allowed for the free movement of wildlife. Under these conditions the species abundance and availability of browsing and grazing was greater than the other focus areas during both the wet and dry seasons. However, very little difference in abundance and availability of vegetation was observed between focus areas in both seasons regardless of landuse. There is generally a low abundance of perennial grasses and browse species affording the ecosystem little resistance and resilience to disturbance caused by grazing and drought.     

Development implications of demographic trends and projections for an arid region:: the case of the Badia Research and Development Project area of Jordan

Development planners in arid areas face many difficulties in preparing appropriate strategies. Their task is made harder by the dearth of reliable demographic information. This paper presents population projections for the arid area of eastern Jordan covered by the Badia Research and Development Project and evaluates the economic and social implications of these projections over the next 20 years. The paper argues that conventional demographic forecasting methods are extremely problematic when applied to a population such as this. Furthermore, the pastoral economy, which has in the past been the main source of livelihood, cannot hope to sustain the region's future population. High fertility rates will continue to place great stress on the educational and health infrastructure. If appropriate planning responses are not achieved, the demographic regime of the Badia project area and the quality of life of the population may continue to diverge from the patterns found in other parts of Jordan.     

Land use and land cover change in Greater Dhaka, Bangladesh: Using remote sensing to promote sustainable urbanization

This study evaluates land use/cover changes and urban expansion in Greater Dhaka, Bangladesh, between 1975 and 2003 using satellite images and socio-economic data. Spatial and temporal dynamics of land use/cover changes were quantified using three Landsat images, a supervised classification algorithm and the post-classification change detection technique in GIS. Accuracy of the Landsat-derived land use/cover maps ranged from 85 to 90%. The analysis revealed that substantial growth of built-up areas in Greater Dhaka over the study period resulted significant decrease in the area of water bodies, cultivated land, vegetation and wetlands. Urban land expansion has been largely driven by elevation, population growth and economic development. Rapid urban expansion through infilling of low-lying areas and clearing of vegetation resulted in a wide range of environmental impacts, including habitat quality. As reliable and current data are lacking for Bangladesh, the land use maps produced in this study will contribute to both the development of sustainable urban land use planning decisions and also for forecasting possible future changes in growth patterns.     

干旱区沙质草地植被覆盖变化模拟: Ⅱ. 应用

 采用植被覆盖变化模型,模拟了新疆玛纳斯河下游沙质草地土壤水分补给量变化和植被变化。发现该区域平均植被盖度在10%~35%之间,最低值出现在4月初,整个地区植被盖度大多在10%以下,最高值出现在7月,植被盖度平均值在30%以上。植被覆盖度高的地方多分布在南部、东部以及下游的绿洲及地势低洼的沙漠边缘地带。从植被盖度的频率分布来看,区域植被盖度以10%~30%为主,最高月份（2000年4月）达到63.73%,其他植被盖度频率分别占10%左右。与遥感资料的对比表明,模拟结果与实际情况接近,能较真实地反映该地区植被盖度变化过程。     

Rainfall variability may modify the effects of long-term exclosure on vegetation in Mandalgobi,Mongolia

Starting in 2005, we examined differences in vegetation for three consecutive years across an airport fence that separated heavily grazed areas from areas in which grazing had been excluded for 24 years in Mandalgobi, Mongolia. We performed repeated-measures analysis separately on two community types (dominated by Allium polyrrhizum and Achnatherum splendens, respectively) to compare the effects of fencing and year on the cover of different plant functional types. There was a significant fence × year interaction for grass cover in the Allium type (but not the Achnatherum type), due to greater cover of grasses inside the fence only when rainfall was sufficient during the growing season. The effect of grazing exclusion on perennial forb cover was confounded by a significant fence × year interaction in both types. In 2007, perennial forbs were found outside the fence, but had almost disappeared inside the fence, resulting in this interaction. Annual forbs only had much greater cover values inside the fence than outside in 2006, also resulting in a significant fence × year interaction in both community types. This study thus suggests that the high rainfall variability in arid and semi-arid rangelands may modify the effects of long-term exclosure on vegetation.     

Assessing vegetation cover and biomass in restored erosion areas in Iceland using SPOT satellite data

Due to highly erodible volcanic soils and a harsh climate, livestock grazing in Iceland has led to serious soil erosion on about 40% of the country's surface. Over the last 100 years, various revegetation and restoration measures were taken on large areas distributed all over Iceland in an attempt to counteract this problem. The present research aimed to develop models for estimating percent vegetation cover (VC) and aboveground biomass (AGB) based on satellite data, as this would make it possible to assess and monitor the effectiveness of restoration measures over large areas at a fairly low cost. Models were developed based on 203 vegetation cover samples and 114 aboveground biomass samples distributed over five SPOT satellite datasets. All satellite datasets were atmospherically corrected, and digital numbers were converted into ground reflectance. Then a selection of vegetation indices (VIs) was calculated, followed by simple and multiple linear regression analysis of the relations between the field data and the calculated VIs.Best results were achieved using multiple linear regression models for both %VC and AGB. The model calibration and validation results showed that R² and RMSE values for most VIs do not vary very much. For percent VC, R² values range between 0.789 and 0.822, leading to RMSEs ranging between 15.89% and 16.72%. For AGB, R² values for low-biomass areas (AGB < 800 g/m²) range between 0.607 and 0.650, leading to RMSEs ranging between 126.08 g/m² and 136.38 g/m². The AGB model developed for all areas, including those with high biomass coverage (AGB > 800 g/m²), achieved R² values between 0.487 and 0.510, resulting in RMSEs ranging from 234 g/m² to 259.20 g/m². The models predicting percent VC generally overestimate observed low percent VC and slightly underestimate observed high percent VC. The estimation models for AGB behave in a similar way, but over- and underestimation are much more pronounced.These results show that it is possible to estimate percent VC with high accuracy based on various VIs derived from SPOT satellite data. AGB of restoration areas with low-biomass values of up to 800 g/m² can likewise be estimated with high accuracy based on various VIs derived from SPOT satellite data, whereas in the case of high biomass coverage, estimation accuracy decreases with increasing biomass values. Accordingly, percent VC can be estimated with high accuracy anywhere in Iceland, whereas AGB is much more difficult to estimate, particularly for areas with high-AGB variability.     

植被覆盖、放牧和季节对牧草种类组成和生物量的影响:以埃塞俄比亚南部Yabello牧场为例

Yabello牧场是埃塞俄比亚博拉纳的一个半干旱地区的牧场,目前面临着草场退化的严重挑战。植被覆盖的变化、过度放牧和季节性变化极大地影响了Yabello牧场的牧草组成和生物量。本文评估了植被覆盖、放牧和季节对Yabello牧场的牧草组成和生物量的影响。首先采用1 m×1 m的随机样方进行实验,根据植被覆盖类型和放牧变化选择样点,并对季节影响进行评估。使用SAS统计软件和MicrosoftExcel分析牧草组成、牧草高度和质量数据。本研究总共记录了26种草种,其中Chloris roxburghiana, Chrysopogon aucheri和Chrysopogon aucheri草种均表现出最高的平均单种覆盖高度和生物量产量。因此,建议将这些草种用于研究区域退化草地的恢复。研究结果还表明,植被覆盖类型、放牧和季节变化是决定牧草种类组成、牧草高度和生物量产量的关键因素。最后,研究结论还认为控制灌木丛植被并平衡放牧水平的可持续管理对于该地区的可持续牧草生产和生物多样性保护至关重要。