Using remote sensing imagery to determine the impact of land cover changes on potential runoff for the Mid-Cibolo Creek watershed,Texas

Land cover changes within watersheds have the potential to produce dramatic changes in surface hydrology, namely runoff, in the event of storms. The Mid-Cibolo Creek watershed in south-central Texas has experienced extensive land-cover change in the past two decades due to mass residential development and land clearing in the wake of urban growth along the I-35 corridor. This study determined land-cover changes within the basin using supervised classification to classify land cover from LANDSAT images for the years 1986 and 1999. Changes in runoff volume were then calculated using the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) runoff equation for a series of rainfall scenarios. The results showed that an overall increase in impervious cover and decrease in natural vegetative cover has occurred leading to larger runoff volumes for all storm scenarios. The findings are important for watershed scale urban expansion and land clearing practices as current methods suggest that flood risk is increased.     

Predicting the Impact of Coastal Development on Water Quality Using Remote Sensing and GIS‐assisted Hydrologic Modeling Techniques

Abstract

A decline in water quality in the Okatie River, a coastal estuary located in Beaufort County, SC, has resulted in the closure of several shellfish beds. Continuing urban development within the watershed has altered land cover conditions and may be contributing to the recent decline in water quality. Remote sensing and geographic information system (GIS) technology, coupled with a water quality model were used to spatially model stormwater runoff to understand the relationship between recent changes in land cover and watershed runoff characteristics. High spatial resolution imagery acquired in 1994 and 1996 spatially documented pre‐ and post‐development land cover conditions within the watershed. The water quality model Agricultural Nonpoint Source Pollution (AGNPS) evaluated land characteristics such as soil type, topography, and land cover to simulate surface water flow and sediment transport over past and current land cover conditions. Results of the model were used to locate net increases of fresh water discharge and to suggest best management practices (BMP).     

Assessment of Post-fire Soil Erosion Risk in Fire-Affected Watersheds Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Soil erosion is a prominent cause of land degradation and desertification in Mediterranean countries. The detrimental effects of soil erosion are exemplified in climate (in particular climate change), topography, human activities, and natural disasters. Forest fires, which are an integral part of Mediterranean ecosystems, are responsible for the destruction of above-and below-ground vegetation that protects against soil erosion. Under this perspective, the estimation of potential soil erosion, especially after fire events, is critical for identifying watersheds that require management to prevent sediment loss, flooding, and increased ecosystem degradation. The objective of this study was to model the potential post-fire soil erosion risk following a large and intensive wildland fire, in order to prioritize protection and management actions at the watershed level in a Mediterranean landscape. Burn severity and preand post-fire land cover/uses were mapped using an ASTER image acquired two years before the fire, air photos acquired shortly after the fire, and a Landsat TM image acquired within one month after-fire. We estimated pre-and post-fire sediment loss using an integrated GIS-based approach, and additionally we analyzed landscape erosion patterns. The overall accuracy of the severity map reached 83%. Severe and heavy potential erosion classes covered approximately 90% of the total area following the fire, compared to 55% before. The fire had a profound effect on the spatial erosion pattern by altering the distribution of the potential erosion classes in 21 out of 24 watersheds, and seven watersheds were identified as being the most vulnerable to post-fire soil erosion. The spatial pattern of the erosion process is important because landscape cover heterogeneity induced especially by fire is a dominant factor controlling runoff generation and erosion rate, and should be considered in post-fire erosion risk assessment.     

基于空间连续数据的小流域景观格局破碎化研究

基于空间连续数据，采用局部空间关联指标（LISA）——局部Moran指数（Local Moran Index, LMI），通过探测小流域内景观均质性和异质性的变化情况来反映景观格局破碎化的变化过程。作为一种空间明确的景观格局研究方法，LMI能够发现流域景观格局变化过程中的热点地区，并分析其与流域土地利用变化之间的联系，明确了土地利用变化是引起小流域景观格局变化的最主要的驱动因素。研究表明，基于空间连续数据的局部空间关联指标方法可以作为传统景观格局变化研究方法的有益补充。     

Comparative analysis of land use/cover change trajectories and their driving forces in two small watersheds in the western Loess Plateau of China

To prevent soil loss and achieve better ecological environments, soil conservation measures have been taken during the past decades in the western Loess Plateau of China. In this paper, a case study was taken in Luoyu valley and Lver valley, two sub-watersheds of Xihe watershed and comparison was carried out between them. The main object of this study is to monitor land use/cover changes in the two similar small watersheds utilizing SPOT5 imageries by object-oriented human–computer interactive classification method, further develop the method of spatio-temporal analysis of land use/cover change by using pattern metrics of change trajectories and relative land use suitability index (R) in smaller watersheds, and make comparisons between the two similar small watersheds, taking water and soil conservation measures into consideration. Results show that combining GIS and RS, this method can be perfectly applied to make comparisons between different small watersheds with similar geographical backgrounds. And land use/cover spatiotemporal dynamic change characteristics can be preferably expressed by pattern metrics of change trajectories and R values based on topographical data. Different emphases have been laid according to their own geological backgrounds in the two watersheds and human activities have different effects on the landscapes of the two watersheds. The main change pattern is from slope farmland to terrace (322, the largest in Luoyu valley) or to economic fruit forest (344, the largest in Lver valley). R value of every slope grade in both of the two watersheds drops with the rising of slope degree on the whole and it shows that there is still much to do for people in the two watersheds in consideration that all the R values are still lower than 0.7.     

Integration of the MODIS Snow Cover Produced Into Snowmelt Runoff Modeling

Because of the difficulty of monitoring and measuring snow cover in mountainous watersheds, satellite images are used as an alternative to mapping snow cover to replace the ground operations in the watershed. Snow cover is one of the most important data in simulation snowmelt runoff. The daily snow cover maps are received from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), and are used in deriving the snow depletion curve, which is one of the input parameters of the snowmelt runoff model (SRM). Simulating Snowmelt runoff is presented using SRM model as one of the major applications of satellite images processing and extracting snow cover in the Ghara - Chay watershed. The first results of modeling process show that MODIS snow covered area product can be used for simulation and forecast of snowmelt runoff in Ghara - Chay watershed. The studies found that the SCA results were more reliable in the study area.     

Prioritization of watersheds using morphometric parameters and assessment of surface water potential using remote sensing

In the present study, prioritization of sub-watersheds was carried out on the basis of sediment production rate. Further, basic hydrologic information such as peak rate of runoff and annual surface water potential were also assessed for the study watersheds and these are essential requisites for effective watershed management. The 10 sub watersheds of Tarai development project area are selected for the present study. Morphometric parameters pertaining to study area are used in the estimation of sediment production rate. The sediment production rate in the study area varies between 2.45 to 11.0 ha-m/100 km²/year. The remote sensing data has been utilized for generating land use/land cover data which is an essential prerequisite for land and water resource planning and development. The remote sensing data can especially play significant role in collection of real time information from remote areas of river basins for generation of parameters required for hydrologic modeling.     

Prioritization of sub-watersheds based on morphometric and land use analysis using remote sensing and GIS techniques

Watershed prioritization has gained importance in natural resources management, especially in the context of watershed management. Morphometric analysis has been commonly applied to prioritization of watersheds. The present study makes an attempt to prioritize sub-watersheds based on morphometric and land use characteristics using remote sensing and GIS techniques in Kanera watershed of Guna district, Madhya Pradesh. Various morphometric parameters, namely linear and shape have been determined for each sub-watershed and assigned ranks on the basis of value/relationship so as to arrive at a computed value for a final ranking of the sub-watersheds. Land use/land cover change analysis of the sub-watersheds has been carried out using multi-temporal data of IRS LISS II of 1989 and IRS LISS III of 2001. The study demonstrates the significant land use changes especially in cultivated lands, open scrub, open forest, water bodies and wastelands from 1989 to 2001. Based on morphometric and land use/land cover analysis, the sub-watersheds have been classified into three categories as high, medium and low in terms of priority for conservation and management of natural resources. Out of the seven sub-watersheds, two sub-watersheds viz., SW1 and SW6 qualify for high priority, whereas SW7 has been categorised as medium priority based on the integration of morphometric and land use change analysis.     

Change detection of surface mining activity and reclamation based on a machine learning approach of multi-temporal Landsat TM imagery

Being able to quantify land cover changes due to mining and reclamation at a watershed scale is of critical importance in managing and assessing their potential impacts to the Earth system. In this study, a remote sensing-based methodology is proposed for quantifying the impact of surface mining activity and reclamation from a watershed to local scale. The method is based on a Support Vector Machines (SVMs) classifier combined with multi-temporal change detection of Landsat TM imagery. The performance of the technique was evaluated at selected open mining sites located in the island of Milos in Greece. Assessment of the mining impact in the studied areas was based on the confusion matrix statistics, supported by co-orbital QuickBird-2 very high spatial resolution imagery. Overall classification accuracy of the thematic land cover maps produced was reported over 90%. Our analysis showed expansion of mining activity throughout the whole 23-year study period, while the transition of mining areas to soil and vegetation was evident in varying rates. Our results evidenced the ability of the method under investigation in deriving highly and accurate land cover change maps, able to identify the mining areas as well as those in which excavation was replaced by natural vegetation. All in all, the proposed technique showed considerable promise towards the support of a sustainable environmental development and prudent resource management.     

Prioritization of Sub-watersheds in Khanapara–Bornihat Area of Assam–Meghalaya (India) Based on Land Use and Slope Analysis Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Improper utilization of natural resources without any conservation work is the prime cause of the watershed deterioration. Fast developmental activities and population pressure in the hills of Khanapara?CBornihat area near Guwahati city (about 10?km east of Guwahati) results rapid alteration of the land use/land cover in the recent times. This also causes the growth of land use over the unsuitable topography. As a result, there is a general degradation of the natural resources within the area. So, urgent measures have to be adopted to take up the conservation measure for the management of natural resources. Watershed wise conservation is considered to be the most acceptable and convenient approach. In the context of watershed management, watershed prioritization gained importance in natural resource management. The present study makes an attempt to prioritize the sub-watersheds for adopting the conservation measure. The prioritization is based on land use and slope analysis using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques in Khanapara?CBornihat area of Assam and Meghalaya state (India). The study area of 323.17?sq. km is divided into three 5th order, four 4th order and two 3rd order sub-watersheds. Land use/Land cover change analysis of the sub-watersheds has been carried out using multi temporal data of SOI toposheets of 1972 and IRS LISS III imagery of 2006. The study shows the significance changes in land use pattern especially in settlement and forest lands from 1972 to 2006. Slope map of the sub-watersheds prepared from the contour values in the toposheets show the wide variation of slope in the area ranging from 0° to 87°. Based on the extent/nature of land use/land cover changes over time and land use/land cover??slope relationship analysis, the sub-watersheds are classified into three categories as high, medium and low in terms of priority for conservation and management of natural resources.     

基于GIS的乌江流域地表径流模拟研究

基于GIS平台，建立了数字乌江流域。在此基础上，选择5个典型子流域，利用流域1956-2000年的降雨和水文资料及流域2000年土地利用数据，分别计算5个子流域的年均降雨量、年均地表径流量和土地利用百分比；用多元回归分析工具建立流域年均地表径流量与年均降雨量和土地利用百分比之间的关系式，得到不同土地利用方式下的降雨径流模型；通过实测资料对模型进行验证的结果表明，模型模拟精度较高，相对误差在7％以内。     

Satellite Earth observation data to identify anthropogenic pressures in selected protected areas

Protected areas are experiencing increased levels of human pressure. To enable appropriate conservation action, it is critical to map and monitor changes in the type and extent of land cover/use and habitat classes, which can be related to human pressures over time. Satellite Earth observation (EO) data and techniques offer the opportunity to detect such changes. Yet association with field information and expert interpretation by ecologists is required to interpret, qualify and link these changes to human pressure. There is thus an urgent need to harmonize the technical background of experts in the field of EO data analysis with the terminology of ecologists, protected area management authorities and policy makers in order to provide meaningful, context-specific value-added EO products. This paper builds on the DPSIR framework, providing a terminology to relate the concepts of state, pressures, and drivers with the application of EO analysis. The type of pressure can be inferred through the detection of changes in state (i.e. changes in land cover and/or habitat type and/or condition). Four broad categories of changes in state are identified, i.e. land cover/habitat conversion, land cover/habitat modification, habitat fragmentation and changes in landscape connectivity, and changes in plant community structure. These categories of change in state can be mapped through EO analyses, with the goal of using expert judgement to relate changes in state to causal direct anthropogenic pressures. Drawing on expert knowledge, a set of protected areas located in diverse socio-ecological contexts and subject to a variety of pressures are analysed to (a) link the four categories of changes in state of land cover/habitats to the drivers (anthropogenic pressure), as relevant to specific target land cover and habitat classes; (b) identify (for pressure mapping) the most appropriate spatial and temporal EO data sources as well as interpretations from ecologists and field data useful in connection with EO data analysis. We provide detailed examples for two protected areas, demonstrating the use of EO data for detection of land cover/habitat change, coupled with expert interpretation to relate such change to specific anthropogenic pressures. We conclude with a discussion of the limitations and feasibility of using EO data and techniques to identify anthropogenic pressures, suggesting additional research efforts required in this direction.     

Time-Series Analysis of Land Cover Using Landscape Metrics

Time series of thematic land-cover maps are used to measure changes in land cover over time. However, pixel-to-pixel comparisons of such maps are often not advisable when these maps are generated from different sources (i.e., satellite data, aerial photography, or historical land survey data). The purpose of this study was to examine the historical changes in land cover from 1827 to 1999 using landscape metrics calculated on maps created from different sources. Regression and power law analyses were conducted to identify significant trends and threshold effects associated with land-cover change at Fort Benning, Georgia. Results indicated that since 1827 the landscape has become more fragmented with the introduction of farming, military training, and forest management practices.     

An integrated study of geospatial information technologies for surface runoff estimation in an agricultural watershed,India

Runoff is one of the important hydrologic variables used in most of the water resources applications. The Soil Conservation Service-Curve Number (SCS-CN) method is adopted for the estimation of surface runoff in the Mehadrigedda watershed area, Visakhapatnam district, India using multispectral remote sensing data, curve number approach and normal rainfall data. The main source of water in the Mehadrigedda watershed area is by rain, most of it drains off and only a little percolates into ground. The weighted curve number is determined based on antecedent moisture condition (AMC)-II with an integration of hydrologic soil groups (HSGs) and land use/land cover LULC categories. An integrated approach is applied to delineate the land use/land cover information as adopted from NRSA classification. The recording of daily rainfall data during the years 1997–2006 is collected from Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) rainguage center at Kottavalasa. It is observed that the annual rainfall-runoff relationship during 1997–2006, which is indicating that the overall increase in runoff with the rainfall of the watershed area. Integration of remote sensing (RS) and geographical infomation system (GIS) techniques provide reliable, accurate and up-to-date information on land and water resources.     

Land use indicators of a watershed in arid region, western Rajasthan using Remote Sensing and GIS

The vegetation dynamics and land use/land cover types of Birantiya Kalan watershed located in the arid tracts of western Rajasthan have been characterized and evaluated using Remote Sensing and Geographical Information System (GIS). The watershed under study falls in the transitional plain of Luni Basin and is characterized by Aravali ranges in the eastern half and vast alluvial plains in the west. The land use/land cover types, as identified are cropland, fallow, forest, land with scrub, land without scrub, sandy area and the water body. Land with scrub occupied maximum area (39% area of the watershed) in 1996 in place of crop land which was dominant (43% of total area) in the year 1988. During eight years period, seasonal fallow land increased significantly and the areal extent of water body decreased to almost half. Vegetation vigour types have been classified into very poor, poor. moderate, good and very good categories. Moderate vigour type reduced from 62 to 27% and poor type increased from 34 to 68% during the period 1988 to 1996. Other vegetation vigour types have not shown any significant changes. To quantify the changes over the years in both vegetation and land use/land cover, weightages have been given to each type and composite values of both vegetation vigour and land use types for 1996 and 1988 have been calculated. It has been observed that the ratio for vegetation vigour has been found to be 0.85 showing that the overall vegetation have not improved after the treatment. The ratio for land use is found to be 1.01, which indicates negligible change in land use.     

Hypsometric analysis of watersheds developed on actively deforming Mohand anticlinal ridge,NW Himalaya

Hypsometric analysis describes the elevation distribution across an area of land surface. It is an important tool to assess and compare the geomorphic evolution of various landforms irrespective of the factor that may be responsible for it. The major factors governing the evolution of landscape are tectonics and/or climate and the variation in lithology. The present study takes into consideration the watersheds developed over actively deforming Mohand anticlinal ridge in the frontal part of NW Himalaya. The hypsometric analysis has been used as a morphometric parameter, i.e. hypsometric integral, to deduce its relationship with the area of watersheds. Statistical analysis of these parameters has been carried out by classifying them into different classes based on the natural breaks method. This brings out strong relationships for hypsometric integral classes and area classes with the number of watersheds in respective classes and the total area occupied by respective hypsometric and area classes. It has also been found that stronger relationships exist for watersheds on the southern flank as compared to watersheds of the northern flank. It also highlights the presence of an anomalous watershed on the northern flank that is possibly responsible for the weak statistical relationships on the northern flank. Removal of this anomalous watershed always brings out much stronger relationships for the northern flank. The anomalous watershed has been directly attributed to the difference in geologic structure as it is spatially related to the presence of the Bhimgoda Back Thrust (BBT) present in the area. The results are awe inspiring and very promising as they indicate some statistically strong relationships among the hypsometric integral and area of watersheds that are not apparent in the spatial distribution of these parameters, especially in actively deforming areas.     

Strategies for Watershed Management planning using remote sensing technique

‘Watershed Management’ has assumed urgency for planned development of land and water resources and to arrest land degradation process to preserve environment and ecological balance. Decision support to such management planning requires scientific knowledge of resources information, expected runoff and sediment yield, priority classification of watersheds for conservation planning, monitoring of watershed for environmental impact assessment and technologies of GIS for data base creation, scenario development and appropriate decision making. Remote sensing technique is ideally suited to evolve such a management strategy. Scientific basis of this approach is explained.     

Landscape ecological planning in a Basaltic terrain, central India, using Remote sensing and GIS techniques

In the present study, detailed field survey in conjunction with remotely sensed (IRS-1D, LISS-III) data is of immense help in terrain analysis and landscape ecological planning at watershed level. Geomorphologically summit crust, table top summits, isolated mounds. plateau spurs, narrow slopes, plateau side drainage floors, narrow valleys and main valley floor were delineated. The soil depth ranges from extremely shallow in isolated mounds to very deep soils in the lower sectors. Very good, good, moderate, poor and very poor groundwater prospect zones were delineated. By the integrated analysis of slope, geomorphology. soil depth, land use/land cover and groundwater prospect layers in GIS. 29 landscape ecological units were identified. Each landscape ecological unit refers to a natural geographic entity having distinctive properties of slope, geomorphology. soil depth, land use/ land cover and groundwater prospects. The landscape ecological stress zone mapping of the study area has been carried out based on the analysis and reclassification of tandscape ecological units. The units having minimum ecological impact in terms of slope, geomorphology, soil depth and land use/land cover were delineated under very low stress landscape ecological zones. The units having maximum ecological stress in the form of very high slopes, isolated mounds, table top summits and summit crust, extremely shallow soils, waste lands and very poor groundwater prospects were delineated into very high stress landscape ecological zones. The integrated analysis of remotely sensed data and collateral data in GIS environment is of immense help in evaluation of landscape ecological units and landscape ecological stress zones. The delineated landscape ecological stress zones in the watershed have been recommended for landscape ecological planning for better utilization of natural resources without harming the natural geo-ecosystem of the area.     

基于相似度验证的自动变化探测研究

变化检测技术越来越多地应用于城市遥感分析和应用领域,但目前城市变化检测的研究主要基于中低空间分辨率的遥感数据,使用的方法也主要是像元直接比较法或者是分类后比较法。提出一种基于变化向量分析和相似度验证相结合的变化检测方法,应用高空间分辨率影像来快速实现城市建筑物、街道等目标的自动变化检测。并详细阐述了变化目标的提取以及验证的方法和过程,其结果真实地反映了地面目标的实际变化程度和类型。