Semi-automated mapping of burned areas in semi-arid ecosystems using MODIS time-series imagery

Understanding spatial and temporal patterns of burned areas at regional scales, provides a long-term perspective of fire processes and its effects on ecosystems and vegetation recovery patterns, and it is a key factor to design prevention and post-fire restoration plans and strategies. Remote sensing has become the most widely used tool to detect fire affected areas over large tracts of land (e.g., ecosystem, regional and global levels). Standard satellite burned area and active fire products derived from the 500-m Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Satellite Pour l’Observation de la Terre (SPOT) are available to this end. However, prior research caution on the use of these global-scale products for regional and sub-regional applications. Consequently, we propose a novel semi-automated algorithm for identification and mapping of burned areas at regional scale. The semi-arid Monte shrublands, a biome covering 240,000 km² in the western part of Argentina, and exposed to seasonal bushfires was selected as the test area. The algorithm uses a set of the normalized burned ratio index products derived from MODIS time series; using a two-phased cycle, it firstly detects potentially burned pixels while keeping a low commission error (false detection of burned areas), and subsequently labels them as seed patches. Region growing image segmentation algorithms are applied to the seed patches in the second-phase, to define the perimeter of fire affected areas while decreasing omission errors (missing real burned areas). Independently-derived Landsat ETM+ burned-area reference data was used for validation purposes. Additionally, the performance of the adaptive algorithm was assessed against standard global fire products derived from MODIS Aqua and Terra satellites, total burned area (MCD45A1), the active fire algorithm (MOD14); and the L3JRC SPOT VEGETATION 1 km GLOBCARBON products. The correlation between the size of burned areas detected by the global fire products and independently-derived Landsat reference data ranged from R² = 0.01–0.28, while our algorithm performed showed a stronger correlation coefficient (R² = 0.96). Our findings confirm prior research calling for caution when using the global fire products locally or regionally.     

Land surface temperature as potential indicator of burn severity in forest Mediterranean ecosystems

Forest fires are one of the most important causes of environmental alteration in Mediterranean countries. Discrimination of different degrees of burn severity is critical for improving management of fire-affected areas. This paper aims to evaluate the usefulness of land surface temperature (LST) as potential indicator of burn severity. We used a large convention-dominated wildfire, which occurred on 19–21 September, 2012 in Northwestern Spain. From this area, a 1-year series of six LST images were generated from Landsat 7 Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM+) data using a single channel algorithm. Further, the Composite Burn Index (CBI) was measured in 111 field plots to identify the burn severity level (low, moderate, and high). Evaluation of the potential relationship between post-fire LST and ground measured CBI was performed by both correlation analysis and regression models. Correlation coefficients were higher in the immediate post-fire LST images, but decreased during the fall of 2012 and increased again with a second maximum value in summer, 2013. A linear regression model between post-fire LST and CBI allowed us to represent spatially predicted CBI (R-squared_adj > 85%). After performing an analysis of variance (ANOVA) between post-fire LST and CBI, a Fisher's least significant difference test determined that two burn severity levels (low-moderate and high) could be statistically distinguished. The identification of such burn severity levels is sufficient and useful to forest managers. We conclude that summer post-fire LST from moderate resolution satellite data may be considered as a valuable indicator of burn severity for large fires in Mediterranean forest ecosytems.     

Dry-season vegetation mass and cover fraction from SWIR1.6 and SWIR2.1 band ratio: Ground-radiometer and MODIS data in the Sahel

The potential of the short-wave infrared (SWIR) bands to detect dry-season vegetation mass and cover fraction is investigated with ground radiometry and MODIS data, confronted to vegetation data collected in rangeland and cropland sites in the Sahel (Senegal, Niger, Mali). The ratio of the 1.6 and 2.1 μm bands (called STI) acquired with a ground radiometer proved well suited for grassland mass estimation up to 2500 kg/ha with a linear relation (r² = 0.89). A curvilinear regression is accurate for masses ranging up to 3500 kg/ha. STI proved also well suited to retrieve vegetation cover fraction in crop fields, fallows and rangelands. Such dry-season monitoring, with either ground or satellite data, has important applications for forage, erosion risk and fire risk assessment in semi-arid areas.     

NPPVIIRS数据反演气溶胶光学厚度

利用NPP卫星的VIIRS传感器数据,基于暗像元法反演陆地气溶胶光学厚度AOD。首先,根据红外波段的归一化植被指数NDVI来对暗像元进行识别;然后,利用6S软件进行辐射传输计算构建查找表;最后,根据VIIRS数据从查找表插值得到AOD,并对其进行海拔校正。选取华北地区作为反演实验区,获得了2013年9月1日的气溶胶分布。利用AERONET北京站太阳光度计地基观测结果对反演结果对比验证,发现二者具有显著的相关性,相关系数达到0.7920。将2013年9月1日的MODIS AOD产品与本研究反演的AOD进行比对,发现二者分布趋势一致,相关系数为0.7059,相关性显著。反演结果表明,本文算法反演陆地AOD效果较好,为大气颗粒物环境监测提供了良好方法手段和数据源。     

一个植被双向反射模式的反演控制试验

利用地面遥感观测数据,对一个浑浊介质假定下的植被双向反射模式,增加了对太阳漫射辐射因素处理,在可见光波段上,进行了系列模式反演试验。这些试验有助于完善植被双向反射模式中物理过程的描述,了解模式反演过程的控制和选择合适遥感观测数据进行模式反演。分析试验结果发现：（１） 对 Ｌ Ａ Ｉ进行初值预估有利于获得较好的植被双向反射模式反演结果。（２） 加入植被对太阳漫射辐射的反射过程描述,可以使植被双向反射模式的反演结果更加合理。（３） 使用在太阳天顶角不太大（ ＜ ４５°） 和太阳方位角偏离１８０°不多（ ＜ ４５°） 观测条件下得到的遥感数据,可以使植被双向反射模式的反演结果较好。（４） 在３１°—６１°的太阳天顶角范围和１３６°—２５８°的太阳方位角范围内,多角度观测使太阳天顶角和方位角因素对 Ｌ Ａ Ｉ反演结果的影响不显著。（５） 当太阳漫射辐射的份额不大时,对 Ｌ Ａ Ｉ反演结果的影响不显著。如果只针对 Ｌ Ａ Ｉ,那么对反演植被双向反射模式所应用的地面遥感数据可以不进行大气校正处理,这样的结果虽然是从对地面遥感数据的处理中获得的,仍然对卫星遥感的观测时段选择和卫星遥感数据的选取和分析有一定的价值。     

Study on a boundary-layer numerical model with inclusion of heterogeneous multi-layer vegetation

On the basis of improving the algorithm of the mixing length in and above forest canopies, a PBL numerical model including the multi-layer, heterogeneous vegetation is developed. Simulations indicate that different treatments of mixing length can make a great difference in the wind field especially for dense forest, and results from the improved mixing length scheme are in better agreement with observations than those from the original scheme. It may be expected that the improved mixing length scheme can lead to more ra-tional turbulent transfer than the original one. From the sensitivity experiments, we obtain the characteris-tics of both wind and temperature profiles in and above plant canopies, e.g., during the daytime, a stable thermal stratification exists near the surface in the canopies, but a neutral or slightly unstable condition ap-pears above plant canopies, while at night the reverse situations occur; the increase of the temperature of the dense-forest case is less than that of the sparse-forest case; the windspeed is reduced within the canopy lay-er and the large wind shear occurs near the treetop, etc.     

Desalinization of running waters: II. Benthic diatom communities: A comparative field study on responses to decreasing salinities

Desalinization effects on benthic diatom communities were investigated in two adjacent streams in Northern Thuringia, the creek Urbach and the river Helbe. Salt-saturated stockpile effluents had been introduced into the Urbach until 1996, resulting in fluctuating chloride concentrations with maximum values up to 25.4 g · 1⁻¹ (Helbe: max. 3.7 g · 1⁻¹).

The diatom vegetation and hydrographical and chemical data of an Urbach site were compared to those of a sampling site further downstream. Monthly sampling in 1996 started at the end of salt influx in January. Reference samples from the years 1995, 1986 and 1963 were evaluated along with the 1996 samples.

After termination of the introduction of salt-loaded effluents, relative abundances of brackish water species greatly decreased within three months. The Halobion Index (Ziemann 1982), reflecting osmotic and ion composition effects on diatoms, decreased until May 1996, then stabilized. In summer 1996, several diatoms had a mass development, showing that salinization impacts had previously overruled effects of other environmental variables.     

3D Numerical modelling of flow divisions at open channel junctions with or without vegetation

The flow division at an open channel junction is affected by the inflow discharge and the downstream water depths of the junction. The growth of vegetation in a channel system is environmental friendly, but its effect on the flow in an open channel junction can be significant. In this work a 3D RANS (Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes equation) model has been implemented to investigate the flow phenomena in channel junctions with or without vegetation. The model is first validated by two cases: flow in an open channel T-junction without vegetation, and flow in a single open channel with vegetation. The model is then applied to simulate flow in an open channel T-junction with varying width ratio and vegetation density of the branch channel. The results quantitatively predict the trend of increasing flow in the branch channel with the increase in branch channel width and/or the decrease in vegetation density. The overall energy loss coefficient of the system, however, decreases with the amount of flow in the branch channel.     

A field investigation into the effects of progressive rainfall-induced soil seal and crust development on runoff and erosion rates: The impact of surface cover

Surface crusts and seals can form from a variety of processes, both physical and biological, and have the potential to alter runoff and erosion, especially in regions with low vegetation covers. Despite the obvious links between seals and crusts these features have rarely been considered together. This study uses rainfall simulation experiments to investigate interrill soil crust and seal development in response to structural (or raindrop-impact-induced) and depositional (or runoff-induced) processes on a semiarid piedmont in southern New Mexico, USA, which has undergone substantive vegetation change (replacement of grasses by shrubs) over the last 100 years. The study design incorporates six double-paired runoff plots divided into four subplots, each of which was exposed to three rainfall simulation events. Crust development on these plots was assessed using penetration-resistance measurements while seal development was assessed using runoff coefficients. The penetration-resistance data indicate that subplots directly exposed to raindrop impacts (uncovered plots) have crusts that are  40% stronger than those positioned beneath a mesh cover (covered plots) that intercepts the kinetic energy of the rainfall. The crusts exposed to raindrop-impacts increased in strength following each simulation, whereas the crusts on the covered surfaces reached a plateau after two events.Runoff data indicate that seal development does not directly mirror crust formation. Runoff coefficients increased after each rainfall simulation event but were not significantly different between the covered and uncovered plots. Rather, the presence of stone lags or litter on the soil surface influenced the relation between runoff and seal development. Sediment yields from uncovered surfaces exceeded those from covered surfaces, indicating that raindrop impacts contribute to the delivery of sediment into flows. The results of this study indicate that the loss of vegetation cover on the piedmont has increased the extent of surface crust and seal development but that those crusts may be playing an important role in mitigating erosion.     

A MODIS time series data based algorithm for mapping forest fire burned area

Burned area mapping is an essential step in the forest fire research to investigate the relationship between forest fire and climate change and the effect of forest fire on carbon budgets. This study proposed an algorithm to map forest fire burned area using the Moderate-Resolution Imaging Spectroradiameter (MODIS) time series data in Heilongjiang Province, China. The algorithm is divided into two steps: Firstly, the ‘core’ pixels were extracted to represent the most possible burned pixels based on the comparison of the temporal change of Global Environmental Monitoring Index (GEMI), Burned Area Index (BAI) and MODIS active fire products between pre- and post-fires. Secondly, a 15-km distance was set to extract the entire burned areas near the ‘core’ pixels as more relaxed conditions were used to identify the fire pixels for reducing the omission error as much as possible. The algorithm comprehensively considered the thermal characteristics and the spectral change between pre- and post-fires, which are represented by the MODIS fire products and the spectral index, respectively. Tahe, Mohe and Huma counties of Heilongjiang Province, China were chosen as the study area for burned area mapping and a time series of burned maps were produced from 2000 to 2011. The results show that the algorithm can extract burned areas more accurately with the highest accuracy of 96.61%.