Extending Estimates of Tree and Tree Species Presence-Absence through Space and Time Using Landsat Composites
We developed a methodology for extending estimates of the presence-absence of trees and several tree species contained in the Canadian National Forest Inventory using nationally consistent Landsat data products. For a prototype boreal forest region of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, we modeled an...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2020-09-01
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| Series: | Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07038992.2020.1811083 |
| _version_ | 1827794891110875136 |
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| author | Guy E. I. Strickland Joan E. Luther Joanne C. White Michael A. Wulder |
| author_facet | Guy E. I. Strickland Joan E. Luther Joanne C. White Michael A. Wulder |
| author_sort | Guy E. I. Strickland |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | We developed a methodology for extending estimates of the presence-absence of trees and several tree species contained in the Canadian National Forest Inventory using nationally consistent Landsat data products. For a prototype boreal forest region of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, we modeled and assessed changes in the presence-absence of trees and tree species distributions over a 25-year period. Random Forest models of presence-absence of trees had an overall classification accuracy of 0.87 ± 0.019. For five tree species, overall classification accuracies were: 0.74 ± 0.017 for balsam fir; 0.75 ± 0.028 for black spruce; 0.64 ± 0.085 for trembling aspen; 0.64 ± 0.035 for tamarack; and 0.77 ± 0.041 for white birch. While the proportion of treed area increased by 8.5% over the 25-year period, the area occupied by black spruce declined by 13.5%. The area of balsam fir and white birch increased by 9.9% and 28.2%, respectively, while trembling aspen and tamarack changed by less than 5%. The map products developed and trends observed offer baseline information in support of long-term monitoring of treed area and tree species distributions. The demonstrated methods encourage development of spatially-explicit map products to complement spatially or temporally limited forest inventory datasets. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:40:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ead02dec06774cd49d9de35ad6f7273a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1712-7971 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T18:40:43Z |
| publishDate | 2020-09-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing |
| spelling | doaj.art-ead02dec06774cd49d9de35ad6f7273a2023-10-12T13:36:23ZengTaylor & Francis GroupCanadian Journal of Remote Sensing1712-79712020-09-0146556758410.1080/07038992.2020.18110831811083Extending Estimates of Tree and Tree Species Presence-Absence through Space and Time Using Landsat CompositesGuy E. I. Strickland0Joan E. Luther1Joanne C. White2Michael A. Wulder3Canadian Forest Service (Atlantic Forestry Centre), Natural Resources CanadaCanadian Forest Service (Atlantic Forestry Centre), Natural Resources CanadaCanadian Forest Service (Pacific Forestry Centre), Natural Resources CanadaCanadian Forest Service (Pacific Forestry Centre), Natural Resources CanadaWe developed a methodology for extending estimates of the presence-absence of trees and several tree species contained in the Canadian National Forest Inventory using nationally consistent Landsat data products. For a prototype boreal forest region of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, we modeled and assessed changes in the presence-absence of trees and tree species distributions over a 25-year period. Random Forest models of presence-absence of trees had an overall classification accuracy of 0.87 ± 0.019. For five tree species, overall classification accuracies were: 0.74 ± 0.017 for balsam fir; 0.75 ± 0.028 for black spruce; 0.64 ± 0.085 for trembling aspen; 0.64 ± 0.035 for tamarack; and 0.77 ± 0.041 for white birch. While the proportion of treed area increased by 8.5% over the 25-year period, the area occupied by black spruce declined by 13.5%. The area of balsam fir and white birch increased by 9.9% and 28.2%, respectively, while trembling aspen and tamarack changed by less than 5%. The map products developed and trends observed offer baseline information in support of long-term monitoring of treed area and tree species distributions. The demonstrated methods encourage development of spatially-explicit map products to complement spatially or temporally limited forest inventory datasets.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07038992.2020.1811083 |
| spellingShingle | Guy E. I. Strickland Joan E. Luther Joanne C. White Michael A. Wulder Extending Estimates of Tree and Tree Species Presence-Absence through Space and Time Using Landsat Composites Canadian Journal of Remote Sensing |
| title | Extending Estimates of Tree and Tree Species Presence-Absence through Space and Time Using Landsat Composites |
| title_full | Extending Estimates of Tree and Tree Species Presence-Absence through Space and Time Using Landsat Composites |
| title_fullStr | Extending Estimates of Tree and Tree Species Presence-Absence through Space and Time Using Landsat Composites |
| title_full_unstemmed | Extending Estimates of Tree and Tree Species Presence-Absence through Space and Time Using Landsat Composites |
| title_short | Extending Estimates of Tree and Tree Species Presence-Absence through Space and Time Using Landsat Composites |
| title_sort | extending estimates of tree and tree species presence absence through space and time using landsat composites |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/07038992.2020.1811083 |
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