Mapping Invasive Tamarisk (Tamarix): A Comparison of Single-Scene and Time-Series Analyses of Remotely Sensed Data

Remote Sensing

Paul H. Evangelista¹  Thomas J. Stohlgren²  Jeffrey T. Morisette² 

[1] Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523-499, USA; E-Mail:;U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, Colorado 80526, USA; E-Mails:

关键词: Landsat 7 ETM+;    Maxent;    phenology;    remote sensing;    spatial modeling;    Tamarix;    time-series;   

DOI  :  10.3390/rs1030519

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

In this study, we tested the Maximum Entropy model (Maxent) for its application and performance in remotely sensing invasive Tamarix sp. Six Landsat 7 ETM+ satellite scenes and a suite of vegetation indices at different times of the growing season were selected for our study area along the Arkansas River in Colorado. Satellite scenes were selected for April, May, June, August, September, and October and tested in single-scene and time-series analyses. The best model was a time-series analysis fit with all spectral variables, which had an AUC = 0.96, overall accuracy = 0.90, and Kappa = 0.79. The top predictor variables were June tasselled cap wetness, September tasselled cap wetness, and October band 3. A second time-series analysis, where the variables that were highly correlated and demonstrated low predictive strengths were removed, was the second best model. The third best model was the October single-scene analysis. Our results may prove to be an effective approach for mapping Tamarix sp., which has been a challenge for resource managers. Of equal importance is the positive performance of the Maxent model in handling remotely sensed datasets.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2009 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland.