Applications of ISES for vegetation and land use

Remote sensing relative to applications involving vegetation cover and land use is reviewed to consider the potential benefits to the Earth Observing System (Eos) of a proposed Information Sciences Experiment System (ISES). The ISES concept has been proposed as an onboard experiment and computational resource to support advanced experiments and demonstrations in the information and earth sciences. Embedded in the concept is potential for relieving the data glut problem, enhancing capabilities to meet real-time needs of data users and in-situ researchers, and introducing emerging technology to Eos as the technology matures. These potential benefits are examined in the context of state-of-the-art research activities in image/data processing and management

Remote Sensing of Ecology, Biodiversity and Conservation: A Review from the Perspective of Remote Sensing Specialists

Remote sensing, the science of obtaining information via noncontact recording, has swept the fields of ecology, biodiversity and conservation (EBC). Several quality review papers have contributed to this field. However, these papers often discuss the issues from the standpoint of an ecologist or a biodiversity specialist. This review focuses on the spaceborne remote sensing of EBC from the perspective of remote sensing specialists, i.e., it is organized in the context of state-of-the-art remote sensing technology, including instruments and techniques. Herein, the instruments to be discussed consist of high spatial resolution, hyperspectral, thermal infrared, small-satellite constellation, and LIDAR sensors; and the techniques refer to image classification, vegetation index (VI), inversion algorithm, data fusion, and the integration of remote sensing (RS) and geographic information system (GIS)

Monitoring global vegetation

An attempt is made to identify the need for, and the current capability of, a technology which could aid in monitoring the Earth's vegetation resource on a global scale. Vegetation is one of our most critical natural resources, and accurate timely information on its current status and temporal dynamics is essential to understand many basic and applied environmental interrelationships which exist on the small but complex planet Earth

Remote Sensing Of Rice-Based Irrigated Agriculture: A Review

The ‘Green Revolution’ in rice farming of the late 1960’s denotes the beginning of the extensive breeding programs that have led to the many improved rice varieties that are now planted on more than 60% of the world’s riceland (Khush, 1987). This revolution led to increases in yield potential of 2 to 3 times that of traditional varieties (Khush, 1987). Similar trends have also been seen in the Irrigation Areas and Districts of southern New South Wales (NSW) as the local breeding program has produced many improved varieties of rice adapted to local growing conditions since the 1960’s (Brennan et al., 1994). Increases in area of rice planted, rice quality, and paddy yield resulted (Brennan et al., 1994). Increased rice area, however, has led to the development of high water tables and risk of large tracts of land becoming salt-affected in southern NSW (Humphreys et al., 1994b). These concerns have led to various environmental regulations on rice in the region, culminating in 1994 when restrictions on rice area, soil suitability, and water consumption were fully enacted (Humphreys et al., 1994b). Strict environmental restrictions in combination with large areas of land make the management of this region a difficult task. Land managers require, among other things, a way of regulating water use, assessing or predicting crop area and productivity, and making management decisions in support of environmentally and economically sustainable agriculture. In the search for more time and cost effective methods for attaining these goals, while monitoring complex management situations, many have turned to remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies for assistance. The spectral information and spatial density of remote sensing data lends itself well to the measurement of large areas. Since the launch of LANDSAT-1 in 1972, this technology has been used extensively in agricultural systems for crop identification and area estimation, crop yield estimation and prediction, and crop damage assessment. The incorporation of remote sensing and GIS can also help integrate management practices and develop effective management plans. However, in order to take advantage of these tools, users must have an understanding of both what remote sensing is and what sensors are now available, and how the technology is being used in applied agricultural research. Accordingly, a description of both follows: first a description of the technology, and then how it is currently being applied. The applications of remote sensing relevant to this discussion can be separated into crop type identification; crop area measurement; crop yield; crop damage; water use/ moisture availability (ma) mapping; and water use efficiency monitoring/mapping. This report focuses on satellite remote sensing for broad-scale rice-based irrigation agricultural applications. It also discusses related regional GIS analyses that may or may not include remote sensing data, and briefly addresses other sources of finer-scale remote sensing and geospatial data as they relate to agriculture. Since a complete review of the remote sensing research was not provided in the rice literature alone, some generic agricultural issues have been learned from applications not specifically dealing with rice. Remote sensing specialists may wish to skip to section 2

Remote Sensing Of Rice-Based Irrigated Agriculture: A Review

The ‘Green Revolution’ in rice farming of the late 1960’s denotes the beginning of the extensive breeding programs that have led to the many improved rice varieties that are now planted on more than 60% of the world’s riceland (Khush, 1987). This revolution led to increases in yield potential of 2 to 3 times that of traditional varieties (Khush, 1987). Similar trends have also been seen in the Irrigation Areas and Districts of southern New South Wales (NSW) as the local breeding program has produced many improved varieties of rice adapted to local growing conditions since the 1960’s (Brennan et al., 1994). Increases in area of rice planted, rice quality, and paddy yield resulted (Brennan et al., 1994). Increased rice area, however, has led to the development of high water tables and risk of large tracts of land becoming salt-affected in southern NSW (Humphreys et al., 1994b). These concerns have led to various environmental regulations on rice in the region, culminating in 1994 when restrictions on rice area, soil suitability, and water consumption were fully enacted (Humphreys et al., 1994b). Strict environmental restrictions in combination with large areas of land make the management of this region a difficult task. Land managers require, among other things, a way of regulating water use, assessing or predicting crop area and productivity, and making management decisions in support of environmentally and economically sustainable agriculture. In the search for more time and cost effective methods for attaining these goals, while monitoring complex management situations, many have turned to remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies for assistance. The spectral information and spatial density of remote sensing data lends itself well to the measurement of large areas. Since the launch of LANDSAT-1 in 1972, this technology has been used extensively in agricultural systems for crop identification and area estimation, crop yield estimation and prediction, and crop damage assessment. The incorporation of remote sensing and GIS can also help integrate management practices and develop effective management plans. However, in order to take advantage of these tools, users must have an understanding of both what remote sensing is and what sensors are now available, and how the technology is being used in applied agricultural research. Accordingly, a description of both follows: first a description of the technology, and then how it is currently being applied. The applications of remote sensing relevant to this discussion can be separated into crop type identification; crop area measurement; crop yield; crop damage; water use/ moisture availability (ma) mapping; and water use efficiency monitoring/mapping. This report focuses on satellite remote sensing for broad-scale rice-based irrigation agricultural applications. It also discusses related regional GIS analyses that may or may not include remote sensing data, and briefly addresses other sources of finer-scale remote sensing and geospatial data as they relate to agriculture. Since a complete review of the remote sensing research was not provided in the rice literature alone, some generic agricultural issues have been learned from applications not specifically dealing with rice. Remote sensing specialists may wish to skip to section 2

Integrated approach of remote sensing and micro-sensor technology for estimating evapotranspiration in Cyprus

 Papadavid George1,2, Hadjimitsis Diofantos1(1. Cyprus University of Technology, Cyprus;  2. Agricultural Research Institute, Cyprus) Abstract: The objective of this research project is to describe and apply a procedure for monitoring and improving the performance of on-demand irrigation networks, based on the integration of remote sensing techniques and simulation modeling of irrigation water in Cyprus, which is facing a severe drought in the last five years.  Multi-spectral satellite images are used to infer crop potential evapotranspiration, which is the main input for water balance simulations.  The need for estimating ET in Cyprus is imposed in order to determine the exact quantity of irrigated water needed for each specific crop.  The overuse of water for irrigation has resulted in eliminating the water resources in the whole island.  The determination of ET for irrigation purposes will be used as a vital tool for supporting the decision-making process in the management of water resources, on a technocratic level, and on the other hand will have a positive effect on the rest of water resources of Cyprus.  The integrated method applied, consisting of Remote Sensing techniques and micro-sensor technology, has shown that it can be a useful tool in the hands of agri-policy makers for sustainable irrigation.Keywords: remote sensing, wireless sensors, irrigation management, sustainability Citation: Papadavid George, Hadjimitsis Diofantos.  Integrated approach of remote sensing and micro-sensor technology for estimating evapotranspiration in Cyprus.  Agric Eng Int: CIGR Journal, 2010, 12(3): 1-11.   &nbsp

Impervious surface estimation using remote sensing images and gis : how accurate is the estimate at subdivision level?

Impervious surface has long been accepted as a key environmental indicator linking development to its impacts on water. Many have suggested that there is a direct correlation between degree of imperviousness and both quantity and quality of water. Quantifying the amount of impervious surface, however, remains difficult and tedious especially in urban areas. Lately more efforts have been focused on the application of remote sensing and GIS technologies in assessing the amount of impervious surface and many have reported promising results at various pixel levels. This paper discusses an attempt at estimating the amount of impervious surface at subdivision level using remote sensing images and GIS techniques. Using Landsat ETM+ images and GIS techniques, a regression tree model is first developed for estimating pixel imperviousness. GIS zonal functions are then used to estimate the amount of impervious surface for a sample of subdivisions. The accuracy of the model is evaluated by comparing the model-predicted imperviousness to digitized imperviousness at the subdivision level. The paper then concludes with a discussion on the convenience and accuracy of using the method to estimate imperviousness for large areas

EC03-702 Precision Agriculture: Applications of Remote Sensing in Site-Specific Management

Precision farming is an emerging agricultural technology that involves managing each crop input on a site-specific basis to reduce waste, increase profits, and maintain the quality of the environment. Remote sensing is a technology that can be used to obtain various spatial layers of information about soil and crop conditions. It allows detection and/or characterization of an object, series of objects, or landscape without having the sensor in physical contact

Water and Energy Balance of a Riparian and Agricultural Ecosystem along the Lower Colorado River

Spatially-distributed water consumption was modeled over a segment of the Lower Colorado River, which contains irrigated agricultural and Tamarisk-dominated riparian ecosystems. For the irrigation scheme, distributed evapotranspiration data were analyzed in conjunction with point measurements of precipitation and surface flow in order to close daily and annual water balance. The annual closure error was less than 1% of the total water diversion to the area. In addition, it was found that the soil water storage component of the water balance cannot be neglected if the analysis is performed over time frames shorter than annual (e.g. growing season). Water consumption was highly uniform within agricultural fields, and all the full-cover fields were transpiring close to their potential rates. Mapping several new and existing drainage performance indicators showed that neither soil salinization nor water-logging would be of concern in this irrigation scheme. However, the quality of high-volume return flow must be studied, especially since the degraded water quality of the western US rivers is believed to act in favor of the invasive riparian species in outcompeting native species. Over the Tamarisk forest, the remotely-sensed evapotranspiration estimates were higher than the results of an independent groundwater-based method during spring and winter months. This was chiefly due to the fixed satellite overpass time, which happened at low sun elevation angles in spring and winter and resulted in a significant presence of shadows in the satellite scene and consequently a lower surface temperature estimate, which resulted in a higher evapotranspiration estimate using the SEBAL model. A modification based on the same satellite imagery was proposed and found to be successful in correcting for this error. Both water use and crop coefficients of Tamarisk estimated by the two independent methods implemented in this study were significantly lower than the current approximations that are used by the US Bureau of Reclamation in managing the Lower Colorado River. Studying the poorlyunderstood stream-aquifer-phreatophyte relationship revealed that diurnal and seasonal groundwater fluctuations were strongly coupled with the changes in river stage at close distances to the river and with the Tamarisk water extraction at further distances from the river. The direction of the groundwater flow was always from the river toward the riparian forest. Thus the improved Tamarisk ET estimates along with a better understanding of the coupling between the river and the riparian aquifer will allow the Bureau of Reclamation to re-asses their reservoir release methodology and improve efficiency and water savings

Assessing the utility of geospatial technologies to investigate environmental change within lake systems

Over 50% of the world's population live within 3. km of rivers and lakes highlighting the on-going importance of freshwater resources to human health and societal well-being. Whilst covering c. 3.5% of the Earth's non-glaciated land mass, trends in the environmental quality of the world's standing waters (natural lakes and reservoirs) are poorly understood, at least in comparison with rivers, and so evaluation of their current condition and sensitivity to change are global priorities. Here it is argued that a geospatial approach harnessing existing global datasets, along with new generation remote sensing products, offers the basis to characterise trajectories of change in lake properties e.g., water quality, physical structure, hydrological regime and ecological behaviour. This approach furthermore provides the evidence base to understand the relative importance of climatic forcing and/or changing catchment processes, e.g. land cover and soil moisture data, which coupled with climate data provide the basis to model regional water balance and runoff estimates over time. Using examples derived primarily from the Danube Basin but also other parts of the World, we demonstrate the power of the approach and its utility to assess the sensitivity of lake systems to environmental change, and hence better manage these key resources in the future