Feasibility Study on the Use of Medium Resolution Satellite Data for the Detection of Forest Cover Change Caused by Clear Cutting of Coniferous Forests in the Northwest of Russia

This feasibility study examines possibilities of identifying and mapping of clear cuts in the boreal coniferous forests of north western Russia based on satellite imagery of medium spatial resolution (MRSD). Different image products obtained from the MODIS and MERIS sensors were visually examined in order to assess their suitability for clear cut detection. MODIS images of 250 m spatial resolution from the years 2001 and 2002 were ultimately selected as the main data source for change analysis. The study compares different detection and mapping approaches, including (i) visual interpretation using principal components, (ii) unsupervised digital classification and (iii) a combination of image differencing and textural analysis, defining statistical thresholds for the identification of clear cuts. The results show that the detection of clear cut locations is feasible by each approach, provided that the size of the clear cut is larger than about 15 ha. For mapping and area estimation the digital approaches are considered more efficient. The best mapping result was achieved based on the combination of image differencing and textural analysis. However, the mapping accuracy is affected by omission and commission errors, mainly caused by the limited spatial resolution of the imagery and by slight geometrical location shifts between different acquisitions. Also atmospheric and seasonal effects can influence the reliability of change indications. Based on a set of reference clear cut areas, delineated from Landsat TM imagery, the best mapping accuracy achieved was at about 65 %.JRC.H.3-Global environement monitorin

Changes in tropical forest cover of Southeast Asia from 1990 to 2010

The study assesses the extent and trends of forest cover in Southeast Asia for the period 1990-2000-2010 and provides an overview on the main drivers of forest cover change. A systematic sample of 418 sites (10 km x 10 km size) located at the one-degree geographical confluence points and covered with satellite imagery at 30 m resolution is used for the assessment. For the analysis of satellite imagery techniques of image segmentation and automated classification were combined with visual interpretation and quality control, involving experts from Southeast Asian countries. Two forest cover classes, namely ‘Tree Cover’ and ‘Tree Cover Mosaic’, and three non-forest land cover classes were mapped. Area measures were derived for the individual sample sites and aggregated to regional statistical estimates, accounting for differences in sampling intensity due to geographical latitude, and extrapolating to uniform reference dates. For estimating the accuracy of our results an independent consistency assessment was performed from a subsample of 1572 mapping units, resulting in an overall agreement of > 85% for the general differentiation of forest cover versus non-forest cover. Forest cover in Southeast Asia is estimated at 268 Mha in 1990, dropping to 236 Mha in 2010, with annual change rates of 1.75 Mha (~0.67%) and 1.45 Mha (~0.59%) for the periods 1990-2000 and 2000-2010, respectively. The vast majority of forest cover loss (~ 2/3 for 2000-2010) occurred in insular Southeast Asia. Analysing the change patterns visible from satellite imagery and combining with the output of an expert consultation on drivers of forest change, the conversion of forest cover to cash crop plantations is ranked as the dominant driver of forest change in Southeast Asia, followed by selective logging and the establishment of tree plantations.JRC.H.3-Forest Resources and Climat

Sentinel-2 web platform for REDD+ monitoring. Online web platform for browsing and processing Sentinel-2 data for forest cover monitoring over the Tropics

The recent availability of time series of Sentinel-2 imagery represents a significant technological step in the use of Earth Observation (EO) data for forest cover monitoring. The 5 days revisiting time (S-2 A and S-2B satellites) and the 10m spatial resolution imply the need for much larger storage and processing resources than ever. To facilitate the use of Sentinel-2 imagery by national forestry services in the tropics (in particular in relation to REDD+ activities), the JRC has developed the Sentinel-2 web platform, an online Web system which is aimed at browsing, exploring and processing the full dataset of Sentinel-2 imagery available over theTropical belt.JRC.D.1-Bio-econom

ARTEFACTS: How do we want to deal with the future of our one and only planet?

The European Commission’s Science and Knowledge Service, the Joint Research Centre (JRC), decided to try working hand-in-hand with leading European science centres and museums. Behind this decision was the idea that the JRC could better support EU Institutions in engaging with the European public. The fact that European Union policies are firmly based on scientific evidence is a strong message which the JRC is uniquely able to illustrate. Such a collaboration would not only provide a platform to explain the benefits of EU policies to our daily lives but also provide an opportunity for European citizens to engage by taking a more active part in the EU policy making process for the future. A PILOT PROGRAMME To test the idea, the JRC launched an experimental programme to work with science museums: a perfect partner for three compelling reasons. Firstly, they attract a large and growing number of visitors. Leading science museums in Europe have typically 500 000 visitors per year. Furthermore, they are based in large European cities and attract local visitors as well as tourists from across Europe and beyond. The second reason for working with museums is that they have mastered the art of how to communicate key elements of sophisticated arguments across to the public and making complex topics of public interest readily accessible. That is a high-value added skill and a crucial part of the valorisation of public-funded research, never to be underestimated. Finally museums are, at present, undergoing something of a renaissance. Museums today are vibrant environments offering new techniques and technologies to both inform and entertain, and attract visitors of all demographics.JRC.H.2-Knowledge Management Methodologies, Communities and Disseminatio

Vplyv Priestorového Rozlísenia Satelitných Záznamov na Správnost Urcenia Výmery: Príkladová Stúdia pre Lesné Tazby - The Impact of the Spatial Resolution of Satellite Imagery on the Accuracy of Area Mapping: a Case Study for Clear Cutting of Forest

In this study we analyse how the spatial resolution of satellite imagery affects the accuracy of area estimates for a given land cover category. Whenever this category covers only a portion of the pixel, one of the following situations occurs: (i) when the pixel is classified correspondingly a commission error is introduced, (ii) when the pixel is classified differently, an omission error is generated. Any attempt of reducing one of these errors will increase the other, representing a problem of two conflicting objectives. We use the Pareto optimality concept to solve this conflicting situation. Pareto optimal means that it is not possible to further reduce error of commission (or omission) without increasing of error of omission (or commission). We applied this concept for forest clear cut area mapping from medium spatial resolution data from MODIS (250 m) in the boreal forest in Karelia, using Landsat ETM+ data as a reference i.e. clear cut maps at 30 m spatial resolution. In order to compute the unavoidable omission and commission errors, representing the Pareto optimal solutions, the 30 m high resolution map was aggregated the coarser resolution of MODIS and the proportion of clear cut inside the coarse pixels was calculated. From the comparison of the MODIS classification with the Pareto optimal classifications we can conclude that the error is mainly influenced by the coarse spatial resolution and only to a certain extent could be improved by better performance of the classification algorithm.JRC.H.3-Global environement monitorin

Analysis of MODIS Imagery for Detection of Clear Cuts in the Boreal Forest in North-west Russia

The study focuses on the detection of forest change in the boreal forest ecosystem caused by conventional clear cutting, the most common harvesting practice in north-western Russia. In this paper (i) we analyse the impact of the MODIS spatial resolution on the mapping of clear cuts, (ii) we propose an algorithm for clear cut detection based on the combination of change detection methods, namely the Chi-Square Transformation, the Textural Analyse and the Constrained Energy Minimization, and (iii) we investigate the incorporation of multi-temporal information as a possibility for improving the accuracy of change detection. A clear cut classification from high-resolution Landsat ETM+ imagery is used as reference and validation dataset. Based on the results (commission error 9%, omission error 23%) we conclude that MODIS imagery can provide for a reliable detection of clear cuts, however, it does not permit an accurate assessment of the clear cut area due to the limitations in spatial resolution.JRC.H.3-Global environement monitorin

Monitoring of Logging Activities by Satellite Remote Sensing - A Contribution to the EU FLEGT Action

In 2003 the EU has launched the EU FLEGT action plan, aiming to combat the logging, trade and import of illegal timber. The action plan comprises various measures, (i) supporting improved governance in timber producing countries, (ii) establishing voluntary partnerships between the EU and producer countries and (iii) reducing consumption and investment that encourage illegal logging. Earth Observation by satellites can help to increase transparency in forestry in timber-producing countries, providing a basis for the monitoring of logging activities and for deriving indicators on forest cover. Forest cover conversion, canopy opening and the extent of logging roads are basic parameters that can be extracted. In combination with spatial information for example on concession and protected area boundaries, on the terrain, but also on legal thresholds for the size of clear cuts some first conclusions may be derived related to legality and sustainability of forest management practices.JRC.H.3-Global environement monitorin

Remote Sensing of Land Use and Land Cover, Chapter 18: ' Land Cover Mapping in Tropical Asia'

Chapter 18 on' Land Cover Mapping in Tropical Asia' provides an overview of different forest and land cover mapping activities in Southeast Asia.JRC.H.3-Forest Resources and Climat

Area estimation from a sample of satellite images: the impact of stratification on the clustering efficiency

Several projects dealing with land cover area estimation in large regions consider samples of sites to be analysed with high or very high resolution satellite images. This paper analyses the impact of stratification on the efficiency of sampling schemes of sites or clusters with a size between 5 km 5 km and 30 km 30 km. Cluster sampling schemes are compared with samples of unclustered points, both without and with stratification. The correlograms of land cover classes provide a useful tool to assess the sampling value of clusters in terms of variance; this sampling value is expressed as “equivalent number of points” of a site. The results obtained for the European Union and South-East Asia suggest that stratification generally increases the “equivalent number of points”, whose values remain however moderate. When land cover data are acquired by photo-interpretation of tiles extracted from larger images, such as Landsat TM, a sampling plan based on a larger number of smaller sites might be more efficient.JRC.H.4-Monitoring Agricultural Resource

Methods for the Analysis of Time-series of High-resolution Satellite Images for the Assessment of Logging in the Taiga

Although timber production in Russian forests is of great economic importance, forest logging is a main factor of anthropogenic change in boreal forest ecosystems. Regularly updated information on the scale and the temporal dynamic of these changes is therefore desired. The available historical imagery from the Landsat satellites series provides an unique opportunity for a retrospective analysis of forest cover dynamics in Russian forests resulting from the logging activities of the last two decades. This paper describes possibilities of using a time-series of Landsat images for the mapping and area assessment of forest clear-cuts in the Russian Taiga. The study was carried out for a test site in the Komi Republic, comparing different methods for clear cut detection, based on a multi-temporal set of high-resolution Landsat satellite data. The study examines the potential of such satellite data to assess the long-term impact of logging on forest cover at regional and national levels.JRC.H.3-Global environement monitorin