Characterization and Mapping of Fuel Types for the Mediterranean Ecosystems of Pollino National Park in Southern Italy by Using Hyperspectral MIVIS Data

Abstract The characterization and mapping of fuel types is one of the most important factors that should be taken into consideration for wildland fire prevention and prefire planning. This research aims to investigate the usefulness of hyperspectral data to recognize and map fuel types in order to ascertain how well remote sensing data can provide an exhaustive classification of fuel properties. For this purpose airborne hyperspectral Multispectral Infrared and Visible Imaging Spectrometer (MIVIS) data acquired in November 1998 have been analyzed for a test area of 60 km2 selected inside Pollino National Park in the south of Italy. Fieldwork fuel-type recognitions, performed at the same time as remote sensing data acquisition, were used as a ground-truth dataset to assess the results obtained for the considered test area. The method comprised the following three steps: 1) adaptation of Prometheus fuel types for obtaining a standardization system useful for remotely sensed classification of fuel types and properties in the considered Mediterranean ecosystems; 2) model construction for the spectral characterization and mapping of fuel types based on a maximum likelihood (ML) classification algorithm; and 3) accuracy assessment for the performance evaluation based on the comparison of MIVIS-based results with ground truth. Results from our analysis showed that the use of remotely sensed data at high spatial and spectral resolution provided a valuable characterization and mapping of fuel types being that the achieved classification accuracy was higher than 90%

Aerial remote sensing hyperspectral techniques for rocky outcrops mapping

In this work the MIVIS (Multispectral Infrared and Visible Imaging Spectrometer) hyperspectral data, acquired during aerial campaigns made in 1998 over the Pollino National Park in the framework of the «Progetto Pollino», have been used to set up a supervised technique devoted to identify the presence of selected rocky outcrops. Tests have been performed over an extended area characterised by a complex orography. Within this area, serpentinite was chosen as a test-rock because it is present in isolated outcrops, distributed all over the test-area, besides subtending important problems of environmental nature as it contains asbestos. Geological information, coming from field observations or geological maps, was used to trigger the algorithms and as ground truth for its validation. Two spectral analysis techniques, SAM (Spectral Angle Mapper) and LSU (Linear Spectral Unmixing), have been applied and their results n combined to automatically identify serpentinite outcrops and, in some cases, to mark its boundaries. The approach used in this work is characterised by simplicity (no atmosphere and illumination corrections were performed on MIVIS data), robustness (material of interest is identified for certainty) and intrinsic exportability (the method proposed can be applied on different geographic areas and, in theory, to identify any kind of material because no datum about atmospheric and illumination conditions is required)

Ciclovias, atividade física no lazer e hipertensão arterial: um estudo longitudinal

Living close to green areas and regions with high walkability index contribute to reducing the risk of diseases, but there are few longitudinal studies in low-and middle-income countries. In São Paulo, there was an important policy to implement bicycle paths, and the protective effect of physical activities on diseases such as hypertension is already known. To verify the relationships between possible changes in exposure to bike paths within 1 km of homes with leisure-time physical activity (LTPA), we used data from a cohort where n=1,431 people were evaluated between 2014/2015 and 2020/2021. LTPA and hypertension were assessed by questionnaires. The availability of bike paths within 1 km of residential addresses was evaluated between 2015 and 2020 by georeferencing and changes in the period were calculated. Bivariate statistical associations and multilevel analyzes were performed. There was an increase in hypertension (from 26.2% to 35.6%) and in LTPA (from 36.4% to 47.6%), but they were inversely associated in both periods (p<0.001). The increase of exposition in bike paths was more localized in the central regions of the city. Multilevel analyzes showed that people who were exposed to positive maintenance or an increase in bike paths were more likely to practice LTPA in the period (OR=1.39 CI95% 1.07-1.79). However, it is necessary to expand these facilities throughout the city of São Paulo to reduce environmental inequalities and to contribute more effectively to the prevention of hypertension.Residir nas proximidades de áreas verdes e em regiões com altos índices de caminhabilidade contribui para diminuir o risco de doenças, mas existem poucos estudos longitudinais em países de baixa e média rendas. Em São Paulo houve uma política importante de implementação de ciclovias e já é conhecido o efeito protetor das práticas de atividades físicas em doenças como a hipertensão arterial. Para verificar as relações entre possíveis mudanças na exposição às ciclovias a até 1 km das residências com as práticas de Atividade Física no Lazer (AFL), utilizamos dados de uma coorte onde foram avaliadas n=1.431 pessoas entre 2014/2015 e 2020/2021. As AFL e a hipertensão foram avaliadas por questionários. A disponibilidade de ciclovias a até 1 km dos endereços residenciais foi avaliada entre 2015 e 2020 por georreferenciamento e foram calculadas as mudanças no período. Foram realizadas associações estatísticas bivariadas e análises multiníveis. Houve aumento na hipertensão (de 26,2% para 35,6%) e na AFL (de 36,4% para 47,6%), mas foram associadas inversamente em ambos os períodos (p<0,001). O aumento das ciclovias foi mais localizado em regiões centrais da cidade. As análises multiníveis mostraram que as pessoas que foram expostas a manutenção positiva ou aumento da exposição de ciclovias tiveram mais chances de praticarem AFL no período (OR=1,39 IC95% 1,07-1,79). No entanto, é preciso ampliar esta estrutura por toda a cidade de São Paulo, para que possamos diminuir as iniquidades ambientais e contribuir de forma mais efetiva para a prevenção da hipertensão

Suitability of CASI and ATM airborne remote sensing data for archaeological subsurface structure detection under different land cover: the Arpi case study (Italy)

In this paper multi-sensor airborne remote sensing has been applied to the Arpi archaeological area of southern Italy to assess its suitability for detecting and locating subsurface archaeological structures and to delineate subsurface remains beyond the current limits of ground geophysical data. To this aim, the capability of CASI and ATM reflectances in the VIS-NIR spectral range and the ATM apparent thermal inertia for subsurface archaeological prospection have been assessed at different sites of the Arpi archaeological area. First, linear spectral mixture analysis has been applied to CASI and ATM images to retrieve the dominant land cover for the selected subsurface structures, and then, the spectral bands most effective for the archaeological buried structure detection as a function of the land cover characteristics have been evaluated. The results reveal that multi/hyperspectral airborne remote sensing data can represent an effective and rapid tool to detect subsurface structures within different land cover contexts. Therefore, the proposed methodology can be used to perform a preliminary analysis of those areas where large cultural heritage assets occur by prioritizing and localizing the sites where to apply archaeological prospection

Evaluation of Airborne HySpex and Spaceborne PRISMA Hyperspectral Remote Sensing Data for Soil Organic Matter and Carbonates Estimation

Remote sensing and soil spectroscopy applications are valuable techniques for soil property estimation. Soil organic matter (SOM) and calcium carbonate are important factors in soil quality, and although organic matter is well studied, calcium carbonates require more investigation. In this study, we validated the performance of laboratory soil spectroscopy for estimating the aforementioned properties with referenced in situ data. We also examined the performance of imaging spectroscopy sensors, such as the airborne HySpex and the spaceborne PRISMA. For this purpose, we applied four commonly used machine learning algorithms and six preprocessing methods for the evaluation of the best fitting algorithm.. The study took place over crop areas of Amyntaio in Northern Greece, where extensive soil sampling was conducted. This is an area with a very variable mineralogical environment (from lignite mine to mountainous area). The SOM results were very good at the laboratory scale and for both remote sensing sensors with R2 = 0.79 for HySpex and R2 = 0.76 for PRISMA. Regarding the calcium carbonate estimations, the remote sensing accuracy was R2 = 0.82 for HySpex and R2 = 0.36 for PRISMA. PRISMA was still in the commissioning phase at the time of the study, and therefore, the acquired image did not cover the whole study area. Accuracies for calcium carbonates may be lower due to the smaller sample size used for the modeling procedure. The results show the potential for using quantitative predictions of SOM and the carbonate content based on soil and imaging spectroscopy at the air and spaceborne scales and for future applications using larger datasets

Assessment of water vapor content from MIVIS TIR data

The main objective of land remotely sensed images is to derive biological, chemical and physical parameters by inverting sample sets of spectral data. For the above aim hyperspectral scanners on airborne platform are a powerful remote sensing instrument for both research and environmental applications because of their spectral resolution and the high operability of the platform. Fine spectral information by MIVIS (airborne hyperspec- tral scanner operating in 102 channels ranging from VIS to TIR) allows researchers to characterize atmospher- ic parameters and their effects on measured data which produce undesirable features on surface spectral signa- tures. These effects can be estimated (and remotely sensed radiances corrected) if atmospheric spectral trans- mittance is known at each image pixel. Usually ground-based punctual observations (atmospheric sounding bal- loons, sun photometers, etc.) are used to estimate the main physical parameters (like water vapor and tempera- ture profiles) which permit us to estimate atmospheric spectral transmittance by using suitable radiative trans- fer model and a specific (often too strong) assumption which enable atmospheric properties measured only in very few points to be extended to the whole image. Several atmospheric gases produce observable absorption features, but only water vapor strongly varies in time and space. In this work the authors customize a self-suf- ficient «split-window technique» to derive (at each image pixel) atmospheric total columnar water vapor con- tent (TWVC) using only MIVIS data collected by the fourth MIVIS spectrometer (Thermal Infrared band). MIVIS radiances have been simulated by means of MODTRAN4 radiative transfer code and the coefficients of linear regression to estimate TWVC from «split-windows» MIVIS radiances, based on 450 atmospheric water vapor profiles obtained by radiosonde data provided by NOAA\NESDIS. The method has been applied to pro- duce maps describing the spatial variability of the water vapor columnar content along a trial scene. The pro- cedure has been validated by means of the MIVIS data acquired over Venice and the contemporary radiosonde data. A discrepancy within 5% has been measured between the estimate of TWVC derived from the proposed self-sufficient split-window technique and the coincident radiosonde measurements. If confirmed by further analyses such a result will permit us to fully exploit MIVIS TIR capability to offer a more effective (at image pixel level) and self-sufficient (no ancillary observations required) way to obtain atmospherically corrected MIVIS radiances

Chronic, long-term administration of Vardenafil improves endothelial function and corrects hypogonadism in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. A longitudinal, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double blind, clinical trial

10.1530/endoabs.37.OC4.

Relations between morphological settings and vegetation covers in a medium relief landscape of Central Italy

Morphometric units and vegetation classes were determined by applying two classification methods to the Soratte Mount area, a medium relief structure within the Italian Latium region. The study aims at defining the relationships between vegetation and landform types and highlighting the main morphological characteristics within examined land cover classes. These were the result of the application of a supervised classification method to the first 28 (VIS-NIR) bands of the airborne MIVIS data collected within an extensive survey campaign over Rome Province. The analysis was supported by photo-interpretation of peculiar MIVIS band combinations and by data acquired during field surveys and from a pre-existing vegetation map. The morphometric data were obtained by processing a raster DEM created from topographic maps. These data were processed by means of a new morphometric classification method based on the statistical multivariate investigation of local topographic gradients, calculated along the 8 azimuth directions of each pixel neighbourhood. Such approach quickly estimates the spatial distribution of different types of homogeneous terrain units, emphasizing the impact of erosional and tectonic processes on the overall relief. Mutual relations between morphometric units and vegetation types were assessed by performing a correspondence analysis between the results of the two classifications

Multiscale integration of satellite, airborne and field data for Mediterranean vegetation studies in the natural area of the Castelporziano Estate (Rome)

A new experimental approach to land analysis has recently been developed, based on the integration of information acquired on different scales; it enables the structure and the functionality of the vegetation in natural ecosystems to be analysed. This research aims at assessing the potentiality of the experimental approach by the integration of airborne and satellite remotely sensed data with ground measurements of structural parameters. In July 1999 a joint campaign for the acquisition of airborne (MIVIS, spatial resolution 3 in) and satellite remotely sensed data (Landsat 5TM, spatial resolution 30 in) and measures taken at ground (PAI), was deployed in the Presidential Estate at Castelporziano (Rome, Italy). The spectral signatures of the main vegetational types of the Estate were examined and the PAI were related to NDVI values, calculated by means of satellite and airborne images. The adopted approach enabled PAI maps to be produced. The linear relation between measured PAI and estimated PAI showed a higher coefficient of determination when the MIVIS data were used. The sensor high spectral resolution has moreover allowed to better describe the structural characteristics of the main plant typologies at Castelporziano Estate