Received: December 8th, 2021 ; Accepted: January 30th, 2022 ; Published: March 22nd, 2022 ; Correspondence: mailto:[email protected] aim of this study is to develop a method for identification of the drainage ditch
network, which can be used for surface runoff modeling and to increase accuracy of estimation
of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in croplands and grasslands, using remote sensing data. The
study area consists of 11 objects throughout Latvia with a total area of 145 km2
. Digital elevation
models (DEMs) in two resolutions, which were created using three different interpolation
methods, were used for the analysis. Several multi-level data filtering methods were applied to
identify ditch network, including flow patterns, which can be used in surface runoff process. The
method we developed correctly identified 85–89% of ditches, depending on the DEM used, in
comparison to the reference data. Mapped ditches are located within 3 m range of the reference
data in 89–93% of cases. The elaborated model is robust and uses openly available source data
and can be used for large scale ditch mapping with sufficient accuracy necessary for hydrological
modelling and GHG accounting in the national inventories
