Search results for "vegetation map"
showing 10 items of 18 documents
PHYSICS-based retrieval of scattering albedo and vegetation optical depth using multi-sensor data integration
2017
Vegetation optical depth and scattering albedo are crucial parameters within the widely used τ-ω model for passive microwave remote sensing of vegetation and soil. A multi-sensor data integration approach using ICESat lidar vegetation heights and SMAP radar as well as radiometer data enables a direct retrieval of the two parameters on a physics-derived basis. The crucial step within the retrieval methodology is the calculus of the vegetation scattering coefficient KS, where one exact and three approximated solutions are provided. It is shown that, when using the assumption of a randomly oriented volume, the backscatter measurements of the radar provide a sufficient first order estimate and …
Spatio-temporal variations in the application of the Braun-Blanquet approach in Europe
2018
An historical overview on the affirmation of the phytosociological method in Europe is presented. Some methodological and procedural differences in the application of the Braun-Blanquet approach, from the selection of the sampling plots to the assignment of relevés to existing or newly described units, are briefly commented. The main advantages and limitations of the phytosociological vegetation classification are reviewed and discussed, also in the light of their applications for vegetation mapping and monitoring.
European Vegetation Archive (EVA): an integrated database of European vegetation plots
2015
Biurrun, Idoia/0000-0002-1454-0433; Rojo, Maria Pilar Rodriguez/0000-0001-5449-9386; Ermakov, Nikolai/0000-0001-7550-990X; De Sanctis, Michele/0000-0002-7280-6199; Svenning, Jens-Christian/0000-0002-3415-0862; Virtanen, Risto/0000-0002-8295-8217; Agrillo, Emiliano/0000-0003-2346-8346; Onyshchenko, Viktor/0000-0001-9079-7241; Marceno, Corrado/0000-0003-4361-5200; Willner, Wolfgang/0000-0003-1591-8386; Fernandez-Gonzalez, Federico/0000-0003-1234-4065; Jansen, Florian/0000-0002-0331-5185; Swacha, Grzegorz/0000-0002-6380-2954; Dengler, Jurgen/0000-0003-3221-660X; Guarino, Riccardo/0000-0003-0106-9416; Sopotlieva, Desislava/0000-0002-9281-7039; Venanzoni, Roberto/0000-0002-7768-0468; Chytry, Mil…
Phytosociological survey vegetation map of Sicily (Mediterranean region)
2016
ABSTRACTWe present the results of a study aimed at developing a vegetation map of Sicily (Italy) including the smaller circum-Sicilian islands, for an area of approximately 25,703 km2. The work is a synthesis of studies carried out in accordance with the survey methodology of phytosociology in the last 40 years over the whole study area. The vegetation map of Sicily was compiled in a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) environment, in order to produce a cartographic representation at a scale of 1:10,000 (reduced to a scale of 1:250,000). The physiognomic-structural characteristics of the plant landscape of Sicily are analyzed, providing a general and, at the same time, detailed overview …
The ‘recent’ forests of Mount Venda (Padua, Italy): when historical cartography and archaeobotany tell quite a different story
2018
Forests, like agricultural systems and housing, are an integral part of the human landscapes. They evolve over time, not only in response to environmental factors (e.g. climate change) but also in response to developments in human society. This work on the analysis of forest dynamics in Euganean hills is the result of research carried out as part of the research programmes THISTLE (MSCA Fellowship, grant agreement: 656397) and MEMOLA (EU FP7 Project , grant agreement: 613265). The work is focused on two mountains in particular: Monte Venda and Monte della Madonna. The archaeobotanical investigations reveal the presence of ancient forests (since the 14th century) in these areas , although th…
Sentinel-3/FLEX Biophysical Product Confidence Using Sentinel-2 Land-Cover Spatial Distributions
2021
The estimation of biophysical variables from remote sensing data raises important challenges in terms of the acquisition technology and its limitations. In this way, some vegetation parameters, such as chlorophyll fluorescence, require sensors with a high spectral resolution that constrains the spatial resolution while significantly increasing the subpixel land-cover heterogeneity. Precisely, this spatial variability often makes that rather different canopy structures are aggregated together, which eventually generates important deviations in the corresponding parameter quantification. In the context of the Copernicus program (and other related Earth Explorer missions), this article propose…
Estimation of Vegetation Structure Parameters From SMAP Radar Intensity Observations
2021
In this article, we present a multipolarimetric estimation approach for two model-based vegetation structure parameters (shape A and orientation distribution ψ of the main canopy elements). The approach is based on a reduced observation set of three incoherent (no phase information) polarimetric backscatter intensities (|S HH | 2 , |S HV | 2 , and |S VV | 2 ) combined with a two-parameter (A P and ψ) discrete scatterer model of vegetation. The objective is to understand whether this confined set of observations contains enough information to estimate the two vegetation structure parameters from the L-band radar signals. In order to disentangle soil and vegetation scattering influences on th…
SMOS REFLEX 2003: L-band emissivity characterization of vineyards
2005
The goal of the Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity mission over land is to infer surface soil moisture from multiangular L-band radiometric measurements. As the canopy affects the microwave emission of land, it is necessary to characterize different vegetation layers. This paper presents the Reference Pixel L-Band Experiment (REFLEX), carried out in June-July 2003 at the Vale/spl grave/ncia Anchor Station, Spain, to study the effects of grapevines on the soil emission and on the soil moisture retrieval. A wide range of soil moisture (SM), from saturated to completely dry soil, was measured with the Universitat Polite/spl grave/cnica de Catalunya's L-band Automatic Radiometer (LAURA). Concurre…
Mapping Carbon Stocks In Central And South America With Smap Vegetation Optical Depth
2019
Mapping carbon stocks in the tropics is essential for climate change mitigation. Passive microwave remote sensing allows estimating carbon from deep canopy layers through the Vegetation Optical Depth (VOD) parameter. Although their spatial resolution is coarser than that of optical vegetation indices or airborne Lidar data, microwaves present a higher penetration capacity at low frequencies (L-band) and avoid cloud masking. This work compares the relationships of airborne carbon maps in Central and South America with both (i) SMAP L-band VOD at 9 km gridding and (ii) MODIS Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI). Models to estimate carbon stocks are built from these two satellite-derived variables.…
Islands of biogeodiversity in arid lands on a polygons map study: Detecting scale invariance patterns from natural resources maps.
2016
Many maps (geology, hydrology, soil, vegetation, etc.) are created to inventory natural resources. Each of these resources is mapped using a unique set of criteria, including scales and taxonomies. Past research indicates that comparing results of related maps (e.g., soil and geology maps) may aid in identifying mapping deficiencies. Therefore, this study was undertaken in Almeria Province, Spain to (i) compare the underlying map structures of soil and vegetation maps and (ii) investigate if a vegetation map can provide useful soil information that was not shown on a soil map. Soil and vegetation maps were imported into ArcGIS 10.1 for spatial analysis, and results then exported to Microsof…