ASPRS

PE&RS September 2001

VOLUME 67, NUMBER 9
PHOTOGRAMMETRIC ENGINEERING & REMOTE SENSING
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR PHOTOGRAMMETRY AND REMOTE SENSING

Peer-Reviewed Articles (Click the linked titles to see the full abstract)

1021 Effects of Differential Single-and Dual-Frequency GPS and GLONASS Observations on Point Accuracy under Forest Canopies
Erik Næsset

Abstract
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A 20-channel, dual-frequency receiver observing dual-frequency pseudorange and carrier phase of both GPS and GLONASS was used to determine the positional accuracy of 29 points under tree canopies. The mean positional accuracy based on differential postprocessing of GPS + GLONASS single-frequency observations ranged from 0.16 m to 1.16 m for 2.5 min to 20 min of observation at points with basal area ranging from <20 m;s2/ha to 30 m;s2/ha. The mean positional accuracy of differential postprocessing of dual-frequency GPS + GLONASS observations ranged from 0.08 m to 1.35 m. Using the dual-frequency carrier phase as main observable and fixing the initial integer phase ambiguities, i.e., a fixed solution, gave the best accuracy. However, searching for fixed solutions increased the risk of large individual positional errors due to "false" fixed solutions.The accuracy increased with decreasing density of forest, increasing length of observation period, and decreasing a priori standard error as reported by the postprocessing software.

1027 Sensitivity of Landscape Pattern Metrics to Map Spatial Extent
Santiago Saura and Javier Martínez-Millán

Abstract
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Computation of landscape pattern metrics from spectrally classified digital images is becoming increasingly common, because the characterization of landscape spatial structure provides valuable information for many applications. However, the spatial extent (window size) from which pattern metrics are estimated has been shown to influence and produce biases in the results of these spatial analyses. In this study, the sensitivity of eight commonly used landscape configuration metrics to changes in map spatial extent is analyzed using simulated thematic landscape patterns generated by the modified random clusters method. This approach makes it possible to control and isolate the different factors that influence the behavior of spatial pattern metrics, as well as taking into account a wide range of landscape configuration possibilities. Edge Density is found to be the most robust metric and is recommended as a fragmentation index where the effect of spatial extent is concerned. The metrics that attempt to quantify the irregularity and complexity of the shapes in the pattern (Mean Shape Index, Area Weighted Mean Shape Index, and Perimeter Area Fractal Dimension) are by far the most sensitive. In particular, it is suggested that the Mean Shape Index should be avoided in further landscape studies. For the eight analyzed pattern metrics, quantitative guidelines are provided to estimate the systematic biases that may be introduced by the use of a given extent, so that the metric values derived from data of different spatial extents can be properly compared.

1037 Modeling the Population of China Using DMSP Operational Linescan System; Nighttime Data
C.P. Lo

Abstract
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Radiance-calibrated DMSP-OLS nighttime lights data of China acquired between March 1996 and January-February 1997 were evaluated for their potential as a source of population data at the provincial, county, and city levels. The light clusters were classified into six categories of light intensity, and their areal extents were extracted from the image. Mean pixel values of light clusters corresponding to the settlements were also extracted. A light volume measure was developed to gauge the three-dimensional capacity of a settlement. A density of light cluster measure known as percent light area was also calculated for each spatial unit. Allometric growth models and linear regression models were developed to estimate the Chinese population and population densities at the three spatial levels using light area, light volume, pixel mean, and percent light area as independent variables. It was found that the DMSP-OLS nighttime data produced reasonably accurate estimates of non-agricultural (urban) population at both the county and city levels using the allometric growth model and the light area or light volume as input. on-agricultural population density was best estimated using percent light area in a linear regression model at the county level. The total sums of the estimates for non-agricultural population and even population overall closely approximated the true values given by the Chinese statistics at all three spatial levels. It is conÍcluded that the 1-km resolution radiance-calibrated DMSP-OLS nighttime lights image has the potential to provide population estimates of a country and shed light on its urban population from space.

1049 Spatial Dynamic Modeling for Urban Development
Xinsheng Zhang and Yeqiao Wang

Abstract
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A spatial dynamic model (SDM) in a GIS-based urban planning decision support system has been developed for the city of Beihai in southern China. The SDM was used to simulate the dynamic change of the urban spatial structure by considering urban spatial growth as the result of spatial interaction between demand and supply of urban resources. The SDM acts as an analog machine. SDM modeling provides information for decision support in urban planning and land use management. The utility function of spatial choice and a methodology for the construction of the utility function were developed to incorporate socioeconomic factors into the modeling process. Multiple scenarios of urban planning and the consequences of urban spatial growth, as well as the impacts of planning schemes on traffic flow and on the environment, were simulated. Comparisons of simulation results allowed planners to evaluate the planning schemes in decision making.

1059 Blended Spectral Classification Techniques for Mapping Water Surface Transparency and Chlorophyll Concentration
Perry LaPotin, Robert Kennedy, Timothy Pangburg, and Roberet Bolus

Abstract
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An innovative technique for estimating Secchi Disk Transparency and Chlorophyll a concentration is examined using in situ samples and coincidental satellite imagery for West Point Lake, Georgia. The technique is divided into two main components: (1) unsupervised classification to organize and reduce spectral variance, and (2) linear logarithmic modeling to transfer class structure onto primary water quality measurements. In component 1, clusters are derived using a non-parametric approach that is computationally unique from the traditional ISODATA algorithm. The method includes focused stratified sampling, non-parametric estimation, and blending of class structure using first-order principal components. In component 2, the class structure is tied to water quality estimation using primary band ratios for visible, near infrared, and middle infrared as independent variables. The results indicate a strong association between the Landsat TM middle infrared band and observed measurements for Secchi Disk Transparency and Chlorophyll a concentration. Logarithmic ratios for the visible green to the visible red are shown to be the second most significant covariates. The resultant models are shown to explain 98 percent of the variance in Secchi Disk Transparency, and 93 percent of the variance in Chlorophyll a concentration using pooled data from 59 sampling stations acquired during two distinct periods: 08 June and 28 September 1991.

1067 Comparison of Change-Detection Techniques for Monitoring Tropical Forest Clearing and Vegetation Regrowth in a Time Series
Daniel J. Hayes and Steven A. Sader

Abstract
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The once remote and inaccessible forests of Guatemala's Maya Biosphere Reserve (MBR) have recently experienced high rates of deforestation corresponding to human migration and expansion of the agricultural frontier. Given the importance of land-cover and land-use change data in conservation planning, accurate and efficient techniques to detect forest change from multi-temporal satellite imagery were desired for implementation by local conservation organizations. Three dates of Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery, each acquired two years apart, were radiometrically normalized and pre-processed to remove clouds, water, and wetlands, prior to employing the change-detection algorithm. Three change-detection methods were evaluated: normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) image differencing, principal component analysis, and RGB-NDVI change detection. A technique to generate reference points by visual interpretation of color composite Landsat images, for Kappa-optimizing thresholding and accuracy assessment, was employed. The highest overall accuracy was achieved with the RGB-NDVI method (85 percent). This method was also preferred for its simplicity in design and ease in interpretation, which were important considerations for transferring remote sensing technology to local and international non-governmental organizations.

1077 Potential of Road Stereo Mapping with RADARSAT Images
Thierry Toutin

Abstract
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Two stereo pairs generated with standard mode images (S1-S7 and S4-S7) and one with fine mode images (F1-F5) are used to evaluate the potential of RADARSAT-SAR for extracting planimetric features, such as roads, on a PC-based stereo workstation. First, monoscopic and stereoscopic plotting for the ground control points (GCPs) are performed to evaluate the impact on the accuracy. It is prerequisite, especially for smaller intersection angle stereo pairs, to acquire GCPs in stereoscopy because the monoscopic collection mode degrades the relative and absolute orientations of the stereo model by a ratio of two to four depending of the stereo geometry. The roads are then interactively stereo extracted by an operator and compared with the roads on the digital topographic maps. Statistical results over a large sample (more than 900 km) show an accuracy of about 15 to 24 m for fine mode and 25 to 50 m for standard mode stereo-pairs with 90 percent confidence levels, independently of the stereo configuration. The impact of image sampling on the road positioning accuracy is also addressed. Finally, comparisons with the orthorectification process show that the stereoscopic method to extract planimetric features is slightly more accurate.
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