Geography

A comparison of Landsat ETM+ and high-resolution aerial orthophotos to map urban/suburban forest cover in Massachusetts, USA

Document Type

Article

Abstract

This article examines the extent to which L(ow)-spatial resolution Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) imagery can be used to map urban/suburban forest cover in comparison with H(igh)-spatial resolution (less than 1 m) digital aerial orthophotos from the same study area and time period. This research has practical implications for resource managers, government agencies and forestry researchers interested in mapping large-area urban/suburban forests because Landsat imagery is more accessible, has an extensive historical archive, has broader spatial and temporal coverage and is more cost efficient than H-resolution aerial orthophotos. Classification tree results suggest that Landsat ETM+ imagery is adequate for mapping larger, contiguous patches of forest (i.e. small forest patches greater than 2 acres) in urban/suburban settings, but its spatial resolution is too coarse to accurately map spatially complex residential areas in urban/suburban landscapes. © 2012 Taylor & Francis.

Publication Title

Remote Sensing Letters

Publication Date

2012

Volume

3

Issue

8

First Page

667

Last Page

676

ISSN

2150-704X

DOI

10.1080/01431161.2012.656767

Keywords

aerial photograph, classification, comparative study, forest cover, forest management, forest resource, imagery, Landsat, orthophoto, spatial resolution, suburban area, urban area, vegetation mapping

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