Galina N. Fet Image Processing for Conifer Forest Detection in Tien-Shan Mountains. Marshall University, Department of Physical Sciences Geobiophysical Modeling Graduate Program May 18, 2006

STUDY AREA Environmental Monitoring Natural Resources Exploration and Conservation International Tourism Development TIEN-SHAN MOUNTAINS, KYRGYZ REPUBLIC Google Earth

STUDY OBJECTIVES  imagery classification: vegetation and non-vegetation feature extraction  vegetation classification and mapping using ground data and imagery  species database compilation for Internet distribution

VEGETATION COMPLEXITY  Juniper or Spruce clear stands or mix FOREST => THAN 75 %  Dwarf Juniper and shrubs  Riparian mountain forests with Spruce  Grasslands and mountain meadows with Juniper or dwarf Juniper

FOREST TYPE GROUND CONTROL POINTS DATA AND SPECIES GEODATABASE DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL SATELLITE IMAGERY AND ROCESSING SOFTWARE INCREASE QUALITY AND ACCURACY PRODUCE ELEVATION LAYER EXTRACT ELEVATION CONTOURS AND WATERSHEDS BAND COMBINATION ASESSMENT AND STATISTICS 3D VISUALIZATION SPATIAL STATISTICS AND SURFACE ANALYSIS IMAGE PROCESSING AND CLASSIFICATION STEPS AND COPONENTS PLANT ECOLOGY AND BOTANY

SPRUCE AND JUNIPER FOREST AT HIGH ALTITUDE ELEVATIONS 2700 m 2000 m

ELEVATION RIPARIAN FORESTS: SPRUCE AND JUNIPER BIRCH AND SPRUCE 2000 M

VEGETATION CONTORURS

EXTRACTING VEGETATION ASTER BANDS 2,3

R CLAY 5/7 G OXIDE 3/2 B VEGETATION 4/3 Bands 3,2,1,8 BAND COMBINATIONS LANDSAT7 ETM+ ASTER Bands 7,4,1,8

GEOLOGICAL FEATURES

GEOLOGICAL PROCESS ASTER IMAGERY RGB SWIR6, NIR3, VNIR1 ICE CAPS - DARK BLUE ROCKS AND SHALE - YELLOW

TRAINING AREA BANDS 531 5,4,2 ASTER ASTER NIR, VNIR AND THERMAL BANDS 4,3,13

TRAINING AREA ASTER BROVEY TRANSFORM R 4/431, G 3/431, B 1/431

SUPERVISED CLASSIFICATION DIGITIZING CONTOURS SPECTRAL SIGNATURES

SUPERVISED CLASSIFICATION SPRUCE FOREST mixed with two different species of junupers (Juniperus turkestanica – dwarf juniper and Juniperus semiglobosa), SPRUCE-BIRCH forest with shrubs and other deciduous trees in the understory. DWARF JUNIFER SHRUBLIKE FOREST in association with numerous and diverse shrubs in the understory

SHUTTLE RADAR TOPGRAPHY MISSION DATA (SRTM30) 30 M RESOLUTION OVER US 90 WORLD 16 M VERTICAL AND 20 M HORIZONTAL ACCURACY FREE FTP DONLOAD

DIGITAL ELEVATION CONTOURS SRTM CONTOURS (RED) TOPO MAP CONTOURS (BLACK)

ALA-ARCHA WATERSHED AND SRTM ELEVATIONS

ELEVATION ZONES OVERLAY

VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION LAYER DRAPED OVER BAND LS543 COMBINATION

VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION LAYER DRAPED OVER SRTM DEM

USED SATELLITE IMAGE CLASSIFICATION AS A MAP BASE FOR CONIFER FOREST GEODATABASE LANDSAT7 ETM+, ASTER, SRTM MAPPED THE RESULTS OF BIOTIC SURVEY USSING MODERN GEOREFERENCING TECHNIQUES DEMOSTRATED IMAGE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES AND CAPABILITIES TO RECOGNIZE LAND USE FEATURES WITH ARCGIS/ARCINFO SPATIAL ANALYST, 3D ANALYST RESULTS

The author is grateful to the American Association for Advancement of Sciences providing opportunity for research initiation through a travel grant. Photographs by the author, SMAK and Celestial Mountains Co.