The Impact of Landsat Satellite Monitoring on Conservation Biology

Landsat 7s recent malfunctioning will result in significant gaps in long-term satellite monitoring of Earth, affecting not only the research of the Earth science community but also conservation users of these data. To determine whether or how important Landsat monitoring is for conservation and natural resource management, we reviewed the Landsat programs history with special emphasis on the development of user groups. We also conducted a bibliographic search to determine the extent to which conservation research has been based on Landsat data. Conservation biologists were not an early user group of Landsat data because a) biologists lacked technical capacity – computers and software – to analyze these data; b) Landsats 1980s commercialization rendered images too costly for biologists budgets; and c) the broad-scale disciplines of conservation biology and landscape ecology did not develop until the mid-to-late 1980s. All these conditions had changed by the 1990s and Landsat imagery became an important tool for conservation biology. Satellite monitoring and Landsat continuity are mandated by the Land Remote Sensing Act of 1992. This legislation leaves open commercial options. However, past experiments with commercial operations were neither viable nor economical, and severely reduced the quality of monitoring, archiving and data access for academia and the public. Future satellite monitoring programs are essential for conservation and natural resource management, must provide continuity with Landsat, and should be government operated.     

基于Landsat TM/ETM+/OLI遥感大数据分析南京市1984—2015年大气能见度变化趋势

对南京市1984—2015年Landsat 4／5／7／8卫星TM／ETM＋／OLI传感器获取的遥感数据,利用ENVI遥感软件的FLAASH大气校正模块,进行了区域大气能见度（ VIS）遥感反演。结果表明,时间跨度达30余年的Landsat卫星遥感数据影像序列反演的VIS呈明显的下降趋势,20世纪80年代数值较高,“差”能见度（＜10 km）的观测率不到6％,21世纪以来VIS下降明显,“差”能见度的观测率为20％～25％。与2010—2015年南京市PM10、PM2．5监测数据进行了对比,在城市空气清洁及污染较轻时,星地监测结果有较好的一致性,但中到重污染天气时FLAASH算法反演VIS偏高,侧重于代表离主城区距离远的偏远乡野山林地区的能见度状况。     

基于TM资料对上海区域热环境特征的分析

为了揭示城市热岛(UHI)形成机制,以TM卫星遥感资料为主要数据源,结合地面自动气象站(AWS)实测的气象资料,利用地表能量平衡参数化(SEBAL)的方法估算了净辐射通量和土壤热通量,分析了上海区域热环境特征.结果表明,TM地表温度与AWS实测地表温度具有较好的一致性;不同类型地表其地表温度差异明显,城市道路是城市中重要热量来源,绿地和水体面积的增加能有效地减轻城市热岛强度,同时也表明了卫星遥感资料在城市气候环境研究中的潜在价值.     

Using Spatial Pattern to Quantify Relationship Between Samples, Surroundings, and Populations

The need for accurate carbon budgeting, climate change modelling, and sustainable resource management has lead to an increase in the number of large area forest monitoring programs. Large area forest monitoring programs often utilize field and remotely sensed data sources. Sampling, via field or photo plots, enables the collection of data with the desired level of categorical detail in a timely and efficient manner. When sampling, the aim is to collect representative detailed data enabling the statistical reporting upon the characteristics of larger areas. As a consequence, approaches for investigating how well sample data represent larger areas (i.e., the sample neighbourhood and the population) are desired. Presented in this communication is a quantitative approach for assessing the nature of sampled areas in relation to surrounding areas and the overall population of interest. Classified Landsat data is converted to forest/non-forest categories to provide a consistent and uniform data set over a 130,000 km² study region in central British Columbia, Canada. From this larger study area 322 2 × 2 km photo plots on a 20 × 20 km systematic grid are populated with composition and configuration information for comparison to non-sampled areas. Results indicate that typically, within the study area, the spatial pattern of forest within a photo plot is representative of the forest patterns found within primary and secondary neighbourhoods and over the entire population of the study. These methods have implications for understanding the nature of data used in monitoring programs worldwide. The ability to audit photo and field plot information promotes an increased understanding of the results developed from sampling and provides tools identifying locations of possible bias.     

基于GEE的1998～2018年京津冀土地利用变化对生态系统服务价值的影响

在京津冀地区可持续发展评估研究中,对生态系统服务价值进行动态估算具有重要意义.本文以京津冀地区为研究区,基于谷歌地球引擎(GEE)云平台采用分类决策树(CART)分类算法对研究区内1998、2003、2008、2013及2018年的Landsat TM/OLI影像进行监督分类得到5个时期土地利用数据并定量分析1998～2018年京津冀地区土地利用动态变化规律,再利用生态服务价值(ESV)当量估算方法定量估算京津冀地区的ESV并结合15 km×15 km尺度格网探明其时空动态变化.结果表明:①1998～2018年间,京津冀地区6种土地利用类型中建设用地(增加16. 67%)及草地(减少13. 73%)面积占比变化幅度最大,水体(减少0. 2%)面积占比变化幅度最小.②京津冀地区ESV总价值在1998～2003年间出现短暂增长(增加91. 97亿元),2003～2018年间持续降低(减少239. 07亿元),主要与建设用地面积在除1998～2003年的其余3个时间段扩张较快有关,6种土地利用类型中林地提供的ESV最高,建设用地及未利用土地提供的ESV最低.③基于15 km×15 km尺度格网的ESV时空分析表明,1998～2018年间京津冀地区ESV中等区逐渐较少,ESV较低区及较高区逐渐增加,且ESV较低区增速高于较高区.④1998～2018年间,京津冀地区6种土地利用类型对价值系数的敏感性系数(SI)范围为0～0. 40,且均低于1,表明本文ESV对修订后的生态系统服务价值系数缺乏弹性,证明本文定量估算ESV的结果是可靠的.在未来经济发展中,京津冀地区应合理优化土地利用格局,加强对林地、草地、水体及耕地的保护.研究可为制定可持续发展战略,建设生态友好型社会提供参考.     

基于Landsat TM遥感数据的沈阳市生态环境监测与评价

以近年Landsat TM 遥感图像为基础数据源,利用遥感与GIS技术对沈阳市生态环境状况进行了监测.结果表明,2009年间沈阳市生态环境质量处于一般水平,与2008年相比,生态环境质量指数上升,生态环境状况呈现变好的趋势.     

Emergence of Indigenous Vegetation Classifications Through Integration of Traditional Ecological Knowledge and Remote Sensing Analyses

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) can play an important role in the understanding of ecological systems. Although TEK has complemented scientific and managerial programs in a variety of contexts, its formal incorporation into remote sensing exercises has to date been limited. Here, we show that the vegetation classifications of the Ache, an indigenous hunter-gatherer tribe of the Mbaracayu Forest Reserve in Paraguay, are reflected in a supervised classification of satellite imagery of the reserve. Accuracy of classification was toward the low end of the range of published values, but was reasonable given the difficult nature of separating forest classes from satellite images. Comparison of the resultant map with a more traditionally elaborated vegetation map highlights differences between the two approaches and the gain in information obtained by considering TEK classifications. We suggest that integration of TEK and remote sensing may provide alternative insights into the ecology of vegetation communities and land cover, particularly in remote and densely forested areas where ecological field research is often limited by roads and/or trail systems.     

Benchmarking Optical/Thermal Satellite Imagery for Estimating Evapotranspiration and Soil Moisture in Decision Support Tools

Generally, one expects evapotranspiration (ET) maps derived from optical/thermal Landsat and MODIS satellite imagery to improve decision support tools and lead to superior decisions regarding water resources management. However, there is lack of supportive evidence to accept or reject this expectation. We “benchmark” three existing hydrologic decision support tools with the following benchmarks: annual ET for the ET Toolbox developed by the United States Bureau of Reclamation, predicted rainfall‐runoff hydrographs for the Gridded Surface/Subsurface Hydrologic Analysis model developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the average annual groundwater recharge for the Distributed Parameter Watershed Model used by Daniel B. Stephens & Associates. The conclusion of this benchmark study is that the use of NASA/USGS optical/thermal satellite imagery can considerably improve hydrologic decision support tools compared to their traditional implementations. The benefits of improved decision making, resulting from more accurate results of hydrologic support systems using optical/thermal satellite imagery, should substantially exceed the costs for acquiring such imagery and implementing the remote sensing algorithms. In fact, the value of reduced error in estimating average annual groundwater recharge in the San Gabriel Mountains, California alone, in terms of value of water, may be as large as $1 billion, more than sufficient to pay for one new Landsat satellite.     

Monitoring urban growth and detecting land-cover changes on the Istanbul metropolitan area

Istanbul is the most populated city of Turkey with a population of around 10.58 M (2000) living on around 5,750 km². In 1980, the population was only 4.7 M and then it has been more than doubled in only two decades. The population has been increasing as a result of mass immigration. An urbanization process continues and it causes serious increases in urban areas while decreasing the amount of green areas. This rapid, uncontrolled, and illegal urbanization accompanied by insufficient infrastructure has caused degradation of forest and barren lands in the metropolitan area, especially through the last two decades. The watershed basins inside the metropolitan area and the transportation network have accelerated the land-cover changes, which have negative impacts on water quality of the basins. Monitoring urban growth and land cover change will enable better management of this complex urban area by the Greater Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (GIMM). A temporal assessment of land-cover changes of Istanbul has been documented in this study. The study mainly focuses on the acquisition and analysis of Landsat TM and Landsat GeoCover LC satellite images reflecting the significant land-cover changes between the years of 1990 and 2005. Raster data were converted to vector data and used in Geographic Information Systems (GIS). A database was created for Istanbul metropolitan area to plan, manage, and utilize statistical attribute data covering population, water, forest, industry, and topographic position. Consequently an overlay analysis was carried out and land use/cover changes through years have been detected for the case study area. The capability of Landsat images in determining the alterations in the macro form of the city are also discussed.     

近10 a武汉市城市热岛效应演变及其#br# 与土地利用变化的关系

城市化进程的加快,农村人口大量涌入城市,城市布局及局部气候改变等因素使得城市热岛效应问题日益突出,已成为当前城市环境研究热点之一。以武汉市为例,应用遥感技术与地理信息系统技术,选取2004~2015年5个时相Landsat系列影像数据,利用单窗算法反演地表温度,并以此为基础进行热岛强度分级,获取了近10 a武汉市城市热岛效应变化结果,并分析了武汉市11个辖区城市热岛效应动态变化特征及热岛效应与土地利用变化的关系。研究结果表明：（1）自2007年后,武汉市老城区热岛面积持续减少,而新城区热岛面积则持续增加,呈现出以老城区为中心向新城区扩张的趋势,至2015年,新老城区热岛面积仅相差20.74 km2;（2）东西湖区、蔡甸区、江夏区与洪山区是近些年城市热岛面积增长较为显著的辖区,其中江夏区的热岛面积年际变化最大,最高值达95.42 km2;（3）城市热岛效应与土地利用类型的面积年际平均值拟合关系显示,2004~2015年,城市热岛效应与建筑用地的R2值最大,为0.681 2,建筑用地面积的增加是城市热岛强度面积扩张的重要影响因素。