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REMOTE SENSING APPLICATIONS USING EMPIRICAL METHODS AND

SEGMENTATION ON OPTICAL IMAGERY

Craig Wilson | GHD


Empirical modelling example: vegetation extent mapping

• The following analysis example used poorly balanced colour/infrared air photo to
define a woody vegetation extent where conventional vegetation indices could not be
used.
• The imagery had a resolution of 0.5m.
• The mapping area covered close to 1,300,000 hectares in southern Queensland. This
is approximately 5.5x the ACT and 0.65x Kakadu NP.
• The mapping scale was between 1:25,000 and 1:50,000

Presentation Title
An example of balanced natural colour and unbalanced false colour composite images (integrating the
infrared channel)
The same example comparing the balanced red channel and unbalanced infrared channel by
themselves
Comparison between vegetation shadow features and NDVI
Another example from the same project. Comparison between vegetation shadow features and NDVI
Result of a simple threshold on vegetation shadow features. The brighter area beings to saturate
before the vegetation on the darker area is included.
Result of a simple threshold on vegetation shadow features. The vegetation is more consistently
throughout the image as the infrared channel has not been utilised.
Another example from the same project. Comparison between the result of a threshold
applied to vegetation shadow features and NDVI
The result of a more controlled analysis based on the shadow features
Pixels are grouped into an irregular tessellation of ‘image objects’ which are the focus of analysis
rather than the individual pixels. Smaller objects can be nested in larger objects which can aid
analysis and enable generalisation.

Presentation Title
Generalisation of the detailed woody vegetation classification to produce a contiguous woody
vegetation extent at a smaller scale
Another example from the same project. Unbalanced infrared/colour composite classified into a
contiguous woody vegetation extent map.
Other examples of empirical remote sensing

1. Impervious surface mapping from RGB imagery for hydrological modelling

2. Woody vegetation and built environment features defined from RGB imagery to
create a terrain model

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1. Impervious surface mapping from RGB imagery over 16,000 hectares of sub-urban catchments for
hydrological modelling

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2a. The process has been readily applied with a minimum of ‘tweaking’ to other imagery (Clockwise
from top left: natural colour imagery, shadow features, detailed classification, contiguous mapping)
2b. This example combined an existing digital elevation model with the output of the vegetation and
built structures classification to create a terrain model that was used to assess the visual permeability
of the environment.
Comparisons to outputs from other methods

1. Conventional vegetation type map produced through skilled air photo interpretation,
field investigation and numerical floristic composition analysis

2. Remnant vegetation QLD - course vegetation type mapping produced through


interpretation of Landsat satellite imagery, foliage projected cover mapping and
more detailed air photo interpretation by skilled analysts

3. Vegetation foliage projected cover (FPC) mapping over NSW produced through
rigorous physical modelling

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1. Conventional vegetation type mapping from API
NSW NPWS/DECCW – Vegetation of the Cumberland Plain

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2a. Remnant vegetation mapping in Queensland (red outlines). Interpreted from Landsat imagery, air
photo and aided by foliage projected cover mapping. Compared with detailed vegetation mapping
GHD 2010 (yellow patches), at a scale of 1:60,000.
QLD Department of Environment and Resource Management

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2b. Remnant vegetation mapping in Queensland (red outlines). Compared with detailed vegetation
mapping GHD 2010 (yellow patches), at a scale of 1:20,000.
QLD Department of Environment and Resource Management

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3a. Vegetation foliage projected cover mapping over NSW
NSW DECCW

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3b. Vegetation foliage projected cover mapping over NSW. 20% threshold applied to FPC to create
vegetation extent.
NSW DECCW

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Analytical methods in remote sensing

Air photo (cognitive) interpretation


• Cognitive interpretation and manual digitising of mapping information from air photo and satellite imagery.

Empirical analysis
• analysis of spectral and spatial patterns to extract information from images without necessarily involving
spectroscopy. Correlations between interpreted image composition and observed image patterns allows for
information extraction.

Physical modelling
• Spectrometry and regression modelling to lab or field measured samples to leverage relationships between images
and ground features.

Presentation Title
Air photo interpretation

Advantages
– Cognition enables more complexity to be managed, especially association cues
– Can incorporate 3d visualisation, e.g. breaks in tree height to be incorporated easily;
– Can manage partly obscured features, such as a gutter obscured by a tree, by interpreting a
line beneath;
– Readily applied to non-optimum imagery with relatively little preparation or correction;
– Requires less specialised equipment and knowledge/skills than physical modelling;
– Less sensitive to noisy data than physical models.

Limitations
– Inconsistency of interpretation between different analyst or by the same analyst over time
– Imprecise line-work in outputs
– Intensive human effort limits scalability of projects
– Typically categorical output only, i.e. no description of magnitude
– Accuracy is measured categorically only
– Assumed relationships between pattern and target category i.e. not based on a regression
model

Examples:
– Built environment; road & pavement, building footprint, infrastructure location, fence locations,
defence/security applications, etc.
– Natural environment; topographic features, surface water boundaries, vegetation type maps,
weekend fishing planning…

Presentation Title
Empirical analysis

Advantages
– Consistent and precise outputs
– Not limited by cognitive interpretive effort as in the case of air photo interpretation
– Readily applied to non-optimum imagery with relatively little preparation or
correction
– Requires less specialised equipment and knowledge/skills than physical modelling
– Less sensitive to noisy data than physical models.

Limitations
– Categorical output only, cannot describe magnitude
– Accuracy is measured categorically only
– Assumed relationships between pattern and target category i.e. not based on a
regression model

Examples:
– supervise & unsupervised multivariate classification (clustering algorithms)
– thresholds (density slice) applied to raw or enhanced image data, band ratios etc
– texture based classification and segmentation

Presentation Title
Physical modelling

Advantages
– Provide evidence basis for extrapolation beyond ground control – i.e. robust & repeatable
– Consistent and precise outputs
– Not limited by cognitive interpretive effort as in the case of air photo interpretation
– Non-categorical (continuous) output provides measurement magnitudes
– Best for magnitudinal change detection such as forest thinning or crop growth/deterioration
– Fully leverages spectral image attributes

Limitations
– Sensitive to poor data quality and requires intensive image preparation and quality control
– Requires intensive fieldwork and/or laboratory effort
– Requires specialised equipment and skills/knowledge
– Typically requires expensive optimum datasets that may have limited coverage

Examples:
– Spectrometry & regression modelling
– Carbon inventory
– Vegetation foliage projected cover
– Sea surface temperature and ocean colour
– Topographic maps (contours derived from conventional photogrammetry)

Presentation Title
Analytical methods comparison

Cost & effort (project Precision and Sensitivity to image Utility of output Availability of skilled
scalability) accuracy of output quality and/or technicians
preparation effort

Air photo (cognitive)


interpretation

Best for vegetation type mapping


Empirical analysis

Best for quick & detailed vegetation extent mapping


Physical modelling

Best for vegetation volume mapping and change detection

Presentation Title
Thank you
Craig Wilson
Author affiliation: GHD
Level 15/133 Castlereagh Street
Sydney, NSW
T 61 2 9239 7100, F 61 2 9239 7199

Questions…

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