Vegetation mapping and monitoring

Abstract

The nature and properties of vegetation are fundamental attributes of landscapes. The nature of the vegetation in an area is determined by a complex combination of effects related to climate, soils, history, fire and human influences which can date back several millennia in some locations. People have been interested in understanding the distribution of vegetation types since the times of Theophrastus, with significant contributions coming from such noted historical figures as Alexander von Humboldt and Lord Alfred Wallace. When viewed from this historical perspective, vegetation mapping has a long history which includes a variety of contexts and a wide range of geographic scales. ... The goal of this chapter is to provide some history and context to recent and current efforts to map and monitor vegetation, while providing some indications regarding the way vegetation maps are used in environmental modelling. Remote sensing has revolutionized vegetation mapping, as the synoptic perspective is ideal for mapping landscape attributes. The focus here will be on the use of satellite remote sensing for vegetation mapping and monitoring, and the discussion attempts to characterize the recent innovations and ongoing areas of active research. Please note that this chapter focuses on vegetation maps at local to regional scales. Discussion of the use of satellite imagery for continental to global scales is included in Chapters 4 and 5.