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Object-based forest biomass estimation using Landsat ETM+ in Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia

  • Original Article
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Journal of Forest Research

Abstract

Information about forest biomass distribution is important for sustainable forest management and monitoring fuelwood supply. The objective of this study is to develop an accurate forest biomass map for Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia. We used a new technique (object-based approach) and a conventional technique (pixel-based approach) for the estimation of forest biomass using Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+). The object-based approach created segments of images, and calculated statistical and textural attributes. Our results showed that estimation accuracy of the object-based approach, with the use of band 1 and an exponential fit, was the best (R 2 = 0.76), and this accuracy was comparable to that of the pixel-based approach (R 2 = 0.67). Although several textural variables were related to forest biomass, they did not contribute significantly to improvement of estimation accuracy. However, the object-based method can be used for image segmentation so that the image objects are spectrally more homogeneous within individual regions than with their neighbors. Hence, they can be regarded as management units for policy-related spatial decisions. Therefore, it is possible to select either of the two methods depending upon what the situation demands.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to Mr. Ty Sokhun, General Director, Deputy Director, of the Department of Forestry and Wildlife for providing the data used in this study. We are also grateful to him for his assisting us on a wide range of issues.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8581, Japan

    Tsuyoshi Kajisa, Nobuya Mizoue & Shigejiro Yoshida

  2. Faculty of Agriculture, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan

    Takuhiko Murakami

  3. Cambodia Development Resource Institute, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

    Neth Top

Authors
  1. Tsuyoshi Kajisa
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  2. Takuhiko Murakami
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  3. Nobuya Mizoue
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  4. Neth Top
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  5. Shigejiro Yoshida
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Correspondence to Tsuyoshi Kajisa.

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Kajisa, T., Murakami, T., Mizoue, N. et al. Object-based forest biomass estimation using Landsat ETM+ in Kampong Thom Province, Cambodia. J For Res 14, 203–211 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-009-0125-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-009-0125-9

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