Mapping salt marsh vegetation using aerial hyperspectral imagery and linear unmixing in Humboldt Bay, California

Chaeli Judd; Steven Steinberg; Frank Shaughnessy; Greg Crawford

doi:10.1672/0277-5212(2007)27[1144:MSMVUA]2.0.CO;2

Wetlands

December 2007, Volume 27, Issue 4, pp 1144–1152

Mapping salt marsh vegetation using aerial hyperspectral imagery and linear unmixing in Humboldt Bay, California

Authors
Authors and affiliations

Chaeli Judd
Steven Steinberg
Frank Shaughnessy
Greg Crawford

Article

Received:: 20 June 2006
Accepted:: 20 August 2007

DOI: 10.1672/0277-5212(2007)27[1144:MSMVUA]2.0.CO;2

Cite this article as:: Judd, C., Steinberg, S., Shaughnessy, F. et al. Wetlands (2007) 27: 1144. doi:10.1672/0277-5212(2007)27[1144:MSMVUA]2.0.CO;2

16 Citations

Abstract

Composition of salt marsh vegetation is important to wetland ecosystem health, and monitoring invasive species is critical. The purpose of this study was to examine the utility of airborne hyperspectral imagery in mapping salt marsh vegetation in Humboldt Bay, California, USA. An unmixing algorithm was applied to spatial and spectral image subsets. Overall accuracy among Spartina densiflora, Salicornia virginica, and Distichlis spicata was assessed at 85.1%. Algorithm prediction between observed and predicted percent cover ranged from r² = 0.32 to r² = 0.53, an improvement on comparable studies. Percent cover prediction was least accurate for Distichlis spicata, due to initial endmember selection. Use of the Pixel Purity Index in conjunction with field work likely aided in identifying the best candidates for the linear unmixing technique.

Key Words

Pacific Northwestremote sensingSpartinawetlands

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Authors and Affiliations

Chaeli Judd
- 1
Steven Steinberg
- 1
Frank Shaughnessy
- 2
Greg Crawford
- 3

1.Department of Environmental and Natural ResourcesHumboldt State UniversityArcataUSA
2.Department of Biological SciencesHumboldt State UniversityArcataUSA
3.Department of OceanographyHumboldt State UniversityArcataUSA
4.Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryMarine Sciences OperationSequimUSA

Mapping salt marsh vegetation using aerial hyperspectral imagery and linear unmixing in Humboldt Bay, California

Abstract

Key Words

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