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Very high-resolution true color leaf-off imagery for mapping Taxus baccata L. and Ilex aquifolium L. understory population

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Abstract

According to the “Habitat” Directive 92/43/EEC, the conservation status of natural habitats depends on the occurrence of populations of their typical species. For some forest habitats, typical species do not occur as canopy dominant trees but are found in the understory. This is the case with the priority habitat ’‘Apennine beech forests with Taxus and Ilex’’ 9210*. Taxus baccata L. and Ilex aquifolium L. are evergreen tree species and occur as isolated trees or groups in the understory of beech dominated forests. Accordingly, the knowledge of the spatial pattern of populations of typical species is fundamental for habitat monitoring goals. In this perspective, this study aims to evaluate the potential of very high-resolution, true color, leaf-off imagery (pixel size = 0.11 m), supplied by Google Earth, for mapping these populations. Understory layer detection has been accomplished through an object-oriented approach, based on multiresolution segmentation. The classification was developed with thresholds based on spectral and geometric properties, as well as on textural and contextual information. The main critical issues are represented by site conditions, where shadowing can prevent crown detection. The thematic accuracy of the target species map resulted in a Producer Accuracy of 0.77 and a User Accuracy of 0.80. The proposed procedure offers a good methodological foundation with which to map the actual spatial extent of forest broadleaved deciduous habitat types, characterized by low abundance and patchily distributed populations of yew and holly.

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Notes

  1. ‘Community interest’: lists of species and habitats rare, endemic, vulnerable, endangered and strictly protected [Article 1 (g) Habitats Directive].

  2. Priority habitat: “means natural habitat types in danger of disappearance” (Article 1 & d Habitats Directive).

  3. http://www.landinfo.com/satellite-imagery-pricing.html.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the project “FRESh LIFE Demonstrating Remote Sensing integration in sustainable forest management” (LIFE14 ENV/IT/000414).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department for Innovation in Biological Agro-food and Forestry System (DIBAF), University of Tuscia, Via San Camillo De Lellis, SNC, 01100, Viterbo, Italy

    Loredana Oreti, Anna Barbati, Francesco Marini & Diego Giuliarelli

Authors
  1. Loredana Oreti
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  2. Anna Barbati
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  3. Francesco Marini
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  4. Diego Giuliarelli
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Contributions

DG conceived the study with AB. DG and AB devised the sampling design. LO, DG and FM collected field data. DG performed image segmentation, classification and accuracy assessment. LO wrote the manuscript with support from AB and DG. All authors read and approved the final manuscript.

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Correspondence to Loredana Oreti.

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The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Communicated by Corrado Marcenò.

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Oreti, L., Barbati, A., Marini, F. et al. Very high-resolution true color leaf-off imagery for mapping Taxus baccata L. and Ilex aquifolium L. understory population. Biodivers Conserv 29, 2605–2622 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-020-01991-x

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