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Scale dependence in quantification of land-cover and biomass change over Siberian boreal forest landscapes

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Abstract

We investigated the influence of remote sensing spatial resolution on estimates of characteristic land-cover change (LCC) and LCC-related above-ground biomass change (Δbiomass) in three study sites representative of the East Siberian boreal forest. Data included LCC estimated using an existing Landsat-derived land-cover dataset for 1990 and 2000, and above-ground standing biomass stocks simulated by the FAREAST forest succession model and applied on a pixel basis. At the base 60 m resolution, several landscape pattern metrics were derived to describe the characteristic LCC types. LCC data were progressively degraded to 240, 480, and 960 m. LCC proportions and Δbiomass were derived at each of the coarser resolutions and scale dependences of LCC and Δbiomass were analyzed. Compared to the base 60 m resolution, the Logged LCC type was highly scale dependent and was consistently underestimated at coarser resolutions. The Burned type was under- or over-estimated depending strongly on its patch size. Estimated at the base 60 m resolution, modeled biomass increased in two sites (i.e., 3.0 and 6.4 Mg C ha−1 for the Tomsk and Krasnoyarsk sites, respectively) and declined slightly in one site (i.e., −0.5 Mg C ha−1 for the Irkutsk site) between the two dates. At the degraded resolutions, the estimated Δbiomass increased to 3.3 and 7.0 Mg C ha−1 for the Tomsk and Krasnoyarsk sites, while it declined to −0.8 Mg C ha−1 for the Irkutsk site. Results indicate that LCC and Δbiomass values may be progressively amplified in either direction as resolution is degraded, depending on the mean patch size (MPS) of disturbances, and that the error of LCC and Δbiomass estimates also increases at coarser resolutions.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the NASA Land–Cover/Land–Use Change Program through contract NAG5–11084. We extend appreciation to Dr. G. Gutman, NASA LCLUC Program; Dr. E. Vaganov and Dr. V. Kharuk of the V. N. Sukachev Institute of Forest, Siberian Branch, Russian Academy of Sciences; and S. Brines and D. Robinson at the University of Michigan ESALab.

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  1. Tingting Zhao

    Present address: Department of Geography, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Natural Resources and Environment, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, 48019, USA

    Tingting Zhao, Kathleen M. Bergen & Daniel G. Brown

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA

    Herman H. Shugart

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  1. Tingting Zhao
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  2. Kathleen M. Bergen
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  3. Daniel G. Brown
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  4. Herman H. Shugart
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Correspondence to Kathleen M. Bergen.

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Zhao, T., Bergen, K.M., Brown, D.G. et al. Scale dependence in quantification of land-cover and biomass change over Siberian boreal forest landscapes. Landscape Ecol 24, 1299–1313 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-009-9379-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10980-009-9379-z

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