Abstract
The article tries to show up an easy way to acquire satellite images (SPOT monochromatic/grayscale) for free, using the internet portal “Geoengine”, maintained by the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) of the United States. In a second step, these images (in this case sabkha-dune ecosystems in south-eastern Qatar) are loaded into a GIS (Geographical Information System)-program (ArcView® 3.2) and analysed for reflectance values, correlated with the values for known sabkha areas, that were taken during earlier field trips in Qatar.
The combination of satellite imagery and ground control points within areas of known geomorphological and geoecological characteristics produces an approximate map of the spatial extent and distribution of sabkha ecosystems in south-eastern Qatar.
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Beineke, J., Kagermeier, A. (2010). Low-Cost Mapping of Sabkha-Ecosystems Using Satellite Imagery: An Example from SE Qatar. In: Öztürk, M., Böer, B., Barth, HJ., Clüsener-Godt, M., Khan, M., Breckle, SW. (eds) Sabkha Ecosystems. Tasks for Vegetation Science, vol 46. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9673-9_15
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-90-481-9673-9_15
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