Spatial, spectral and temporal patterns of tropical forest cover change as observed with multiple scales of optical satellite data.

Abstract

This article describes the development of a methodology for scaling observations of changes in tropical forest cover to large areas at high temporal frequency from coarse-resolution satellite imagery. The approach for estimating proportional forest cover change as a continuous variable is based on a regression model that relates multispectral, multitemporal Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, transformed to optimize the spectral detection of vegetation changes, to reference change data sets derived from a Landsat data record for a study site in Central America. A number of issues involved in model development are addressed here by exploring the spatial, spectral, and temporal patterns of forest cover change as manifested in the multitemporal spectral data sets.

Citation

Hayes, D.J.; Cohen, W.B. 2006. Spatial, spectral and temporal patterns of tropical forest cover change as observed with multiple scales of optical satellite data. Remote Sensing of Environment. 106: 1-16