Environment Systems Presenting at the RSPSoc Annual Conference

Environment Systems is presenting at the Annual Conference of the Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society. The conference takes place at Bournemouth University, 13-15 September, 2011. Mark Jarman will present a paper on the Tuesday about a recent project undertaken in Ireland.

This project set out to investigate the use of rule-based habitat remote sensing techniques to delineate areas of high nature conservation farmland and semi-natural ecosystems in Ireland. The study area in Galway, west of Ireland, has varied geology and a very complex vegetation structure with a wide variety of habitats. Many of these habitats are important constituents of high nature conservation farming.

In order to design and implement meaningful conservation strategies, a comprehensive set of information on the distribution of habitats and species, as well as information on changes in distribution with time is required. Earth Observation (EO) data from satellite and airborne imagery offers the opportunity to build such inventories in a comprehensive and cost effect manner. This is done through understanding the ecological context of the habitats, relationships between species spectral response patterns, and remote sensing properties. When this relationship is understood it is possible to predict the distribution of a single species or habitat such as distribution of Heather (Calluna Vulgaris) or sets of species such as the raised bog communities made up of a range of four co-dominant plant species.

Using a rule base developed through Environment Systems’ extensive experience gained in Welsh habitat mapping, a variety of satellite imagery, high resolution aerial imagery and large scale OSI mapping was used alongside Trimble eCognition software.

Both qualitative (visual) and quantitative (statistical) accuracy assessments were carried out on the maps produced. Classification accuracies for habitats dominated by single species or groups of distinct species exceeded 90%.

View the text of the full paper