USING IKONOS, ASTER, AND LANDSAT TO MAP ISLAND HABITATS IN THE GREAT LAKES

摘要

Resource managers are often required to make important management decisions about Great Lakes islands and the habitats that they support. Accordingly, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Great Lakes Basin Ecosystem Team has identified a priority need for improved habitat information and habitat research on Great Lakes islands. This project explored the use of data from Space Imaging's IKONOS, NASA's Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), and Landsat ETM+ satellite imagery for efficiently mapping habitat areas on Great Lakes islands. Specifically, comparisons among the three data sets were completed to help clarify benefits and limitations associated with each sensor as they apply to the goals of this study. Imagery was acquired for two individual island groups and processed to maximize horizontal accuracy while maintaining spectral integrity. Both supervised and unsupervised spectral classification techniques were used to analyze the imagery and develop maps representing the important wildlife habitats types identified by regional wildlife biologists (e.g., vegetation, beaches, and rock units). Supplemented by an accuracy assessment, the maps were contrasted with one another and with previous ground-based studies to identify potential strengths and weaknesses of each data set. Results from these analyses were used to define and describe a cost-effective methodology that uses remotely-sensed data to identify, map, and assess the land cover of Great Lakes islands and supports USFWS management decisions. Identification of this methodology and the application-specific capabilities of the three sensors will set the stage for a large-scale analysis of the island resources in the Great Lakes.