Vegetation Classification in Arid Environments: An Alternative Approach

摘要

Remote sensing in an arid environment differs in many significant respects from application of the same technology in temperate climates. In order to overcome the limitations of traditional classification techniques which rely heavily on vegetation greenness, an alternative approach to vegetation classification is presented. The approach was devised based on studies in the Southwestern United States over several years. It involves the assessment of a number of conditions, including whether the vegetation is green or not, consists of a variable or monotypic community, whether the underlying soils are of variable or uniform albedo, and the extent of the topographic relief. Classification procedures to use for various combinations of these conditions are suggested.