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Vegetation index differencing and linear regression for change detection in a Swedish mountain range using Landsat TM® and ETM+® imagery
Author(s) -
Nordberg M.L.,
Evertson J.
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
land degradation and development
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1099-145X
pISSN - 1085-3278
DOI - 10.1002/ldr.660
Subject(s) - normalized difference vegetation index , vegetation (pathology) , environmental science , enhanced vegetation index , physical geography , vegetation index , range (aeronautics) , linear regression , vegetation cover , remote sensing , regression analysis , ecosystem , satellite imagery , geography , geology , climate change , land use , ecology , statistics , mathematics , medicine , oceanography , materials science , pathology , biology , composite material
This paper describes the extent to which the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) in combination with image regression used on satellite data can indicate vegetation cover decreases caused by increased exploitation of Swedish mountains. The methods outlined in this study give a basis for detection of less sustainable mountain ecosystems by using as an indicator bare patches of humus or soil where none existed previously. Landsat 5 TM® data from 1984 and 1994 and Landsat 7 ETM+® data from the year 2000 were used in the study. The results show that the NDVI significantly separates areas with vegetation cover decrease from areas with no vegetation cover decrease in sensitive, high‐latitude mountain ecosystems, such as mountainous dry heath communities. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.