Subpixel mapping and change analyses of wetland inundation using time-series Landsat imagery: a case study in the East Coast of the U.S.

Huiran Jin, University of Maryland, hrjin@umd.edu (Presenter)
In-Young Yeo, University of Maryland, iyeo@umd.edu
Chengquan Huang, University of Maryland, cqhuang@umd.edu
Megan Weiner Lang, USDA FS, megan.lang@gmail.com

Wetlands, as one of the most diverse ecosystems, are among the least well characterized at regional to global scales. A key abiotic factor controlling the extent and functioning of a wetland area is its inundation level. Because inundation varies substantially within days, especially following precipitation, snow melting, or other hydrologic events, it greatly constrains and complicates wetland dynamics monitoring. This research focused on developing a new approach to map wetland inundation with the use of airborne LiDAR intensity data and time-series Landsat imagery. Annual subpixel inundation percentage (SIP) maps were generated at the 30-m resolution in the Delmarva Peninsula from 1985 to 2011, indicating the percent of surface water within each Landsat pixel. Results of a set of accuracy assessments showed that Landsat data can be calibrated to accurately reveal the inundation state of wetlands and the long-term trend of wetland dynamics at the regional scale. Substantial changes in wetland inundation with respect to different wetland habitat types were observed from the derived SIP maps. Recent work has involved analyzing factors that may trigger inundation changes, e.g. local drought conditions, precipitation, water discharge, and human activities. Given the fact that up-to-date Landsat data are globally available, and that a multi-beam waveform LiDAR is planned to be deployed on the International Space Station in the near future, the approach developed in this study has the potential for monitoring global wetland inundation changes in a repetitive manner.

Presentation Type:  Poster

Session:  Theme 1: Tracking habitat change through new integrative approaches and products   (Mon 1:30 PM)

Associated Project(s): 

• Yeo, In-Young: Mapping and Monitoring of Wetland Dynamics for Improved Resilience and Delivery of Ecosystem Services in the Mid-Atlantic Region ...details

Poster Location ID: 28