Identification of Tundra Land Cover near Teshekpuk Lake, Alaska Using SPOT Satellite Data
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.14430/arctic1292Keywords:
Animal distribution, Land classification, Plant distribution, Plants (Biology), Satellite photography, Sedges, Tundra ecology, Waterfowl, Wetlands, Wildlife habitat, Teshekpuk Lake region, AlaskaAbstract
Tundra vegetation in the Teshekpuk Lake area of the Alaskan Arctic Coastal Plain was mapped to assess distribution and abundance of waterfowl habitats. Three SPOT satellite scenes were acquired and registered to a 20 m Universal Transverse Mercator grid. Two clustering techniques were used to develop statistical parameters by which the SPOT data were spectrally classified. A maximum likelihood algorithm that correlated spectral classes with land cover types was applied to the SPOT data. Field data were used to assist in spectral class labeling and vegetation descriptions. Twelve cover classes were mapped. The most common type was moist sedge meadow tundra (13.5%); the least common was moss/peat shoreline (0.2%). The moss/peat shoreline type, important to moulting geese and other waterfowl, was spectrally identified using supervised clustering techniques. All other land cover types were identified using unsupervised clustering techniques. Cover classes were described, and a tundra landscape profile produced.
Key words: tundra land cover mapping, SPOT satellite data, Teshekpuk Lake, Alaska
