Remote sensing and mapping of Tamarisk along the Colorado River, USA: A comparative use of summer-acquired hyperion, Thematic Mapper and QuickBird Data

Product Type: Journal Article

Year: 2009

Author(s): Carter, G.A., K.L. Lucas, G.A. Blossom, C.L. Lassitter, D.M. Holiday, D.S. Mooneyhan, D.R. Fastring, T.R. Holcombe, and J.A. Griffith

Pages: 318-329

Suggested Citation: Carter, G.A., K.L. Lucas, G.A. Blossom, C.L. Lassitter, D.M. Holiday, D.S. Mooneyhan, D.R. Fastring, T.R. Holcombe, and J.A. Griffith . 2009. Remote sensing and mapping of Tamarisk along the Colorado River, USA: A comparative use of summer-acquired hyperion, Thematic Mapper and QuickBird Data. Remote Sensing 1(3): 318-329.

Abstract

Tamarisk (Tamarix spp., saltcedar) is a well-known invasive phreatophyte introduced from Asia to North America in the 1800s. This report compares the efficacy of Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM5), QuickBird (QB) and EO-1 Hyperion data in discriminating tamarisk populations near De Beque, Colorado, USA. As a result of highly correlated reflectance among the spectral bands provided by each sensor, relatively standard image analysis methods were employed. Multispectral data at high spatial resolution (QB, 2.5 m Ground Spatial Distance or GSD) proved more effective in tamarisk delineation than either multispectral (TM5) or hyperspectral (Hyperion) data at moderate spatial resolution (30 m GSD).