Remote sensing and geographic information systems techniques in studies on treeline ecotone dynamics

We performed a meta-analysis on over 100 studies applying remote sensing(RS)and geographic information systems(GIS)to understand treeline dynamics.A literature search was performed in multiple online databases,including Web of Knowledge(Thomson Reuters),Scopus(Elsevier),BASE(Bielefeld Academic Search Engine),CAB Direct,and Google Scholar using treeline-related queries.We found that RS and GIS use has steadily increased in treeline studies since 2000.Spatialresolution RS and satellite imaging techniques varied from low-resolution MODIS,moderate-resolution Landsat,to high-resolution WorldView and aerial orthophotos.Most papers published in the 1990s used low to moderate resolution sensors such as Landsat Multispectral Scanner and Thematic Mapper,or SPOT PAN(Panchromatic)and MX(Multispectral)RS images.Subsequently,we observed a rise in high-resolution satellite sensors such as ALOS,GeoEye,IKONOS,and WorldView for mapping current and potential treelines.Furthermore,we noticed a shift in emphasis of treeline studies over time:earlier reports focused on mapping treeline positions,whereas RS and GIS are now used to determine the factors that control treeline variation.

Application of Remote Sensing and Geographic Information System in Land Use and Land Cover Change

The integration and application of remote sensing （RS） and geographic in-formation system （GIS） in the study of the Land Use and Land Cover Change （LUCC） were summarized, as wel as researches on the monitoring dynamic changes in LUCC, driving force and application examples of the integration and the application of RS and GIS in simulation research. The methods and technical ap-proaches of RS and GIS in LUCC research were discussed. Views on the existing problems of the integration and the application of RS and GIS were put forward, and the future developing direction of LUCC technology was forecasted.

Quantifying River Bank Erosion and Accretion Patterns along the Gorai River in Kushtia, Bangladesh: A Geospatial Analysis Utilizing GIS and Remote Sensing Techniques

River bank erosion is a natural process that occurs when the water flow of a river exceeds the bank’s ability to withstand it. It is a common phenomenon that causes extensive land damage, displacement of people, loss of crops, and infrastructure damage. The Gorai River, situated on the right bank of the Ganges, is a significant branch of the river that flows into the Bay of Bengal via the Mathumati and Baleswar rivers. The erosion of the banks of the Gorai River in Kushtia district is not a recent occurrence. Local residents have been dealing with this issue for the past hundred years, and according to the elderly members of the community, the erosion has become more severe activities. Therefore, the main objective of this research is to quantify river bank erosion and accretion and bankline shifting from 2003 to 2022 using multi-temporal Landsat images data with GIS and remote sensing technique. Bank-line migration occurs as a result of the interplay and interconnectedness of various factors such as the degree of river-related processes such as erosion, transportation, and deposition, the amount of water in the river during the high season, the geological and soil makeup, and human intervention in the river. The results show that the highest eroded area was 4.6 square kilometers during the period of 2016 to 2019, while the highest accreted area was 7.12 square kilometers during the period of 2013 to 2016. However, the erosion and accretion values fluctuated from year to year.

Mapping potential areas for groundwater storage in the High Guir Basin(Morocco):Contribution of remote sensing and geographic information system

Identification of water potential areas in arid regions is a crucial element for the enhancement of their water resources and socio-economic development. In fact, water resources system-planning can be used to make various decisions and implement manage- ment of water resources policies. The purpose of this study is to identify groundwater sto- rage areas in the high Guir Basin by implementing Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing methods. The required data for this study can be summarized into five critical factors: Topography (slope), lithology, rainfall, rock fracture and drainage. These critical factors have been converted by the GIS into thematic maps. For each cri- tical parameter, a coefficient with weight was attributed according to its importance. The map of potential groundwater storage areas is obtained by adding the products (coeffi- cient × weight) of the five parameters. The results show that 50% to 64% of the total area of the High Guir Basin is potentially rich in groundwater, where most of fracture systems are intensely developed. The obtained results are validated with specific yield of the aqui- fer in the study area. It is noted that there is a strong positive correlation between excel- lent groundwater potential zones with high flows of water points and it diminishes with low specific yield with poor potential zones.

Remote Sensing Investigation Method on Land Resources by A Geographic Information System

The human living and developing depend on the land. The remote sensing images in Keerqinhouqi, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China, were processed . Supported by a geographical information system, the image map was formed by th e boundary making and overlaying to the precision-corrected remote sensed image . Finally, the current land use types were also classified and outlined. The area s were also calculated. The error is less than 10 precent, compared with the sur vey. Thus the proceduce is considered accepfable.

Delineation of groundwater potential zones in Theni district,Tamil Nadu,using remote sensing,GIS and MIF techniques

Integration of remote sensing data and the geographical information system （GIS） for the exploration of groundwater resources has become a breakthrough in the field of groundwater research, which assists in assessing, monitoring, and conserving groundwater resources. In the present paper, various groundwater potential zones for the assessment of groundwater availability in Theni district have been delineated using remote sensing and GIS techniques. Survey of India toposheets and IRS-IC satel- lite imageries are used to prepare various thematic layers viz. lithology, slope, land-use, lineament, drainage, soil, and rainfall were transformed to raster data using feature to raster converter tool in ArcGIS. The raster maps of these factors are allocated a fixed score and weight computed from multi influencing factor （MIF） technique. Moreover, each weighted thematic layer is statistically computed to get the groundwater potential zones. The groundwater potential zones thus obtained were divided into four categories, viz., very poor, poor, good, and very good zones. The result depicts the groundwater potential zones in the study area and found to be helpful in better planning and management of ground- water resonrces.

Accuracy Assessment of Land Use/Land Cover Classification Using Remote Sensing and GIS

Remote sensing is one of the tool which is very important for the production of Land use and land cover maps through a process called image classification. For the image classification process to be successfully, several factors should be considered including availability of quality Landsat imagery and secondary data, a precise classification process and user’s experiences and expertise of the procedures. The objective of this research was to classify and map land-use/land-cover of the study area using remote sensing and Geospatial Information System (GIS) techniques. This research includes two sections (1) Landuse/Landcover (LULC) classification and (2) accuracy assessment. In this study supervised classification was performed using Non Parametric Rule. The major LULC classified were agriculture (65.0%), water body (4.0%), and built up areas (18.3%), mixed forest (5.2%), shrubs (7.0%), and Barren/bare land (0.5%). The study had an overall classification accuracy of 81.7% and kappa coefficient (K) of 0.722. The kappa coefficient is rated as substantial and hence the classified image found to be fit for further research. This study present essential source of information whereby planners and decision makers can use to sustainably plan the environment.

Spatial distribution characteristics of urban thermal conditions: application of GIS and remote sensing

The urban thermal distribution characteristics and its variation are dynamically monitored and synthetically analyzed by using GIS technology. The meteorological satellite data serve as main information source, assisted as auxiliary information sources by the landsat satellite TM data, land use thematic maps and meteorological observed data. A correlated pattern on the ground surface brightness temperatures and air temperatures has been studied and established with good performance of application.

Evaluation of land-use pattern change in West Bhanugach Reserved Forest,Bangladesh,using remote sensing and GIS techniques

A study was conducted to investigate the land-use pattern change over a period of 18 years （1988-2006） by using remote sens- ing and Geographical Information System （GIS） technologies, in the West Bhanugach Reserved Forest, a hill forest, in Sylhet Forest Divi- sion of Bangladesh, The images were processed using ERDAS Imagine software. Both supervised and unsupervised approaches were ap- plied and ground control points were collected using a GPS. Maps were prepared using GIS software. Results showed that vegetation cover drastically decreased from the year 1988 to 1996 （l 826 ha to l 714.85 ha）, but increased gradually from the year 1996 to 2006 （l 714.85 ha to l 847.83 ha） due to the initiation of co-management practice involving local communities. Change in bare land was inversely proportionate to the amount of vegetation cover changes unless any other land-uses were converted into bare land. The area of water bodies increased from the year 1988 to 1996 （307.67 ha to 379.53 ha）, but decreased from the year 1996 to 1997, then remained invariabile from the year 1997 to 2006. Some recommendations were also made for applying the RS and GIS techniques to study the land-use pattern change in the Bhanugach Reserved Forest and to create a GIS data base for the study area.

Study on fluctuations of plume front and turbidity maximum in the Hangzhou Bay by remote sensing data

On the basis of the time series of AVHRR data from NOAA satellites and the geographical information system PURSIS, fluctuations of the plume front and the turbidity maximum in the Hangzhou Bay, reflected by the distributions of temperature and suspended sediment concentration respectively, are studied in view of long-term behaviors or seasonal and tidal cycles. The data suggest that the effect of front plays an important role in the development of the turbidity maximum close to the Changjiang Estuary > while the effect of tide dominates over the development of another very turbid water situated in the shoal areas in the southern Hangzhou Bay.

Integrated Evaluation Model for Eco-Environmental Quality in Mountainous Region Based on Remote Sensing and GIS

Based on Remote Sensing （RS）, Geographic Information System （GIS）, and combining Principal Component Analysis, this paper designed a numerical integrated evaluation model for mountain eco-environment on the base of grid scale. Using this model, we evaluated the mountain eco-environmental quality in a case study area-the upper reaches of Minjiang River, and achieved a good result, which accorded well with the real condition. The study indicates that, the integrated evaluation model is suitable for multi-layer spatial factor computation, effectively lowing man＇s subjective influence in the evaluation process; treating the whole river basin as a system, the model shows full respect to the circulation of material and energy, synthetically embodies the determining impact of such natural condition as water-heat and landform, as well as human interference in natural eco-system; the evaluation result not only clearly presents mountainous vertical distribution features of input factors, but also provides a scientific and reliable thought for quantitatively evaluating mountain eco-environment.

Progress and prospects in Chinese Antarctic surveying, mapping and remote sensing studies

Antarctic surveying, mapping and remote sensing is one of the important aspects of the Chinese Antarctic geoscience research program that stretch back over 25 years, since the first Chinese National Antarctic Research Expedition （CHINARE） in 1984. During the 1980＇s, the geodetic datum, height system and absolute gravity datum were established at the Great Wall and Zhongshan Stations. Significant contributions have been made by the construction of the Chinese Great Wall, Zhongshan and Kunlun Stations in Antarctica. Geodetic control and gravity networks were established in the King George Islands, Grove Moun- tains and Dome Argus. An area of more than 200 000 km2 has been mapped using satellite image data, aerial photogrammetry and in situ data. Permanent GPS stations and tide gauges have been established at both the Great Wall and Zhongshan Stations. Studies involving plate motion, precise satellite orbit determination, the gravity field, sea level change, and various GPS applications for atmospheric studies have been carried out. Based on remote sensing techniques, studies have been undertaken on ice sheet and glacier movements, the distributions of blue ice and ice crevasses, and ice mass balance. Polar digital and visual mapping tech- niques have been introduced, and a polar survey space database has been built. The Chinese polar scientific expedition manage- ment information system and Chinese PANDA plan display platform were developed, which provides technical support for Chi- nese polar management. Finally, this paper examines prospects for future Chinese Antarctic surveying, mapping and remote sens- ing.

Use of GIS and Remote Sensing Technology as a Decision Support Tool in Flood Disaster Management: The Case of Southeast Louisiana, USA

The primary objective of this paper was to identify flood-prone areas in Southeast of Louisiana to help decision-makers to develop appropriate adaptation strategies and flood prediction, and mitigation of the effects on the community. In doing so, the paper uses satellite remote sensing and Geographic Information System (GIS) data for this purpose. Elevation data was obtained from the National Elevation Dataset (NED) produced by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) seamless data warehouse. Satellite data was also acquired from USGS Earth explorer website. Topographical information on runoff characteristics such as slope, aspect and the digital elevation model was generated. Grid interpolation TIN (triangulated irregular network) was carried from the digital elevation model (DEM) to create slope map. Image Drape was performed using ERDAS IMAGINE Virtual GIS. The output image was then draped over the NED elevation data for visualization purposes with vertical exaggeration of 16 feet. Results of the study revealed that majority of the study area lies in low-lying and very low-lying terrain below sea level. Policy recommendation in the form of the need to design and build a comprehensive Regional Information Systems (RIS) in the form of periodic inventorying, monitoring and evaluation with full support of the governments was made for the study area.

Land Use/Land Cover Changes of Ago-Owu Forest Reserve, Osun State, Nigeria Using Remote Sensing Techniques

Remote sensing (RS) and GIS are important methods for land use assessment and land cover transition. In this study, land use/land cover changes in the Ago-Owu Forest Reserve, Osun State, Nigeria have been assessed. Landsat 5 TM, Landsat 7 ETM+ and Landsat 8 OLI were acquired for 1986, 2002 and 2017 respectively. The three scenes corresponded to path 190 and row 055 of WRS-2 (Worldwide Reference System). The processing of the imagery was preceded by the clipping of the study area from the satellite image. The boundary of the reserve was carefully digitized and used to clip the imagery to produce an image map of the forest reserve. Using the supervised image classification procedure, training sites were used to produce land use/land cover maps. The same classification scheme was used for the 1986, 2002 and 2017 images to facilitate the detection of change. The differences in the area covered by the different polygons between the three sets of images were measured in km2. The results show that during 1986 and 2017, there is a dramatic increase of build-up areas with a change of 55.65 km2 and sparse vegetation (farmland and grassland) with a change of 53.97 km2, while a dramatic decrease of dense vegetation (forest areas) with a change of 109.61 km2. The consequence of these results is that over the years, the population of people living in the forest reserve has increased and many of them are engaged in farming, leading to an increase in farmland. In addition, logging activities continued unabated in the forest reserve, as demonstrated by a sharp increase in the deforested area within the reserve. The maps produced in this study will serve as a planning tool for the Osun State Forestry Department to plan reforestation activities for the forest reserve.

Reservoir Inflow Estimation Using Remote Sensing, GIS and Geosimulation

RS （remote sensing） applications to hydrological problem solving have successfully transitioned from being experimental to operational in the last couple of years, and information gathered through these technologies can facilitate water resource procedures. Patterns from RS imagery can be translated into a deterministic distribution of input data over a wide area on a pixel-by-pixel basis. This paper presents the implementation of different methodologies of integrating satellite-derived information from RS, and GIS （geographic information system） visualization and simulation capabilities in improving hydrologic estimation processes.

Monitoring the Cultivated Slope Land in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area Based on Remote Sensing and GIS

By means of combining auto-extraction with manual interpretation, the current distribution information about cultivated land is obtained. The distribution information of 1992 is extracted from the dynamic polygons of 2002. The monitoring mini-system of the cultivated slope land is established. In the system, detailed surveys, focused on the resources of cultivated slope land, are carried out. The results indicate that the area of the cultivated slope land is very large. Meanwhile, there are lots of cultivated steep slopes with gradient above 35°. The areas of steep land cultivated had been slowly reduced from 1992 to 2002. At the same time, the pressures of returning farm land to forestry are great in all counties. The conflicts between population growth, insufficient grain supply and stagnant economic development sharpen increasingly. It is inevitable to improve the agricultural structure.

Techniques of Remote Sensing and GIS as Tools for Visualizing Impact of Climate Change-Induced Flood in the Southern African Region

Flooding is a major problem facing Southern African region. The region has been experiencing flood for the past two decades. This flood event has been exacerbated in recent years by global weather pattern known as La Ni?a which cools ocean waters in the equatorial Pacific and changes rainfall patterns across the world. This change in weather pattern has resulted in increased rainfall over Southern Africa causing flash floods resulting in extensive socioeconomic loses, casualties and environmental damage. This study employs remote sensing and geographical information systems (GIS) data to visualize the impact of climate change caused by flooding in the Southern African region in order to assist decision makers’ plans for future occurrences. To achieve these objectives, the study used Digital Elevation Model (DEM), temporal Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) satellites data obtained from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and NASA’s Earth Observatory websites in order to show the spatial dimensions of the damage and the flooded area. Results of the study revealed notable damages to social and natural environments as well as flood risk zones and watercourses in the study area. The paper concludes by outlining policy recommendations in the form of the need for building drainage ditches on the flat plains identified in this study to accommodate flood flows, the design of a comprehensive Regional Emergency Information System (REIS) with support from the governments in the study area and the neighboring countries. Building such system, the paper concludes could offer decision-makers access to the appropriate spatio-temporal data for monitoring climate change induced emergencies related to seasonal floods.

Application of Remote Sensing Detection and GIS in Analysis of Vegetation Pattem Dynamics in the Yellow River Delta

Regional vegetation pattern dynamics has a great impact on ecosystem and climate change. Remote sensing data and geographical information system （GIS） analysis were widely used in the detection of vegetation pattern dynamics. In this study, the Yellow River Delta was selected as the study area. By using 1986, 1993, 1996, 1999 and 2005 remote sensing data as basic information resource, with the support of GIS, a wetland vegetation spatial information dataset was built up. Through selecting the landscape metrics such as class area （CA）, class percent of landscape （PL）, number of patch （NP）, largest patch index （LPI） and mean patch size （MPS） etc., the dynamics of vcgetation pattern was analyzed. The result showed that the change of vegetation pattern is significant from 1986 to 2005. From 1986-1999, the area of the vegetation, the percent of vegetation, LPI and MPS decreased, the NP increased, the vegetation pattern tends to be fragmental. The decrease in vegetation area may well be explained by the fact of the nature environment evolution （Climate change and decrease in Yellow River runoff） and the increase in the population in the Yellow River Delta. However, from 1999 2005, the area of the vegetation, the percent of vegetation, LPI and MPS increased, while the NP decreased. This trend of restoration may be due to the implementation of water resources regulation for the Yellow River Delta since 1999.

The Role of Remote Sensing and GIS for Locating Suitable Mangrove Plantation Sites along the Southern Saudi Arabian Red Sea Coast

This paper investigated a methodology for locating suitable sites for establishing mangrove plantations along the south Saudi Arabian Red Sea coast based on Geological characteristics, geomorphology and discharge of drainage effluents as primary sitting criteria. Remote sensing Satellite imagery and digital elevation models were interpreted to determine most of the parameters, the rest were measured in field. In the study, it was found that some healthy mangrove stands now exist along the Red Sea coast near the city of Jizan although many stands have been destroyed in recent years due to rapid development, infilling and over-grazing and use of the mangroves as fuel. Remote sensing satellite imagery was used to map exiting Mangrove stands of different densities along the study area. The study determined that mangrove stands are primarily concentrated in the southern part of the study area and that they are sparsely found northward. Interpretation of A Landsat Thematic Mapper panchromatic band image and DEM showing that red sea coast along the study area are mainly covered by fans of ten drainage basins where the Flood potentiality of these basins was determined. The study was able to determine that three areas, which have a moderate to low flash flood potential, have the necessary environmental elements necessary to support mangroves. One, in particular, would be the best site to establish a mangrove plantation project.

Suitable Land Assessment for Rice Crop in Burkina Faso Using GIS, Remote Sensing and Multi Criteria Analysis

In Burkina Faso, rice consumption is currently common and increasing in both, rural and urban areas. Although several efforts have been made by the state to develop land for rice cultivation, the population’s demand is still greater than the supply. Nevertheless, the country has great potential for rice cultivation. This study aims to analyze the suitability of land for rice cropping in the province of Nahouri. Field and satellite data were collected to map the rice crops developed areas. Furthermore, morphopedological, topographic, land use/cover, and accessibility to land data were collected and integrated into a Geographic Information System (GIS) based on simple Multi-Criteria Analysis (MCA). Land suitability for rice crop was performed. The results show that the total suitable area for rice cultivation in the province is 106,373 ha (28% of the province) where the most suitable areas cover 32,614 ha and the suitable areas cover 73,759 ha. Already 3144 ha of the province area had been developed for rice cultivation with 815 ha and 845 ha of most suitable and suitable areas respectively whereas more than 45% of the developed lands were not fit for the rice crop suitable land.