Estimating rice paddy areas in China using multi-temporal cloud-free normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) imagery based on change detection

The spatial pattern of rice paddies is an essential parameter used for studies of greenhouse gas emissions,agricultural resource management,and environmental monitoring.On large spatial scales,previous studies have usually mapped rice paddies using a single vegetation index product based on a traditional classification method,or a combined analysis of various vegetation and water indices derived from the moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer(MODIS)satellite data.However,different indices increase the computational cost and constrain the satellite data sources,and traditional classification methods(e.g.,maximum likelihood classification)may be time-consuming and difficult to carry out over a large area like China.In this study,we designed an auto-thresholding and single vegetation index(normalized difference vegetation index(NDVI))-based procedure to estimate the spatial distribution of rice paddies in China.The MOD09Q1 product,which was available at MODIS’s highest spatial resolution(250 m),was taken as the input source.An auto-threshold function was also introduced into the change detection process to distinguish rice paddies from other croplands.Our MODIS-derived maps were validated with ground surveys and then compared with China national statistical data of rice paddy areas.The results indicated that the best classification result was achieved for plain regions,and that the accuracy declined for hilly regions,where the complex landscape could lead to an underestimation of the rice paddy area.A comparison between the modeled results and other analyses using 500-m MODIS data suggests that rice paddies may be identified routinely using a single vegetation index with finer resolution on large spatial scales.

Mapping paddy rice with multi-date moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer (MODIS) data in China

The objective of this study was to obtain spatial distribution maps of paddy rice fields using multi-date moderate-resolution imaging spectroradiometer(MODIS) data in China.Paddy rice fields were extracted by identifying the unique char-acteristic of high soil moisture in the flooding and transplanting period with improved algorithms based on rice growth calendar regionalization.The characteristic could be reflected by the enhanced vegetation index(EVI) and the land surface water index(LSWI) derived from MODIS sensor data.Algorithms for single,early,and late rice identification were obtained from selected typical test sites.The algorithms could not only separate early rice and late rice planted in the same fields,but also reduce the uncertainties.The areal accuracy of the MODIS-derived results was validated by comparison with agricultural statistics,and the spatial matching was examined by ETM+(enhanced thematic mapper plus) images in a test region.Major factors that might cause errors,such as the coarse spatial resolution and noises in the MODIS data,were discussed.Although not suitable for monitoring the inter-annual variations due to some inevitable factors,the MODIS-derived results were useful for obtaining spatial distribution maps of paddy rice on a large scale,and they might provide reference for further studies.

Multi-year monitoring of paddy rice planting area in Northeast China using MODIS time series data

e The objective of this study was to investigate the tempo-spatial distribution of paddy rice in Northeast China using moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer （MODIS） data. We developed an algorithm for detection and estimation of the transplanting and flooding periods of paddy rice with a combination of enhanced vegetation index （EVI） and land surface water index with a central wavelength at 2130 nm （LSW12130）. In two intensive sites in Northeast China, fine resolution satellite imagery was used to validate the performance of the algorithm at pixel and 3x3 pixel window levels, respectively. The commission and omission errors in both of the intensive sites were approximately less than 20%. Based on the algorithm, annual distribution of paddy rice in Northeast China from 2001 to 2009 was mapped and analyzed. The results demonstrated that the MODIS-derived area was highly correlated with published agricultural statistical data with a coefficient of determination （R^2） value of 0.847. It also revealed a sharp decline in 2003, especially in the Sanjiang Plain located in the northeast of Heilongjiang Province, due to the oversupply and price decline of rice in 2002. These results suggest that the approaches are available for accurate and reliable monitoring of rice cultivated areas and variation on a large scale.