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Remote Sensing
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Remote Sensing in Dryland Assessment and Monitoring
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Remote Sensing in Dryland Assessment and Monitoring

A special issue of Remote Sensing (ISSN 2072-4292).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2019) | Viewed by 29873

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Achim Röder

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Guest Editor
Trier University, Department of Environmental Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics, Campus II / Behringstraße 21, D-54286 Trier, Germany
Interests: optical remote sensing;, rangeland monitoring; forest degradation; interdisciplinary research on social-ecological systems
Dr. Marion Stellmes

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Guest Editor
Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Geographical Sciences, Remote Sensing and Geoinformatics, Malteserstraße 74-100, 12249 Berlin, Germany
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Drylands cover about 41% of the Earth’s land surface and are defined by low mean annual precipitation amounts compared to potential evaporation. They show high variability in both rainfall amounts and intensities and the occurrence of cyclic and prolonged periods of drought. Drylands support humans through diverse land use systems, provide ecosystem services of global importance and harbor exceptional levels of biodiversity. Remote sensing applications in such environments are hampered by complex and often heterogeneous landscape mosaics, a comparably low signal level in combination with high inter-and intra-annual variations, and highly variable availability of optical data reflecting dry and wet seasons. On top of this, seasonal fire regimes add additional challenges in interpreting the signal. At the same time, there is an unprecedented number of sensor systems from the optical and radar domain. These cover a wide range of spatial and spectral resolutions, revisit rates, and in combination with the availability of long-term archives offer unique potential in addressing these challenges and adapting some of the well-developed applications in forest ecosystems to dryland systems.

This Special Issue therefore aims at providing a platform for the most recent advances in suitable indicators, appropriate time series analysis techniques and strategies to integrate these into assessment and monitoring concepts, where case studies should demonstrate their potential for transferability. We explicitly encourage submissions that showcase the potential of novel sensor systems for advanced assessments and how these may be interfaced with existing archives for long-term and large-area monitoring.

Dr. Achim Röder
Dr. Marion Stellmes
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Remote Sensing is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Dryland assessment and monitoring
  • Land degradation
  • Rangeland management
  • Indicators
  • Essential Biodiversity Variables
  • Time series analysis
  • Integrated assessment models
  • Land cover modification
  • Land use/cover change (LUCC)

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

24 pages, 5780 KiB  
Article
Analyses of Namibian Seasonal Salt Pan Crust Dynamics and Climatic Drivers Using Landsat 8 Time-Series and Ground Data
by Robert Milewski, Sabine Chabrillat and Bodo Bookhagen
Remote Sens. 2020, 12(3), 474; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12030474 - 3 Feb 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4443
Abstract
Salt pans are highly dynamic environments that are difficult to study by in situ methods because of their harsh climatic conditions and large spatial areas. Remote sensing can help to elucidate their environmental dynamics and provide important constraints regarding their sedimentological, mineralogical, and [...] Read more.
Salt pans are highly dynamic environments that are difficult to study by in situ methods because of their harsh climatic conditions and large spatial areas. Remote sensing can help to elucidate their environmental dynamics and provide important constraints regarding their sedimentological, mineralogical, and hydrological evolution. This study utilizes spaceborne multitemporal multispectral optical data combined with spectral endmembers to document spatial distribution of surface crust types over time on the Omongwa pan located in the Namibian Kalahari. For this purpose, 49 surface samples were collected for spectral and mineralogical characterization during three field campaigns (2014–2016) reflecting different seasons and surface conditions of the salt pan. An approach was developed to allow the spatiotemporal analysis of the salt pan crust dynamics in a dense time-series consisting of 77 Landsat 8 cloud-free scenes between 2014 and 2017, covering at least three major wet–dry cycles. The established spectral analysis technique Sequential Maximum Angle Convex Cone (SMACC) extraction method was used to derive image endmembers from the Landsat time-series stack. Evaluation of the extracted endmember set revealed that the multispectral data allowed the differentiation of four endmembers associated with mineralogical mixtures of the crust’s composition in dry conditions and three endmembers associated with flooded or muddy pan conditions. The dry crust endmember spectra have been identified in relation to visible, near infrared, and short-wave infrared (VNIR–SWIR) spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses of the collected surface samples. According these results, the spectral endmembers are interpreted as efflorescent halite crust, mixed halite–gypsum crust, mixed calcite quartz sepiolite crust, and gypsum crust. For each Landsat scene the spatial distribution of these crust types was mapped with the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) method and significant spatiotemporal dynamics of the major surface crust types were observed. Further, the surface crust dynamics were analyzed in comparison with the pan’s moisture regime and other climatic parameters. The results show that the crust dynamics are mainly driven by flooding events in the wet season, but are also influenced by temperature and aeolian activity in the dry season. The approach utilized in this study combines the advantages of multitemporal satellite data for temporal event characterization with advantages from hyperspectral methods for the image and ground data analyses that allow improved mineralogical differentiation and characterization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing in Dryland Assessment and Monitoring)
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21 pages, 4693 KiB  
Article
Monitoring Oil Exploitation Infrastructure and Dirt Roads with Object-Based Image Analysis and Random Forest in the Eastern Mongolian Steppe
by Batnyambuu Dashpurev, Jörg Bendix and Lukas W. Lehnert
Remote Sens. 2020, 12(1), 144; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs12010144 - 1 Jan 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4771
Abstract
Information on the spatial distribution of human disturbance is important for assessing and monitoring land degradation. In the Eastern Mongolian Steppe Ecosystem, one of the major driving factors of human-induced land degradation is the expansion of road networks mainly due to intensifications of [...] Read more.
Information on the spatial distribution of human disturbance is important for assessing and monitoring land degradation. In the Eastern Mongolian Steppe Ecosystem, one of the major driving factors of human-induced land degradation is the expansion of road networks mainly due to intensifications of oil exploration and exploitation. So far, neither the extents of road networks nor the extent of surrounding grasslands affected by the oil industry are monitored which is generally labor consuming. This causes that no information on the changes in the area which is affected by those disturbance drivers is available. Consequently, the study aim is to provide a cost-effective methodology to classify infrastructure and oil exploitation areas from remotely sensed images using object-based classifications with Random Forest. By combining satellite data with different spatial and spectral resolutions (PlanetScope, RapidEye, and Landsat ETM+), the product delivers data since 2005. For the classification variables, segmentation, spectral characteristics, and indices were extracted from all above mentioned imagery and used as predictors. Results show that overall accuracies of land use maps ranged 73%–93% mainly depending on satellites’ spatial resolution. Since 2005, the area of grassland disturbed by dirt roads and oil exploitation infrastructure increased by 88% with its highest expansion by 47% in the period 2005–2010. Settlements and croplands remained relatively constant throughout the 13 years. Comparison of multiscale classification suggests that, although high spatial resolutions are clearly beneficial, all datasets were useful to delineate linear features such as roads. Consequently, the results of this study provide an effective evaluation for the potential of Random Forest for extracting relatively narrow linear features such as roads from multiscale satellite images and map products that are possible to use for detailed land degradation assessments. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing in Dryland Assessment and Monitoring)
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15 pages, 4633 KiB  
Article
Remotely Sensed Spatial Structure as an Indicator of Internal Changes of Vegetation Communities in Desert Landscapes
by Yuki Hamada, Katherine Szoldatits, Mark Grippo and Heidi M. Hartmann
Remote Sens. 2019, 11(12), 1495; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11121495 - 24 Jun 2019
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3181
Abstract
Desert environments are sensitive to disturbances, and their functions and processes can take many years to recover. Detecting early signs of disturbance is critical, but developing such a capability for expansive remote desert regions is challenging. Using a variogram and 15-cm resolution Visible [...] Read more.
Desert environments are sensitive to disturbances, and their functions and processes can take many years to recover. Detecting early signs of disturbance is critical, but developing such a capability for expansive remote desert regions is challenging. Using a variogram and 15-cm resolution Visible Atmospherically Resistant Index (VARI) imagery, we examined the usefulness of the spatial structure of desert lands for monitoring early signs of habitat changes using the Riverside East solar energy zone located within Riverside County, California. We tested the method on four habitat types in the region, Parkinsonia florida–Olneya tesota, Chorizanthe rigida–Geraea canescens, Larrea tridentata–Ambrosia dumosa, and Larrea tridentata–Encelia farinosa alliances. The results showed that the sill, range, form, and partial sill of the variogram generated from VARI strongly correlate with overall vegetation cover, average canopy size, canopy size variation, and spatial structure within a dryland habitat, respectively. Establishing a baseline of variogram parameters for each habitat and comparing to subsequent monitoring parameters would be most effective for detecting internal changes because values of variogram parameters would not match absolute values of landscape properties. When monitoring habitats across varying landscape characteristics, a single appropriate image resolution would likely be the resolution that could adequately characterize the habitat dominated by the smallest vegetation. For the variogram generated from VARI, which correlates to vegetation greenness, the sills may indicate the health of vegetation communities. However, further studies are warranted to determine the effectiveness of variograms for monitoring habitat health. Remotely sensed landscape structure obtained from variograms could provide complementary information to traditional methods for monitoring internal changes in dryland vegetation communities. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing in Dryland Assessment and Monitoring)
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23 pages, 12381 KiB  
Article
Monitoring Changes in the Cultivation of Pigeonpea and Groundnut in Malawi Using Time Series Satellite Imagery for Sustainable Food Systems
by Murali Krishna Gumma, Takuji W. Tsusaka, Irshad Mohammed, Geoffrey Chavula, N. V. P. R. Ganga Rao, Patrick Okori, Christopher O Ojiewo, Rajeev Varshney, Moses Siambi and Anthony Whitbread
Remote Sens. 2019, 11(12), 1475; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11121475 - 21 Jun 2019
Cited by 18 | Viewed by 7569
Abstract
Malawi, in south-eastern Africa, is one of the poorest countries in the world. Food security in the country hinges on rainfed systems in which maize and sorghum are staple cereals and groundnut and pigeonpea are now major grain legume crops. While the country [...] Read more.
Malawi, in south-eastern Africa, is one of the poorest countries in the world. Food security in the country hinges on rainfed systems in which maize and sorghum are staple cereals and groundnut and pigeonpea are now major grain legume crops. While the country has experienced a considerable reduction in forest lands, population growth and demand for food production have seen an increase in the area dedicated to agricultural crops. From 2010, pigeonpea developed into a major export crop, and is commonly intercropped with cereals or grown in double-up legume systems. Information on the spatial extent of these crops is useful for estimating food supply, understanding export potential, and planning policy changes as examples of various applications. Remote sensing analysis offers a number of efficient approaches to deliver spatial, reproducible data on land use and land cover (LULC) and changes therein. Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) products (fortnightly and monthly) and derived phenological parameters assist in mapping cropland areas during the agricultural season, with explicit focus on redistributed farmland. Owing to its low revisit time and the availability of long-term period data, MODIS offers several advantages, e.g., the possibility of obtaining cloud-free Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) profile and an analysis using one methodology applied to one sensor at regular acquisition dates, avoiding incomparable results. To assess the expansion of areas used in the production of pigeonpea and groundnut resulting from the release of new varieties, the spatial distribution of cropland areas was mapped using MODIS NDVI 16-day time-series products (MOD13Q1) at a spatial resolution of 250 m for the years 2010–2011 and 2016–2017. The resultant cropland extent map was validated using intensive ground survey data. Pigeonpea is mostly grown in the southern dry districts of Mulanje, Phalombe, Chiradzulu, Blantyre and Mwanza and parts of Balaka and Chikwawa as a groundnut-pigeonpea intercrop, and sorghum-pigeonpea intercrop in Mzimba district. By 2016, groundnut extent had increased in Mwanza, Mulanje, and Phalombe and fallen in Mzimba. The result indicates that the area planted with pigeonpea had increased by 29% (75,000 ha) from 2010–2011 to 2016–2017. Pigeonpea expansion in recent years has resulted from major export opportunities to Asian countries like India, and its consumption by Asian expatriates all over the world. This study provides useful information for policy changes and the prioritization of resources allocated to sustainable food production and to support smallholder farmers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing in Dryland Assessment and Monitoring)
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15 pages, 8293 KiB  
Article
Landsat-Based Estimation of Seasonal Water Cover and Change in Arid and Semi-Arid Central Asia (2000–2015)
by Xianghong Che, Min Feng, Joe Sexton, Saurabh Channan, Qing Sun, Qing Ying, Jiping Liu and Yong Wang
Remote Sens. 2019, 11(11), 1323; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11111323 - 2 Jun 2019
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4270
Abstract
Surface water is of great importance to ecosystems and economies. Crucial to understanding hydrological variability and its relationships to human activities at large scales, open-access satellite datasets and big-data computational methods are now enabling the global mapping of the distribution and changes of [...] Read more.
Surface water is of great importance to ecosystems and economies. Crucial to understanding hydrological variability and its relationships to human activities at large scales, open-access satellite datasets and big-data computational methods are now enabling the global mapping of the distribution and changes of inland water over time. A machine-learning algorithm, previously used only to map water at single points in time, was applied over 16 years of the USGS Landsat archive to detect and map surface water over central Asia from 2000 to 2015 at a 30-m, monthly resolution. The resulting dataset had an overall classification accuracy of 99.59% (±0.32% standard error), 98.24% (±1.02%) user’s accuracy, and 87.12% (±3.21%) producer’s accuracy for water class. This study describes the temporal extension of the algorithm and the application of the dataset to present patterns of regional surface water cover and change. The findings indicate that smaller water bodies are dramatically changing in two specific ecological zones: the Kazakh Steppe and the Tian Shan Montane Steppe and Meadows. Both the maximum and minimum extent of water bodies have decreased over the 16-year period, but the rate of decrease of the maxima was double that of the minima. Coverage decreased in each month from April to October, and a significant decrease in water area was found in April and May. These results indicate that the dataset can provide insights into the behavior of surface water across central Asia through time, and that the method can be further developed for regional and global applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing in Dryland Assessment and Monitoring)
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16 pages, 8359 KiB  
Article
A Mapping Framework to Characterize Land Use in the Sudan-Sahel Region from Dense Stacks of Landsat Data
by Fernando Sedano, Vasco Molini and M. Abul Kalam Azad
Remote Sens. 2019, 11(6), 648; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs11060648 - 16 Mar 2019
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4440
Abstract
We developed a land cover and land use mapping framework specifically designed for agricultural systems of the Sudan-Sahel region. The mapping approach extracts information from inter- and intra-annual vegetation dynamics from dense stacks of Landsat 8 images. We applied this framework to create [...] Read more.
We developed a land cover and land use mapping framework specifically designed for agricultural systems of the Sudan-Sahel region. The mapping approach extracts information from inter- and intra-annual vegetation dynamics from dense stacks of Landsat 8 images. We applied this framework to create a 30 m spatial resolution land use map with a focus on agricultural landscapes of northern Nigeria for 2015. This map provides up-to-date information with a higher level of spatial and thematic detail resulting in a more precise characterization of agriculture in the region. The map reveals that agriculture is the main land use in the region. Arable land represents on average 52.5% of the area, higher than the reported national average for Nigeria (38.4%). Irrigated agriculture covers nearly 2.2% of the total area, reaching nearly 20% of the cultivated land when traditional floodplain agriculture systems are included, above the reported national average (0.63%). There is significant variability in land use within the region. Cultivated land in the northern section can reach values higher than 75%, most land suitable for agriculture is already under cultivation and there is limited land for future agricultural expansion. Marginal lands, not suitable for permanent agriculture, can reach 30% of the land at lower altitudes in the northeast and northwest. In contrast, the southern section presents lower land use intensity that results in a complex landscape that intertwines areas farms and larger patches of natural vegetation. This map improves the spatial detail of existing sources of LCLU information for the region and provides updated information of the current status of its agricultural landscapes. This study demonstrates the feasibility of multi temporal medium resolution remote sensing data to provide detailed and up-to-date information about agricultural systems in arid and sub arid landscapes of the Sahel region. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Remote Sensing in Dryland Assessment and Monitoring)
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