A comparison of selected satellite remote sensing techniques for mapping fire scars in limestone fynbos

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dc.contributor.advisorVan Niekerk, Adriaanen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorSmit, Walter J. (Walter Johan)en_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. Dept. of Geography and Environmental Studies .en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2012-08-27T11:34:50Z
dc.date.available2012-08-27T11:34:50Z
dc.date.issued2001-12
dc.descriptionThesis (MA.)--Stellenbosch University, 2001.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH ABSTRACT: There are many reasons to conserve fynbos. Not only does fynbos form part of the Cape floral kingdom, one of the richest floral kingdoms in the world, but the contribution that it makes to the regional economy through utilisation, education, recreation and tourist opportunities is immeasurable. Fire plays an integral role in fynbos ecosystems. According to Van Wilgen, Richardson & Seydack (1994: 322) " ... managing fynbos equates to managing fire". Therefore managers need accurate fire information about a fynbos area to manage it properly. This is where satellite remote sensing can provide the manager with useful information about the fire regime. In other words, satellite remote sensing can help a manager establish where and when an area has burnt. Using readily available satellite data, this study attempts to establish (through comparison) what techniques would be most suitable and affordable to compile a fire information database. Landsat Thematic Mapper data from 1990 - 1996 of the southwestern Cape was used and compared with existing fire records of the area. The results show that techniques such as supervised and unsupervised classification are reliable in identifying burnt areas, but a major drawback of these techniques is that they require a large amount of user input and knowledge. They are thus not regarded as simple or easily repeatable. - The' more simple techniques like image differencing and image ratioing were also found to be reliable in identifying burnt areas. These techniques require less user input and in some instances less data (image bands) to produce similar (or better) results than supervised and unsupervised classification techniques. The results show that differencing temporally different Images, obtained from applying principle components analysis, produces reliable results with very little confusion and little user input. Using such a technique could enable users to procure only two bands of Landsat data and still produce reliable fire information for managing a fynbos ecosystem.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Daar is verskeie redes waarom fynbos bewaar moet word. Nie net vorm dit deel van een van die rykste blommeryke in die wereld nie, maar die bydrae wat dit tot die streeksekonomie maak, deur die benutting van veldblomme en die geleenthede wat dit bied vir toerisme en ontspanning, is enorm. Vuur speel 'n belangrike rol in die bestuur van fynbos ekosisteme. Soos beklemtoon deur Van Wilgen, Richardson & Seydack (1994: 322) se stelling: " ... managing fynbos equates to managing fire". Om hierdie rede is dit belangrik dat 'n bestuurder akkurate inligting oor die verspreiding van veldbrande moet he. Satellietafstandwaarneming kan hier 'n belangrike rol speel deur sulke inligting te verskaf Deur gebruik te maak van maklik bekombare satellietdata, poog hierdie studie om te bepaal (d.m.v. vergelyking) watter tegnieke die mees geskikte is in terme van bekostigbaarheid en gebruikersvriendelikheid. Landsat Thematic Mapper data van 1990 tot 1996 van die suidwes-Kaap is gebruik en vergelyk met bestaande branddata van die studiegebied. Daar is gevind dat tegnieke soos gerigte en nie-gerigte klassifikasie in staat is om gebrande dele betroubaar uit te ken. Hierdie tegnieke verg egter baie insette en kennis van die gebruiker en is ook nie maklik om jaar na jaar te herhaal nie. Daarom word hierdie tegnieke nie aanbeveel nie. Daar is gevind dat die eenvoudiger tegnieke soos veranderingsanalise ook gebrande dele betroubaar kon uitken. Hierdie tegnieke het die voordeel dat die gebruiker nie baie' kennis van die gebied hoef te he nie en ook nie so baie insette hoef te lewer nie. Hierdie tegnieke word bo gerigte en nie-gerigte klassifikasie aanbeveel. - Die resultate dui daarop dat betroubare resultate verkry kan word deur tempo reel verskillende beeIde, verkry deur hoofkomponentanalise, van mekaar af te trek. Hierdie tegniek vereis relatief min gebruikersinsette en daar kan selfs met slegs twee Landsat bande gewerk word. So 'n tegniek kan beslis 'n bekostigbare en effektiewe manier wees om nodige inligting vir die bestuur van 'n fynbos ekosisteem te bekom.af_ZA
dc.format.extent73 p. : ill.
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/52064
dc.language.isoen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch Universityen_ZA
dc.subjectFynbos -- Effect of fires on -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Remote sensingen_ZA
dc.subjectVegetation mapping -- South Africa -- Western Cape -- Remote sensingen_ZA
dc.subjectDissertations -- Geography and environmental studiesen_ZA
dc.subjectTheses -- Geography and environmental studiesen_ZA
dc.titleA comparison of selected satellite remote sensing techniques for mapping fire scars in limestone fynbosen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
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