A Comparison of Remote Sensing Indices and a Temporal Study of Cienegas at Cienega Creek from 1984 to 2011 using Multispectral Satellite Imagery
| dc.contributor.author | Wilson, Natalie R. | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2014-12-15T22:08:53Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2014-12-15T22:08:53Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2014 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10150/337200 | |
| dc.description.abstract | Desert wetlands, in particular those slow moving bodies of water known as cienegas, are important sites for biodiversity in arid landscapes and serve as indicators of hydrological functioning on the landscape-level. One of the most extensive systems of cienegas, historical or extant, in southeastern Arizona lies along Cienega Creek, located southeast of Tucson, Arizona. Satellite imagery analysis is heavily utilized to determine landscape-level trends, but cienegas present a challenge to traditional analysis methods. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the classic measure of vegetation greenness, reacts counter-intuitively to open water and is affected by open ground, both common occurrences in cienega habitats. Additional remote sensing indices have been developed that balance sensitivity to these environmental elements. This research explores these remote sensing indices at Cienega Creek applying one topographic index to current elevation data and five spectral indices to Thematic Mapper imagery from 1984 to 2011. Temporal trends were identified for all spectral indices and all indices were compared for suitability in cienega habitats. Temporal trends were analyzed for spatial clustering and spatial trends identified. The Normalized Difference Infrared Index utilizing Landsat Thematic Mapper band 5 outperformed other indices at differentiating between cienega, riparian, and upland habitats and is more suitable than NDVI for analyzing cienega habitats in such circumstances. | |
| dc.language.iso | en_US | en |
| dc.publisher | The University of Arizona. | en_US |
| dc.rights | Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. | en_US |
| dc.subject | cienegas | en_US |
| dc.subject | arid region wetlands | en_US |
| dc.subject | Cienega Creek | en_US |
| dc.subject | Landsat Thematic Mapper | en_US |
| dc.subject | remote sensing indices | en_US |
| dc.title | A Comparison of Remote Sensing Indices and a Temporal Study of Cienegas at Cienega Creek from 1984 to 2011 using Multispectral Satellite Imagery | en_US |
| dc.type | Reports (Electronic) | en_US |
| thesis.degree.grantor | University of Arizona | en_US |
| thesis.degree.level | masters | en_US |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Geographic Information Systems Technology | en_US |
| thesis.degree.name | M.S. | en_US |
| dc.description.collectioninformation | This item is part of the MS-GIST Master's Reports collection. For more information about items in this collection, please contact the UA Campus Repository at repository@u.library.arizona.edu. | en_US |
| refterms.dateFOA | 2018-08-31T22:08:20Z | |
| html.description.abstract | Desert wetlands, in particular those slow moving bodies of water known as cienegas, are important sites for biodiversity in arid landscapes and serve as indicators of hydrological functioning on the landscape-level. One of the most extensive systems of cienegas, historical or extant, in southeastern Arizona lies along Cienega Creek, located southeast of Tucson, Arizona. Satellite imagery analysis is heavily utilized to determine landscape-level trends, but cienegas present a challenge to traditional analysis methods. The Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), the classic measure of vegetation greenness, reacts counter-intuitively to open water and is affected by open ground, both common occurrences in cienega habitats. Additional remote sensing indices have been developed that balance sensitivity to these environmental elements. This research explores these remote sensing indices at Cienega Creek applying one topographic index to current elevation data and five spectral indices to Thematic Mapper imagery from 1984 to 2011. Temporal trends were identified for all spectral indices and all indices were compared for suitability in cienega habitats. Temporal trends were analyzed for spatial clustering and spatial trends identified. The Normalized Difference Infrared Index utilizing Landsat Thematic Mapper band 5 outperformed other indices at differentiating between cienega, riparian, and upland habitats and is more suitable than NDVI for analyzing cienega habitats in such circumstances. |
