Vegetation mapping using global, vegetation index and weather data
Yoshiaki Honda and Shunji murai
Institute of Industrial
Science
University of Tokyo
7-22 Roppingi, Minato-Ku,
Tokyo 106
Japan
Abstract
Though Koppen's climatological map is widely known all over the world, a new climatological and ecological zoning system should be developed in order to monitor the global change of vegetation. A generation of a vegetation map based on Global Vegetation Index and weather data is presented in this paper. The typical patterns of monthly vegetation activity are analyzed from Global Vegetation Index and weather data, and various vegetation types with similar climatological and ecological characteristics are classified.
Introduction
Nowadays, the global change of the climate is one of the most important problems for the human society, and this change can be detected from the condition of the Earth's vegetation. Global Vegetation Index (GVI) indicates the weekly condition of the Earth's vegetation. GVI, which is produced from NOAA's (United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) AVHRR sensor (Advanced very High Resolution Radiometer), is used as a tool to study the continental patterns and global-scale patterns of the Earth's vegetation. The monthly change characteristic of the vegetation can be classified by dividing GVI into 5 typical vegetation patterns. A new vegetation map based on these vegetation patterns has been made.
Data and Methodology
- Data
The data which has been used in this study consists of :
- Monthly maximum value of GVI from January 1983 to December 1987. The original GVI data which indicates the weekly density and vigor of the green vegetation is the resampling data of the Normalized Vegetation Index (NVI) for the whole earth (except parts more than 75 degrees North latitude and 55 degrees South latitude). The NVI is determined by the following equation:
NVI= (Ch2- Ch1)/Ch2+Ch1)
Where Ch1 and Ch2 are the data from channel 1 (visible red band) and 2 (near infrared band) of the AVHRR. The spectral response of the five AVHRR channels is as follows:
| Channel 1 |
0.58 to 0.68 micrometer |
| Channel 2 |
0.725 to 1.10 micrometer |
| Channel 3 |
3.55 to 3.93 micrometer |
| Channel 4 |
10.30 to 11.30 micrometer |
| Channel 5 |
11.50 to 12.50 micrometer |
- Monthly average values of temperature, rainfall and moisture from January 1983 to December 1987, provided by the Japanese Meteorological Agency, detected at 2344 observation stations all over the world.
