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Statistical Models of Landscape
Pattern and the Effects of Coarse
Resolution of Satellite Imagery on
Estimation of Area
Christine A. Hlavkal
Abstract.-Analysis
of classified satellite imagery was conducted to
characterize errors in estimates of area based on coarse resolution
satellite imagery which are due to distortions in sizes of small fragments,
and to explore the feasibility of correcting for these errors using a
statistical modeling approach. Sizes of bodies of open water on ERS-1
SAR and fire scars on Landsat MSS imagery were measured. Statistical
analysis of the smaller scars and ponds as observed with this imagery of
relatively fine resolution demonstrated that the distribution of the sizes
could be modeled by either of two types of statistical distributions - a
power distribution related to fractal processes or a simple exponential
distribution. Comparison of the distribution of small burn scars as
observed with Landsat to the distribution observed with AVHRR showed
distortions due to the coarse spatial resolution of AVHRR caused a net
overestimation of burn area. This bias was primarily caused by detection
in 2 or 3 AVHRR pixels of burns whose true size was on the order of
an AVHRR pixel.
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