Coral reefs are one of the most productive, diverse and complex ecosystems on Earth. They are very important ecologically, economically and socially, but are subject to increasing deleterious disturbances. To protect coral reefs and manage the sustainable use of their resources it is necessary to understand how coral communities respond to disturbances and to use this understanding to project the likely ecological trajectories of disturbed coral reefs in spatial and temporal contexts. Three powerful tools exist to address this issue: (1) in situ monitoring that describes ecological transitions of coral communities at very fine spatial scale; (2) time-series of maps derived from high spatial resolution remote sensing images that provide multi-temporal synoptic views of the reefs; and (3) spatially- and temporally-explicit models that are able to handle ecosystems complexity and represent their spatial dynamics. The combination of these three tools to map and monitor coral communities remained to be addressed. This dissertation developed an integrative approach to characterise, map and model coral communities’ responses to disturbances. This approach provides a basis for monitoring coral reefs at temporal and spatial scales matched to disturbance impacts and coral reefs patchiness. This was achieved by investigating the dynamics of three different Indo-Pacific reefs and by following four steps: - Developing and applying a method to characterise how detailed coral communities can be mapped before and after a major cyclone event from a short time-series of high spatial resolution images (IKONOS, Quickbird) on Aboré Reef (New-Caledonia); - Using the methods developed in the first step to assess whether decadal-scale coral dynamics can be retraced and monitored from time-series of aerial photographs and satellite images spanning at least 30 years on Saint-Leu (Réunion Island) and Heron (Australia) Reefs; - Developing a spatially- and temporally-explicit model of coral communities’ dynamics with cellular agent-based formalism on the western section of Heron reef flat; and - Assessing the relevance of the mapping, monitoring and modelling tools developed in this work, into an integrated approach for coral reef monitoring. For the first step, accurate monitoring requires that descriptions of the reef features are coherent with the local scale of disturbance impacts in space and time. While such a monitoring paradigm is applied in terrestrial environments, it is not the case for coral reefs. A before-after cyclone time-series of satellite images from Aboré Reef was used to test this paradigm on coral reefs. In situ data provided a new three-level hierarchical coral community typology (45 classes at the finest level). Photo-interpretation and hierarchical mapping methods were applied to an IKONOS image and a Quickbird image taken before and after cyclone Erica respectively. Application of this paradigm yielded a highly detailed multi-temporal maps of pre- and post-cyclone coral communities and recommendations to design reef-scale monitoring protocols. For the second step, the temporal scale of monitoring projects needs also to match the inherent reef dynamics. To assess the applicability of this temporal component of the paradigm at a decadal scale, the hierarchical mapping approaches developed for Aboré Reef were applied to a 33-year time-series of satellite images (two Quickbird images) and airborne photographs (five scanned images) of Saint-Leu Reef. The mapping approach overcame challenges due to different images qualities and to the lack of in situ observations in time and space before cyclone Firinga in 1989. This demonstrated the potential for further applications of the approach in reef monitoring protocols based on complementary in situ and remote sensing data to help understand the dynamics of reef-top coral reef communities and geomorphology over years to decades. In the next step, the modelling component of this work focused on a proof-of-concept for spatially-explicit modelling of coral growth by simulating maps of reef flat colonisation on a 16 686 m2 section of Heron Reef. To do this a 35-year time-series of two satellite Quickbird pan-sharpened images and five aerial photographs of Heron Reef was first used to hierarchically map and quantify the areal expansion of coral on the reef flat. The coral growth was driven by several artificially induced local sea-level rises associated with engineering works on the reef flat. Vertical and horizontal growth rates were quantified in terms of percentage of the total area colonised each year by corals. Coral community maps and coral growth rates estimated from the image time-series were used to constrain an accretive cellular growth model. Although only preliminary the model produced coral growth likelihood maps corresponding to observed fine-scale coral growth patterns. This suggested the tool had promise for further applications in reef management. This dissertation developed an integrative approach to characterise, map and model coral communities’ responses to disturbances, providing a basis for monitoring coral reefs at ecological, temporal, and spatial scales matching the patchiness of the communities’ distribution and disturbance impacts. The contributions of the work to the applied fields of coral reef mapping, modelling and monitoring were demonstrated through the results achieved and the development of protocols that do not require specialized image processing algorithms and methods. This opens perspectives for further development of the approach on other coral reefs around the world.

Esta pesquisa desenvolveu-se em uma área de estudo localizada em Garopaba, na zona costeira de Santa Catarina. Apesar do histórico de alterações ambientais sofridas, decorrentes da expansão agrícola, a área de estudo têm um caráter natural, na qual ocorrem grande diversidade de ecossistemas costeiros e paisagem com rara beleza. Atualmente, o acelerado processo de urbanização estimulado pela crescente indústria do turismo, representa uma séria ameaça à manutenção da qualidade ambiental na região. O Projeto Ambiental Gaia Village, localizado na área de estudo, objetiva contribuir para o desenvolvimento sustentável da região e vem realizando ações para regeneração e recuperação ambiental desde 1969. O Projeto Ambiental Gaia Village apoiou e deu suporte ao desenvolvimento da presente pesquisa, como mais uma ação em direção ao desenvolvimento sustentável da região. O objetivo geral dessa pesquisa é a sistematização de procedimentos que contribuam para melhor compreensão de questões ambientais relevantes à tomada de decisões, para orientar o ordenamento territorial preliminar de áreas situadas em zonas costeiras, visando a manutenção da qualidade ambiental. A sistematização dos procedimentos propostos, desenvolveu-se a partir da análise de uma área de estudo. Como base teórica, essa pesquisa se fundamentou em revisão de fontes secundárias, cujos tópicos se concentraram em ecossistemas costeiros e ações antrópicas na zona costeira. Como base para a elaboração dos mapas temáticos realizados, foi utilizado uma imagem de satélite com elevada resolução espacial (satélite QuickBird) e informações de fácil acesso. O método para a análise da imagem foi o da interpretação visual. O software de sistemas de informações geográficas utilizado para os mapeamentos, foi o ArcGIS 9.0. Mapas temáticos foram elaborados, sistematizando informações conforme os critérios estabelecidos. A sobreposição dos mapas temáticos levou a definição de novos mapas com informações relevantes à tomada de decisões para ordenamento territorial no contexto em que se encontra a área de estudo, como áreas a conservar e de possível uso, unidades de planejamento ambiental, entre outras. Para as unidades de planejamento ambiental, foram elaboradas diretrizes que visam minimizar o impacto das atividades antrópicas, de acordo as características e fragilidades da mesma. As diretrizes tiveram como base conceitual, a revisão realizada na fase inicial da pesquisa. O presente estudo visa racionalizar e ordenar a ocupação da região, manter os ecossistemas costeiros e a qualidade ambiental ao longo do tempo, buscando um equilíbrio entre desenvolvimento e conservação da natureza. Dentro do conceito de desenvolvimento sustentável, essa pesquisa tem ênfase na dimensão ambiental. / This research is being performed in a study area localized in Garopaba, seashore region of Santa Catarina. Despite the environmental alterations decurrent from the agricultural expansion, the study area has a natural character, where great coastal ecosystem diversity and landscape with rare beauty occur. This area is going through an accelerated process of urbanization motivated by an increasing tourism industry, what represents a serious threat to the maintenance of the environmental quality. The Gaia Village Environmental Project, sited in the studied area, seeks to contribute to a sustainable development of the region and is carrying out several actions to regenerate the environment. The Gaia Village Environmental Project has supported and assisted the present work as one more action towards the sustained development of the region. The main object of the present work is the systematization of procedures to contribute for a better understanding of environmental questions, to order the preliminary land occupation of areas sited in coastal zones, aiming at the maintenance of the environmental quality. The proposed procedures systematization was developed from the analysis of a study area. The theoretical base of this research is a revision of secondary sources, whose topics is concentrated in coastal ecosystems and human actions in coastal zone. Thematic maps were done using, as basis, a high-resolution satellite image (QuickBird satellite) of the selected area and readily access information. To imagem analysis was used the visual interpretation method. For mapping, was used a GIS application ArcGIS version 9.0. Thematic maps has been done, systemizing information according to established criteria. The overlapping of thematic maps has originated new maps, which has relevant information to decisions takings to territorial order for the study area context, as areas for conservation or human use, environment planning units, and others. For environment planning units, recommendations were elaborated to minimize environmental impact of human actions in accordance with the coastal ecosystem particularities. Recommendations were done according to the revision carried through in the initial phase of the research. The present study aims at to rationalize and promote an orderly occupation of the area, preserving the environmental quality and the coastal ecosystems and, thus, a equilibrium between urban development and nature preservation. Within the concept of sustained development, this research has emphasis in the environmental dimension.

Esta pesquisa desenvolveu-se em uma área de estudo localizada em Garopaba, na zona costeira de Santa Catarina. Apesar do histórico de alterações ambientais sofridas, decorrentes da expansão agrícola, a área de estudo têm um caráter natural, na qual ocorrem grande diversidade de ecossistemas costeiros e paisagem com rara beleza. Atualmente, o acelerado processo de urbanização estimulado pela crescente indústria do turismo, representa uma séria ameaça à manutenção da qualidade ambiental na região. O Projeto Ambiental Gaia Village, localizado na área de estudo, objetiva contribuir para o desenvolvimento sustentável da região e vem realizando ações para regeneração e recuperação ambiental desde 1969. O Projeto Ambiental Gaia Village apoiou e deu suporte ao desenvolvimento da presente pesquisa, como mais uma ação em direção ao desenvolvimento sustentável da região. O objetivo geral dessa pesquisa é a sistematização de procedimentos que contribuam para melhor compreensão de questões ambientais relevantes à tomada de decisões, para orientar o ordenamento territorial preliminar de áreas situadas em zonas costeiras, visando a manutenção da qualidade ambiental. A sistematização dos procedimentos propostos, desenvolveu-se a partir da análise de uma área de estudo. Como base teórica, essa pesquisa se fundamentou em revisão de fontes secundárias, cujos tópicos se concentraram em ecossistemas costeiros e ações antrópicas na zona costeira. Como base para a elaboração dos mapas temáticos realizados, foi utilizado uma imagem de satélite com elevada resolução espacial (satélite QuickBird) e informações de fácil acesso. O método para a análise da imagem foi o da interpretação visual. O software de sistemas de informações geográficas utilizado para os mapeamentos, foi o ArcGIS 9.0. Mapas temáticos foram elaborados, sistematizando informações conforme os critérios estabelecidos. A sobreposição dos mapas temáticos levou a definição de novos mapas com informações relevantes à tomada de decisões para ordenamento territorial no contexto em que se encontra a área de estudo, como áreas a conservar e de possível uso, unidades de planejamento ambiental, entre outras. Para as unidades de planejamento ambiental, foram elaboradas diretrizes que visam minimizar o impacto das atividades antrópicas, de acordo as características e fragilidades da mesma. As diretrizes tiveram como base conceitual, a revisão realizada na fase inicial da pesquisa. O presente estudo visa racionalizar e ordenar a ocupação da região, manter os ecossistemas costeiros e a qualidade ambiental ao longo do tempo, buscando um equilíbrio entre desenvolvimento e conservação da natureza. Dentro do conceito de desenvolvimento sustentável, essa pesquisa tem ênfase na dimensão ambiental. / This research is being performed in a study area localized in Garopaba, seashore region of Santa Catarina. Despite the environmental alterations decurrent from the agricultural expansion, the study area has a natural character, where great coastal ecosystem diversity and landscape with rare beauty occur. This area is going through an accelerated process of urbanization motivated by an increasing tourism industry, what represents a serious threat to the maintenance of the environmental quality. The Gaia Village Environmental Project, sited in the studied area, seeks to contribute to a sustainable development of the region and is carrying out several actions to regenerate the environment. The Gaia Village Environmental Project has supported and assisted the present work as one more action towards the sustained development of the region. The main object of the present work is the systematization of procedures to contribute for a better understanding of environmental questions, to order the preliminary land occupation of areas sited in coastal zones, aiming at the maintenance of the environmental quality. The proposed procedures systematization was developed from the analysis of a study area. The theoretical base of this research is a revision of secondary sources, whose topics is concentrated in coastal ecosystems and human actions in coastal zone. Thematic maps were done using, as basis, a high-resolution satellite image (QuickBird satellite) of the selected area and readily access information. To imagem analysis was used the visual interpretation method. For mapping, was used a GIS application ArcGIS version 9.0. Thematic maps has been done, systemizing information according to established criteria. The overlapping of thematic maps has originated new maps, which has relevant information to decisions takings to territorial order for the study area context, as areas for conservation or human use, environment planning units, and others. For environment planning units, recommendations were elaborated to minimize environmental impact of human actions in accordance with the coastal ecosystem particularities. Recommendations were done according to the revision carried through in the initial phase of the research. The present study aims at to rationalize and promote an orderly occupation of the area, preserving the environmental quality and the coastal ecosystems and, thus, a equilibrium between urban development and nature preservation. Within the concept of sustained development, this research has emphasis in the environmental dimension.

Esta pesquisa desenvolveu-se em uma área de estudo localizada em Garopaba, na zona costeira de Santa Catarina. Apesar do histórico de alterações ambientais sofridas, decorrentes da expansão agrícola, a área de estudo têm um caráter natural, na qual ocorrem grande diversidade de ecossistemas costeiros e paisagem com rara beleza. Atualmente, o acelerado processo de urbanização estimulado pela crescente indústria do turismo, representa uma séria ameaça à manutenção da qualidade ambiental na região. O Projeto Ambiental Gaia Village, localizado na área de estudo, objetiva contribuir para o desenvolvimento sustentável da região e vem realizando ações para regeneração e recuperação ambiental desde 1969. O Projeto Ambiental Gaia Village apoiou e deu suporte ao desenvolvimento da presente pesquisa, como mais uma ação em direção ao desenvolvimento sustentável da região. O objetivo geral dessa pesquisa é a sistematização de procedimentos que contribuam para melhor compreensão de questões ambientais relevantes à tomada de decisões, para orientar o ordenamento territorial preliminar de áreas situadas em zonas costeiras, visando a manutenção da qualidade ambiental. A sistematização dos procedimentos propostos, desenvolveu-se a partir da análise de uma área de estudo. Como base teórica, essa pesquisa se fundamentou em revisão de fontes secundárias, cujos tópicos se concentraram em ecossistemas costeiros e ações antrópicas na zona costeira. Como base para a elaboração dos mapas temáticos realizados, foi utilizado uma imagem de satélite com elevada resolução espacial (satélite QuickBird) e informações de fácil acesso. O método para a análise da imagem foi o da interpretação visual. O software de sistemas de informações geográficas utilizado para os mapeamentos, foi o ArcGIS 9.0. Mapas temáticos foram elaborados, sistematizando informações conforme os critérios estabelecidos. A sobreposição dos mapas temáticos levou a definição de novos mapas com informações relevantes à tomada de decisões para ordenamento territorial no contexto em que se encontra a área de estudo, como áreas a conservar e de possível uso, unidades de planejamento ambiental, entre outras. Para as unidades de planejamento ambiental, foram elaboradas diretrizes que visam minimizar o impacto das atividades antrópicas, de acordo as características e fragilidades da mesma. As diretrizes tiveram como base conceitual, a revisão realizada na fase inicial da pesquisa. O presente estudo visa racionalizar e ordenar a ocupação da região, manter os ecossistemas costeiros e a qualidade ambiental ao longo do tempo, buscando um equilíbrio entre desenvolvimento e conservação da natureza. Dentro do conceito de desenvolvimento sustentável, essa pesquisa tem ênfase na dimensão ambiental. / This research is being performed in a study area localized in Garopaba, seashore region of Santa Catarina. Despite the environmental alterations decurrent from the agricultural expansion, the study area has a natural character, where great coastal ecosystem diversity and landscape with rare beauty occur. This area is going through an accelerated process of urbanization motivated by an increasing tourism industry, what represents a serious threat to the maintenance of the environmental quality. The Gaia Village Environmental Project, sited in the studied area, seeks to contribute to a sustainable development of the region and is carrying out several actions to regenerate the environment. The Gaia Village Environmental Project has supported and assisted the present work as one more action towards the sustained development of the region. The main object of the present work is the systematization of procedures to contribute for a better understanding of environmental questions, to order the preliminary land occupation of areas sited in coastal zones, aiming at the maintenance of the environmental quality. The proposed procedures systematization was developed from the analysis of a study area. The theoretical base of this research is a revision of secondary sources, whose topics is concentrated in coastal ecosystems and human actions in coastal zone. Thematic maps were done using, as basis, a high-resolution satellite image (QuickBird satellite) of the selected area and readily access information. To imagem analysis was used the visual interpretation method. For mapping, was used a GIS application ArcGIS version 9.0. Thematic maps has been done, systemizing information according to established criteria. The overlapping of thematic maps has originated new maps, which has relevant information to decisions takings to territorial order for the study area context, as areas for conservation or human use, environment planning units, and others. For environment planning units, recommendations were elaborated to minimize environmental impact of human actions in accordance with the coastal ecosystem particularities. Recommendations were done according to the revision carried through in the initial phase of the research. The present study aims at to rationalize and promote an orderly occupation of the area, preserving the environmental quality and the coastal ecosystems and, thus, a equilibrium between urban development and nature preservation. Within the concept of sustained development, this research has emphasis in the environmental dimension.

The political history of U.S. commercial remote sensing began in 1984 when the U.S. government first attempted to commercialize its civil earth observation satellite system " Landsat. Since then, the high technology of earth imaging satellite systems has generated intense debates and policy conflicts, primarily centered on U.S. government concerns over the national security and foreign policy implications of high-resolution commercial satellite systems. Conversely, proponents of commercial observation satellites have urged U.S. policymakers to recognize the scientific and socio-economic utility of commercial remote sensing and thus craft and implement regulatory regimes that allow for a greater degree of information openness and transparency in using earth observation satellite imagery. This dissertation traces and analyzes that tumultuous political history and examines the policy issues and social construction of commercial remote sensing to determine the role of knowledge in the effective crafting and execution of commercial remote sensing laws and policies. Although individual and organizational perspectives, interests, missions, and cultures play a significant role in the social construction of commercial observation satellite systems and programs, the problem of insufficient knowledge of the myriad dimensions and complex nature of commercial remote sensing is a little studied but important component of this social construction process. Knowledge gaps concerning commercial remote sensing extend to various dimensions of the subject matter, such as the global, economic, technical, and legal/policy aspects. Numerous examples of knowledge voids are examined to suggest a connection between deficient knowledge and divergent policy perceptions as they relate to commercial remote sensing. Relevant knowledge voids are then structurally categorized to demonstrate the vastness and complexity of commercial remote sensing policy issues and to offer recommendations on how to fill such knowledge gaps to effect increased collaboration between the US government and the U.S. commercial remote sensing industry. Finally, the dissertation offers suggestions for future STS studies on policy issues, particularly those that focus on the global dimensions of commercial remote sensing or on applying the knowledge gap concept advanced by this dissertation to other areas of science and technology policymaking. / Ph. D.

Resource managers need to be able to quickly and accurately map aquatic plants in freshwater lakes and ponds for regulatory purposes, to monitor the health of native species and to monitor the spread of invasive species. Site surveys and transects are expensive and time consuming, and low resolution imagery is not detailed enough to map multiple, small lakes spread out over large areas. This study evaluated methods for mapping aquatic plants using high resolution Quickbird satellite imagery obtained in 2007 and 2008. The study area included nine lakes in northern Indiana chosen because they are used for recreation, have residential development along their shorelines, support a diverse wildlife population, and are susceptible to invasive species. An unsupervised classification was used to develop two levels of classification. The Level I classification divided the vegetation into detailed classes of emergent and submerged vegetation based on plant structure. In the Level II classification, these classes were combined into more general categories. Overall accuracy of the Level I classification was 68% for the 2007 imagery and 58% for the 2008 imagery. The overall accuracy of the Level II classification was higher for both the 2007 and 2008 imagery at 75% and 74%, respectively. Classes containing bulrushes were the least accurately mapped in the Level I classification. In the Level II classification, the least accurately mapped class was submerged vegetation. Water and man-made surfaces were mapped with the highest degree of accuracy in both classification schemes. Overhanging trees and shore vegetation contributed to classification error. Overall, results of this research suggest that high resolution imagery provides useful information for natural resource managers. It is most applicable to mapping general aquatic vegetation categories, such as submerged and emergent vegetation, and providing general estimates of plant coverage in lakes. Better methods for mapping individual species, species assemblages, and submerged vegetation constitute areas for further research. / Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Resource managers need to be able to quickly and accurately map aquatic plants in freshwater lakes and ponds for regulatory purposes, to monitor the health of native species and to monitor the spread of invasive species. Site surveys and transects are expensive and time consuming, and low resolution imagery is not detailed enough to map multiple, small lakes spread out over large areas. This study evaluated methods for mapping aquatic plants using high resolution Quickbird satellite imagery obtained in 2007 and 2008. The study area included nine lakes in northern Indiana chosen because they are used for recreation, have residential development along their shorelines, support a diverse wildlife population, and are susceptible to invasive species. An unsupervised classification was used to develop two levels of classification. The Level I classification divided the vegetation into detailed classes of emergent and submerged vegetation based on plant structure. In the Level II classification, these classes were combined into more general categories. Overall accuracy of the Level I classification was 68% for the 2007 imagery and 58% for the 2008 imagery. The overall accuracy of the Level II classification was higher for both the 2007 and 2008 imagery at 75% and 74%, respectively. Classes containing bulrushes were the least accurately mapped in the Level I classification. In the Level II classification, the least accurately mapped class was submerged vegetation. Water and man-made surfaces were mapped with the highest degree of accuracy in both classification schemes. Overhanging trees and shore vegetation contributed to classification error. Overall, results of this research suggest that high resolution imagery provides useful information for natural resource managers. It is most applicable to mapping general aquatic vegetation categories, such as submerged and emergent vegetation, and providing general estimates of plant coverage in lakes. Better methods for mapping individual species, species assemblages, and submerged vegetation constitute areas for further research. / Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Resource managers need to be able to quickly and accurately map aquatic plants in freshwater lakes and ponds for regulatory purposes, to monitor the health of native species and to monitor the spread of invasive species. Site surveys and transects are expensive and time consuming, and low resolution imagery is not detailed enough to map multiple, small lakes spread out over large areas. This study evaluated methods for mapping aquatic plants using high resolution Quickbird satellite imagery obtained in 2007 and 2008. The study area included nine lakes in northern Indiana chosen because they are used for recreation, have residential development along their shorelines, support a diverse wildlife population, and are susceptible to invasive species. An unsupervised classification was used to develop two levels of classification. The Level I classification divided the vegetation into detailed classes of emergent and submerged vegetation based on plant structure. In the Level II classification, these classes were combined into more general categories. Overall accuracy of the Level I classification was 68% for the 2007 imagery and 58% for the 2008 imagery. The overall accuracy of the Level II classification was higher for both the 2007 and 2008 imagery at 75% and 74%, respectively. Classes containing bulrushes were the least accurately mapped in the Level I classification. In the Level II classification, the least accurately mapped class was submerged vegetation. Water and man-made surfaces were mapped with the highest degree of accuracy in both classification schemes. Overhanging trees and shore vegetation contributed to classification error. Overall, results of this research suggest that high resolution imagery provides useful information for natural resource managers. It is most applicable to mapping general aquatic vegetation categories, such as submerged and emergent vegetation, and providing general estimates of plant coverage in lakes. Better methods for mapping individual species, species assemblages, and submerged vegetation constitute areas for further research. / Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Resource managers need to be able to quickly and accurately map aquatic plants in freshwater lakes and ponds for regulatory purposes, to monitor the health of native species and to monitor the spread of invasive species. Site surveys and transects are expensive and time consuming, and low resolution imagery is not detailed enough to map multiple, small lakes spread out over large areas. This study evaluated methods for mapping aquatic plants using high resolution Quickbird satellite imagery obtained in 2007 and 2008. The study area included nine lakes in northern Indiana chosen because they are used for recreation, have residential development along their shorelines, support a diverse wildlife population, and are susceptible to invasive species. An unsupervised classification was used to develop two levels of classification. The Level I classification divided the vegetation into detailed classes of emergent and submerged vegetation based on plant structure. In the Level II classification, these classes were combined into more general categories. Overall accuracy of the Level I classification was 68% for the 2007 imagery and 58% for the 2008 imagery. The overall accuracy of the Level II classification was higher for both the 2007 and 2008 imagery at 75% and 74%, respectively. Classes containing bulrushes were the least accurately mapped in the Level I classification. In the Level II classification, the least accurately mapped class was submerged vegetation. Water and man-made surfaces were mapped with the highest degree of accuracy in both classification schemes. Overhanging trees and shore vegetation contributed to classification error. Overall, results of this research suggest that high resolution imagery provides useful information for natural resource managers. It is most applicable to mapping general aquatic vegetation categories, such as submerged and emergent vegetation, and providing general estimates of plant coverage in lakes. Better methods for mapping individual species, species assemblages, and submerged vegetation constitute areas for further research. / Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)

Resource managers need to be able to quickly and accurately map aquatic plants in freshwater lakes and ponds for regulatory purposes, to monitor the health of native species and to monitor the spread of invasive species. Site surveys and transects are expensive and time consuming, and low resolution imagery is not detailed enough to map multiple, small lakes spread out over large areas. This study evaluated methods for mapping aquatic plants using high resolution Quickbird satellite imagery obtained in 2007 and 2008. The study area included nine lakes in northern Indiana chosen because they are used for recreation, have residential development along their shorelines, support a diverse wildlife population, and are susceptible to invasive species. An unsupervised classification was used to develop two levels of classification. The Level I classification divided the vegetation into detailed classes of emergent and submerged vegetation based on plant structure. In the Level II classification, these classes were combined into more general categories. Overall accuracy of the Level I classification was 68% for the 2007 imagery and 58% for the 2008 imagery. The overall accuracy of the Level II classification was higher for both the 2007 and 2008 imagery at 75% and 74%, respectively. Classes containing bulrushes were the least accurately mapped in the Level I classification. In the Level II classification, the least accurately mapped class was submerged vegetation. Water and man-made surfaces were mapped with the highest degree of accuracy in both classification schemes. Overhanging trees and shore vegetation contributed to classification error. Overall, results of this research suggest that high resolution imagery provides useful information for natural resource managers. It is most applicable to mapping general aquatic vegetation categories, such as submerged and emergent vegetation, and providing general estimates of plant coverage in lakes. Better methods for mapping individual species, species assemblages, and submerged vegetation constitute areas for further research. / Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)