Natural resource managers use a wide array of information to base their management decisions. With the advent of personal computers and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), these managers can combine information from multiple sources and rapidly assess a variety of management scenarios.

Vegetation and habitat maps have been used for decades by natural resource managers to pinpoint areas where they must concentrate their management efforts. Historically, these maps were created by hand-delineating areas with pencil onto Mylar film overlays using aerial photography. Areas of unique vegetation were identified based on shape, texture, pattern and color. Unfortunately, these methods were often time consuming, inaccurate and produced hardcopy maps that were difficult to integrate with other maps.

Modern vegetation and habitat maps are produced using a diverse set of sophisticated software tools and digital airborne and spaceborne image sources (digitized or digital aerial photography and satellite imagery). These software tools use reflected light energy detected by digital sensor (or film) in addition to external data sources (soils, topography, land use etc.) to systematically delineate areas of unique vegetation. This technology is broadly referred to as remote sensing, which is the science of extracting information from digital image sources. The results produced by this method are digital and can be easily incorporated into existing GIS databases.

Of all the possible map data layers that can be added to your organization’s GIS database, vegetation and habitat data can be both the most useful and the most costly. Extracting accurate vegetation data from digital imagery is both a science and an art. Due to the number of variables involved in the modeling process, the timing and selection of the correct imagery are paramount.

Coarse vegetation mapping that extracts woody, grass, water and bare ground can typically be achieved using a single image source and be completed rather quickly. In the event your project requires a more detailed vegetation map showing the location of specific vegetation species, the process becomes much more time consuming and costly.

The development of vegetation maps showing species level detail requires more imagery, more ground-truthing and more knowledge of the regional ecology. Imagery needs to be collected using a variety of sources (satellite and airborne) during different times of the year to detect minute physiological differences that allow the software and computer models to differentiate species. This process of acquiring custom imagery, collecting ground-truth data in the field with Global Positioning Systems (GPS), assembling external data sources, developing an accurate detection model, classifying the imagery, performing an accuracy assessment and refining the model can sometimes take several years before a final product can be delivered.

Acquiring the necessary imagery is a difficult process that is largely at the mercy of Mother Nature. Timing is everything when it comes to acquiring imagery. The detection and mapping of certain species of plants is only possible during specific seasons of the year when temperature, plant physiology and soil moisture are favorable. Unfortunately, these same “hard to detect species” can only be differentiated from other species of plants in a specific wavelength of the electromagnetic spectrum. As a result, we are often forced to use specific satellite imagery that can only be acquired when cloud cover is favorable. Balancing timing and cloud-free conditions is largely left up to chance and as a result the optimum window for image collection is sometimes missed for several consecutive years. Even when everything goes as planned and the image is able to be acquired at the correct time, it could be delivered with up to 20% cloud cover and still be within the acceptable limits for the satellite imagery contractor. This means that the image must be reacquired the following year to “patch” the cloud obstructed areas in the previous year’s image.

Vegetation mapping is not magic; it is a science that requires a tremendous amount of technology, expertise and patience. We offer these products because we recognize that accurate vegetation and habitat maps are essential for natural resource managers.

Landitude Incorporated uses highly sophisticated remote sensing software to develop detailed vegetation and habitat maps. Whether you are looking for a map showing brush, range, water and bare ground or are looking for a more detailed map showing the location of specific species of plants – Landitude, Inc. can deliver a custom product that will meet your exact needs.

Call us today to discuss the vegetation mapping needs of your organization. We will help you find the product that will best suit your needs, timeline and budget.