Applications of RS
Agriculture
Crop Type Mapping
Map of crop type serves the purpose of forecasting grain supplies (yield prediction), collecting
crop production statistics, facilitating crop rotation records, mapping soil productivity,
identification of factors influencing crop stress, assessment of crop damage due to storms and
drought, and monitoring farming activity. Key activities include identifying the crop types and
delineating their extent (often measured in acres). Census and ground surveying are the
traditional methods of obtaining this information. Remote sensing can provide common data
collection and information extraction strategies in order to standardize measurements. In order
to map crop type and acreage, remote sensing offers an efficient and reliable means of
collecting the information required. It can provide structure information about the health of the
vegetation besides providing a synoptic view. The spectral reflection of a field will vary with
respect to changes in the phenology (growth), stage type, and crop health, and thus can be
measured and monitored by multispectral sensors. Radar is sensitive to the structure,
alignment, and moisture content of the crop, and thus can provide complementary information
to the optical data. Combining the information from these two types of sensors increases the
information available for distinguishing each target class and its respective signature, and thus
there is a better chance of performing a more accurate classification. Interpretations from
remotely sensed data can be input to a geographic information system (GIS) and crop rotation
systems, and combined with ancillary data, to provide information of ownership, management
practices etc. Crop identification and mapping benefit from the use of multitemporal imagery
requires calibrated sensors, and frequent repeat imaging throughout the growing season.
Multisensor data are also valuable for increasing classification accuracies by contributing more
information than a sole sensor could provide. VIR sensing contributes information relating to the
chlorophyll content of the plants and the canopy structure, while radar provides information
relating to plant structure and moisture. In areas of persistent cloud cover or haze, radar is an
excellent tool for observing and distinguishing crop type due to its active sensing capabilities and
long wavelengths, capable of penetrating through atmospheric water vapor.
Forestry
Clear Cut Mapping & Deforestation
The rate and extent of deforestation, as well as monitoring regeneration, are the key
parameters measured by remote sensing methods. Remote sensing brings together a multitude
of tools to better analyze the scope and scale of the deforestation problem. To tangibly measure
the differences in the sizes and extents of the clearcuts or loss of forest, multitemporal data
provides for change detection analyses. Images of earlier years are compared to recent scenes.
Data from a different sources are used to provide complementary information. Radar, merged
with optical data, can be used to efficiently monitor the status of existing clearcuts or
emergence of new ones, and even assess regeneration condition. In countries where cutting is
controlled and regulated, remote sensing serves as a monitoring tool to ensure companies are
following cut guidelines and specifications. High resolution data provide a detailed view of forest
depletion, while radar can provide a view that may otherwise be obscured by clouds. All remote
sensing devices, however, provide a view of often remote and inaccessible areas, where illegal
Agriculture
Crop Type Mapping
Map of crop type serves the purpose of forecasting grain supplies (yield prediction), collecting
crop production statistics, facilitating crop rotation records, mapping soil productivity,
identification of factors influencing crop stress, assessment of crop damage due to storms and
drought, and monitoring farming activity. Key activities include identifying the crop types and
delineating their extent (often measured in acres). Census and ground surveying are the
traditional methods of obtaining this information. Remote sensing can provide common data
collection and information extraction strategies in order to standardize measurements. In order
to map crop type and acreage, remote sensing offers an efficient and reliable means of
collecting the information required. It can provide structure information about the health of the
vegetation besides providing a synoptic view. The spectral reflection of a field will vary with
respect to changes in the phenology (growth), stage type, and crop health, and thus can be
measured and monitored by multispectral sensors. Radar is sensitive to the structure,
alignment, and moisture content of the crop, and thus can provide complementary information
to the optical data. Combining the information from these two types of sensors increases the
information available for distinguishing each target class and its respective signature, and thus
there is a better chance of performing a more accurate classification. Interpretations from
remotely sensed data can be input to a geographic information system (GIS) and crop rotation
systems, and combined with ancillary data, to provide information of ownership, management
practices etc. Crop identification and mapping benefit from the use of multitemporal imagery
requires calibrated sensors, and frequent repeat imaging throughout the growing season.
Multisensor data are also valuable for increasing classification accuracies by contributing more
information than a sole sensor could provide. VIR sensing contributes information relating to the
chlorophyll content of the plants and the canopy structure, while radar provides information
relating to plant structure and moisture. In areas of persistent cloud cover or haze, radar is an
excellent tool for observing and distinguishing crop type due to its active sensing capabilities and
long wavelengths, capable of penetrating through atmospheric water vapor.
Forestry
Clear Cut Mapping & Deforestation
The rate and extent of deforestation, as well as monitoring regeneration, are the key
parameters measured by remote sensing methods. Remote sensing brings together a multitude
of tools to better analyze the scope and scale of the deforestation problem. To tangibly measure
the differences in the sizes and extents of the clearcuts or loss of forest, multitemporal data
provides for change detection analyses. Images of earlier years are compared to recent scenes.
Data from a different sources are used to provide complementary information. Radar, merged
with optical data, can be used to efficiently monitor the status of existing clearcuts or
emergence of new ones, and even assess regeneration condition. In countries where cutting is
controlled and regulated, remote sensing serves as a monitoring tool to ensure companies are
following cut guidelines and specifications. High resolution data provide a detailed view of forest
depletion, while radar can provide a view that may otherwise be obscured by clouds. All remote
sensing devices, however, provide a view of often remote and inaccessible areas, where illegal
