Cover Estimation and Mapping Rangelands Vegetation Cover Percentage Using ETM+ Data Image Processing

The purpose of this study is to estimate the cover and mapping the rangeland vegetation cover percentage using Landsat 7 sensors, ETM+ digital data. So the ETM+ images of Chamestan mountain rangelands in Mazandaran Province were analyzed. First of all, the panchromatic band image was georeferenced to digital topographic map. Then the other bands images were registered to pan band. For field data collection stratified random sampling method was employed. In each sampling unit, 10 plots were located randomly on perimeter of a supposed circle with about 20 m radius and then percentage vegetation cover has been estimated on each plot. Then the average of 10 estimated covers has been considered for each sampling unit. For image processing, vegetation indices (VI), band fusion, band ratios and principle component analysis (PCA) were applied. The fused bands outcomes, along with the main bands imageries, VI, PCA, ratios results have been used to map the vegetation cover estimation and its percentage cover mapping. Stepwise regression has been established between percentage cover data gathered from each sampling units and DN of related pixels extracted from the images and the resulted model was used to estimate the vegetation cover percentage. Then the applied model to the images produced the map that states the vegetation cover percentage of the region. The map has been reclassified to reach categorized vegetation cover percentage map of the studied area. Finally the accuracy of the final map has been assessed by field controlling for the ground truths.