Object Oriented Image Analysis in Remote Sensing of Forest and Vineyard Areas

Abstract

The study of vegetation cover, forests, orchards or vineyards and crops through satellite techniques is increasingly promoted as a result of facilities they offer. Since 2010 until today, it is launched over 50 satellite platforms, delivering images of the Earth’s surface with different spectral, spatial and radiometric characteristics. New satellite images such as RapidEye, WorldView2 or WorldView3, with its high spatial and radiometric resolution, prevents the use of the standard image analysis techniques (such as supervised or unsupervised), and involves the use of modern methods in image analysis, such as object base image analysis. A number of methods and techniques for processing and analysis of satellite images are developed to increase the precision of the working, given the diversity of vegetation structure analysis and expected results. This study aimed to analyze the capabilities of object-oriented image analysis (OBIA) for recognition forest and vineyard areas. OBIA is automated process of object extraction by modelling of human visual system for image interpretation. The basis for classification process is object, which is created according to the set of characteristics. In object-oriented approach classification description is based on classification rules including spectral characteristics, size, shape, as well as content and texture information. Analysis is done on multispectral imagery of high and very high spatial resolution. Represented results show the usefulness of RapidEye and WorldView2 images as well as importance of classification based on OBIA. Object-oriented image analysis (OBIA) method based on satellite imagery has facilitated the recognition forest and vineyard areas with high accuracy. Keywords: