Stand Age Estimation of Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) Plantations Using an Integrated Pixel- and Object-based Tree Growth Model and Annual Landsat Time Series

Authors

Gang Chen, University of North Carolina
Jean-Claude Thill, University of North Carolina
Sutee Anantsuksomsri, Chulalongkorn University
Nij Tontisirin, Thammasat University
Ran Tao, University of North CarolinaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

10-2018

Keywords

Stand age estimation, Rubber plantation, Geographic object-based image analysis, Landsat time series, Tree growth model

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.isprsjprs.2018.07.003

Abstract

Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantations are a rapidly increasing source of land cover change in mainland Southeast Asia. Stand age of rubber plantations obtained at fine scales provides essential baseline data, informing the pace of industrial and smallholder agricultural activities in response to the changing global rubber markets, and local political and socioeconomic dynamics. In this study, we developed an integrated pixel- and object-based tree growth model using Landsat annual time series to estimate the age of rubber plantations in a 21,115 km² tri-border region along the junction of China, Myanmar and Laos. We produced a rubber stand age map at 30 m resolution, with an accuracy of 87.00% for identifying rubber plantations and an average error of 1.53 years in age estimation. The integration of pixel- and object-based image analysis showed superior performance in building NDVI yearly time series that reduced spectral noises from background soil and vegetation in open-canopy, young rubber stands. The model parameters remained relatively stable during model sensitivity analysis, resulting in accurate age estimation robust to outliers. Compared to the typically weak statistical relationship between single-date spectral signatures and rubber tree age, Landsat image time series analysis coupled with tree growth modeling presents a viable alternative for fine-scale age estimation of rubber plantations.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

No

Citation / Publisher Attribution

ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, v. 144, p. 94-104

Scholar Commons Citation

Chen, Gang; Thill, Jean-Claude; Anantsuksomsri, Sutee; Tontisirin, Nij; and Tao, Ran, "Stand Age Estimation of Rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) Plantations Using an Integrated Pixel- and Object-based Tree Growth Model and Annual Landsat Time Series" (2018). School of Geosciences Faculty and Staff Publications. 1278.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/geo_facpub/1278