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Strategies for monitoring tropical deforestation using satellite data

by: C. J. Tucker, J. R. G. Townshend
International Journal of Remote Sensing (2000), pp. 1461-1471.

X Abstract

Measuring the aerial extent of tropical deforestation for other than localized areas requires the use of satellite data. We present evidence to show that an accurate determination of tropical deforestation is very difficult to achieve by a 'random sampling' analysis of Landsat or similar high spatial resolution data unless a very high percentage of the area to be studied is sampled. In order to achieve a Landsat-derived deforestation estimate within 20% of the actual deforestation amount 90% of the time, 37 of 40 scenes, 55 of 61 scenes and 37 of 45 scenes were required for Bolivia, Colombia and Peru respectively.

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This article has been bookmarked 3 times, initially on 2008-11-15.

2009-07-20 User kevinpdavies
2009-02-03 Group Forest inventory and monitoring , 1 note

The fatal flaw of Tucker and Townshend (2000) conclusions is that they naively used a sample size that was far too small to accurately estimate spatially clustered deforestation. They then unjustifiably extrapolated their results to other studies that used sufficient sample sizes. The Tucker and Townshend conclusions are debunked by Czaplewski(2003).


Czaplewski, R. L. 2003. Can a sample of Landsat sensor scenes reliably estimate the global extent of tropical deforestation? International Journal of Remote Sensing 24:1409-1412. http://www.citeulike.org/group/7954/article/3391476

Czaplewski(2003) received the 2003 Best Letter Award from the International Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society.

2009-02-03 19:10:14
2008-11-15 User lionicebear
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