Potential uses of TerraSAR-X for mapping herbaceous halophytes over salt marsh and tidal flats

Yoon Kyung Lee; Jeong Won Park; Jong Kuk Choi; Yisok Oh; Joong Sun Won

doi:10.1016/j.ecss.2012.10.003

Potential uses of TerraSAR-X for mapping herbaceous halophytes over salt marsh and tidal flats

Yoon Kyung Lee, Jeong Won Park, Jong Kuk Choi, Yisok Oh, Joong Sun Won

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

32 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

This study presents a method and application results of mapping different halophytes over tidal flats and salt marshes using high resolution space-borne X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that has been rarely used for salt marsh mapping. Halophytes in a salt marshes are sensitive to sea-level changes, sedimentation, and anthropogenic modifications. The alteration of the demarcations among halophyte species is an indicator of sea level and environmental changes within a salt marsh. The boundary of an herbaceous halophyte patch is, however, difficult to determine using remotely sensed data because of its sparseness. We examined the ecological status of the halophytes and their distribution changes using TerraSAR-X and optical data. We also determined the optimum season for halophyte mapping. An annual plant, Suaeda japonica (S. japonica), and a typical perennial salt marsh grass, Phragmites australis (P. australis), were selected for halophyte analysis. S. japonica is particularly sensitive to sea level fluctuation. Seasonal variation for the annual plant was more significant (1.47 dB standard deviation) than that for the perennial grass, with a pattern of lower backscattering in winter and a peak in the summer. The border between S. japonica and P. australis was successfully determined based on the distinctive X-band radar backscattering features. Winter is the best season to distinguish between the two different species, while summer is ideal for analyzing the distribution changes of annual plants in salt marshes. For a single polarization, we recommend using HH polarization, because it produces maximum backscattering on tidal flats and salt marshes. Our results show that high resolution SAR, such as TerraSAR-X and Cosmo-SkyMed, is an effective tool for mapping halophyte species in tidal flats and monitoring their seasonal variations.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	366-376
Number of pages	11
Journal	Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
Volume	115
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2012.10.003
Publication status	Published - 2012 Dec 10

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was funded by the NSL (National Space Lab) program through the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation, funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology ( M105DA000004-08D0100-0011A ) and by the public application research of a satellite data project funded by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute . The TerraSAR-X data used in this study were provided by DLR as a part of TerraSAR-X AO project (COA0047).

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Oceanography
Aquatic Science

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10.1016/j.ecss.2012.10.003

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@article{b3ff05f0272c4dbf9b92044eb8502817,

title = "Potential uses of TerraSAR-X for mapping herbaceous halophytes over salt marsh and tidal flats",

abstract = "This study presents a method and application results of mapping different halophytes over tidal flats and salt marshes using high resolution space-borne X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that has been rarely used for salt marsh mapping. Halophytes in a salt marshes are sensitive to sea-level changes, sedimentation, and anthropogenic modifications. The alteration of the demarcations among halophyte species is an indicator of sea level and environmental changes within a salt marsh. The boundary of an herbaceous halophyte patch is, however, difficult to determine using remotely sensed data because of its sparseness. We examined the ecological status of the halophytes and their distribution changes using TerraSAR-X and optical data. We also determined the optimum season for halophyte mapping. An annual plant, Suaeda japonica (S. japonica), and a typical perennial salt marsh grass, Phragmites australis (P. australis), were selected for halophyte analysis. S. japonica is particularly sensitive to sea level fluctuation. Seasonal variation for the annual plant was more significant (1.47 dB standard deviation) than that for the perennial grass, with a pattern of lower backscattering in winter and a peak in the summer. The border between S. japonica and P. australis was successfully determined based on the distinctive X-band radar backscattering features. Winter is the best season to distinguish between the two different species, while summer is ideal for analyzing the distribution changes of annual plants in salt marshes. For a single polarization, we recommend using HH polarization, because it produces maximum backscattering on tidal flats and salt marshes. Our results show that high resolution SAR, such as TerraSAR-X and Cosmo-SkyMed, is an effective tool for mapping halophyte species in tidal flats and monitoring their seasonal variations.",

author = "Lee, {Yoon Kyung} and Park, {Jeong Won} and Choi, {Jong Kuk} and Yisok Oh and Won, {Joong Sun}",

note = "Funding Information: This research was funded by the NSL (National Space Lab) program through the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation, funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology ( M105DA000004-08D0100-0011A ) and by the public application research of a satellite data project funded by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute . The TerraSAR-X data used in this study were provided by DLR as a part of TerraSAR-X AO project (COA0047).",

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T1 - Potential uses of TerraSAR-X for mapping herbaceous halophytes over salt marsh and tidal flats

AU - Lee, Yoon Kyung

AU - Park, Jeong Won

AU - Choi, Jong Kuk

AU - Oh, Yisok

AU - Won, Joong Sun

N1 - Funding Information: This research was funded by the NSL (National Space Lab) program through the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation, funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology ( M105DA000004-08D0100-0011A ) and by the public application research of a satellite data project funded by the Korea Aerospace Research Institute . The TerraSAR-X data used in this study were provided by DLR as a part of TerraSAR-X AO project (COA0047).

PY - 2012/12/10

Y1 - 2012/12/10

N2 - This study presents a method and application results of mapping different halophytes over tidal flats and salt marshes using high resolution space-borne X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that has been rarely used for salt marsh mapping. Halophytes in a salt marshes are sensitive to sea-level changes, sedimentation, and anthropogenic modifications. The alteration of the demarcations among halophyte species is an indicator of sea level and environmental changes within a salt marsh. The boundary of an herbaceous halophyte patch is, however, difficult to determine using remotely sensed data because of its sparseness. We examined the ecological status of the halophytes and their distribution changes using TerraSAR-X and optical data. We also determined the optimum season for halophyte mapping. An annual plant, Suaeda japonica (S. japonica), and a typical perennial salt marsh grass, Phragmites australis (P. australis), were selected for halophyte analysis. S. japonica is particularly sensitive to sea level fluctuation. Seasonal variation for the annual plant was more significant (1.47 dB standard deviation) than that for the perennial grass, with a pattern of lower backscattering in winter and a peak in the summer. The border between S. japonica and P. australis was successfully determined based on the distinctive X-band radar backscattering features. Winter is the best season to distinguish between the two different species, while summer is ideal for analyzing the distribution changes of annual plants in salt marshes. For a single polarization, we recommend using HH polarization, because it produces maximum backscattering on tidal flats and salt marshes. Our results show that high resolution SAR, such as TerraSAR-X and Cosmo-SkyMed, is an effective tool for mapping halophyte species in tidal flats and monitoring their seasonal variations.

AB - This study presents a method and application results of mapping different halophytes over tidal flats and salt marshes using high resolution space-borne X-band synthetic aperture radar (SAR) that has been rarely used for salt marsh mapping. Halophytes in a salt marshes are sensitive to sea-level changes, sedimentation, and anthropogenic modifications. The alteration of the demarcations among halophyte species is an indicator of sea level and environmental changes within a salt marsh. The boundary of an herbaceous halophyte patch is, however, difficult to determine using remotely sensed data because of its sparseness. We examined the ecological status of the halophytes and their distribution changes using TerraSAR-X and optical data. We also determined the optimum season for halophyte mapping. An annual plant, Suaeda japonica (S. japonica), and a typical perennial salt marsh grass, Phragmites australis (P. australis), were selected for halophyte analysis. S. japonica is particularly sensitive to sea level fluctuation. Seasonal variation for the annual plant was more significant (1.47 dB standard deviation) than that for the perennial grass, with a pattern of lower backscattering in winter and a peak in the summer. The border between S. japonica and P. australis was successfully determined based on the distinctive X-band radar backscattering features. Winter is the best season to distinguish between the two different species, while summer is ideal for analyzing the distribution changes of annual plants in salt marshes. For a single polarization, we recommend using HH polarization, because it produces maximum backscattering on tidal flats and salt marshes. Our results show that high resolution SAR, such as TerraSAR-X and Cosmo-SkyMed, is an effective tool for mapping halophyte species in tidal flats and monitoring their seasonal variations.

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Potential uses of TerraSAR-X for mapping herbaceous halophytes over salt marsh and tidal flats

Abstract

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