Mapping caribou habitat north of the 51st parallel in Québec using Landsat imagery
A methodology using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images and vegetation typology, based on lichens as the principal component of caribou winter diet, was developed to map caribou habitat over a large and diversified area of Northern Québec. This approach includes field validation by aerial surveys (h...
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2003
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Online Access: | https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1707 https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.5.1707 |
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ftunitroemsoe:oai:ojs.henry.ub.uit.no:article/1707 2023-05-15T18:03:55+02:00 Mapping caribou habitat north of the 51st parallel in Québec using Landsat imagery Chalifoux, Stéphanie Saucier, Isabelle Doucet, G. Jean Lamothe, Pierre 2003-04-01 application/pdf https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1707 https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.5.1707 eng eng Septentrio Academic Publishing https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1707/1593 https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1707 doi:10.7557/2.23.5.1707 Copyright (c) 2015 Stéphanie Chalifoux, Isabelle Saucier, G. Jean Doucet, Pierre Lamothe http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ CC-BY Rangifer; Vol 23 (2003): Special Issue No. 14; 235-245 1890-6729 caribou habitat Landsat tekemetry forest fire lichen northern Québec Rangifer tarandus remote sensing vegetation visual interpretation info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2003 ftunitroemsoe https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.5.1707 2021-08-16T15:06:01Z A methodology using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images and vegetation typology, based on lichens as the principal component of caribou winter diet, was developed to map caribou habitat over a large and diversified area of Northern Québec. This approach includes field validation by aerial surveys (helicopter), classification of vegetation types, image enhancement, visual interpretation and computer assisted mapping. Measurements from more than 1500 field sites collected over six field campaigns from 1989 to 1996 represented the data analysed in this study. As the study progressed, 14 vegetation classes were defined and retained for analyses. Vegetation classes denoting important caribou habitat included six classes of upland lichen communities (Lichen, Lichen-Shrub, Shrub-Lichen, Lichen-Graminoid-Shrub, Lichen-Woodland, Lichen-Shrub-Woodland). Two classes (Burnt-over area, Regenerating burnt-over area) are related to forest fire, and as they develop towards lichen communities, will become important for caribou. The last six classes are retained to depict remaining vegetation cover types. A total of 37 Landsat TM scenes were geocoded and enhanced using two methods: the Taylor method and the false colour composite method (bands combination and stretching). Visual inter¬pretation was chosen as the most efficient and reliable method to map vegetation types related to caribou habitat. The 43 maps produced at the scale of 1:250 000 and the synthesis map (1:2 000 000) provide a regional perspective of caribou habitat over 1200 000 km2 covering the entire range of the George river herd. The numerical nature of the data allows rapid spatial analysis and map updating. Article in Journal/Newspaper Rangifer Rangifer tarandus University of Tromsø: Septentrio Academic Publishing Rangifer 23 5 235 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
University of Tromsø: Septentrio Academic Publishing |
op_collection_id |
ftunitroemsoe |
language |
English |
topic |
caribou habitat Landsat tekemetry forest fire lichen northern Québec Rangifer tarandus remote sensing vegetation visual interpretation |
spellingShingle |
caribou habitat Landsat tekemetry forest fire lichen northern Québec Rangifer tarandus remote sensing vegetation visual interpretation Chalifoux, Stéphanie Saucier, Isabelle Doucet, G. Jean Lamothe, Pierre Mapping caribou habitat north of the 51st parallel in Québec using Landsat imagery |
topic_facet |
caribou habitat Landsat tekemetry forest fire lichen northern Québec Rangifer tarandus remote sensing vegetation visual interpretation |
description |
A methodology using Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) images and vegetation typology, based on lichens as the principal component of caribou winter diet, was developed to map caribou habitat over a large and diversified area of Northern Québec. This approach includes field validation by aerial surveys (helicopter), classification of vegetation types, image enhancement, visual interpretation and computer assisted mapping. Measurements from more than 1500 field sites collected over six field campaigns from 1989 to 1996 represented the data analysed in this study. As the study progressed, 14 vegetation classes were defined and retained for analyses. Vegetation classes denoting important caribou habitat included six classes of upland lichen communities (Lichen, Lichen-Shrub, Shrub-Lichen, Lichen-Graminoid-Shrub, Lichen-Woodland, Lichen-Shrub-Woodland). Two classes (Burnt-over area, Regenerating burnt-over area) are related to forest fire, and as they develop towards lichen communities, will become important for caribou. The last six classes are retained to depict remaining vegetation cover types. A total of 37 Landsat TM scenes were geocoded and enhanced using two methods: the Taylor method and the false colour composite method (bands combination and stretching). Visual inter¬pretation was chosen as the most efficient and reliable method to map vegetation types related to caribou habitat. The 43 maps produced at the scale of 1:250 000 and the synthesis map (1:2 000 000) provide a regional perspective of caribou habitat over 1200 000 km2 covering the entire range of the George river herd. The numerical nature of the data allows rapid spatial analysis and map updating. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Chalifoux, Stéphanie Saucier, Isabelle Doucet, G. Jean Lamothe, Pierre |
author_facet |
Chalifoux, Stéphanie Saucier, Isabelle Doucet, G. Jean Lamothe, Pierre |
author_sort |
Chalifoux, Stéphanie |
title |
Mapping caribou habitat north of the 51st parallel in Québec using Landsat imagery |
title_short |
Mapping caribou habitat north of the 51st parallel in Québec using Landsat imagery |
title_full |
Mapping caribou habitat north of the 51st parallel in Québec using Landsat imagery |
title_fullStr |
Mapping caribou habitat north of the 51st parallel in Québec using Landsat imagery |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mapping caribou habitat north of the 51st parallel in Québec using Landsat imagery |
title_sort |
mapping caribou habitat north of the 51st parallel in québec using landsat imagery |
publisher |
Septentrio Academic Publishing |
publishDate |
2003 |
url |
https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1707 https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.5.1707 |
genre |
Rangifer Rangifer tarandus |
genre_facet |
Rangifer Rangifer tarandus |
op_source |
Rangifer; Vol 23 (2003): Special Issue No. 14; 235-245 1890-6729 |
op_relation |
https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1707/1593 https://septentrio.uit.no/index.php/rangifer/article/view/1707 doi:10.7557/2.23.5.1707 |
op_rights |
Copyright (c) 2015 Stéphanie Chalifoux, Isabelle Saucier, G. Jean Doucet, Pierre Lamothe http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.7557/2.23.5.1707 |
container_title |
Rangifer |
container_volume |
23 |
container_issue |
5 |
container_start_page |
235 |
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1766175125965635584 |