Soil & Water Res., 2009, 4(10):S49-S58 | DOI: 10.17221/480-SWR

Evaluation of functional properties of various types of vegetation cover using remotely sensed data analysis

Jakub BROM1, 2, Jan PROCHÁZKA1, Alžběta REJŠKOVÁ2
1 Department of Landscape Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
2 ENKI, Třeboň, Czech Republic

The dissipation of solar energy and consequently the formation of the hydrological cycle are largely dependent on the structural and optical characteristics of the land surface. In our study, we selected seven units with different types of vegetation in the Mlýnský and Horský catchments (South-Eastern part of the Šumava Mountains, Czech Republic) for the assessment of the differences in their functioning expressed through the surface temperature, humidity, and energy dissipation. For our analyses, we used Landsat 5 TM satellite data from June 25th, 2008. The results showed that the microclimatic characteristics and energy fluxes varied in different units according to their vegetation characteristics. A cluster analysis of the mean values was used to divide the vegetation units into groups according to their functional characteristics. The mown meadows were characterised by the highest surface temperature and sensible heat flux and the lowest humidity and latent heat flux. On the contrary, the lowest surface temperature and sensible heat flux and the highest humidity and latent heat flux were found in the forest. Our results showed that the climatic and energetic features of the land surface are related to the type of vegetation. We state that the spatial distribution of different vegetation units and the amount of biomass are crucial variables influencing the functioning of the landscape.

Keywords: vegetation cover; energy fluxes; surface temperature; wetness index; Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI); albedo; Landsat TM

Published: December 31, 2009  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
BROM J, PROCHÁZKA J, REJŠKOVÁ A. Evaluation of functional properties of various types of vegetation cover using remotely sensed data analysis. Soil & Water Res. 2009;4(Special Issue 2):S49-58. doi: 10.17221/480-SWR.
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Bala G., Caldeira K., Wickett M., Phillips T.J., Lobell D.B., Delire C., Mirin A. (2007): Combined climate and carbon-cycle effects of large-scale deforestation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America, 104: 6550-6555. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    2. Bowen I.S. (1926): The ratio of heat losses by conduction and by this magnitude and the diminution of the aerodynamic evaporation from any water surface. Physical Review, 27: 779-787. Go to original source...
    3. Brom J., Pokorný J. (2009): Temperature and humidity characteristics of two willow stands, a peaty meadow and a drained pasture and their impact on landscape functioning. Boreal Environment Research, 14: 389-403.
    4. Brutsaert W. (1982): Evapotranspiration into the Atmosphere. Theory, History and Applications. D. Reidel Publishing Company, Dortrecht.
    5. Buck A.L. (1981): New equations for computing vapor pressure and enhancement factor. Journal of Applied Meteorology, 20: 1527-1532. Go to original source...
    6. Chander G., Markham B. (2003): Revised Landsat-5 TM radiometric calibration procedures and postcalibration dynamic ranges. IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, 41: 2674-2677. Go to original source...
    7. Clark Labs (2006): IDRISI 15. The Andes Edition. Clark University, Worcester.
    8. Czudek T. (ed.) (1972): Geomorphological Classification of the Czech Socialistic Republic. Institute of Geography, Academy of Science, Brno. (in Czech)
    9. Geiger R., Aron R.H., Todhunter P. (2003): The Climate Near the Ground. 6th Ed., Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., Lanham.
    10. Geomatica Algorithm Reference (2003): PCI Geomatics 5.0 West Wilmot Street, Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada, L4B 1M5.
    11. Gordon L.J., Steffen W., Jönsson B.F., Folke C., Falkenmark M., Johannessen Å. (2005): Human modification of global water vapor flows from the land surface. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 102: 7612-7617. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    12. Hais M., Kučera T. (2008): Surface temperature change of spruce forest as a result of bark beetle attack: remote sensing and GIS approach. Europaean Journal of Forest Research, 127: 327-336. Go to original source...
    13. Hais M., Brom J., Procházka J., Pokorný J. (2006): Effect of water drainage on the forest microclimate; case study of two small catchments in the Šumava mountains. Ekológia (Bratislava), 25 (Suppl. 3): 18-26.
    14. Hakrová P. (2003): The Research of Conditions of the Support of the Specific Diversity Grasslands. University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, Faculty of Agriculture, České Budějovice. (in Czech)
    15. Idso S.B., Jackson R.D., Pinter P.J., Reginato R.J., Hatfield J.L. (1981): Normalizing the stress-degree-day parameter for environmental variability. Agricultural Meteorology, 24: 45-55. Go to original source...
    16. Jackson R.D., Idso S.B., Reginato R.J., Pinter P.J. Jr. (1981): Canopy temperature as a crop water stress indicator. Water Resource Research, 17: 1133-1138. Go to original source...
    17. Jenerette G.D., Harlan S.L., Brazel A., Jones N., Larsen L., Stefanov W.L. (2007): Regional relationships between surface temperature, vegetation, and human settlement in a rapidly urbanizing ecosystem. Landscape Ecology, 22: 353-365 Go to original source...
    18. Kirkham M.B. (2005): Principles of Soil Water Relations. Elsevier Academic Press, Amsterdam.
    19. Kravčík M., Pokorný J., Kohutiar J., Kováč M., Tóth E. (2008): Water for the Recovery of the Climate. A New Water Paradigm. Typopress-Publishing House Ltd., Košice.
    20. Liang S., Shuey C.J., Russ A.L., Fang H., Chen M., Walthall C.L., Daughtry C.S.T., Hunt H. Jr. (2002): Narrowband to broadband conversions of land surface albedo. Remote Sensing of Environment, 84: 25-41. Go to original source...
    21. Lillesand T.M., Kiefer R.W., Chipman J.W. (2004): Remote Sensing and Image Interpretation. 5 th Ed., John Wiley & Sons, Inc., New York.
    22. Makarieva A.M., Gorshkov V.G., Li B.L. (2006): Conservation of water cycle on land via restoration of natural closed-canopy forests: implications for regional landscape planning. Ecological Research, 21: 897-906. Go to original source...
    23. Marková I., Janouš D., Marek M.V. (2006): Total net radiation of the mountain Norway spruce stand at Bílý Kříž (The Czech Republic). Ekológia (Bratislava), 25: 352-365.
    24. Moran M.S., Jackson R.D., Raymond L.H., Gay L.W., Slater P.N. (1989): Mapping surface-energy balance components by combining Landsat Thematic Mapper and ground-based meteorological data. Remote Sensing of Environment, 30: 77-87. Go to original source...
    25. Neal C., Reynolds B., Neal M., Pugh B., Hill B., Wickham H. (2001): Long-term changes in the water quality if rainfall, cloud water and stream water for moorland, forested and clear-felled catchments at Plynlimon, mid-Wales. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 5: 459-476. Go to original source...
    26. Peters-Lidard C.D., Blackburn E., Liang X., Wood E.F. (1998): The effect of soil thermal conductivity parametrisation on surface energy fluxes and temperatures. Journal of the Atmospheric Science, 55: 1209-1224. Go to original source...
    27. Piao S., Friedlingstein P., Ciais P., de Noblet-Ducoudré N., Labat D., Zaehle S. (2007): Changes in climate and land use have a larger direct impact than rising CO2 on global river runoff trends. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 104: 15242-15247. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    28. Pokorný J. (2001): Dissipation of solar energy in landscape - controlled by management of water and vegetation. Renewable Energy, 24: 641-645. Go to original source...
    29. Pokorný J., Šíma M., Rejšková A., Brom J. (2007): The role of vegetation in water cycling and energy dissipation. In: Hazell P., Norris D. (eds): Proc. 1st Natural Sequence Farming Workshop. Natural Sequence Farming: Defining the Science and the Practice. October 31-November 1, 2006, NSW, Bungendore.
    30. Priestley C.H.B., Taylor R.J. (1972): On the assessment of surface heat flux and evapotranspiration using large scale parameters. Monthly Weather Review, 100: 81-92. Go to original source...
    31. Procházka J., Hakrová P., Pokorný J., Pecharová E., Hezina T., Wotavová K., Šíma M., Pechar L. (2001): Effect of different management practices on vegetation development, losses of soluble matter and solar energy dissipation in three small sub-mountain catchments. In: Vymazal J. (ed.): Transformations of Nutrients in Natural and Constructed Wetlands. Backhuys Publishers, Leiden, 143-175.
    32. Procházka J., Včelák V., Wotavová K., Štíchová J., Pechar L. (2006): Holistic concept of landscape assessment: case study of three small catchments in the Šumava Mountains. Ekológia (Bratislava), 25 (Suppl. 3): 5-17.
    33. Procházka J., Brom J., Pechar L., Štíchová J., Pokorný J. (2008): Changes in concentrations of dissolved solids in precipitation and discharge water from drained pasture, natural wetland and spruce forest during the years of 1999-2006 in Šumava Mountains, Czech Republic. In: Vymazal J. (ed.): Wastewater Treatment, Plant Dynamics and Management. Springer Science + Bussines Media B. V., Heidelberg, 39-51. Go to original source...
    34. Rees R.M., Ribens J.C.H. (1995): Relationships between afforestation, water chemistry and fish stock in an upland catchment in south-west Scotland. Water, Air & Soil Pollution, 85: 303-330. Go to original source...
    35. Ripl W. (1995): Management of water cycle and energy flow for ecosystem control - the Energy-Transport-Reaction (ETR) model. Ecological Modelling, 78: 61-76. Go to original source...
    36. Ripl W. (2003): Water: the bloodstream of the biosphere. Philosophical Transaction. The Royal Society of London B, 358: 1921-1934. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    37. Savenije H.H.G. (1995): Does Moisture Feedback Affect Rainfall Significantly? Physics and Chemistry of the Earth, 20: 507-513. Go to original source...
    38. Sivakumar M.V.K. (2007): Interaction between climate and desertification. Agricultural and Forest Meteorology, 142: 143-155. Go to original source...
    39. StatSoft, Inc. (2005). STATISTICA (data analysis software system), Version 7.1. Available at www.statsoft.com.
    40. Van de Griend A.A., Owe M. (1993): On the relationship between thermal emissivity and the normalized difference vegetation index for natural surfaces. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 14: 1119-1131. Go to original source...
    41. Wattenbach M., Zebich,M., Hatterman F., Gotschalk P., Goemann H., Kreins P., Badeck F., Lasch P., Suckow F., Wechsung F. (2007): Hydrological impact assessment of afforestration and change in tree-species composition - A regional case study for the Federal State of Brandenburg (Germany). Journal of Hydrology, 346: 1-17. Go to original source...
    42. Yoshino M.M. (1975): Climate in a Small Area. An Introduction to Local Meteorology. University of Tokyo Press, Tokyo.

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY NC 4.0), which permits non-comercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content