Classifying tree species in a northern mixed forest using high-resolution IKONOS data

The high-spatial-resolution IKONOS satellite is now operating as a resource and disaster monitor, after a successful launch in September 1999. The ground resolution of the IKONOS panchromatic band is about 1 m, the greatest of any satellite. The objectives of this study were to verify the extent to which high-resolution IKONOS data can be used to classify tree species. A field survey and image analysis study used IKONOS imagery to classify 21 species in mixed stands of deciduous and conifer species with the following results: (1) The panchromatic and multi-spectral bands 4, 3, and 2 were useful for classifying tree species owing to the great difference in the reflectance values between tree species. (2) Some groups, for which there were significant differences among species, were identified using Tukey's multiple comparison test; conifers and some broadleaved trees were identified correctly more often than other species. (3) A random selection of validation pixels showed that the overall classification accuracy was 62%. The classification accuracy of broadleaved trees was a little low, ranging from 40% to 63%, while that of conifers exceeded 70%. (4) The overall accuracy of the classification at the genus level improved by 4% more than the species level. The misclassification of broadleaved trees was due to the similar spectral characteristics of species in the same genus.