Evaluation of IKONOS images for forestry and habitat mapping:: Applications through a Hungarian case study

The launch of Ikonos satellite at the end of September 1999 marked the beginning of a new era for the application of satellite images. Being able to provide up to one-metre resolution panchromatic and four-metre resolution multispectral images, thus available in the past for military purposes or from aerial surveys only, this satellite offers considerable improvements and broadens the application possibilities of satellite imagery. In our study, two of the lower-price "Ikonos Carterra Geo" images were processed. Geometric accuracy enhancement and thematic data extraction possibilities were examined in order to evaluate this sensor for forestry applications. The whole study focuses on a selected Hungarian research area, but the results can be useful in a more general context.