1. Galina N. Fet FET2@MARSHALL.EDU Image Processing for Conifer Forest Detection in Tien-Shan Mountains. Marshall University, Department of Physical Sciences Geobiophysical Modeling Graduate Program May 18, 2006

2. STUDY AREA Environmental Monitoring Natural Resources Exploration and Conservation International Tourism Development TIEN-SHAN MOUNTAINS, KYRGYZ REPUBLIC Google Earth

3. STUDY OBJECTIVES  imagery classification: vegetation and non-vegetation feature extraction  vegetation classification and mapping using ground data and imagery  species database compilation for Internet distribution

4. VEGETATION COMPLEXITY  Juniper or Spruce clear stands or mix FOREST => THAN 75 %  Dwarf Juniper and shrubs  Riparian mountain forests with Spruce  Grasslands and mountain meadows with Juniper or dwarf Juniper

5. FOREST TYPE GROUND CONTROL POINTS DATA AND SPECIES GEODATABASE DIGITAL ELEVATION MODEL SATELLITE IMAGERY AND ROCESSING SOFTWARE INCREASE QUALITY AND ACCURACY PRODUCE ELEVATION LAYER EXTRACT ELEVATION CONTOURS AND WATERSHEDS BAND COMBINATION ASESSMENT AND STATISTICS 3D VISUALIZATION SPATIAL STATISTICS AND SURFACE ANALYSIS IMAGE PROCESSING AND CLASSIFICATION STEPS AND COPONENTS PLANT ECOLOGY AND BOTANY

6. SPRUCE AND JUNIPER FOREST AT HIGH ALTITUDE ELEVATIONS 2700 m 2000 m

7. ELEVATION RIPARIAN FORESTS: SPRUCE AND JUNIPER BIRCH AND SPRUCE 2000 M

8. VEGETATION CONTORURS

9. EXTRACTING VEGETATION ASTER BANDS 2,3

10. R CLAY 5/7 G OXIDE 3/2 B VEGETATION 4/3 Bands 3,2,1,8 BAND COMBINATIONS LANDSAT7 ETM+ ASTER Bands 7,4,1,8

11. GEOLOGICAL FEATURES

12. GEOLOGICAL PROCESS ASTER IMAGERY RGB SWIR6, NIR3, VNIR1 ICE CAPS - DARK BLUE ROCKS AND SHALE - YELLOW

13. TRAINING AREA BANDS 531 5,4,2 ASTER ASTER NIR, VNIR AND THERMAL BANDS 4,3,13

14. TRAINING AREA ASTER BROVEY TRANSFORM R 4/431, G 3/431, B 1/431

15. SUPERVISED CLASSIFICATION DIGITIZING CONTOURS SPECTRAL SIGNATURES

16. SUPERVISED CLASSIFICATION SPRUCE FOREST mixed with two different species of junupers (Juniperus turkestanica – dwarf juniper and Juniperus semiglobosa), SPRUCE-BIRCH forest with shrubs and other deciduous trees in the understory. DWARF JUNIFER SHRUBLIKE FOREST in association with numerous and diverse shrubs in the understory

17. SHUTTLE RADAR TOPGRAPHY MISSION DATA (SRTM30) 30 M RESOLUTION OVER US 90 WORLD 16 M VERTICAL AND 20 M HORIZONTAL ACCURACY FREE FTP DONLOAD

18. DIGITAL ELEVATION CONTOURS SRTM CONTOURS (RED) TOPO MAP CONTOURS (BLACK)

19. ALA-ARCHA WATERSHED AND SRTM ELEVATIONS

20. ELEVATION ZONES OVERLAY

21. VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION LAYER DRAPED OVER BAND LS543 COMBINATION

22. VEGETATION CLASSIFICATION LAYER DRAPED OVER SRTM DEM

23. USED SATELLITE IMAGE CLASSIFICATION AS A MAP BASE FOR CONIFER FOREST GEODATABASE LANDSAT7 ETM+, ASTER, SRTM MAPPED THE RESULTS OF BIOTIC SURVEY USSING MODERN GEOREFERENCING TECHNIQUES DEMOSTRATED IMAGE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES AND CAPABILITIES TO RECOGNIZE LAND USE FEATURES WITH ARCGIS/ARCINFO SPATIAL ANALYST, 3D ANALYST RESULTS

24. The author is grateful to the American Association for Advancement of Sciences providing opportunity for research initiation through a travel grant. Photographs by the author, SMAK and Celestial Mountains Co.