Title: Mediterranean land cover change - Modelling and monitoring natural vegetation using GIS and remote sensing
In my thesis I have studied land cover changes in semi-natural Mediterranean areas, especially succession paths and vegetation dynamics following land abandonment. I have shown that land cover change models can be used to analyze, understand and predict the land abandonment process and its consequences. I have also presented methods for the development of a land cover change model. In many semi-natural areas the only source of continuous spatial and temporal validation data are various types of remote sensing data. Therefore I have specially focused on methods to validate the land cover change model using remote sensing data for a Mediterranean ecosystem in the Peyne area, approximately 60 km west of Montpellier, France. To integrate the land cover change model as far as possible with remote sensing observations for validation, remote sensing data was included in an early stage of model development and (transition) rule definition. First I explored the possibilities of temporal validation and rule definition using time series of aerial photographs. Next, I studied conventional and innovative per pixel classification techniques, contextual classification techniques (SPARK) and techniques that use ancillary data to assist the classification. Based on these results I presented a conceptual land cover change model for the Peyne area.
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| PhD Thesis "Mediterranean land cover change..." (full text) | Library Utrecht University | |
| Summary | ||
| Samenvatting (Dutch) | ||
| Publications | Publications webpage | |
| Utrecht University - Faculty of Geosciences | http://www.geo.uu.nl | |
| PCRaster | http://pcraster.geo.uu.nl | |
| PCRaster SPARK (PhD thesis chapter 6) | PCRaster SPARK website | |
| Photographs made during the fieldworks | Photo Gallery | |
| Cited Literature, Endnote 7 File | ZIP | |
| Endnote style: Netherlands Geographical Studies (NGS) | ZIP | |
| Endnote style: Remote Sensing of Environment | ZIP | |
| Endnote style: Landscape Ecology | ZIP | |
| Endnote style: EARSEL E-proceedings | ZIP | |