Coarse-resolution Satellite Data for Ecological Surveys

Abstract

ince the first Landsat was launched in 1972, satellite data have contributed significantly to large-area inventory and monitoring tasks (e.g., MacDonald and Hall 1978). One of the few criticisms of original Landsat multispectral scanner (MSS) data was that the resolution (80 m) seemed too coarse for some applications. A great deal of interest has therefore accompanied recent launchings of Landsats 4 and 5 with their thematic mapper (TM) sensors and France's SPOT, which offer data of considerably finer resolution than those available from Landsats 1, 2, and 3. For many tasks, high-resolution TM and SPOT data will undoubtedly be helpful. On the other hand, some investigators are exploring a very different proposition (e.g., Schneider et al. 1981): that data with coarser resolution than Landsat MSS data, such as those available from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) satellites, will also be useful for certain applications. These applications include inventory, monitoring, and biophysical characterization of very large areas, considerably larger than the approximately 34,000 km2 in a single Landsat scene. Furthermore, NOAA satellite data are especially useful for tasks requiring