Abstract
North America is covered in 2.5 million km2 of wetlands, which is the remainder of an estimated 56% of wetlands lost since the 1700s. This loss has resulted in a decrease in important habitat and services of great ecological, economic, and recreational benefits to humankind. To better manage these ecosystems, since the 1970s, wetlands in North America have been classified with increasing regularity using remote sensing technology. Since then, optimal methods for wetland classification by numerous researchers have been examined, assessed, modified, and established. Over the past several decades, a large number of studies have investigated the effects of different remote sensing factors, such as data type, spatial resolution, feature selection, classification methods, and other parameters of interest on wetland classification in North America. However, the results of these studies have not yet been synthesized to determine best practices and to establish avenues for future research. This paper reviews the last 40 years of research and development on North American wetland classification through remote sensing methods. A meta-analysis of 157 relevant articles published since 1980 summarizes trends in 23 parameters, including publication, year, study location, application of specific sensors, and classification methods. This paper also examines is the relationship between several remote sensing parameters (e.g., spatial resolution and type of data) and resulting overall accuracies. Finally, this paper discusses the future of remote sensing of wetlands in North America with regard to upcoming technologies and sensors. Given the increasing importance and vulnerability of wetland ecosystems under the climate change influences, this paper aims to provide a comprehensive review in support of the continued, improved, and novel applications of remote sensing for wetland mapping across North America and to provide a fundamental knowledge base for future studies in this field.
Highlights
An estimated 56% of North American wetlands have been lost since the 1700s, with the greatest loss occurring during the 20th and 21st centuries largely as a result of land-use change [1]
Based on the in-depth review of 157 publications on wetland mapping in North America, relevant data were extracted via the approach outlined in the previous section
The results of the meta-analysis, which is useful for documenting the scope, range, geographic location, trend, and history of wetland mapping in North America, are presented
Summary
An estimated 56% of North American wetlands have been lost since the 1700s, with the greatest loss occurring during the 20th and 21st centuries largely as a result of land-use change [1]. Impacts of land-use change and climate change (and the interaction between both) have resulted in wetlands becoming the most threatened ecosystem on the planet [5]. An effective tool is needed for the accurate and efficient monitoring and management of these threatened ecosystems. Over the last 40 years, many effective and efficient remote-sensing based methods have been developed and tested for optimal classification and mapping of North American wetland ecosystems
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