Abstract
Abstract. The development of a sustainable wood energy chain is an essential part of ecological and energy transition in Reunion Island (Indian Ocean), where Acacia mearnsii is the main potential wood energy resource identified to date. In order to assess future wood biomass supply chain strategies, a major first issue is to gain knowledge of the spatial distribution of this species forest stands.In this study, we assessed the potential of very high spatial resolution multispectral imagery for mapping the main forest stands in a study area located the Western Highlands region, where Acacia mearnsii expands alongside Acacia heterophylla, an endemic forest species and Cryptomeria japonica, an exotic forest stand. A reference database including 150 samples of seven classes (Acacia mearnsii (mature and non-mature), Acacia heterophylla (mature and non-mature), Cryptomeria japonica, ‘herbaceous areas’, and ‘bare soils’) was used to classify a Pleiades image acquired in May 2020. Spectral and textural indices were used in an incremental classification procedure using a random classifier.The best results (Kappa = 0.84, global accuracy = 84%) were obtained for the classification using all spectral and textural bands. The resulting map enables analyzing the spatial distribution of the different forest stands.
Highlights
Biomass is one of the main available sources of renewable energy that may contribute to the energy transition of a country or a region
Assessing wood energy potential from managed forest stands may be challenging in tropical environments. 1 In Reunion Island, a French overseas department located in Indian Ocean, Acacia mearnsii has been identified as the main potential resource for wood energy applications (ONF, 2018)
We explored the potential of very high spatial resolution multispectral imagery to locate Acacia mearnsii in Reunion Island
Summary
Biomass is one of the main available sources of renewable energy that may contribute to the energy transition of a country or a region. Assessing wood energy potential from managed forest stands may be challenging in tropical environments. 1. In Reunion Island, a French overseas department located in Indian Ocean, Acacia mearnsii has been identified as the main potential resource for wood energy applications (ONF, 2018). In Reunion Island, a French overseas department located in Indian Ocean, Acacia mearnsii has been identified as the main potential resource for wood energy applications (ONF, 2018) This exotic species, introduced several decades ago, has expended to large areas of the territory due to its highly invasive dynamics. While control measures are still necessary to avoid further dissemination, future forest management plans expect to exploit this resource for wood energy but require additional assessments to refine its potential and the supply chain strategies.
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