Landsat imagery, dividing band 4 (NIR) by band 3 (red) enhances the presence and
vigor of vegetation.
Aerial cameras typically collect up to four bands (blue, green, red, and NIR).
Sensors for other multispectral images can be located on satellites or placed on an
aircraft for a specific collection campaign. Further advances in the design of
imaging systems permit separation of finer subdivisions of the spectrum to form
hyperspectral imagery by using more than 200 very specifically defined segments of
the electromagnetic spectrum. Hyperspectral applications are discussed later in this
chapter (Sect. 6.2).
4 History of Mapping and Remote Sensing
4.1 Background
Land use and land cover mapping in our current understanding dates at least to the
late 1600s when estate managers in Western Europe began to map landowners’
forests, fish ponds, croplands, and pastures [29]. Such maps were prepared through
direct ground surveys and manual drawings. Many significant mapping projects
were accomplished with these methods. The mapping of the Americas during the
European Age of Exploration (1400s–1800s) and the mapping of the western
United States by Lewis and Clark in the early 1800s form two major examples.
These missions were undertaken to explore, identify, and map land areas, but
ultimately these maps were used to determine the land’s potential uses for settlements, transportation hubs, agriculture, and natural resource extraction.
Systematic mapping, specifically for land use inventory, began in the early
twentieth century. L. Dudley Stamp produced the Land Utilization Survey for
Britain in the 1930s [30]. This broad-scale inventory was generated from information provided by volunteers who reported land use information for their home
regions. With technological advances, i.e., the development of cameras, computers,
and space exploration, by mid-century remote sensing potential and applicability
became the primary avenue of land use/land cover mapping and monitoring.
Initially, availability of suitable aerial photography focused applications of
remote sensing mainly to urban settings, most often, to support planning and
economic development programs. However, over time, improved access to
higher-quality imagery, and especially the routine availability of satellite imagery,
expanded applications to include rural regions and wildland landscapes, enabling
acquisition of broad-scale land use data to support hydrologic analysis.
4.2 Mapping Using Aerial Photography
Aerial photography has been in existence for over 100 years using kites, balloons,
airplanes, and most recently unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly called drones).
10
T.E. Parece and J.B. Campbell
vigor of vegetation.
Aerial cameras typically collect up to four bands (blue, green, red, and NIR).
Sensors for other multispectral images can be located on satellites or placed on an
aircraft for a specific collection campaign. Further advances in the design of
imaging systems permit separation of finer subdivisions of the spectrum to form
hyperspectral imagery by using more than 200 very specifically defined segments of
the electromagnetic spectrum. Hyperspectral applications are discussed later in this
chapter (Sect. 6.2).
4 History of Mapping and Remote Sensing
4.1 Background
Land use and land cover mapping in our current understanding dates at least to the
late 1600s when estate managers in Western Europe began to map landowners’
forests, fish ponds, croplands, and pastures [29]. Such maps were prepared through
direct ground surveys and manual drawings. Many significant mapping projects
were accomplished with these methods. The mapping of the Americas during the
European Age of Exploration (1400s–1800s) and the mapping of the western
United States by Lewis and Clark in the early 1800s form two major examples.
These missions were undertaken to explore, identify, and map land areas, but
ultimately these maps were used to determine the land’s potential uses for settlements, transportation hubs, agriculture, and natural resource extraction.
Systematic mapping, specifically for land use inventory, began in the early
twentieth century. L. Dudley Stamp produced the Land Utilization Survey for
Britain in the 1930s [30]. This broad-scale inventory was generated from information provided by volunteers who reported land use information for their home
regions. With technological advances, i.e., the development of cameras, computers,
and space exploration, by mid-century remote sensing potential and applicability
became the primary avenue of land use/land cover mapping and monitoring.
Initially, availability of suitable aerial photography focused applications of
remote sensing mainly to urban settings, most often, to support planning and
economic development programs. However, over time, improved access to
higher-quality imagery, and especially the routine availability of satellite imagery,
expanded applications to include rural regions and wildland landscapes, enabling
acquisition of broad-scale land use data to support hydrologic analysis.
4.2 Mapping Using Aerial Photography
Aerial photography has been in existence for over 100 years using kites, balloons,
airplanes, and most recently unmanned aerial vehicles (commonly called drones).
10
T.E. Parece and J.B. Campbell