Summary
Mākaha Valley
Invasive Species
Remote Sensing Basics
Model
Model Results
Map
Vegetation Map Results
Derived Map Results
Links
Acknowledgments
References

Modeling the reflectance of vegetation

We used the "SAIL" model (Verhoef 1984) to analyze reflectance for 3 native (koa, ‘ōhi‘a, lama) and 3 nonnative (Christmas berry, coffee, strawberry guava) species. According to the "SAIL" model, the Top of Canopy reflectance (TOC) is affected by:

Tissue reflectance (leaf and wood)
Structure of the plant (leaf and stem angles and leaf and wood density)
Geometry (for example, the angle of incoming solar radiation)
Background reflectance (soil and litter)

By using this model along with statistical analysis, we could determine first, whether native and nonnative plant communities could be identified using satellite imagery. Then we could explore the limitations of the various types of satellites and try to determine which satellites might be the most efficient at separating native from nonnative communities

(From top clockwise) Tomoko: 1) collects leaf and bark samples 2) collects soil samples 3) measures leaf and stem angles 4) measures leaf reflectance