Analysis of forest types and stand structures over Korean peninsula Using NOAA/AVHRR data

In this study, visible and near infrared channels of NOAA/AVHRR data were used to classify land use and vegetation types over Korean peninsula. Analyzing forest stand structures and prediction of forest productivity using satellite data were also reviewed. Land use and land cover classification was made by unsupervised clustering methods. After monthly Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) composite images were derived from April to November 1998, the derived composite images were used as temporal feature vector's in this clustering analysis. Visually interpreted, the classification result was satisfactory in overall for it matched well with the general land cover patterns. But subclassification of forests into coniferous, deciduous, and mixed forests were much confused due to the effects of low ground resolution of AVHRR data and without defined classification scheme. To investigate into the forest stand structures, digital forest type maps were used as an ancillary data. Forest type maps, which were compiled and digitalized by Forestry Research Institute, were registered to AVHRR image coordinates. Two data sets were compared and percent forest cover over whole region was estimated by multiple regression analysis. Using this method, other forest stand structure characteristics within the primary data pixels are expected to be extracted and estimated.