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Frontiers of Environmental Science & Engineering

ISSN 2095-2201

ISSN 2095-221X(Online)

CN 10-1013/X

Postal Subscription Code 80-973

2018 Impact Factor: 3.883

Front.Environ.Sci.Eng.    2008, Vol. 2 Issue (2) : 187-197    https://doi.org/10.1007/s11783-008-0004-1
Spectral characteristics of plant communities from salt marshes: A case study from Chongming Dongtan, Yangtze estuary, China
ZHANG Liquan1, GAO Zhanguo2, Armitage Richard3, Kent Martin4
1.State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University; 2.State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, East China Normal University;Environment Monitoring Center of Ningbo; 3.Research Institute for the Built and Human Environment, School of Environment and Life Science, University of Salford; 4.School of Geography, University of Plymouth
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Abstract The spectral reflectance of recently formed salt marshes at the mouth of the Yangtze River, which are undergoing invasion by Spartina alterniflora, were assessed to determine the potential utility of remotely sensed data in assessing future invasion and changes in species composition. Following a review of published research on remote sensing of salt marshes, 53 locations along three transects were sampled for paired data on plant species composition and spectral reflectance using a FieldSpec Pro JR Field Portable Spectroradiometer. Spectral data were processed concerning reflectance, and the averaged reflectance values for each sample were re-analysed to correspond to a 12-waveband bandset of the Compact Airborne Spectral Imager. The spectral data were summarised using principal components analysis (PCA) and the relationships between the vegetation composition, and the PCA axes of spectral data were examined. The first PCA axis of the reflectance data showed a strong correlation with variability in near infrared reflectance and ‘brightness’, while the second axis was correlated with visible reflectance and ‘greenness’. Total vegetation cover, vegetation height, and mudflat cover were all significantly related to the first axis. The implications of this in terms of the ability of remote sensing to distinguish the various salt marsh species and in particular the invasive species S. alterniflora were discussed. Major differences in species with various physiognomies could be recognised but problems occurred in separating early colonising S. alterniflora from other species at that stage. Further work using multi-seasonal hyperspectral data might assist in solving these problems.
Issue Date: 05 June 2008
 Cite this article:   
GAO Zhanguo,ZHANG Liquan,Armitage Richard, et al. Spectral characteristics of plant communities from salt marshes: A case study from Chongming Dongtan, Yangtze estuary, China[J]. Front.Environ.Sci.Eng., 2008, 2(2): 187-197.
 URL:  
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/10.1007/s11783-008-0004-1
https://academic.hep.com.cn/fese/EN/Y2008/V2/I2/187
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