Ecology, Environment and Conservation Paper

CAPTURING HOMAGENITY OF FOREST STANDS FROM TEXTURAL ATTRIBUTES OF IRS-1C LISS IN SATELLITE DATA - A CASE STUDY FROM RAMPA FORESTS (EASTERN GNATS)

V. Krishna Prasad, T. Rajagopal, Yogesh Kant and K. V.S. Badarinath

Abstract

Remote sensing data contains both the spectral and spatial information and spatial information can be effectively utilized in studies relating to forest structure and landscape processes. In the present study an attempt has been made to characterize the over storey diversity of Imest stands utilizing the spatial information from IRS IC' LISS III satellite data. The second order statistics. using two measures of textural homogenity. Angular Second Moment (ASM) and Inverse Difference Moment (IDM), that use Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix (GLCM). which considers the relation between pixels, in addition to gray level resolution, have been used to quantify the homogenity in forest stands, with respect to texture. Results of the study suggested complete homogenity for stands of dry deciduous forests pertaining to stand dominated by Hokin-helm pubescens, Cleistanthes collinus community and Lannea-Anogeissus association. In ease of' mixed dry deciduous stands, stand pertaining to Xylia-Anogeissus community showed increasing homogenity than the Other stands. With respect to mixed scrub forests, the stand dominated by Zizyphus oenoplia and Phoenix humilis showed higher homogenity in texture when compared to stand dominated by Zizyphus oenoplia and Cleistanihus Overall, the averaged textural homogenity for different stands is found to be high for dry deciduous stands, followed by mixed scrub stands and least for mixed dry deciduous stands.