The eMODIS NDVI data was downloaded for the year 2001 and 2014. Subtraction of the two years of NDVI was done. However, I was not sure how I can decide whether the result shows the deforestation area or not. Does anyone knows how I can get deforestation extent for MODIS NDVI data?
Dear Colleague,
you are not going to be able to get deforestation estimates in the way you propose. First of all, NDVI data at best give you an indication of vegetation cover, hence indirectly and quite incompletely of land cover change. Deforestation is a LAND USE change, hence you also need to look at statistics reported by countries to this end.
FAO estimates via FAOSTAT (faostat3.fao.org -- go to Emissions-land use and follow teh relevant links there) yearly national-level information based on official national statistics, as well as provides you with useful and more detailed yearly geo-spatial data on forest fires in humid tropical ecosystems --a good proxy for deforestation.
Best Regards,
Francesco
Dear Francesco,
Thanks a lot for your answer and suggestions. To be specific, we hope that NDVI could help us the location where the deforestation occurred. Could it be possible? If not, what other ways to know where? from satellite images at a small scale (country level)?Add your answer
Regards,
Binaym.
You can use spectral profile extraction for a forest and a non forest, export data and analyze in Excel. Then use a decision tree to identify forest from deforested areas. The other method is to apply statistical analysis and generate ranges. If you have ERDAS, you can use hyperspectral station and choose profile then apply target mapping. This method is complex but it it the most accurate.