Image Processing Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 6
The V-I-S Model: Quantifying the Urban
Environment
Renee M. Gluch and Merrill K. Ridd
This chapter emphasizes the ecological nature of urban places and introduces the
V-I-S (Vegetation-Impervious surface-Soil) model for use by remote sensing to
characterize, map, and quantify the ecological composition of urban/peri-urban
environments. The model serves not only as a basis for biophysical and human
system analysis, but also serves as a basis for detecting and measuring morphological/
environmental change of urban places over time.
Learning Objectives
Upon completion of this chapter, you should be able to:
Define an ecosystem and explain urban/peri-urban environments
as an ecosystem, with examples from personal experience
Explain the V-I-S Model concept and how it engages remote
sensing in quantifying and mapping variations in urban/peri-
urban ecosystems over space and time
Explain how spatial and spectral resolutions affect mapping
V-I-S patterns in urban/peri-urban environments
Plot and explain V-I-S values on (a) a feature space plot, (b) a
linear transect diagram, (c) a linear time-dependent diagram, and
(d) a ternary V-I-S diagram, both static and dynamic
Discuss how the V-I-S model may be used to link with
environmental/engineering models such as urban heat island
and storm runoff
R.M. Gluch (
*
)
Department of Geography, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT 84602, USA
e-mail: renee_gluch@byu.edu
M.K. Ridd
Department of Geography, University of Utah, 260 S. Central Campus Dr., Salt Lake City,
UT 84112-9155, USA
e-mail: merrillridd@geog.utah.edu
