Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
6
CHAPTER
Participatory Reference Data Collection Methods for
Accuracy Assessment of Land-Cover Change Maps
John Sydenstricker-Neto, Andrea Wright Parmenter, and Stephen D. DeGloria
CONTENTS
6.1 Introduction.............................................................................................................................75
6.1.1 Study Objectives.........................................................................................................77
6.1.2 Study Area ..................................................................................................................77
6.2 Methods ..................................................................................................................................78
6.2.1 Imagery .......................................................................................................................78
6.2.2 Reference Data Collection .........................................................................................79
6.2.3 Data Processing ..........................................................................................................80
6.2.4 Image Classification ...................................................................................................81
6.2.5 Accuracy Assessment .................................................................................................81
6.3 Results and Discussion...........................................................................................................82
6.3.1 Classified Imagery and Land-Cover Change .............................................................82
6.3.2 Map Accuracy Assessment.........................................................................................84
6.3.3 Bringing Users into the Map......................................................................................85
6.4 Conclusions.............................................................................................................................86
6.5 Summary.................................................................................................................................87
Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................................88
References ........................................................................................................................................88
6.1 INTRODUCTION
Development strategies aimed at settling the landless poor and integrating Amazonia into the
Brazilian national economy have led to the deforestation of between 23 and 50 million ha of primary
forest. Over 75% of the deforestation has occurred within 50 km of paved roads (Skole and Tucker,
1993; INPE, 1998; Linden, 2000). Of the cleared areas, the dominant land-use (LU) practice
continues to be conversion to low-productivity livestock pasture (Fearnside, 1987; Serrão and
Toledo, 1990). Meanwhile, local farmers and new migrants to Amazonia continue to clear primary
forest for transitory food, cash crops, and pasture systems and eventually abandon the land as it
loses productivity. Though there are disagreements on the benefits and consequences of this practice
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