Use of phenological features to identify cultivated areas in Asia

Abstract

Accurate discrimination between cultivated and non‐cultivated, naturally vegetated coverage in the arid and semi‐arid zone of Asia is difficult because of their similar phenological characteristics. This study proposes a method based on phenological features. Ten phenological parameters linked to vegetative growth events were extracted from 250 m resolution, in a 16‐day composite time series of MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data. The short length of the growing season, rapid transition of NDVI values in peak vegetative stage, and NDVI‐related indicators were the main features for cultivated area that differentiated it from non‐cultivated areas. Each coverage type showed a distinct profile. The growing season of cultivated area is one month later in the eastern area than in the western area. Phenological features derived from MODIS NDVI data can permit discrimination between cultivated and non‐cultivated, naturally vegetated areas.

Keywords:

• Cultivated area
• Seasonal phenology
• MODIS NDVI

Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the Grants‐in‐Aid for Scientific Research (S) (KAKENHI no. 22220011).