Applications of reflective remote sensing for land degradation studies in a Mediterranean environment

The aim of this thesis is to investigate the role of remote sensing in understanding and modelling land degradation processes. The derivation of quantitative information on vegetation properties from Landsat TM are investigated. Regional maps of erosion hazard are produced using the erosion model SEMMED (Soil Erosion Model for MEDiterranean areas). Imaging spectrometers are used to investigate the usefulness of remote sensing for the survey of soil properties and soil types. Results showed that the spatial variability of land cover types hampers the pixel-by-pixel classification of remotely sensed images. A new method, using fractal dimensions is presented to express quantitatively the spatial heterogeneity of images. The author concludes that remote sensing is useful for modelling land degradation at a regional scale, and makes recommendations for further research. -after Author