title: Mapping forests in monsoon Asia with ALOS PALSAR 50-m mosaic images and MODIS imagery in 2010.
abstract: Extensive forest changes have occurred in monsoon Asia, substantially affecting climate, carbon cycle and biodiversity. Accurate forest cover maps at fine spatial resolutions are required to qualify and quantify these effects. In this study, an algorithm was developed to map forests in 2010, with the use of structure and biomass information from the Advanced Land Observation System (ALOS) Phased Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) mosaic dataset and the phenological information from MODerate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MOD13Q1 and MOD09A1) products. Our forest map (PALSARMOD50 m F/NF) was assessed through randomly selected ground truth samples from high spatial resolution images and had an overall accuracy of 95%. Total area of forests in monsoon Asia in 2010 was estimated to be ~6.3 × 10(6 )km(2). The distribution of evergreen and deciduous forests agreed reasonably well with the median Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) in winter. PALSARMOD50 m F/NF map showed good spatial and areal agreements with selected forest maps generated by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA F/NF), European Space Agency (ESA F/NF), Boston University (MCD12Q1 F/NF), Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO FRA), and University of Maryland (Landsat forests), but relatively large differences and uncertainties in tropical forests and evergreen and deciduous forests.
authors: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Center for Spatial Analysis, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
authors: Yuanwei
authors: Y
authors: Qin
authors: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Center for Spatial Analysis, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.|Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
authors: Xiangming
authors: X
authors: Xiao
authors: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Center for Spatial Analysis, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
authors: Jinwei
authors: J
authors: Dong
authors: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Center for Spatial Analysis, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
authors: Geli
authors: G
authors: Zhang
authors: University Center for Earth and Space Science, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 500046, India.
authors: Partha Sarathi
authors: PS
authors: Roy
authors: School of Environmental Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, 110067, India.
authors: Pawan Kumar
authors: PK
authors: Joshi
authors: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, 44700, Nepal.
authors: Hammad
authors: H
authors: Gilani
authors: International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Kathmandu, 44700, Nepal.
authors: Manchiraju Sri Ramachandra
authors: MS
authors: Murthy
authors: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Center for Spatial Analysis, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
authors: Cui
authors: C
authors: Jin
authors: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Center for Spatial Analysis, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
authors: Jie
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Center for Spatial Analysis, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
authors: Yao
authors: Y
authors: Zhang
authors: Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.|Danzhou Investigation &Experiment Station of Tropical Cops, Ministry of Agriculture, Rubber Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Danzhou 571737, China.
authors: Bangqian
authors: B
authors: Chen
authors: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Center for Spatial Analysis, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
authors: Michael Angelo
authors: MA
authors: Menarguez
authors: International Center for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas, Amman, 11195, Jordan.
authors: Chandrashekhar M
authors: CM
authors: Biradar
authors: Department of Microbiology and Plant Biology, Center for Spatial Analysis, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
authors: Rajen
authors: R
authors: Bajgain
authors: Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
authors: Xiangping
authors: X
authors: Li
authors: Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
authors: Shengqi
authors: S
authors: Dai
authors: Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
authors: Ying
authors: Y
authors: Hou
authors: Institute of Biodiversity Science, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China.
authors: Fengfei
authors: F
authors: Xin
authors: College of Atmospheric and Geographic Science, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 73019, USA.
authors: Berrien
authors: B
authors: Moore
mesh_terms: D000465:Algorithms; D001208:Asia; D044822:Biodiversity; D018533:Biomass; D057486:Carbon Cycle; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D065928:Forests; D040362:Geographic Information Systems; D006801:Humans; D063809:Satellite Imagery / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D012621:Seasons; D014329:Tropical Climate