Mapping Arctic Coastal Ecosystems with High Resolution Optical Satellite Imagery Using a Hybrid Classification Approach

Most mapping methods for Arctic land cover are pixel-based techniques for low resolution data, and have limitations in mapping land cover heterogeneity over complex Arctic polygonal tundra terrain. In this study, we developed a hybrid object-based approach for Arctic coastal tundra mapping using very high resolution optical satellite imagery by combining results from semi-automatic water/land separation, texture analysis based on local binary pattern (LBP), and image classification via Random Forests (RF). The method was applied for coastal land cover mapping in a study site in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada using Pleiades satellite data. Results from pixel-based Maximum Likelihood Classifier (MLC), segment-based MLC, pixel-based RF, and segment-based RF were compared with the proposed method. The hybrid method outperformed other approaches and achieved an overall accuracy of 88% for 9 classes. In particular, it has successfully identified unique land cover types of Ice-Wedge Polygons, Wetland (inundated low-lying tundra and marsh with water ponds), with both producer's and user's accuracy over 91%. Results from this study indicate that the developed hybrid method is suitable to be applied for mapping Arctic coastal ecosystems, and confirms the feasibility of proper use of LBP at segment level for mapping complex environment.