Mapping piping plover (Charadrius melodus melodus) habitat in coastal areas using airborne lidar data

Coastal estuaries and beach habitat are some of the most important and productive ecosystems in Atlantic Canada. These sensitive areas are crucial for hundreds of land and marine species. Mapping and monitoring coastal habitat is important for the protection of species such as the endangered piping plover (Charadrius melodus melodus). Light detection and ranging (lidar) elevation and intensity data have been used together to successfully classify land-cover types. This study explores the use of elevation, texture, slope, and intensity to classify coastal habitat. Lidar data were collected over a barrier beach and estuary on the South Shore of Nova Scotia. Ground validation and training sites were collected using a real-time kinematic global positioning system. Unsupervised, supervised, and logical filter classifications were compared for separability of various beach and intertidal habitats. Coastal land classes similar in elevation, texture, and slope, such as mudflats, sand beaches, and salt marshes, relied heavily on intensity data for separation. Tidal saturation of these areas produced similar intensity returns, resulting in poor separation between classes. Logical filters applied to the lidar data improved the classification of coastal habitat compared to standard unsupervised and supervised classifications. Additional logical filters were used to isolate important nesting and feeding habitat for piping plover. Results of this study suggest that lidar can effectively be used for classifying coastal habitat if tidal and seasonal factors are taken into consideration.