Wall-to-wall Landsat TM classifications for Georgia in support of SAFIS using FIA plots for training and verification

Wall-to-wall Landsat TM classification efforts in Georgia require field validation. Validation uslng FIA data was testing by developing a new crown modeling procedure. A methodology is under development at the Southern Research Station to model crown diameter using Forest Health monitoring data. These models are used to sinlulate the proportion of tree crowns that reflect l~gh t on a FIA subplot bass The subplot crown proportions are averaged and compared to Landsat TM classifications for verification purposes Resolution d~fferences between field data and Landsat TM data make comparisons challenging. Positive correlations between the two types of data were recorded for 4 of the 5 FIA plots tested D~fferences on the 5" plot may be attr~buted to mis-registration of the two data sources or mis-class~fication of the TM imagery.