Landsat TM Classifications For SAFIS Using FIA Field Plots

Wall-to-wall Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) classification efforts in Georgia require field validation. We developed a new crown modeling procedure based on Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) data to test Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data. These models simulate the proportion of tree crowns that reflect light on a FIA subplot basis. We averaged subplot crown proportions and compared them to Landsat TM classifications for validation. Resolution differences between field data and Landsat TM data make comparisons challenging. We recorded positive correlations between the two types of data for four of the five FIA plots tested. We attribute differences on the fifth plot to misregistration of the two data sources or misclassification of the TM imagery.