Title
Mapping Cropland Distributions Using a Hard and Soft Classification Model
Abstract
Accurate and timely information regarding the location and area of major crop types has significant economic, food, policy, and environmental implications. Both hard and soft classification methods are used throughout the growing season to generate cropland distribution maps using multiple remotely sensed data. Hard classification models (HCMs) yield good results in large homogeneous areas where pure pixels are dominant, but they fail in fragmented areas where mixed pixels are dominant. Conversely, soft classification models (SCMs) are thought to have greater accuracy in fragmented areas than in regions with pure pixels. To take advantage of both methods, we develop a hard and SCM (HSCM) based on existing HCMs and SCMs, and test it using data from simulated images as well as actual satellite data from southeast Beijing, China. The model assessment was performed using three statistical metrics at scales ranging from 1×1 to 10×10 pixels. The results reveal that the HSCM has the highest classification accuracy and produces more reasonable cropland distribution maps than those produced by either HCMs or SCMs. Moreover, the theory and methods employed in developing the HSCM provide a unifying framework for mapping land cover types, and they can be applied to different HCMs and SCMs beyond those currently in use.
Year
DOI
Venue
2012
10.1109/TGRS.2012.2193403
IEEE T. Geoscience and Remote Sensing
Keywords
Field
DocType
policy implication,soft classification models (scms),remote sensing,croplands,environmental implication,support vector machines (svms),hard classification model,cropland distribution mapping,china,southeast beijing,food implication,multiple remotely sensed data,hard classification models (hcms),spot,quickbird,geophysical image processing,soft classification model,generate cropland distribution maps,vegetation,economic implication
Growing season,Vegetation,Homogeneous,Remote sensing,Ranging,Pixel,Land cover,Mathematics,Beijing,Satellite data
Journal
Volume
Issue
ISSN
50
11
0196-2892
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
9
0.69
10
Authors
5
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Yaozhong Pan113626.58
Tangao Hu2153.24
Xiufang Zhu3154.74
Jinshui Zhang4176.02
Xiaodong Wang5101.72