Seabuckthorn (hippophae) Mapping in Ladakh Region of Jammu and Kashmir

Remote sensing is a powerful tool for the regional mapping of natural resources. Satellite imagery has been demonstrated to be a cost effective method for classifying land use and land cover types throughout the world. This paper evaluates the potential of satellite remote sensing technology by presenting a case study for mapping ground coverage of Seabuckthorn plant, which grows in high altitudes in Ladakh region of Jammu & Kashmir. Mosaic of fourteen IRS-1D multispectral scenes covering the entire Ladakh district was prepared. Training samples were collected from Nubra-Shyok area based on the ground truths. This scene was then classified using the supervised classification technique to identify and extract information on spatial extent, distribution and estimation of Seabuckthorn plant with an overall accuracy of 96%. The study is helpful in exploitation of this highly beneficial natural resource. * Corresponding author [email protected]