Object-based Change Detection Analysis for the Monitoring of Habitats in the Framework of the Natura 2000 Directive with Multi- Temporal Satellite Data

Multi-temporal and multi-sensor satellite information can supply valuable information about vegetation species, especially in the context of biodiversity. Main focus of the presented project CARE-X is the development of a remote sensing technology for the European monitoring of NATURA 2000 areas. For this type of monitoring, information about the structure and composition of the existing vegetation within a growth period are required. With temporal very high resolution (TVHR) satellite data, such as RapidEye and TerraSAR-X, the optimal dates for a highly effective utilization of acquired images for the monitoring of different vegetation types and habitats can be identified. The study area "Döberitzer Heide" is situated in the Federal State of Brandenburg (north-east Germany). The main habitats are heathland, dry grassland, and wetland, forming a heterogeneous small scale mosaic of vegetation types. In a first step the land-use and specific habitats within this site and the surrounding area were segmented and classified with five RapidEye images from the vegetation period of 2009. Simultaneously, intensive field spectral measurements took place. First results show that the main land-use classes related to the NATURA 2000 monitoring can be detected with an accuracy of above 0.85. The classification results improve when scenes of August and September are included. The terrestrial spectral measurements show a good accordance with the reflectance of the RapidEye images. Moreover, different vegetation types relevant to the NATURA 2000 monitoring can be separated temporally. In further research the field measurements will be transferred to the multi-temporal RapidEye images using the phenological profile of different vegetation types. * Corresponding author