Search

Given the ability of effectively observing vegetation at a variety of spatial and temporal scales, remote sensing has been widely used to monitor and understand the change of mangrove forest extent. Yet, a systematic cognition of the unique contribution of remote sensing on studying mangrove forest extent dynamic is lacking, which prevents us from clearly identifying and further overcoming current deficiencies of studying the change of mangrove forest extent with remote sensing. Therefore, in this review, we summarized remotely sensed extraction methods and data related to mangrove forest extent change monitoring and all discoveries from mangrove forest extent change observation and driver analysis. We found that mangrove forest in most of the study areas has declined over the past decades, and the loss rate is accelerating. We also found that remote sensing plays an important role in revealing how the extent of mangrove forest responds to climate change and human impacts. In addition, we identified several recurring limitations from previous studies. This review highlights the role of remote sensing on studying mangrove forest extent change, and is helpful to make better use of remotely sensed data in this field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the launch of the first land-observation satellite (Landsat-1) in 1972, land-cover mapping has accumulated a wide range of knowledge in the peer-reviewed literature. However, this knowledge has never been comprehensively analysed for new discoveries. Here, we developed the first spatialized database of scientific literature in English about land-cover mapping. Using this database, we tried to identify the spatial temporal patterns and spatial hotspots of land-cover mapping research around the world. Among other findings, we observed (1) a significant mismatch between hotspot areas of land-cover mapping and areas that are either hard to map or rich in biodiversity; (2) mapping frequency is positively related to economic conditions; (3) there is no obvious temporal trend showing improvement in mapping accuracy; (4) images with more spectral bands or a combination of data types resulted in increased mapping accuracies; (5) accuracy differences due to algorithm differences are not as large as those due to various types of data used; and (6) the complexity of a classification system decreases its mapping accuracy. We recommend that one way to improve our understanding of the challenges, advances, and applications of previous land-cover mapping is for journals to require area-based information at the time of manuscript submission. In addition, building a standard protocol for systematic assessment of land-cover mapping efforts at the global scale through international collaboration is badly needed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]