Environmental land-cover classification for integrated watershed studies: Cape Bounty, Melville Island, Nunavut

Abstract

Thematic maps developed from remote sensing data are extremely useful for designing intensive field studies, particularly for large areas that are logistically challenging to access. The integrated watershed studies at the Cape Bounty Arctic Watershed Observatory (CBAWO), Melville Island, Nunavut, rely heavily on land cover for establishing sampling locations regardless of the type of research being conducted (e.g., permafrost degradation, greenhouse gas exchange, surface water chemistry, etc.). Here, we present an environmental land-cover classification of the CBAWO that was developed through an iterative process employing parametric and non-parametric classification algorithms applied to WorldView-2 satellite data and topographic variables. The support vector machine classification of eight-band WorldView-2 spectral data and a topographic wetness index produced the highest classification accuracy for eight land-cover classes (overall classification accuracy: 90.7%; Kappa coefficient (κ): 0.89). This analysis also provided a more precise classification scheme, particularly in the context of the relationship between vegetation type and moisture regime. The environmental land-cover classification derived will better inform future integrated studies of the watershed and allow for upscaling of site-level characteristics to the watershed-scale using the updated vegetation classes.