Evaluation of the Accuracy of the Field Quadrat Survey of Alpine Grassland Fractional Vegetation Cover Based on the Satellite Remote Sensing Pixel Scale

Abstract

The fractional vegetation cover (FVC) data measured on the ground is the main source for the calibration and verification of FVC remote sensing inversion, and its accuracy directly affects the accuracy of remote sensing inversion results. However, the existing research on the evaluation of the accuracy of the field quadrat survey of FVC based on the satellite remote sensing pixel scale is inadequate, especially in the alpine grassland of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In this paper, five different alpine grasslands were examined, the accuracy of the FVC obtained by the photography method was analyzed, and the influence of the number of samples on the field survey results was studied. First, the results show that the threshold method could accurately extract the vegetation information in the photos and obtain the FVC with high accuracy and little subjective interference. Second, the number of samples measured on the ground was logarithmically related to the accuracy of the FVC of the sample plot (p < 0.001). When the number of samples was larger, the accuracy of the FVC of the sample plot was higher and closer to the real value, and the stability of data also increased with the increase of the number of samples. Third, the average FVC of the measured quadrats on the ground was able to represent the FVC of the sample plot, but on the basis that there were enough measured quadrats. Finally, the results revealed that the degree of fragmentation reflecting the state of ground vegetation affects the acquisition accuracy of FVC. When the degree of fragmentation of the sample plot is higher, the number of samples needed to achieve the accuracy index is higher. Our results suggest that when obtaining the FVC on the satellite remote sensing pixel scale, the number of samples measured on the ground is an important factor affecting the accuracy, which cannot be ignored.