Type: report

Article abstract: Remotely sensed imagery may significantly aid the City of San Diego (City) in managing natural lands of the Multiple Species Conservation Program (MSCP). The primary objective of this study was to investigate the utility of high resolution, multispectral imagery for quantifying the cover proportions of shrub, herbaceous, and bare ground cover within vegetation stands. The proportional distribution of these cover types may be an indicator of habitat quality. Mapping these cover types using remotely sensed imagery may enable frequent assessment of habitat conditions and changes in conditions over time. In addition, the project analyzed spectral signatures of vegetation stands dominated by native and non-native plant species, investigated the effect of fire and fire recovery on overall image brightness, and evaluated image segmentation techniques for semi-automated delineation of vegetation stands within multispectral imagery.