Distinguishing vegetation land covers using hyperspectral imagery

We use AVIRIS data collected at Fort A. P. Hill, Virginia, to evaluate how well airborne hyperspectral imagery can be used to distinguish vegetation land covers. Fort A. P. Hill is located in east-central Virginia and is heavily forested with a mix of deciduous and coniferous species native to the mid-Atlantic region. The location and extent of the forest species is documented in a land cover database compiled by the Fort for planning and resource protection purposes. The AVIRIS data set consists of several low-altitude (3.7-m GSD) flight lines on two dates: November 1999 and September 2001. Our goal is to characterize the both the natural variability of vegetation land covers using mathematical and biophysical metrics and to assess differences between land covers for classification purposes.