Authors
Spyridon E Detsikas, George P Petropoulos, Kleomenis Kalogeropoulos, Ioannis Faraslis
Publication date
2024/6
Journal
Earth
Volume
5
Issue
2
Pages
244-254
Publisher
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
Description
Land use/land cover (LULC) is a fundamental concept of the Earth’s system intimately connected to many phases of the human and physical environment. LULC mappings has been recently revolutionized by the use of high-resolution imagery from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The present study proposes an innovative approach for obtaining LULC maps using consumergrade UAV imagery combined with two machine learning classification techniques, namely RF and SVM. The methodology presented herein is tested at a Mediterranean agricultural site located in Greece. The emphasis has been placed on the use of a commercially available, low-cost RGB camera which is a typical consumer’s option available today almost worldwide. The results evidenced the capability of the SVM when combined with low-cost UAV data in obtaining LULC maps at very high spatial resolution. Such information can be of practical value to both farmers and decisionmakers in reaching the most appropriate decisions in this regard.