Land cover classification in rugged areas using simulated moderateresolution remote sensor data and an artificial neural network

Rugged land cover classification accuracies produced by an artificial neural network (ANN) using simulated moderate-resolution remote sensor data exceed overall accuracies produced using the maximum likelihood rule (MLR). Land cover in spatially-complex areas and at broad spatial scales may be difficult to monitor due to ambiguities in spectral reflectance information produced from cloud-related and topographic effects, or from sampling constraints. Such ambiguities may produce inconsistent estimates of changes in vegetation status, surface energy balance, run-off yields, or other land cover characteristics. By use of a 'back-classification' protocol, which uses the same pixels for testing as for training the classifier, tests of ANN versus MLR-based classifiers demonstrated the ANNbased classifier equalled or exceeded classification accuracies produced by the MLR-based classifier in five of six land cover classes evaluated.