DETECTING AND DESCRIBING LANDSCAPE STRUCTURES 
IN THE PALATINE NATURE PARK USING REMOTE SENSING 
Prof.Dr.Barbara Koch, Ulrich v.Werder 
Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg, 
Department of Remote Sensing and Landinformation Systems 
Germany 
Commission VII, working group No. 4 
KEYWORDS 
ABSTRACT 
Remote Sensing, Texture, Illumination, Data Fusion, Landinformation System, Landscape indices 
In the frame of a French-German research project investigation of enhancement of classification masking illumination 
classes and using additional layer information were analysed. Followed by the accuracy assessment for selecting the 
best classification result for the calculation of landscape indices, based on the software package of FRAGSTATS, 
Vers.2.0. At the end the scale independent and uncorrelated indices are described and interpreted. 
Zusammenfassung 
Im Rahmen eines franzósisch-deutschen Forschungsprojektes sind Verbesserungsmóglichkeiten der automatischen 
Klassifikation durch Maskierung von Beleuchtungsintensitáten, die Analyse von Zusatzdaten und die Nutzung von Data 
Fusion Produkten beschrieben. Ausgehend von dem sich anschlief&enden , Accuracy assessment" geht das beste 
Klassifikationsergebnis in die Berechnung von Landschaftsindizes ein. Die Berechnung der Landschaftsindizes ist mit 
dem Programm FRAGSTATS, Vers.2.0 umgesetzt worden. Abschlief$end ist eine Sammlung von empfohlenen 
skaleninvarianten und unkorrelierten Landschaftsindizes beschrieben und interpretiert. 
Introduction 
In the frame of a French-German Remote Sensing 
Research Project in the area of Palatine and North 
Vosges Nature Park, financed by the CNES and DLR 
(further DARA), the investigation results of the Palatine 
area , especially from the , Verbandsgemeinde Dahn" will 
be shown in this paper. 
The German project partner was in charge to analyse the 
possibilities of automatic classification in the area of the 
Verbandsgemeinde Dahn“ under consideration of 
additional layer information, topographic illumination 
effects and data fusion products. 
The Segmentation of coarse landuse units and the 
monitoring of landuse changes on the area of both Nature 
Parks was done by the French project partner. 
The Investigation Area 
The investigation area is located in the south of the 
Palatine Nature Park adjacent to the French-German 
border. It is the south-west part of the state of ,Rheinland- 
Pfalz". According to the different characteristics of this 
area in comparison to the north part of the Palatine forest 
the landscape is called ,Wasgau" . 
The area of the north part of the Palatine Forest is 
covered by around 90 % of forest units, while the south, 
the ,Wasgau“ area is characterised by 75% of forest 
separated by small deep valleys with grassland, small 
agricultural landuse, housing and industrial areas. 
In the following picture you will get an impression of the 
relief of the investigation area ( Figure 1) : 
370 International Archives of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing. Vol. XXXII, Part 7, Budapest, 1998 
  
  
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