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manually remove the classified pixels from the non-agricultural areas with the
cursor. Manual removal should be done with care: pixels should either be
totally removed, or left in both segments and the land represented by the
segments. Pura
Once the classification has been accepted, it is filtered with a 3x3
spatial filter to remove single pixels classified as Canola/rapeseed and fill
in single pixels missing in fields. The number of pixels of crop in each
segment and in the whole subscene are recorded, and the next subscenes can then
be analyzed using either the signature already developed or a new one based on
data in these subscenes.
After classification, one must also draw the Crop District boundaries on
the video display where necessary, using maps for reference. An easier
procedure is to simply delete all of the crop of interest which falls outside
of the Crop District of interest. A similar procedure was adopted for removing
overlap between adjacent scenes of the system corrected data.
SOLUTIONS TO ANALYSIS PROBLEMS
This section outlines the responses to the more difficult problems
encountered requiring more complex or perhaps more controversial solutions.
Missing or Unacceptable Segment Data: Segment data may be missing for various
reasons. Ground data may be rendered obsolete by weather. For example, in
1981 a number of Canola/rapeseed fields were ploughed under after Statistics
Canada enumeration because of poor germination. A segment may also be obscured
by cloud, cloud shadow, haze, or smoke from forest fires. Where data were
missing, segments were ignored. Where there was a question about the veracity
of data given, it was assessed by the project staff. Depending upon the result
of this assessment segments were deleted; changes were made to correct the
segments; or they were further refined by local co-operators.
No Training Data: Many of the images contained no segments or segments in
these regions did not include rapeseed fields.
If there were training fields within the same satellite path on the same
day, these were used for signature extension. More serious problems occurred
where there were no training fields for the imagery acquired on one date. The
images acquired for National Topographic Survey Map sheets 83P4 and 83P2 on
August 10 did not contain reliable training data but they did include rapeseed.
To solve this problem imagery was interpreted visually to identify training
sites using information on the crop phenology. If imagery containing training
fields had been available for either the day before or the day after, one may
have used that signature as a point of departure for the visual analysis. This
approach has many potential pitfalls and should be used only with greatest
care.
Isolated Haze or Thin Smoke: A variety of methods are available to correct for
thin haze and other factors which affect the signature over an image. Most of
these require time consuming recalculations of spectral values, the presence of
clear lakes as standard targets (Ahern et al., 1977), or other relatively
complex manipulations. Since the primary requirement in this study was to
obtain a true representation of crop area which implies an accurate
classification, the method developed here is based upon subjective assessment
of the effect of haze on the displayed image. Areas of haze (often a jet
vapour trail) appear as somewhat brighter, frequently elongated features.
Usually one does not see haze, but rather its effects on the ground beneath it.
The same effect is also seen at the edges of clouds. Where clouds are
associated with haze, the haze is treated with the clouds, as in the next
subsection below.
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