Use of Landsat TM and ETM+ to describe intra-season change in vegetation, with consideration for wildlife management

Many studies have used seasonal differences in multi-temporal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) values to help explain movements of large mammal species such as barren-ground caribou (Rangifer tarandus greenlandicus). These studies, however, have typically relied upon coarse-resolution NDVI information (i.e., 250-1000m). The Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) onboard the Landsat satellites capture 30-m multi-spectral data, but because of the limited satellite overpass schedule, these data are less frequently available and consequently more likely to be contaminated by clouds. I assessed the success of several models containing multiple terrain inputs and vegetation information (derived by maximum likelihood classification of TM data with overall accuracy 77%) to predict NDVI in clouded areas and to map uniform NDVI surfaces. Using these data, I employed change detection techniques to derive the phenological differences of vegetation between images from four months during the growing season of 2001 and related these to seasonal changes for 11 vegetation types in the Greater Besa-Prophet Area of the Muskwa-Kechika Management area in northern British Columbia.