Regional change detection based on remote sensing data for sustainable land use planning: A case study of Erdemli (Mersin)

This study tested several automated change detection techniques relying on remotely sensed satellite images and multitemporal landscape characterization for effectively monitoring land cover dynamics in the Mediterraenean-type ecosystems in order to asisst in effective and sustainable resource use, in the case of Erdemli (Mersin). Change detection procedures were applied to the Landsat TM datasets acquired in 1984, 2000, 2006 and land cover maps for these years were compared to detect changes for two periods from 1984 to 2000 and from 2000 to 2006. For landscape-level change detection, Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Principal Components Analysis (PCA), Kauth Thomas Transformation (Tasseled Cap, TC) data derived from the earlier and later dates of TM images and red and infrared band bands of TM (i.e. Bands 3, 5, 7) were differenced and compared for their accuracies to detect landscape changes. Additionally, these change detection procedures were tested for their effectiveness to detect various change categories in order to increase applicability of the study results at different geographical regions of the similar Mediterranean ecosystem types.Key Words: Change detection, Erdemli, Mediterranean ecosytems, post classification, Image differencing