Methodology to map the spread of an invasive plant (Lantana camara L.) in forest ecosystems using Indian remote sensing satellite data

The primary objective of this paper is to evaluate the utility of different Indian remote sensing sensors for detection, mapping and patch size estimation of Lantana camara L. (Kurri). The latter, of the family Verbinaceae, is one of the most aggressive invasive plant species and has colonized large areas of forest land in the Himalayan foothills (Shiwalik range). The State Forest Departments of India are planning to develop a suitable strategy to halt its invasion. The first step in this direction is to have accurate information on the location and spread of the plant in spatial format. The test site is part of the forest of the Rajaji National Park, Uttarakhand. Indian Remote Sensing-Linear Imaging Self-Scanning Sensor (IRS-LISS) III (multi-spectral, 23.5 m), IRS-LISS IV (multi-spectral, 5.8 m), Cartosat-1 (Panchromatic, 2.5 m) and a merged image of LISS IV and Cartosat-1 using Brovey fusion techniques were used to map Lantana camara L. Further improvement was obtained using texture analysis. The study demonstrates the potentiality of LISS IV and Cartosat-1 data for detection and mapping of Lantana camara L. The results show the feasibility of developing a semi-automated procedure to map and analyse the distribution of Lantana in forest areas.