SISY 2010 • 2010 IEEE 8th International Symposium on Intelligent Systems and Informatics • September 10-11, 2010, Subotica,
Serbia
Object Based Image Analysis in Forestry Change
Detection
Dušan Jovanović, Miro Govedarica, Ivana Đorđević, Vladimir Pajić
Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Serbia
dusanbuk@uns.ac.rs, miro@uns.ac.rs, djordjev.ivana@gmail.com, pajicv@uns.ac.rs
Abstract—this paper presents methods for land cover
change detection, using object based image analysis.
Considering that huge area in Serbia is covered with forest,
this study is of great value for tracking changes over time.
The research involved collecting data. The data used in this
study are optical remote sensing images taken by Landsat
TM satellite and Landsat ETM+ satellite. These images
were processed in order to classify four main land cover
classes, namely: forest, agricultural, urban and water areas.
The images are analyzed in terms of change detection. The
results show the type and the place of land-use changes
occurred in these main four classes during those years.
Change analyses have been executed based on object image
analysis, and results are given in raster and vector format.
I. INTRODUCTION
Remote sensing is defined as the acquisition of data
using a remotely located sensing device, and the
extraction of information from the data [1]. In the narrow
sense, remote sensing includes analysis and interpretation
of various images which represent the Earth surface.
These images can be taken from the ground, air or space.
Electromagnetic energy sensors acquire data in the
way various earth surface features emit and reflect
electromagnetic energy, and these data are analyzed to
provide information about the resources under
investigation.
Shortly, image represents electromagnetic energy
which is registered with a sensor. A first step in the
process of studying images is the process of separating
areas with different properties and grouping ones with
similar properties. Realizing the differences in these
properties and the extraction of certain areas according to
these differences represent analysis of the image.
Identified differences in these properties emphasize the
meaning in terms of science discipline for whose
purposes these methods are used. Interpretation of images
represents an explanation of the differences in the
properties and the determination of its significance.
Therefore, interpretation represents the most important
part in the process of remote sensing.
When talking about terms such as detection on the
Earth surface or change detection, it is important to
explain the meaning of terms land cover and land use.
The terms: land use and land cover are often used
interchangeably, but each term has its own unique
meaning. Land cover - refers to the characteristics and
surface cover of the Earth surface, as represented by land
cover category: vegetation, forest, water, bare earth,
impervious surfaces and other physical features of the
land. Identification of land cover establishes the baseline
information for activities such as thematic mapping and
978-1-4244-7395-3/10/$26.00 ©2010 IEEE
change detection analysis. Land use - refers to the
activity, economic purpose, intended use and/or
management strategy placed on the land cover type(s) by
human agents or land managers. Changes in intent or
management practice likewise constitute land use change.
When used together the phrase Land Use/Land Cover
generally refers to the categorization or classification of
human activities and natural elements on the landscape
within a specific time frame based on the established
scientific and statistical methods of analysis of
appropriate source materials. Land use and land cover
change has become a central component in current
strategies for managing natural resources and monitoring
environmental changes. Every parcel on the Earth surface
is unique in the term of what exists on that parcel [2, 3].
The Earth surface is constantly and rapidly changing in
many ways. In most parts of the world, the process of soil
surface changing is very dynamic. With the exception of
seasonal rainfall effects, rapid changes of temperature,
rainfall and drought, man has affected the vegetation by
changing natural vegetation areas to arable land and vice
versa. On the other hand, there are other dynamic aspects
such as highly volatile pressure of mountain ranges,
forest fires, floods etc.
Change detection can be defined as the process of
identifying differences in the state of an object or
phenomenon by observing it at different times [4].
Change detection is an important application of remote
sensing technology. It is a process of determining the
changes of specific features (object or phenomena of
interest) within a certain time interval. Change detection is
very important part of the monitoring and control of
natural resources and urban development due to
providing the spatial distribution of features and
qualitative and quantitative information of feature
changes. It involves the type, distribution and quantity of
changes, that is the ground surface types, boundary
changes and trends before and after the changes.
The main aim of this paper is the analysis and the
interpretation of satellite images by using object-based
image analysis methods, with the goal of identifying
changes in the field in terms of thematic transition from
one class (land cover) into another.
II. OBJECT BASED IMAGE ANALYSIS
A. Image segmentation
Segmentation refers to the process of partitioning a
digital image into non intersectable regions, in the way
that each region is homogeneous and that union of two
adjecnt regions is also homegeneous [5]. Segmentation is
a way of partitioning raster images into segments based on
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D. Jovanovic et al. • Object-based Image Analysis in Forestry Change Detection
pixel values and locations. Pixels which are spatially
connected and have similar values are grouped in a single
segment. Process of image classification based on the
creation of the regions, ie. segmentation, avoids problems
of mixed pixels and provides more valuable parameters
for the classification (texture, shape, pixel environement,
distance and orentation) then the usual pixel value (light)
[6].
Object extraction can be accessed by using classical or
fuzzy mathematical methods. First group of these
techniques is based on the value of the histogram
threshold, edge detection, relaxation, semantics and
syntax. Fuzzy mathematical methods are also based on the
edge detection methods, thresholding and relaxation.
The histogram threshold method separates image in
subregions, based on the threshold value for each
subregion. If the image is shown in two levels, then the
image separation is done in two regions (black objects and
white background). If image histogram shows different
jump values (picks), it means that image is created from
different regions, and then the different threshold value is
necessary for each one of the regions [7 and 8]. Relaxation
is an iterative approach to the segmentation in which each
pixel is classified in parallel process. Decisions that are
made in the neighboring points in current iteration are
used later and combined for decision making in the
following iteration process. Neural network methods are
also used for image segmentation [5]. Segmentation
process of images with different values of gray color is
based on the edge detection of different regions and on the
location of sudden, rapid and important changes of
intensity.
Few methodological approaches are used for image
edge detection. Some of them are explained in detail in
work of Pal and Sankar [5].
Fuzzy methods are based on the fuzzy sets which use an
imprecise knowledge to define a certain event. This
approach allows the quantification of unreliable facts.
Such uncertainties arise from a lack of information, such
as incomplete, inaccurate, wrongly defined or
contradictory statements [5].
Most of above mentioned methods have been
developed for the main usage in the field of medicine and
telecommunications, for the use of panchromatic images
[5]. The application of segmentation process in the field of
remote sensing was presented recently; first commercial
software was introduced in 2000 [9].
B. Related work
There are advantages in the classification process based
on the object-oriented approach to the standard approach
which is based on the pixel value. Apart from the spectral
information, objects contain additional attributes (e.g.
shape, texture, etc) which can be used for the purpose of
classification. In addition, image segmentation produces
homogeneous objects in the image, thus avoiding the
effect of „snow” (salt-and-pepper effect).
Object classification approach has been used in solving
some specific problems in the forestry. Authors of the
paper “Using shade fraction image segmentation to
evaluate deforestation in Landsat Thematic Mapper
images of the Amazon Region” [10] showed that the
segmentation algorithm using the region growing/merging
algorithms in combination with unsupervised
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classification techniques provides the effective
identification of deforestation area in the zone of the
Brazilian Amazon. Also in the paper "Image segmentation
for humid tropical forest classification in Landsat TM
data” [11] the authors used Landsat TM image and applied
a mixture of edge detection and segmentation methods
using region growing/merging algorithm. Pixel-by-pixel
classification which was applied after segmentation
produced acceptable results.
In general, object-oriented classification process may
be divided in two main working steps; first one would be
segmentation and second one would be classification of
segments based on the previously acquired knowledge.
Congalton and Macleod [12] defined a list of four
phenomena that are important for change detection when
the status of natural resources is monitored:
1. detection of the occurred changes;
2. identification of the nature of changes;
3. measurement of changed area;
4. creation of a spatial pattern of occurred change.
The basis for the usage of remote sensing data for
change detection purposes was the fact that changes in the
land cover cause the changes in the values of radiation
(reflection) that can be remotely sensed. Change detection
techniques - with the help of satellite imagery have
become numerous, which caused the versatility in digital
data processing and computer skills development.
Numerous variations of digital change detection
techniques have been developed over the past twenty
years. Altogether eleven different change detection
algorithms has been affirmed so far [4, 13-20]. This
includes:
1) Mono-temporal change delineation;
2) Delta or post classification comparisons;
3) Multidimensional temporal feature space
analysis;
4) Composite analysis;
5) Image differencing;
6) Multitemporal linear data transformation;
7) Change vector analysis;
8) Image regression;
9) Multitemporal biomass index;
10) Background subtraction;
11) Image rationing.
In some situations, land use and land cover changes can
cause greater damage than benefit to the environment in
the economic and social terms. Therefore, these data are
primarily needed for planners, so they could react timely
and prevent some new, negative consequences caused by
the changes. These data are used as an input in modeling
and predicting future changes.
Tuncay Kuleli in his work [21] used Landsat satellite
images to understand the changes on the coast of
Mediterranean part of Turkey. Two methods were used,
supervised classification of land-cover and comparison of
the results of two classification processes that were
performed in the images of the same area in two time
periods. The second method is named an unsupervised
classification with the implementation of ISODATA
algorithm, where six land cover and land use types were
detected: agricultural land, moisture soil, sand, vegetation,
 SISY 2010 • 2010 IEEE 8th International Symposium on Intelligent Systems and Informatics • September 10-11, 2010, Subotica, Serbia
shallow and deep water. Comparing the results of
classification showed that there has been a rapid change in
structure of the land cover and land use in a time period of
eight years. A transformation of sand and wet areas into
the agricultural land was identified, showing an alarming
issue in such a short period of eight years. This change
indicates the disappearance of wet lands and the
disappearance of wetland landscapes, which can lead to
the unforeseeable consequences for the ecosystem of the
observed area.
In the paper "Change detection of vegetation cover
using multi-temporal remote sensing data and GIS
techniques" from 2008, the authors Adia and Rabi [22]
also used Landsat satellite images in change detection
process. There were several objectives in this study: the
identification of vegetation cover and its spatial
distribution, the analysis of spatial-temporal changes in
vegetation cover, the calculation and the analysis of
normalized difference vegetation index NDVI, description
of a vegetation reflection and finally the production of
NDVI maps.
Three primary methods of data analysis are applied:
1) supervised classification (maximum likelihood
algorithm), where images from 1986 and 2001 were
classified in order to create maps with thick bushes, less
dense bushes, agricultural crop areas, grasslands, artificial
objects, areas with sparse vegetation and water surface
areas;
2) calculation of the NDVI for both images in order
to detect the areas with the decrease of vegetation cover
and
3) overlapping of the results.
In addition to the fact that the results of the study
showed a decrease or increase in the areas of mentioned
covers, as well as changes in the NDVI index, this study
has shown that the techniques of classification and
overlapping produce satisfactory results for this type of
studies. Spatial and spectral resolution of Landsat images
also fully met the needs.
In all these mentioned papers, change detection is based
primarily on the classification and the analysis of images
using standard image analysis techniques. All results were
obtained using the pixel values as a basis for analysis and
classification. Object-based image analysis represents a
step forward in the meaning of change detection process,
especially for change detection in forest areas.
III. THE STUDY AREA AND DATA
Given the fact that Srem represents the part of Serbia
where agricultural production and forestry constitutes the
most important part of economy, this paper might be of
major importance for monitoring changes in the field of
land coverage [23]. For analyzing methodology and
possibilities region of Srem is chosen. The study site lies
approximately between 44°35’ and 45°16’ N latitude and
between 17°60’ and 20°80'E longitude. Remote sensing
data used in this paper are Landsat TM images from 1986,
1987 and 1991 and Landsat ETM+ from 2000 and 2002,
whose characteristics are specified in Table I. These
images are used for classification of four basic types of
land cover: water and water bodies, forests, settlements
and agriculture areas, for the purpose of detection of
changes for the above mentioned types and the above
mentioned time period. The following table includes the
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basic characteristics of Landsat TM and ETM+ Band
characteristic.
TABLE I. LANDSAT TM ETM+ BAND CHARACTERISTICS
Type of Date of
image acquisition
Some characteristic
Seven spectral bands, including a thermal
band :
• Band 1 Visible (0.45 – 0.52µm) 30m
• Band 2 Visible (0.52 – 0.60µm) 30m
22-08-1986 • Band 3 Visible (0.63 – 0.69µm) 30m
Landsat
09-08-1987 • Band 4 NIR (0.76 – 0.90µm) 30m
TM
17-06-1991 • Band 5 NIR (1.55 – 1.75µm) 30m
• Band 6 Thermal (10.40 – 12.50µm) 120m
• Band 7 Mid IR (2.08 – 2.35µm) 30m
Ground Sampling Interval (pixel size): 30m
reflective 120m thermal
Eight spectral bands, including a pan and
thermal band:
• Band 1 Visible (0.45 – 0.52µm) 30m
• Band 2 Visible (0.52 – 0.60µm) 30m
• Band 3 Visible (0.63 – 0.69µm) 30m
• Band 4 NIR (0.76 – 0.90µm) 30m
• Band 5 NIR (1.55 – 1.75µm) 30m
Landsat 20-08-2000
ETM + 23-06-2002 • Band 6 Thermal (10.40 – 12.50µm) 60 m
Low Gain / High Gain
• Band 7 Mid IR (2.08 – 2.35µm) 30m
• Band 8 Panchromatic (0.52 - 0.9µm) 15m
Ground Sampling Interval (pixel size): 30m
reflective 60m thermal
Added the Band 6 Low and High gain 60
meter thermal bands
With its 30-meter spatial resolution, Landsat TM and
ETM + had primacy in the study of land use, mapping and
monitoring and change detection for years. Another
reason for choosing this satellite platform was a selection
of information, whose access is often limited. The choice
is often a compromise between the target period of data
acquisition, the acquisition interval between two or more
images and the existence of data. Imagery cost is also a
limiting factor in the selection of data that should not be
excluded.
In order to get applicable and measurable results of this
study, a reference data was needed. Referring to the fact
that the main aim was to detect changes which occurred in
a period of time, the reference data had to be related to
two time-points of the same area. As the first reference
value, the area of the National Park Fruska Gora of
25475.1413 hectares was chosen. In the imagery of this
area, classification and change detection processes were
performed.
In order to begin the process of classification and
change detection, it was necessary to prepare some basic
input data. The data, besides the already mentioned
Landsat satellite images, which were used in this analysis,
are:
1) topographic map scale of 1:100 000 (TK100)
Novi Sad tags 378, which content of the map corresponds
to state (1985-1987), showen in Fig. 1;
2) data obtained from the general basis for forest
management for the National Park Fruska Gora, for the
period (2002-2011).
Mentioned topographic map - TK100 matches the
situation for the period 1985-1987. These topographic
maps were used for vectorization of the total forest area in
the park Fruska Gora. Vectorization of the forest area was
performed by using MicroStation V8 2004 CAD tool.
D. Jovanovic et al. • Object-based Image Analysis in Forestry Change Detection
Figure 1. Reference forest area
Area which was obtained as a result of vectorization
process, shown in Fig. 1 in blue color, is the area that was
used as the main - reference forest area and it was
compared with the data obtained in the classification and
change detection processes. Since the data in the
topographic map correspond to the period 1985- 1987, for
the first image which was analyzed was selected the one
of the 22/08/1986.
In the process of vectorization, only areas of interest
(areas that are marked as forest in topographic map) were
vectorized. Other areas which were not important for this
study, such as roads, lawns, etc were left out in the
vectorization process. Total area under forests, according
to the vectorized area was 22682.4915 hectares or 226.82
km2, which was set as the new reference value for the
forest area in the period 1985- 1987.
As the third reference value, the data from the general
basis for forest management for the National Park Fruska
Gora in the period (2002-2011) was chosen. Due to the
corresponding data for 2002, for the second reference
satellite image which was used in the process of
classification and change detection, image of 06/23/2002
was selected. Table II shows total reference areas that
were used:
TABLE II. TOTAL REFERENCE AREA
Area of
National park
Forest area in Forest area in
1986 2002
Fruska Gora
General basis New
detected
for forest
forest area
Vectorized management for
Cadastral
ТК100 the National
Park Fruska
Gora
25.475,1413 ha 22.682,4915 ha 24.287,1604 ha 1604,6689 ha
IV. RESULTS
The object-oriented classification method represents
progress in the manner of classification, analysis,
processing and interpreting the images. The whole process
is the automatization of the process of extracting objects
from the images, which is based on the modeling of
human visual system for image interpretation. This was
achieved by creating the training data sets consisting of
quantitative visual interpretations of objects in the image.
The user defines the area of image interpretation by taking
into consideration the following data: color/tone, texture,
size, shape, shadow, location/layout-condition, pattern and
environment.
The classification process was performed in ERDAS
IMAGINE software tool. The data sets that are used in
automated process within the IMAGINE Objective system
were created. Firstly, the sets had to be quantified and that
was achieved by algorithms which produce the metrics of
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these data so that they can be useful in a given context.
This requires an understanding of the information which is
carried by these data, and they inevitably belong into two
distinct categories: pixel-level data and object-level data.
The data on the pixel level need to be dimensional e.g.
measurable in terms of pixel values. Object level data
measure properties of one-dimensional line or two-
dimensional polygon.
IMAGINE Objective image analysis use two
components, two machine learning algorithms, in order to
successfully emulate the human way of interpreting the
data. There are two training algorithms, one for both
levels of data (pixel level data and object level data). The
process allows the transition of information between
levels, especially from the pixel level to the object level,
so the data of these levels could have been processed
together.
Object-oriented classification starts with the image
segmentation into meaningful objects. Segmentation
algorithm performs the bottom-up technique which is
based on region growing algorithm. In the beginning of
the segmentation, every pixel is observed as a separate
object. After that, neighboring pairs of objects get merged
to form a larger segment. The decision on the merging is
based on the local homogeneity criterion which describes
the similarity between adjacent image objects. A pair of
objects with the lowest increase in the defined criteria gets
merged. The process stops when a minimum increase of
homogeneity exceeds the limit that the user previously set.
Thus, the higher threshold will allow more merging and
consequently larger objects, and vice-versa. The criterion
of homogeneity is a combination of color (spectral values)
and shape (a combination of line sharpness and
compactness). The resulting segments are treated as image
objects that can be classified in the next step. The next
step after segmentation is the image classification.
Usually, the classification is related to the associating of
objects with the appropriate classes according to the
description of these classes. In object-oriented approach,
the description of the classification process is based on the
knowledge of the classification rules that include not only
the spectral characteristics, but also the characteristics of
shape, size, content and texture information.
Change detection was performed using two methods:
1) Composite analysis, and
2) Delta or post classification comparisons.
Composite analysis was done by using two images
taken in different time moments. One of them was used
for selection of the training sets which represent areas that
have changed. The other one was used as a background,
mostly for the identification of areas that have changed.
Those sets represent selected data in a pixel level, and
during processing phase they were used in an object level.
The procedure of change detection can be perceived as
a two-steps process. During the first step a raster data is
processed in order to create a vector data by implementing
raster to vector conversion process. Then, the vector
created in the previous step, is processed in order to
produce the final result. Fig. 2 shows black and white
image which represents the result of probability function
processing, which assigns a value between (0, 1) interval
to each pixel depending on a training sample.
 SISY 2010 • 2010 IEEE 8th International Symposium on Intelligent Systems and Informatics • September 10-11, 2010, Subotica, Serbia
Figure 2. Reference forest area
Higher values are assigned to those pixels whose
values are similar to values of pixels from training
samples. Lower probability values are assigned to the
pixels whose values are either close to those pixels in the
background or significantly different from the pixel
values of training samples. The result of segmentation,
the dividing of raster image in segments, based on the
value and location of pixels is shown in Fig. 2 (right).
Pixels which are spatially related and have similar values
are grouped in the same segment. The result is a thematic
layer in which pixel values represent classes of complete
raster objects. Pixels probability, calculated in the
previous steps, was used here as an input layer to
calculate the probability of belonging to the segment,
which would be used as an attribute of segments in
further processing steps.
Raster object operators allow manipulation of raster
objects, made in the previous two steps. The available
functions are: expansion or reduction of current raster
objects, elimination of the raster objects that do not meet
certain criteria and merging or separating of the raster
objects into new ones.
After conversion of raster objects into vector objects,
there are functions that allow manipulation of created
vector objects. Functions allow reshaping of the vector
objects under appropriate conditions, elimination, merging
or separation of some of the objects, also in accordance
with appropriate criteria.
After the manipulation of vector objects is performed, it
is possible to perform the classification of the vector
results. Vector Object classification is composed of one or
more object classifiers, which are formed, based on some
metric values of vector objects e.g. Those classifiers
assign the appropriate probability to each vector object or
the group of vector objects, based on settings of
parameters that are available for every classifier.
Available classifiers can be divided into several groups:
geometry classifiers, which calculate various metric
characteristics of vector objects (area, perimeter, length of
vector axis, correlation of vector axis, concavity,
convexity, orientation, etc.); texture classifiers of vector
objects; height classifiers; orthogonality classifiers, etc.
Change detection, detection of both: newly formed and
disappeared forest areas, in the National Park of Fruska
Gora was performed through the automated process
within the IMAGINE Objective System. Training sets,
created by the user, were formed in two different
categories: pixel level data and object level data. Pixel
level data are dimensional, measurable in terms of pixel
values.
Object level data measure the properties of two-
dimensional polygon as also as the rate of pattern
distribution of some object with the class of
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characteristics. The whole process enables the transition of
information between levels of data, particularly from the
pixel level to the object level. In that case, the training sets
can be processed together which enable better results.
For the region of National Park Fruska Gora, 15 sites
where forest has disappeared were detected, embracing an
area of 914,581 m2 closely 91.45 hectares for the time
period of 16 years (1986-2002). The newly occurred forest
areas were detected at 33 sites with a total area of 949,229
m2, approximately 95 hectares, as shown in Table III.
TABLE III. NEWLY OCCURED AND DISSAPEARED FOREST AREAS
Direct change detection
Newly occurred forest
Disappeared forest area
area
95 ha 91,45 ha
Another method of change detection, based on object-
oriented classification of satellite imagery, is a comparison
of the results of object-multiclassification, preformed on
two satellite images from different time periods. The
postclassification procedure is not different from the
pixel-based postclassification method and classical change
detection procedure so the method itself is not an
innovation [23]. However, the comparison is done over
the results of object-oriented classification of land cover.
For the wider area of the National Park Fruska Gora,
the multiclassification has been performed and land cover
is classified into four classes, as shown in the Fig. 3. The
classification process was performed over two images;
one from 1986, shown in Fig. 3 (left) and other one from
2002, shown in Fig. 3 (right); water surfaces are
presented in blue, agricultural areas in orange, artificial
areas in red, and forests in green. Minimum area which
was considered in classification was 4 pixels, which
means that the objects that are smaller than 4 pixels are
attached to a surface they were, by the properties, most
similar to.
Figure 3. Reference forest area
Results of the classification process are given in Table
IV, for both images. It is obvious that the forest areas
increased by 1386 hectares, artificial areas increased by 13
hectares, and increase of the forest areas was mostly done
at the expense of reducing agricultural land by 1400
hectares. This method can determine only the total area
for each class and the overall differences between them
for a given time period. What can not be precisely
determined are exact locations where a change has
occurred, except if additional features are used, e.g.
intersection function. The place of newly formed, or
disappeared land cover, can not be precisely determined
unless the overlapping process of results for both time
periods. Table V [24] shows overall results.
D. Jovanovic et al. • Object-based Image Analysis in Forestry Change Detection

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