MONITORING VEGETATION COVER CHANGE USING MODIS NDVI AND EVI TIME SERIES FROM 2010 TO 2016 IN ARIQUEMES MICROREGION, BRAZIL AND THE ASIAN SIDE OF ISTANBUL, TURKEY By OMER EKMEN A THESIS PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2017 1 © 2017 Omer Ekmen 2 To My Mom 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would first like to thank my Mom for her love, support and motivation during my Master’s journey from thousands of miles away. I would like to convey my gratefulness to my advisor Dr. Amr Abd-Elrahman for his generous support, coaching and helpful advices during my thesis journey. Without his supervision and constant help, this thesis could not have been completed. I would like to thank Dr. Wendell Cropper and Dr. Scot E. Smith for serving on my committee. Dr. Wendell Cropper introduced me to the steps of the research process and Dr. Scot E. Smith helped me broaden my knowledge of remote sensing. I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to colleagues and staff in the Geomatics Program at the Plant City Campus for their assistance and friendship. 4 TABLE OF CONTENTS page ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .............................................................................................. 4 LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................... 8 ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................. 9 CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................. 11 Remote Sensing.................................................................................................. 11 Remote Sensing for Monitoring Vegetation .......................................................... 13 Study Objectives ................................................................................................. 16 2 MATERIAL AND METHODS ............................................................................... 17 Study Areas ........................................................................................................ 17 Data Preparation ................................................................................................. 21 Municipal Boundaries .................................................................................... 21 Vegetation Indices......................................................................................... 22 Temporal Data Acquisition Using Google Earth Engine .................................. 23 Harmonic Seasonal Model and Standard Linear Regression Model ...................... 24 Population Data .................................................................................................. 25 3 RESULTS ........................................................................................................... 26 Linear Regression Model and Trends in Vegetation Cover Change ...................... 26 Trends in Vegetation Cover Change Using MODIS NDVI Time Series ............ 26 Trends in Vegetation Cover Change Using MODIS EVI Time Series .............. 27 Population and Vegetation Cover......................................................................... 27 Greenness-Based Municipal Ranking .................................................................. 29 4 DISCUSSION...................................................................................................... 32 5 CONCLUSION .................................................................................................... 36 APPENDIX A LINEAR REGRESSION MODEL USING MODIS NDVI TIME SERIES .................. 37 Regression Analysis: RS in Ariquemes ................................................................ 37 Regression Analysis: Alto Paraiso ....................................................................... 38 Regression Analysis: Ariquemes.......................................................................... 39 Regression Analysis: Cacaulandia ....................................................................... 40 5 Regression Analysis: Machadinho do Oeste ........................................................ 41 Regression Analysis: Monte Negro ...................................................................... 42 Regression Analysis: Rio Crespo ......................................................................... 43 Regression Analysis: Vale do Anari ..................................................................... 44 Regression Analysis: RS in Istanbul..................................................................... 45 Regression Analysis: Atasehir ............................................................................. 46 Regression Analysis: Beykoz ............................................................................... 47 Regression Analysis: Cekmekoy .......................................................................... 48 Regression Analysis: Kadikoy .............................................................................. 49 Regression Analysis: Kartal ................................................................................. 50 Regression Analysis: Maltepe .............................................................................. 51 Regression Analysis: Pendik ............................................................................... 52 Regression Analysis: Sancaktepe ........................................................................ 53 Regression Analysis: Sile .................................................................................... 54 Regression Analysis: Sultanbeyli ......................................................................... 55 Regression Analysis: Tuzla.................................................................................. 56 Regression Analysis: Umraniye ........................................................................... 57 Regression Analysis: Uskudar ............................................................................. 58 B LINEAR REGRESSION MODEL USING MODIS EVI TIME SERIES .................... 59 Regression Analysis: RS in Ariquemes ................................................................ 59 Regression Analysis: Alto Paraiso ....................................................................... 60 Regression Analysis: Ariquemes.......................................................................... 61 Regression Analysis: Cacaulandia ....................................................................... 62 Regression Analysis: Machadinho do Oeste ........................................................ 63 Regression Analysis: Monte Negro ...................................................................... 64 Regression Analysis: Rio Crespo ......................................................................... 65 Regression Analysis: Vale do Anari ..................................................................... 66 Regression Analysis: RS in Istanbul..................................................................... 67 Regression Analysis: Atasehir ............................................................................. 68 Regression Analysis: Beykoz ............................................................................... 69 Regression Analysis: Cekmekoy .......................................................................... 70 Regression Analysis: Kadikoy .............................................................................. 71 Regression Analysis: Kartal ................................................................................. 72 Regression Analysis: Maltepe .............................................................................. 73 Regression Analysis: Pendik ............................................................................... 74 Regression Analysis: Sancaktepe ........................................................................ 75 Regression Analysis: Sile .................................................................................... 76 Regression Analysis: Sultanbeyli ......................................................................... 77 Regression Analysis: Tuzla.................................................................................. 78 Regression Analysis: Umraniye ........................................................................... 79 Regression Analysis: Uskudar ............................................................................. 80 LIST OF REFERENCES ............................................................................................ 81 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH ........................................................................................ 86 6 LIST OF TABLES Table page 3-1 Pearson correlation of Intercept (NDVI) and Population Density per km2 in 2010 ............................................................................................................... 28 3-2 Pearson correlation of Intercept (EVI) and Population Density per km2 in 2010 ............................................................................................................... 29 3-3 RMSD values and greenness-based municipal ranking .................................... 31 7 LIST OF FIGURES Figure page 1-1 “Nadar elevating Photography to Art” ............................................................... 12 2-1 Microregions in the State of Rondonia ............................................................