VEGETATION MAPPING OF THE MARIANA ISLANDS: COMMONWEALTH OF THE NORTHERN MARIANA ISLANDS AND TERRITORY OF GUAM NOVEMBER 2017 FINAL REPORT FRED AMIDON, MARK METEVIER1 , AND STEPHEN E. MILLER PACIFIC ISLAND FISH AND WILDLIFE OFFICE, U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, HONOLULU, HI 1 CURRENT AGENCY: BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, MEDFORD, OR Photograph of Alamagan by Curt Kessler, USFWS. Mariana Island Vegetation Mapping Final Report November 2017 CONTENTS List of Figures ............................................................................................................................................................................ 3 List of Tables .............................................................................................................................................................................. 4 Abbreviations ............................................................................................................................................................................ 5 Summary ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 6 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................................... 7 Description of Project Area ............................................................................................................................................ 7 Previous Landcover and Vegetation Classification ............................................................................................... 8 Methods ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 9 Vegetation Classification ................................................................................................................................................. 9 Non-vegetated and Developed Areas .................................................................................................................... 9 Vegetated Areas ............................................................................................................................................................ 11 Wetland and Water Features .................................................................................................................................. 13 Imagery and Geospatial Data Used for Analysis .................................................................................................. 13 Mapping Procedures and Image Analysis ............................................................................................................... 25 Accuracy Assessment ...................................................................................................................................................... 26 Results ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 27 Landcover/Vegetation Classification ....................................................................................................................... 27 Accuracy Assessment ...................................................................................................................................................... 45 Conclusions and Recommendations .............................................................................................................................. 74 Acknowledgements .............................................................................................................................................................. 75 References Cited .................................................................................................................................................................... 75 Appendices ............................................................................................................................................................................... 77 Appendix 1 – Accuracy assessments based on field survey data only........................................................ 77 2 Mariana Island Vegetation Mapping Final Report November 2017 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Map outlining the islands that compose the Mariana archipelago in the western Pacific. .... 8 Figure 2. Natural color mosaic of 19 January 2016 Worldview 3 images of Guam used for classification.. .......................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Figure 3. Natural color mosaic of Worldview 2 and 3 images of Rota used for classification.. ............. 16 Figure 4. Natural color display of 9 September 2016 Worldview 2 image of Aguiguan used for classification. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 16 Figure 5. Natural color display of 5 February 2016 Worldview 2 image of Tinian used for classification. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 17 Figure 6. Natural color display of 5 February 2016 Worldview 2 image of Saipan used for classification. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 18 Figure 7. Natural color display of 1 September 2011 Worldview 2 image of Farallon de Medinilla used for classification. ......................................................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 8. Natural color display of 12 March 2012 Worldview 2 image of Anatahan used for classification. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 19 Figure 9. Natural color display of 16 March 2013 Worldview 2 image of Sarigan used for classification. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Figure 10. Natural color display of 29 December 2013 Worldview 2 image of Guguan used for classification. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 20 Figure 11. Natural color display of 11 December 2012 Worldview 2 image of Alamagan used for classification. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 21 Figure 12. Natural color display of 20 March 2012 Worldview 2 image of Pagan used for classification. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 22 Figure 13. Natural color display of 11 July 2013 Worldview 2 image of Agrihan used for classification. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 23 Figure 14. Natural color display of 15 January 2012 Worldview 2 image of Asuncion used for classification. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Figure 15. Natural color display of 13 December 2011 Worldview 2 image of Maug used for classification. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 24 Figure 16. Natural color display of 4 January 2012 Worldview 2 image of Uracus used for classification. ........................................................................................................................................................................... 25 Figure 17. landcover/vegetation map of the island of Guam .............................................................................. 30 Figure 18. lancover/vegetation map of Rota. ............................................................................................................ 31 Figure 19. landcover/vegetation map of Aguiguan. ................................................................................................ 32 Figure 20. landcover/vegetation map of Tinian. ...................................................................................................... 33 Figure 21. landcover/vegetation map of Saipan. ..................................................................................................... 34 Figure 22. landcover/vegetation map of Farallon de Medinilla. ........................................................................ 35 Figure 23. landcover/vegetation map of Anatahan................................................................................................