1

LEGISLATION, POLICIES AND RESEARCH: QUEENSLAND REMOTE SENSING CENTRE SUPPORTING GREAT BARRIER

REEF CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT INITIATIVES

Dan Tindall and Christian Witte Remote Sensing Centre

Environment and Resource Sciences Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management

80 Meiers Rd, Indooroopilly, Queensland, 4068 07 3896 9886

dan.tindall@derm.qld.gov.au

Abstract The Great Barrier Reef and the catchments that drain into it are under threat from many factors, including land degradation and poor water quality. Significant amounts of natural and artificial contaminants are entering the Reef, primarily from agricultural land use. This is impacting on the health of the Reef and affecting its resilience to human-induced and climate change related impacts. The Federal and Queensland State governments have responded to these threats through The Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (which includes the Paddock to Reef Program) and the Great Barrier Reef Protection Amendment Act 2009. Activities supported by these initiatives are focused on on-ground restoration works, improved land management practices and increased capacity to monitor paddock and catchment scale outcomes. The Queensland Remote Sensing Centre (RSC) has been tasked with a number of projects that will utilise hyper-temporal and multi-resolution satellite and airborne imagery to produce information that will support these activities. These include: developing time-series techniques for classification and analysis of satellite imagery to monitor seasonal and management-induced changes in woody and non-woody vegetation cover; mapping and monitoring riparian vegetation extent; mapping gully erosion and volumetric change using high-resolution satellite and airborne imagery; mapping current land use and identifying areas of land use change; and, assessing the feasibility of using remote sensing to monitor selected land management practices in sugar cane cropping. These projects will also be underpinned by large image acquisition projects which will include high-resolution imagery (e.g. SPOT), airborne LiDAR, radar (e.g. ALOS PALSAR) and download, storage and maintenance of large amounts of archival Landsat data from the USGS. The projects, and the methods developed for them, will also support other State and Federal policy and planning initiatives. This paper provides the background for the projects and a summary of the research being undertaken.

2

Introduction The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and World Heritage Area contributes significantly to our economy locally, regionally and nationally. It is the world’s largest system of coral reefs and is home to extensive seagrass beds, mangrove forests, sponge gardens and a vast range of marine animals. Land and water management practices in the Reef catchments (Figure 1) affect water quality in local waterways, wetlands, estuaries and the Reef lagoon. Over the last 150 years, activities on the land have undergone extensive changes for urban development, agricultural production, tourism and mining. These changes have led to declining water quality (e.g. Brodie et al., 2003; McCulloch et al., 2003; Bainbridge et al., 2009; Brodie et al., 2009; Packett et al., 2009; Shaw et al., 2010) in waterways that flow into the Reef lagoon (Reef Water Quality Protection Plan Secretariat, 2009) and have also impacted land condition (e.g. Hughes et al., 2009; Prosser et al., 2001; Rassam et al., 2006; DERM, 2007), agricultural sustainability (e.g. Reef Water Quality Protection Plan Secretariat, 2009), biodiversity (e.g. Gordon, 2007; Pert et al., in press), and the resilience of the Reef to the effects of climate change (e.g. Wooldridge et al., 2009). The Australian and Queensland Governments have responded to these threats with legislation and policies backed by significant funding to undertake a range of practical, research and monitoring activities.

Figure 1. The location of the Great Barrier Reef and adjoining catchments, Queensland, Australia. (Source: Reef Water Quality Protection Plan, 2009)

3

The Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management’s (DERM) Remote Sensing Centre (RSC) has been tasked with a number of projects to support the various programs, policies, legislation and strategies surrounding the management of the Reef. These projects will utilise the substantial capacity of the RSC to store, process and analyse remotely sensed imagery. The outputs from the projects will be used to: monitor progress towards catchment condition targets; provide data for sediment and nutrient modelling projects; improve landscape knowledge and land condition assessments; and, undertake monitoring for extension and regulatory activities and for targeting and evaluation of on-ground investments. This paper will summarise these projects in the context of the support they are providing for Reef-related activities. Many of the projects referenced here are the subject of papers in these conference proceedings (denoted by *). The reader is encouraged to refer to these references for more detailed information.

Reef conservation and management initiatives

Reef Rescue

The Reef Rescue package (www.nrm.gov.au/funding/2008/reef-rescue) is an initiative driven by key outcomes and targets identified by the Australian Governments’ Caring For Our Country (CfoC) Business Plan (Commonwealth of Australia, 2010). It is a $200 million, 5 year commitment, aimed at reducing the amount of nutrients, chemicals and sediments entering the Reef lagoon by assisting farmers and graziers in Reef catchments to adopt land management practices that improve the quality of the water leaving their properties. Investments under Reef Rescue are guided by Reef science and target those areas and activities that pose a significant and immediate threat to the water quality of the Reef lagoon (Commonwealth of Australia, 2009).

Reef Plan

The (Great Barrier) Reef Water Quality Protection Plan (Reef Water Quality Protection Plan Secretariat, 2009) is a bilateral agreement between the State and Federal Government, first introduced in 2003, to build on existing government programs and community initiatives to encourage a more coordinated and cooperative approach to improving water quality. Reef Plan was updated in 2009 and incorporated new policy and regulatory frameworks. It also included new objectives, actions and measurable targets, supported by initiatives for industry and landholders to improve land management practices and water quality. The targets and actions address adoption of improved land management practices, and land condition and water quality indicators including: condition and extent of riparian vegetation and wetlands; ground cover maintenance; pesticide usage; and, nutrient and sediment generation. Importantly, these actions and targets will be underpinned by comprehensive mapping, modelling, monitoring and evaluation based on science, including remote sensing.

4

The Reef Protection Act

The Great Barrier Reef Protection Amendment Act 2009 (Queensland Government, 2009a) was introduced by the Queensland Government to implement a regulatory structure to reduce the impact of agricultural activities on the quality of water entering the Great Barrier Reef and contribute to achieving the targets under agreements between the State and Commonwealth (i.e. Reef Plan) (Queensland Government, 2009b). The legislation, an amendment to the Environmental Protection Act 1994 (Queensland Government, 2010a), targets land use and management practices, specifically grazing and sugar cane production. The Reef Protection Act is supported by an incentives and extension program, named ReefWise Farming (www.reefwisefarming.qld.gov.au) aimed at improving agricultural practices and ensuring adherence by land managers to regulatory guidelines. The Act therefore has a number of commonalities with Reef Plan and Reef Rescue, particularly with regards to monitoring and evaluation activities. There is an expectation that remote sensing will have a key role in these activities.

Q2 Coasts and Country

The Queensland Government is investing in long term solutions to environmental and natural resource threats. The Q2 Coasts and Country program is being implemented to address areas such as biodiversity, wetlands, water quality, coastal risk, sustainable agriculture and weeds and pest management. This investment will support the sustainable management of natural resources and protection of significant natural assets.

Other policies, legislation and strategies

A number of other policies, legislation and strategies are also in place in Queensland and many of them support Reef initiatives either directly or indirectly. These include: the State Rural Leasehold Land Strategy (Delbessie Agreement) (DERM, 2007) under the Land Act 1994 (Queensland Government, 2010b) which requires leasehold land managers to enter into a land management agreement as part of their lease conditions to encourage sustainable agricultural practices; the Vegetation Management Act 1999 (Queensland Government, 2010c) and subsequent amendments which is aimed at conserving native vegetation and addressing land degradation; various water resource planning (e.g. DERM, 2010a) and water quality improvement planning processes specified under Reef Plan (e.g. North Queensland Dry Tropics, 2009); Natural Resource Management Plans which are prepared by regional NRM bodies to identify regional targets and incentives for sustainable natural resource management (e.g. North Queensland Dry Tropics, 2005; Fitzroy Basin Association, 2005); and, various local and state government planning initiatives.

The Queensland Remote Sensing Centre and the Joint Remote Sensing Research Program The RSC is based in Brisbane and is comprised of approximately 40 remote sensing scientists. In addition, there are a number of spatial scientists in

5

regional centres contributing to RSC programs. The charter of the RSC is to undertake remote sensing research and to develop and undertake operational mapping activities to support state government policies and programs. The capacity of the RSC is expanded through the Joint Remote Sensing Research Program (JRSRP), a joint research agreement between the RSC, University of Queensland (UQ), New South Wales Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water (DECCW). It is expected that the Victorian Department of Sustainability and Environment will become a partner to the program in the near future. Other state, national and international collaborations further enhance the expertise and capacity of the group.

Imagery and image pre-processing

The RSC and JRSRP are supported by high performance computing infrastructure for the storage, maintenance, (pre-)processing and analysis of imagery and related data sources. The foundation of the RSC’s image archive and research is a collection of historical and recent Landsat data sourced from the Geoscience Australia’s National Earth Observation Group (NEOG) and, more recently, from the United States Geological Survey (USGS). Other imagery includes MODIS, SPOT 4 and 5 (including recently acquired SPOT 5 imagery purchased by the Australian Government Department of Climate Change with the licence uplifted using Q2 Coasts to Country funding to include all levels of government), IKONOS, Quickbird, LiDAR, ALOS PALSAR, IceSAT, and aerial photography.

Image archiving and processing is primarily based around in-house programming utilising open source development environments including PostGIS, QGIS, GDAL/OGR, Python and R (Trevithick and Gillingham, 2010*). Image pre-processing and corrections (radiometric, geometric, topographic and atmospheric) are based on extensive collaborative research efforts, with particular consideration given to environmental conditions in Queensland and Australia. For example, Danaher et al. (2002) developed an empirical model for correction of Landsat imagery based on seasonal illumination and reflectance conditions in Queensland. This method has formed the basis of most of the RSC’s operational applications using Landsat imagery over the past few years. This method is currently being improved by Gill et al. (2010*) to produce a pre-processing scheme for minimising atmospheric, topographic and bi-directional reflectance effects on Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM+ imagery. The result, which has been successfully applied to over 15,000 Landsat images, is surface reflectance standardised to a fixed viewing and illumination geometry (Figure 2). In other research undertaken by the RSC, Pringle et al. (2009) have developed a technique to infill missing values in Landsat 7 ETM+ SLC-off imagery based on a geostatistical interpolation approach. The corrected imagery from all of these research efforts is fundamental to RSC/JRSRP applications and will further facilitate development of time-series applications and comparative assessments that will underpin a number of Reef projects.

6

Figure 2. At-sensor radiance (top) and standardised surface reflectance (bottom) Landsat 5 TM mosaics for the state of Queensland. Images are false colour

composites of bands 5, 4, 2 shown as red, green, and blue respectively. (Source: Gill et al., 2010*)

7

Other imagery such as LiDAR and radar (e.g. ALOS PALSAR) will also be fundamental to ongoing reef monitoring activities and other key programs in Queensland. For example, Lucas et al. (in review) have developed ALOS PALSAR backscatter mosaics for Queensland. Their research, a collaborative effort between the RSC/JRSRP, the University of Aberystwyth in Wales and the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), has addressed the influence of surface moisture, rainfall and incidence angle on overlapping scenes and scenes acquired at different dates. Their research has enabled large area, annual mosaics to be developed for a range of applications (Figure 3).

Figure 3. ALOS PALSAR L-band backscatter annual mosaics generated for Queensland. The soil and vegetation moisture over the respective periods of the ALOS PALSAR acquisitions are also shown (© JAXA/METI) (Source: Lucas et al., in review)

8

Recent acquisitions of both airborne and ground-based LiDAR for various Reef program applications have advanced RSCs knowledge of LiDAR sensor characteristics, data pre-processing and maintenance. These high-resolution datasets are critical to RSC for calibration of remote sensing applications including foliage projective cover measurements, and change monitoring in erosional landscapes.

Monitoring vegetation and landscape condition for Reef programs

The Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) and vegetation compliance

The Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS) (http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/slats/; Shephard and Harris, 2010*) has been a landmark program for the RSC for a number of years. The study has been monitoring and reporting on annual rates of land cover change in Queensland since 1988, using Landsat TM and ETM+ satellite imagery (Figure 4). The study supports key legislation in Queensland, the Vegetation Management Act, 1999, including compliance investigations (Anderson et al., 2010*). The data produced by the study have supported the recent development of policies and legislation in Reef catchments for the management of high value regrowth and riparian vegetation. The data is also used for updating Regional Ecosystem (RE) (http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/wildlife-

ecosystems/biodiversity/regional_ecosystems/index.php) and wetland mapping undertaken by the Queensland Herbarium and the Queensland Wetlands Programme (http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/wetlandinfo/site/index.html) and to inform land use change detection for the Queensland Land Use Mapping Program (QLUMP) (Grounds and Tindall, 2010*). Both projects are providing fundamental baseline information to Reef programs.

Figure 4. Example of SLATS land cover change detection process. (Imagery: Landsat TM 5,4,2)

2003 2004 land cover change

9

Foliage Projective Cover The Foliage Projective Cover (FPC) product (Armston et al., 2009; Kitchen et al., 2010*) developed by the RSC/JRSRP is key to a number of Reef-related projects. The dataset is produced by multiple linear regression techniques combined with manual thresholding and field data applied to Landsat time-series imagery to produce optimised estimates of wooded extent and cover for all of Queensland (and NSW) (Figure 5). These data are a key component of the SLATS land cover change detection methods and have formed the basis for reporting on the extent of riparian vegetation for one of the catchment condition targets identified by Reef Plan. The FPC product is also a key input to the catchment-scale water quality modelling for the Reef Plans’ Paddock to Reef Modelling Program (P2R Program) (Reef Water Quality Protection Plan Secretariat, 2009). The P2R Programs’ catchment-scale modelling is based on the universal soil loss equation, and includes the cover factor (K) for which the RSCs FPC and ground cover products are used. These data also support land condition assessments for the Delbessie Agreement, the development of policies and legislation for management of regrowth and riparian vegetation in Reef catchments, various biodiversity management initiatives, and aquatic condition assessments in selected waterways in Reef catchments as part of the Framework for the Assessment of River and Wetland Health (FARWH) (Simpson, 2010*). The data has also been used to estimate wooded biomass for carbon accounting programs (DERM, 2010b).

Further improvements to FPC estimates are currently being developed by the RSC/JRSRP in support of the Reef monitoring and evaluation program. One of the aims of this research was to improve ground cover estimates in forested environments. The research, undertaken by Scarth et al. (in prep) and Scarth et al. (2010a*), aims to de-couple the (long-term) trend and variable components of the vegetation. This is achieved by analysing the minimum values for a time-series of the green (photosynthetic) cover fraction derived from a spectral unmixing technique developed for ground cover estimation. The approach assumes that the trend component of the time-series is the perennial (wooded) vegetation and the variable component the herbaceous understorey. The outcomes of this research will lead to a more integrated vegetation cover product and subject to validation, is likely to replace the FPC product in future.

Ground cover

The Ground Cover Index (GCI), originally developed by the RSC (Scarth et al., 2006), describes the percentage of plant material that covers the underlying soil or rock for areas of low wooded vegetation cover. The GCI and other estimates of ground cover are fundamental to supporting Reef programs. For example, one of the catchment condition targets for the Reef Plan is based on achieving 50% or greater ground cover maintenance for the late dry season in dry tropical grazing lands. This target was reported on for the 2009 baseline by single date application of the GCI in 2009 and also by assessing the long-term mean of the GCI, applied to late dry season Landsat imagery from 1988-2009 (Figure 6). The GCI, as described by Scarth et al. (2006) is also a key model input used by

10

the P2R Program and an indicator used for the land condition assessments carried out for the Delbessie Agreement.

Figure 5. 2008 mosaic of wooded extent and FPC for Queensland and New South Wales, Australia. Water and missing data are coloured blue. (Source: Kitchen et al.,

2010*)

11

Figure 6. An example of the GCI product for the Reef catchment area. The long term (1986 – 2009) mean values of the GCI for the grazing areas are shown. (Source

Schmidt et al. 2010)

Spatial data on seasonal ground cover and ground cover in forested (woody) areas has not been available in the past. This was a gap identified for Reef monitoring, evaluation and reporting. In response to this, RSC/JRSRP have been developing new methods for estimating cover fractions (Scarth et al., in prep; Scarth et al., 2010a*; Schmidt et al., in prep; Schmidt et al., 2010a*) and time-series compositing (Schmidt et al., 2010b*) based on all available Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM+ imagery. The two methods for estimating ground

12

cover fractions include spectral unmixing techniques (Scarth et al., in prep; Scarth et al., 2010a*) (Figure 7) and multinomial logistic regression (Schmidt et al., in prep; Schmidt et al., 2010a*) (Figure 8). Both methods are currently being assessed and validated by the RSC/JRSRP (Schmidt et al., 2010a*) for their application in a range of environments. The benefits of cover fraction estimation for the various Reef programs are great. It will improve cover estimates for water quality models as part of the P2R Program. It can also be used for improved land condition assessments and monitoring under Reef Regulation and the Delbessie Agreement. It also has potential to be used in intensive agricultural environments to monitor cover management practices and crop cycles, particularly as more Landsat imagery becomes available through the USGS. As previously mentioned, the method of (Scarth et al., in prep; Scarth et al., 2010a*) allows for analysis of the trend and variable components in the time-series dynamics of the cover fractions, allowing for identification of the perennial wooded component of the green cover fraction. An advantage of this integrated technique is that once the perennial wooded component is identified and removed, the variable herbaceous understorey component remains, thus providing estimates for ground cover in forested and woodland environments. In terms of Reef programs, this will further improve the understanding of erosion and cover dynamics for water quality models, and allow for improved monitoring for regulatory and on-ground investment/extension activities.

Figure 7. Example of ground cover fractional methods derived from spectral unmixing analysis applied to Landsat imagery. The top image is the Landsat scene (RGB 5, 4, 3)

and the bottom image is the derived cover fractions shown as R (bare), G (photosynthetic cover) and B (non-photosynthetic cover). (Source: Scarth et al., in

prep)

13

Figure 8. Example of ground cover fractional methods derived from multinomial logistic regression applied to Landsat imagery. The top image is the Landsat scene (RGB 3, 2,

1). The centre image is the GCI (Scarth et al., 2006) where lighter colours represent barer areas. The bottom image is the derived cover fractions shown as R (bare), G (photosynthetic cover) and B (non-photosynthetic cover). (Source: DERM, 2010c)

Vegetation structure and biomass

The RSC, through a number of projects and collaborations, are involved in a range of research using different sensor technologies (e.g. radar and LiDAR) to monitor vegetation structure and biomass. Of particular interest is the work undertaken in collaboration with the University of Aberystwyth, JAXA and others using ALOS PALSAR for various terrestrial applications. For example, Accad et al. (2010*), Lucas et al. (2010b*), Dhar et al. (2010*) and Clewly et al. (2010*) have developed methods that utilise ALOS PALSAR for estimating regrowth, above-ground biomass, pasture biomass, and forest structural characteristics, respectively. These projects are improving landscape knowledge and RSC’s capacity to process radar imagery with potential to support Reef projects, particularly for land condition and resource accounting purposes. Also of interest is some research being undertaken by Scarth et al. (2010b*). This work

14

has used ICESat/GLAS data to produce estimates of vegetation heights (Figure 9), depth and density at the scale of regional ecosystems. This can be used to study vegetation dynamics in Reef catchments and as for cover, improve modelling approaches which underpin land condition and water quality assessments for Reef programs.

Figure 9. Vegetation 95 percentile height derived from ICESat over all regional ecosystems (Source: Scarth et al., 2010b)

15

Land condition monitoring in Reef catchments

Burnt area mapping

Fire can be a major contributor of sediment and nutrient to waterways, including those draining to the Reef. It can be an indicator of landscape condition and has implications for planning and development, understanding of ecological processes, and climate change. The RSC has been undertaking research into time-series approaches using the Landsat archive to identify and map burnt area. The research, undertaken by Goodwin et al. (2010*), is developing automated approaches for delineation of cloud, cloud shadow and burnt area (Figure 10). The burnt area classification uses indices based on Landsat bands 4 and 5 and analyses these over three different temporal scales. The outputs from the project have major benefits for the pre-processing required (i.e. cloud, shadow and fire masking) for imagery used for many of the RSC’s products (e.g. ground cover and FPC). The burnt area mapping is likely to be of value for Reef-related programs. For example, the water quality modelling for the P2R Program. There is also significant interest in the burnt area mapping for use in operational and NRM regional fire planning initiatives.

Figure 10. Example of the burnt area mapping. The image on the left shows burnt areas where darker colours represent burnt pixels. The image on the right shows the burnt area classification in red. Imagery: Landsat TM RGB (5, 4, 2) (Source: Goodwin

et al., 2010*)

Gully monitoring

Gullies have been identified as major contributors of sediment to waterways draining to Reef catchments. They also have detrimental effects on land condition and agricultural sustainability. Reef programs have identified gullies as a priority for restoration and prevention activities and for monitoring and evaluation to try to better understand gully geomorphologic processes and sediment loads. The RSC has been undertaking a number of projects to help

16

address these priorities. Eustace et al. (2008) used LiDAR data, captured in 2007, to map gully presence and volume in the Fitzroy catchment. This information was then used in a modelling approach to extrapolate gully presence across the catchment (Eustace et al., in press). The approach had limited success due to the scale and quality of the input data used in the model and the complexity of the landscape. Another project that is currently being undertaken is utilising the LiDAR data for the research undertaken by Eustace et al. (2008). For selected transects, two additional dates of LiDAR (2008 and 2010) have been captured to analyse change in gully extent and volume over time. The project has highlighted the issues with comparing LiDAR data for change detection in terms of both accuracy and sensor characteristics. The second capture (2008) was not of suitable quality to undertake direct comparisons with the 2007 dataset. However, the third LiDAR capture, acquired in June 2010, was captured and processed in accordance with international specifications, and can therefore be directly compared to the original capture in 2007. Preliminary analysis shows extremely large areas of gully change in some areas (Figure 11). Further analysis will be undertaken and reported in the near future.

Figure 11. LiDAR data showing gully change for an area (approx. 400m2) in the Fitzroy catchment. The darker areas (black, green) show the greatest depth. The image on

the left was captured in 2007, the image on the right, in 2010.

The RSC/JRSRP have also been undertaking a project in the Burdekin catchment as part of Reef Plan and Reef Rescue monitoring and evaluation. This has been an extension of the work in the Fitzroy, with the capture of 15 new LiDAR transects, targeted primarily over gullied areas which are the subject of on-ground monitoring and/or investment for restoration for Reef programs. Gully volume and extent will be mapped from these data using object-oriented and rule-based DEM extraction methods. A further capture is planned to monitor change for these sites. In addition to this work, research has been undertaken to investigate the use of object-oriented techniques applied to SPOT 5 imagery for mapping gully location and extent. This work is having

17

limited success as gullied areas have diverse spectral and spatial characteristics and because object-oriented software has limitations when processing multiple landscape-scale image sources.

Land use and land management practices

Queensland Land Use Mapping Program (QLUMP)

A major program of the RSC is the Queensland Land Use Mapping Program (QLUMP) (Grounds and Tindall, 2010* http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/science/lump/index.html). The QLUMP is providing fundamental information on land use and land use change across Reef catchments for all Reef programs. The QLUMP has mapped land use at regional scale for 1999 to create a baseline for all Reef catchments and the rest of Queensland (Witte et al., 1999) (Figure 12). Some Reef catchments have been mapped to 2004/06, thus providing areal land use change statistics for the period 1999-2004/06. Currently, the QLUMP is undertaking mapping for all Reef catchments to 2009, including improvements to 1999 and 2004 mapping, and delineation of land use change areas for the respective mapping eras (i.e. 99-04/06, 99-09, 04/06-09) (Figure 13). The mapping process utilises high-resolution imagery (e.g. SPOT 5), comparative time-series analysis, expert knowledge and ancillary data in an ESRI Geodatabase vector environment to delineate land use in accordance with the Australian Land Use Mapping classification (http://adl.brs.gov.au/mapserv/landuse/index.cfm?fa=app.classes&tab=classification). These data are providing a foundation for targeting regulatory and extension activates relating to land use and management practice change and as a key input in the modelling undertaken in the P2R Program. These data also form part of the of the Australian Collaborative Land Use and Management Program (http://adl.brs.gov.au/mapserv/landuse/). A further update of the mapping, including change, is planned for 2013.

Land management practices

The primary aim of Reef programs is to influence land management practice change. Remote sensing has the potential to map and monitor selected land management practices. This includes practices that result in a land cover change, such as crop planting or harvesting. These changes may be identified by analysing a time-series of imagery. Other land management practices that have a unique pattern, texture or shape may also be mapped, in particular where high resolution imagery is available. These practices include, for example, contour banks, strip cropping, controlled traffic farming and centre pivot irrigation. RSC/JRSRP have a range of research projects supporting Reef programs which are either directly or indirectly addressing changes in land management practices.

18

Figure 12. Land use map for Queensland, 1999.

19

Figure 13. Current status of QLUMP updates

20

Pringle et al. (2008) demonstrated the use of statistical analysis of time-series NDVI in MODIS imagery for monitoring broadacre crop extents and rotations. Their research attempted to map cropping areas and identify the cropping periods, as well as crop types. The results showed that when compared with field data, seasonal cropping patterns could be mapped with some certainty (kappa = 0.66) (Figure 14). Predicting crop types was less certain (kappa = 0.56). This was partly due to a lack of field-based information of actual cropping rotations and the scale of the MODIS pixels relative to the size of a cropping field. To respond to these limitations, the use of archival USGS Landsat imagery is being researched. The aim of this research is to adapt the methods of Pringle et al. (2008) to Landsat imagery for monitoring broadacre crop rotations and also ground cover management practices in sugar cane crops. Sugar cane is one of the key target industries included in the Reef Protection Act. This research is also likely to incorporate radar imagery to address the issues of cloud in optical imagery in tropical regions and investigate structural changes in sugar cane crops. Further, the research will investigate the ground cover fractional products (Scarth et al., in prep; Scarth et al., 2010a*; Schmidt et al., in prep; Schmidt et al., 2010a*) in a time-series to assess the suitability of these products for monitoring cropping cycles and ground cover management practices. If successful, the work will be extended to other agricultural industries and could form the basis of a crop monitoring and mapping program to support Reef programs, thus augmenting the QLUMP.

Figure 14. Example of crop mapping using MODIS imagery for an area near Emerald. By using time-series, cropping rotations are able to be predicted for seasonal

practices. (Source: Pringle et al., 2008)

Regular cotton

Regular cotton + opportunistic winter

Regular summer (other)

Regular winter

Opp. summer (other) + opp. winter

Opportunistic summer (other)

Opportunistic winter

20 km

21

Conclusion The Great Barrier Reef is of international environmental, social and economic significance. The recent responses by governments in recognition of this significance and the need to protect the Reef, has resulted in a range of research and monitoring activities being initiated. These activities have presented a unique and exciting challenge to the RSC and its partners in the JRSRP and other collaborative research programs. This has included monitoring vegetation cover dynamics, and mapping and monitoring of land use and selected land management practices. Results from these projects suggest that remote sensing has an important role to play in supporting legislation, policies and programs implemented for the protection of the Reef. However, there remain challenges for remote sensing to continue to respond to and support these programs. These challenges include the implementation of research outcomes in operational programs (e.g. broadacre crop rotations), extending applications to the estuarine and marine environments, making efficient use of new imagery and image acquisition programs, and ensuring research efforts are not duplicated and stakeholders are informed of both the benefits and limitations of the science. Much of the RSC/JRSRP research supporting Reef programs has its origins in well established mapping and monitoring programs. It is the foundation that these programs have built over time which has enabled the RSC and its partners to respond to these new challenges. This includes, in particular, the rigorous efforts and investment that have been made in data storage and maintenance, processing systems and image corrections, and knowledge and skills retention. With this foundation as a basis and ongoing commitment from governments, the research will continue to improve scientific knowledge and thus make important contributions for guiding investment, and supporting policy development and legislation for the protection and conservation of the Great Barrier Reef.

Acknowledgements Many people are involved in the various Reef programs. Their assistance, support, and contributions are greatly appreciated and acknowledged. The continued support of staff in DERM and Premiers Department is also acknowledged. In particular, Paul Lawrence, Ken Brook, John Mullins, Christine Williams, Chris Carroll, Nyssa Henry, Bob Speirs, Doug Yuille, Chris Chinn and Ross Searle. Lindsay Brebber and his team are acknowledged for their ongoing support and advice with data storage and processing systems. Greg Payne and his team are acknowledged for their support with QLUMP and data distribution. Finally, this paper is a summary of the research of the many people, past and present, from the RSC/JRSRP and its collaborators. Individually and collectively, their contribution to science and natural resource management is immeasurable and they are all sincerely thanked and acknowledged for their efforts.

A number of the projects described in this paper were supported through funding from the Queensland Government’s Q2 Coasts and Country program.

22

References Accad, A., Lucas, R., Armston, J., McAlpine, C., Brown, M. and Dwyer, J., 2010, Mapping the extent and growth stage of woody regrowth following clearing through integration of ALOS PALSAR and Landsat-derived Foliage Projected Cover (FPC). In: Proceedings of the 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Anderson, J., Goulevitch, B. and Hodgins, G., 2010, Targeting breaches of Queensland’s vegetation management legislation using an innovative spatial analysis approach. Poster. 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Armston, J.D., Denham, R.J., Danaher, T.J., Scarth, P.F. and Moffiet, T., 2009, Prediction and validation of foliage projective cover from Landsat-5 TM and Landsat-7 ETM+ imagery for Queensland, Australia. Journal of Applied Remote Sensing 3(1).

Bainbridge Z.T., Brodie J.E., Faithful J.W., Sydes D.A., Lewis S.E., 2009, Identifying the land-based sources of suspended sediments, nutrients and pesticides discharged to the great barrier reef from the tully - murray basin, queensland, australia. Marine and Freshwater Research 60(11):1081-90.

Brodie, J., McKergow, L.A., Prosser, I.P., Furnas, M., Hughes, A.O., and Hunter, H., 2003, Sources of sediment and nutrient exports to the Great barrier Reef World Heritage Area. Australian Centre for Marine and Tropical Freshwater Research Report No. 03/11 James Cook University, Townsville.

Brodie J., Lewis S., Bainbridge Z., Mitchell A., Waterhouse J., and Kroon F., 2009, Target setting for pollutant discharge management of rivers in the great barrier reef catchment area. Marine and Freshwater Research 60(11):1141-9.

Clewley, D., Lucas, R., Moghaddam, M., Armston, J., Bunting, P. and Dwyer, J., 2010, Retrieval of forest structure and biomass from ALOS PALSAR and Landsat derived FPC using backscatter inversion. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Commonwealth of Australia., 2010, Caring for our Country Business Plan 2010-11. At: http://www.nrm.gov.au/business-plan/10-11/pubs/business-plan-2010-11.pdf. Accessed 13/08/2010.

23

Commonwealth of Australia., 2009, Reef rescue research and development plan. At: http://www.nrm.gov.au/business-plan/10-11/priorities/coastal/reef/pubs/reef-rescue-r-and-d-plan.pdf. Accessed 13/08/10.

Danaher, T., 2002, An empirical BRDF correction for Landsat TM and ETM+ imagery. In: Proceedings of the 11th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Brisbane.

Dhar, T., Meges, C., Schmidt, M. and Armston, J., 2010, Estimation of pasture biomass and soil moisture using dual-polarimetric X and L band SAR – accuracy assessment with field data. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Eustace, A., Pringle, M. and Witte, C., 2008, Give me the dirt: detection of gully extent and volume using high resolution LiDAR. In: Proceedings of the 14th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Darwin.

Eustace, A.H., Pringle, M.J. and Denham, R.J., in press, A risk map for gully locations in central Queensland, Australia. European Journal of Soil Science.

Fitzroy Basin Association., 2005, Central Queensland strategy for sustainability – 2004 and beyond. At: http://www.fba.org.au/investments/downloads/Ch_1_CQSS2.pdf. Accessed 11/08/2010.

Gill, T., Flood, N., Gillingham, S., Danaher, T., Shepherd, J. and Dymond, J., 2010, An operational method for deriving standardised surface reflectance from Landsat TM and ETM+ imagery for Queensland and New South Wales. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Gordon I.J., 2007, Linking land to ocean: Feedbacks in the management of socio-ecological systems in the great barrier reef catchments. Hydrobiologia 591(1):25-33.

Grounds, S. and Tindall, D., 2010, Mapping in a dynamic state: Operational mapping for a rather large area. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Hughes, A.O., Prosser, I.P., Stevenson, J., Scott, A., Lu, H., Gallant, J., Moran, C.J., 2001, CSIRO Land and Water Technical Report, 26/01, August 2001, Gully Erosion Mapping for the National Land and Water Resources

24

Audit.

Kitchen, J., Clark, A., Danaher, T., Armston, J. and Scarth, P., 2010, Operational use of annual Landsat-5 TM and Landsat-7 ETM+ image time-series for mapping wooded extent and foliage projective cover in north-eastern Australia. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Lucas, R.M., Armston, J.D., Fairfax, R., Fensham, R., Accad, A., Carreiras, J., Kelley, J., Bunting, P, Clewley, C., Bray, S., Metcalfe, D., Dwyer, M., Bowen, M., Eyre, T. and Laidlaw, M., 2010a, An evaluation of the ALOS PALSAR L-band backscatter-above ground biomass relationship over Queensland, Australia. IEEE Journal of Selected Topics in Earth Observations and Remote Sensing, in review.

Lucas, R., Armston, J., Fairfax, R., Fensham, R., Accad, A. and Carreiras, J., 2010b, On the estimation of above ground biomass from ALOS PALSAR backscatter data for forests and woodlands in Queensland, Australia. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

McCulloch M., Fallon S., Wyndham T., Hendy E., Lough J., Barnes D., 2009, Coral record of increased sediment flux to the inner great barrier reef since european settlement. Nature 421(6924):727-30.

North Queensland Dry Tropics., 2005, Burdekin Dry Tropics Natural Resource Management Plan (2005-2010). At: http://www.bdtnrm.org.au/downloads/NRM_Report.PDF. Accessed 11/08/2010. North Queensland Dry Tropics., 2009, North Queensland Dry Tropics Water Quality Improvement Plan. At: http://www.bdtnrm.org.au/bwqip/. Accessed 11/08/2010.

Packett R., Dougall C., Rohde K., and Noble R., 2009, Agricultural lands are hot-spots for annual runoff polluting the southern great barrier reef lagoon. Marine Pollution Bulletin 58(7):976-86.

Pert P.L., Butler J.R.A., Brodie J.E., Bruce C., Honzák M., Kroon F.J., in press, A catchment-based approach to mapping hydrological ecosystem services using riparian habitat: A case study from the wet tropics, Australia. Ecological Complexity.

25

Pringle, M., Denham, R. and Witte, C., 2008, Time-series analysis of MODIS imagery for the prediction of broadacre crops. In: Proceedings of the 14th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Darwin. Pringle, M. J., Schmidt, M., and Muir, J. S., 2009, Geostatistical interpolation of SLC-off landsat ETM+ images. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 64(6), 654-664.

Prosser, I.P., Rutherfurd, I.D., Olley, J.M., Young, W.J., Wallbrink, P.J., and Moran, C.J., 2001, Large-scale patterns of erosion and sediment transport in river networks, with examples from Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research 52, 81–99.

Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM)., 2007, Delbessie Agreement (State Rural Leasehold Land Strategy). At: http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/land/state/rural_leasehold/pdf/delbessie_agreement.pdf. Accessed 10/08/2010.

Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM)., 2010a, Understanding Water Resource Planning. At: http://www.derm.qld.gov.au/wrp/pdf/general/understanding_wrp_09.pdf. Accessed 10/08/2010.

Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM)., 2010b, Queensland Government response to Premier’s Council climate change working paper – Working paper number 4 Capturing carbon in the rural landscape: Opportunities for Queensland. At: http://www.climatechange.qld.gov.au/pdf/workingpaper4-response.pdf. Accessed 10/08/2010.

Queensland Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM)., 2010c, Ground cover management practices in cropping and improved pasture grazing systems: ground cover monitoring using remote sensing (final report). Brisbane.

Queensland Government. 2009a, Great Barrier Reef Protection Amendment Act 2009. At: http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/ACTS/2009/09AC042.pdf. Accessed 13/08/2010. Queensland Government. 2009b, Great Barrier Reef Protection Amendment Bill 2009. At: http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/Bills/53PDF/2009/GBReefProAB09.pdf. Accessed 10/08/2010.

26

Queensland Government., 2010a, Environmental Protection Act 1994. At: http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/legisltn/current/e/envprota94.pdf. Accessed 10/08/2010. Queensland Government., 2010b, Land Act 1994. (At: http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/L/LandA94.pdf. Accessed 10/08/10. Queensland Government., 2010c, Vegetation Management Act 1999. At: http://www.legislation.qld.gov.au/LEGISLTN/CURRENT/V/VegetManA99.pdf. Accessed 10/08/2010. Rassam, D.W., Fellows, C.S., Hayr, R.D., Hunter, H., & Bloesch P., 2006, The hydrology of riparian buffer zones; two case studies in an ephemeral and a perennial stream. Journal of Hydrology 325:308-324.

Reef Water Quality Protection Plan Secretariat., 2009, Reef Water Quality Protection Plan. At: http://www.reefplan.qld.gov.au/library/pdf/reef-plan-2009.pdf. Accessed 10/08/2010.

Reef Water Quality Protection Plan, 2009, Fact Sheet: Healthy land, healthy waterways, healthy Reef. Australian and Queensland Governments.

Scarth, P., Byrne, M., Danaher, T., Hasset, R., Carter, J., and Timmers, P., 2006, State of the Paddock: Monitoring condition and trend in groundcover across Queensland. Department of Natural Resources and Mines, QLD, Indooroopilly.

Scarth, P., Roder, A., Schmidt, M. and Denham, R., 2010a, Tracking grazing pressure and climate interaction - the role of Landsat fractional cover in time series analysis. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Scarth, P., Armston, J. and Goodwin, N., 2010b, If you climb up a tree, you must climb down the same tree. But how high was it? In: Proceedings of the 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Scarth, P., Roder, A., Schmidt, M. and Denham, R., in prep. Fractional ground cover using constrained spectral mixture analysis.

Schmidt, M., Denham R.J. and Scarth, P., 2010a, Fractional ground cover monitoring in Queensland for improved pastures and agricultural areas. In:

27

Proceedings of the 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Schmidt, M. and Trevithick, R., 2010b, Seasonal ground cover monitoring in the grazing lands of the Great Barrier Reef Catchments with Landsat time-series data. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Schmidt, M. and Denham, R., in prep, Estimating fractional ground cover in Queensland with Landsat data.

Shaw M., Furnas M.J., Fabricius K., Haynes D., Carter S., and Eaglesham G., 2010, Monitoring pesticides in the great barrier reef. Marine Pollution Bulletin 60(1):113-22.

Shephard, C. and Harris, D., 2010, Land cover change detection in Queensland Statewide Landcover and Trees Study (SLATS). Poster. 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Simpson, C., 2010, Streamlining riparian vegetation cover assessments with Landsat-derived woody extent and foliage projective cover. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Trevithick, R. and Gillingham, S., 2010, The use of open source geospatial software within the Remote Sensing Centre, QLD. In: Proceedings of the 15th Australasian Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Conference. Alice Springs.

Witte, C., van den Berg, D., Rowland, T., O’Donnell, T., Denham, R., Pitt, G. and Simpson, J., 2006, Mapping Land Use in Queensland – Technical Report on the 1999 Land Use Map for Queensland. Department of Natural Resources, Mines and Water, Brisbane.

Wooldridge S.A., Done T.J., 2009, Improved water quality can ameliorate effects of climate change on corals. Ecological Applications. 19(6):1492-9.