Remote Sensing of Wetland Types: Mangroves

The characterization, mapping, and monitoring of mangroves based on remote sensing data has proved challenging as the prevalence of cloud cover in many areas they inhabit limits observations by optical sensors, diurnal changes in tidal inundation lead to variability in their appearance, and similarities with other proximal vegetation types often compromises their discrimination. The spatial distribution and geometric arrangement of mangroves is also highly variable and ranges from small, isolated clumps of trees and narrow strips that often parallel the coast to contiguous forests covering hundreds of kilometers. For these reasons, a wide range of remote sensing data has been exploited for mapping extent, retrieving important biophysical variables and monitoring change.