Documenting no-till and conventional till practices using Landsat ETM+ imagery and logistic regression

ABSTRACT:

The ability of agricultural lands to sequester carbon from the atmosphere and help mitigate global warming has the potential to add value to farmland through the development of carbon-credit trading. Crucial to the creation of a market-based carbon credit trading system is the monitoring and verification of agricultural practices that promote carbon storage. Using remotely sensed images for this purpose could prove more efficient and cost-effective than traditional land-based methods. Landsat Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (ETM+) imagery and logistic regression had >95% accuracy in verifying no-till fallow fields. Further research is needed to investigate the potential for this low-cost technology to assist in the monitoring and verification of practices that sequester carbon. Development of an accurate, low-cost, efficient means of monitoring and verifying carbon sequestering practices will further the development of cropland carbon credits, thus helping to mitigate global warming, and will add value to U.S. farmland.