Image ratioing as appropriate technology for monitoring vegetation cover in the Caribbean

Satellite image processing should not be dismissed as a tool to monitor vegetation cover because of cost concerns or classification problems due to topographic extremes. Low cost imagery and image processing software's are available and the image ratio technique can be used to minimize classification problems due to topography. The Forestry Division of St. Vincent island has minimum resources and the island's topography varies from sea level to 1,324 meters. The plight of the endemic, endangered St. Vincent Parrot (Amazona guildingii) was used as a case study. An appropriate habitat monitoring technique was formulated for the Forestry Division so that it may better conserve the species. This technique employs 57 meter resolution imagery and the IDRISI software package. The resulting classification maps areas of habitat versus non-habitat. This technique of low cost, vegetation cover mapping can be used for many natural resource planning and interpretation applications throughout the Caribbean.