Exploring Tree Species Classification in Subtropical Regions with a Modified Hierarchy-Based Classifier Using High Spatial Resolution Multisensor Data

Tree species distribution is valuable for forest resource management. However, it is a challenge to classify tree species in subtropical regions due to complex landscapes and limitations of remote sensing data. The objective of this study was to propose a modified hierarchy-based classifier (MHBC) by optimizing the classification tree structures and variable selection method. Major steps to create an MHBC include automatic determination of classification tree structures based on the Z-score algorithm, selection and optimization of variables for each node, and classification using the optimized model. Experiments based on the fusion of Gaofen-1/Ziyuan-3 panchromatic (GF-1/ZY-3 PAN) and Sentinel-2 multispectral (MS) data indicated that (1) the MHBC provided overall classification accuracies of 85.19% for Gaofeng Forest Farm in China’s southern subtropical region and 94.4% for Huashi Township in China’s northern subtropical region, which had higher accuracies than random forest (RF) and classification and regression tree (CART); (2) critical variables for each class can be identified using the MHBC, and optimal variables of most nodes are spectral bands and vegetation indices; (3) compared to results from RF and CART, MHBC mainly improved the accuracies of the lower levels of classification tree structures (difficult classes to separate). The novelty in using MHBC is its simple and practical operation, easy-to-understand, and visualized variables that were selected in each node of the automatically constructed hierarchical trees. The robust performance of MHBC implies the potential to apply this approach to other sites for accurate classification of forest types.