Detecting Vegetation Response to Oil Pollution Using Hyperspectral Indices

Vegetation reflectance from polluted and control transects was extracted from hyperspectral image acquired on 23^rd November 2015. Band depths of absorption maxima for chlorophyll (Chl), anthocyanins (AnC) and carotenoids (CaR) were determined using the continuum removal. Results from polluted transects depict increased reflectance at the Chl absorption features (around 445 and between 650-700 nm) and decreased at the CaR and AnC absorption features, both commonly associated with stressed vegetation. Strong relationship was observed between total petroleum hydrocarbons (TPH) levels in soil and field measured Chl data, suggesting that oil pollution altered pigment content in vegetation growing on impacted transects. This study appears to be a first of its kind in that the variables tested were measured in the `real' world, thus asserting the ecological validity of the research. In addition, integrating remote sensing data with field measurements provide a novel alternative to field based post-impact assessment studies.