Forest Disaster Detection Method Based on Ensemble Spatial–Spectral Genetic Algorithm

Remote sensing image change detection is the key technology for monitoring forest windfall damages. A genetic algorithm (GA) is a branch of intelligent optimization techniques available to contribute to the surveys of windstorm and wildfire detection in forest areas. However, traditional GAs remain challenging due to several issues, such as complex calculation, poor noise immunity, and slow convergence. Analysis at the spatial level allows classifications to utilize the contextual and hierarchical information of image objects in addition to solely using spectral information. In addition, ensemble learning presents a possibility for improving classification accuracy. Ensemble classifiers combined with the spatial-based GA offers a promising method [ensemble spatial–spectral genetic algorithm (E-nGA)] for automating the process of monitoring forest loss. The research in this article is presented in four parts. First, block-matching and 3-D filtering is performed to suppress noises while enhancing valuable information. The difference image is, then, generated using the image difference method. Afterward, context-based saliency detection and fuzzy c-means algorithm are conducted on the difference image to reduce the search space. Finally, the proposed E-nGA is executed to further classify the pixels and produce the final change map. Our first proposition is to design improved genetic operators in the GA, relying not only on pixel values but also on spatial information. Our second proposition is to consider an ensemble classification model based on multiple vegetation features for decision integration. Six frequently used classification methods, as well as the simple GA, are executed to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed framework in improving the robustness and detection accuracy.