On the Ground
Water Buffalo Farm
This site featured consistently green vegetation with high surface moisture. The NDVI showed a slight decrease, and SWIR reflectance declined significantly, suggesting increased moisture, possibly due to irrigation, compacted wet soil, or flooding. Field observations showed a wet, grassy pasture consistent with this classification. RENDVI was low, supporting strong agreement across all datasets.
Plantation
NDVI increased, and SWIR rose, indicating vegetation gain under drier conditions. However, field photos showed cultivated rows, implying shallow-rooted plants and lower actual moisture retention. RENDVI was low, contradicting NDVI–SWIR signals. This mismatch reflects how sparse crop structures can confuse spectral trends. Agreement was not observed.
New Plantation
Satellite indices showed minor NDVI and SWIR changes, with both slightly decreasing, indicating reduced vegetation cover and modest surface moisture loss. Field observations supported this interpretation, revealing early regrowth, exposed soil, and minimal canopy development—typical of a recently cleared site in early recovery. These visual indicators correspond well with the spectral data, and RENDVI values were also low. Together, the evidence suggests a transitional landscape with emerging vegetation, and full agreement was observed across all datasets.
Regrowth of Cleared Land
NDVI dropped while SWIR increased, a pattern often associated with degraded surfaces, canopy loss, or increased soil exposure. Field observations supported this classification, with visible signs of minimal canopy cover and patchy ground vegetation suggestive of early-stage secondary succession. The presence of disturbed soil and low-stature regrowth indicates a recent clearing event or prolonged recovery phase. The low RENDVI value reinforced this assessment, as the reduced vegetation density and incomplete canopy closure are captured across all datasets. This alignment across NDVI, SWIR, and RENDVI confirms a shared signal of partial degradation with ongoing regrowth, indicating strong agreement between PlanetScope imagery and Landsat-derived indices.
Passionfruit Vines
NDVI increased, and SWIR decreased, a typical spectral signature associated with healthy vegetation, high chlorophyll content, or well-irrigated agricultural crops. Field observations revealed a neatly maintained passionfruit plantation with tall vines grown on trellises in evenly spaced rows. While the vegetation itself was lush and healthy, the structured planting design left visible gaps in canopy coverage at ground level. These open areas between rows have likely reduced the total green reflectance signal captured by the RENDVI index, resulting in a lower RENDVI value despite apparent plant health. As a result, RENDVI underrepresented the site’s greenness relative to NDVI and SWIR, leading to a classification of partial agreement between datasets.
Enchanted Lake
This location maintained steady NDVI values alongside a significant drop in SWIR reflectance, suggesting increased surface moisture, potentially from periodic flooding or irrigation. The field image confirmed the presence of tall rubber trees and a grassy underlayer, with a visible cattle pen indicating the area may be used for livestock grazing. These land use elements, combined with elevated moisture, are consistent with the spectral interpretation. While RENDVI was low, suggesting a sparse or uneven canopy, the site’s characteristics generally aligned with the classification. However, due to minor inconsistencies between spectral signals and observed vegetation structure, this was considered a case of partial agreement.
Burnt Manioc Clearing
NDVI showed a small decrease, and SWIR values also declined, suggesting subtle moistening of the surface following disturbance, potentially due to regrowth or increased soil moisture. The site exhibited visible signs of past burning, including numerous dead or leafless trees, limited ground vegetation, and signs of bare soil, particularly in open patches. This physical evidence pointed toward a degraded, post-burn landscape with minimal vegetation recovery. Despite these conditions, RENDVI values were unexpectedly high. This anomaly may be due to localized patches of green regrowth or image noise in the high-resolution PlanetScope data, especially in areas with mixed vegetation structure. Overall, the discrepancy between spectral indices and field evidence indicated poor alignment across datasets, leading to a classification of disagreement for this site.
Resort Fire
NDVI increased, and SWIR declined, suggesting active regrowth alongside increased surface moisture—an expected pattern for early recovery following disturbance. This trend aligned well with visual field evidence showing young vegetation and understory growth emerging at a previously fire-impacted site. The charred trunks and open canopy indicated recent damage, while green patches signaled the beginning of ecological rebound. RENDVI showed a moderate positive value, reflecting intermediate canopy density and supporting the classification of the area as undergoing regeneration. Together, the field observations and all three spectral indices pointed to full agreement in detecting post-fire vegetation recovery.
