Space-based sensors are giving us an ever-closer and more comprehensive look at the earth's surface; they also have the potential to tell us about human activity. This volume examines the possibilities for using remote sensing technology to improve understanding of social processes and human-environment interactions. Examples include deforestation and regrowth in Brazil, population-environment interactions in Thailand, ancient and modern rural development in Guatemala, and urbanization in the United States, as well as early warnings of famine and disease outbreaks. The book also provides information on current sources of remotely sensed data and metadata and discusses what is involved in establishing effective collaborative efforts between scientists working with remote sensing technology and those working on social and environmental issues.

Table of Contents


Front Matter
1 Linking Remote Sensing and Social Science: The Need and the Challenges
2 A Brief History of Remote Sensing Applications, with Emphasis on Landsat
3 'Socializing the Pixel' and 'Pixelizing the Social' in Land-Use and Land-Cover Change
4 Linking Satellite, Census, and Survey Data to Study Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon
5 Land-Use Change After Deforestation in Amazonia
6 Land-Use/Land-Cover and Population Dynamics, Nang Rong, Thailand
7 Validating Prehistoric and Current Social Phenomena upon the Landscape of the Peten, Guatemala
8 Extraction and Modeling of Urban Attributes Using Remote Sensing Technology
9 Social Science and Remote Sensing in Famine Early Warning
10 Health Applications of Remote Sensing and Climate Modeling
Appendix A
Appendix B
Biographical Sketches of Contributors and Editors
Plates 4-1, 5-1, 6-1, 6-2, 6-3, 7-1, 7-2, 7-3, 8-1, 8-2, 8-3, and 10-1