Ecogeographical analysis of declining traditional crops using satellite remote sensing and GIS

A study was conducted in the Department of Cusco, Peru, to assess whether earth observing (satellite imagery) technology can be an effective tool for locating areas of traditional crop cultivation and characterizing the ecological niches in which they are found. The study focused on six traditional Inca crops: kiwicha, quinoa, oca, olluco, anu, and tarwi. Among the findings, two are particularly germane: (1) It is possible to detect and locate agricultural plots as small as 700 square meters using current spatial resolution SPOT imagery. (2) It is also possible to detect and classify tarwi, quinoa, and kiwicha using current spectral resolution TM data. Appendices contain raw data, graphs, charts, and satellite images.