Identifying soil groups and selecting a high-accuracy classification method based on multi-textural features with optimal window sizes using remote sensing images

Determining the spatial distribution of soil groups accurately is crucial for managing soil resources. However, limitations persist in the mapping of soil groups using multi-textural features derived from remote sensing images. Identification of the optimal window size for multi-textural feature extraction and the most effective classification method for soil group recognition using remote sensing multi-textural features remains unresolved. In this study, we investigated soil groups in a representative area of the Jiaodong Peninsula. We extracted the mean and entropy texture parameters for various window sizes (3 × 3 to 25 × 25 in odd increments) from Landsat 8 images to determine the optimal sizes for multi-textural feature extraction. The efficacy of identifying soil groups via textural features was analyzed using maximum likelihood classification (MLC), support vector machine (SVM), artificial neural network (ANN), and random forest (RF) methods to ascertain the most suitable classification approach. The results indicate that the optimal window sizes were 19 × 19 for the mean parameter and 23 × 23 for the entropy parameter. The SVM method outperformed the MLC, ANN, and RF methods in terms of the classification accuracy. Notably, the SVM classification method reached a peak accuracy of 71.61% when combining multi-textural features with the optimal windows. This demonstrates the feasibility of different soil groups using multi-textural information from remote sensing images. These findings have notable implications in guiding digital soil mapping using multi-textural features.