ABSTRACT The aim of this study was to test the performance of hyperspectral data in
discriminating mangroves at the species level. First, spectral responses between 350 nm and
2500 nm of 16 Thai tropical mangrove species were recorded from the leaves, using a field
spectrometer under laboratory conditions. Next, the mangrove spectra were statistically tested to
see whether they significantly differed at every spectral location. Finally, the spectral
separability between each pair of mangrove species was quantified using the J-M distance
measure. The results demonstrated that the mangrove species were spectrally separable, and we
therefore anticipate the use of hyperspectral sensors for mangrove species classification.