Mapping the distribution of the main host for plague in a complex landscape in Kazakhstan: An object-based approach using SPOT-5 XS, Landsat 7 ETM+, SRTM and multiple Random Forests

► Local topography, Tasselled Cap Greenness and Tasselled Cap Brightness were used to create a landscape map using object-based analysis. ► A multi-scale object-based stratification approach improved accuracy of classification of burrows. ► The burrow maps provide realistic patterns to study the spread and persistence of plague.