In a similar manner, certain satellite sensors can record reflected energy in the red, green, blue, or infrared bands of the spectrum, a process called multispectral remote sensing. The improved ability of multispectral sensors provides a basic remote sensing data resource for quantitative thematic information, such as the type of land cover. Resource managers use information from multispectral data to monitor fragile lands and other natural resources, including vegetated areas, wetlands, and forests. These data provide unique identification characteristics leading to a quantitative assessment of the Earth's features. The image at upper left shows different classes of vegetation for the continental United States.
Deserts are yellow, grasslands light green, and forests dark green.