Mapping Olive Crops (Olea europaea L.) in the Atacama Desert (Peru): An Integration of UAV-Satellite Multispectral Images and Ensemble Machine Learning Models

Edwin Pino-Vargas, German Huayna, Jorge Muchica-Huamantuma, Elgar Barboza, Samuel Pizarro, Bertha Vera-Barrios, Carolina Cruz-Rodriguez, Fredy Cabrera-Olivera

Spatial monitoring of olive systems in arid regions is essential for understanding agricultural expansion, water pressure, and productive sustainability. This study aimed to map coverage and estimate olive plantation density (Olea europaea L.) in the Atacama Desert, Tacna (Peru) through the integration of UAV-satellite multispectral images and machine learning algorithms (CART, Random Forest, and Gradient Tree Boosting). Forty-eight optical, radar, and topographic covariates were analyzed. Fifteen were selected for coverage classification and 16 for plantation density, using Pearson’s correlation (|r| > 0.75). The classification maps reported an area of 23,059.87 ha (38.21%) of olive groves, followed by 5352.10 ha (8.87%) of oregano cultivation and 725.74 ha (1.20%) of orange cultivation, with respect to the total study area, with overall accuracy (OA) of 86.6% and a Kappa coefficient of 0.81. Meanwhile, the RF and GTB regression models showed R2 ≈ 0.89 and RPD > 2.8, demonstrating excellent predictive performance for estimating tree density (between 1 and 8 trees per 100 m2). Furthermore, the highest concentration of olive trees was found in the central and southern zones of the study area, associated with favorable soil and microclimatic conditions. This work constitutes the first comprehensive approach for olive mapping in southern Peru using UAV–satellite fusion, demonstrating the capability of ensemble models to improve agricultural mapping accuracy and support water and productive management in arid ecosystems.