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Due to increasing global demand for natural rubber products, rubber (Hevea brasiliensis) plantation expansion has occurred in many regions where it was originally considered unsuitable. However, accurate maps of rubber plantations are not available, which substantially constrain our understanding of the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of rubber plantation expansion. In this study we developed a simple algorithm for accurate mapping of rubber plantations in northern tropical regions, by combining a forest map derived from microwave data and unique phenological characteristics of rubber trees observed from multi-temporal Landsat imagery. Phenology of rubber trees and natural evergreen forests in Hainan Island, China, was evaluated using eighteen Landsat TM/ETM+ images between 2007 and 2012. Temporal profiles of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation …