Comparison of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Platforms for Assessing Vegetation Cover in Sagebrush Steppe Ecosystems

Breckenridge, Robert P.; Dakins, Maxine E.; Bunting, Stephen C.; Harbour, Jerry L.; White, Sera

doi:10.2111/rem-d-10-00030.1

Cited by 32 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Sage‐brush habitat for another endangered species, the pygmy rabbit ( Brachylagus idahoensis ), was also successfully mapped with a UAS using visible‐spectrum digital still photography (WebTable 2; Breckenridge et al . ; Levy ). Imagery obtained via UAS has also been applied to delineate localized cover types, estimate percentage of bare ground (Breckenridge et al .…”

Section: Spatial Ecologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Unmanned aircraft systems in wildlife research: current and future applications of a transformative technology

Christie

Gilbert

Brown

et al. 2016

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

262

241

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Unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) – also called unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drones – are an emerging tool that may provide a safer, more cost‐effective, and quieter alternative to traditional research methods. We review examples where UAS have been used to document wildlife abundance, behavior, and habitat, and illustrate the strengths and weaknesses of this technology with two case studies. We summarize research on behavioral responses of wildlife to UAS, and discuss the need to understand how recreational and commercial applications of this technology could disturb certain species. Currently, the widespread implementation of UAS by scientists is limited by flight range, regulatory frameworks, and a lack of validation. UAS are most effective when used to examine smaller areas close to their launch sites, whereas manned aircraft are recommended for surveying greater distances. The growing demand for UAS in research and industry is driving rapid regulatory and technological progress, which in turn will make them more accessible and effective as analytical tools.

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Section: Spatial Ecologymentioning

confidence: 99%

Unmanned aircraft systems in wildlife research: current and future applications of a transformative technology

Christie

Gilbert

Brown

et al. 2016

Frontiers in Ecol & Environ

262

241

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“…Instead, the focus is on the use of small drones in precision agriculture (e.g., [46,53,54]) and vegetation monitoring in rangelands (e.g., [44,[55][56][57][58][59]). Other environmental research applications found in the literature include biodiversity monitoring [60][61][62][63][64], habitat monitoring [65][66][67], and soil properties [68,69].…”

Section: The Use Of Small Drones For Environmental Mapping and Monitomentioning

confidence: 99%

Small Drones for Community-Based Forest Monitoring: An Assessment of Their Feasibility and Potential in Tropical Areas

Paneque-Gálvez

McCall

Napoletano

et al. 2014

Forests

299

131

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Data gathered through community-based forest monitoring (CBFM) programs may be as accurate as those gathered by professional scientists, but acquired at a much lower cost and capable of providing more detailed data about the occurrence, extent and drivers of forest loss, degradation and regrowth at the community scale. In addition, CBFM enables greater survey repeatability. Therefore, CBFM should be a fundamental component of national forest monitoring systems and programs to measure, report and verify (MRV) REDD+ activities. To contribute to the development of more effective approaches to CBFM, in this paper we assess: (1) the feasibility of using small, low-cost drones (i.e., remotely piloted aerial vehicles) in CBFM programs; (2) their potential advantages and disadvantages for communities, partner organizations and forest data end-users; and (3) to what extent their utilization, coupled with ground surveys and local ecological knowledge, OPEN ACCESSForests 2014, 5 1482 would improve tropical forest monitoring. To do so, we reviewed the existing literature regarding environmental applications of drones, including forest monitoring, and drew on our own firsthand experience flying small drones to map and monitor tropical forests and training people to operate them. We believe that the utilization of small drones can enhance CBFM and that this approach is feasible in many locations throughout the tropics if some degree of external assistance and funding is provided to communities. We suggest that the use of small drones can help tropical communities to better manage and conserve their forests whilst benefiting partner organizations, governments and forest data end-users, particularly those engaged in forestry, biodiversity conservation and climate change mitigation projects such as REDD+.

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“…Due to recent advances in the miniaturization of electronics, navigation, and global positioning systems (GPS), multicopter UAS with their vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) capabilities provides a promising alternative, especially in areas with limited or inconvenient take-off or landing conditions. Hence they evolved as a potential option for a highly flexible sensor platform to collect very high-resolution (down to 1 cm GSD) image data [29,30].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Analysis of Unmanned Aerial System-Based CIR Images in Forestry—A New Perspective to Monitor Pest Infestation Levels

Lehmann

Nieberding

Prinz

et al. 2015

Forests

140

128

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Abstract:The detection of pest infestation is an important aspect of forest management. In the case of the oak splendour beetle (Agrilus biguttatus) infestation, the affected oaks (Quercus sp.) show high levels of defoliation and altered canopy reflection signature. These critical features can be identified in high-resolution colour infrared (CIR) images of the tree crown and branches level captured by Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS). In this study, we used a small UAS equipped with a compact digital camera which has been calibrated and modified to record not only the visual but also the near infrared reflection (NIR) of possibly infested oaks. The flight campaigns were realized in August 2013, covering two study sites which are located in a rural area in western Germany. Both locations represent small-scale, privately managed commercial forests in which oaks are economically valuable species. Our workflow includes the CIR/NIR image acquisition, mosaicking, georeferencing and pixel-based image enhancement followed by object-based image classification techniques. A modified Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVImod) derived classification was used to distinguish between five vegetation health classes, i.e., infested, healthy or dead branches, other vegetation and canopy gaps. We achieved an overall Kappa Index of Agreement (KIA) OPEN ACCESSForests 2015, 6 595 of 0.81 and 0.77 for each study site, respectively. This approach offers a low-cost alternative to private forest owners who pursue a sustainable management strategy.

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Comparison of Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Platforms for Assessing Vegetation Cover in Sagebrush Steppe Ecosystems

Cited by 32 publications

References 32 publications

Unmanned aircraft systems in wildlife research: current and future applications of a transformative technology

Unmanned aircraft systems in wildlife research: current and future applications of a transformative technology

Small Drones for Community-Based Forest Monitoring: An Assessment of Their Feasibility and Potential in Tropical Areas

Analysis of Unmanned Aerial System-Based CIR Images in Forestry—A New Perspective to Monitor Pest Infestation Levels

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