Remote sensing and forest damage

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1987 · Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/es00159a602· OSTI ID:6496929

Reid, N J

Each year, damage to North American forests caused by insects, diseases, pollution, and fire results in multibillion dollar losses of revenue and resources. To respond to these losses effectively, forest managers need timely information on the location, extent, and spread of the damage. Traditional techniques for monitoring forest damage include high-resolution aerial photography, color infrared photography, and visual reconnaissance mapping. These techniques require visual interpretation of the data and often are somewhat subjective. In addition, because such analyses are time-consuming and costly, many areas of forest are never mapped, and in cases where maps exist, they often are obsolete or incomplete. An airborne imager has been developed to solve the problems of time-consuming visual analysis and interpretations. The Programmable Multispectral Imager measures small changes - invisible by conventional detection methods - in light reflected by the forest canopy. The PMI measures the color an intensity of reflected light and records this information digitally in computer tape aboard an aircraft. This information is then available for later entry into a computer for processing and enhancement. Although airborne imagers have been available for nearly three decades, they have not been used extensively for forest damage assessment or other forestry applications because of their poor sensitivity and their limited number of fixed spectral channels. The PMI is the first of a new generation of imagers that combine high sensitivity with the flexibility of continuous spectral coverage. This allows scientists to evaluate the potential causes and effects of stress on vegetation.

• Research Organization: MONITEQ, Concord, Ontario
• OSTI ID: 6496929
• Journal Information: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States), Journal Name: Environ. Sci. Technol.; (United States) Vol. 21:5; ISSN ESTHA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560300* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
AERIAL MONITORING
BIOLOGICAL STRESS
FORESTS
INJURIES
MONITORING
MULTISPECTRAL PHOTOGRAPHY
PHOTOGRAPHY
REMOTE SENSING