Potentials and pitfalls of applying consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicles for the inventory of Zagros forests, Iran

Document Type : Short paper

Author

Associate Prof., Department of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, Faculty of Geodesy and Geomatics Engineering, K.N. Toosi University of Technology, Tehran, Iran

10.22092/ijfpr.2023.361410.2086

Abstract

Forest measurement in semi-arid ecosystems and protective stands like Zagros forests is essential for collecting primary information as well as those related to biometrical, ecological and conservational aspects. While the access, time, logistics, financial and lack of trained staff hamper the timely and frequent implementation of forest inventory projects in Zagros, using data and methods based on consumer-grade unmanned aerial vehicles will be discussed here as an alternative or supplement to conventional forest inventories. The challenges and opportunities related to such UAV data in its basic configuration (nadir flight, RGB image composites images and fixed gimbal) will be briefly reviewed and discussed in connection with the basic primary and secondary variables of forest inventory in Zagros. The findings and suggestions here are aimed to facilitate the decision-making of practical sector managers and researchers within the Zagros region.

Keywords

References

- Bandara, K.R., Samarakoon, L., Shrestha, R.P., Kamiya, Y., 2011. Automated generation of digital terrain model using point clouds of digital surface model in forest area. Remote Sensing, 3: 845-858.
- Bottalico, F., Travaglini, D., Chirici, G., Marchetti, M., Marchi, E., Nocentini, S., Corona, P., 2014. Classifying silvicultural systems (coppices vs. high forests) in Mediterranean oak forests by Airborne Laser Scanning data. European Journal of Remote Sensing, 47(1): 437-460
- Brahma, B., Nath, A.J., Sileshi, G.W., Das, A., 2018., Estimating biomass stocks and potential loss of biomass carbon through clear-felling of rubber plantations. Biomass and Bioenergy, 115: 88-96.
- Chave, J., Andalo, C., Brown, S., Cairns, M.A., Chambers, J.Q., Eamus, D., Fölster, H., Fromard, F., Higuchi, N., Kira, T., 2005. Tree allometry and improved estimation of carbon stocks and balance in tropical forests. Oecologia, 145: 87-99.
- Fakhri, S.A., Latifi, H., 2021. A Consumer Grade UAV-Based Framework to Estimate Structural Attributes of Coppice and High Oak Forest Stands in Semi-Arid Regions. Remote Sensing, 13(21):4367.
- Fieber, K.D., Davenport, I.J., Tanase, M.A., Ferryman, J.M., Gurney, R.J., Becerra, V.M., Walker, J.P., Hacker, J.M., 2015. Validation of Canopy Height Profile methodology for small-footprint full-waveform airborne LiDAR data in a discontinuous canopy environment. ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, 104: 144-157.
- Ghasemi, M., Latifi, H., Pourhashemi, M., 2022. A novel method for detecting and delineating coppice trees in UAV images to monitor tree decline. Remote Sensing, 14(23): 5910.
- Goodbody, T.R., Coops, N.C., White, J., 2019. Digital aerial photogrammetry for updating area-based forest inventories: a review of opportunities, challenges, and future directions. Current Forestry Reports, 5: 55-75.
- Guimarães., Pádua, L., Marques, P., Silva, N., Peres, E., Sousa, J. J., 2020. Forestry remote sensing from unmanned aerial vehicles: A review focusing on the data, processing and potentialities. Remote Sensing, 12 (6): 1046.
- Jucker, T., Caspersen, J., Chave, J., Antin, C., Barbier, N., Bongers, F., Dalponte, M., van Ewijk, K.Y., Forrester, D.I., Haeni, M, 2017. Allometric equations for integrating remote sensing imagery into forest monitoring programmes. Global Change Biology, 23: 177-190.
- Krause, S., Sanders, T.G., Mund, J.-P., Greve, K., 2019. UAV-based photogrammetric tree height measurement for intensive forest monitoring. Remote Sensing, 11: 758.
- Lewis, S.L., Sonké, B., Sunderland, T., Begne, S.K., Lopez-Gonzalez, G., Van Der Heijden, G.M., Phillips, O.L., Affum-Baffoe, K., Baker, T.R., Banin, L., 2013. Above-ground biomass and structure of 260 African tropical forests. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 368: 20120295.
- Lizuka, K., Yonehara, T., Itoh, M., Kosugi, Y., 2018. Estimating tree height and diameter at breast height (DBH) from digital surface models and orthophotos obtained with an unmanned aerial system for a Japanese cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) forest. Remote Sensing, 10 (1): 13.
- Machimura, T., Fujimoto, A., Hayashi, K., Takagi, H., Sugita, S., 2021. A novel tree biomass estimation model applying the pipe model theory and adaptable to UAV-derived canopy height models. Remote Sensing, 12: 258.
- Maltamo, M., Næsset, E., Vauhkonen, J., 2014. Forestry Applications of Airborne Laser Scanning. Springer Verlag. ISBN: 978-94-017-8663-82014.
- Mlambo, R., Woodhouse, I.H., Gerard, F., Anderson, K., 2017. Structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry with drone data: A low cost method for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions from forests in developing countries. Forests, 8(3): 68.
- Ota, T., Ogawa, M., Shimizu, K., Kajisa, T., Mizoue, N., Yoshida, S., Takao, G., Hirata, Y., Furuya, N., Sano, T., 2015.  Aboveground biomass estimation using structure from motion approach with aerial photographs in a seasonal tropical forest. Forests, 6: 3882-3898.
- Panagiotidis, D., Abdollahnejad, A., Surový, P., Chiteculo, V., 2017. Determining tree height and crown diameter from high-resolution UAV imagery. International Journal of Remote Sensing, 38: 2392-2410.
- Pothong, T., Elliott, S., Chairuangsri, S., Chanthorn, W., Shannon, D.P.; Wangpakapattanawong, P., 2021. New allometric equations for quantifying tree biomass and carbon sequestration in seasonally dry secondary forest in northern Thailand. New Forests, 53: 17-36.
- Puliti, S., Breidenbach, J., Astrup, R., 2020. Estimation of forest growing stock volume with UAV laser scanning data: can it be done without field data? Remote Sensing, 12: 1245.
- Puliti, S., Solberg, S., Granhus, A., 2019. Use of UAV photogrammetric data for estimation of biophysical properties in forest stands under regeneration. Remote Sensing, 11: 233.
- Safonova A., Guirado E., Maglinets Y., Alcaraz-Segura D., Tabik S., 2021. Olive Tree Biovolume from UAV Multi-Resolution Image Segmentation with Mask R-CNN. Sensors, 21(5):1617.
- Zagalikis, G., Cameron, A.D., Miller, D., 2005. The application of digital photogrammetry and image analysis techniques to derive tree and stand characteristics. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 35: 1224-1237.
Iranian Journal of Forest and Poplar Research
Volume 30, Issue 3 - Serial Number 89
December 2022
Pages 299-307

Files

Share

How to cite

Statistics