The assessment of habitat condition in the New Forest, UK, using fieldwork and airborne remote sensing techniques
Authors: Sumnall, M.J., Hill, R.A. and Hinsley, S.A.
Conference: RSPSoc 2011: Remote Sensing and Photogrammetry Society Annual Conference
Dates: 13-15 September 2011
Abstract:Woodlands cover about 12% of the UK’s land area, but little of this is in a completely natural state. Those woodlands which resemble original forests are more highly prized in nature conservation terms. For the management of any woodland (whether conservation or production forests) an indication of woodland quality is required. Typically, the definition is based on a combination of vegetation and habitat composition, structure, disturbance and distribution factors. Biodiversity is another common proxy. There is no one definition of ‘quality’ and this alters between management objectives.
Currently woodland quality assessments are performed through fieldwork, where forest stand structure, composition, dead wood, regeneration, and ground vegetation are assessed. Fieldwork is hampered by cost and restricted spatial coverage, and is often neither objective or repeatable. Recent developments have allowed the application of new sensors and methods in airborne remote sensing, offering an alternative to fieldwork and providing a means of extrapolating metrics over large areas. Combining airborne hyperspectral and LiDAR data is expected to offer detailed and complimentary information about the structure and composition of woodlands. This project proposes to pioneer the use of a sensor-fusion approach to surveying forest condition.
Source: Manual
Preferred by: Ross Hill