Imagery for Forest R&D

• General requirements– Sub-crown spatial resolution– Fine spectral resolution (~10nm FWHM)– Season– Image collection coincident with field data

collection– Accurate ground control and radiometric

corrections

Potential NAFE Projects

• Three objectives:1. Forest water use

2. Productivity prediction – catchment-scale soil water holding capacity

3. The condition of crowns that are severely affected by agents that reduce crown visibility in images

Forestry: Water Use

• Forest water use an important issue– Post fire– Pasture to plantations– Effects on streamflow/groundwater

• Canopy transpiration rate• High resolution thermal imagery - midday• Field site near Mt.Gambier (SA)

– Blue gum (E.globulus) – Calibrate models to sap flow sensor data

• Calibration of imagery?

Forestry: Productivity Prediction

• Plantation productivity prediction at catchment scale– Current work focuses on recharge and discharge areas,

break of slope– Maximum benefit requires understanding of catchment-

specific hydrological processes

• Images to calibrate/validate catchment-scale soil water holding capacity prediction models– Point samples and temporal prediction

• Imagery requirements – moderate resolution radar?• Subcatchments of the S.W. Goulburn-Broken

Forestry: Invisible Crowns

• Several damaging agents increase crown transparency

• Essigella californica aphid defoliates crowns– Reduces crown visibility

• Increased light penetration causes higher vigour of understorey vegetation– Pixels over the most affected trees have high NIR

• High resolution lidar and hyperspectral imagery• Field study area in Carabost, southern NSW

(P.radiata).