The Use of Remote Sensing in the Modeling of Forest Productivity


Book Description

Forests comprise the greatest storage of carbon on land, provide fuel for millions, are the habitat for most terrestrial biodiversity, and are critical to the economies of many countries. Yet changes in the extent and dynamics of forests are inherently difficult to detect and quantify. Remote sensing technologies may facilitate the measurement of some key forest properties which, when combined with other information contained in various computer models, may allow for the quantification of critical forest functions. This book explores how remote sensing and computer modeling can be combined to estimate changes in the carbon storage, or productivity, of forests - from the level of the leaf to the level of the globe. Land managers, researchers, policy makers and students will all find stimulating discussions among an international set of experts at the cutting edge of the interface between science, technology and management.




Remote Sensing of Forest Environments


Book Description

Remote Sensing of Forest Environments: Concepts and Case Studies is an edited volume intended to provide readers with a state-of-the-art synopsis of the current methods and applied applications employed in remote sensing the world's forests. The contributing authors have sought to illustrate and deepen our understanding of remote sensing of forests, providing new insights and indicating opportunities that are created when forests and forest practices are considered in concert with the evolving paradigm of remote sensing science. Following background and methods sections, this book introduces a series of case studies that exemplify the ways in which remotely sensed data are operationally used, as an element of the decision-making process, and in the scientific study of forests. Remote Sensing of Forest Environments: Concepts and Case Studies is designed to meet the needs of a professional audience composed of both practitioners and researchers. This book is also suitable as a secondary text for graduate-level students in Forestry, Environmental Science, Geography, Engineering, and Computer Science.




3D Remote Sensing Applications in Forest Ecology


Book Description

Dear Colleagues, The composition, structure and function of forest ecosystems are the key features characterizing their ecological properties, and can thus be crucially shaped and changed by various biotic and abiotic factors on multiple spatial scales. The magnitude and extent of these changes in recent decades calls for enhanced mitigation and adaption measures. Remote sensing data and methods are the main complementary sources of up-to-date synoptic and objective information of forest ecology. Due to the inherent 3D nature of forest ecosystems, the analysis of 3D sources of remote sensing data is considered to be most appropriate for recreating the forest’s compositional, structural and functional dynamics. In this Special Issue of Forests, we published a set of state-of-the-art scientific works including experimental studies, methodological developments and model validations, all dealing with the general topic of 3D remote sensing-assisted applications in forest ecology. We showed applications in forest ecology from a broad collection of method and sensor combinations, including fusion schemes. All in all, the studies and their focuses are as broad as a forest’s ecology or the field of remote sensing and, thus, reflect the very diverse usages and directions toward which future research and practice will be directed.







Advances in Remote Sensing for Forest Monitoring


Book Description

Advances in Remote Sensing for Forest Monitoring An expert overview of remote sensing as applied to forests and other vegetation In Advances in Remote Sensing for Forest Monitoring, a team of distinguished researchers delivers an expansive and insightful discussion of the latest research on remote sensing technologies as they relate to the monitoring of forests, plantations, and other vegetation. The authors also explore the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and drones, as well as multisource and multi-sensor data – such as optical, SAR, LIDAR, and hyperspectral data. The book draws on the latest data and research to show how remote sensing solutions are being used in real-world settings. It offers contributions from researchers and practitioners from a wide variety of backgrounds and geographical regions to provide a diverse and global set of perspectives on the subject. Readers will also find: A thorough introduction to forest monitoring using remote sensing including recent advances in remote sensing technology Comprehensive explorations of sustainable forest management to enhance ecosystem services and livelihood security using a geospatial approach Case studies of monitoring the biochemical and biophysical parameters of forests, including carotene and xanthophyll content Practical advice on how to apply machine learning tools to remote sensing data Perfect for postgraduates, lecturers, and researchers in the fields of environmental science, forestry, and natural resource management, Advances in Remote Sensing for Forest Monitoring will also earn a place in the libraries of professionals and researchers working with remote sensing technology.




The operational role of remote sensing in forest and landscape management


Book Description

Remote Sensing has contributed to forest and landscape management. The technology, which includes sensors, processing software and analysis, has been extensively studied and applied. Studies that employed remote sensing have improved understanding of the sites studied. At the strategic level of forest planning, or in general planning for forest resource allocation over a wide area, remote sensing can play an important role in estimating and monitoring forest cover. At the tactical level, however, when planning forest management activities in a specific forested landscape, remote sensing has not yet contributed as much as expected: Methods proved successful under research conditions cannot always be applied to operational management. There is a gap between scientific and operational uses. Recognising this gap, forest management practitioners and scientists gathered for a daylong focus group discussion to examine constraints and understand better what practitioners expected remote sensing to do for them. The following recommendations arose from the group discussions.




Using Remote Sensing and Process-based Growth Modeling to Predict Forest Productivity Across Western Oregon


Book Description

Accurate measurement of forest productivity is fundamental to understand the carbon balance of forested ecosystems. Recent changes in climate highlight the importance of developing methods to measure forest productivity so that sound economic and environmental decision can be made. Efforts to measure forest productivity across the landscape using remote sensing suffer from limitations inherent in individual sensors. We combine approaches to estimate forest productivity on Douglas-fir plantations using optical passive remote sensing to estimate stand ages, single-pass LiDAR sampling to estimate structural properties, and a process-based growth model (3PG) to assess variation in soil properties across western Oregon. Our results indicate that it is possible to estimate both site index and difficult-to-obtain soil properties across the landscape using two types of remote sensing instruments in combination with modeling. While we believe that the approach is sound, we found that the quality of extrapolated climatic data very much affects the derived values of soil properties assessed by modeling. In contrast, estimates of maximum leaf area index with LiDAR proved a reliable independent means to assess site productivity because plantations reach maximum values in less than two decades after establishment.







Remote Sensing Modeling and Applications to Wildland Fires


Book Description

Scientists and managers alike need timely, cost-effective, and technically appropriate fire-related information to develop functional strategies for the diverse fire communities. "Remote Sensing Modeling and Applications to Wildland Fires" addresses wildland fire management needs by presenting discussions that link ecology and the physical sciences from local to regional levels, views on integrated decision support data for policy and decision makers, new technologies and techniques, and future challenges and how remote sensing might help to address them. While creating awareness of wildland fire management and rehabilitation issues, hands-on experience in applying remote sensing and simulation modeling is also shared. This book will be a useful reference work for researchers, practitioners and graduate students in the fields of fire science, remote sensing and modeling applications. Professor John J. Qu works at the Department of Geography and GeoInformation Science at George Mason University (GMU), USA. He is the Founder and Director of the Environmental Science and Technology Center (ESTC) and EastFIRE Lab at GMU.




Global Forest Monitoring from Earth Observation


Book Description

Covering recent developments in satellite observation data undertaken for monitoring forest areas from global to national levels, this book highlights operational tools and systems for monitoring forest ecosystems. It also tackles the technical issues surrounding the ability to produce accurate and consistent estimates of forest area changes, which are needed to report greenhouse gas emissions and removals from land use changes. Written by leading global experts in the field, this book offers a launch point for future advances in satellite-based monitoring of global forest resources. It gives readers a deeper understanding of monitoring methods and shows how state-of-art technologies may soon provide key data for creating more balanced policies.