Aspen Down dead Hardwood Impervious / bare land Open( grass / short shrub) Pin cherry Water / shadows This cluster of imagery shows further examples of the data; the legend depicts what the colors represent.
capture the aerial imagery as the aspens started to differentiate from the maples and other deciduous trees, and potentially collect data again in the spring to identify pin cherry from aspen,” Derringer said.
A key piece of the project involved collecting“ training data” and developing algorithms within the software to help recognize and properly identify each specific type of tree MTE was interested in analyzing.“ In any remote sensing-type project where high-accuracy data is required to develop a specific action plan, you want to have some ground truthing data to both train and test your data,” Derringer explained.“ For this project, we went out into the field to get data on key species such as pin cherry, maple, and aspen, and then we supplemented that with oblique imagery over the site for another perspective. Some of the data collected was used in our software
routines to help us understand what we’ re looking at. Some of the data was held back to help validate the results.”
Used in conjunction with MTE’ s geographic information system, the information allowed them to create new maps of the site, better visualize the growth, and make management decisions accordingly – saving MTE both time and money.“ The tree canopy’ s only 10 feet tall in there right now, but it’ s like a jungle,” Crocker said.“ Using remote sensing probably saved our foresters a full field season and freed them up for other projects, and, in the end, their results probably wouldn’ t have been as accurate as what we got with the remote sensing.”
Crocker added that, while MTE has a drone, he realizes its limitations and that its imagery collection wouldn’ t have been nearly as accurate.“ The time and effort it would’ ve taken us to do this with a drone can’ t
compare with what Ayres did in a single mission or two with the manned aircraft and the processing that the team does,” he said.“ It was just too big of a project for us to handle.”
Crocker noted that Ayres’ analysis is already leading to improved longrange planning efforts.“ You get better results in forest management because you have really good data,” he said.“ It’ s going to optimize the management of the forest in those areas.” Pecore agreed.“ Ayres’ techniques have been a big aid to us,” Pecore said.“ You have to have a good inventory system, a good relationship with people, and new technology to assist you in making decisions, and I think Ayres has been really good with us on that. We sure appreciate the working relationship, and hopefully that continues.”
4│TRENDS