EAASI company: AVT Airborne Sensing
Project Overview
Accurate tree species identification is crucial for biodiversity assessment and sustainable forest management. Novel approaches utilizing hyperspectral data allow for precise mapping of species diversity, enabling better-informed conservation and management strategies. Unlike traditional multispectral imaging, hyperspectral sensors capture reflectance across hundreds of narrow spectral bands, revealing subtle differences in tree species' spectral signatures. This advanced capability provides insights into vegetation's biochemical properties and overall health.
Image courtesy: AVT Airborne Sensing
Technical Approach: Hyperspectral Imaging for Species Classification
In 2022, AVT Airborne Sensing, a member of EAASI, launched a hyperspectral aerial survey in Italy’s Bruneck forest department. The project covered 340 km² with a Ground Sample Distance (GSD) of 2–4 meters and was repeated in 2023 to analyze changes over time. The collected hyperspectral data enabled the generation of multiple vegetation indices, including:
Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) – Used to assess plant health and detect stress.
Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) – Provides information on photosynthetic activity.
Plant Senescence Reflectance Index (PSRI) – Detects early signs of vegetation degradation.
Additionally, this data facilitated the production of detailed maps of tree species distribution and dead trees, supporting efforts to track threats such as bark beetle infestations.
Integrating hyperspectral imaging with LiDAR further enhances forest classification by offering insights into tree structure and crown characteristics. Combining tree crown segmentation with species identification improves large-scale monitoring, allowing for tailored forest management strategies.
Results and Benefits: Advancing Forest Conservation and Management
Aerial hyperspectral imaging offers a unique advantage over satellite and UAV-based methods. While satellites provide broad coverage, their spatial resolution may be too low for individual tree identification. UAVs offer higher resolution but are limited in coverage and efficiency. In contrast, crewed aerial surveys can capture an entire forest in a short timeframe (one or a few days), ensuring consistent image acquisition and minimizing time discrepancies between datasets.
This hyperspectral monitoring project demonstrates the value of airborne data in forest conservation, offering precise, scalable, and efficient solutions for biodiversity assessment, species mapping, and early detection of environmental threats. The insights derived from this study contribute to the development of more effective strategies for preserving and managing forest ecosystems.
This case study appeared in the article Crewed aerial surveying: a key tool in modern forest monitoring published by GIM International.
Learn more about how other EAASI members utilize crewed aerial technology to address global challenges in our Use Cases series, a dedicated section showcasing real-world applications, and achievements by EAASI’s diverse members.
This collection of use cases highlights the unique advantages and capabilities of crewed aerial surveying in various fields, from environmental monitoring to infrastructure planning.
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