INVESTIGADORES
ODDI Facundo Jose
artículos
Título:
Applying unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to map shrubland structural attributes in northern Patagonia, Argentina
Autor/es:
ROMINA GONZALEZ MUSSO; FACUNDO JOSÉ ODDI; MATÍAS GUILLERMO GOLDENBERG; LUCAS ALEJANDRO GARIBALDI
Revista:
CANADIAN JOURNAL OF FOREST RESEARCH
Editorial:
NATL RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADA-N R C RESEARCH PRESS
Referencias:
Año: 2020 p. 1 - 9
ISSN:
0045-5067
Resumen:
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have gained attention for forestry applications in recent years. These technologies provide ultrahigh-resolution spatial data for detailed mapping of forest structure, among other forestry applications. UAVs have mainly been tested in high-value timber stands, but little is known about their performance in other woody ecosystems such as shrublands that also provide key ecosystem services. Field measurements in shrublands are time-consuming, so UAVs could be used instead to provide data for shrubland management and conservation. We tested whether UAVs could map commonstructural attributes in shrublands of northern Patagonia. We specifically evaluated the capability of UAV point clouds for mapping (i) canopy height, (ii) stand density, (iii) basal area, and (iv) volume. The agreement with the field measurements was satisfactory (R2 was up to 0.95 and relative root mean square error (rRMSE) ranged between 12% and 39%) and comparable with those found for coniferous forests in similar studies. This study is a first attempt to characterize the structure of Patagonian shrublands using UAV data. Despite the challenges and methodological aspects that need to be solved, our results encourage the use of UAVs in these types of ecosystems.