Project Type:

Color imagery for forest planning purposes.

Project Location:

Scientific Forest Management Area, Baxter State Park, T6 R10 WELS and Nesowadnehunk Twp, Maine

Scope of Work:

To provide new aerial photography, flown in the fall foliage season, to be used for forest planning.

Project Specifics:

Five flight lines were flown during peak fall foliage season when hardwoods display distinctive hues. Over 70 color images were processed and converted into a color digital map. The imagery was corrected using readily available government digital elevation map (DEM) information. Since the resulting map is to be used for forest planning purposes rather than engineering purposes, the level of accuracy provided by the government DEM information was sufficient for the project, thereby avoiding the costs and time associated with full survey and mapping services.

Challenges:

The DEM information needed to be translated to fit the project specs, and in some cases the information was not accurate. KAPPA technicians researched problem areas to overcome inaccuracies in the DEM. The low sun angle in the fall created long shadows, so KAPPA minimized their impact on the image by color balancing. Careful color balancing also helped to enhance the foliage colors so that tree species could more easily be isolated and identified.

End Result:

Large-scale planning imagery that can be used to help identify tree species and manage the timberlands. This type of imagery can also aid in the identification of environmental influences in the target area such as damage from insects, fire, and drought.