Remote Sensing Technology Applied in Forest Monitoring
Dr. Promila Bishnoi
Special Issue Information
Dear colleagues,
Remote sensing technology plays a vital role in forest monitoring and management. It allows researchers and forest managers to gather valuable information about forests without having to physically visit every location. Satellites equipped with various sensors, such as optical and synthetic aperture radar (SAR), capture high-resolution images of forests from space. These images provide valuable data on forest cover, vegetation density, and land use changes over time. They can be used to monitor deforestation, forest fires, and illegal logging activities. Remote sensing technology allows for the comparison of images captured at different times, enabling the detection of changes in forest cover and land use. By analyzing historical data, researchers can track deforestation, reforestation efforts, and land-use dynamics. This information is crucial for understanding the impact of human activities on forest ecosystems.
The data combined with other sources of information, such as ground-based measurements and GIS (Geographic Information System) data, can be useful to enhance forest monitoring and modeling. Integration of multiple data sources provides a more comprehensive view of forest ecosystems, allowing for better decision-making in forest management and conservation. Some key applications of remote sensing in forest monitoring are Forest Cover Mapping, Deforestation and Forest Degradation Monitoring, Forest Fire Detection and Monitoring, Biodiversity Assessment, Forest Health Monitoring, Carbon Stock Estimation, Illegal Logging Detection, and Forest Management and Planning. Overall, remote sensing technology offers a powerful and efficient means to monitor forests on a large scale, providing critical information for sustainable forest management, biodiversity conservation, and climate change mitigation efforts. By leveraging remote sensing technology, forest monitoring becomes more efficient, cost-effective, and comprehensive. It enables timely decision-making, supports sustainable forest management practices, and contributes to the conservation of forest ecosystems.
Therefore, the goal of this special issue is to study, evaluate and propose techniques to determine the application and effectiveness of remote sensing in mapping, monitoring and managing our forests. The application of machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms in analyzing remote sensing data for forest monitoring and investigating the use of deep learning, classification techniques, and object detection algorithms for tasks such as forest cover mapping, deforestation detection, and species classification are additional potential topics and areas of focus for the special issue. It can showcase the latest research, methodologies, and case studies, advancing the field and contributing to the development of sustainable forest management practices.
Dr. Promila Bishnoi
Guest Editor