Urban Forestry
Multispectral imaging cameras on an aircraft provide a critical assessment tool to quantify and monitor the benefits of urban forests.
While drones are suitable for aerial imaging of small areas, full-sized aircraft are capable of surveying very large areas.
Viewing the health of an urban forest from the ground can be a challenging task in large geographical areas.
Early signs of plant stress are often found at the top of the canopy and are not always visible from the ground.
An aerial perspective overcomes this problem, providing an early warning system for detecting plant stress.
Airborne data also provides a permanent digital record on the state of the health, extent and structure of an urban forest.
Multispectral imaging is used to determine vegetation type, location, structure, and canopy cover.
Dead and dying vegetation stand out in enhanced, high resolution image maps, highlighting planting potential and vegetation conversion opportunities.
On March 30, 2020, FireWatch contracted with Tree San Diego to help expand and further develop
regional urban forests through their Cal Fire funded project; Branch Out San Diego.
Here is a Story Map of the Branch Out San Diego Project.
FireWatch has been supporting Tree San Diego by providing the following services:
Creating aerial imagery to determine the canopy cover and planting potential in select locations.
Delivering change-detection data for annual comparative analysis of planting regions.
Use GIS software to perform landcover classification data.