Very HighVery High--resolution resolution Imagery for Remote Imagery for Remote Sensing in Hawai`iSensing in Hawai`i

Stephen AmbagisStephen Ambagis11

Jim JacobiJim Jacobi22

11Hawai`i Cooperative Studies Unit, UH HiloHawai`i Cooperative Studies Unit, UH Hilo22U.S. Geological SurveyU.S. Geological Survey

What happens in a vacuum• Presently there are no local commercial aerial digital

imagery providers• Two systems are breaking onto the scene• Both are focused on research and conservation• No overlap in base products, complimentary systems• Both systems are producing new products

This presents the user community with a very unique situation, one that could progress Hawaii’s conservation goals more than ever imagined

Carnegie Airborne Observatory

– Hyperspectral imagery, 350 bands, 30 cm

– Full waveform LIDAR

Contact: Greg Asner

email gpa@stanford.eduwebsite- http://cao.stanford.edu/

Resource Mapping– Very high resolution

multispecral, 4 bands, 20 cm resolution

– Ultra high resolution natural color, 3 bands, 1 cm resolution

Contact: Dana Slaymaker

Email info@resourcemappinggis.comWeb site http://resourcemappinggis.com/

CAO plane and systemResource Mapping plane

and system

• Fist contracted through USGS to do pilot research for TNC, Army, and Fish & Wildlife lands.

• USGS funded development of next generation system that included image normalization for direct comparison and dual scale system

• Initial results were promising• Recently TNCH has taken a leading role in

implementation creating Resource Mapping Hawaii, local capacity

Matching multispectral and Matching multispectral and natural color imagery over natural color imagery over the Hakalau National the Hakalau National Wildlife ReserveWildlife Reserve

This dualThis dual--scale approach is scale approach is especially helpful with especially helpful with species like Australian tree species like Australian tree fern which is not fern which is not distinguishable from the distinguishable from the native fern species using native fern species using any spectral identifiers. any spectral identifiers. Resource Mappings goal is Resource Mappings goal is usually to find the lowest usually to find the lowest resolution adequate to a resolution adequate to a specific mapping need to specific mapping need to reduce costs, but the dual reduce costs, but the dual camera set up gives them camera set up gives them several options to meet several options to meet these needs. these needs.

A subsection of the natural color with itA subsection of the natural color with it’’s corresponding multispectral. The multispectral shows better sps corresponding multispectral. The multispectral shows better spectral discrimination ectral discrimination between trees while the natural color has more detail. A three tbetween trees while the natural color has more detail. A three times increase in spatial resolution in the natural color was imes increase in spatial resolution in the natural color was sufficient to distinguish the tree species needed to map in the sufficient to distinguish the tree species needed to map in the the Hakalau National Wildlife Reserve. the Hakalau National Wildlife Reserve.

Example of Ultra High Resolution Image Interpretability

Cecropia obtusifolia

Trema orentalis

Pandanus tectorius

Melastoma candidum

Macaranga mappa

Schefflera actinophylla

Psidum cattelianum

Nephrolepis multiflora

Metrosideros polymorpha

Melochia umbellata

Psidum cattelianum

2 cm resolution

Range of subRange of sub--sampling options, from 7 cm (above) to 1cm per pixelsampling options, from 7 cm (above) to 1cm per pixel Detail of a single fern at both resolutionsDetail of a single fern at both resolutions

Current Status of Systems• Current product lines

– Resource mapping products are focused on very fine detailed image interpretation over small to moderate AOI’s.

– CAO data is geared toward large scale, automated, image analysis. • Availability

– Resource Mapping will be local in June of this year with a dedicated plane, pilot, and processing facility

– CAO is local but still in research phase of development from a large scale implementation perspective.

• Cost– Resource Mapping produces full coverage, 2 scale, ortho-imagery at

less than $2.00 per acre.– CAO costs requests should be directed to Greg Asner of Carnegie.

Summary• Carnegie Airborne Observatory

– Huge potential for automated large scale mapping of certain species, vegetation structure, and physiology; high-resolution DEMs.

– True costs still being determined; currently available with conditions; long term availability being determined.

• Resource Mapping– Straight forward approach to mapping and monitoring plant

communities and species using image interpretation with ultra high resolution data

– Known costs, fast and simple tasking ability.

Carnegie Airborne Observatory

– Hyperspectral imagery, 350 bands, 30 cm resolution

– Full waveform LIDAR

Resource Mapping– Very high resolution

multispecral, 4 bands, 20 cm resolution

– Ultra high resolution natural color, 3 bands, 1 cm resolution

Contact: Greg Asner

email gpa@stanford.eduwebsite- http://cao.stanford.edu/

Contact: Dana Slaymaker

Email info@resourcemappinggis.comWeb site http://resourcemappinggis.com/

Note: Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this presentation is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement be the U.S. Government.