Color-infrared (CIR) digital imagery was evaluated as a remote sensing tool
for detecting oak wilt disease in live oak (Quercus fusiformis). Aerial CI
R digital imagery and CIR photography were obtained concurrently of a live
oak forested area in south-central Texas affected by oak wilt. Dead, diseas
ed, and healthy live oak trees could generally be delineated as well in the
digital imagery as in the CIR photography. Light reflectance measurements
obtained in the held showed that dead, diseased, and healthy trees had diff
erent visible and near-infrared reflectance values.