Monitoring forest transitions using scanned ground photographs as a primary data source

Previous studies that have used repeat ground-based photography to document land-cover or land-use change have generally not assessed canopy transitio ns in forest settings. Furthermore, such activities have typically evaluate d change only in a qualitative sense. Our research has investigated procedu res necessary to utilize scanned and digitally processed ground-based photo graphs to quantitatively measure the multitemporal spectral response of a f orest canopy in southern Utah. A multi-year photographic inventory was acqu ired fr om surveyed ground positions to document spectral response in a tar geted for est condition. Issues related to normalization, image sampling, a nd digital analysis were investigated. The research concluded that highly r eproducible and consistent spectral data can be generated to quantitatively monitor local canopy conditions, and to document the impact of natural or human-induced disturbance.