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 transitions in forest settings. Furthermore, such activities have typically evaluated change only in a qualitative sense. Our research has investigated procedures necessary to utilize scanned and digitally processed ground-based photographs to quantitatively measure the multitemporal spectral response of a forest canopy in southern Utah. A multi-year photographic inventory was acquired from surveyed ground positions to document spectral response in a targeted forest condition: Issues related to normalization, image sampling, and digital analysis were investigated. The research concluded that highly reproducible and consistent spectral data can be generated to quantitatively monitor local canopy conditions, and to document the impact of natural or human-induced disturbance.