Monitoring Forest Structure Using UAS Photogrammetry in Tropical Forest Restoration Project
Wong W.V.C.1*, Ioki K.2 and Phua M.H.1

1Faculty of Tropical Forestry, University Malaysia Sabah, Malaysia
2Faculty of Engineering, Musashino University, Japan

Abstract

Monitoring forest structure in tropical forest restoration projects is essential for assessing restoration success, tracking progress and guiding adaptive management strategies. Unmanned aerial systems (UAS) are valuable tools for monitoring forest structure, offering a cost-effective and efficient way to assess and track changes over time. In this paper, forest structure dynamics was studied at an interval of a year using the UAS photogrammetry for a tropical forest restoration project located in Northern Borneo. We incorporated the use of field plot (40 m x 40 m) and LiDAR data for prediction method and digital terrain model (DTM), respectively. The results demonstrated that UAS photogrammetry is capable of providing forest structure information to enhance global efforts towards effective and sustainable forest restoration monitoring.

Keywords: UAS, aerial photogrammetry, forest structure, forest restoration

Topic: Topic B: Applications of Remote Sensing