Use of digital imagery in FPRA Effectiveness Evaluation Program: A Case Study Stéphane Dubé, NIFR Soil Scientist Fred Berekoff, PG District Stewardship Forester RSM Program Pilot Post-Mortem Meeting, Victoria February 2005

Outline  The office portion of an Effectiveness Evaluation for FRPA resource values: Why and How?  Brief overview of high quality image types.  Case study in Prince George Pilot District.  Where else can this approach be appropriate?

Office review of background information  Prior to collecting data in the field, an office review is essential for planning and implementing the field portion of the Effectiveness Evaluation (EE) pilots for a resource value.  It is desirable that the office review procedure: (1) be agreed upon by the field crews (2) used the best information available, and (3) integrate GPS and GIS tools together to create sampling layout and obtain detailed measurements.  This will ensure that data collection is successful i.e. time-saver, cost effective and consistently applied across the Province.  To assist district staff with assessing the various indicators for the soils value, we have developed a field assessment procedure that make use of recent high quality images.

Brief overview of digital imagery  Various digital image types available but not all types are good choice:  low and high resolution satellites, aerial photography, oblique photo.  How is it done?  Landsat, light-wing aircraft, helicopter, and high vantage points.  How accurate it is?  Spatial resolution is critical for image recognition from 10cm pixel size (CWD can be seen) to 30m pixel size (large beetle patch). E.g. 50cm pixel size 3,600 times better than 30m pixel size.  Integration of GPS and GIS together  That allow you to import data and work with maps and/or digital images. When geo-referenced (using a coordinate system), area calculation, distance measurements, and other GIS tasks can be made.  Entry-level GIS mapping softwares: ERMapper, OziExplorer, ArcView.  Data are collected using mobile GPS devices such as Garmin receivers

Case study  Using a recent high resolution aerial photo (10cm pixel size) of a randomly selected block displayed in OziExplorer, evaluation of certain EE Soils indicators can be made including:  identification and delineation of features of interest visible from the air;  area and distance measurements, and;  planning of walkthroughs and survey transects

Green Tree Retention & CWD

Permanent Access and Green Tree Retention

Features: Sensitive Areas

Features: Drainage Patterns

Field Map: Planned transects

Summary  As part of a successful EE, the review of background information is essential.  However, the office review is as good as the quality of the information we get from it.  Higher resolution digital images provide accurate and reliable information useful when: (1) implementing the field assessment; (2) evaluating the indicators, and; (3) reporting and interpreting results.  Varying levels of evaluation intensity: overview ↔ qualitative ↔ quantitative

Summary  In the foreseeable future:  Images are shared among Value Teams and other potential users.  Conduct cost-comparisons of different image types based on sensing needs, spatial resolution, availability and turn- around time processing.  Investigate portable mobile devices with GPS and GIS integrated.