engleski

Monitoring changes in the health status of a horse chestnut avenue using remote sensing and GIS

Assessing the health status of urban trees is one of the most important elements for their proper management. Remote sensing and the color infrared (CIR) aerial photograph interpretation in particular are broadly used assessment methods. Research aimed at monitoring the health status of trees, establishing and analyzing a database and integrating all the data into a geographical information system (GIS) was conducted in a common horse chestnut avenue in Medvešćak Street. The first data to provide an insight into the condition of the horse chestnut alley in the study area were those obtained with photointerpretation of CIR aerial photographs from 1982 and 1991. Field data of the defoliation status in 2003 and 2005, where abiotic and biotic factors were also recorded, provided an additional insight. A digital ortophoto (DOP) was used as a basis for the establishment of a tree cadaster. All the monitored trees were identified and mapped in the ortophotograph. The x and y coordinates were attributed to each tree and a tree cadaster was established. A database was generated for each tree in the GIS model. The data on the avenue trees were entered in the database (total height, height to the first branch, changes in leaf colour, defoliation, dry shoots and branches, etc.). The trees in the ortophoto were mapped and analyzed to provide the following layers: 1) Spatial tree distribution according to the damage degree on DOP, 2) Spatial tree distribution according to stem damage: - Mechanical damage without rot, - Mechanical damage with visible rot. 3) Spatial distribution of mechanically damaged and rotting trees All the data obtained within GIS were geocoded and stored as individual layers, which makes it possible to tailor the data to specific needs. The database is available to other users and allows for the possibility of changing the existing data or introducing new data.

health status of a horse, remote sensing, GIS

nije evidentirano