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6.2 Mapping by Remote Sensing
Authors: J FirthPublication: NZIF Forestry Handbook, Volume Section 6 – Data collection and projection, pp 2, Dec 2023
Publisher: New Zealand Institute of Forestry
Abstract: Remote Sensing (RS) is the detection and analysis of objects without any direct physical contact. Traditionally RS was synonymous with aerial photography. Nowadays, however, the term has broadened to include a range of airborne and space-borne sensors that can detect not only visible light but also other wavelengths such as those that cover the infrared, thermal, microwave and gamma radiation bands of the electromagnetic spectrum. Today’s multiplicity of RS technologies, along with advances in computing, are changing the way land and forests are assessed and mapped. While RS is used for a wide range of resource assessments, e.g. identification of diseases, vegetation stress monitoring and soil mapping, some of its most important applications are for producing conventional forest maps. This application will continue, but it can be expected that the maps will be more diverse in the future as new RS technologies become available.