Remote sensing - evolution or revolution?

Authors: Trevor Best
Publication: New Zealand Journal of Forestry, Volume N.Z.J.For. 2020, Issue N.Z.J.For. 65(4) 2021, pp 2, Jan 2021
Publisher: New Zealand Institute of Forestry

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Abstract: A few years ago, a young acquaintance of mine having decided to study engineering came looking for some insights into what engineering practice would become his focus. His own investigation had whittled the choices down to civil and forest engineering and he wanted to know which I thought he might be best suited for. Keen to capture a good mind for the cause I engaged. A bit more questioning clarified that he loved thinking that involved numbers rather than words and phrases (good start), but his preference was for mathematics rather than statistics (oh dear). When I questioned him about why that was the case his answer centred on certainty: he liked to know his thinking was correct with a small but known risk of being incorrect. When I explained to him the level of uncertainty imposed on forest engineering decisionmaking by imperfect knowledge about tree size, stem breakage points and landform he decided to go with civil engineering.

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